SciFi Diner Podcast Ep. 55 – Our Farscape Retrospective; Keith R. A. DeCandido and Kevin Bachelder

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Tonight’s Diners: Scott, Miles, Kevin, and Keith

Welcome to the Diner.

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  On the menu tonight: This is our first ever SciFi Retrospective looking at shows with cult followings and examining how these shows have influenced SciFi today.  This retrospective focuses in on Farscape and joining us are Keith R. A. Decandido, author of Farscape novels and comic books, and Kevin Bachelder form the Scapecast Podcast.  They both share incredible insights into what made this show great and the impact it has had on current science fiction.  By the way, Farscape turned 11 two weeks ago.  News on Firefly. Show News:

Trivia will be BACK in April. Podcast Promos: The Scapecast Podcast Chronic Rift Podcast

Farscape turns 11! Check out the pre-release trailers from way back when - Most of us found Farscape on Syfy, but the show didn't launch there, remember? Those lucky enough to live in a land down under got the jump on U.S. viewers, because John Crichton first went through the wormhole when the series debuted on Australia's Nine Network March 19, 1999.   Courtsey of Billy Fens: in case you hadn't read... The Secrets of Firefly's Shepherd Book Will Finally Be Revealed Shepherd Book, possibly the most mysterious character on Joss Whedon's ill-fated space-western Firefly is to star in in a comic book that will finally let us in on his past. A character with a mysterious past is hardly a new idea for Joss Whedon, by Firefly's Shepherd Book was a particularly good one. Played by Ron Glass, the Shepherd - the term used for men of the cloth on the show - clearly had not been a God's servant all his life, and some pretty high-level connections with the Alliance. What made the mystery extra-potent however was that the show got cancelled, and we never got to find out what his mysterious past actually was. All that is about to change though, as a new comic book, entitled The Shepherd's Tale, is coming out that will finally cast some light on the preacher's colorful life. The book is written by Zack Whedon, and based on a detailed scene-by-scene outline from brother Joss. Zack Whedon said about the book: "You will see Book's full trajectory... How he became the man he was in the show and who he was previous to that. It takes you deep into his past. You really get to see the entire evolution of this man ... Book specifically is a great character to do the origin of because we know so little about it in the show, the little hints that we get are so enticing and his history is very... complicated. It's an intricate set of circumstances that created the man we meet in the show so that is very fun to explore." The Shepherd's Tale comes out in November, as a hardcover graphic novel.

  Courtesy of Dayton Ward: Neil Patrick Harris talks DR. HORRIBLE 2 and Possible Theatrical Release There's been talk about a sequel to Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog for some time now. There's no doubt that the sequel will eventually happen, it's just a matter of how we end up watching it. I serious doubt we'll be watching the sequel online though. There is a strong possibility that the sequel will get a theatrical release. This isn't new news, Joss Whedon and Jed Whedon have been talking about Dr. Horrible 2 getting a feature film release since last year. Here's what they had to say in a previous interview, We've talked about doing an actual studio film. The story we've talked about is pretty big, so it may end up being longer. The one fear they had was that any studio they do the movie with will hold them back creatively. They want to do it their way with no studio influence. In a recent interview with MTV Neil Patrick Harris talked about the project saying that it he hopes they do make it into a feature film. Apparently they're making a 'Dr. Horrible' sequel—a feature film, I hope. I hope they cast me in it—we'll see. That's their plan. I don't know of what scale. They're talking all options, because they made the first 'Dr. Horrible' in five days on no budget at all—that was its intention. I think it would be awesome for this great web series to actually get a big screen sequel, that would definitely be a first. What do you think of this?  What do we think?      

A groundbreaking sci-fi production, FARSCAPE is a global favorite. Named by TV Guide as one of television's "Best Cult Shows Ever" and by Empire Magazine as one of the "50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time," FARSCAPE is known for the overwhelming fan-based campaign that led to its miniseries production, FARSCAPE: The Peacekeeper Wars. The show has continued to find new audiences as it airs in syndication and is available on DVD around the world as well as on iTunes, where it debuted as the top selling sci-fi show. Figurines and plush are also available along with the FARSCAPE comic book series which was entirely sold out five days after its first volume premiered in December 2008.   Firefly was perceived as derivative of Farscape when it hit the scene -- although the similarities were certainly coincidental. But the fact that Farscape had four full seasons and then a very successful mini-series to wrap up the major story arc was apparently not enough for it to get a mention here. Then again, Farscape wasn't directed by Joss Whedon and doesn't have a pending major motion picture. (Hello, Serenity.) When I watch the new Battlestar Galactica, I find it evocative of Farscape in many ways: the pacing, the immediacy, the grime. Trek existed in a genteel, leisurely universe by comparison (although Deep Space 9BSG so great came first in Farscape. approached gritty from time to time). But all the things that make the new Farscape had it flaws, and many of them ("trying too hard" came up often). But its omission from this list is nothing short of egregious. If you've never heard of Farscape before and would like a fairly detailed, one-page intro to the program, here's one I wrote way back in May 2000: Where No Series Has Gone Before, originally published in Bob Furnell's Jigsaw Magazine, by and for fans of science fiction television. In case you were wondering: the best thing about this list? That Farscape's legacy continues, even if it is uncredited, in shows like Battlestar Galactica.   http://www.boom-studios.net/farscape-ongoing-05-cover-a-1.html   Farscape (Ongoing) #05 (Cover B)

Top of Form

  $3.99 Writer(s): Rockne S. O'Bannon, Keith DeCandido Artist(s): Will Sliney The beginning of a new Farscape cracker, “Red Sky at Morning.” The crew of Moya take in all they’ve seen recently. Crichton, Aeryn and especially Chiana will never be the same. But soon it will be another member of the ship thrust into the harsh spotlight. They crew visits…Pilot’s homeworld. A don’t miss issue of the new ongoing FARSCAPE series written by the show creator Rockne S. O’Bannon.