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Farscape Frelling Cancelled
Mukaikubo writes "The Sci-Fi Channel has decided to cancel their second largest show, Farscape. Because networks respond better to phone calls and snail-mail letters than a mass e-mail campaign and there is contact info on a fan-run Message Board. Time is of the essence, as the Network wants to tear down props at the end of next week. Help save one of the best science fiction shows on TV today!" Other articles can be found here and the chat log is online too.
Sci-Fi cancells Farscape (MLP)
By yanisa
Sat Sep 7th, 2002 at 05:46:41 AM CST
Sci-Fi network shocks viewers: Farscape, its flagship series, has been cancelled.
Fanbase reacts; join them!
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In a surprise chat yesterday night, David Kemper, Richard Manning and Ben Browder announced Sci-Fi network's decision to cancel Farscape, critically acclaimed and much beloved SF series, now in its fourth season.
Although Sci-Fi has previously contracted for two more seasons of Farscape, they have now excercised an out-clause. This was made known to the creators and cast only after they have finished filming the last episode of Season 4, which means that they have had no chance of even finishing the story. Farscape will thus end with a cliffhanger and unfinished story threads.
Needles to say, the fanbase is in an uproar and the cast is shocked.
And not suprisingly, Dilbert has seen it coming.
If you like Farscape and would like to see it go on, add your voice to the enraged masses.
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Well, it's a sad thing to write, but maybe they just make more profit with other series of lower quality? It's like when the Babylon 5 spin-offs where killed... Here's a good statement from JMS about this.
The analogy I can find, is to Fast Food: Low-quality stuff for the masses (but it's practical and I'm enjoying it sometimes). Guaranteed profit. The stuff I consider high-quality, is a matter of taste. So the market is limited and profits not guaranteed. If you would run a restaurant for a living, what would you offer?
Sad, though.
Excellence: Moderate (mostly affected by comments on your karma)
I don't think petitions, letters, nor phone calls will do any good.
As Ben put it, "They're taking a chainsaw to Moya next week" meaning that the sets are scheduled to be destroyed within a matter of days.
Yeah, maybe letters and phone calls will make them spend the money to rebuild the sets, but I probably wouldn't hold my breath. They would have folded the sets if there was a chance the show was going to be picked up again (as they did with "Crusade"'s sets [even though they never did pick up this series]). I think it's best we wish Brian Henson et al the best of luck on their new endeavors instead of spending our energy on such a longshot. The best we could hope for is for a final episode or movie, but I doubt this as well
Gnuyen
I urge everyone who is upset about this to send a fax to Sci-Fi Network. I found the this link to a free online fax service from the parent article.
Free Online Fax
Sci-Fi's fax number is +1-212-413-6531.
it's like "fucking".
The idea is that certain words didn't get picked up right by the "translator microbes" so Crichton hears the "native" word, rather than the translation. Or something like that. It was just a way to give flavor.
ZOMG I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS ON MACINTOSH VERSUS WINDOWS, VI VERSUS EMACS, AND HOW YOU'RE NOT A DORK
The problem with the idea of Farscape getting picked up by another network is that SciFi would have to give up the rights to the first 88 episodes for the new network to be able to air them, which they may not be willing to do. Any potential saviour would be much less likely to step up if they could only air the 5th season and without the previous 4.
Look at what the networks have killed in the past 6 months (of note):
Dark Angel (FOX: news to me, but axed in May, had ok ratings!)
Futurama (FOX: weak ratings)
A couple days ago:
Witchblade (TNT: had strong ratings!)
Farscape (Sci-Fi: good ratings?)
(I'm sure I'm missing a biggie in all this. X-Files, Ally McBeal, Family Guy, etc. don't count...)
I'd understand the cancellations if the ratings were weak, and new programming was so much more promising but:
Derivative spinoffs: CSI:Miami, Law & Order:
Cop shows, cop shows, cops shows
doc shows, doc shows, doc shows
Another boring lawyer show from David E. Kelley
New soon-2-be-DOA show from the other lucky producer...
And the rest being f**king lame-assed "reality" shows I don't watch. How the f**k do loser shows like Big Brother2, Amazing Race2, and The Mole2 manage to get timeslots??? Yeah, they're cheap to produce, but they get sh*tty ratings.
