I'm in danger of running out of Farscape

[quinron]

Hey folks, as the title suggests, I've been burning through Farscape at a pretty quick clip and am thinking about what to watch next. I've adored this show - the puppets and practical effects, the grubbiness and decayed look of the sets, the charming antipodean-ness of the cast; it's been a great run.

I'm wondering if anyone could recommend me something similar, either TV or movies; I'm not very familiar with the sci-fi media landscape. To preempt some expected suggestions, I'm really not into military fiction - I've tried BSG, Stargate, and B5, and I haven't liked any of them. I'm also not a fan of Star Trek, or at least not TOS, TNG, or the handful of DS9 episodes I've seen; maybe another series would better suit me.

I really like the "fugitives on the run" plots that've been prevalent in Farscape; I think that might just be a trope that appeals to me generically, because I enjoy a lot of non-sci-fi stuff with that setup. Maybe that's a start? I dunno.

I'd also love to talk about Farscape, and if I can get into something you recommend, I'll gladly talk about that with you!

[Rynjin]

I believe Blake's Seven is very "fugitives on the run" but I'm not sure.

There's always Doctor Who, of course.

[quinron]

I believe Blake's Seven is very "fugitives on the run" but I'm not sure.

There's always Doctor Who, of course.

I can't believe I didn't think of Blake's Seven! I keep seeing it mentioned alongside Farscape. I'll have to check it out. Thanks so much!

Sadly I've already seen Doctor Who - enough that if I never see another episode on my life, I think I'll be okay.

[Radar]

Have you seen Firefly? The series was cut short, but what is there is worth watching. There was also a movie continuation called Serenity.

If one of the appeals is a ragtag band of people having to work together, then I cannot help myself not to recommend Cowboy Bebop. It is an episodic series about a bunch of bounty hunters in space. Always low on the money and food, often in need of repairing their clunky spaceship and sometimes actually making profit. In terms of atmosphere it is mostly noir with a lot of comedic moments, but each episode is different in tone.

For something more "fugitive on the run" themed, maybe Lupin III movies? Granted, those are more heist stories, but the general rule of "you have to be alive and free to spend the money" applies in full.

[theNater]

You ever see The Dark Crystal or its prequel series, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance? More fantasy than sci-fi, but the puppet work is top-notch.

[Dire_Flumph]

Looking along the lines of lighter, humorous sci-fi, maybe Red Dwarf?

I know you didn't care for what you saw of Stargate (and it had a fairly poor 1st season in general), but if you liked the cast of Farscape, it had a soft reboot for seasons 9-10. Ben Browder took over as the lead and Claudia Black joined the show as a regular after some time as well.

[Dragonus45]

Hmmmm, so it's nowhere near as goo(absolutely nothing is as consistently good as Farscape really) but Dark Matter might fit the bill for what you are looking for.

[factotum]

This possibly has to be the first time I've ever heard B5 described as "military fiction"! It's so much more than that, how far did you get into it before deciding it wasn't for you?

Also might be worth giving the Expanse a go. Sure, there are military guys and politicians involved, but the main crew are a bunch of people who just got kind of dragged into events beyond their understanding, might be worth doing.

[Yanagi]

Man, Farscape is still the show with the best puppet acting. I watched it on cable TV while it was still being produced, one of the few shows where I actually watched with fellow fans and speculated about the next episode or season.

This is orthogonal because it's such a different show, but...try the Venture Brothers if you're okay with animation. It's more comedic but leans into the same hybrid of serious/unserious with heavy emphasis on character study after the first season, though it's more of a superscience/superhero scifi than space scifi.

Other than that...after you're done with Farscape go watch the Guardians of the Galaxy films and observe that Tim Gunn is a huge fan of the TV show.

[Iruka]

You can give Lexx a try. It is about a misfit crew flying through space on a huge, living starship, on the run from all the authorities in two universes.
I only saw bits and pieces of it, back in the 90's, and liked it. The practical effects probably cannot keep up with Farscape, however.

There is also Andromeda, based on an idea by Gene Roddenberry, about a misfit crew flying through space on a huge, living starship. Well kinda, the ship has an AI with an android avatar. They are not exactly fugitives, but at odds with most of the big powers, trying to restore an intergalactic Commonwealth after the ship was trapped in a black hole for some centuries.

