Classic Sci Fi TV: Our ongoing look back at many of the classics of science fiction and fantasy television.
What Is It? Astronaut John Crichton is caught in a wormhole that sends him to a distant part of the universe. He joins up with a group of alien refugees on the living ship know as Moya and together they find themselves on the run from the militaristic Peacekeepers who keep a tight grip on the planets under their control.
Aired: 1999-2004, 4 Seasons Totaling 88 Episodes Plus One Mini-Series
Created By: Rockne S. O’Bannon, Brian Henson
Starring: Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Virginia Hey, Anthony Simcoe, Gigi Edgley
Is It Must-Watch Sci Fi TV? Yes. The early seasons of this show are the best with the Peacekeeper Wars capping the story off nicely, and this is definitely one that ranks in the upper echelon of sci fi TV series.
The Skinny: Throughout the 90’s, Star Trek was the franchise that carried the banner for space-based sci fi on television for over a decade with its multiple sequel shows, but a new show appeared in 1999 that took outer space drama in a different direction. Coming from the Jim Henson studios, Farscape introduced fantasy elements, a colorful cast of characters consisting of human actors and puppets, as well as a darker tone than what the more hopeful Trek entries usually delivered. This show also stepped up the visuals with a more cinematic look to it and was in many ways the direct precursor to the more epic sci fi and fantasy productions we are seeing currently on television, especially from the streaming services.
Farscape found an eclectic group of refugees on the run in a living ship who are just trying to survive in a hostile universe. Personally, I believe the first season of this show was the best as we meet this raucous band of very individualist characters aboard Moya and they learn to live together and cooperate (often reluctantly). During that first year, the show delivered mostly stand-alone episodes while also developing the ongoing arc of the crew of Moya vs. the Peacekeepers. Throughout the next three seasons, Farscape could be very hit-or-miss, but it could generally be counted on to deliver some decent multi-episode story arcs that keep the story moving.
The characters that it introduced made the show and helped it stand out from the run-of-the-mill sci fi on TV at that time: the living ship Moya with her symbiotic helmsman Pilot, the hot-tempered warrior Ka D’Argo, the Priestess Zhaan who’s calm nature helps hold the crew together, the brilliant and devious Scorpius (one of the all-time great sci fi villains), the totally bonkers Stark, and more. And of course, there is John Crichton at the center of this giving us a human perspective to identify with as well as plenty of acid-tongued quips. The characters, and the actors that portrayed them, make this show come alive as a sci fi / fantasy epic that pushes the boundaries of imagination. The later seasons started to deliver diminishing returns, but the Peacekeeper Wars mini-series finds the show back at the top of its form and gives it a proper send-off.
Cancelled Too Soon? Yes, infamously so. The ratings for this show had been on the decline while production costs remained high, so The Sci Fi Channel decided not to go forward with the planned fifth season. This left it ending on a huge cliffhanger and fans started a massive write-in campaign to save the show (the comic strip Foxtrot even enlisted uber-geek Jason Fox as a cheerleader for the show). The campaign brought plenty of attention to the show and European investors put up the money to produce the Peacekeeper Wars mini-series that would act as its finale.
Should It Be Revived / Rebooted? No on the reboot, but a revival would be welcome and Brian Henson has been working on that for years. In 2007, there were plans to do a web series that would focus on the child of Aeryn Sun and John Crichton, but nothing ever came of that. Over the years, there have been additional talks of a web series and even a movie, but progress have been very slow. The story of Farscape has continued in comics from BOOM! Studios and hopefully a revival series or movie will arrive at some point.
Interesting Fact: This show could have been cancelled in its first season as it was bumped from Fox Studios Australia for the shooting of Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Fortunately, another studio was found nearby which could house the elaborate sets and not cause too much of a delay in production or prove too cost-prohibitive.
Where Can You Watch It? The entire series has been released on DVD and Blu-ray, and the Peacekeeper Wars mini-series has also been released on DVD and Blu-ray. Both the series and the mini-series are available for streaming on Prime Video if you have Amazon Prime.
The past year Brian Henson has seemed more confident, having switched focus from a film to limited streaming type series. I remain confident it is coming! #farscapenow
I would also be will to take the middle ground between a revived and a reboot.
A new crew & ship in the same “universe”