You can't take the sky from me
"We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."
The words of Captain Malcom Reynolds sum up the Browncoat movement pretty well. In September 2002, a show called Firefly appeared on Fox. After a 3 month run the show vanished, leaving those saw it wondering why such an original show was cancelled. We have all seen shows killed within a few seasons, or worse, a few episodes. This should have been the end, but then something incredible happened. A show that ended after 14 episodes had gained a following that refused to give up, even when the battle seemed lost. The next 2 years saw costumes, booths and panels at conventions dedicated to Firefly. The fans had come to refer to themselves as Browncoats (the faction on the losing side of The Unification War seen in the pilot episode) and began a campaign to revive Firefly. When 2004 saw Universal option the rights to Serenity, a film based on Firefly, Browncoats around the world began the guerrilla marketing campaign to make sure that the Big Damn Movie would be a success. Serenity set a precedent by beginning test screenings 7 months before the official release date. Every screening was full within minutes of the tickets going on sale, much to the surprise of Universal. By the movie's opening weekend the story of a cancelled television show becoming a major motion picture breathed new life into the Browncoat community. The fans of Firefly and Serenity were also given hope that the 'verse would live on, at a panel Joss said, "And if it does well, we'll get to do another one." This statement was met with the cheers of those Browncoats lucky enough to attend.
I am a newly recruited Browncoat and I advise everyone to buy a copy of the series. If you are already a Browncoat then lend your box set to someone who isn't, who might be. " They tried to kill us. They did kill us, and here we are. We have done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."
Welcome to Serenity.