The followup to that scene being the Madam telling Mal that she wouldn’t have slept with him if she’d known Inara had feelings for him too. And Mal being “Whaaa??”
I’ve never heard a good reason for the show being cancelled. Always believed that the suits didn’t like how, as you pointed out, it had such a decidely Conservative bent to it.
Whedon strikes me as, if not a “Conservative” then a Classical Liberal (or even Objectivist). With a good perspective (for a Hollywood type) on religion. Recall the scene in The Avengers where Black Widow warns Captain America about going after Thor and Loki because “they’re basically gods” and Cap replies “Theres only one God, ma’am, and I’m pretty sure He doesn’t dress like that.”
Twilight Zone
Outer Limits
Nowhere Man
Classic Star Trek
Science Fiction Theater (Ivan Tors anthology from the 50s)
The Invaders
China Beach (great cast, IMHO)
My family is enjoying “Heartland” on UPN; it’s the only new thing we watch.