[Dire_Flumph]

This possibly has to be the first time I've ever heard B5 described as "military fiction"! It's so much more than that, how far did you get into it before deciding it wasn't for you?

I get where he's coming from. There's a difference between a rag-tag group of survivors in an an action show (Farscape, Firefly, Cowboy Bebop) and a show where characters are part of a larger armed organization. Most of the main human cast of B5 are in the military (One of the titles of B5's commander is "military governor"). The characters form and are part of organized military groups. It's like arguing Star Trek isn't a military show. You can make some points in favor of that stance, but you have to ignore large parts of the structure.

But yeah, there's a lot more to the show than spaceship fights, and I'll take any opportunity to push B5 I can get. Even though the show didn't really "click" for me until partway into season 2 (It's not that the show magically got better, though it did, but I finally understood how much heavy lifting season 1 was doing getting pieces of the story into place)

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Radar
Have you seen Firefly?

Firefly would be my first suggestion. Ragtag crew trying to make ends meet, often pursued or in trouble with the law. Also quirky and hilarious.

Serenity is the movie that follows the series, in which they're really in trouble and pursued by the authorities. Fast, fun, and worthwhile.

[comicshorse]

I believe Blake's Seven is very "fugitives on the run" but I'm not sure.

There's always Doctor Who, of course.

I LOVE 'Blake's 7' but it was made in the 70's and on a BBC sci-fi budget (i.e 3 pence and piece of string) so just be prepared for that when you watch it.


Posted by Iruka

You can give Lexx a try. It is about a misfit crew flying through space on a huge, living starship, on the run from all the authorities in two universes.
I only saw bits and pieces of it, back in the 90's, and liked it. The practical effects probably cannot keep up with Farscape, howeve

r.

Be warned that quality wise Lexx pretty much falls off a cliff after the first two seasons

[Dragonus45]

You can give Lexx a try. It is about a misfit crew flying through space on a huge, living starship, on the run from all the authorities in two universes.
I only saw bits and pieces of it, back in the 90's, and liked it. The practical effects probably cannot keep up with Farscape, however.

There is also Andromeda, based on an idea by Gene Roddenberry, about a misfit crew flying through space on a huge, living starship. Well kinda, the ship has an AI with an android avatar. They are not exactly fugitives, but at odds with most of the big powers, trying to restore an intergalactic Commonwealth after the ship was trapped in a black hole for some centuries.

Oh man I had totally forgotten about Lexx, but you gotta pack some bags before watching it because it is a trip. I remember also watching it a bunch on tv in the USA and then re watching the unedited versions after it ended but it's all a bit of a blur now. Just if you watch this be ready for some hilariously over the top sex and violence.

[quinron]

Thanks for all the responses! I've seen parts of about half of what's been recommended, but it may be worth buckling back into some of them.

Dire_Flumph hit the nail on the head - B5 isn't "military" per se, but the same thing that puts me off Star Trek is what puts me off it: I've just never been a fan of sci-fi media where the people we're following are the people "in charge." Chalk it up to growing up on an almost exclusively A New Hope-based diet.

That said, I may check out the late Stargate seasons; I knew Browder and Black came in, but I didn't realize to what extent the show was retooled. My fondness for the actors may overcome my lack of love for the genre.

And I'll definitely have to check out Dark Matter and Andromeda. I've never heard of the former, and I'd been under the impression that Andromeda was just kind of a low-rent Star Trek. "Fugitives on the run in a living ship" is such a weirdly specific genre and appeals to me so much that I cannot rest until I've seen every show that fits the criteria. Which probably means I'll be revisiting Lexx if I can - I found that show to be immensely fun, I just couldn't find it to watch through to the end.

[Palanan]

And Firefly?

[quinron]

And Firefly?

Oh, yeah - seen it. I might check it out again, seeing as it's so short. I like it, but I've never gotten the insane degree of praise it gets; Farscape has certainly been both better and weirder, IMO.

[Dragonus45]

T
Dire_Flumph hit the nail on the head - B5 isn't "military" per se, but the same thing that puts me off Star Trek is what puts me off it: I've just never been a fan of sci-fi media where the people we're following are the people "in charge." Chalk it up to growing up on an almost exclusively A New Hope-based diet.

