We Know Drama, and we cancel it: Firefly and Spooks (MI-5)

Lately I've had a lot of studying and writing to do, which is a surefire recipe for procrastination. Between Serenity and the new season of Spooks, I feel like I've been mainlining TV episodes for the better part of two weeks. While more legal than your standard narcotics, this is still not recommended as a method for improving productivity. However, it has gotten me to thinking about both shows. It's a little hard for me to figure out why I'm so taken with both right now (OK, avoidance of productivity, but let's pass over that) as I've always thought of myself as a serially monogamous fan (but let's pass over that as well). Both series have strongly devoted watchers but never achieved broad appeal in the US. I've been thinking about why this is.

( Whereforeart thou Firefly (no Serenity spoilers) )

( And on to Spooks/MI-5 (no spoilers) )

Overall, I think these two shows are pretty dissimilar in premise, but have great writing and performances. If I had to pick one I'd go with Firefly as I'm more attached to the characters, but fortunately I don't have to pick one! It's a shame that neither got the attention it deserved, but that won't stop me from enjoying both shows.