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¤ 2002 ¤
12 March 2002
25 February 2002
19 February 2002
17 January 2002
08 January 2002
¤ 2001 ¤
04 December 2001
22 October 2001
12 October 2001
1 October 2001
26 September 2001
15 September 2001
04 September 2001
25 July 2001
28 June 2001
Site Launch:
25 June 2001
¤ 12 March 2002 ¤
We're
in the home stretch of the hiatus now... just a bit more than two
weeks before "Fractures" repeats. The SCIFI Channel has
started advertising the Final Four Episodes, too! Read on to see
how FarscapeWeekly.com will help you through these last dog
days...
¤¤¤ RECENT
ARTICLES ¤¤¤
¤ Is Farscape Good Sci-Fi, part 3
Tom Francis ~finally~ weighs in with his opinion, can you guess
what he says? Maybe you can -- but can you guess ~why~?
Thought-provoking as always, Tom throws in a few curves in his
own no-nonsense style.
¤ Is Farscape Cliched?
Parts 1 and 2 have been updated with reader comments and
suggestions. I tried to incorporate all the feedback I received,
so if you don't see your name mentioned where you think it should
be, please write so I can track down your original
correspondence. Parts 3 and 4 are newly updated with annotations
as to where Farscape has lapsed. Now that the project is
complete, we can even put a "number" on this (let's
call it the Cliche Quotient) -- 17%. Out of a total of 495
possible identified cliches in the Grand Unified List of Science
Fiction Cliches, Farscape only hits 17% of them! Sure, it's a
little silly to assign a number to something like this, but it's
all in fun. Take a look through the list and see if you can spot
any I've missed.
¤¤¤ COMING SOON ¤¤¤
Interviews with TOYVAULT covering the A-Z of making Farscape
action figures and with ALDERAC ENTERTAINMENT GROUP on their
upcoming Farcape RPG. We're just dotting i's and crossing t's in
both cases... they'll be up before the new episodes!
¤¤¤ UPDATE SCHEDULE ¤¤¤
The eZine (right column) is updated every TUESDAY NIGHT. Make a
date every Wednesday to pop over to the site and check it out.
When new episodes are airing, all the regular features will be
updated, AND the review will be posted as well.
Don't forget that the eZine is also posted as an article for
FULL-SCREEN, large print, reading. That tiny text gets to my eyes
sometimes, too.
¤¤¤ CAN YOU HELP? ¤¤¤
The FREE COOL STUFF segment of the eZine is always looking for
fun Farscape-related stuff on the web: contests, give-aways,
downloads, what-have-you. If you've got a site you'd like to
promote or know of any cool stuff, please send me an email and
let me know!
¤¤¤ PASS IT ON ¤¤¤
Forward this newsletter to all your Scaper buds! Get them in the
groove and ready for those new episodes when they start up again
in April!
Thank you for your support.
¤ 25 February 2002 ¤
Introducing
the newly improved FarscapeWeekly.com!
I spent some time this weekend re-organizing and spiffing up the
site. Come on over and take a look!
You'll notice the difference right away: for folks who are new to
the show or to the site, there are three graphics you can't miss:
¤ Newcomer's Guide - what to read to get
up-to-speed
¤ Site Guide - your key to everything on FSW;
probably more than you knew..
¤ Jigsaw Farscape Special - the special edition
fanzine
In addition...
¤ You'll notice some new navigation links in the left column,
"About the Author" and "About the
Site". Now, if there are any remaining questions...
you'll just have to email them so I can answer!
¤ The center column's contents have been substantially
streamlined: updates at the top, then feature articles, then the
Q&A section, then recommended links.
I hope these changes make it easier for you to find what you're
looking for at FSW, and encourage you to explore.
Don't forget our Message Board is now
available. I'd love to hear your comments on the changes to
the site.
Look for part 2 of Tom Francis's "Is Farscape
Good Sci-Fi?" article coming this week, along with ~your~
comments on the download debate, and more on "Is Farscape
Cliched?"
I'll keep you posted.
