New Cinescape article about Farscape Cancellation

[sara]

So, has anyone read this article "Ship Wrecked - The Truth Behind Farscape's Cancellation" yet? It's in the November-December Cinescape and I'm not quite sure what to think of it. There's a lot about the Save Farscape campaign, but they really make it sound like the campaign failed.

I'll post a few quotes since there's no link because you have to be a subscriber to the magazine to read the articles on the website. Plus they haven't updated the website from last month's edition.

What made me raise my eyebrows:

"There's a slim chance that [UPN or Showtime] will pick up the series, but it is by no means a slam dunk," says [Juliet] Blake [president of Jim Henson Television]. "It's not something we're actively pursuing. If the UPN came to us and wanted to do it, we would work with them, but I don't see that really happening. My feeling is that UPN would rather develop their own series than pull in an existing one."

In a more hopeful vein:

"That ' proper' finale could take one of many different shapes. Currently the show's producers are considering the possibility of pursuing a television movie, a television miniseries or even a theatrical feature film that would pick up from season 4 and resolve the show."

I don't know. Anybody else read it? To me, it runs the gamut of really depressing to kind of hopeful. I'd love to hear someone else's take on it.

[Truemyth]

Slim chance is better than none.

My understanding has been that, when Farscape is gets re-newed, it will be because it has done well this January and Febuary. Henson may not be shopping around for a new home, and UPN may not have approached them yet, but that does not discourage me.

If Farscape can hold above a 2.0 this winter, I think we'll see some definate movings and shakings. That is the goal we've set ourselves, and that is what I think will happen.

I still call this article "good news" (from what you've quoted) because it's a new Farscape print article. It helps us keep in the media. Cinescape has run other Farscape bits, right? But this is yet another. Possilbities exist that some readers may have skipped over other Farscape mentions, but this will be the one that gets them interested... whereas other fans who still don't know about the show's cancellations will get wind of it this way. This article is especially good because it is in print, and not all Farscape fans are on the net as much as most of us are.

So, don't loose hope.

I would be interested to know if the article provided any URLs, any mention that some fans are still fighting, and any speculations about the possiblities changing if Farscape kicks in Jan, but I'm not holding my breath.

As for the movie... I've gotten the impression from David Kemper that any big screen Farscape movie would not be a continuation of the story. Maybe it might work in a few mentions to the old story, but I think they'd be working hard to make the movie accessable to new viewers. On the small screen... That movie would be expensive, I mean, one of the reasons Farscape took so long to find a home network was because they couldn't even do a pilot unless they had a contract for several eps because the pre-production costs were so high. However, if SciFi/Henson's budget woes lighten a bit, and we fans manage to pull a desent, but not stellar ratings average, say 1.7, they might do a movie wrap up. NOTE: This is pure speculation, and I have no practical experiance with television and movie production.

[Tiriel]

Hey sara!

I haven't read the article yet (looks like I just added another stop for my way home ;)) but I would think that if they were in negotiations, they wouldn't necessarily plaster it all over the press.
Of course, I could be very wrong :)

A friend of mine (with some insight into SciFi) mentioned that trying to push for a few movies would make the most sense in their case. It looks like they have a fairly big budget for movies (they must have been doing quite well) and talk is about 15-20 movies at $2 Million a shot.
It might just be a backup strategy... although he also said that the budget is going quickly...

I'd be interested to hear what others have to say to this... grins Personally I'd much rather have a continued series on UPN or SHO, but we might want to persue the movie-on-SciFi option as well (there's no such thing as too many options, right :D)

Love and Peace and Hope :)

Tiriel :eek:

[GeekedOut]

Well, I am in the frame of mind that any conclusion will be better than cliffhanger. Now, that's just me. I just want to see an end.

As for the UPN statement, as of right now, that is probably true. We are in the "peak the interest" stage for UPN and Showtime. We keep up the letters and let them know the show is out there. Then come, Jan, hit them with high ratings and show them that the show is marketable.

It's still way to early for UPN to come a calling to Henson. Their gonna want to see ratings and that's what's going to be our sticking point.

