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(CNN) -- True Browncoats, like the fictional freedom fighters they named themselves after, don't give up easily.

Those diehard fans of "Firefly," the 2002 cult TV hit, have a history of turning to the internet to buck improbable odds in defense of their favorite show.

Now, they're at it again.

Just days after an apparently offhand comment from Nathan Fillion, who played Capt. Malcolm Reynolds on the short-lived Fox series, the Web has once again lit up with efforts to revive the sci-fi franchise.

Last week, Fillion, who now stars in ABC's "Castle," told Entertainment Weekly he'd love to play Mal again. Then, he ratcheted things up a notch.

"If I got $300 million from the California Lottery, the first thing I would do is buy the rights to "Firefly," make it on my own, and distribute it on the internet," Fillion told EW, a CNN.com partner.

Then, some possibly surprising online reactions started rolling in.

The next day, former "Firefly" writer Jose Molina wrote on Twitter: "For what it's worth, I've told him I'd drop what I was doing and follow."

Then, Jane Espenson, who wrote an episode, chimed in: "I'm there, if needed," she tweeted.

Jewel Staite, who played ace mechanic Kaylee on the show, had a simple answer when a Twitter follower asked if she'd be on board: "Is the Pope Catholic?"

That was more than enough for fans (whose "Browncoat" nickname, by the way, comes from the Western-style dusters worn by Fillion and others on the show).

A website, "Help Nathan Buy Firefly," popped up, under the title "Let's get the Captain his money."

The goal? To set up a means of collecting pledges that would turn into donations if a revived "Firefly" looks like it could become a reality.

The pledge system hadn't been officially created as of Tuesday, but fans were already writing in the site's comment section that they're willing to pony up.

In five days, the site's Facebook group had picked up more than 33,000 members -- about 10,000 of them in the past 24 hours.

...snip....

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Originally posted by Hero:
Why have a pledge system? I got this idea from the way some folks are investing in lawsuits (a moneymarket fronts the cash for a contingency lawsuit and then takes a percentage of the award as a return on the investment).

Seems to me it would not be difficult to take Firefly public. Make a corporation, sell shares, raise the capital to buy the rights and produce new content. Books, movies, tv, comics, clothing lines (who wouldn't buy a real Browncoat brown coat), etc. Buying the entire asset seems no different then any other corporate venture (like buying a shuttered factory or storefront).

Best of all, we all own a piece instead of simply donating our money so he can own it all. If successful Firefly Inc. would have employees, it could make further investments (like buying Dollhouse), it could enter into partnerships with other businesses like TV networks.

H

"Hero. I have come to respect you." "I am forced to agree with Hero here."- Chrisisall, 2009.
"I would rather not ignore your contributions." Niki2, 2010.

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Originally posted by Zeek:
That basically sounds like forming a studio. You don't think that would be difficult? I'd imagine it's much more complicated than you'd think. Plus that would still leave us searching for someone to buy the shows that are produced. Which usually comes first. I'm pretty sure if some network wanted to buy the shows then Fox studios would be making them as we speak.

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Originally posted by Zeek:

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Originally posted by Hero:
Why have a pledge system? I got this idea from the way some folks are investing in lawsuits (a moneymarket fronts the cash for a contingency lawsuit and then takes a percentage of the award as a return on the investment).

Seems to me it would not be difficult to take Firefly public. Make a corporation, sell shares, raise the capital to buy the rights and produce new content. Books, movies, tv, comics, clothing lines (who wouldn't buy a real Browncoat brown coat), etc. Buying the entire asset seems no different then any other corporate venture (like buying a shuttered factory or storefront).

Best of all, we all own a piece instead of simply donating our money so he can own it all. If successful Firefly Inc. would have employees, it could make further investments (like buying Dollhouse), it could enter into partnerships with other businesses like TV networks.

H

"Hero. I have come to respect you." "I am forced to agree with Hero here."- Chrisisall, 2009.
"I would rather not ignore your contributions." Niki2, 2010.

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That basically sounds like forming a studio. You don't think that would be difficult? I'd imagine it's much more complicated than you'd think. Plus that would still leave us searching for someone to buy the shows that are produced. Which usually comes first. I'm pretty sure if some network wanted to buy the shows then Fox studios would be making them as we speak.

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Originally posted by Bytemite:
While there are several plotlines I'd like to see tied up with the original Firefly crew, I'd accept either original crew or new crew for a Firefly series. My only condition for watching it is Joss would either have to be involved or he'd get to personally select his successor.

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Originally posted by Zeek:
A brand new show set in the verse doesn't really do anything for me.

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