¤ 19 February 2002 ¤
Farscape
fandom online has been hopping since the BBC aired the final four
episodes of Season Three in January. However,
FarscapeWeekly.com remains a
¤ ¤ ¤ SPOILER FREE ZONE ¤ ¤ ¤
Nothing will be posted about the final four episodes of S3 until
after they air on the SciFi Channel in April. So if you've been
avoiding the site fearful of spoilers, you need not worry!
Now, on to the good stuff:
Congrats to John H., winner of the Feb. 15 drawing for issue #4
of the Official Farscape Magazine!
Today, February 19, marks the inauguration of
FarscapeWeekly.com's very own ¤ MESSAGE BOARD ¤.
And, to go along with it, a nice, controversial article by
frequent contributor and reputed curmudgeon Tom Francis, who
attempts to objectively answer the question, ¤ IS FARSCAPE GOOD
SCI-FI? ¤
I'm sure devoted fans will have a lot to say about Tom's
assessments of the various aspects of Farscape... legions of Ben
Browder fans may soon be after him! The new Message Board is a
great place to make your feelings known!
As mentioned above, the final four episodes of S3 hit the
airwaves some weeks ago now, and many tech-savvy fans have
downloaded them. What do you think of downloading?
I've got a definite opinion, and so does Tom Francis; we square
off in ¤ THREE ¤ feature articles examining the "download
debate". Read 'em all, and decide which side you come
down on. I'm collecting feedback for the remainder of this week
(through 2/23) and will post a representative survey of comments
next week.
Unfortunately, the Download Debate derailed my efforts to
complete the ¤ IS FARSCAPE CLICHED? ¤ series -- look for
updates to that four-parter in coming weeks as well.
¤ Don't forget... ¤
Please feel free to forward this newsletter, in its entirety, to
anyone you know who is interested in science fiction,
action/adventure, quality television, compelling character
development, and awesome special effects -- all of which they
will find in FARSCAPE!
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
Thanks for your support, everyone!
¤ 17 January 2002 ¤
Welcome
to Update #2 of 2002...
I've returned to regular weekly updates of the right column
eZine, and now feature a FULL SCREEN VERSION for those of you
tired of squinting while trying to read that tiny type.
Look for the link directly under the date headline. I've
also added links to PREVIOUS ISSUES, so if you've missed a week
here or there, you can catch up on the tidbits you might have
missed.
eZine updates are usually posted late Tuesdays. In a slow week,
the eZine update will be the only new content posted to the
site. Happily, this week past was ~not~ slow.
¤ SITE NEWS ¤
-¤- WebSeed upgrades are complete! Please let me know if
you notice anything weird looking so we can address it right
away.
-¤- Our next SUBSCRIBER DRAWING will take place on February 15,
for issue #4 of the Official Farscape Magazine. This issue
features "the girls" (sans Aeryn, alas) on the cover,
and includes four free Farscape postcards.
-¤- This weeks marks the debut of FSW's first READER
SURVEY! In working with the nice people at Toy Vault on an
upcoming feature, the question arose of exactly how much fan
interest there would be in Rygel toys. When WebSeed made
the survey capability active, I decided to put it to the test and
collect some information for Toy Vault. Please take a moment to
consider "Would you take Rygel home?" and vote in the
survey.
-¤- The Question-and-Answer feature has been revived! The
current question asks, "Where can I get Farscape
magazine?" The answer gives you several options to
try.
-¤- Be sure to check out the eZine... there are news items
relating to Farscape Fanfic Awards 2002, the Black Christmas
Wildfires, and Claudia Black's new feature film, QUEEN OF THE
DAMNED. I've been having fun finding FREE COOL STUFF on the
web, and I hope you enjoy the links as much as I have been.
I'm highlighting FAVORITE QUOTES during the hiatus; if you would
like to make a suggestion, please send me an eMail.
¤ NEW CONTENT ¤
-¤- 9 January
Interview: "Television 101" with Diane K. Denesowicz
Diane, aka MediaSavant, explains clearly and concisely the ins
and outs of the TV business, with particular attention to ratings
and how they affect scheduling decisions.