As has been said, slim chance is better than no chance at all.

[Slubber]

The qoute that got me down was from Juliet Blake, President of Jim Henson Televison....

From http://starburstcards.com/KarlswebNewscape/Zines-1.htm

"No, I don't think that the Farscape series as we think of it will continue to exist;' says Blake. "But I do believe that Farscape as a franchise will move forward. We have an anime series in the works. We have the possibility of a movie version. And we still have a huge convention planned for New York in November. The trick is to not see this so much as a death for Farscape as it is the chance for a rebirth.”

:cry2:

This is the killer of all hope right here. No syndication, no other network.

My takes:

- At this point the 5th season is a lost cause. We could draw a 5 and SciFi will thank us for the effort and then ask us to watch one of their 5 new UFO shows.

- Anime is interesting format but I'm not interested. Part of the joy of Farscape was the little interactions between the cast. While Anime is a powerful visual format that I enjoy, the cost to do Farscape in a style that could come close to that level of detail would be as much as a live action production.

- Movies: I would be interested in a TV movie to close the story (I say this even after watching the mess with B5 and it's 'spin off' movies). I don't think Farscape could become like Star Trek in that the show is not an cultural institution. Sad to say but when I talk about Farscape 90% of the people I talk with don't know the show and we're the 34th TV market in the nation.

- SciFi: I have all but removed them from my channel grid. Farscape was about all that kept me interested in SciFi as it has morphed into this home for UFO shows and bad TV movies. What still hurts is the 4th and 5th season pickup release from last year. There's a part of me that would love to sue them for false advertising over that.

To close. I remember a great qoute that came out during the great '94 baseball strike.

"Don't fall in love with another person's business. For while it's a passion for you, it's just about profit for them."

Baseball, B5, SportsNight, Farscape... you would think I'd learn by now... :headbang:

Peace to all,

David

[Shipscat]

gee- don't give up hope yet.

And what is that about UPN not pulling in an existing series? Who picked up Buffy?

And Star trek took twenty years after cancellation to become a cultural institution- it wasn't very well known back them, either.

We haven't even begun to fight. It is a passion to us- it's a passion to the people who make it- and if it's just business to Scifi (and Henson) they are going to get a lesson in how a passionate response is what they are supposed to be striving for.

I'll fall in love with whatever I frelling want to.

[atlantagirl]

I agree with Shipscat.

Now is not the time to give up! We have only just begun to fight. :boom:

What do you expect Juliet Blake to say? The cast and crew are going through a grieving process -- it may be our favorite show, but it's been their life for 4 years (and more in some cases). Naturally they are depressed and things probably seem pretty bleak to them right now. :bawl:

And she's right. The UPN solution (my favorite) is clearly not a "slam dunk". UPN's not going to be interested unless the ratings go up and no one has any way of knowing if the ratings will go up until the final eps actually air. But UPN is still a distinct possibility. It's just going to take energy and persistence on our part, and it's going to take time.

If we give up now, then the show will be dead. But (as kimrb keeps telling us), we can move mountains. And WE WILL GET OUR SHOW BACK!

So quit banging your head against the wall, we have work to do!

Now go eat chicken! :P

[Tiriel]

Dare I chip in as half-professional optimist :D

It's as Shipscat said: We haven't even started yet! We had a couple of surprise victories in the beginning, when no-one saw us coming. Since then we have become exceedingly organized. We've been preparing and building the weaponry, but have barely fired a shot yet.
Yet, we already see results! OK, I have to admit this is my first campaign, so I don't know, maybe it's common for advertisers to call another channel and let them know they'll take their money there, if the show is picked up.
Maybe ALL TV-shows are good enough that if you hand a tape to a bunch of total strangers, half of them will call you back and ask for more (could be just me being totally choosy).
Maybe the fan-base of ALL other shows happens to be divers enough to pull together everything from large, nation-wide charity events to a nation-wide broadcasted commercial.
Maybe they all go and have their cars wrapped to look like DRD-pike (OK, I made that one up ;))

Maybe I'm too overoptimistic and too involved to see the true odds, but I maintain that we are pulling off something extraordinary here and that's why it's going to work.

