Farscape Could Be Returning!

And I'm going to Comic-Con--what luck! Farscape Rumor

Tammy

Some Farscape closure would be seriously cool But who would air the mini? Of course it could go directly to the non-US markets and from there to DVD -- that would set quite the welcome precedent. We'll see.

Have fun at the Con

But who would air the mini?

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It could be any of a number of places. The article,said "Most networks" tend not to be interested in mini-series spun off of series that they hadn't aired. That is true, but "most" is not "all" and general attitudes don't always apply to all situations.

I think that it safe to say that it wouldn't be picked up by any of the big broadcast networks. I think that, in addition to SciFi, you can also rule out all of the USA family of networks.

However, it could conceivably show up on a Turner network such as TNT. I could see it possibly going to the "new" TNN (I think that is what they are calling themselves at the moment, with the injunction on using "Spike TV").

A limited Farscape series might be attractive to a premium cable channel that was more concerned with buzz than Neilson numbers. My impression is that HBO would be unlikely to pick something like that up (meaning something that had first aired elsewhere). However, Showtime might. They have been relatively SF (or, more generally. "genre") friendly over the last few years or so, even if they did cancel Odyssey 5 after one season. There may even be some personal pride motivations to return the "favor" after SciFi picked up SG1.

Actually, I would probably prefer the Showtime scenario to a network such as TNT. This is just because "4 hours" there is equivalent to more than 5 broadcast hours on a network with commercials. I would rather have the extra screen time for the characters and plot development. Besides, I already get Showtime, so I wouldn't cost me anything over and above what I am already paying to see it there.

Of course it could go directly to the non-US markets and from there to DVD -- that would set quite the welcome precedent.

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That precedent would only be helpful if it proved to be profitable. Ideally, if you want the model to be copied by other production companies, you should want it to be quite profitable, ... not just marginally.



I would be thrilled if this rumor proved true.

Some more Farscape would be cool.

But I do think the final episode was a perfect end, I do wonder how much they can do to justify the story of a mini series.

I do wonder how much they can do to justify the story of a mini series.

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Are you asking if they could advance the arc plot enough to be worth it?

Well, if they are picking up right from the "To Be Continued" then they are picking up the story in progress and I wouldn't expect them to spend too terribly much time doing getting-to-know-you stuff to spoon feed backstories to newbies.

If it were to be on a premium channel such as Showtime then the 4 hours would be equivalent to about 5 1/2 normal episodes of 1-hour-with-commercials. They would obviously skip stuff that might have done in stand-alone episodes in a full season. So that would give them as much screen time as they used for the run of A Bug's Life, Nerve, Hidden Memory, Family Ties, and Mind the Baby (skipping Bone to be Wild because it was a stand-alone); while still leaving a half of an episode's worth of time to do some character / situation introduction for newbies (although they probably couldn't use any old flashback footage unless they waited until SciFi's exclusive rerun period ran out before airing it).

Yeah, I think that is enough plot movement to be worth the effort of the mini-series.

Sweet!

I think we would all prefer if our favourite programs were picked up by premium cable -- even if we don't get said channel. At least there they'd have more freedom of content and a greater life expectancy. Although it's my impression that Showtime was moving away from genre.

That precedent would only be helpful if it proved to be profitable. Ideally, if you want the model to be copied by other production companies, you should want it to be quite profitable, ... not just marginally.

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Obviously, but at this point, I'd be happy to just see someone try. At least then we'd know if it is profitable enough.

A couple of points.

1. The length. When people in the TV buisness say 4 hours they mean WITH commericals. The miniseries is probably (if it is in the work at all) geared towards being the equivilant of 4 episodes. Probably 2 "2 hour" parts. The total runtime would thus likely be a little over 3 hours (not 4).

2. It occured to me that although SciFi still holds the rights to the show in the US it will not do so forever. Once those rights elapse they are going to want to put the show into syndication (or sell it to another cable channel/network). Having the mini series attached to such potential sales would undoubtedly make it easier to sell the show (after all who wants to air a series that was cancalled with a cliffhanger?)

Thus it is possible that the production company is taking the long term view and is trying to ensure that the value of it's EXISTING stock is not deflated by it's unfortunate ending.

1. The length. When people in the TV buisness say 4 hours they mean WITH commericals.

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They mean total run time, on a clock on the wall, between the opening credits and the closing. On most networks that means with commercials.

Note the phrase about "if it is on a premium network" in my previous post. Those networks don't have commercials. Saying "4 hours" there *means* 4 hours of actual show time.

I don't believe that is truth. But if so, that will be great news!

Okay, there was no miniseries announcement at the con today. But they didn't come right out & say no, either. It seemed more like "I don't know". So could it be one of those situations where they can't say anything because they can't officially announce it yet? I would think that if the rumor were false, they would say so. So who knows what is going on?

Tammy

Thanks for the update

Here's the FilmForce non-announcement article with some good speculation.

Hee. I love the writing in that second article... distancing themselves from the first one, trying to make it sound like a general rumour.