The news about Fox shutting down all TV theatrical exhibitions of “Firefly” and “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” was just posted on Whendonesque.com which leads me to ask just one question. What kind of anti-Whedon bug has crawled up Fox’s butt?

First, the network took the “Firefly” series, turned it inside out and upside down by providing little-to-no advance advertising — if it hadn’t been for word-of-mouth from the ever vigilant SF base, the world would have never ever known about it. Secondly, they moved the show all over the network’s schedule pre-emptively, airing episodes out of sequence and roundly canceled it after only a few of the episodes made it to airtime.

But, SF fans wouldn’t be defeated. They bought up the DVD release of “Firefly” with all its episodes in tact and in order. In fact, they flew off the shelves faster than merchandisers could keep them stocked. This got Universal’s attention who bought the rights to film a big screen production based on the series. “Serenity” was a success as far as SF movies go, and like its TV series, has done so tremendously well in DVD sales that there is now talk of doing a movie sequel, either for the big screen or straight to DVD.

So, one is led to ask the basic question….Why on Earth does Fox seem bound and determined to continue trying to bury a project that is so obviously a hit with the growing sci-fi fan base?

It certainly can’t be greed, because, Fox could stand to make a pretty nifty sum if they would just wise up and get behind future new releases. So, is it stubborn determination to see it die a slow anguished death? Are Fox executives that small-minded? Or, are they just ignorant?

I think, looking at their track record with other SF projects, I will have to go with the latter, and possibly a little dash of arrogance and vindictiveness.

Is there a solution? Can fans continue to allow Fox to manhandle Whedon’s baby like that? Well, there is one thing that can be done, and while it may not be the one most can or will get directly involved with, Star Trek enthusiasts have proven that, if done with the right mixture of passion, expertise and committment, successful mega fan productions of “Firefly” can rise to the surface. And, at first, while stars like Fillion, Torres, Glau, Baldwin and all the others wouldn’t be gracing the internet screen, those rich and wonderful characters of Joss Whedon’s that they so skillfully turned into icons could once again roam the verse with new and exciting adventures.

Let’s face it. It’s unlikely that Fox will ever get it, or come on board as a friendly, and this latest move on their part to stop all future TV theatrical exhibitions is just another indication of their stupidty and shows just how calloused they are toward fans of the franchise. It is now time for the fans to step up and take control.