We only just build the Bazookas, I ain't gonna give up until I at least enjoyed the fireworks :D :D :D

grins Besides, the Fates believe in us, how can we doubt :D

As usual IMHO only my $0.02. I don't ask anyone to believe we can make it. If you don't feel the passion in your heart that tells you you're doing the right thing, then maybe you are not and maybe you should stop (it's hard, frustrating work after all) I just say I won't stop as long as I still see a chance to help those wonderful people, because as Ships said: It is their passion and their life, not just their job. :)

Love and Peace and Hope :)

Tiriel :eek:

[Red]

One thing to keep in mind also, is that this article was written some time ago in order to make it into print for this month.

We're a long way from done. :aok:

[GARNET75]

Red or any one how long does it take article to get from writer to print? Week, weeks or Months I alway been trying to figure that out.

[Dominar of Action]

Just a thought: We've all been focusing our letters/energies towards UPN, Showtime, Sci Fi and advertisers .... how about we add Henson to the list?

In any negotiation, it takes two to tango. We need to communicate to Henson that surrender is not an acceptable alternative. We're still fighting, dammit, and so should they! Yes, let them make alternative plans (it's wise to do so), but why are they NOT actively pursuing UPN?! I don't like the idea that they are sitting coyly at home waiting for the telephone to ring. I, for one, am not interested in an anime series, nor am I interested in a "rebirth" when the original hasn't ended properly. :rolleyes:

[Scaper989]

First off, I wouldn't expect her to say anything about UPN that
would close the door to Showtime or any other networks. Second,
this was probably written shortly after psi-fi came back to the
table, but couldn't strike a bargain for a shortened season 5.

Any network looking at aquiring Farscape is going to be in a
"wait and see" mode until the raitings come in for January-March.

Wait till our comercials air, our USA Today ad comes out, our
Gorilla raidio campaign hits, and the colateral news coverage airs.
Then wait for the raitings come out for January - March.

In September I had less hope. Today I have more.

Now go watch that 1812 video and get fired up!

[MediaSavant]

Nothing here surprises me.

I even appreciate having some straight talk from someone from Henson than nothing at all. I don't believe in keeping people in the dark. Even if the news isn't positive, people have a right to know.

Thanks for posting this. I wasn't aware of the article.

[Dominar of Action]

I too can appreciate her candor, but my beef is with what the candor appears to suggest. "It's not something we're actively pursuing. If the UPN came to us and wanted to do it, we would work with them." doesn't even sound like they're making much of an effort at all. I'm not saying sugar-coat the odds or downplay the obstacles, but just how much effort are they really making? From this article, it doesn't seem like they are making that much, which is what bothers me.

If they have truly shelved the whole idea of a S5+ somewhere, then they should send DK, Rockne, Brian or Ben into chat or to the BB to announce that fact unequivocably and without any intermediary so that the message cannot be questioned. If they haven't completely shelved the idea, then I would hope they are taking a bit more initiative than this article makes it sound like they are. Like MS, I think even bad news is better than keeping people in the dark. But if the news is bad, then let us have it straight from the horse's mouth and let us have it now. As it stands, I am reminded of a very crude saying that involves a bodily function and a pot.

"No, I don't think that the Farscape series as we think of it will continue to exist ... But I do believe that Farscape as a franchise will move forward."

I of course don't dare to speak for anyone else, but for me, without an end to the series, there can be no franchise. And I intend to let Ms. Blake know that (in a nice way, of course).

[MediaSavant]

I don't consider Ms. Blake an "intermediary". Henson owns the show. She is a key executive at Henson. DK, Rockne, and Ben were hired by Henson to work on Farscape, but they are not executives at the company. And it is an open question as to when the three will technically no longer be contracted employees.

Only Brian could supersede what Ms. Blake said in regards to Henson's position, but I doubt she said anything in that interview without his permission.

