Topic: Question #2: How do you like to 'Scape new viewers?

[Kurt Armbruster]

How do you attract your friends, family, or even total strangers to Farscape?

What have you done, or are you doing presently to spread the Wonders of Farscape to people who have never seen it before?

As always, you can reply by:

• Replying directly to this thread.
• Write it in an email, and send it to feedback@scapecast.org
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We look forward to your replies, and who knows, you may even hear your answer on our next show!

[Roxy641]

A friend from a sci-fi group asked about Farscape,
so I lent him the Premeire episode, so I'm looking
forward to see what he made of it.

Roxy641

[jerseygirl]

I modify my tactics depending on how skeptical people are. If they're easy-going, I just kind of take 'em by the arm, sit 'em down, pop in a DVD and say "watch this!" Sometimes, though, it takes a little more preparation. When the subject of favorite shows or just sci-fi in general comes up, I'll bring up Farscape. I'll start to talk about the show and then say, "but you really need to see it to understand". Eventually I wear them down.

My funniest effort to Scape someone was at a company party, when my company had just merged with another, and we were all meeting one another for the first time. I started talking a guy from the other group and somehow the subject of sci-fi came up. (Keep in mind we'd all had a bit to drink.) Well, I don't know who mentioned it first, but it turned out we were both trying to Scape the other one! We were both practically on the floor, laughing!

[piperchick]

Howdy! I scaped my younger brothers by making a deal with them... watch an episode of Farscape and I'd take them out for ice cream. We never made it out for the ice cream. We watch Farscape to the early morning. They absolutly loved PKW and now they are trying to scape our parents and their friends!

For my college friends its more of knowing what they like in general and then showing how Farscape meets their criteria. It either, "oh look at the romance and character relationships between them all!" or "look at all the gun fighting and butt kicking!" or if all else fails, " there is a hot guy in leather and a hot girl in leather" that pretty much gets all their attentions. Then its on to the music videos made by the fans, they are such a great tool to use to start getting their appetites wet.   

[quatermass]

Yo ho,

Well I must admit, out of all the sci-fi shows I've seen, this is probably the only one that I adamantly think people should watch.  Every year around spring time I have this mad craving to watch Farscape.  A few years back I was kinda feeling blue and I remember that Farscape was one of those smalls things that seemed to brighten my day.  Episodes like the Liars Guns and Money trilogy and one where they bust in to the Scarran stronghold just got me pumped.  I grew up watching Trek and most every other sci-fi show, and I did happen to catch the first season of Farscape on YTV in Canada, but I never had the opportunity to check out any other season.  When I finally got to see the whoel series, it seemed that it no bounds, crazy dren went down all the time.  Everything was a gross exageration of previous science fiction television shows, and I thought it owned pretty hard.  Needless to say spring time rolled around again, and I had this wanton desire to consume Farscape again.  I pulled out my DVD collection and checked out key eps that I haven't seen for a while.  Basically by this point, I'm so pumped about farscape that I pretty much need somebody to watch it with.  So I'll call up all my boys to have them check out some deadly sci-fi action.  Basically we'll spend Sunday doing up homework, watching sci-fi and drinking beer which usually ends up being pretty productive.  All in all I think the best way to get people pumped about farscape is to just have them over to enjoy it with you.  If they're your friends and they don't know about it, just fire up some bitchin' eps and have a good time, that's usually what I do.  Most people don't really care for it, but when they seem to get the idea, they want to check it out too.  I have to say this is the only sci-fi that I'll put myself out for, nothing else seems to deserve it as much.  Thanks.

quatermass

[sandymg]

I'm a Farscape newbie and just yesterday finished watching the last show of the series. I still have the miniseries to go. Part of me wants to wait and savor. Onto the topic of 'scaping new viewers, I've found myself appealing to folks I know loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The shows have a similar sensibility that once you've watched a few episodes becomes quite obvious. I think that Farscape appeals to those who are looking to be surprised, amused, challenged and sometimes just plain ol knocked in the gut emotionally. Yet despite its outer space setting I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to a sci-fi fan. Just as Buffy wouldn't necessarily appeal to a horror fan. The Buffy connection lets someone "get it" faster than endless explaining does.