-¤- 10 January
Q&A Archive
Questions and Answers that were posted under WebSeed 1.0 had
apparently been lost to the ether. This compilation of
questions and answers covers info on Ben Browder, Virginia Hey's
departure, and more.
-¤- 15 Januray
Is Farscape Clichéd?
This blockbuster five-part article attempts to provide the
definitive answer. Using John VanSickle's Grand List of
OverUsed Science Fiction Clichés, I've noted where Farscape's
first 3 seasons descend into cliché, as well several
near-misses. Sections 1 and 2 are complete, with Sections 3
and 4 to follow soon. Like THE SCORE, this article will be
updated as new episodes air, so we'll always know for sure.
If you'd like to add a comment, or disagree with one of my
assessments, please send me an email or leave a comment at the
site. I'd love to hear from you.
¤ COMING SOON ¤
-¤- Exclusive interview with Toy Vault's Jonathon Huston,
Creative Director and driving force behind the Farscape action
figure line.
-¤- Sections 3 and 4 of "Is Farscape Clichéd?"
-¤- Weekly eZine updates with trivia and links for you to enjoy.
¤ PASS IT ON ¤
Please feel free to forward this newsletter, in its entirety, to
anyone you know who is interested in science fiction,
action/adventure, quality television, compelling character
development, and awesome special effects -- all of which they
will find in FARSCAPE!
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
Thanks for your support, everyone!
FarscapeWeekly.com
E-Mail Update
============================================================
Welcome to our first eMail Update from FarscapeWeekly.com of
2002... belated Happy New Year!
Please feel free to forward this update, in its entirety, to
anyone you know who likes Farscape, has expressed an interest in
Farscape, or perhaps might like it if they just gave it a chance!
We've entered the "drought", that period of the hiatus
between new episodes when no episodes are shown at all. It
seems like an impossibly long time between now and the beginning
of April, but hopefully FarscapeWeekly can bring you safely
through it.
This update is mainly to tell you that we're back! WebSeed's 2.0
software has been humming along smoothly, the holidays are behind
us, and it's time to settle in to a regular routine of providing
great content and regular updates.
The big news is we're debuting today a beautiful new logo image
from "friday". Be sure and send her an email and
let her know how much we appreciate her talents.
The eZine has also been updated with a few new tidbits, so be
sure to check it out.
I'm putting the finishes touches on TWO interviews, just need to
get them formatted and vetted by their subjects, and have two
other multi-part articles in the works.
Don't despair that there's no Farscape... you can always find
some Farscape-related fun at FarscapeWeekly.com.
Thanks for your support everyone.
Regards.
FarscapeWeekly.com
E-Mail Update
============================================================
We're back! Well, sort of. This is the first eMail
update using the new WebSeed Publishing version 2.0
software. You'll notice a few changes, namely things like
this:
Yeah, there will be sponsor ads in the eMail updates now.
However, there will never be more than three (and only two for
now), and hopefully they aren't that intrusive. Ideally you'll
find them useful. What can I say? They pay the bills,
and therefore they count very much as "good things" in
my book.
* * * Site News * * *
APOLOGIES: WebSeed version 2.0 went live at the beginning of
November, and there is one persistent and very annoying
"glitch" in the new software: the spacing between
words in the articles (including invisible HTML keyword tags) is
messed up, so the articles really look, well, ~awful~. Some
are worse than others, but the articles with a lot of embedded
links or formatting (which is most of the more recent articles),
are the most affected by this problem.
*sigh*
The tech gurus assure me they are working on it, but until it's
fixed I am reluctant to post any new articles to the site.
There's no point in posting something that's unreadable.
HOWEVER -- I am continuing to update the weekly eZine with all
the little tidbits and interesting items for your
enjoyment. Here's a "Table of Contents", so to
speak, of the eZine, with each item updated either weekly or
every other week, depending on (more or less random)
circumstances:
* Site news, including the latest give-away for
subscribers. Next up: Farscape Mag #3, random name drawing
on DECEMBER 15!