I would also note that Juliet Blake is listed as an "executive producer" of the show.

Also, isn't the stuff about Farscape's chances of coming back as something other than a "fifth season" extremely similar to what Ben said on national television?

(I haven't read the transcript in a while. Correct me if I'm wrong)

Personally, I don't need people to tell me in a limited forum like chat or on a bb if they've done it in a broad media vehicle like a magazine (Cinescape) or a cable news network.

[jadeshand]

we're just spinning our wheels here? That we should take it that they aren't really interested in pursuing a season 5? That they are much more interested in producing anime (gag) or perhaps a movie five to ten years from now? I'm really interested to see what you think.

[MediaSavant]

Regarding the "spinning of wheels", I can only say that I have my own reasons for participating in things like the USA Today fund and they haven't changed.

While some people may believe they are to doing this *only* to get a Season 5, others may be happy with anything to complete the tale and that is what they are working towards.

Yet others may be happy just to see the show get higher ratings and go out on top rather than limp towards its end.

It's not for me to dictate to people why they are participating or what outcome would make them happy or feel they've been successful.

That's for each individual to decide for themselves.

Speaking only for myself, I'm taking Ms. Blake's statements at face value and assume that a fifth season isn't something they are working on right now. And having read or listened to other statements prior to this, none of that surprises me or is news to me.

But, I can speak only for myself.

[Dominar of Action]

Not to belabor the point, MS, but by "intermediary," I was referring to the Cinescape writer/editors, not Ms. Blake (who should certainly know what she is talking about). As a follower of the debacle that was the X-File's final seasons, I witnessed just how much the message depends on the one conveying it. (For example, you could take a single press junket Q&A session with multiple reporters, yet get dozens of different spins/recounts of what was actually said and how it was said.)

I'm not trying to tell other people what they should/should not do or expect from all this, or how much weight they should/should not give to this article. And I am certainly not giving up on my own personal crusade to get more people to watch come January. I was simply voicing my frustrations with having to get information through these intermediaries (i.e., the press, which is certainly NOT infallible), when there is ample precedent with this show for getting the information straight from the horse's mouth through chat, etc. The fewer filters between the speaker (Ms. Blake) and the audience (us), the more likely the actual message will be received accurately, subject only to our own personal spins. So long as the only news we get is through Cinescape, etc., we can't really be assured of anything.

[atlantagirl]

Personally, I believe that it is very likely that, at the time Cinescape interviewed Ms. Blake, things probably did seem hopeless with regard to a Season 5. I doubt that anyone was counting on the fans mounting such an organized and aggressive campaign to save the show, and I believe that the cast and crew were probably feeding on each other's frustration and grief at the time.

Remember, what we are trying to do is really unprecedented. It's one thing for a "Save Our Show" campaign to write letters to the network. It's something completely different to make a concerted effort to influence ratings, encourage advertisers to let other networks know they will follow the show, and promote a show ourselves. There's no way that, several weeks ago (I'm guessing the interview was shortly after the second round of negotiations with Sci-Fi collapsed) anyone at Henson could have really foreseen that this campaign could become a viable way to meet the goals that we have set.

What we are trying to do is audacious and unprecedented, but it's not impossible. The more momentum we get, the better our chances become. But we seem to swing so violently between extreme highs and lows based on every word that gets printed or uttered. I know it's tough -- the fact that we are an internet-based community argues for the fact that we tend to prefer instant gratification, but maybe we should stop trying to analyze everything so much. We still have a long way to go. We know that nothing really positive can possibly happen until January. We know that we have to get the ratings up to 2.0 and keep them up through the last 11 eps. We know that there is at least SOME interest among UPN and Showtime, but that no decision is likely to be made until after the ratings are in. And we each know that we are spreading the word as best we can.

If we can all just steel ourselves for the fight and accept that this is going to take a while and that we cannot afford to allow ourselves to become disheartened or lose momentum, I believe we can absolutely succeed. We have a remarkable group here that can and will make television history if we keep motivated.

