Canceled TV Gems

It's 2517. The world is so much bigger than we could ever imagine; humans have colonized planets all over the universe. Mal Reynolds, a war hero, a revolutionary and lawless smuggler with a vendetta, leads a ship called Serenity and an unexpected, loyal and charming crew on adventures, picking up more passengers running from the law along the way.as they obtain and transport illegal cargo among the planets of the universe.

This sci-fi Western features love, depth, intrigue, adventure, suspense, mystery, and drama in a simultaneously futuristic and retro style. The shy and warm female mechanic, two married pilots who fought with Mal in the war, a former Minister chef, a beautiful escort, and two fugitive passengers, a protective and endearing doctor and his schizophrenic and telepathic killing machine of a sister, create a patchwork family atmosphere on the Serenity as they tackle everything from assassination attempts by and battles with the cannibalistic Reavers and the establishment police state called the Alliance to aiding the escort whom Mal fatefully loves in reaching her clients.

The interesting culture and interpretation of what the future of humanity could look like depicted in Firefly are intellectually intriguing for cerebral viewers. As a result of this and so much more, Firefly is considered a cult classic. The few and extremely devoted fans, of which I am one, often cite the dynamics of the complex relationships and the depth of the characters, with their strengths, flaws, memories and opinions, as the reason behind their loyalty to and love of this rich show.

Sadly, as stated, this gem was cancelled after only ONE season. Fortunately, however, at least the cast and crew of FIrefly were able to produce a movie, Serenity, that completes and complements the TV show. That can't be said of the others.

I found Dollhouse by accident, browsing through the NBC website while procrastinating on studying for my college midterms. I saw a picture of Eliza Dushku and the mention of psychology and suspense, and I couldn't stay away.

Joss Whedon did it again: he created a mesmerizing and complex world with dark, sexy, and surprising characters, humor, murder, mystery, and romance.

In Dollhouse, Eliza Dushku, as Echo, becomes someone different and new in each episode, as she is neurologically programmed to perform a specified role or to literally become a specific person for wealthy clients. Some days, she is a badass crime-fighter; more often, she's a stereotypical sex object programmed to fit the exact fantasy of her client. In between assignments, she lives as a doll in a dollhouse full of other dolls, mindlessly following orders and calmly performing daily tasks to maintain a healthy body and mind, completely unaware of her surroundings, job, or life, unable to remember who she was before or why she's in the dollhouse.

Questions arise and are slowly answered in the most interesting way possible, revealing the who, what, when, where and why behind this strange and fascinating situation. Plot twists and exceedingly interesting character stories, along with expert acting, writing, and directing truly make this show deserving of the classification as a gem.

After spending twelve YEARS of a life sentence in jail for a crime he did not commit, Detective Charlie Crews (played by Damian Lewis) is finally a free man with money to burn. What will he do? Eat a lot of fruit, try to be Zen, and--of course--obsess about revenge.

The twisted and intelligent main character, Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis) randomly spouts witty one-liners and unleashes violence and fury in moments when his tightly guarded control over his anger gives way.

His lovely and jaded partner, Detective Dani Reese (Sarah Shahi) struggles to keep him in line while battling her own demons, substance abuse and daddy issues.

All the while, Charlie spends hours and any resources he can get his hands on trying to solve the mystery of why he was framed for the murder of three people he loved and sent to jail for life.

This show, unlike many about crime, mystery and drama, is unique and unpredictable, well-written and complex. Charlie's pain is palpable. Dani's struggles are endearing. The cast of characters and their back-stories enrich the experiences of Charlie and Dani. The humor and sorrow of the show unexpectedly creep up on you, pulling you into their world. That's why Life is a gem.