Still Squeeing Over Farscape DVDs.

[shadowkat]

Still being blown away by Farscape and the commentary. This has got to be the best DVD commentary I've ever listened to (and yes, that includes ALL the Whedon commentary on DVDs as well as quite a few art films.) I'm surprised. I gave up on DVD commentaries...finally. Because they are so self-congratulatory and chatty, and tell you little about the process. But this baby is incredibly informative. The only other one that was this informative was for the film The TV Set.

They discuss what it is like to do a different accent than your own, wear heavy prostectic makeup, the writing and directing process, how to act a scene with a puppet or no one else in the scene but a ship - which you are supposed to be talking to. They also discuss tv and film history, particularly science-fiction oriented.

So far learned:

1. Apparently tv shows shown to a EURO market and an American market - are different lengths.
Bowder kept pointing out the extra scenes in A Human Reaction that were on the Euro release and hadn't been seen in the US until the DVD's were released. And some of these scenes are really important, damn them. Which makes the Farscape DVDs a surprise. Episodes that I thought were okay when I watched them on Sci-Fi channel back in 2004, I consider good to brilliant on the DVDs. (Makes me wonder how many scenes were cut out of the BBC America and Syfy versions of Torchwood, Hex, Being Human, Merlin, and Doctor Who - because that would explain a lot. It also continues to bolster my view that the US is being run by evil marketing and advertising folks.)

2. Australia doesn't have the ability to create a tv show of the scale and scope of a Farscape.
Anthony Simco explains this in the Bone to BE Wild commentary - stating how small a country they are in both population and economy, and the idea of throwing millions of dollars into a tv series or film blew their minds. So when big US companies such as Hallmark, Fox and Henson Studios come to Australia to film and set up shop - cast and crew were thrilled!!

3. Already sort of knew this - but it was interesting to have people who have acted in a lot of tv series to mention it. Unlike the Buffy/Angel crew - Black and Bowder actually have lengthy
flim and tv bios. Both did Stargate, Black did Hercules, Bowder did several episodes of Party of Five, and numerous other things. And they bring that knowledge to the commentary. Discussing the pitfalls of working in tv - from a professional and story angle. That 80% of tv is really formulaic (god yes, unfortunately) - the characters don't change, you go solve a problem each week, and the leads don't sleep together or get together in any way until the end. And how as an actor - it gets stale after a while. But on a series such as Farscape - which started out one way, the sort of formula and immediately became something else - it is incredibly interesting when characters get to evolve. (They compare it to Star-Gate - a tv series that they both ended up on towards its final seasons... and Hercules.)

And so much more. I'm enthralled. And, hmmm, I may need to go hunt down the Farscape fandom.
Are there any serious fans of Farscape still on Flist? Because, am tempted to write meta on this series, but not sure it makes sense to do it if no one is interested. Then again, what the hell.

Also incredibly impressed with Ben Bowder - who is amongst the few leads of a tv series, specifically a sci-fi series that devoted himself to every bit of it. He wasn't an executive producer, but he wrote episodes, tweaked dialogue, discussed storyline, and worked hard on the series. His wife guest-starred in numerous episodes (wearing a lot of make-up) and did conventions with him. Was mature and not diva-ish. And has kept his personal life and children private and out of the public eye. Kudos.

Comments

[rozk.livejournal.com]

I'm still devoted to the show, but do not have space in my life for a rewatch until some of my current projects are done and dusted. It is certainly something I look forward to rewatching from the beginning...

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I barely have time for it myself. So only watching not really blogging. Got roped in - when my internet and cable went out for three days.

The problem is, I have to make myself stop watching and do the things I need to do. Because it is a bit like a really really good piece of chocolat, you can't just watch one, you want more.

[candleanfeather.livejournal.com]

I have to say that many of the BTVS DVD commentaries left me unsatisfied: too much jokes, babbling and not enough insights about writing, processes, intentions. They were some of a let down. It's a pity because they certainly could have enrich our readings of the episodes.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Yep. After listening to the Farscape DVD commentary, I've realized the difference and what they could have done. There's a level of professionalism brought to the Farscape DVD's and respect for the people purchasing the product, as well as the product itself, that is not on the Buffy DVD's. It may be because the cast and crew of Farscape was more devoted to the series and had an extensive background in television.
Also Farscape cost more than Buffy and more was invested in it.

I don't know. But it really is night and day. Also, the leads of Farscape unlike Buffy - actually do serious commentary. Gellar never did it. Marsters does one. Boreanze only did one - and it was for Angel, possibly two. Head never did any. And there aren't as many commentaries for the earlier episodes as there should have been. Granted they started before DVD's were available. But the commentary for Farscape is done after the series was cancelled in 2004.

No, I think it was just that the people involved lacked the experience or knowledge necessary to do it.

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

I love the Farscape commentaries. My favorite one, oddly enough, is "Jeremiah Chichton". I've re-watched the DVDs twice now, and for that episode I watched it with the commentary the second time around because with the commentary it's sooooo much better.

