Smell the Movies
Smell the TV
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| Transmitted: | March 1999 - March 2003 |
| Country of origin: | Australia / USA |
| Genre: | Space opera |
| Starring: | Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Anthony Simcoe, Lani John Tupu, Jonathan Hardy, Virginia Hey, Gigi Edgley |
| Rating: | 5/5 |
| No. of seasons: | 4, plus 2 episode miniseries |
Dubbed 'Muppets in Space' due to the Jim Henson Workshop connection, that pejorative is massively unfair.
The premise:
John Crichton, a present day astronaut, is sent on a test flight with new technology. Once in outer space, his vessel is caught in some form of eddy and blasted into a wormhole which transports him....somewhere.
Taken aboard a vessel known as Moya - a living ship - Crichton finds himself on the run from a force known as Peacekeepers, along with a motley collection of fellow fugitives.
Zhaan: the living plant.
Aeryn: One time Peacekeeper.
D'Argo: a Luxan warrior with a bad temper.
Rygel: A foul smelling dwarf-like creature.
Pilot: The, erm, pilot. Reptilian. Multi-armed.
Banding together, they struggle on through space, salvaging, stealing, just about surviving.
Ranked number 4 on the all time list of cult TV shows, this is an epic space opera delivered with real conviction.
An Australian/USA co-production, the famous Antipodean sardonic humour is a triumph, giving the scripts real edge.
With bad blood flowing constantly, rivalries forming, distrust and even contempt rife on occasion, this is as far removed from the cosy world of Roddenberry era Star Trek as is possible to get whilst within the confines of the same genre.
Diverse characters, stunning visuals, jaw-dropping set designs and really, really good stories make this an absolute must for sci-fi fans.
Yep, the two puppets used - Rygel and Pilot - are problematic to begin with, you soon learn to adjust and just go with the flow.
Absolutely brilliant.
Find an episode guide here:
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