The Fox Exec That Canceled Firefly, Futurama, and Family Guy And Got Promoted

Fox aired the original Firefly pilot eight days after announcing the show was canceled. Gail Berman was running Fox Entertainment when it happened. Less than three years later, Paramount Pictures named her president. What did Hollywood see in the executive Firefly fans still blame? In this Dial-Up Days documentary, we revisit four decisions that still frustrate Fox fans. Firefly got a replacement premiere and a Friday night slot. Titus drew nearly 8 million viewers in its final season and still got cut. Futurama kept airing long after Fox stopped ordering episodes. And Family Guy became such a hit on Adult Swim and DVD that it came back to Fox and used its first scene to roast the network that canceled it. We trace which decisions Berman made herself, where the record is murkier, and how her team used the same scheduling power to turn The O.C. and House into hits. By the end of the 2004–05 season, Fox finished first among adults 18–49 for the first time, beating CBS by one-tenth of a ratings point. By then, Berman was already at Paramount. Which Fox cancellation still bugs you the most? Would that show have survived on another network? Let me know in the comments, and subscribe to Dial-Up Day for more stories behind the TV we grew up watching.