The History of Farscape: From The Henson Company's Vision to Cult Classic 

Yes! Farscape is chronically under-rated. Absolute balls-to-the-wall, ambitious sci-fi that never lost its sense of fun. Glorious!

The one thing Farscape did well was showing the effect on Crichton and how living in an alien environment was affecting his mental state, being constantly hunted, shot at and having to deal with many bizarre instances that other characters in other shows would shrug off by the next episode. Crichton was always one step away from a total mental breakdown which is something most sci-fi shows ignored, and still mostly do to this day.

Farscape was and remains my favourite sci-fi TV series. I loved it for its imagination, innovation, inventiveness and willingness to break the boundaries of traditional sci-fi. The cast were all incredible and the characters had excellent character development. I still watch it to this day, and live in the hope that my favourite show will return. (Oh, and loved the RPG too.)

Farscape was one of the truly greatest Sci-Fi shows of all time, and that was ultimately it's downfall. It was unapologetically too weird for the mainstream, but too well written, acted, and produced to be produced long term. A show like this will probably never happen again. Be happy that it happened and enjoy what you can

I loved the alien designs for the series, naturally all thanks to the Jim Henson company. Too bad most sci-fi shows aren’t this creative.

It really is amazing how anything that isn't successful off the bar from the Jim Henson Company 9/10 become a cult classic. There's a magic to their production that is infectious.

Early 2000's Claudia Black was absolute fire!

Farscape is damn near the perfect epic.Very few shows in all of television history have the heart, soul and overall narrative that Farscape possesses. It's right up there with Twin Peaks as far as I'm concerned....

I still haven't recovered from the emotional damage of the series cliffhanger. So glad they were able to finish it. Hands down one of the best sci-fi series of all time.

Farscape was formative in my taste for Science Fiction. The weird, the freaky, the hilarious, the character-driven. I was Hooked from Day 1 with the pilot, but that Season 2 cliffhanger left my little 7 year old mind shooketh, and few stories have gripped me the way the Scorpy Brain Chip Storyline did. Absolutely fantastic storytelling

I love Farscape. My top favorite sci-fi show. I'm glad we got some closure with the show and would love to see it make a comeback. Just like Dark Matter, another great show. I'm still mad about that getting canceled.

I never missed an episode of Farscape on SCIFI PRIME. The show got better when Scorpius arrived. Rygel the 16th was my favorite character. The Henson puppets were awesome.

I loved that show! Loved Ben Browder’s Guardians of the galaxy cameo, too.

Gunn shows his love of 'Farscape' right up front with his take on the Guardians. Quill/Chrichton as the wisecracking, square-jawed leading man, flung across the galaxy from modern-day earth, tossing out jokes and pop-culture references that none of his alien friends understand. Gamora/Aeryn as the alien warrior-woman, originally working for the bad guys but quickly defecting to our heros' ship and pairing romantically with the wisecracking hero. Rounding out the cast Drax/D'Argo as the hulking brute, Groot/Zhaan as the humanoid plant, and Rocket/Rygel as the pint-sized troublemaker.

Claudia Black has voiced some super great video game characters like Morrigan in Dragon Age and Chloe in Uncharted

Sneaking Jason X clips in under the line “a man out of time and space” is a god-tier editing gag.

Sci-Fi acquiring 'Stargate SG-1' inadvertently played a role in Farscape's cancellation and one of the reasons Ben and Claudia eventually wound up as leads on that show. Also, the mystery backer was rumored...and likely to have been George Lucas as two Farscape actors were attached to the live action Star Wars show he was working on at the time...one of those being Wayne Pygram (Scorpius) who played Grand Moff Tarkin in 'Revenge of the Sith'. Lucas also, of course was friends with Henson.

I’ll always be thankful to my friend who introduced me to Farscape, thanks to the BBS boards of the time, we bonded, shared our AIM screen names and we had a lot of good nights talking about anime, sci fi shows and The Jam

What the frell.... Dan, I didn't know it yet, but I've been waiting over fifty cycles for you to do this episode. It was sad to see Ka D'Argo pass at the series' end, but the core group had made it that long without losing anyone, and he was given a fitting farewell. Thank you always!

A early 2000's MASTERPIECE that pre-saged so much pop culture to come that had a slightly shaky start but blossomed into one of the wittiest, most character driven and inventive Scifi/Fantasy TV shows worthy of being mentioned along side TNG, FIREFLY, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, THE X-FILES and other esteemed luninaries of genre television. And best part is you get a resolution and a near perfect wrap up to just about everything if you stay on the ride all the way to the end.

