It's a sad story, how Fox screwed the Firefly pooch. Airing it out of order, forcing Whedon to change the tone after previewing the pilot, commissioning a new pilot, and then repeatedly preempting it for sports and holiday programming. They had no idea what they were doing.

I've had the discussion with other fans: would Firefly be as beloved if it had lasted for more than 13 episodes? Is its legacy due in part to its length? It was spared the opportunity to jump the shark and disappoint its fanbase, as many other series have done. I say that situation has had an influence on its perceived "perfection", but that many series have been canceled after one season without gaining such a loyal following afterward. There has to be something more to it than just that. The way I see it, Firefly is a rare series that felt lived-in and fully-realized from its very first episode, and in the short 14 hours of its run it established great and diverse characters who you wanted to know and befriend. I dare anyone to watch Firefly and not want to sail the stars on Serenity, stealing Alliance gold and flirting with gorgeous companions. :-)