I’m not entirely sure that Castle star Nathan Fillion was expecting much more than a chuckle when he declared his love for Firefly in an interview last week. If that were the case, however, then Fillion definitely needs to pay more attention to the (over) reactions common to his old show’s fan base. Because now he’s got them mobilizing.
As was previously reported, Nathan Fillion gave an interview with EW.com last week, talking about the return of his 2002 series, Firefly, to televisions Science Channel. The interview made Fillion’s love for the failed sci-fi show clear, and the actor declared Captain Malcolm Reynolds to be his favorite role ever. Fillion, currently starring on Castle and therefore unavailable for immediate Firefly work, did say that he would even consider buying the rights to his old show, should he win $300 million in the California Lottery.
Just a flippant statement by an actor reminiscing about the good old days? Maybe. But that’s not how it’s been received.
Firefly fans — who call themselves Browncoats after the nickname for rebel army members on the show — seem to be everywhere. And they’re ready to resume the fight to get Firefly back on TV.
The first hint of the Browncoat enthusiasm was evident in a Twitter post from Nathan Fillion himself. On Feb. 18, the actor tweeted that he had received a gift from the California Lottery and attached a photo:
There is no word on whether the ticket did any good.
Firefly fans, meanwhile, aren’t waiting for the vagaries of the lottery in order to get their show back. Instead, they’re mobilizing. It’s a very Internet-savvy fan base, so mobilization is both swift and impressive.
First, and most accessible, into the fray was the requisite Facebook fan page. The page in question, “Help Nathan Buy Firefly,” has amassed more than 20,000 “likes” in the past few days. No one seems to be collecting money on the Facebook page yet, but enthusiasm is definitely running high. As one fan, Tim Pickerill, posted “This is probably the most important cause I’ve ever seen. Ever.”
Facebook isn’t the only place where one can find an enthusiastic response to Nathan Fillion’s Firefly comments. A dedicated website has also emerged at helpnathanbuyfirefly.com. More than just a group of excited nerds, the website seems to be serious about future efforts to raise the money necessary for Fillion (or someone similar) to own and bring back Firefly. Yes, they’re serious. No, they’re not accepting donations. Yet. They do feel strongly about their mission: “There are projects to decrease suck and projects to increase awesome…. We’re working on one of the latter.”
Even some celebrity Firefly fans have gotten in on the game. Writers Jane Espenson (a writer-producer who has worked on Warehouse 13, Battlestar Galactica and Torchwood as well as Firefly) and Jose Molina (of Castle, Haven and Firefly) have both posted on Twitter that they’d be in for any new Firefly action. Probably a Twitter joke, but you never can tell.
Will this turn into anything? Probably not. But it was unlikely for anything to happen with Firefly after its quick cancelation either. Massive DVD sales and a feature film (2005’s Serenity) later, just about anything seems possible when you’re dealing with Firefly.
What do you think? Is this nothing but crazy, bored fans running amok on the Internet? Or is there an actual chance of bringing Firefly back through such mobilization? Do you think the original players will all get involved? Leave us a comment below!
(Images courtesy of FOX and Nathan Fillion, via Twitter)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
Laurel grew up in Mamaroneck, NY, Grosse Pointe, MI and Bellevue WA. She then went on to live in places like Boston, Tucson, Houston, Wales, Tanzania, Prince Edward Island and New York City before heading back to Seattle. Ever since early childhood, when she became addicted to The Muppet Show, Laurel has watched far too much TV. Current favorites include Chuck, Modern Family, Supernatural, Mad Men and Community. Laurel received a BA in Astrophysics (yes, that is possible) from Colgate University and a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies and History of Science from Columbia University before she realized that television is much better than studying.
