The Firefly Curse
This isn't a subject I invented, in any way, and it's often been discussed before... but I figured I could do a quick writeup to summarise.
Here's the theory: Geeks loved Firefly, but Fox TV didn't, and cancelled it way too soon. We were lucky enough to get the movie Serenity to wrap up the story a little bit, but for all purposes, the world of the 'verse is over. All cast and crew have moved on to other projects.
Except.... For the most part, the cast don't seem to have been lucky in their new endeavours, with TV series being cancelled soon after they join the cast.
So here's the Firefly cast, and what they've done since (thanks, IMDB) and the status of the relevant TV shows. (Movies and TV-specials or once-off guest appearances haven't been listed)
Nathan Fillion - Captain Mal Reynolds
Firefly - cancelled.
Miss Match - guest star, 6 episodes - seems to be over, don't know anything about this show.
Drive - lead star, cancelled after four episodes.
Desperate Housewives - guest star, 11 episodes - series is still going, but without Fillion.
Castle - lead star, future uncertain, but poor ratings.
Gina Torres - Zoe Washburn
Firefly - cancelled.
24 - guest star, 7 episodes - series is still going.
Alias - guest star, 6 episodes - series finished.
Standoff - lead star, cancelled.
Adam Baldwin - Jayne Cobb
Firefly - cancelled.
Angel - guest star, 5 episodes - cancelled.
The Inside - lead star, cancelled.
Day Break - lead star, cancelled.
Chuck - lead star, future uncertain, but poor ratings.
Alan Tudyk - Wash
Firefly - cancelled.
No other regular TV gigs, just guest spots. Has been in quite a few movies, though.
Jewel Staite - Kaylee
Firefly - cancelled.
Wonderfalls - guest star, 4 episodes - cancelled.
Stargate: Atlantis - lead star(Season 5) - cancelled.
Morena Baccarin - Inara
Firefly - cancelled.
Still Life - lead star, cancelled after 6 episodes.
The OC - guest star, 3 episodes - series finished.
Stargate SG-1 - guest star, 5 episodes + TV movies, cancelled.
Heartland - lead star, cancelled after 9 episodes.
Sean Maher - Simon Tam
Firefly - cancelled.
No other recurring TV roles, only a few TV/movie appearances.
Summer Glau - River Tam
Firefly - cancelled.
The Unit - guest star, 7 episodes, series is still going (I think)
The 4400 - guest star, 8 episodes, cancelled.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - lead star, future uncertain, but poor ratings.
Ron Glass - Shepherd Book
Firefly - cancelled.
No other recurring TV roles, only a few TV/movie appearances.
And what about the creators...?
Joss Whedon
Firefly - cancelled.
Angel - cancelled.
Dr Horrible's Sing-along Blog - self funded project, noone could cancel it except Joss!
Dollhouse - future uncertain, poor ratings.
A few other movies in the works (Cabin in the Woods, Goners).
Tim Minear
Firefly - cancelled.
Wonderfalls - cancelled.
The Inside - cancelled.
Standoff - cancelled.
Drive - cancelled.
K-Ville - cancelled.
Dollhouse - future uncertain, poor ratings.
I know the evidence isn't really conclusive - to be honest, Joss Whedon himself is still quite popular and will probably have success even if Dollhouse fails. It seems the curse falls mostly on Tim Minear and Adam Baldwin, and to a lesser extent Nathan Fillion and Summer Glau. But they're all still working, even if they keep changing projects - the actors who don't have a regular or guest gig right now are the ones we should be supporting :)
EDIT: Good news! Looks like Chuck has been picked up for another season. Adam Baldwin escapes the curse this time!
EDIT THE EDIT (May 5) Looks like the decision on Chuck is delayed for another two weeks. NBC can't make up their mind yet. So it still might not happen....
Here's the theory: Geeks loved Firefly, but Fox TV didn't, and cancelled it way too soon. We were lucky enough to get the movie Serenity to wrap up the story a little bit, but for all purposes, the world of the 'verse is over. All cast and crew have moved on to other projects.
Except.... For the most part, the cast don't seem to have been lucky in their new endeavours, with TV series being cancelled soon after they join the cast.
So here's the Firefly cast, and what they've done since (thanks, IMDB) and the status of the relevant TV shows. (Movies and TV-specials or once-off guest appearances haven't been listed)
Nathan Fillion - Captain Mal Reynolds
Firefly - cancelled.
Miss Match - guest star, 6 episodes - seems to be over, don't know anything about this show.
Drive - lead star, cancelled after four episodes.
Desperate Housewives - guest star, 11 episodes - series is still going, but without Fillion.
Castle - lead star, future uncertain, but poor ratings.
Gina Torres - Zoe Washburn
Firefly - cancelled.
24 - guest star, 7 episodes - series is still going.
Alias - guest star, 6 episodes - series finished.
Standoff - lead star, cancelled.
Adam Baldwin - Jayne Cobb
Firefly - cancelled.
Angel - guest star, 5 episodes - cancelled.
The Inside - lead star, cancelled.
Day Break - lead star, cancelled.
Chuck - lead star, future uncertain, but poor ratings.
Alan Tudyk - Wash
Firefly - cancelled.
No other regular TV gigs, just guest spots. Has been in quite a few movies, though.
Jewel Staite - Kaylee
Firefly - cancelled.
Wonderfalls - guest star, 4 episodes - cancelled.
Stargate: Atlantis - lead star(Season 5) - cancelled.
Morena Baccarin - Inara
Firefly - cancelled.
Still Life - lead star, cancelled after 6 episodes.
The OC - guest star, 3 episodes - series finished.
Stargate SG-1 - guest star, 5 episodes + TV movies, cancelled.
Heartland - lead star, cancelled after 9 episodes.
Sean Maher - Simon Tam
Firefly - cancelled.
No other recurring TV roles, only a few TV/movie appearances.
Summer Glau - River Tam
Firefly - cancelled.
The Unit - guest star, 7 episodes, series is still going (I think)
The 4400 - guest star, 8 episodes, cancelled.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - lead star, future uncertain, but poor ratings.
Ron Glass - Shepherd Book
Firefly - cancelled.
No other recurring TV roles, only a few TV/movie appearances.
And what about the creators...?
Joss Whedon
Firefly - cancelled.
Angel - cancelled.
Dr Horrible's Sing-along Blog - self funded project, noone could cancel it except Joss!
Dollhouse - future uncertain, poor ratings.
A few other movies in the works (Cabin in the Woods, Goners).
Tim Minear
Firefly - cancelled.
Wonderfalls - cancelled.
The Inside - cancelled.
Standoff - cancelled.
Drive - cancelled.
K-Ville - cancelled.
Dollhouse - future uncertain, poor ratings.
I know the evidence isn't really conclusive - to be honest, Joss Whedon himself is still quite popular and will probably have success even if Dollhouse fails. It seems the curse falls mostly on Tim Minear and Adam Baldwin, and to a lesser extent Nathan Fillion and Summer Glau. But they're all still working, even if they keep changing projects - the actors who don't have a regular or guest gig right now are the ones we should be supporting :)
EDIT: Good news! Looks like Chuck has been picked up for another season. Adam Baldwin escapes the curse this time!
EDIT THE EDIT (May 5) Looks like the decision on Chuck is delayed for another two weeks. NBC can't make up their mind yet. So it still might not happen....