This show was absolutely amazing. The level of creativity and artistry was just insane!

As an Aussie, I felt compelled to support this - or at least to give it a go. I watched the first few seasons, but life got in the way, so by the end, I had already departed. It's interesting to hear all of the turmoil happening behind the scenes - I knew there was issues, but not by half!

Farscape and Lexx were all the weirdness I needed.

Farscape was absolute fire, love that show so much. Really hope it gets a chance to comeback like Babylon 5.

This show remains an underappreciated masterpiece nearly a quarter of a century later.

Was sick in bed last year with Covid. Was flipping through the channels when I came across a network called Comet that was airing reruns of Farscape. Such a good series to catch up with again and honestly helped make being sick not so bad

I was a X-file fan...Then Farscape came along. It blew everything else away.

My boyfriend at the time and I had just come off the masterpiece that was DS9 and looking for something new, when Farscape came out. It hit all the right buttons for us, down to taking particular Trek tropes and flipping them upside down and inside out. The relationship didn’t last, but my love for Farscape endured. I introduced it to my now-husband. We’re currently watching DS9 with our 13yo; Farscape is a little more mature than I think any of us would be comfortable with watching with him yet, but the day will come. ❤

Underrated series. Fun watch too

Loved watching this show as a kid in the UK. The whole cast & show was wonderful & wacky. Harvey's got to be my favourite.

I saw an interview once with one of the execs who cancelled the show at the end; wherein that exec was on a vacation with his family, in the middle of nowhere. He gets up at 2 am to grab a soda from the machine in the hotel's hallway and gets stopped by some guy waxing the floor tiles. The guy goes, "I know you, you're one of the one's that killed Farscape!" and that it was _that_ experience, more than any other, that got him onboard with getting Peacekeeper Wars made. Because those fans were not. going. to. stop. It makes me happy. Good job guys.

I enjoyed Farscape a lot when I saw it on the local cable TV. I think I followed up to season 3. As my interested waned along with the departure of Zotoh Zhaan. It was understandable since Hey was suffering kidney damage from the copious amounts of makeup required for the role. Personally, Zhaan and the way Hey played her was one of the highlight of the show for me.

I watched this series day one. Followed it to the end. The journey was wild, went so many directions, took chances, but felt smart, witty, mature, and incredible. The episodic arcs were just insane. From alliances, to betrayals, even an animated romp or two. It was so experimental, it just kept going But Peacekeeper Wars, that set the bar. But also broke our hearts, made us cry, and cry some more. It was so good I would love to see it return

This is one of the weirdest and best shows of all time. If you can tune into its wavelength and what it's trying to do, there's simply nothing like it. It's a work of unbridled creativity the likes of which we almost never get to see on television. Truly worth tracking down if you've never seen it.

I remember seeing the ads for Farscape and gave it a hard pass. Two years in someone forced me to watch the DVDs and I genuinely loved it. The resolution of the duplicate story haunts me to this day.

The efforts of the fans to stop the cancellation of Farscape multiple times, in an age where internet communication was in its infancy, speaks volumes. It's a true testament to how amazing and captivating the show actually was

One of the bestest Sci-Fi shows what ever were.

My favourite review of Farscape summarized it as "An American is slowly introduced to the Australian S&M scene." I don't know who said that originally, but that review still makes me chuckle.

Will Secret Galaxy dare do a show on Lexx?🤣🤣🤣

I really loved the shows especially since it shows that not all aliens are humanoid. Loved the Jim Henson Creature Ship for several designs. Was happy the Peace Keeper Wars concluded the series.

Just wanted to feed the algo, and let you all know, I love this show. Never miss an episode. Thank you guys for all you do, these are my favorite weekly web show.

If I could give this video a million likes, I would. Awesome you covered it here. Incredible show that deserves to be brought back to life!

Even the theme music sounded truly out of this world.

I love this show. My all time favorite.

Bloody amazing show! Loved all the obscure in-jokes, too, like the alien priest whose design was directly based on Father Jack Hackett from "Father Ted."

If anyone ever wants to teach a class on "How actors being amazing can elevate a show way above the scripts and concept of a show", this should be the prime example used. There's no way that show should have been that good, but Ben and Claudia along with the 3 other main characters' actors were so amazing. It was such a joy to watch and the first of many great shows the stupid Sci-Fi network canceled which is why I've completely given up ever watching anything on that stupid network. If fans of Farscape are looking for a similar show that also got hosed by that network, try to find Dark Matter on streaming. Less puppets and Australians but top-notch Canadian actors.

