Firstly let me say I am in no way a Sci Fi fan - I don't get Star Trek or any of the other Sci Fi series that are so adored across the world. So you may wonder why I am so enamoured of a TV show billed as a Space Western. The show is written and directed by Joss Whedon creator of Buffy and Angel - this is not a teen show though.

The show is set in 2517 where the universe is a mish mash of Oriental and American culture. There has been a space war won by the two super powers of China and America and our heroes are the losers of that war. The worlds are governed by the sinister Alliance. It is from these authorities that the protagonists are always at odds. The story begins with a group of people living on a space ship who unwittingly take on board the enigmatic River Tam. The series revolves around the secrets River holds secrets which frustratingly are never quite revealed due to the Fox network cancelling the show.

The fact is that Firefly for me is not really a Sci Fi show. It is a show about a group of characters just trying to get by in life. It is about love, family, friendship, faith, hope, class and struggling to get a job. That it takes place on a spaceship is almost incidental. There is no sign of aliens and the new technology is not stuffed down your throat. Often you forget you are watching a show set in the future as there are many signifiers of the past -duels, stage coaches, witch trials and Nazism. I love the nuances of the show such as prostitutes being part of the elite, swearing in chinese and everyone eating with chopsticks from tin plates.

The characters in the show are well developed and you really get to know and like them. In fact I think I am in love with Malcolm Reynolds (captain tight pants). They will have you in tears both with laughter and sadness.

At the end of the day Firefly is a series of just great stories. It is criminal it was cut so short.