Farscape
1999 - United StatesAstronaut John Crichton is on a test flight of his module, Farscape 1, when a spatial wormhole opens directly in his path.
Unable to avoid the phenomenon, Chrichton is shot halfway across the galaxy into an uncharted (by man) part of the universe, arriving in the middle of a pitched space battle, and directly in the path of a Peacekeeper vessel. In an attempt to avoid collision with Farscape 1, the Peacekeeper attempts evasive action, but is destroyed.
The Peacekeeper was waiting to take a group of transported prisoners that had revolted aboard a Leviathan, one of a group of 'living' vessels that the Peacekeepers had managed to take control of using collars that force obedience. Crichton becomes unwillingly involved with the revolution when his vessel is taken aboard the Leviathan. Here he encounters strange looking creatures and robotic devices and soon discovers what is going on. The prisoners are re-captured; John Crichton amongst them, and the astronaut soon discovers that he has become Peacekeeper captain Bialar Crais's worst enemy. Crais's brother was on the destroyed Peacekeeper vessel.
Originally dubbed "Star Trek's evil twin" in some quarters soon after its premiere, Farscape, co-production by the Jim Henson Company in the U.S., Hallmark Entertainment in the U.S. and Nine Films and Television, part of Nine Network in Australia, began shooting in Sydney on 25th September 1998.
The series was created by Rockne S O'Bannon and was originally earmarked for the US Fox Network but was ultimately green-lit by the Sci-Fi Channel. Blending state-of-the-art animatronics from the Jim Henson Creature Shop, CGI and live action, the series was described in British Sci-Fi magazine TV Zone as "the boldest, brightest and most mind-boggingly brilliant Sci-Fi saga currently on the air."
Published on December 11th, 2018. Written by Laurence Marcus for Television Heaven.
