Sunday, July 15, 2007

Well, Frell Me Dead!

OK, this, if true, is the most exciting piece of SF-TV related news I've heard in ages. (And given some of the stuff Doctor Who's done in recent weeks, that's saying something.)

I quote from what is purported to be a press release from the Sci Fi Channel:
FARSCAPE WEB SERIES

It's the return everyone's been frelling waiting for! SCIFI.COM has ordered a 10-part webisode series based on the multi-award-winning Farscape, the fan and critical darling that has been widely recognized as one of the greatest sci-fi series in television history. Executive produced by Brian Henson and Robert Halmi, Jr., and produced by The Jim Henson Company, in association with RHI Entertainment, the series will revive and expand the beloved Farscape universe.

Of course, even while I'm all excited, I'm also nervous... Surely, there are at least a hundred ways to screw that up?

7 comments:

  1. At *least* a hundred, yes.

    (Not that I'm not still looking forward to it, of course, of course...)

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  2. It's being reported by the Sci-Fi Channel, so apparently it's legit. Which doesn't mean it will actually happen, or that, when it does, it won't be hopelessly awful. But it is very cool and unexpected news.

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  3. Yeah, it definitely does seem to be the real deal!

    I kind of feel like I ought to be more excited than I am, actually... The possibility of more Farscape seems to be something I gave up on at some point, so it's having trouble sinking into my brain. :)

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  4. Well, "webisode series" isn't the most thrilling phrase out there. Right now it's unclear if any of the cast or crew are signed on, or if the things that made Farscape special will translate to the new format.

    It's funny. I recently re-watched a bunch of episodes, along with the mini-series, and it got me thinking. The mini-series tied things up very nicely, and I had to wonder if maybe we weren't better off with that instead of a fifth season. I'm not going to defend the Sci-Fi Channel's decision to cancel the show, but I did have to wonder. The fourth season is really uneven and a little disappointing, right up to "Bad Timing" (which is terrific). The mini-series was as good as "Bad Timing." Would another season have been?

    I think, personally, if Farscape were to come back, I'd like it to be in a feature-length format. Maybe these webisodes will be a jumping off point for something like that.

    I'll definitely be watching them.

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  5. True, "webisode" doesn't have quite the same exciting ring to it as, say, "new series" or "feature film" would. Still, I dunno... A year ago, I think news like that would have had me floating up onto the ceiling. :)

    My take on things is a bit different from yours, though... I liked the miniseries quite a lot (although, as is almost always the case with anything, there are specific aspects of it which I have niggles with), but while it did a remarkably good job of wrapping things up in the time it had, I feel quite strongly that it would have worked better if its storylines had had time to develop more slowly. And there are a lot of things that were never explained or resolved to my personal satisfaction. (Did Stark ever find what he was looking for? What about the Nebari; has everyone forgotten about them? What exactly did happen between Scorpius and Aeryn in that missing time between seasons 3 and 4? What's Noranti's story? Etc.)

    I also think that there are a lot of stories to be told in the Farscape universe and with the Farscape characters. One of the things I think is especially wonderful about it is that it started off as one of those "looking for a way home" stories, but by the time Our Hero got home, it had turned into something else, and there was no problem with the series continuing to go forward. And there are certainly still new places to take the concept (although whether we're going to get some sophisticated new sequel storyline or something that's set during the series, or just some character vignettes, or what remains to be seen.)

    Anyway... Yeah, I totally wouldn't turn my nose up at a movie, or anything else. I'm sort of hoping this may be some kind of testing-the-waters in regards to a more substantial comeback.

    By the way, the reports that I've seen since say that "some" of the cast is supposed to be back for it, but there's no word on who.

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  6. They need to hire you as a writer. I never saw the show, but your "what if" comments above make even me wonder, "Yeah, what about that?"

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  7. Heh. Well, it's easier to come up with questions than answers, I admit. :)

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