Fans rally together to save Farscape

By: Adnan Virk

Posted: 11/19/02

We all have favorite shows that we watch, follow and love. However, do we, as viewers, have any real power? Or are we all just decimals on a Nielson rating to be analyzed by execs?

The fans of the critically acclaimed sci-fi series Farscape are about to find out.

Farscape follows the adventures of modern-day astronaut John Crichton (Ben Browder), who's shot through a wormhole and emerges in a distant part of the universe. He's forced to take refuge on a living ship full of escaped alien prisoners, on the run from their former captors.

After debuting in 1999 on the Sci-Fi Channel, the show immediately broke away from the pack with its engaging characters, exotic aliens, raw sexual chemistry (between Browder and co-star Claudia Black) and unpredictable twists and turns.

As a result, Farscape built up a loyal and dedicated fan-base, many of whom are not generally fans of the genre (as the show has often been called sci-fi for people who don't like sci-fi), which catapulted it to the top-rated series on the network.

Perhaps more importantly, the show gave the struggling network instant prestige when it became an absolute critic's darling, earning praise from USA Today, Newsday and TV Guide (who simply called it "the best sci-fi show on TV").

When Sci-Fi announced that they had renewed Farscape for both a fourth and fifth season, the fans were naturally thrilled at having two guaranteed seasons of the show ready to go. That euphoria, however, was short lived.

On Sept. 6, during an impromptu online chat, executive producer David Kemper and Browder revealed that the network had unexpectedly exercised an out-clause in the contract (just as they wrapped filming on the fourth season, ending the series on an apparent cliffhanger).

Sci-Fi had hoped to keep the news quiet, but Kemper and Browder (understandably upset) defied them and broke the news personally.

Over the next few days, Sci-Fi's New York offices were flooded with angry (yet civil) letters, phone calls, faxes, and even live demonstrators. The campaign received multiple segments on CNN Headline News and further coverage in various newspaper outlets and brought the network back to the table for negotiation,that fell through.

So that's it, they fought, made some noise, but ultimately failed, right? Well, in this case, Kemper asserted that if the final 11 episodes (slated to air in January, thanks to Sci-Fi's inexplicable scheduling) were to hit a certain ratings point, the series stood a serious shot at survival.

That's all the dedicated "Scapers" needed. Their mission was simple: organize and do everything possible to raise awareness of the series before the final episodes aired, and that's exactly what they've been doing.

Various activities involve printing and distributing fliers, phone calls to sponsors and other networks, pooling money to take out print ads (a currently running fund for a USA Today ad has currently surpassed $13,000), public rallies (which included coordinated rallies in New York, Washington DC, San Francisco, Toronto, and others back in October), and even plans to pay for fan-made testimonial commercials to air on some local cable outlets.

The scale and dedication of the grass-roots campaign is impressive, but it raises the obvious question. Why devote so much time and effort into saving a single TV show?

Toni, 45, of Florida, claims it's "a matter of principal… Sci-Fi made a big deal about announcing their signing of a two-year contract, assuring fans that Farscape was their "flagship" show. Then without warning, they opted out using a slick undisclosed loophole."

Athena, 25, from Vancouver describes the campaign as more than simply fighting to save a series, but as "the battle of quality storytelling versus big-buck bottom line."

Still others have different motives, as Astrid, 33, from L.A., fights for the cast and crew who "were put out of a job, people who I believe deserve better, people I care about, because they have succeeded in touching me with their work for four years in a row."

Whatever the reasons, they are determined to not go down without a fight. Whether their efforts succeed or not, this January, all eyes will be on the prize, when Farscape returns for what could be its final hurrah.

Sci-Fi will re-air the first half of the season as a marathon on Dec. 24, and its final (?) episodes will begin on Jan. 10.

For more information on the "Save Farscape" campaign, visit www.savefarscape.com.