* Notable -- news and notes about Farscape's cast and production
staff
* Did You Know -- trivia relating bits of Farscape lore to the
real or another imaginary world; always at least one or two fun
links to explore.
* Quote of the Week
* Free Cool Stuff -- more fun links to explore, this time for
free, Farscape-related downloads or great reads
* Recurring Characters update -- which characters are appearing
in this week's repeats
* The Thomas Holesgrove watch -- how many times Thomas appears
this week
* Repeat Performers update -- how many actors are appearing as
multiple characters this week
* Character of the week
* Upcoming episode list, with links to reviews
* Ratings
Note that most features have links to their own archives, so you
can go back and review previous week's cool stuff if you missed
it. A considerable amount of research goes into each week's
update and I want to be sure to keep all that cool stuff readily
available.
Weekly updates are usually posted late Tuesday. The center
column "Updates" is ~always~ updated to reflect the
changes to the eZine and other new posted content, so it's easy
for you to see if anything new has been added since your last
visit.
The QUESTION & ANSWER section is not yet implemented under
WebSeed 2.0, but if you've got Farscape-related questions you're
having trouble tracking down answers to, please send them along
to me. I always answer q's personally and will post
questions of general interest to the site once the Q&A
facility is back online.
That's it for now. I really appreciate all your support,
and I welcome your feedback and your submissions, too!
Best regards.
Hello everyone,
News today from SciFi Channel: the last four episodes of Season 3
will air in March or April 2002, and Season 4 will premiere in
June. Yes, this is a major change from the crazy
schedule they've always subjected us to in the past. I've
written an article, "Understanding the New Schedule",
which discusses some of the factors that may have influenced
SciFi's decision. Hopefully it will help answer your questions
and have a bit more patience with the vagaries of TV schedules.
Other than the weekly right column update, that's it for new stuff at the site just now. I'm working on about 3 different things -- as usual I'm sure they will all come to completion at the same time! It's feast or famine.. but you always have the weekly eZine to look forward to. Look for one or two new sections to be added either this week or next, too.
Hi everyone,
Just a quick update to say that WebSeed is doing server migration
today, and has advised us to avoid doing updates to our sites
this weekend. So, the weekly update should be in place on Monday.
They are working to minimize downtime, so the site should be
available for reading, but not for content changes.
I'm working on several articles and hope to get a few of 'em posted next week. And, of course, Monday will be the drawing for the button!
Only a few new
things on the site this week...
¤ I added a "Did you know" section to the weekly 'zine
(right column), featuring a "fun fact" related to Farscape.
As with all the other 'zine content, there will be a link so you
can peruse other tidbits as they accumulate.
¤ A new article, "Care to sing along?" with links to snippets of all the songs that are the basis of episode titles. Since this article is mostly comprised of links, it marks the first of a new category of articles, "Best of the Web". The upcoming convention report article will also be a "Best of the Web" (when I finally finish it).
Thanks for reading everyone!
Very brief update, had to share the news:
SciFi announced today that have renewed Farscape for TWO seasons!
WHOO-HOO!
¤ 26 September 2001 ¤
Hello
everyone,
It has taken a bit longer than I expected to get back into the swing of things, but then I realized that working on the site was an effective method of therapy, or at least an escape from the real world for a while. I've managed to accomplish quite a bit in the past two weeks:
¤ News!
SciFi will be showing an episode of Farscape
this Friday, 28 September. They are repeating the pivotal season
3 episode "Eat Me." A special article by Kara L. Stern
deconstructs this dark foray and highlights its many excellent
features.
¤ New Articles
-- How Can I Help? is a collection of links with
information for donating to charities for helping the victims of
the September 11 attack and their families
-- Recurring Characters, a companion to the "Repeat
Performers" column; both are updated as needed after a new
episode
-- Interview: Keith R. A. DeCandido: the author of tie-in novel House
of Cards weighs in on several interesting topics,
including Farscape fandom
-- "Deconstructing 'Eat Me'" by Kara L. Stern: guest
columnist Kara L. Stern gives us her take on the creepiest Farscape
episode ever.