[Vianney]

Ms Blake surely knows what she is talking about. I'll have to doubt the 'candidness' of it all, though, as you know how companies always communicate for a reason, and with an angle.

But the writer of the article himself could very well be distorting what she said or the spirit in which she said it. Moreover, this interview was obviously held a long time a go, probably right after the cancellation during the first buzz.

As a matter of fact, DK made quite clear, and with great argumentation, that a theatrical movie would be very hard for them to produce and make profitable, and that if by any chance they did one they wouldn't be able to make it as the end of the story we're all expecting. So the writer's spin looses some credibility in my eyes with this assumption.

However, it IS an article about FS's cancellation, thus likely to raise awareness about us and our effort, so I welcome it all the same. Any info (more or less directly) from Henson is welcome, as they've been pretty silent from the start. I'd have to agree with DoA that maybe we need to also direct part of the focus of our campaign to Henson; IMHO they're also responsible for the show's cancellation, for which only Sci-Fi is taking the heat.

We are fans. We live on hopes, and our chances have always been slim but looking better and better every day if you ask me.
Henson, on the other hands, got to make ends meet, and try and find a way to save the franchise from a total disaster should the show not come back for a 5th season. Remember how DK said on the radio interview that so far they had gotten back only 6 cents for every dollar they had invested? Well, who could blame them for trying to keep their head out of the water? We just have to remind them that we're here, and we have a campaign going on, and that they'd better pick up the phone and try to be warm and welcomy, should UPN give them a ring.

Just my reading of it, would be glad to see the full article though.

[Deinaira]

One point to make in addition to what atlantagirl just said. How much of our efforts has Henson or anyone really seen? Even now, we may just seem like a bunch of people who are writing letters and sending flowers and such. It's the Big Push (TM) efforts that are going to garner us the press and, hopefully, results we need. Even now, Henson might have little hope for a 5th season, because we haven't made our huge waves yet (we've made some nice ones, but they can be written off as the heat of the moment since they happened in that first month mostly)...when we show we're sustained, organized, and out to make a big impact, then, perhaps, it might move them to action.

If I were at Henson, I probably would be taking the wait and see attitude that Ms. Blake seems to be following. After all, unless another network comes to them with some serious interest (ie, they take the first step), it isn't worth their financial resources to be seriously shopping around for a new network. If our tsunami is big enough in January and ratings go up, and Farscape is a big time buzz word, it may seem worth it on their part to take the financial risk of shopping around and trying to start negotiations because it might seem like they can have some measure of success. Right now, out efforts probably read to the outside world alot like every other save our beloved show campaign (and they are becoming a dime a dozen). When we distinguish ourselves as something outside of the norm (and I think with our plans we will), they'll take notice. And if they don't, well then they are really a few cans short of a six pack.

I have faith that once the fruits of our labors come about, we'll get some more action out of a possible 5th season or some other quality end to the series.

[Harmony]

Originally posted by Slubber

"Don't fall in love with another person's business. For while it's a passion for you, it's just about profit for them."


That is so true.

I haven't read the full article myself, but based on the quotes posted here, here is my personal take.

I remember back when the news was first announced and the campaign first started. I remember the disappointment we all felt after the negogitations with Sci-Fi fell through. A lot of us were saying that'd we continue to fight until we were told, straight from the horses mouth, that it was over. Well, that has always been my premise for participating in this campaign. When the people responsible for making Farscape let go, then I too would...as hard as it is to do that...

But if the people who own Farscape are no longer interested in pursuing a 5th season with another network or continuing the show as we know it, I'm afraid I'm left with no other choice...but to let go.

That's not to say that there isn't hope that they could change their minds or that another network couldn't pursue them... Or that we shouldn't continue to support the show for the final 11 episodes, or hope for the possiblity of Farsape in another form. This is my personal feeling only, but is sounds to me as if Blake is delicately saying that a 5th season isn't happening.

