Farscapeseason 4’s finale unexpectedly became the show’s last episode when the show was canceled in 2003, but the space opera’s unceremonious conclusion was quietly celebrated by one of its biggest rivals. Of course, less competition is arguably always good news for competing sci-fi shows, butone project directly benefited in an incredibly specific way whenFarscapeended. The show in question would likely have continued to thrive either way, but it still gained an unexpected advantage.
As a collaboration between Syfy and the Jim Henson Company (yes, ofMuppetsfame), some ofFarscape’s best characterswere brought to life via intricate puppetry. The show was praised for its innovative approach to the space opera genre, includingFarscape’s refusal to make space navigation easylike it was in so many of its contemporaries.Moya’s starburst also madeFarscapeunpredictable, but for all the show’s original twists, it wasn’t able to avoid being axed. Thankfully,two ofFarscape’s biggest stars landed on their feetin similar roles.
Ben Browder & Claudia Black Both Joined Stargate SG-1, Two Years After Farscape’s Cancelation
A rival Syfy shows gained 2 new stars from a defunct project
John Crichton (Ben Browder) and Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black) were part of the mainFarscapecast throughout. The show ended on a massive cliffhanger and also put the acting duo out of work for a bit. That said, they weren’t unemployed for long, as they had both been invited to become part of theStargate SG-1castby 2005, just two years afterFarscapeended. Also a Syfy project,SG-1kept both actors busy for the show’s final two seasonsbefore it too was canceled in 2007. Thankfully, the cancelation was expected, soSG-1didn’t end with a cliffhanger.
Black even voiced Vala Mal Doran in seven episodes of theStargate SG-1podcast between 2008 and 2012, but Browder never returned to the franchise afterContinuum.
Browder played Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell inStargate SG-1, and Black was cast as Vala Mal Doran. They appeared in 40 and 29 episodes of the show respectively, but also reprised their roles after it ended.Stargatemovies continued to be made in the wake of the show’s 2007 cancelation, and bothBrowder and Black returned once more in 2008’sStargate: The Ark of Truth, andStargate: Continuumin that same year. Black even voiced Vala Mal Doran in seven episodes of theStargate SG-1podcast between 2008 and 2012, but Browder never returned to the franchise afterContinuum.
Both Actors Returned For 1 Final Farscape Adventure Before Joining The Stargate Universe
Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars rescued the original show’s biggest loose ends
Syfy made a slight U-turn after cancelingFarscape. There was such demand from the devoted fan base to see how the story ended that a two-part mini-series was commissioned.Farscape: The Peacekeeper Warsserved as a direct sequel to the original show, and was released in 2004 - after the original show was axed, but before Browder and Black’sStargaterespective debuts. In late 2004, Black became part of the world ofStargateSG-1in season 8, episode 12, “Prometheus Unbound,” whereas Browder entered the fray in the 2005 season 9 premiere, “Avalon: Part One.”
Aeryn’s Final Words in Farscape Complete Her Complex Character Arc In the Most Rewarding Way
Aeryn Sun remains one of the best and most complex characters on the Farscape roster, and the comics offer a fitting finale to her story arc.
The Peacekeeper Warsoriginally consisted of two episodes, although it has also been edited into a feature-length movie. Browder and Black reprised their original roles and helped wrap up the saga. It’s uncommon for a show’s cancelation to be addressed in this way, which proves just how underratedFarscapewas during its original run. It could easily have joined the pile of unfinished tales, but Syfy clearly decided it owed the cast and fans a proper ending rather than the frustratingly open-ended finale that season 4 provided.
Browder & Black’s Both Making The Jump To Stargate SG-1 Proves How Good They Were Together In Farscape
Crichton & Aeryn’s dynamic was one of Farscape’s best elements
Stargate SG-1had no real requirement to bring Ben Browder or Claudia Black into the fold. The show was already densely populated with a rich array of characters. However, Syfy obviously felt likeboth actors still had something great to offer in the wake ofFarscape’s surprise cancelation, and so made room for them among theSG-1cast. Furthermore, the fact they came as a pair speaks volumes about how well they complimented one another during their time together onFarscape.
If only one member of theFarscapeduo had been invited to be part of theStargateSG-1cast, the benefits wouldn’t have been quite so clear.
Black and Browder carried the natural chemistry they’d already displayed inFarscapeintoStargate SG-1. They may not have shared quite so many scenes in the latter as they did in the former, but their experience of working together was definitely on show each time Browder’sSG-1character crossed paths with Black’s. If only one member of theFarscapeduo had been invited to be part of theStargateSG-1cast, the benefits wouldn’t have been quite so clear.
Farscape
Cast
Farscape is a sci-fi television series that initially premiered in 2004 and was created by Rockne S. O’Bannon. Astronaut John Crichton is sucked into a wormhole across the universe after an experimental flight goes haywire, setting him onboard a ship with a crew of several different alien races. Stuck in space and on the run from a nefarious organization known as the Peacekeepers, John and company work together to make it day-by-day while trying to maintain peace throughout the universe - as much as possible
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a sci-fi adventure television series spin-off set in the Stargate Universe, initially created by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. Set roughly a year after the film’s events; the story takes place after it becomes known that the Stargate technology allows those who use it to travel across different planets. With several teams dispatched to perform recon and defend the Earth from potential extraterrestrial threats, the series follows the titular team SG-1 of the U.S. Air Force as they face several alien threats.