Spoiler: B5 full series spoilers

Show

I guess that is what throws me off, because soooo much of B5 is about telling the people "In Charge"to kick rocks and rebelling against them. From corrupt governments to benign god alien energy people and everything in between the shows themes are all about rebellion.

[Bugbear]

Well...


Star Trek Enterprise: it's not too "military" as the show is set before the "Starfleet" . The show has it's moments.

Star Trek Voyager: crew of misfits lost in space all alone with no "Starfleet'. Has episodes that range from good to way beyond awful.

Star Trek Discovery: Is very anti military progressive.....you might like it.

Stargate Universe: Lone ship lost in space...much more light military.

Andromeda: Lone ship and crew to save the universe, anti military to a crazy extreme.

Dark Matter: Lone ship..universe...with a great story. Worth a watch.

Lost in Space(new Netflix one): a family lost in space. Worth a watch.

Warehouse 13: secret agents saving the world from dangerous artifacts. It has a fun vibe, but also serious.

The Librarians:secret agents saving the world from dangerous artifacts. It has a fun vibe, but also serious.

Chuck: much more spy then military...and sci fi spy too...but also has a huge fun vibe. But serious too.

Westworld: Lots of high drama, with AI and the meaning of life. Good show.

Handmaden's Tale: high drama in the 21st century dystopian non-America....it's deep.

Altered Carbon: Lots of drama in a sci fi setting. Worth a watch.

Orphan Black: some nice sci fi drama.

Timeless: smart time travel show. It's very good.

Daredevil: the blind superhero lawyer. This was a great show.

And......


Battlestar Galactica (the reboot 2003 ): Ok....this one is military cranked up to 11(or like 20). But it's one of the best shows of all time. So....you might want to give it a chance.

[quinron]

Well...

I may have to check out Voyager, if that's the plot - I think what I really enjoy about Farscape is the sense of not having any allies or safe havens, which means that extreme tensions between core cast members can be as dangerous as external threats and thus their positive relationships feel a lot more potent to me. I might also check out Orphan Black, as it keeps being mentioned alongside shows I really love.

[Rynjin]

I may have to check out Voyager, if that's the plot - I think what I really enjoy about Farscape is the sense of not having any allies or safe havens, which means that extreme tensions between core cast members can be as dangerous as external threats and thus their positive relationships feel a lot more potent to me. I might also check out Orphan Black, as it keeps being mentioned alongside shows I really love.

If that's what you want from Voyager, don't bother. It takes the effort to setup what should be an insane level of conflict within the crew (about half the crew is made up of former deserters/rebels against the Federation) and it NEVER comes up as a plot point after the first two episodes. You can imagine they don't really bother with much inter-crew clashes outside of that, either.

[Kitten Champion]

As to suggestions, have you seen Cowboy Bebop? It's got certain unconventional elements similar to Farscape.

[Radar]

As to suggestions, have you seen Cowboy Bebop? It's got certain unconventional elements similar to Farscape.

And one thing I did not mention before is the amazing background music - just look at the opening. One might think that jazz (and blues) music does not fit a sci-fi setting, but it works perfectly.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Bugbear
Orphan Black: some nice sci fi drama.

Originally Posted by jinjitsu
I might also check out Orphan Black, as it keeps being mentioned alongside shows I really love.

This is the first time I can recall Orphan Black being mentioned here.

As it happens, it’s one of my absolute favorite shows. Watch the first two episodes and see what you think.

[quinron]

This is the first time I can recall Orphan Black being mentioned here.

As it happens, it’s one of my absolute favorite shows. Watch the first two episodes and see what you think.

Heh, I meant in other places. Like I'll go looking shows of for certain genres that I like, and Orphan Black will be on the list.

[AgentofOdd]

Out of curiosity, would you be interested in reading the various Farscape comics? Though I wouldn't read them just yet since they start at the end of the Peacekeeper Wars miniseries.

[Giggling Ghast]

A couple of warnings I feel compelled to make:

Dark Matter: Lone ship..universe...with a great story. Worth a watch.

Unfortunately, it was cancelled after three seasons and ended on a cliffhanger that will now never be resolved.

Altered Carbon: Lots of drama in a sci fi setting. Worth a watch.

Cancelled after two seasons, though I have no idea if it had any hanging plot threads.

Daredevil: the blind superhero lawyer. This was a great show.

