#FarscapeFriday
Lani Tapu, Tony Tilse, Claudia Black, Ben Browder and David Kemper discuss Green Eyed Monster written by Ben Browder and directed by Tony Tilse
#ManCrushMonday
#BenBrowder
#smitten
This Farscape Friday I am feeling nostalgic recalling two times Ben has called for fans to rally for Farscape. The first was Friday September 2, 2002.Ben contacted the fans like me that he knew, as did others involved with the show to get everyone to chat. I was concerned and asked if it was something bad. He responded yes. Kemper delivered the news and everyone involved with show told us to get busy letting Scifi we wanted Farscape. Ben especially very vocal. We responded. Flash ahead to June 2017 and Ben once again directs fans to let the powers that be that we want more Farscape. Not as many rallied but part of that is because there is no central place fans hang out. The other part is more complex. There is fear that the quality and spirit of the original will be missing. I harbor a bit of this myself. I do however trust Ben that he would not accept the project if it seems lacking. I also think Brian Henson would not want to offer up a substandard product. He is very aware of the dollars and everything else that is needed to return to the Uncharted Territories. I still believe that him mentioning the format rather than cost is a good thing. Seeing new fans joining groups on Facebook and fans on Twitter still Scaping friends is fantastic! Ben is a talented actor who should be doing some interesting projects but he is of age with many other talented guys. These days the streaming services do amazing marketing so shows reach a wider audience than SciFi Channel ever did. So it is my hope that besides getting more Farscape the industry will take notice of Ben this time.
***Thanks to new Scaper/Ben fan Heidi for the photo from Birmingham 2017
I am heartened to see so many new Farscape fans becoming active online and ready to share the wonders! I am a lazy internet surfer so love “lists”! Frell U has posted a great list of Facebook pages so check them out and join the conversation. On Twitter @frellU, @BenBrowder_Net, @Action_John (this site!) and @farscapenow will keep you up to date. Also on Twitter follow @plvanover as she has her finger on the pulse of the fandom! Looking for classic sites from back in the day? Try Farscapeworld ( this link may be iffy as Chrome thinks it unsecure so google and then visit — well worth it!)or Karl’s Web which was my daily go to! DallasScaper is working on a youtube channel of his FarscapeFantasy site —- the place for Farscape music videos !!
The Farscape actors have never acted embarrassed to be on a scifi show or bored to discuss it. Anyone who goes to cons has likely seen a guest get the glazed look and go on to politely answer a question. Read some old interviews and con reports and compare them to recent ones. From Ben Browder to guesties the genuine responses don’t change over the years. I give some credit it to it being produced in Australia, 25 years of con going has shown me actors from outside the US have less an issue with genre shows. They tend to be proud of the work or not, setting not an issue but rather quality drama. Ben is American and trained in London so perhaps that rubbed off. Some shows reach a popularity without necessarily being acts of love by the cast and crew. Farscape is one of the rare ones that is beloved by those behind the camera, in front of the camera, and those watching at home. Ben tells of the last days and seeing crew members with tears. He says crews never cry — their mind is on the next job, but on the Farscape set the tears were everywhere. Of course I am biased but I think many of us have worked on something or with a group at a job that you knew was special, everything just clicked and it still gives you a warm feeling. Seeing Brian Henson get that look on his face as he absorbed the response to @virkatjol shouting out When are we getting more Farscape? was great!
September 12,2002
The Sunday after Farscape fans were alerted to the shows unexpected end, fellow Scaper Avenging Angel was having dinner at my home. We were discussing the rapid response of the fans and what could be done. She was a marketing executive in a major studio’s television division so had some ideas plus had heard some rumors so we were barnstorming. She suggested an ad in one of the major trade magazines to get the notice of other networks who might step in and take on the fifth season of the show. She came up with this ad which we tweaked over the next couple of days, adding more quotes from media. Monday I talked with an account rep at The Hollywood Reporter who was a bit uncertain about working with a fan group. She soon got excited and got us a great rate and positioning in the magazine for the next week, suggesting the September 12th edition as the 11th would likely be ignored. We paid for the ad and it ran. The shows’ cast and producers were excited about it and it garnered attention that we were savvy fans in this fandom! There were so many arms of the Save Farscape campaign and I am still proud I was part of it.
I am going to repost from September 2016
I asked Ben if he would share his thoughts about what he remembered and here they are (with permission):
Angie,
My most enduring moments from 911 are ones of compassion and hope. Horrible things happen and we are witness to the great wrongs that people can commit. In the aftermath, there was so much good and caring.
I saw the buildings come down, staring down the avenues of New York.
I watched the people stream North out of the city, rubble and dust covered, their eyes glazed in shock.
I walked through an eery and silent times square the evening of 9/11.
But what sticks in my soul was watching strangers and acquaintances caring for their fellows.
For every terror there is a balm in beauty.
