SCI FI CHANNEL NABS 'FIREFLY' FROM TWENTIETH TELEVISION

SCI FI to Broadcast the Joss Whedon 'Space Western' in its Entirety

Including 3 Previously Unaired Episodes

NEW YORK -- June 21, 2005 -- 'Firefly,' the critically-acclaimed space western from 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' creator Joss Whedon and Twentieth Television, is re-ignited on SCI FI. The Channel will present the action adventure series - 14 episodes, including 3 previously unaired - in order, beginning Friday, July 22 @ 7 PM. The show will lead into SCI FI's incredibly successful SCI FI Friday lineup.

Though short-lived, 'Firefly' earned a devoted following which has resulted in the upcoming feature film 'Serenity' from Universal Pictures, slated for theatrical release in September 2005.

'Firefly,' a unique space opera with a western twist, is set 500 years in the future in the aftermath of a universal civil war. It centers on the crew of Serenity, a small, vagrant transport spaceship. Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), a defeated soldier who opposed the unification of the planets by the totalitarian governed Alliance, will undertake any job - legal or not - to stay afloat and keep his crew fed. Mal's crew includes his fiercely loyal second-in-command Zoe (Gina Torres), who served beside him in the war and owes him her life; Wash (Alan Tudyk), the ship's easygoing pilot and Zoe's husband; Kaylee (Jewel Staite), the ship's young and effervescent engineer; and Jayne (Adam Baldwin), a tough mercenary whose loyalties lie with Mal - for now. The series also stars Morena Baccarin, Sean Maher, Summer Glau and Ron Glass.

Thrust together by necessity, these disparate men and women seek both adventure and a planet they can call home. However, they face constant challenges on the new frontier, such as avoiding capture by the Alliance and evading death at the hands of the Reavers - human, flesh-eating mongrels who live on the fringes of the universe.

Created, written and directed by Joss Whedon, 'Firefly' is executive produced by Whedon and Tim Minear. Gareth Davies serves as producer. 'Firefly' is produced by Mutant Enemy, Inc. in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television and is distributed by Twentieth Television.

A leader in the domestic program production and distribution arena, Twentieth Television oversees the domestic sales of one of the most extensive libraries of off-net programming in the entertainment industry. In 2004, it successfully sold and launched the sitcoms 'Yes, Dear' and 'Malcolm in the Middle,' the highest rated off-net premiere for the 2004-05 season. Currently, the company is distributing the critically-acclaimed and award-winning drama '24,' starring Kiefer Sutherland, for a fall 2005 launch in off-net syndication. Also scheduled to make its off-net debut in fall 2005 is The Peabody Award-winning sitcom 'The Bernie Mac Show.' Moreover, Twentieth Television is preparing the popular sitcom 'Reba,' starring the Grammy Award-winning Reba McEntire for a fall 2006 launch. Other programs being slated for future off-net launches include the multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy 'Arrested Development,' starring Jason Bateman, Jeffrey Tambor, Portia de Rossi and Jessica Walter, among others; 'Still Standing,' with Jami Gertz and Mark Addy; David E. Kelly's critically-acclaimed drama 'Boston Legal,' featuring James Spader and William Shatner; reality hit 'The Simple Life;' and the animated comedy 'Family Guy.'

First-run programs distributed by Twentieth Television include the news magazine 'A Current Affair,' and the popular court show strips 'Divorce Court' and 'Texas Justice.' This fall, the company will debut the court strip 'Judge Alex.'

SCI FI Channel is a television network where "what if" is what's on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 85 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.