Ben's interview with Impact Magazine

[VBKatLou]

Here's the link:

http://www.scaper.com/sacc/impact2002.html


Thanks to BritAngie for posting it.

[skinnyman27]

Thanks VBKatLou for the great read.

__________________________________________________ _
After the past two days I had all I can say is go ahead Santa bring me coal... I dare you! .....If you don't dump those reindeer for a leviathon don't stop by my chimney..... FARSCAPE LIVES!
Sorry just did 2 days at the NYC CON.

[GeekedOut]

Nice read indeed. Such a nice man, that Ben. I'll do just about anything to get him back in those leathers.

[Dominar of Action]

Yes, thanks. Although I admit my blood pressure's on the rise again as I think about Sci Fi's gross mishandling of this show. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I'm supposed to be grateful they gave it a chance to begin with, but you know what? I'm not. Part of me wishes there had never been anything called Farscape -- I could then be spending my Sunday morning doing the stuff I should be doing, happily oblivious to what I was missing. ::sigh::

(sorry guys, just hitting a low this a.m. ... will bounce back soon, I'm sure)

[dalantmm]

Originally posted by Dominar of Action
...Part of me wishes there had never been anything called Farscape...

I, too, have felt this way at times. The extended wait for any sign of an interested network is proving to be rather stressful. It is sometimes very difficult to remain in a positive frame of mind. After reading an article about the decline of science fiction earlier this week, I felt somewhat discouraged. But a screening of "Into the Lions Den" reminded me why this show is so special. Maybe there is some truth to that old adage, "It is better to have love and lost than to never have loved at all." So just pop in your favorite episode and you'll feel better in no time.

Thanks VBKatLou for the post!

[RescueFarscape]

At the end of the article:

"You can contact the Save Farscape Campaign via www.savefarscape.com"

Cool!! :thumbs:

[jadeshand]

is that no network, Sci-Fi included, is going to show any active interest in Farscape until the 11 episodes of season 4 are over. We can just be thankful at this point that networks such as Showtime and UPN haven't told us to take a hike.

The bottom line, people, the very BOTTOM line is those ratings. If we can get them over 2.0 or higher, then Henson might possibly be in the position of negotiating with more than one network. How glorious would that be??? :eek: :eek: And much as I hate to think it, that is the only thing that will save a 5th season - RATINGS, RATINGS, RATINGS.

So we have to beat the bushes, torn over every rock, flush out every quarry - we must bring back the casual viewers and drag about <gulp> 600,000 more along with them. In other words, six Neilsens boxes is what we need.

So don't get discouraged because we aren't hearing anything right now. We're not going to hear - not until March, maybe not until next summer - but things are happening and we are getting notice. At this point, let's celebrate the little victories we are having now and save our energies for that massive WorldShattering party we're going to have when Farscape gets renewed!!!
:joy:

[JA_Shipper]

I'm sure that Ben and the others have to be realistic and, even, try not to set themselves up for disappointment which is why they say "the show as we know it is a done deal", but man, it's so sad to read. :(

I hope we can help put the smiles back on the cast and crew's faces again, once the ratings for the final 11 eps of S4 come in and Henson can go back to the negotiating table! :D And Jackie, you're right - if we were to have networks *competing* for the right to make Farscape Season 5, how mind-blowing would that be?? :bounce:

Suse

[DZ_Crasher]

How come all Roswell fans had to do was send in bottles and we have to work so hard? I've seen Roswell... frankly, I didn't like it.

Adi *Feeling bitter . . . will channel that energy to good use soon*

[nightmare2u]

Great Read. Ben Browder is definetly HOT!!!!(sizzling)wears those leather pants great. I may be married, but that cover pic was great.: :love2: :joy:

[Javora]

Originally posted by DZ_Crasher
How come all Roswell fans had to do was send in bottles and we have to work so hard? I've seen Roswell... frankly, I didn't like it.

Adi *Feeling bitter . . . will channel that energy to good use soon*


I don't think I have ever seen such requirements to save a show (granted I have never worked to save a show before). I also worry that we may be setting our selves up for a fall with this 2.0 rating requirement. SG1 didn't even get that high in the ratings and it has been in syndication for a couple of years. Look at UPN or WB those two stations would do pretty well to have a show with the ratings that Farscape had. That is of course you take into account that Farscape is on cable, has been moved around a lot in the time slot, has had little advertising and has been on months long hiatus. I'm not saying that 2.0 can't be done but I think it will be hard to do over 11 episodes.

I think what we need to look at is how well Taken will do. Taken has been advertised to death, was produced by Steven Spielberg, and will be on the same day and time from beginning to end. If taken does not get a 2.0 rating (and I don’t think it will) then I think it will be unreasonable for Sci-Fi to hold Farscape to the same standard. I think what will be a better measure of Farscape’s success is if Farscape can put up the same ratings or close to the same ratings as Taken. Really when Farscape that has had none of the benefits that Taken has puts up similar ratings, Sci-Fi IMHO will not have a leg to stand on.

