Okay. So. We know about the mini-series already. We weren't supposed to, technically, since Kemper&co. didn't officially release the information and, at least according to what I heard, it was meant to be a secret. In any case, we all knew about it via the Save Farscape site. The getting of this mini-series is, of course, completely wonderful.
It might be slightly less wonderful than we thought...If that link doesn't work, and it might not as it gets moved around, just click on the 'SciFi Channel' link and you'll find the article in the listing. If not, well, it's not that interesting, and the gist is basically that the new mini-series is going to be shown on SciFi US. There's been some discussion on Tortured Space about it. Some points raised:
1) The fact that SciFi US are showing it is sending inexplicable shudders down everyone's spines. Somehow, the thought of them getting their grubby paws back on our show is completely unpalatable, when they made it quite clear that they wanted nothing more to do with it. Nobody bought the funding excuse, I'm afraid. If that was really the issue, then they could at least have had the decency to let Kemper end the series properly. If that was really the issue, the fan reaction wouldn't have been so immense.
2) Apparently, they are also claiming that it's entirely them responsible for resurrecting it. Sounds to me like they're just covering their own backs and pretending like they had nothing to do with its cancellation in the first place. What's next? Blaming the fans for the cancellation? Angry letters are already being planned, but, obviously, after the show is actually aired...
3) There's been much worry lately about whether our beloved Beeb will show it or if they even know about it at all. Apparently they're keen to show it, which is a step in the right direction. Lately, though, their treatment of science fiction fans in general has been appalling - remember the
Buffy scheduling? That was the
final season they did that to, and
Buffy probably gets them higher ratings than
Farscape ever has. The BBC2 6.45 sci-fi slot seems to have been obliterated. Even if they rectify that and
do get the mini-series - all four hours of it, which I'll comment on in a moment - it'll be edited to death and shown at the wrong time, as usual. If there's any hope at all, the title,
( spoiler of title ), might imply enough violent content that they put it on at the right damn time...
4) And if the Beeb don't show it? It's left to the realm of Channel Four and Five. The problems? Ad breaks. More horrendous editing. The fact that not all of Britain can even
get Five (a similar argument to what might happen if it goes straight to SciFi UK, who have the repeat rights; they do, at least, show them unedited...) A break with tradition. Similarly awful treatment of science fiction in general...
So, while the BBC's treatment of
Farscape wasn't exactly perfect, it's still miles better than C4 or Five could do. It's pointless to hope the BBC might finally see sense, but the thought of either of those two channels getting it sends waves of disgust rolling over me. We're very definitely stuck between a rock and a hard place... I really, honestly believe that if Sky One had initially bought the rights, it would be doing far, far better over here; Sky One have a knack when it comes to advertising, and when something's popular on there, it tends to get snapped up really quickly by terrestrial.
5) Does anyone else feel like the
entire situation is just really... childish? Or, at least, SciFi's reaction to it is... The cancellation always seemed off to me - and everyone else, most likely - and I think the reason is it seemed like a jealous reaction...
Farscape had what most others shows didn't, and Sci Fi cancelled it to make room for other things. The fans retaliated in what could be construed an equally immature way - writing letters en masse, sending crackers and bras, throwing proverbial tomatoes at Bonny Hammer (not that she didn't deserve it) and fighting it to the death. So SciFi conceded defeat; this mini-series has a definite vibe of "Oh,
fine. Jeez, have your damn series back." and it just makes the success seem really bitter... We didn't win; they just got pissed off with our whining and tried to placate us.
Which doesn't, obviously, negate the fact that we
are getting a mini-series, and it's the very, very best we can hope for... so for that reason, we're going to cherish it and welcome it with cookies and open arms.
6) As mentioned, the mini-series is four hours long, possibly in four one-hour instalments, or two two-hour ones. Either way, that
four hours out of what should have been
twenty-two. Talk about throwing us a bone. It's not enough.
Farscape was
supposed to end after season 5, not after Season 4 plus 4 hours... Kemper had that much planned. The cancellation not only screwed the fans over, it messed up Kemper's vision, too. Is it too much to ask that he manage to achieve what he wanted in just four hours? No, because I have faith in him, He's never disappointed us, he's never disappointed his cast, and that's why I believe he can do it. It doesn't make the wound any less raw after what SciFi did to us, but it's something.
He left that cliffhanger there for a reason. It would have been so much easier to take off the 'To Be Continued', to end the season right there... but he didn't. There were too many unanswered questions, and he knew that the fans would want to know. With any luck, those questions
will get answered; knowing Kemper, he'll pose us even more and then leave us hanging again... but even so, we're getting
Farscape back for four more hours, and even though it's not nearly enough, it's still more than we could ever have hoped for.
I realise that I am not exactly qualified any more to do fan rants about
Farscape, since I sort of abandoned the obsession at some point last year, and the extent of my fighting for the show was to sign online petitions. I didn't even bring my videos with me to university, because I knew I didn't have another series to record. I'm ashamed to admit that I did pretty much give up, where others kept fighting. Despite that, I'm still on tenterhooks waiting for the mini-series, I'm still overjoyed we're even getting it, and the cancellation did sting, albeit a good few months after the initial news (I think, at the time, after
Cats had been closed earlier that year, my brain just couldn't cope any more.) I didn't earn this. I probably don't deserve to be so happy about it. But no matter what, it's
Farscape, and I'm proud of everything everyone did, even though I wasn't a part of it; it proved that the death of something loved can provoke a huge reaction, and it brought the entire fanbase closer together because of it. Some dropped out of campaigning, others kept slogging on, but we all
hoped it would prevail.
And look. It did.
We're getting a mini-series, dudes. I don't know when, I don't know where, but we're gettting it.
(Damn, I need a
Farscape icon. Just thought the wording was apt on this one, though...)
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