Farscape went off the air before TV Squad even materialized into existence. Being the prompt person I am (note the sarcasm), I finally had the chance to watch the complete series right before the new year. What struck me most about the show was its spiritualism and fantasy elements.

The science behind it was crap. Even the scientist character of Jool made note of this in one of the episodes. Farscape was more of a fantasy with some scientific window dressing, much like the Star Wars movies. It speaks volumes when the central hero has the initials "J.C." like some religious icons we know.

We've talked before about the new Stargate movies, and there are some rumblings and details coming out about the project. Production dates have now been set with the first movie to begin shooting in April, and the second in June. The studio is planning for a fall release, not long after the series raps up. But that isn't the best part. According to a new article at Gateworld, if DVD sales of the movies warrant it, the studio is looking to make this an ongoing franchise. It's no season 11, but it could signal a change in the way our television is delivered.

In other Stargate news, IGN has an interview with Michael Shanks. They start out talking about the company he started with Christopher Judge, Slacktwaddle. Together, the two have produced a calendar and DVD of the women of sci-fi that is available to order on their website. Perfect for festivus gift giving, and it features Michael's wife Lexa Doig, who is ridiculously beautiful. Later in the interview they get in to what it means to Michael to have had this amazing run with Stargate and what it has been like working with Claudia Black. There are also some details for the end of the series and the movies, and they do contain spoilers. Good stuff, and worth a look.

[ Thanks Mack Swift! ]

Taking a page out of the Law & Order and CSI handbooks, MGM Television is considering a third Stargate series to run concurrently with veterans Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. This is according to MGM TV executive vice-president Charles Cohen.

On the heels of the upcoming 200th episode of SG-1, whose 10th season begins July 14th on the Sci-Fi Channel, Cohen is discussing a feature film derived from the series. That film would then dovetail into a third Stargate show. However, that doesn't mean that SG-1 would end for the movie to appear. In fact, Cohen believes that the movie could run while the series was still producing first-run episodes.

According to Cohen, Stargate SG-1 represents the same sort of franchise on television as the James Bond series does; while it is good financially it also keeps their name in the marketplace. He proves this by putting more money into new episodes, hiring new people such as Beau Bridges, Ben Browder and Claudia Black (both formerly of another Sci-Fi channel show, Farscape), and bringing back old favorites like Richard Dean Anderson's Jack O'Neill.

 

 

Jen will have a better discussion of tonight's episode than I could offer, but I just watched the first just-under-eight minute long intro segment to the latest episode of Stargate SG-1, and, I just had to post the following: John Crichton (Ben Browder) and Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black) are frellin' amazing in this show, too!

I mean, sure, as Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell, Browder isn't fast-babbling as many pop-cultural references as he did on Farscape, and, as Vala, Claudia Black isn't quite as uptight as Aeryn Sun used to be, but their performances are very very similar to those characters. Stargate SG-1's new feel is rather Farscape-ish. All we need are a few muppets bouncing around the place having weird alien-sex to really complete the fusion of these two shows. Well, that and a really cool living space ship.

So, I want to know a few things from our wonderful TV Squad readership:

1. Before this season, were you a Farscape fan, were you a Stargate SG-1 fan, or were you a fan of both?
2. Do you like, love, or frelling hate this new quasi cross-over of the Farscape and Stargate universes?

Please share your answers in the comments. So far, I kind of like the change, because I've been a fan of both shows (although Farscape was a far better show than Stargate has ever been, even when it was a movie, imho).