-- "Submission Guidelines", linked in the left column,
tell you how to send me material you'd like to see published on
the site
-- A new "eMail Update Archive" is linked in the right
column so you can see previous updates.
-- Episode "ramblings" for the Season One repeats are
being uploaded when available -- there are still a few gaps here
& there, but for the most part, they are ~there~. It's
really fun to read what the reactions were when these episodes
were first broadcast.
¤ New Q&A
-- A discussion of SciFi's plans for airing the rest of
the episodes in the Monday-Thursday time slot
¤ New Logo Image
-- Friday's "Enforce" portrait of Aeryn now
graces our masthead.
¤ Farscape Button
drawing for subscribers
-- On October 15 I'll be drawing a random name from the
list of confirmed subscribers, and the lucky winner will receive
a season one promotional Farscape button from
the SciFi Channel. You can see a picture of it on the home page
of the site.
¤ Tips & Tricks
-- WebSeed Publishing continues to make improvements,
but a recent database switchover resulted in some random problems
recently. Currently they are trying to track down an intermittent
problem (the hardest to fix) with the right column text
disappearing and reappearing. Since many of FarscapeWeekly's
"regular features" are displayed only in the right
column, that can be frustrating if you can't get to something you
want to look at. You can use the Archive link in
the left column to access a complete list of all the articles,
and then see if you can find what you're looking for.
-- Many of the columns at FarscapeWeekly are quite long, and scrolling, scrolling, scrolling gets tiresome after a while. Try using the "View Printable Version" button at the top of the article to get a full-screen display. All the links, formatting, and images will be retained, but the screen clutter is eliminated.
At this point I'm going to refrain from a "coming soon" section, as I have more than enough already-announced content to keep me busy! Do stop by the site frequently, though, since changes and updates are made nearly every day.
¤ Pass it on!
I encourage you (begging wouldn't be dignified) to
forward this update to anyone you know who likes or might be
interested in Farscape. Now is a great time to
get new fans hooked on the show, since the Monday-Thursday
repeats are running in order from the early days. Spread the
word, and keep those ratings up!
Be well everyone.
Best regards.
¤ 15 September 2001 ¤
A very
quick note...
After several days of feeling completely numb, I was finally able
to post an article containing links to helpful information today,
please see "How Can I Help?" at http://www.farscapeweekly.com/article1120.html
Regular content updates will resume on Monday, September 17,
including content that was originally scheduled for this week. I
apologize for my inability to tend to the site this week.
Be well everyone, and stay safe.
¤ 4 September 2001 ¤
Hello
everyone,
Just a very brief message to let you all know that WebSeed is
doing some "infrastructure" work -- upgrading the
database that contains all our articles, images, etc -- and that
is preventing me from adding any new articles just now!
I am working on filling in the gaps in Season One and Season Two
as SciFi airs the episodes on Mondays through Thursdays, but
until the database upgrade is complete, I can't get the content
up there. I'll send another quick note when the new content is
available.
In case you haven't seen it yet, I've updated the right side-bar
considerably, adding:
* "Thomas Holesgrove watch" -- most
likely will be on for a week or so following a TH episode.
* "FarPark" character of the week with a link to "Who's
Who"
* a list of upcoming episodes airing on SciFi
* a link to a ratings graph and chart
The Quote of the Week starts the whole thing
off. If there are any other little tidbits that you'd like to see
there, please let me know.
Thanks for your support.
Best regards
¤ 25 July 2001 ¤
FarscapeWeekly
is officially one month old today!
News and Notes:
* The Q&A section debuted exactly a week
ago. There are currently two questions posted, both I think of
general interest. The second question asked about reappearing
guest cast, so I created a little database and posted the results
in an article called "Repeat Performers." I'll keep it
up to date as the series continues. I really enjoy
"investigative reporting" like this, so keep those
questions coming!
* Be sure and check out the review for "Scratch 'n'
Sniff". Time constraints have prevented me from
writing up any more "In-Depth" episode columns, but I
~will~ fill in those gaps during the various hiatuses (hiatii?)
we are forced to endure.
