The Greatest Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows: Considering the case for the sci fi and fantasy television shows that should be counted among the greatest of all time.
What Is It?
Astronaut John Crichton is caught in a wormhole that sends him to a distant part of the universe. He joins up with a group of alien refugees on the living ship known as Moya and together they find themselves on the run from the militaristic Peacekeepers who keep a tight grip on the planets under their control.
Aired: 1999-2004, 4 Seasons Totaling 88 Episodes Plus One Mini-Series
Starring: Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Virginia Hey, Anthony Simcoe, Gigi Edgley
Created By: Rockne S. O’Bannon, Brian Henson
Argument to Count It as One of the Greatest Sci Fi TV Shows:
When Farscape arrived in Spring of 1999, that was right at the beginning of the era of prestige television, and it certainly delivered a cinematic and epic experience for fans of sci fi and fantasy television. Its special effects were some of the best delivered by any TV series at that point (and they still hold up quite well), and the animatronic creations supplied by the Jim Henson Creature Shop gave it that extra dimension. But the show was not just a visual feast, it was well-written and populated by interesting characters, and it delivered some pretty good world-building across its four-plus-year run as well. This was an accomplished series, and though it did have its warts, it offered up some great sci fi stories when at its best.
But most important to the show is its cast. Ben Browder made an immediate impression as the Earthman lost in space and cast among a plethora of alien races. But the other cast members held their own in this ensemble drama, even those covered in makeup like Anthony Simcoe as Ka D’Argo and Virginia Hey as Zhaan as well as the animatronic creatures like Rigel and Pilot. There was also the romantic tension between Crichton and Aeryn Sun (played by fan-favorite Claudia Black) that carried throughout the series with viewers rooting for them to get together, as well as the many friendships and love-hate relationships that were explored. And it gave us one of the great sci fi villains with Wayne Pygram’s Scorpius (along with plenty of fun moments from Harvey Scorpius).
Farscape could definitely be chaotic at times and it delivered plenty of cringe-worthy moments. But it also gave us a great sci fi series with its fair share of iconic characters and should be counted among the all-time best genre television entries. (Read more about the series at this link.)
Argument Against:
Farscape was a mess of a series from start to finish. It had its moments, and it did deliver some interesting characters, but it went off the rails far too often. The show couldn’t quite figure out what it wanted to be at first, with a ship full of refugees traveling from planet to planet as if they were the bad boys of Star Trek. And then it would seem to get some direction each season before taking another left turn and going on a completely different path. And why did the crew of Moya stay together when they seemed to hate each other, and how did they keep themselves from killing the incredibly annoying John Crichton? The show just seemed to fumble along for four years, offering some good episodes here and there but never delivering a consistent run. It was certainly nice to watch because of its visuals, but it fell short on the substance and should slip pretty low on the list when ranking the greatest sci fi TV shows.
Johnny Jay’s Take:
When Farscape exploded on the screen at the end of the 20th century, it seemed like it might change the game for sci fi TV, and in many ways it did. It raised the bar on special effects, and it definitely diverged notably from the Trek format with its group of colorful and antagonistic characters at each other’s throats each week. The first season was the best in my opinion, as it took plenty of chances and built up an interesting universe to explore. It never quite fulfilled its potential, though, as the later seasons seemed to derail at times. But it still delivered an entertaining show that influenced later sci fi TV greats like Firefly, Battlestar: Galactica (2003), Dark Matter (2015), and more, and it also gave us a rather satisfying conclusion with its final mini-series (though we still want more from the property). Farscape definitely had its ups and downs, but it still counts as one of the greatest sci fi TV entries of all time.
Where Can You Watch It?
The entire series has been released on DVD and Blu-ray, and the Peacekeeper Wars mini-series has also been released on DVD and Blu-ray. Both the series and the mini-series are available for streaming on Peacock as well as several of the free services like Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, and FreeVee.
Do you consider Farscape to be one of the greatest sci fi/fantasy TV shows of all time, or does it fall short of counting as a classic? Chime in with your thoughts below.
Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV
Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.
