Why a 2002 Sci-Fi Show Just Beat 'Schitt's Creek' and 'Parks and Rec' to Hit No. 1 on Apple TV
Why a 2002 Sci-Fi Show Just Beat 'Schitt's Creek' and 'Parks and Rec' to Hit No. 1 on Apple TV
B MundSat, April 11, 2026 at 6:40 PM UTC
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A show Fox canceled after 14 episodes is currently outperforming series with active fan bases, ongoing merchandise, and far more recent air dates. And there's a specific reason it's happening right now.
As of April 8, Firefly sat at No. 1 on the Apple TV Store's Top 10 TV shows in the United States, per FlixPatrol, ranking above The Chosen, Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, Parks and Recreation, Frasier, Schitt's Creek, and Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, among others. Some of those titles have devoted followings of their own. None of them aired in 2002.
The climb didn't start with the No. 1 ranking. In early March, before any official announcement, Firefly had already reentered Amazon's digital streaming charts at No. 18 on their Top 25 TV Shows in the United States and sat at No. 15 on the Apple TV store simultaneously, all while remaining available to Hulu subscribers at no extra cost. People were paying to watch something they could watch for free.
By mid-March, renewed demand had pushed it to No. 3 on Amazon Prime Video and No. 7 on the Apple TV store, while also landing within the top 10 in international markets including the UK and Germany. FlixPatrol data shows it competing directly against recent hits and several Taylor Sheridan shows on Apple TV's PVOD service, the kind of company a 24-year-old single-season series rarely keeps.
The catalyst for all of it was Nathan Fillion's announcement at Awesome Con in Washington, D.C. that an animated Firefly reboot is in early development at 20th Television Animation, produced through his banner Collision33. Married showrunners Tara Butters (Agent Carter, Dollhouse) and Marc Guggenheim (Arrow, The Flash) are attached, a script is already completed, and Oscar- and Emmy-winning animation studio ShadowMachine is handling the visuals.
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Related: Firefly's Revival Was Hiding in an Alan Tudyk Podcast 8 Months Before Fillion Knocked on a Single Door
The series would be set in the timeline between the original 2002 run and the 2005 film Serenity, with the full original cast expected to voice their characters. As Alan Tudyk explained at the panel,'Because of our schedules and availability the only way to get it done is if we animated it.'
The project still needs a network or streaming home. The cast has openly asked fans to like, comment, and repost news of the announcement, requesting 'quantifiable analytics' to present to potential buyers. Fillion has encouraged fans to pitch in as the proposed animated series still needs to find a home. There’s a rapidly growing grassroots fan push to organize a variety of ways to help.
What's already on the scoreboard is a 24-year-old show beating Schitt's Creek and Parks and Rec in the same week, and that makes a fairly shiny opening argument.
Firefly is currently streaming on Hulu.
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This story was originally published by Parade on Apr 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
