Farscape: the Space Opera TV series you didn’t know you needed? (retrospective).
Farscape, that kooky Aussie-American scifi TV series brainchild of Rockne S. O’Bannon, which took us on a wild ride through the cosmos every Sci-Fi Friday from March 19, 1999. Remember that time? When the biggest worry was Y2K and not your Wi-Fi connection? Farscape was there, ready to transport us to a universe where words like “frell” were the norm, and puppets weren’t just for kids’ shows.
This series, birthed from the creative loins of The Jim Henson Company and Hallmark Entertainment, brought us characters that were as diverse as they were bizarre. A living ship named Moya (because why not?), a peacekeeper turned rogue, Aeryn Sun, and our everyman, John Crichton – a modern-day astronaut flung across the universe because apparently, navigating wormholes is trickier than Google Maps.
The show, originally planned to run for five seasons, got the classic sci-fi chop after its fourth, leaving viewers hanging on a cliffhanger sharper than a Peacekeeper’s blade. But fear not! Co-producer Brian Henson, not ready to let his baby drift into the void of forgotten TV shows, secured the rights and brought us Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars in 2004, tying up loose ends in a neat, three-hour package.
But wait, there’s more! In 2007, whispers of a web-series emerged, teasing the Farscape faithful with promises of more interstellar shenanigans. While we’re still waiting for that ship to land, a comic book miniseries in 2008 kept the dream alive.
The show itself? A delightful mishmash of genres, characters, and space opera tropes turned on their heads. Our hero, Crichton, is the epitome of a fish out of water, his human sensibilities often clashing hilariously with the customs of his new, extraterrestrial crew. The series thrived on its ability to blend standalone episodes with longer story arcs, exploring themes from love and betrayal to the ethics of wormhole weaponization.
The production was as unique as its story, with the crew largely hailing from Australia and New Zealand, except for our leading man, Ben Browder, the token American. Farscape reveled in its use of alien lingo, and let’s be honest, who hasn’t wanted to use “frell” in a work email?
Despite its eventual cancellation, Farscape left a legacy as one of the quirkiest, most imaginative sci-fi shows out there. It garnered a cult following, won a few awards, and even inspired later sci-fi hits (we see you, James Gunn and Guardians of the Galaxy). In a television landscape often dominated by formulaic storytelling, Farscape stood out as a vibrant, if slightly odd, beacon of creativity. It may not have had a long run, but it sure had a memorable one. Frelling fantastic, if you ask me.