Peace
Ben
Special thanks to Dani from Farscape.world who found the post!!!!!!!!!! I think I knew the coffee from Ben’s email to me—-
Ben, Claudia, David, and company safe in NYC
by Mary Wood – Wednesday, September 12th 2001
Category: Old News
Claudia Black just posted to the scifi.com bulletin board:
The purpose of this message is two-fold.
Firstly, thank you for a successful and very enjoyable convention tour.
Secondly we would like to send out our best wishes to everyone in New York. We walked into town and lit a candle on the steps of a closed church last night. What else is there to do but try and give blood and pray for everyone.
We are here in town until the planes start running and are being taken care of by a large and caring group of collegues from the Henson Group. So lucky to have members of our work family with us at this time.
As much as I have wondered how Aeryn would be dealing with this the very human me has been a little teary, a lot scared and very grateful to be alive.
Ben has plying me with chocolate and has firmly established himself as a real life hero.
Chick with gun and black tee signing out for now somewhere in nyc…..
This a flashback post to September 2001. There was a Farscape Convention held in New York City that year the week after the Burbank one. On that fateful morning of September 11th, Ben and his family as well as Claudia Black were at their hotel in the city, all planning travel to the United Kingdom. Claudia posted later in the week on the Scifi Channel Farscape board (under her handle chickwithagun) that she was fine and Ben had brought her coffee and chocolate. This site posted a message from Ben that they were alright as well. I misplaced discs containing many of my old posts and at times like these am very annoyed at myself!! I also didn’t foresee still running this in 2016! Below is a classic photo from that con courtesy of CaScaper Sandy who attended.
#ManCrushMonday
#BenBrowder
#smitten
There was a Farscape Convention in New York City the Sunday before the 9/11 attacks. One of our CaScapers, the late Sandy, had moved back east and sent me this photo of Ben on stage.
#FarscapeFriday
#farscapenow
John Quixote, written by Ben Browder, was scifi on acid. David Kemper said at the 2001 convention what if you have a dream episode within a dream season?
#TBT
A Sunday afternoon in Birmingham,England. The panel has ended and my friends all saying was Ben looking at me when he said fans needed to let Brian Henson know they wanted more Farscape. I laughed but went up to say goodbye and asked him. He was very sincere.
Despite my excitement over Brian Henson saying he is looking at a longer format for Farscape and seems unconcerned about financing which before he has always used to dampen our enthusiasm I do want to give a shout out to all who have followed Ben’s suggestion last summer that we call for more Farscape! Many Scapers let the relative safety of Facebook groups and created Twitter accounts and started Tweeting regularly and making memes and GIFs to support the cause. A few had been doing this already and upped their game like @plvanover, @ripleyaeryn, @AuntieLovesFarscape and @FrellU. New Tweeters @vinegardog1, Damnedscientist, @pai_senpai and others Tweeted from the UK,Ireland and the continent! The #farscapenow campaign began June 22,2017. Many said we were doomed. Many do not want more Farscape. A Ben site said he needed to move on (not this one!). We kept at it with new voices joining every week. Blogger @brianleeokert has been a staunch supporter. Many on the public Facebook pages did their part. If we do get more Farscape it is due to the people above as well as a few hundred who have kept Farscape alive on Twitter and Reddit as well as Brian Henson and his people.
Ok so Dragon Con is over and the good news is that there is a report that explains Brian Henson’s comments better than I did!! Bleedingcool has a nice feature so leave a comment and let them know you love Farscape articles! The crowd at the two main panels was better than I expected given this year’s scheduling. All the big panels/events seemed to be crowded in to fewer time slots than usual. Also Farscape is in two different tracks meaning many fans may have missed one or the other. Many in the industry have complained about Netflix’s residuals and general contracts. I have a hard time accepting no money better than some money so I assume it is more involved than it sounds but we see many studios/networks hoping to start their own streaming services. Personally I am less likely to keep signing up for multiple services and would stick with Netflix for ease of use and variety. IF you are a new Scaper and don’t wish to pay iTunes check ebay for dvds — individual seasons/boxed sets. Not sure when it debuts back on iTunes but will let you know. I tend to be cynical in general but I was feeling very hopeful when Brian Henson did not mention either funding or distribution issues as he normally does. I was also happy he was thinking of a longer format. Also those that attend Dragon Con start letting them know you want a reunion next year for the 20th Anniversary!! The above photo is Brian Henson and Gigi Edgley with a group of Farscape cosplayers! Some of these attend every year and do a fabulous job!!
Onto fun! Action John had some photo ops with Dominique Tipper The Expanse ( show runner Naren Shankar of Farscape), Craig Parker, and Catherine Tate. Craig Parker was a delight ! The actor asked who he (Action John) was and I said Ben Browder and he said Oh from … and virkatjol and I said Farscape (being used to the show not necessarily being known) and he said Yes! With Jonathan Hardy! He spoke of him as being one of New Zealand’s film legends. He seemed surprised I was familiar with Breaker Morant. He told of doing a play that featured pretty much the 2 of them as a prisoner and interrogator and worrying each night as Jonathan would get almost purple because of his health. Then he realized if this was it this is how a legend should go.
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