Also cancelled after three seasons, though hope springs eternal for a revival. However, the issue with Daredevil is that it ties in with three other Netflix series, and only some of these are good. (I just threw up in my mouth at the thought of watching Season 1 of Iron Fist again.)

[quinron]

A couple of warnings I feel compelled to make:



Unfortunately, it was cancelled after three seasons and ended on a cliffhanger that will now never be resolved.



Cancelled after two seasons, though I have no idea if it had any hanging plot threads.



Also cancelled after three seasons, though hope springs eternal for a revival. However, the issue with Daredevil is that it ties in with three other Netflix series, and only some of these are good. (I just threw up in my mouth at the thought of watching Season 1 of Iron Fist again.)

As I mentioned up the thread, I got into Doctor Who a while back, and I once went on a "supernatural soap" kick that lasted almost 2 years but only got me through 3 shows (Buffy, Angel, and all of Supernatural that had come out to that point, which I believe was seasons 1-6). I'm super on board for shorter-term stuff right now.

I liked Daredevil and Jessica Jones alright, but the only one of the Marvel shows I got really invested in was Luke Cage. Mike Colter's just so damn likeable.

[False God]

This is a great list, so I'm just gonna piggyback.

Well...
Star Trek Enterprise: it's not too "military" as the show is set before the "Starfleet" . The show has it's moments.

Star Trek Voyager: crew of misfits lost in space all alone with no "Starfleet'. Has episodes that range from good to way beyond awful.

Star Trek Discovery: Is very anti military progressive.....you might like it.

Based on the OP's preferences, I doubt they'd enjoy Enterprise of Voyager. Much of Voyagers "misfit crew" goes away after about the 3rd season or so, and from then on it's pretty par for the course Trek. There's certainly a more "explorative" feel, but it's definitely an organized group.

I do agree to an extent with Discovery, it's very much a cast of personalities. There are military dynamics, but it has a much more "rogue units" feel rather than "extension of the Federation".

Stargate Universe: Lone ship lost in space...much more light military.

And very heavy on young people drama. Also short series. Was overall not very impressed. The ship is also on "rails" traveling from A-B (wherever B is) and the crew has no control over it. So, lone bus lost in space, sure.

Andromeda: Lone ship and crew to save the universe, anti military to a crazy extreme.

Gotta agree there are some Farscape vibes here, but it's important to note that that one of the main goals of the show is to reestablish essentially what is this setting's federation. Also some where philosophical gobbly-**** you gotta kinda ignore.

Lost in Space(new Netflix one): a family lost in space. Worth a watch.

A good show...with the caveat that you must enjoy watching smart people to stupid things for the sake of TV drama.

----
To add: The Expanse has many of the OP's desired elements in the first season or so. (I enjoyed season 1 and 2, but not the rest). Again, the show has the issue that you have to be able to watch otherwise smart and clever people make stupid choices for the sake of TV drama.

OP: if you enjoyed Farscape and Firefly, you might also enjoy the anime Outlaw Star (if you haven't seen it already). If you get strong "this feels a lot like Firefly vibes" well...now you know where Firefly got its ideas.

[quinron]

OP: if you enjoyed Farscape and Firefly, you might also enjoy the anime Outlaw Star (if you haven't seen it already). If you get strong "this feels a lot like Firefly vibes" well...now you know where Firefly got its ideas.

Thanks - I've actually been looking for anime worth watching recently. It takes something really special these days to get me to wade into the shonen swamp, and I've had trouble finding seinen shows that are 1) fantasy and sci-fi, b) not too grim and depressing (Bebop's reputation for this is why I've been dragging my feet on it), and c) not too horny (which I admit sounds hypocritical given I said I really enjoyed Lexx).

On that topic, actually - since people have been really helpful already, could someone recommend me some anime with alien/monstrous creatures in the core cast? I've already gushed over the puppets and effects on Farscape, if that gives you an idea of the vibe I'm after. It just seems that even in the shows with all sorts of fun, wacky non-humans, they're relegated to short-term villains - the best you tend to get are functionally human "monsters" like a Hiei or a Viral. This is part of why My Hero Academia got me to dip my toe back into shonen - the heroes are still mostly human, but there are some fun and weird designs in there like Tape Boy and Squidward and Principal Rat.