Harmony

[PrairieScaper]

Just some points to consider before losing faith (most of which have been made by others, so I'm summarizing):

:et: The article was written some time ago in order to make it into print. The organization that I work for publishes a magazine for members that has a text deadline of something like two months prior to mailing. Obviously publication deadlines vary, but it is entirely conceivable that the Cinescape article was completed a month ago (or more), perhaps just after the Skiffy negotiations failed. Who knows what has happened since?

:shutup: Even if Henson was in negotiations or had a hint that another network was sniffing around, they could not disclose much if anything to a reporter. Particularly if more than one network was expressing interest.

:ewink: The media has yet to see the major outcomes of our efforts to save the show. 'Save our show' campaigns are not unique, and ours will not appear to be unique until our biggest and best efforts have seen the light of day. Patience.

:cool: Remain calm, maintain equilibrium, keep working, don't expect instant gratification, and don't let one inconclusive item throw you off stride.

With apologies to previous posters from whom I've cribbed, I just wanted to sum up in one post the good reasons I will not surrender. :jedi:


[edited for baaaaaad grammar]

[sara]

You can read the entire article here:

http://starburstcards.com/KarlswebNewscape/Zines-1.htm

My intention on calling attention to this article wasn't to encourage anyone to give up. I'm not giving up, not over one article. But I do think it might be wise to direct some attention to Henson. And letters to Cinescape on the continuing fan campaign wouldn't be a bad idea either.

[Deneba]

Harmony said:

But if the people who own Farscape are no longer interested in pursuing a 5th season with another network or continuing the show as we know it, I'm afraid I'm left with no other choice...but to let go.


Please, a couple of points.

First, it's possible that this article was written some time ago, even more than a month ago. It may have been a "stated official position" at that moment in time by the Henson company. Positions change as options change. Henson is currently owned by a money-strapped company. Once they're sold, they'll have a new sandbox in which to build castles.

We don't know the context of the discussion. Journalists ask questions and allow for stream of consciousness responses. They organize them into an article later. They are not misquoting or even trying to slant the words of the interviewed subjects, but they must interpret what they heard through their own biases and internal filters. They select the quotes from the material that support their concept of what was said. This can substantially influence the tenor of an article.

Think about conversations you have with other people, those you know really well. Ever have a misunderstanding? :D

Last, we haven't received notice from TPTB to stop fighting. They are very aware of us and our efforts. They have not told us to stop. (And yes, there are several people who have contact with them. Some who post here on the FMD boards.) DK did ask us to take the time between now and January to rest and gather our strength to market viewership for the rest of S4. We're supposed to be out right now having lunch with our friends and kicking back in the evenings. :rofl:

The problem is, we need to build infrastructure to support those marketing efforts. They don't just spring fully formed from the forehead of Zeus. We want the advertisers and networks to know that there is an organized and committed fandom that isn't going away. That takes work by us now; the most connected fans. And we're doing it all over bulletin board, e-mail and chat clients. How impressive is that? :aok:

We're only two months into this thing. It seems so much longer; I know. It's easy to get discouraged when all of the work is being done without any immediate visible result. But we never expected a quick victory. These things take time. This is the time when the seed germinates, grows roots and begins to push up through the soil. Later it becomes a mighty tree.

There is a whole base of fans out there who still don't know about the cancellation. Those who don't surf the internet in Scaperdom, or read genre mags. Help us hold those battle standards high enough for them to see us. Give them a chance to join us. We need to build the army before we can win the war.

D.

[PrairieScaper]

I just read the article -- gracias for the link, sara -- and I do not feel hopeless at all! It seems to me that Ms. Blake must have been reacting in the wake of failed Skiffy renegotiations and the dismantling of the sets -- and even so, she very clearly points out that the FS fans are a very desirable demographic and Skiffy is going to regret losing them... I find that interesting indeed... Read the entire article and keep it in perspective. And as Deneba says, let's keep building that army!

[Nato]

Has kimrb checked in with any updates on the UPN front lately? I've been curious about that...

-- Nato

[Dominar of Action]

But if the people who own Farscape are no longer interested in pursuing a 5th season with another network or continuing the show as we know it, I'm afraid I'm left with no other choice...but to let go. I agree with the general sentiment BUT ... this article does not tell us that they are not interested. Sure, it sounded like that, but it's just one writer's interpretation of Ms. Blake's comments. Reporters frequently take comments out of context, so I personally am not putting too much weight on one lone article.

