Axiom's Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy

By John J. Joex

Part 1 – A Change is Coming

Lost is truly a phenomenon for television and the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre.   It attracted a wide audience and devoted following that extended beyond just sci fi fans and it changed the attitude that the networks previously had toward scheduling shows from the genre.  It also helped define its era and set a new standard for quality in genre shows and on television in general.  But it did not do all of this by itself.  The groundwork was laid in the years that preceded its debut on ABC in 2004 by other shows that demonstrated a similar focus on quality and desire to expand their appeal beyond just sci fi fans.

The year 1999 kicked off an era that I refer to as “The Second Golden Age” of Science Fiction and Fantasy television with the debut of the much-loved Farscape on the Sci Fi Channel (these days known as Syfy).  This era would see the genre reach new heights and would deliver multiple examples of defining and/or game-c hanging shows and that had wide appeal.  However, the onset of this exciting new epoch was not as apparent during its first few years as it’s always hard to see the era before it has had its true defining moment.  Still, the stand-out shows that sprang up from 1999 to 2003 help set the stage for this period as they pushed the boundaries of the genre and helped it grow and reach new levels.

As I mentioned, Farscape helped usher in this era as it delivered a kick in the side to Science Fiction television and offered a previously unequaled visual experience.  This series came from Jim Henson productions and combined human actors with characters brought to life by a technically advanced version of Muppet-tronics.  As far as special effects, the series took that to the next level as well, delivering close to a cinematic experience.  But what really made Farscape special is that it succeeded in giving us a story to match its visuals and also delivered well-defined characters that emphasized the “human” (alien?  Sebacean?  You know what I mean) element to the series.  Farscape gave us a galaxy-spanning Science Fiction epic, though it also created its own, unique universe that set itself apart from similar series that preceded it in the 90’s like Babylon 5 and Star Trek.  The series could be erratic, though, and at times delivered nearly unwatchable episodes.  But when it soared, it stood out as an exemplary show for the genre.

And just a few years later, FOX decided they would take a stab at a Science Fiction epic of their own and lured over Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon to bring us Firefly.  Just like Farscape, this one managed to avoid the derivative and create a distinctive universe peopled with a human race that had spread its presence throughout the galaxy.  The series mixed Science Fiction elements with a frontier/western feel and also added a mysterious story arc that threaded through the episodes.  And once again like Farscape, this series soared because of its stellar cast which demonstrated that rare chemistry among actors which helped kick the show to the next level.  Unfortunately, FOX never got behind this unique western/sci fi and helped speed it to its demise by airing the episodes out of order and subjecting it to preemptions.  And when the ratings results did not meet their expectations, they quickly axed the show, truncating what most likely would have been the next major franchise for the genre.

But the decade was just starting off and another major event for Science Fiction and Fantasy television would occur in 2003 as the Sci Fi Channel would deliver another significant entry by taking a chance with a reboot and re-imagining of an iconic television series from the late 70’s.  Battlestar Galactica originally hit the small screen in 1978 riding on the wave of the Star Wars frenzy and delivered a family-friendly space epic complete with cute kids and cuddly robot dogs.  The 2003 remake did nothing of the sort, though.  This version kept the idea of the human race on the run from the robotic Cylons who wanted to destroy them, but it took a much darker turn as it focused on humanity’s fight for survival along with the morally questionable decisions that would follow from people in that circumstance.  It also delivered something else not common in Science Fiction television: drama.  Too often the genre veers toward the heady or the melodramatic, but with BSG we received hard-hitting, dramatic stories that bucked the trend and attracted attention from a wider spectrum than just sci fi fans (though it was still ignored by the Emmys in anything other than the technical categories).

Each of these shows helped recharge the genre and push the boundaries of the medium with their advancements in special effects and more sophisticated story-telling.  And, along with other stand-out entries from the first part of the decade like Carnivale on HBO and Jeremiah on Showtime, they would lead the charge for the next wave of Science Fiction and Fantasy shows that would come to dominate the television channels.  These shows would demonstrate higher levels of quality and greater attention to detail than what the genre had delivered over the previous few decades.  But the one thing that these shows failed to deliver was success on the more widely viewed broadcast networks.

While the number of Science Fiction and Fantasy series had boomed over the past decade and into the 21st century, few managed to survive on the broadcast networks.  Star Trek: The Next Generation had led the charge for a revival of the genre beginning in 1987, but that would occur mostly in syndication and on the cable networks as the output in the genre in the 90’s nearly doubled what we saw in the 80’s.  This trend continued at the turn of the millennium, accompanied by the noticeable boost in quality, but the broadcast networks still mostly shunned the shows with elements of Science Fiction and Fantasy. That would change, however, in the Fall of 2004.

Next: Part 2 – Lost for Years, the Networks Find Sci Fi