FARSCAPE 10TH ANNIVERSARY: Remembering the unique Science Fiction show
If there was a science fiction TV to be broken, then the much loved Farscape series was more than happy to break it. The show that brought us the adventures of John Crichton (Ben Browder) and a not-so-merry band of aliens first hit screens ten years ago (as of March 19th).
It divided opinions for much of its run, but the fans that stuck with it through its four seasons and the miniseries that ended it (the Peacekeeper wars) were rewarded with one of the most satisfying SF epics ever to grace a TV screen.
With production values that were, erm, out of this world, a cast that was uniformly brilliant and stories that gripped and confused in equal measure, Farscape was utterly unique.
Created and partly produced by the legendary Jim Henson company, Farscape was made in Australia and as such avoided many of the staple actors and plotlines of conventional science fiction television. The plots and interpersonal relationships on show throughout its run were gloriously complicated and believable, despite the outlandish SF setting.
While some viewers took issue with the look of the alien puppets, branding them ‘Muppets in Space’, the fact that these creatures were created with physical effects instead of dated CG means that the show hasn’t aged as much as it could have done by now. It stands up as a powerful and epic tale that has a very personal and emotional centre.
Farscape merchandise and DVD sales proved there was a strong fanbase for the show, and helped the big ending, The Peacekeeper Wars, to be made after the show’s cancellation.
That final miniseries was a perfectly fitting and satisfying ending to a TV franchise, and while the movie may never get made and the show may never return, it’s okay, as it stands perfectly as a whole. Farscape is a rare thing indeed- a science fiction series that can be enjoyed again and again on many levels, and that is one hell of a legacy.
Happy anniversary Farscape- we miss you.