However, that said, I still think it is a valid approach to direct some attention Henson's way to let them know, "Hey! We are amassing our army and preparing for a frontal assault ... and we hope you are too! But if you have no interest, then please tell us so directly. Or if you can't tell us anything definitive at this time, then please just tell us that directly."

IMO, Elvis has not left the building yet ...

[Red]

The article was written some time ago in order to make it into print. The organization that I work for publishes a magazine for members that has a text deadline of something like two months prior to mailing. Obviously publication deadlines vary, but it is entirely conceivable that the Cinescape article was completed a month ago (or more), perhaps just after the Skiffy negotiations failed. Who knows what has happened since?

PrairieScaper thank you. That's my experience as well in magazine publishing. I used to work on a *snore* dental journal, the deadline for the articles to get into the association was something over a month before it was time to go to those of us who actually put the journal together. Then there was the layout time, the drafts, edits, revisions, then blueline, then finally to print.

I know in the time line of this campaign, it was quite a while ago, but if you remember back to mid-late September, you'll remember that things were looking very bleak from the Henson/Farscape side of things. In fact, if I recall correctly, I do remember seeing these or similar comments from Henson made in a statement at about that time. This really isn't new news from Henson, and as far as Henson goes, I can truthfully say that they have supported our efforts as much as they can without compromising themselves and any future for Farscape.

This is a fluid camapign, things have changed constantly since the start. They may not always be changes that are readily apparent at the time, but they have been happening. These are changes both for Henson and for the networks involved. I really don't think anything has been decided by anybody ... there are too many variables involved at the moment. Now is not the time to give up. There is absolutely no reason to.

[Tiriel]

Everything's already been said multiple times, so I won't repeat :D

Just one thing about how long ago this interview was done: If I'm not totally mistaken (and I could be, too many new names lately!) the last issue of CineScape had a report on Ben, but no mentioning of the cancellation, so they are at least a month behind (if I mixed up the names, I'm sorry, but either way I would assume most monthly publications to have a similar lag-time).
And what she said just sounds so perfectly like what Henson released on their webpage right after the second fall-through with Skiffy, that it makes me wonder...

As soon as I can spare the five minutes I'll try to read the entire article...

Love and Peace and Hope :)

Tiriel :eek:

[GeekedOut]

Well, I can speak for myself in the saying things change, nothing is impossible, and nothing is set in stone. I've been around way too many times to believe minds cannot be swayed.

Till the end!

[Hmpf]

Originally posted by Shipscat
We haven't even begun to fight. It is a passion to us- it's a passion to the people who make it- and if it's just business to Scifi (and Henson) they are going to get a lesson in how a passionate response is what they are supposed to be striving for.


Well said, Shipscat. There is no such thing as a lost cause as long as passionate people are still willing to fight. There is *always* a chance. We know our chances are slim, but a slim chance is still a chance.

Never. Give. Up.

[Truemyth]

As for the time the article was written:


CINESCAPE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

Until last month, things seemed to be going well for Farscape fans. Their favorite show had been picked up for two full seasons, there was a brand-new regular character named Sikozu (Raelee Hill) that people liked, and the quality of the writing was excellent and still improving.

Then, abruptly, the bottom fell out.

On Sept. 9, the Sci-Fi Channel officially announced its decision to not make a fifth season of the series.


Until last month things were good? The main bit of this article was obviously written (and that would include the interview) during mid to late September if "last month" is when things still looked good.

It has probably been edited a bit, but not much more has happened on official, network side of things since then, and, as others have said, she probably had to have her article completed by then end of September. But the article itself states that the interview was conducted during the first month of the cancellation.

So chill. :cool:

[Hmpf]

Originally posted by Dominar of Action
Just a thought: We've all been focusing our letters/energies towards UPN, Showtime, Sci Fi and advertisers .... how about we add Henson to the list?


