Hands down, it would have to be Firefly. Somebody should scan the entries to see what percentage chose that, because I see a lot of wistful Browncoats at a glance.

It's not likely that it will happen, because the movie didn't break even until DVD sales were considered, but the direct sales model of webisodes (e.g., Gemini Division, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog) might point the way towards that.

It might be that the viewer base is too diffuse and atypical to make advertisers happy - yes, more than 50% of the show's viewership are women, but can we sell them protective undergarments and weight-loss regimens? - but the direct sales model sidesteps that. Either a show has what it takes from week to week and makes its money back, or it doesn't.

I hope to be proven wrong about what Fox will do with Dollhouse this spring, but the pessimistic half (okay, nine-tenths) of my brain prognosticates much better than the optimistic half.