Farscape Fans - Urgent News!

[PoochJD]

Hi,

Superb news for "Farscape" fans! BBC3 is starting late-night, uncut, uncensored repeats of this brilliant mature science-fiction show - all 4 seasons, from this month!

Although it starts off in a very similar tone to "Buck Rogers", the show soon diverts, into a brilliant mix of dark sci-fi, nutty comedy, and brilliant puppetry courtesy of Jim Henson. (Think of the best bits of the Muppets, mixed in with "Deep Space Nine", with elements of "Lexx", and you're kind of getting there!)

The Pilot Episode will air late-night (at 00:10) on Monday 7th February, with future episodes airing every Monday through Thursday night at approximately the same time. During February, we'll see Season 1, and then over the next few months, BBC3 will air Seasons 2, 3 and 4 as well, although not back-to-back as I had hoped.

This is genuinely fantastic news, as "Farscape" has almost always been cut in the UK, for TV transmission - particularly for language, violence and some sexual overtones - even when Sci-Fi aired it late at night. Better still, all of the Season 4 episodes will be shown in widescreen too, as they were originally filmed!

If you are wanting to save money, (as the full-season Region 2 boxed sets tend to retail at £80 online), and can tolerate not owning the series on DVD (and aren't too bothered about all the extras), then this is going to be the best thing for you!

Enjoy the next four to five months, 'Scapers! And if you want to register your pleasure at seeing uncut "Farscape", then please phone the BBC on 08700-100-222, and tell them. The more people that let them know, the better the ratings, and the better the chance that they will show Seasons 2 through 4 sooner, rather than later!


Pooch

[Starburst]

Great news for those with more sense than money
Just a shame the BBC2 controller doesn't like scifi or at the very least not enough to buy the TV movie. It would be nice for those fans who haven't got SKY, a decent internet connection or the funds to spend on DVD's if the BBC made an approach to SKY for the rights, assuming they bought the whole package which is becoming the norm these days.

I have to say after watching the whole show on DVD that the BBC original broadcasters didn't suffer from cuts to the same extent as Buffy and at least they did do one (or was it two) latenight uncut screenings during the 4 year run.

[ddscott]

Hello there;

I have heard that Andi Peters is a massive fan of Farscape and ask for the show to be part of his new late night zone for BBC Three.

Maybe he will get the Peacekeeper wars???

[MartinImber]

I have them all on DVD S4 was in wide screen when it was on BBC.

I won't bother watching BBC7 because it isn't DD5.1

[PoochJD]

Hi Martin,

You said: "I won't bother watching BBC7 because it isn't DD5.1"

Umm, I doubt you'd enjoy BBC7, for "Farscape", only because that's the BBC's newest radio station! I'm presuming, you meant BBC3?!

As for "Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars", this will NOT be airing on the BBC at all, as Five have the terrestrial TV rights to it, courtesy of Sky who brokered the deal in the first place.


Pooch

[thirst]

This is great news for Farscape fans! It's about time that the BBC shown repeats of this fantastic science-fiction series. I would wholeheartedly recommend that anybody who hasn't seen this before set their videos to record this marvellous show. As Pooch has said give the series had chance to develop because it gets better and better.

[MartinImber]

BBC7 thats BBC Choice on C7

The radio channel everyone calls Radio 7!

[MartinImber]

Originally Posted by PoochJD

Hi Martin,

As for "Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars", this will NOT be airing on the BBC at all, as Five have the terrestrial TV rights to it, courtesy of Sky who brokered the deal in the first place.


Pooch

Glad I have the DVD on order.

I have watched already courtesy of file sharing

Anyway time for a Farscape session

[PoochJD]

Hi,

What a complete balls-up, the BBC have made with their late-night BBc3 screenings!

Admittedly, whilst the show was almost DOG-free (bar the standard BBC3 logo), the BBc truly cocked-up the series.

1) They took the original 4:3 versions of the show, and slapped fake black widescreen bars across the top and bottom of the screen, resulting in a fake widescreen print, that chopped off lots of the tops of the casts' heads/faces.

2) Then, as soon as the episode ended, the cut all the credits, for waffle byu four of the dumbest, most unfunny idiots I've ever seen as presenters!

Shame on you BBC! A major disappointment, and it now means I have to wait to afford the DVD Complete Season boxed sets!


Pooch

You should buy the DVDs for the 5.1 sound. The first series always had something going on in the surrounds and great lfe (I have a HGS18 and it really rocked). Unfortunately after series 1 they changed sound designers and it was never as good.

Is there an email address via which we can complain?

[PoochJD]

Hi Avalanche,

You can contact the BBC, and e-mail them, via their website here!

Alternatively, you can e-mail the Radio Times at: radio.times@bbc.co.uk as long as you don't object to your message potentially ending-up in print.

Hope that helps!


Pooch

[apul]

Does anyone know if the Saturday and Sunday evening showings of Farscape have been censored because its before the watershed? Or if they dont need to be. Also, are the late night ones cut anyway?

I tried to watch the late night ones, but then I wasnt able to stay up that late anymore, but all is not lost now becasue of the weekend repeats.

[NicolasB]

Maddeningly even the late-night ones are censored.

[MartinImber]

DOn't worry the DVDs are good

[NicolasB]

The DVDs are also infuriatingly expensive compared with those of many shows. You can buy a box-set of an entire Stargate SG-1 season for about £25 (Region 1). Close to double that for a season of Farscape.