Farscape: Sci Fi Series to Return in Web Episodes

Farscape ran for four seasons on Sci Fi Channel, from 1999 until 2003. The series was suddenly cancelled after production of the fourth season was completed, leaving fans hanging about the fate of a crystallised Aeryn and Crichton. Largely due to fan outrage, a mini-series was produced to wrap up some of the storylines and aired in 2004. Now, it looks like its time to go back through the wormhole once again.

Brian Henson, co-CEO of The Jim Henson Company, recently announced that new Farscapeadventures were in the works via 10 webisodes. The 3-6 minute webisodes will be streamed via Sci Fi.com but may eventually find their way onto the Sci Fi Channel.

Series creator Rockne O’Bannon has signed on to the project and will co-write the webisodes with Henson. O’Bannon believes that the new webisodes will easily follow in the footsteps of the wild TV exploits. He promises, “The characters, creatures, passions, conflicts and barely contained lunacy of the Farscape universe have never stopped. We just haven’t had a window into that universe lately to see what’s currently happening there. Well now we do. And it ain’t calm, and it ain’t pretty, and it ain’t like anything anyone is going to expect. But it is totally Farscape.”

Henson is typically close-lipped about the project, saying, “We’re not allowed to actually tell you anything about it. What we are doing with Farscape is having a lot of fun and in the experimental media of webisodes; it takes Farscape to its next chapter. There’s very little we can say creatively, other than I’m sure there will be characters there that you all know, and I’m sure there will be characters that will be new.”

Henson has said that the webisodes may feature D’Argo Sun-Crichton, the son of Crichton and Aeryn. The word is that Ben Browder (Crichton) really wants to be part of the new project and will do so if the scheduling works out. It’s unknown if other human castmembers will follow suit but the puppet characters are another matter. Says Sci Fi General Manager Dave Howe, “All of them are sitting there, waiting.” (Actually, Henson says that the puppets will have to be recreated due to deterioration of the foam materials over time.)

While fans are hoping that the webisodes will lead to a weekly series revival, that’s not in Sci Fi’s plan right now. “We just thought it was a way to feed fans’ tremendous hunger for the show,” said Howe. Henson however hopes that this new project will open the door for the next generation of Farscape and a new TV sequel. Stay tuned!