* Have you had a look at "The Score"?
It's an attempt, albeit biased, to quantify how well Moya's crew
is faring in the Uncharted Territories. As underdogs, we can
expect them to take their lumps, but how badly (or well) are
things really going for them? "The Score" is updated
for every episode, so we get a feeling for the general
progression in the series. (I think there's an underlying theme
that is slowly being revealed, but it's not quite visible yet --
we'll have to see.)
* As always, your feedback is greatly valued. Please drop me a
note if you're having a problem with anything on the site, or you
want to recommend a link, make a suggestion, or ask a question.
* SCHEDULE NOTE:
SciFi is showing LOTS of Farscape in August! Here's a quick
cut&paste from their ScheduleBot:
Fri, August 3 INFINITE POSSIBILITIES -PT 2 9 & 12PM ET
Fri, August 10 REVENGING ANGEL 9 & 12PM ET
Mon, August 13 8:00 PM PREMIERE
Tue, August 14 8:00 PM EXODUS FROM GENESIS
Wed, August 15 8:00 PM BACK AND BACK TO THE FUTURE
Thu, August 16 8:00 PM THRONE FOR A LOSS
Fri, August 17 THE CHOICE 9 & 12PM ET
Mon, August 20 8:00 PM PK TEK GIRL
Tue, August 21 8:00 PM THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY AGAIN
Wed, August 22 8:00 PM I, E.T.
Thu, August 23 8:00 PM THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC
Fri, August 24 FRACTURES 9 & 12PM ET
Mon, August 27 8:00 PM DNA MAD SCIENTIST
Tue, August 28 8:00 PM THEY'VE GOT A SECRET
Wed, August 29 8:00 PM TILL THE BLOOD RUNS CLEAR
Thu, August 30 8:00 PM THE FLAX
Chain Reaction (no new episodes):
Fri, August 31 8:00 PM A HUMAN REACTION
Fri, August 31 9:00 PM WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN
Fri, August 31 10:00 PM GREEN EYED MONSTER
Fri, August 31 11:00 PM DURKA RETURNS
Fri, August 31 12:00 AM THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
Get those VCRs prepped & ready to roll!
I'll be on vacation for two weeks, but will still be posting
reviews... although probably not much else!
Be well everyone.
¤28 June 2001 ¤
Hi
everyone,
I just wanted to let you know about a couple of updates at FarscapeWeekly.
First, you'll notice right away that the article listing format
has changed. WebSeed
Publishing is
constantly revising and refining their site building tools, and I
think this particular update looks quite sharp. No more screaming
yellow "read article" tags -- whew!
The big news is, I have completed my upload of the contents of Jigsaw Special, and I encourage you to take
a look. Even though it was published mid-Season-Two, it still has
lots of good stuff -- especially if you have a friend or two who
may be behind on what happened in the first two seasons. The
episode guides are quite brief but get all the main points
across, the character discussions are detailed, and the artwork
is just GORGEOUS! This 'zine had an extremely limited print run,
so I know most of Scaperdom didn't get a chance to see it --
now's your opportunity.
I thought I'd let you know about some of the new content that
will be appearing once I get caught up with all the archival
work:
**** COMING SOON (in no particular order) *****
Interviews:
* Jonathan Hardy (voice of Rygel)
* Keith R. A. DeCandido (author of HOUSE OF CARDS)
* Diane Denesowicz,aka "MediaSavant", on tv ratings,
schedules, demographics, and how all these things impact Farscape
Product Reviews:
* HOUSE OF CARDS by Keith R.A. Candido
* DARK SIDE OF THE SUN by Jim Mortimore
* THE ILLUSTRATED COMPANION,SEASON ONE by David Hughes and Paul
Simpson
* Soundtrack
* R1 DVDs
* Official Farscape Fanclub
And of course, episode reviews and in-depth analysis every week a
new episode airs.
If there's anything ~else~ you'd like to see on the site, or if
you'd like to publish artwork, an article, or a product review,
please let me know.
Thank you all for your support.
Best regards.