Farscape was an amazing show, loved every minute of it.

Love Farscape. Still one of my favourites.

The ending was the most brutal moment of television for me back in the day - "To Be Continued" comes up on the screen... and the BBC announcer was like, "Except it won't, because that's the end of the show." So glad they did Peacekeeper Wars... and so glad I got the full version on DVD (rather than the shortened version they put on TV here); they really managed to cram a full season of story into one feature.

This is hands down my FAVORITE sci-fi channel show, just an amazing fun space opera.

The intercut of clips from Jason X did not go unnoticed or… unappreciated

I feel like Farscape walked so Guardians of the Galaxy could run, both have a jokey human leader, a bad-ass fighter love interest, a musclebound fighter, someone part planet, a little character who has a smart mouth, and a BAD-ASS blue lady

It's not just a great Sci-Fi show, it was one of the best shows on TV, period. Even my wife LOVES it, and she *never ever* watched any other Sci-Fi show (no Start Trek, B5, Stargate, not even Star Wars in any shape) - It's the character driven narrative and performance that does it to her. The relationships between Aeryn and John, between John and Scorpius, the friendships - all of that is so grounded and real and interesting. We have actual character development that spans seasons and makes total sense, you can understand how the events unfolding leave their marks on the characters. It also helps that we have characters that are really interesting to begin with, going against established tropes, but in a way that doesn't feel pandering. The female protagonist "love interest" is actually a warrior "shoot first, ask questions later" type, but unlike modern "girl-boss" attitudes her arc is toward love and family and understanding that "she can be something more" than the mindless fighter she was raised to be. The male protagonist starts out as a cocky pilot but one who is more of a pacifist who avoids fights whenever possible, then ends up having a sidearm that he names and cares for and taking his place as a protector of the family (and the galactic civilization!).

Yea! One of My Fav RU-vid Channels Covering My Absolute Favorite and Best (IMO) Science Fiction Series of All Time! Lets Do this!

Farscape is a perfect show. Definitely the BEST sci-fi show ever made.

this hurts me and heals me at the same time, I know some say it's and exaggeration when "something" saves them, but I have to say it, Farscape saved me in my teenage years, it was so weird at the time, so un-formal, so primal, so "it's all we can do, let's do it", always with a serious tone but never taking itself too seriously to become a solemn thing

I was part of the Save Farscape website. Not running it, just one of the fans that was active there and sent many emails in support of the show. I loved every part of that show. Really wish it had gotten a broader audience but it is what it is. At least we got 4 seasons and an end to the storyline with the mini-series.

I remember watching this series religiously back in the day. I was a bit upset when it stopped. I still rate it as one of the top sci-fi tv series.

Quite possibly the most successful attempt by the Jim Henson company to appeal to an older audience until Five Nights at Freddy's this year. It's also meant to be a genuinely fantastic Sci-Fi series, so I'll happily look into it one of these days...

Farscape was my Guardians of The Galaxy with even more edge. I absolutely love and miss the show!

After Netflix cancelled ‘Dark Crystal Age of Resistance’ my hopes for a Farscape revival were dashed! Both Henson-created shows were excellent btw!!

Claudia Black ❤🥰

one of . y all time favorite shows ever. the ingenuity between human and alien just blew my mind. I was greatly saddened that it ended although I'm glad that they got to resolve the story but still... I want more.

Farscape is still one of the best science fiction shows ever . Having farscape and stargate sg1 together was one of the best things the sci fi channel ever did .

It had big budget movie level effects, props, makeup and costumes because many of the crew were experts in the movie industry and used Farscape as a reliable source of income when thwy weren't working on a Hollywood feature here in Australia.

Am I still cranky about them ordering Season 4 & 5, and then, after cancelling the series in the middle of Season 4, STILL having the gall to "To Be Continued"ing the final episode of S4? YES- yes I am.

Mixing just a teensy bit of Jason X footage in the clip compilation was a clever touch, editor. Deftly done. Got a giggle from me.

The farscape episode of Stargate was a trip.

Farscape is still one of my top 5 favorite television shows of all time. Hell, top 3! Thanks for covering it!

One of my absolute favorite sci fi series. Coulda, woulda, shoulda…

Thanks again for yet another great video on a topic I am completely unaware of. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Farscape was and is a wonderful romp across the galaxy, it's dramatic, funny, heartwarming and heartbreaking. Each actor pours heavily into their character to the point you forget it's a show and not a video of friends, foes and family..but on a living spaceship. Aeryn and John forever!