I've actually written them once or twice. Even got a nice reply on Kermit stationery. *g* The reply said the same as the farscape.com page says, basically. But I agree, it can't hurt to add them to our writing list.

[uisceboo]

Red is right.
So are the others. This is old news, spun and poorly researched. It is so far out of date they had nerve to print it. I am uncomfortable with it being REprinted, making it a third-person source or worse.

A month ago, I would read this and say, Okay, maybe we are just blowing smoke rings. But this October was monumental, just HUGE in how much things have changed. Thirty days is thirty days. You can't just blow past all that has gone on, just because it was not included in one article.

Points:

1) Print articles ALWAYS lag behind, always, always, always. I work in publishing. I am an editor. I know! Printing things up, the physical process, TAKES TIME. Even weeklies become dated quickly; that is why people watch the TV for recent news. By the time these people had their pages laid out, the DC Sniper had come and gone. That much has changed in the world! The internet is not much better in some respects, as articles tend to be based off of other articles, off of ...you get the picture.

2) "Until last month,"

They are referring to September. This indicates that the article is already out of date!. Today is 11/6/02, and this was slated for the Nov/Dec issue! This is OLD NEWS -- referring to the initial "renegotiation." This article was probably drafted long before the CNN coverage got underway, before the rallies, and not modified much as the month went on. They sent the article to the printer this way, never anticipating what we were planning! They didn't KNOW UPN would begin polling us...that KFC would boost us..that all these articles and TV shows would mention us...that Foxtrot would feature us. They really thought we were all going to just drop it there, and by this date, there would be no Save Farscape movement. But there is. Oops.

3) "Fans held pickets, sent untold numbers of letters, phone calls, faxes and e-mails, and even took out ads in entertainment industry trade magazines like The Hollywood Reporter."

Assuming the pickets are the original ones and not the rallies (and I do think that), this dates things about the very beginning of October....just after the “renegotiations,” but before the Kim "mole"/advisor got things really cooking, before the news of the rallies got around, before there was a TV ad campaign…before people began to see how organized we are, and that we actually will be spending cash. Before everyone's jaw started hitting the ground.

So much has occured a month, but the stale interview has gone on record, so...do we take it as current fact because it was published now? Or do we keep track of when interviews were conducted, when they are talking about, and look at things that have changed since then?

4) "O'Bannon predicts that the network hasn't seen an end to the fan effort." etc. etc.

The really amazing part -- something everyone seems to be overlooking -- is, Rock seems to have known EXCATLY what we were going to do, with how much force and momentum. So did DK, because he all but told us what to do! Come on , those two guys KNOW what needs to be done, and what IS possible and what is not. No way would they lead us on.

Then again, what DK did in his hinting about what we needed to do was not exactly an industry approved practice. He hardly would fill Ms. Blake in on his intentions…and she doesn’t seem to be the sort of lady to look for herself.

My opinion: Cinescape was not paying attention. My opinion: they are victims of the SciFi FAQ. My opinion: Julliette Blake wasn't paying attention, either. She didn't forsee the Save Farscape campaign being the history-making event that it really is. Maybe she is too distanced from the show to see what we could do...and now that a month has passed and Scapers are conquering the world, her foot is sliding inexorably into her mouth.

Then again, we really don't know if what else she said that was not included...what exact questions she was answering...how her comments were spun.. or even if she was misquoted. If she was, there may be a correction or retraction, but will that ever be drawn to our attention?

Beware, beware, beware...spin and sensationalism and a magazine market threatened by the internet!

Nothing has changed, this is OLD NEWS, AGAIN! Quit feeling doubtful and get back to work. And if that doesn’t work, go stare at the photo of Ben and Tiriel some more! Don’t forget why we are here!

[Dominar of Action]

Yes, m'am!! [/salute]

...butimstillgonnawriteaniceremindertoHensontolett hemknowweexpectthemnottogiveupyet... :D

[jadeshand]

Dominar -
Actually, they are pretty good at reading their emails, so that might be the best way to go. ;)