I was never a huge fan of the sci fi that was on TV. I caught the random episode of the original Star Trek from time to time, and there were certainly the days of Buck Rogers and Battlestar as a kid. But I never got into any of the numerous Star Trek spin-offs, or the dozens of similar series. The only Sci Fi I really watched on a regular basis as an adult was The X Files. And then came Farscape.
I only mention the "non sci-fi" nature of my viewing habits to make a point: Farscape became one of my all time favorite shows, and it speaks to how incredibly perfect, deep, complex, original, entertaining, addictive and dynamic the series was. And I didn't even give it a chance when it was actually on TV. It was only after borrowing the first 2 episodes from someone on DVD (I ended up buying the first 2 season box sets and renting the rest) that I realized what a phenomenal show it was. In what was probably a typical experience (unfortunately for the producers of the show), my casual channel surfing would lead me to bits and pieces of First Wave or Lexx. And not being impressed at all I never even got around to viewing one episode of Farscape while it was on TV, regrettably. I just figured it was mediocre like the other shows I was seeing on the Sci Fi Channel. Boy, was I ever wrong about that.
There is no need to pontificate on the excellent writing, awesome character development, top-notch acting, engaging themes, creative designs and effects, and more often than not superb music. That has already been done here better than I can do. Sure there were some familiar plot ideas, or themes, but in Sci Fi what story isn't somewhat derivative? Farscape's strength comes from its characters, and more importantly, its complicated development of them. You become attached to them in ways that don't often happen with TV series. Farscape was no run of the mill episodic television show, it was an evolutionary leap forward in many ways.
The point I want to make is to those either biased against or indifferent to Sci Fi shows on TV. If you passed this one up, as I did, you have no idea what you're missing. Going through all the seasons on DVD has been fantastic. In a way, its almost better than waiting each week for a new episode, as you're able to go through the story at your own pace. I can't say enough good things about Farscape and I look forward to the mini-series that will come out this year to wrap things up. I defy anyone with an open mind, and some appreciation for true creativity in television, to watch a few episodes on DVD and not come away with the feeling that what they've seen is one of the best shows, science fiction or otherwise, that was ever on TV.
I only mention the "non sci-fi" nature of my viewing habits to make a point: Farscape became one of my all time favorite shows, and it speaks to how incredibly perfect, deep, complex, original, entertaining, addictive and dynamic the series was. And I didn't even give it a chance when it was actually on TV. It was only after borrowing the first 2 episodes from someone on DVD (I ended up buying the first 2 season box sets and renting the rest) that I realized what a phenomenal show it was. In what was probably a typical experience (unfortunately for the producers of the show), my casual channel surfing would lead me to bits and pieces of First Wave or Lexx. And not being impressed at all I never even got around to viewing one episode of Farscape while it was on TV, regrettably. I just figured it was mediocre like the other shows I was seeing on the Sci Fi Channel. Boy, was I ever wrong about that.
There is no need to pontificate on the excellent writing, awesome character development, top-notch acting, engaging themes, creative designs and effects, and more often than not superb music. That has already been done here better than I can do. Sure there were some familiar plot ideas, or themes, but in Sci Fi what story isn't somewhat derivative? Farscape's strength comes from its characters, and more importantly, its complicated development of them. You become attached to them in ways that don't often happen with TV series. Farscape was no run of the mill episodic television show, it was an evolutionary leap forward in many ways.
The point I want to make is to those either biased against or indifferent to Sci Fi shows on TV. If you passed this one up, as I did, you have no idea what you're missing. Going through all the seasons on DVD has been fantastic. In a way, its almost better than waiting each week for a new episode, as you're able to go through the story at your own pace. I can't say enough good things about Farscape and I look forward to the mini-series that will come out this year to wrap things up. I defy anyone with an open mind, and some appreciation for true creativity in television, to watch a few episodes on DVD and not come away with the feeling that what they've seen is one of the best shows, science fiction or otherwise, that was ever on TV.