Great show. As much as I love Star Trek, having a completely different take on the genre is always welcome and they did a wonderful job, in many ways it feels like a modern take on Blake’s 7….I wish that would get remade….

You did not mention the absolute nut punch that the season 4 cliffhanger left off with. Jon and Aeryn find out that Aeryn is pregnant and then they both get dissolved into tiny crystalline bits. It was like 2 years till we got any closure. On a totally unrelated note, I had a friend who got Wayne Pygram's autograph at some con somewhere and he signed the Scorpius in a Hawaiian shirt photo. But she insisted he sign it as Harvey, since Scorpius never actually did that. It was the neural Clone that lived in Creighton's head. Good times.

You’ve mentioned Seaquest DSV a couple of weeks. I’d love to see a full video on it! I love that series and still run through it every two or three years.

ive been looking for someone to give me a Moya during starburst tattoo, the show was that good. already have Firefly tats, another great show

2:36 Interesting idea. A tough fight, for sure.

I was one of those people who discovered the show really late. I bought the complete series (probably the 1st release) on a Black Friday, and got around to watching it around 2010ish... I loved it and worked hard to hunt down Peacekeeper Wars. It is a throwback because it used practical effects in a time when big studios (think Star Wars Attack of the Clones) were leaning heavily into the CGI ("A Playstation 2 cut scene," Ryan George as "Producer Guy" from Pitch Meeting). Its use of puppetry was wonderful and I blazed through the whole show. Also, it is a quaint thing to remember when fans could bring shows back from the dead with mail campaigns. I am thinking of the original- Roswell, which came because of the Hot Sauce campaign, spurring so many others, including probably the bra one which saved Farscape.

An absolutely amazing show that was far ahead of its time. How this isn’t better known is criminal.

My all-time favorite TV show. Season 1 starts out a bit iffy, but once the show finds itself it REALLY finds itself. Incredible character development, amazing practical effects- puppets and animatronics. Best love story in TV history and much more. It's honestly the most unique show. There's nothing else like it and probably never will be.

In a show with multiple alien puppets and cultures, the fact that John Crichton turned into the weirdest person on the show says a lot. Also early Sci Fi channel was completely nuts.

One of my FAVORITE SHOWS OF ALL TIME!!!

Forever love the Henson things and Farscape is the top of the list

I was watching the last episode of series 2 while eating my dinner. The food nearly fell out of my mouth as my jaw dropped at the ending. What a show!

It was pure chaos...with a punchline! So many twists and turns, you always felt as confused as John. This show never got the credit it deserved, sadly.

As far as I am concerned Farscape is one of the greatest SciFi shows to ever grace the screen. Fun, unique, funny, and at times sad and serious. The SciFi channel really screwed up when they canceled it and tried to air and entire season in a 2 part mini series. Way underrated.

Farscape is such a wonderful show. Thank you for giving it the attention it deserves.

Farscape handily supplanted Doctor Who as my favourite sci-fi show from the moment I first saw it. It really was like nothing else, and as much as I enjoy most of the sci-fi fan staples, nothing else comes even close!

I was never able to see Farscape when it was shown in the UK due to work (it was shown at a completely inappropriate early evening slot), but on the advice of others, binged it some years later. What a terrific show!

i "LOOOVED" this show so much... so underrated...

Farscape is the reason I subscribed to Netflix ten years ago. I actually regret that now...

I absolutely adore Farscape, watched it when it was first airing and was one of the only shows I made a point of trying to catch every week. About six months ago I picked up the complete bluray collection including Peacekeeper Wars and spent the next couple of months re-watching the whole thing with a good friend of mine who also liked it back in the day. So sad that it always struggled with ratings, genuinely one of the most creative and exciting shows and the care and attention put into all the practical effects was stunning, even rewatching today.

A show that never got the love it deserved. Such a wild ride.

Loved this show, still own the boxsets on dvd and the peacekeeper war finale, always felt it was a Buck Rodgers update. ❤❤

I haven't seen it mentioned in the comments, but did anyone else notice that Jason X footage near the beginning? Great vid! I never was able to catch it on tv, but my gf caught me up with all her dvds. Crazy and fun series for sure.

*THE BEST* sci-fi show ever made !!

My brother discovered it one night and got me to watch it all those years ago. It was and is still what I want from sci-fi for things like aliens. True amazing variety of more than just humanoids to save cash. Still have a warm spot for it to this day.

A+ video! LOVE IT! Another classic!

I was straight crushing on Gigi Edgley. I was already tuning in to watch the show, but after she came in as Chiana, I made sure I never missed an episode.

Great show, if only all TV was made with this level of care and attention by all involved.