I'm so very amused - just read the Simon/River ship manifesto and found that I had FEEDBACKED it in Oct 2004 as "interesting" without ever having seen the series.
Some things just fit naturally.
EDIT: However, just closed the various websites...I want to go on watching the series at least a bit unspoiled :)
So we watched the very first DVD (3 eps) in the English original (the German was very bad quality from the sound technique). It is a weird mixture! Wild West indeed, including a train raid *rolls eyes a bit* Action level is ok, although I already see they will survive all of this until the movie. We're a bit critical about the high level of...uhm...plot "stealing"? Somehow one has seen it all before.
Personally, I can't see m/m slash potential and don't feel I should even look for it, as it features cool women. (ZOE. Even in a *gasp* mixed marriage. How cool is that?) And Inara/Kaylee is canon, right? Their interaction was shouting femslash at me from the first moment Inara came onboard. The characters at whole are an interesting ensemble which clearly invites fanfic.
I'll push the Firefly DVDs up the waiting line ranks now :) Must. See. More.