FarscapeWeekly
eZine
¤ ¤ 25-Sept-02 ¤ ¤
For easier reading, use the bookmarks below:
Site News
Farscape News
Free Cool Stuff
FarscapeWeekly is sponsored by:
Paraclete
2075
personal mentor software that's powerful enough to influence
elections and disturb the balance of power in a post-apocalyptic
world.
Once again this week, the usual episode resources have been omitted from this issue. The primary focus is an overview of the current Save Farscape campaign, with links to direct you to where you can find more detailed information about the various efforts underway.
Regular episode resources (including Did You Know, Recurring Characters, Repeat Performers, and The Score) will return in January with the second half of Season 4, or before then if SCI FI decides to air repeats.
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
New content
on site:
Spin and Counterspin
On 18 September, SCI FI published their own "Farscape
Cancellation FAQ", which, as could be expected, paints them
as a poor benighted network left with no choice but to cancel Farscape
because of its falling ratings and rising production
costs. While there are no outright lies in SCI FI's FAQ, there
are plenty of half-truths and a whole lot of spin. Here you'll
find the information that SCI FI glossed over, providing a
healthy dose of counterspin.
Interview: Melissa Jaffer
Many thanks to Melissa Jaffer for so eloquently responding to our
e-interview questions. Ms Jaffer gives us some interesting
backstory on her character, Noranti, and a peak at what it's like
on set wearing all those prosthetics.
Tainted Lunch
Ross Ruediger returns to FarscapeWeekly with his "possibly
too in-depth" look at "Coup by Clam". Ross manages
to find a lot more to talk about than the gross-out humor and
guys in drag, but he talks about them, too. (three parts)
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
Official
Farscape Magazine Drawing:
In the 27 August eZine I said I'd be drawing two
subscriber names for our bi-monthly issues of the magazine. I
confess, I forgot, and in all the recent hubbub, it was pushed to
the back burner. In an effort at getting caught up, names were
randomly drawn this morning, and notifications have gone out to
the winners. So, if an email shows up in your Inbox with the
subject "Congratulations from FarscapeWeekly.com",
don't be afraid to open it -- it just means you've scored a free
issue of the Farscape Magazine. It's gorgeous.
I'm sure you'll like it.
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
Reconstruction has been delayed due to the cancellation and our rescue campaign. If you are looking for something that used to be here and you can't find it, just send me an email.
Please feel free to forward this eZine to anyone you feel it may interest. If you would like to subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your subscription address, just click here. For comments, questions, or submissions, eMail jhedman@alum.mit.edu.
Support Farscape.
Go shopping.
Upcoming
Chat:
SaveFarscapeCentral posted that there would be a chat
with David Franklin (Captain Braca) on Saturday,
28 September, at 9PM ET, 6PM PT, in the #farscape room at
irc.scifi.com. Several relay rooms have been setup to handle the
overflow problem that has been seen frequently before. For
complete details, please see the announcement on the SaveFarscapeCentral home page.
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
SaveFarscape
News:
David Kemper gave a speech in the #farscape chat room
(relayed to several other rooms because of crowding) on 19
September. You can read the entire transcript here at SaveFarscape.com. This
chat took place shortly after SCI FI's publication of their
"FAQ", and it's clear that DK was disturbed by it quite
a bit. Even his normally sarcastic outlook seemed more biting
than usual as he addressed some of the points that SCI FI brought
up in their FAQ. Many people misinterpreted his remarks and were
insulted by his "slights" at the fans, not
understanding that he was, indeed, being sarcastic. The main
points coming out of the chat were:
¤ the entire production crew really appreciates all our efforts
¤ SCI FI and Henson did have another round of negotiations, with no change in status (Farscape is still cancelled)
¤ We need to focus our efforts on increasing ratings for the final eleven episodes when they air in January
¤ The cast and crew are prepared to come back and make more Farscape if we can make it happen. If ratings are great (we're shooting for a 2.0) in January, there will be talks in February. If the ratings are high enough, the show can be brought back.
Following this speech, we've got new "marching orders", so to speak: hang tight as a community, but conserve funds for now for a big push right before/as/during the new episodes hit the airwaves. You'll see in the news items below how this focus is being put into action.
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
On 20 September, David Kemper was interviewed on the radio program Interstellar Transmissions, where he spoke at length about fan involvement and the ongoing campaign to rescue Farscape from oblivion. Read the transcript here. The broadcast was so successful that Interstellar Transmissions has booked Kemper for an entire hour for this upcoming Friday, 27 September, according to this blurb posted on SaveFarscape.com:
Thirty minutes wasn't enough! This week, David Kemper will take your calls for a full hour on a broadcast of "Interstellar Transmissions", this Friday night (9/27)at 7pm (US Eastern Time). Phone number to call is 561-998-5470. Email your questions until Thursday night at 11.59 pm (US Eastern Time) at scifiradioguy@aol.com
The archive of last week's show is on our "Past Shows" link. WWNN-AM 1470 Miami/Ft. Lauderdale/West Palm Beach and live on the web at
www.interstellar-transmissions.com
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
On 17 September, Ben Browder was interviewed on CNN Headline News. It was a bit of downer, since he essentially broke the news that negotiations with SCI FI were going nowhere. The transcript is available (as usual) at SaveFarscape. You can also see a video capture by clicking on the "Ben Browder on CNN Headline News" link in the Video Caps section at Farscape.Noidea.US. As usual, Ben looked great, and he was as gracious as ever in his appreciation of Scaperdom.
