I am – Hercules!!

“Farscape” fans are nuts! If somebody produced a “Lexx” or a “Red Dwarf” miniseries, would fans raise $300,000 (!) to buy cable TV spots??

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Nina Lumpp
WatchFarscape.com
farscape@watchfarscape.com
http://www.watchfarscape.com
http://www.farwhat.com

Farscape Fans Sponsor National Commercials in Celebration of Miniseries

Los Angeles, CA – October 14, 2004 – What happens when fans learn that the show they fought so hard to bring back actually comes back? They advertise!

Taking a page from their own extensive “grassroots gone high tech” playbook, Farscape fans (called Scapers) have ambitiously funded and produced a new commercial that will air nationally during Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim and FX’s FX Movies on October 16th and 17th, advertising the upcoming Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars. The commercial, created by cartoonist Tim Heiderich, offers a hilarious thumbnail sketch of the series, catching potential viewers up in preparation for the critically lauded miniseries that will air on the SCI FI Channel on October 17th and 18th, 2004 at 9pm et/pt. The ad also urges viewers to visit FarWhat.com, a website created by fans to help introduce new viewers to Farscape.

The television advertising, the fourth run they’ve produced, is just one of many projects from the fans who have spent over $300,000 since the cancellation of Farscape in September 2002 to publicize the series, its demise, and its resurrection.

To see the commercial, visit:

http://www.watchfarscape.com/tv/farscape-boymeetsgirl-g.mov

It’s been a long wait. Will the fans greet it with elation (see “Empire Strikes Back, The”) or annoyance (see “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”)?

USA Today gives it three and a half stars (out of four) and says:

… crowd-pleasing … a reunion that not only lives up to the original but also may even improve upon it. … There's more than enough plot, wit and action to keep a novice entertained, but the filmmakers had to choose between confusing newcomers by jumping right back into a continuing story, or annoying fans by explaining basic relationships. Wisely, Peacekeeper opts to please its fans first. … So many twists and characters fly by that at one point, even Crichton throws up his hands and says, "OK, I'm lost." Don't let that scare you off. The good guys and bad guys are clear, as is the basic story of a reluctant hero forced into action to protect his family. And what a great hero Browder has created: a smart, steadfast friend who delights in tweaking his enemies with pop references they can't possibly understand, such as calling the leader of the Scarrans "Godzilla." … What separates Farscape from the far duller sci-fi norm is its belief that characters in space should be as complicated and sometimes as irritating as they would be on Earth. They have conflicting emotions and goals, good days and bad days, and even a sense of humor. They're fully alive, right up to the moment they're not, and that's a warning for fans to brace themselves. …

Entertainment Weekly gives it a “B+” and says:

… While Crichton's cries about protecting his baby do get a bit repetitive, the twists and turns are sure to tantalize true Farscape fans, who can now bombard the Sci Fi Channel with thousands of letters begging for the show's return. I'll be writing with you — after I watch this whole thing over again.

AICN: Coaxial News’ own “Gaspode” says:

… isn't quite as rewarding as, say, a 22-episode fifth season, it's still pretty damn cool. … Will die-hard fans be satisfied by the end? Absolutely. Can first-time viewers tune in and pick things up as it goes along? Not a chance. The Peacekeeper Wars is an unabashed love letter from the producers to their loyal viewers, and don't let anybody tell you differently.

… What's good? Gosh, several hundred outstanding visual FX shots for one thing. Sikozu's new look. The Harvey scenes, including a not-so-subtle nod to Kubrick. Guy Gross's amazing score. Just about all of the prosthetic makeups, which have been redone and improved. The last half-hour of night two, in which there won't be a dry eye in the house.

What's not so good? Well, too many characters for one thing. It's nice to see our favorites return, but some of them don't get an awful lot to do. The Tragins (one of the worst-looking alien races ever created for Farscape). Some of the scene transitions are a bit choppy (maybe it's the editing style, but it was sometimes a bit difficult to follow where everybody was).

The final verdict? If you're a long-time Farscape fan, I can pretty much guarantee that you'll enjoy The Peacekeeper Wars, particularly the aforementioned final half-hour; I can't wait to see the talk-backs on October 18th! …

The fan ads run during Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim and FX’s FX Movies on Saturday and Sunday.

The miniseries itself runs 9 p.m. Sunday and Monday on SciFi.

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