If that fails I just quote "the Federation Starship SS Buttcrack." It can't get better than that. 

[dalantmm]

Yea, another Buffy fan!

There's been plenty of Firefly/Serenity love happening, but it's good to see Sunnydale representin'. I agree that the two shows have a very similar appeal.

[Brent Barrett]

<shameless Buffy-Scape plug>

Buffy Scapers might find this fun:

http://www.johnaeryn.com/downloads/videos/images/Theories.shtml

</shameless Buffy-Scape plug>

[Wendy Hembrock]

Yay, another Buffy/Angel/Browncoat checking in!  I do agree that the appeal of these shows is quite similar to why I love Farscape - the stories, the characters, the drama, and the humour.

Maybe the Hellmouth has a wormhole connection to the Uncharted Territories?   

[sandymg]

<shameless Buffy-Scape plug>

Buffy Scapers might find this fun:

http://www.johnaeryn.com/downloads/videos/images/Theories.shtml

</shameless Buffy-Scape plug>

Thank you! That was hilarious. I almost fell off my chair at the bunnies. That has to be the ultimate TV trivia question don't you think -- Name two TV dramas that featured main characters in bunny suits? 

[Nicola Wood]

Excellent trivia question!

Except for bunnies....

[HezmanaGirl]

For me that's easy! I have a DVD player in my car, and on car trips I bring some of my favorite eps and just put them in.(Captive audiences are GREAT!) If "Meltdown" or "Out of Their Minds" doesn't pique their interest, I don't know what will!  I also put some DVDs when we have friends over as "background" noise and everytime I do... someone has to peek and see what it's about. I've lent out my boxed sets so many times I actually need to write down who has it and when they picked it up. Usually people zip through them so they're surprised when they find out there was only four seasons! Of course they're VERY happy when I hand them PKW and they find out it's three hours long. 'SCAPE THE PLANET!

[CatherineBruce]

I do what I can when I try to scape people.

I've lent the willing and interesting my DVDs, giving them a disc or two at a time (and they usually come back, bwahaha!)

I showed a friend in another fandom some of my Farscape videos, and have offered to send her copies until she can get her own.

I try to tell The Dubious that its NOT just a space show in puppets, attempt to explain the characters and some of the basic story lines.

If they're into the angst, I tell them that Farscape is the show for them.  The same for Romance.  The same for Humor.  I try to sell the show to people based on what I know their likes are.

When I'm at work, especially if its during a shift of CQ or some other detail that takes hours but involves a lot of free time, I'll bring my laptop and just watch episodes, trying to get the others there to watch with me.

That's how I try to scape people. 

And I can be a tad relentless.  Muahaha!

[Xallanthia]

I've had the most success with people who are scifi fans already... in fact, I don't think any of my scifi friends have escaped the Farscape net.  I often do it by trading shows--I give them Scape, they give me Star Trek, Buffy/Angel, Stargate.

Of course it's really funny when we're all together and someone says, "so which one is the best?"

The original airing of the miniseries was great, too.  I talked it up for WEEKS and even my friend who'd only EVER seen the eyes-pulled-out scene from ACN (he managed to catch THAT SCENE *twice* in re-runs) came out.  We had half scapers, half newbies.

[PkGrl]

Back when the show was new and on regularly (long, long time ago now ) I record the eps and then edit out the commercials and loan them to friends.  I started with friends who I knew liked scifi, and got them all hooked almost instantly.  Once the DVDs started to come out, I began loaning them and the circle of Scapers grew around me.

Once the cancellation was announced and the fan movement began, I scaped my truck by putting a beautiful Farscape wrap on it.  I got several others interested just because of my obvious devotion.   Others I met casually (at a parking lot, the doctor's office, etc) were interested in the art and promised to watch once I told them when it was on.

Farscape sells itself, so it was pretty easy.