There are a couple of nice Farscape mentions in this Toronto Star article. Brian Henson is keeping the Farscape flame burning.
Like Father Like Son
Henson carries on cuddly TV legacy
Dinosaurs satire ages well on DVD
By MALENE ARPE
POP CULTURE WRITER
05-05-2006
It is entirely possible Brian Henson is a real live idealist.
"With film and television my feeling always was, you're trying to make the world a better place, but by affecting people in a small way — but millions and millions and millions of people. There are other ways of trying to make the world a better place where you affect people more deeply, but not (while) being able to affect tens of millions at the same time," says the creative leader and co-CEO of the Jim Henson Company.
"I think everything we do is entertainment. That's the most important thing. In terms of messages and thematically, you want to make people think. And if you can make them think for a moment, even if you make them think for five seconds, if 20 million people think about something for five seconds ... that's a good thing."
Henson and his sister Lisa control the entertainment company founded and run by their father Jim until his untimely death in 1990. On the phone from L.A., he speaks quickly as if to allow for as much conversation as possible in the short time allotted.
Kermit the Frog from the Muppets, Rygel from Farscape, Earl from Dinosaurs and countless other adored television characters, human and not so human, owe their existence to the Hensons.
As for devoted Farscape fans willing to grab any sliver of hope the sci-fi show may return, he advises: "I do believe we will do more Farscape. It will not be a continuation of that TV show, because that set of actors and all will not be available. But there will be something else and I am just not sure what, exactly."
Right now the 42-year-old multi-tasker is promoting Disney's DVD release of the first couple of seasons of the 15-year-old sitcom Dinosaurs. Using unique technology crafted in the Henson Creature Shop, Dinosaurs presented the audience with a fairly cookie-cutter sitcom family. Except they were, you know, dinosaurs. It's a show that oddly enough, seems in some ways more politically astute now than when it first aired on ABC.
"Unfortunately I don't think America has done a whole lot to change itself, so when you're satirizing what's absurd about American society, it's mostly still relevant," Henson says.
"The show is about irresponsible actions and irresponsible decisions and that's what dinosaurs keep doing. Professionally they're irresponsible, they're irresponsible environmentally, they're often irresponsible as parents, socially, and how they interact with their community. And that's the fun of dinosaurs, we were always able to take it further than shows with actors.
"Really, we should all be making fun of ourselves. That's how we change: when we realize that we are absurd and we make adjustments to our behaviour. With Dinosaurs we could do a mirror of the audience that went a lot further because it can never offend."
If a show is to communicate any message, it's paramount that a connection is made between the performers and the viewers. With Henson trafficking mostly in creatures (or as in Farscape, a blend of actors and creatures), establishing that connection can be difficult.
"I think truthfully it needs to happen in every production within the first five minutes.... For our shows to work, for the audience to enjoy the show and feel moved by the story, they need to suspend disbelief right early on.... We hope that any show, even if it is the Muppets, even though when your eye tells you it is felt and fur fabric and ping-pong balls, that stops being important and you just believe the character. But then every once in a while you get to throw Kermit against the wall and you go, `Yeah, that's right, he is felt and ping-pong balls.'
Going from the family-friendly Muppets and the current for-kids project, Frances, to the dark side that was Farscape, it's hard to pinpoint where Henson's personal tastes lie. Turns out that doesn't matter, so long as the subject matter at hand captures his imagination.
"I'm all over the place. I think what I like is the fantastic, something we can't find in our everyday lives, then finding ways that it resonates in our everyday lives. I love fantasy, particularly when the story can resonate, and I love science fiction the same way. With comedy I love the absurd celebration of life: comedy that says, you know, life is a ball ... and the moments that upset and frustrate you are actually enormously funny if you can remember that."
Whatever complaints Henson may have about society and the human dinosaurs in charge, he has none about his own professional life. Asked if he may have the best job in the world, he takes a breath for the first time.
"I probably have one of the best .... My favourite thing is actually making the shows. Writing, directing, performing, puppeteering, the making of the characters. And I'm able to do a preschool show for kids, and then go to Australia and do Farscape for adults. I'm very lucky that way."
