Today marks the 25th anniversary of my all-time favorite TV show, Farscape. The Henson Company’s strange and fantastical science fiction epic spanned 4 seasons, ending with a mini-series/movie that brought the adventure to an abrupt end. Despite the lamentations of a devoted fanbase, the show ended for what many of us hope would not be the last time.
Over the years, fans would have opportunities to meet the show creators and cast members in person, often developing lasting friendships as both parties celebrated the creativity and wonder delivered by the amazing cast of characters and creatures of the Uncharted Territories.
For me personally, I was a college kid in a tiny apartment in Clackamas, OR (Portland metro) coming home from work or class on Friday nights to turn on the Sci-Fi Channel and eat dinner while diving into my sci-fi wonderland. Then came along this show that was quirky, hilarious, sexy, and intriguing hooking me with its storytelling and likeable characters. Pretty soon, it was appointment watching. I didn’t look forward to going out on Friday nights, I looked forward to coming home and cooking dinner or grabbing takeout and dropping down on my couch to watch sci-fi shows for the night. Farscape was the highlight of that experience.
Now, unfortunately for me, I was not quite of the tax bracket at that stage of my life to be a part of convention life, nor was I particularly knowledgeable of the Farscape community and its gathering over the years. I was on a tiny science fiction island of one. In my apartment, quietly enjoying my favorite thing about television.
Then ‘Life’ Happened
Fast forward to my subsequent graduation from undergrad, eventually moving from Portland to Las Vegas, then back to Portland, then meeting my eventual wife, and our having an amazing little girl. All the while, Farscape remained a constant. I’d made it a point to keep my favorite sci-fi show with me through DVD purchases, ripping those DVDs to add to my iTunes TV library, then upgrading to Blu-ray, then making sure to watch when the show hit streaming services. Couple that with finding Farscape fans in my social media circles, my love of the show eventually became no-so-lonely an experience.
As 2019 approached, I was a new dad and planning a wedding. While all of this was happening, the back of my mind was one thing: Farscape would be 20-years old soon and I wanted to celebrate. As luck would have it, I came across an announcement on Twitter that I couldn’t pass up, Wintercon in NY would be holding a Farscape 20th anniversary celebration at their convention, complete with cast members. Luckily, my wife and I had planned a wedding that was paid for in advance and so, without crippling wedding debt, I squared away the time out of town with my bride-to-be, because there was no way I was going to subject my wife to that level of nerddom along with an 18-month-old, and booked my solo trip to New York!
Showtime!
Seeing as how I’m always working on something musically; I knew I wanted to put together a musical tribute to my favorite sci-fi franchise. Frankly, sci-fi music is kind of what I do. So during all of this full-time working, parenting, wedding planning, and ending my 7-year-long sports podcast I took what little time remained and wrote six songs about my favorite show. Normally, I would have made the entire thing from scratch, but as you can see, I may have been slightly pressed for time. So, I hit my favorite beat shop, picked out a few winners, and got to work. The result was an EP that I feel was aptly named, “Touchin’ Wormholes.” Not only did this reference the one overarching theme of the show, I felt it also added a touch of that cheeky, playful double entendre the show pulled off so well (cough …Lexx). After completing my project with a little time to spare ahead of the con, I managed to press up a few physical copies with artwork to match and released my homage on March 19, 2019.
I happily arrived at Wintercon, with this only being my second venture to NYC ever (Queens more specifically). I got to my hotel with CDs and a custom art piece I’d hoped to get signed in tow excited to finally meet the cast members that had inspired me to make my own sci-fi creations as well as maybe meet a few like-minded folks who loved the show as much as I did. My real-life social circle never consisted of folks who were as much about Farscape as I was, so I was really looking forward to this convention.
What followed was an amazing weekend of photos, conversations, and interactions with the cast, show creator, and fans that I will never forget. The highlight of which being the moment I presented show creator Rockne S. O’Bannon with a copy of my musical homage, only to have him refuse to allow me to leave without signing it for HIM! It was a surreal moment that I don’t think I’ll ever get over and I try not to think about it too often lest I spontaneously vibrate off of the floor in front of folks who are already overwhelmed by my enthusiasm for the show.
Happy Birthday Farscape
My trip to Wintercon 2019 was just a few months before the world would effectively shut down due to COVID-19 health restrictions. I feel very lucky to have gotten our wedding and the most fulfilling fan experience of my geeky life in under the wire. It remains to be seen what will transpire in 2024 and/or if I will get to participate in a 25-year celebration, however, now I’m able to celebrate the release of Farscape along side the release of my 6-song tribute to the greatest sci-fi show to ever hit television — in my opinion (I will not debate this with you).
So, please, if you haven’t managed to find a collection of Farscape up until this point, there is a 25th anniversary set you can pick up. Treat yourself!
There has always been talk from fans and the show’s creators about finding a way to revive our favorite frelling band of space-faring misfits, but to date, a new adventure has yet to materialize. We’re all smart people here. As the years pass and as all of us age normally, there will come a day when our hopes simply cannot be realized. But, until then … Pilot. Starburst!
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