I just don't get it. There a quite a few new shows coming out this fall, and most of them have LOSER stamped on them. Why kick out a promising show to stick in a sure loser?
The only thing new that looks like it has promise is Firefly. But I would have killed something other than Dark Angel... (Birds Of Prey looks promising too.)
Is it that our demographic (and thus, entertainment preferences) is too old and not desirable anymore? Do good shows cost too much? Do networks make more money on sh*t reality shows?
Am I missing a possible trend? (Economic recession putting content companies out of business? 9/11 makes people want mindless, "wholesome", patriotic, hero themed shows?)
Its a conspiracy, I tell you! And the handwriting is on the wall. Get ready to say goodbye to Buffy, Stargate SG1 (a Sci-Fi channel property), Angel, Smallville, Enterprise(?), South Park, Son of the Beach,
I can't say its all bad. I watch way too much TV. I'd like to feel confident that there will be something watchable in a couple of years, but it doesn't look good (for me, for us?)...
There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM and AT&T and DuPont, Dow, General Electric, and Exxon
Since so many people seem to be asking, Farscape was scifi's highest, or second highest show depending on who you ask. Unrealized Reality (Season 4, Episode 12) pulled a 1.5, which is pretty unheard of for this network.
Unfortunately, it's also their most expensive show to create, but what the hell else do they have? They killed b5:lotr (And no, not THAT lotr), they killed lexx, Stargate's coming to a conclusion after this season.... They're going to have dead zone and johnathon edwards when at the end of this year.
JMS said scifi wants to get away from "those space shows", when they killed the b5 spinoff. I haven't figure out who's irrational bias this is, they're the scifi channel for christ sake, ut if I ever identify the person responsible, rest assured that I will provide contact info.
Or you could, i dont know... Buy the dvds? They are released by ADV Films, who are not a member of the MPAA or any other evil organization... And you would be supporting the show you liked.
no
The phone number given is for a woman named Bonnie Hammer. Unfortunately her voicemailbox is full. Does anyone have the number of anyone it would be appropriate to call?
Not only that, but I believe ADV releases their DVDs without any kind of encryption or macrovision protection. In all, they seem to make good products and release good shows. (In addition to a whole load of anime, they also released the Reboot season three DVDs.)
Tonight I was checking Fark.com literally as I was about to go out the door and saw that we'd been cancelled... my jaw just *dropped*. I couldn't believe it, the show was literally our lives for the last three years...
The mood at the party was pretty good, a lot of sadness - I mean sci-fi broke the news the DAY before the wrap party, everyone was still reeling. We'd all known that season 5 was an on-paper "lock" but we knew there was a chance it might not happen. But overall people were in a cool state of mind, nothing like this had ever been done in Sydney before and it's been a hell of a ride. Everyone involved with the show is so happy to have been a part of it, for me it was my first job in the industry after quitting the IT world, and even when it got tough I'm so grateful to have gotten the opportunity, and I've made a lot of good friends to boot.
Brain Henson explained that it had almost made it to at least 13 eps for season 5 but in the end he just couldn't sell it. Man, I'm numb (of course that could be the after effects of the party) It turned out to be a damn good party though, the gag reel had been hastily re-cut to include some nice moments in light of the news, but it went down well - Anthony Simcoe as D'Argo and Wayne Pygram as Scorpious bring the house down every year with their totally in-character bloopers, this year was no expection. I know the show was not to everyone's taste, hell sometimes I didn't go to the screenings myself, but it's a great offbeat show, and if you liked it enough; as Ben Browder, David Kemper and Richard Manning explained in the chat, send (polite!) letters to sci-fi, or call, and let them know.
Ok drunken ramble mod /off going to go watch the sun come up :-)
I do not believe that SciFi cancelled Farscape. I know they did. SciFi may not own the series, but the network does provide most of its budget. I doubt Ben Browder, David Kemper, and Richard Manning were lying during the chat held last night at scifi.com. A letter from Anthony Simcoe confirmed the news.
"I think so, Brain, but 'instant karma' always gets so lumpy." - Pinky
"Decepticons FOREVER!!!" - Ravage