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
Putting
your money where your mouth is...
There are two fund-raising efforts well in hand. The
first, maintained by The Farscape Consortium, is the Fund the Fifth Season of Farscape petition/drive.
To date, pledges total over $155,000, with over 2,000
signatures. If you have not yet visited the petition,
please consider adding your voice. You can pledge $0 if funds are
tight, of course any amount is greatly appreciated. Also remember
that this is a pledge, not an outright donation, and at this
point it is unknown whether or not anyone will ever have a reason
to collect the money. Still, it's important to be realistic in
what you pledge; don't sign up for more than you'd be willing to
donate.
The second fund-raiser is actually accepting donations. The Farscape:Beyond Hope fund, as of 25 September, totals $3187.43. Please see the details regarding this fund at their FAQ page on SaveFarscape. To donate, go to the SaveFarscape home page and click on the "Make a Donation" button in the upper left corner. Donations are collected via PayPal. Please note that if you are not a registered member of PayPal, you will not be able to make a donation until you sign up. There are a number of outstanding questions regarding the Beyond Hope fund, including how the money will be spent, and who will make decisions regarding where, when, and why. At this point there aren't any clear answers, and there is also no clearly defined communications mechanism for conveying suggestions or objections to the governing body (whoever that is -- they remain anonymous, which is another problem). I do not doubt the good intentions of the folks administering the Beyond Hope fund, but I do want a more definitive strategy laid out, with goals and expected costs and benefits, before I make a contribution.
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
The Current Game Plan
The links below give more specifics and other links for contact information, etc. Basically, we've had great press coverage so far, and our best hope is to keep that undercurrent of interest alive until Farscape actually hits the airwaves again. Please do check out the links here for more specifics.
A Fifth of Farscape: Rallies are
planned in several cities (worldwide) for 5 October,
and also for 5 December. So far, twenty rallies
from Hawai'i to London have been planned. Please check the link
to see the list of cities and how to contact the organizers for
details if you would like to participate. The SaveFarscapeCentral
and SaveFarscape webmasters are also hoping to have some new
electronic campaigns in place for those 'Scapers who would like
to show their support but are unable to attend rallies.
The goal we're working towards at this point is a 2.0 rating for Farscape come January. To that end, the folks at SaveFarscape have a working strategy in motion.
The transcript of Barbarellas "strategy and announcements" chat from 24 September is posted SaveFarscapeCentral. Barb gives general pointers on staying involved, getting local media attention, and keeping the buzz alive and drawing in new viewers between now and January. Barb also says she's in the process of setting up a series of chats with cast and crew, so we'll have plenty to look forward to.
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
Convention
and Appearances news:
Reader Susan emailed the news that Claudia Black
will be making her first UK appearance. According the the site InfinitelyBetter, she is
expected to perform in a "one-off" show, An
Evening With, later this year. I'll provide more details
as they are announced.
I
heard from Alan Ravitch that the United
Fan Con, 8-10 November 2002 in Springfield,
MA, has added Anthony Simcoe to the guest list,
in addition to the previously confirmed Gigi Edgely.
Alan also notes, "More Farscape guests to
be announced soon!" I'll continue to post updates as I hear
about them.
Creation Entertainment confirms
that the previously scheduled Official Farscape conventions in
November will proceed as planned.
Free Cool Stuff
OK,
consider yourself warned: the following funnies have been rated
NSFW ("Not Safe For Work"), so click at your own risk.
Since it's likely that Farscape won't continue
on SCI FI, readers of Fark have gone to town and photoshopped our favorite
characters into new programs, new networks, heck, entirely new
demographics. It's a long page, enjoy the scroll -- there are a
few images that don't load, but the ones that do are well worth
the time. This Free Cool Stuff item
shamelessly snurched from FarscapeNews.
Now, onto more literary endeavors. Ever wonder what someone who doesn't watch Farscape regularly thought of season 4, so far? Now all your questions can be answered! Tough Pigs takes on Farscape in these just-long-enough, unfailingly funny, and true write-ups on episodes 4.01 through 4.10. Sure, Danny might miss a few things here or there, but his comments are dead-on and you can't help laughing. Well, I couldn't, anyway. Thanks to Ross Ruediger for posting this on alt.tv.farscape, otherwise I never would've known about it.
I'm including the the Farscape Fanscape Enumarator, a collection of demographic data of Farscape viewers again in this issue. If you haven't clicked over to 'register' yourself, please do so -- the Farscape's demographics are one of its key selling points.
Have you found some free cool stuff? Do you have some free cool stuff you'd like to share? Send an eMail!
FarscapeWeekly.com
is looking for
sponsors
Reasonable rates ¤ eMail and online spots
available
email jhedman@alum.mit.edu for details