As for Farscape fandom, it's not really big from what I can tell. It's so small, that they can guess each other's writing styles even in anony memes. I foudn this out that because I drew a Farscape ficcer for my Remix. She told me that she knew it wasn't someone in her fandom because when first read it she didn't recognize the writing style.

Then she landed on my LJ through some link or another during the anon week and realized that my writing style and her remixed story were similar.

Yeah, that's how small Farscape fandom is. I think a lot of it is because Farscape was aired before the big explosion in online fandom. So it's there, but you do have to look for it.

If you're looking for some good Farscape fics, go over to "Archive of Our Own", there's quite a lot of stuff over there, most of it good or above average.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Agreed. My favorite to date is Jeremiah Crichton. Although all commentaries I've watched to date on good. But Jeremiah Cricton is a hoot.

I love everything about this show and the DVDS are great - so glad they came down in price. Also, a big thank you - for alerting me to them going down in price, or I'd never have gotten them. Best DVD buy ever! They are even better than Buffy DVDs.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's how small Farscape fandom is. I think a lot of it is because Farscape was aired before the big explosion in online fandom. So it's there, but you do have to look for it.

I know there are people on lj that are fans - because every once and a while I'll catch their icons. But didn't realize it was that small. Although when I think about it - not overly surprised - the DVDs were so expensive that no one could afford them for the longest time.

Confused now about air dates - in part due to the commentary, which kept saying 2002, but acting like that was the first air date, when I'm guessing now that it actually was the end date?
Which means it started in 1998-1999 or thereabouts?

I know the Buffy fandom exploded around 2002 - when the internet took off. Although most fan boards were established in 2000. The net really exploded around 2000-2003.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Farscape_weekly is sort of the Farscape version of Sunnydale Herald.

I used to go to farscapeworld.com, but I don't know how much is going on there these days.

And, personally, I'm always interested in Farscape meta! (I wouldn't mind doing a re-watch myself. Goodness knows the pickings in TV at the moment are slim).

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I don't know whether it's the same set of DVD commentaries, but the ones from some of the old set have Claudia Black discussing "The Choice" almost immediately after the series was cancelled and hearing her thoughts on the writing of "The Choice" as well as the cancellation were quite moving.

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

The commentaries, from what I understand, are the same as the ones that were on the hideously expensive ADV (?) set. The new release was a case of A&E wresting the DVD rights away from from the original company. The immediate effect was to drop the cost of the complete set so more people could actually buy it without going broke.

I think some of the extras and filmed interviews on the A&E set are new, and it includes the SciFi special on Farscape with Claudia Black and Ben Browder that was filmed before the start of Season 4. So there is some new material.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

They appear to be the same - a friend loaned me DVDs for the first season, because when SyFy re-aired the show for the mini-series, they skipped over Throne for a Loss. PK Tech Girl also got garbled. The commentary on those discs is the same.

The new set has added commentary and interviews that were done in 2005 after the Peacekeeper Wars, along with hard to find specials and archival footage. The Brian Hensen interview about how the show was cancelled and the Peacekeeper Wars came about, along with what was involved in its creation (they wrote the pilot in 1997 and were working on it up until it aired in 2002)
is relatively new or so I'm told by the packaging. (They could be lying about that.)

[deird1]

*is a Farscape fan*

*would LOVE to read meta*

[oursin.livejournal.com]

There's an farscaperewatch community on LJ but it's been more or less on hiatus for a while, though some indications that it's coming back to life.

[probablecylon.livejournal.com]

I was utterly furious when "Farscape" was cancelled -- it was into that void that Buffy rushed, actually -- and I haven't gone back for a re-watch, don't have the dvds.

I could always feel the lacunae in the eps, & I wasn't sure whether there were actual non-broadcast scenes or whether this was a deliberate sort of tweak in the show. Of course the US is entirely governed by evil marketing & advertising semi-life forms who think that, without them, what could POSSIBLY be made or broadcast? Thinking otherwise makes one a (gasp!) c*mm*n*st of some sort . . .

[(Anonymous)]

Well talk about weird... here I am watching Farscape for the very first time and wondering how soon I can get my hands on season 4 (kicking myself for not watching it sooner) and up pops your comment.
Don't know if there is still a fandom but if there is I'm right there with ya!
I'm ashamed that as an Aussie I ignored this one for so many years, but at the same time I'm kinda glad that I've got it to watch when so many of my favorite shows have been or are on the verge of cancellation.
Love the chemistry between Bowder and Black, it gives the series the depth that so many other sci-fi shows seem to lack.
If you do find anything please post it, I'm loving this almost as much as Buffy and I could do with reading something a little different for a change.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I'm ashamed that as an Aussie I ignored this one for so many years, but at the same time I'm kinda glad that I've got it to watch when so many of my favorite shows have been or are on the verge of cancellation.

Don't be. From the commentary - it apparently didn't air in Australia at all. Due to the fact that they didn't believe there was a big enough market for it. The actors mention how they had no clue how well they were being received until they went to Comic con. From their pov - no one they were associated with outside of the 300 member cast/crew were watching.