After Hearing Farscape’s Creator Discuss Revival Plans, I’m Confident The Franchise’s Future Is Safe

Farscape hasn’t been on TV screens since the end of 2004’s Peacekeeper Wars miniseries, but hearing what the space opera’s creator would do if given the chance to revive it makes me even more desperate for more. Although it had a devoted following at the time of broadcast, the show’s lengthy absence from the airwaves has resulted in Farscape falling into relative obscurity. That being said, it hasn’t stopped the cast and crew from daydreaming about what Farscape‘s comeback could look like one day.

Created by Rockne S. O’Bannon and starting in 1999, Farscape ran for four seasons before being canceled in 2003. It was then awarded a two-part miniseries after an outcry from fans to wrap up the loose ends as effectively as it could. Some of Farscape‘s best characters were designed by the Jim Henson company, offering the puppets a grittier, sci-fi look that didn’t stray all that far from the Muppets. Farscape is one of those underappreciated sci-fi shows, and I loved its weird aesthetic and trippy storylines. A comeback isn’t confirmed, but O’Bannon clearly had a solid plan in place.

Rockne S. O’Bannon Has Confirmed He Would Only Ever Continue Farscape, Not Reboot It

Farscape’s next era would be a direct continuation of the original run

Sci-fi ages about as quickly as any genre, and Farscape isn’t immune to the ravages of time. Elements of the show are very dated from a visual perspective, and a complete aesthetic overhaul on similar projects has happened in the past. What usually follows close behind a creative decision like this is a hard reset of the franchise, essentially wiping out most of the established canon and starting again. Thankfully, O’Bannon has gone on record (via Syfy) as saying he would only ever make more Farscape episodes as a continuation of the original era, not as a standalone reboot.

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Ben Browder, who played John Crichton throughout Farscape also weighed in on the matter. He echoed O’Bannon’s sentiments that a continuation of Farscape would be his first choice rather than a hard reboot. The actor dubbed his casting in Farscape as the “opportunity of a lifetime,” and that he would like to see where the characters are today after such a lengthy period off the air.

Farscape’s Creator Is Right About The Space Opera’s 20+ Year Hiatus

O’Bannon could benefit from the unplanned break

A show being left to gather dust for over two decades means there’s a good chance a revival wouldn’t work. Then again, there can be huge advantages in a scenario like this, and Rockne S. O’Bannon sounds primed to capitalize on the potential positives. He has implied that the amount of time that has passed in the real world since Farscape‘s ending would mirror the unseen years within the world of the show. There would be a lot to catch up on if this were the case, but that only makes the thought of a Farscape revival even more appealing.

However, even O’Bannon admits that the unplanned hiatus was never intended – nor is it “something you would ever plan to do.” If a Farscape revival were to be given the green light by Syfy, the show’s creator would be capitalizing on a time jump that wasn’t part of the original blueprint. Although the space opera has continued in comic books and other media, the show proper concluded in 2004 with The Peacekeeper Wars. Either way, I’m sure I’m not alone in my desire for O’Bannon to get the chance to bring Farscape back.

Why A Farscape Reboot (Rather Than A Revival) Would Be A Bad Idea

Farscape needs a little updating, but shouldn’t have its legacy erased

Despite being used interchangeably in popular culture, “reboot” and “revival” mean different things. A “reboot” is a completely new version of a pre-existing show, often with no canonical connections to the original. It almost always looks very different too. A “revival” is set within the same continuity as the original show, often with returning cast members and a sizable time jump. O’Bannon doesn’t seem interested in the former, and actually seems actively opposed to it.

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Farscape‘s original run had a unique charm that none of its contemporaries could match, and there still hasn’t been another show that has looked or felt quite like it. One of the main focuses for a Farscape revival should be to recapture that magic, not replace the various components with modern-day equivalents. For example, if the puppets were ever to be replaced with CGI assets, it just wouldn’t feel like Farscape anymore – and that’s just one of many alterations that would likely happen if the show were to be completely rebooted.

Source: Syfy

Farscape

Release Date

1999 – 2002

Writers

Rockne S. O’Bannon, David Kemper, Justin Monjo, Richard Manning

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