[Dominar of Action]

But Javora, they unfortunately don't *have* to have a leg to stand on. They can (and have) canceled the show for whatever frelling reasons they wish, none of which necessarily have to do with ratings. Personally, I will consider it a victory if we have consistent ratings in the 1.5-1.7 range -- those ratings were obviously good enough in S1-3 to warrant a two-y..., errr, one-year renewal, and they would be consistent with Sci Fi's precious SG-1 ratings (which, I believe, costs them a helluva lot more than $750,000 per ep to produce). IMO, if they don't go for a S5 with those kinds of ratings, then it's because FS doesn't fit into the new "vision" they have for their network, and if that's the case, even a 3.0 won't change their mind.

[jadeshand]

They are used to getting much higher than that. They CANCEL shows that get 2.0. When Dune was on the Sci-Fi channel it got a 4.4, I wouldn't be surprised if Taken did much better than that. I was in LA last weekend, I've never seen such advertising for a show in my lifetime. You couldn't go one block without seeing Taken posters, billboards - heck, one WHOLE side of a bank was a Taken billboard. And I'm sure that that is Dreamworks doing that, not Sci-Fi.

SG-1 raised the bar for regular Sci-Fi programming with their 1.999. <grin> It is now what Sci-Fi expects its 'expensive' shows to make, so for them to reconsider Farscape, it has to have a 2.0 and maintain that or near that for it to be taken up again.

Look at it this way - Sci-Fi said publicly that the ratings dropped and it was too expensive to produce. If the ratings jump back up and they don't renew, then they will have egg on their faces because their reason for canceling it is no longer there.

[MediaSavant]

Originally posted by DZ_Crasher
How come all Roswell fans had to do was send in bottles and we have to work so hard? I've seen Roswell... frankly, I didn't like it.


Because Roswell hadn't officially been canceled yet. It was "on the bubble". Its ratings were at a point where the decisionmakers could've gone either way. The fans did their effort as the new season decisions were being made and were able to push things to the right side of the bubble.

Our mistake may have been not to realize when Farscape was getting mostly 1.1 ratings all summer--and when AICN posted the 13 episode rumor weeks ahead of cancellation--that it was in the danger zone. Had we started something prior to the decisionmaking, maybe things coulda been different.

But, then, maybe not.

[Javora]

Originally posted by jadeshand
They are used to getting much higher than that. They CANCEL shows that get 2.0.


I was talking about taking into consideration that Farscape was on cable etc. that is why I thought we had a chance with UPN. Given the above logic, what reason would UPN or WB have to pick up Farscape even if Farscape gets a 2.0 on all of the last 11 episodes?

All I am saying is that the 2.0 should not be set in stone as some people think it should, but instead compare Farscape that has no advertising except what we are giving it to SG1 and Taken that has a ton of advertising behind them.

[Zen Blade]

You know...

this article is nice, but it strikes me very badly... this and what Gigi has been quoted as saying...

well, first let me start with why I think the Farscape ratings were so low in the summer.

Personally, I can never figure out WHEN Farscape will and won't be on... it has new episodes then goes on hiatus for 3 or 4 months, then has some new episodes, etc... to ppl who only watch a few shows on Scifi... This CONSTANT varying of being on and off is horribly frustrating... Only during season 1 and some of 2 was I able to figure out the start and ends of seasons... (now I can, but only because I go online to figure it out)... But most fans don't go online much...

Anyways, back to what started me on the topic.

I think it is nearing the point, if it hasn't already reached this point that IT WOULD BE INCREDIBLY hard to do a 5th season, even if some network gave Farscape everything it needed...

The actors and actresses may not be available... And I don't blame them. They have lives, and they have to continue doing film. We can't have Farscape without Ben or Claudia or any of the many other regulars. Sadly, I lose sight of the purpose of our campaign. I wrote to the networks originally, and signed many of those net petitions... and I have turned a few people onto Farscape since the cancelling, and I put "Save Farscape" flyers up and once in a while walk around with a "farscape" banner on my backpack... but I don't see the possibility of a happy ending any more.
Hope is a very important thing.... But I seem to have lost mine somewhere, does anyone know where I might be able to find some?

Sad to think that the best science fiction show on TV will be cancelled come a few months from now... all because of some stupid number crunching. whatever happened to the poor starving artist who could at least live while making their beautiful art. But I guess things always go up in value after the artist's death. Guess I'll start watching wrestling or something that I know will never be cut down in fullstride...

anyways, not giving up, but sometimes the truth demands some attention.

[edited here] BTW, That Dune miniseries thing from a couple years back was... VERY not so good. At one point I was so disgusted I turned off the TV.

-Zen Blade

[Jul]

"Women are smarter than men. I don't argue with my mother. I don't argue with my wife. They're smarter than I am. I know that, okay? I have women on a pedestal because they're better looking, they're smarter, and, dog gone it, I like 'em (laughs)"

you know, you can't help but love a man that knows this fact :devil: