On December 20th, 2002, the Fox Network aired the final episode of the ill-fated drama, "Firefly". Considered one of the most iconic television show cancellations of all time, "Firefly" was one of the most expensive shows on television at the time, costing approximately $2 million per episode, due to its massive, multi-level sets and cutting-edge CGI. Unfortunately, the show was a victim of the "Friday Night Death Slot", and by mid-December, it was averaging only 4.7 million viewers and ranked 98th in the Nielsen ratings. The financial success of the series only happened after its cancellation, when its DVD box set released in 2003 sold over 200,000 units in its first few months. TV Guide later ranked the series as #5 on the list of "Shows That Were Cancelled Too Soon", and it consistently appears in the top 10 of all-time greatest sci-fi series lists by Rolling Stone and Empire.
