Line #18 Series/Farscape


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5	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/farscape_1.png]]
6	[[caption-width-right:350:Exploring the frelling Frontier.]]
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8	%% This is how the quote formatting is supposed to look: One indent, then dialog, then two indents, then the source. Don't mess with it.
9	->''"Boy, was Spielberg ever wrong. [='=]''Close Encounters''[='=], my ass."''
10	-->-- '''John'''
11
12	''Farscape'', created by Rockne O'Bannon (''Film/AlienNation'', ''[[Series/SeaQuestDSV SeaQuest]]'', ''Series/{{Defiance}}'') and Brian Henson (son of [[Creator/JimHenson Jim]]), is an [[{{UsefulNotes/Australia}} Australian]]-American co-produced {{space opera}}. Originally airing on the Creator/NineNetwork, it became the flagship show on [[Creator/{{Syfy}} Sci-Fi Channel]] from 2000-2003.
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14	The series follows John Crichton (Creator/BenBrowder), a [[SpaceMadness space-happy]] astronaut [[TrappedInAnotherWorld stranded aboard]] a ship--"a '''[[LivingShip LIVING]]''' [[LivingShip ship!]]"--full of alien [[TheMostWanted ex-cons.]] While en route to Earth, John and the crew find themselves targeted by both sides in an intergalactic war. At the end of the day, the half-mad-and-therefore-[[HumanityIsInsane half-sane]] John is able to save everyone because he's [[AchievementsInIgnorance the most deficient of all the species aboard]].
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16	It was compelling for viewers of that time because of the adult themes. Our "heroes" had more [[DysfunctionJunction sordid backgrounds and bad habits]] than usual, and the clean, well-dressed military [[ArmiesAreEvil served as the antagonist]]. Crichton (a pacifist who would get his ass kicked constantly) would often quibble over the "right" way to do things, but he [[BlackAndGrayMorality turned out to be wrong]] as often as not. To say nothing of the costumes: Whereas ''Franchise/StarTrek'' at times looked like they robbed a fabric store, ''Farscape'' went looking in actual [[DressedLikeADominatrix fetish shops]]. War Minister Ahkna's boots were bought from such a store. (And where else are you going to see a naked blue anthropomorphic plant?)
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18	''Farscape'' was perfect for its place and time during the transition from comfy episodic television to more [[ContinuityCreep story-driven, serialized stuff]]--a more notable example being [[Recap/FarscapeS03E06EatMe "Eat Me"]] (pure GothicHorror without much concession to the fact that it is set in space), where the crew is cloned and each of the clones conveniently die before the end of the episode... except for one, leaving them with two versions of the main character for the rest of the season. [[AnyoneCanDie It also felt free to kill off main characters, and not everyone survived the full series.]] The writers nicknamed Season Three the "Season of Death" for a reason.
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20	Another aspect of the series which sets it apart from others was its creativity and dedication to using PracticalEffects for almost all of its aliens, creatures, and monsters. The Jim Henson Company went all-in with designing and building StarfishAliens, right down to the four-armed and [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep appropriately-named]] Pilot. While prohibitively expensive, the puppeteering allowed them to do things that even modern sci-fi can't. There are plenty of scenes with the crew hugging Pilot, climbing on him or even [[WithFriendsLikeThese slightly dismembering him]] that couldn't be done with CGI.
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22	The premise of ''Farscape'' bears some resemblance to the '70s British series ''[[Series/BlakesSeven Blake's 7]]''. ''[=B7=]'' fans see the character of Grayza (Rebecca Riggs) as an acknowledgment of it, judging by her strong resemblance to the older show's BigBad Servalan. The fact that Riggs is an avowed fan of ''[=B7=]'' doesn't hurt. If you're a fan of ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'', you can find interviews online where Creator/JamesGunn says that ''Farscape'' was a primary influence. So much so that Ben Browder appeared in ''[[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 Guardians Vol. 2]]'' as a Sovereign.
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24	!!Tie-ins and Possible Reboot
25	Season 4 was a bit of a downturn because of Sci-Fi Channel's meddling, and ''Farscape'' was cancelled abruptly in 2002. The show ends with ''The Peacekeeper Wars'', a two-part miniseries which chews through the planned, but sadly nonexistent final season at [[WrapItUp breakneck speed]]. O'Bannon has also stated that he has had some discussions with the Henson company about a potential film revival, but nothing's come of it as of yet.
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27	A series of books was published by Tor Books.
28	* ''Farscape: House of Cards'' (2001)
29	* ''Farscape: Dark Side of the Sun'' (2001)
30	* ''Farscape: Ship of Ghosts'' (2002)
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32	* ''Farscape: War Torn'' (2002) - A two part comicbook published by Creator/{{Wildstorm}} with a backup story told about Chiana.
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34	Games included
35	* ''Farscape Roleplaying Game'' (2002) - TheRolePlayingGame published by Alderac Entertainment Group using the MediaNotes/D20System.
36	* ''Farscape: The Game'' (2002) - A Red Lemon Studios Team-based 3D action/adventure LicensedGame.
37
38	Creator/BOOMStudios started publishing ongoing -- and canonical -- ''Farscape'' comics, from stories written by Rockne O'Bannon and scripted by Keith R.A. [=DeCandido=] and [[Literature/StarTrekDestiny David Allan Mack]] including:
39	* ''Farscape'' (2008-2009)
40	* ''Farscape: Strange Detractors'' (2009)
41	* ''Farscape: D'Argo's Lament'' (2009)
42	* ''Farscape: Gone and Back'' (2009)
43	* ''Farscape: D'Argo's Trial'' (2009)
44	* ''Farscape'' (2009-2011)
45	* ''Farscape: D'Argo's Quest'' (2009-2010)
46	* ''Farscape: Scorpius'' (2010)
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48	A mini-comic called "Backyard Barbecue" was included in the 15th Anniversary Edition DVD and Blu-ray release of the series in late 2013 by Creator/ArchaiaEntertainment. It was later included in the Free Comic Book Day comic for 2014.
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50	Wildstorm Comics also published a two-part comic based on the series called ''Farscape: Warn Torn'' in 2002, which consisted of a main storyline and a side story. The main storyline dealt with the Moya crew getting involved with two planets that appear to have been with war with one another for generations over a third planet they each believe belongs to them due to a signal they dubbed "the Voice", with the crew discovering the truth behind it in hopes of stopping the war. The side story, ''The Four Horsemen'', followed Chiana after being separated from Moya and finding a group of Nebari refugees who discover they were infected with the same virus that had been given to her and her brother Neri.
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52	This series has its own [[Recap/{{Farscape}} recaps]] page.
53	----
54	!!Examples:
55	[[index]]
56	* Farscape/TropesAToC
57	* Farscape/TropesDToG
58	* Farscape/TropesHToN
59	* Farscape/TropesOToZ
60	[[/index]]
61	----

Context Series / Farscape