10 Mind-Blowing Facts You Never Knew About Farscape

Farscape enjoyed some of its best ratings during its second and third seasons. Which made it no surprise when the American cable channel Sci-Fi ordered two more seasons to be produced.

However, Sci-Fi pulled the plug on a fifth season, citing high production costs and declining ratings as the cause. The announcement came as a shock to producers and cast, who were preparing to film the final, cliff-hanger episode of the fourth season. Producer David Kemper and Ben Browder leaked the news in a chat room sending an immediate reaction throughout the fanbase.

Spacers rallied together in what was then known as one of the largest fan campaigns in television history. They called, sent letters, and sent emails to not only Sci-Fi execs, but also executives of other stations in attempts to renew interest in a fifth season. This was long before Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, and other social media titans were being used as effectively as they are today.

Fans used what was at their disposal. In order to raise ratings, some Spacers organized press kits, purchased ads in newspapers, and actively attempted to find new audiences to boost ratings. At one point, Scapers even sent packages of crackers to Sci-Fi executives, referencing a popular episode, "Crackers Don't Matter."

Final efforts, suggested by Kemper in another chat discussion was the possibility of fans funding the final season, cutting Sci-Fi out of the equation. Though even with the donations that came in, it didn't cover the entire $1.5 cost per episode.

Though the campaign wasn't a complete success, the interest helped Co-Producer Brian Henson secure funding with key financiers and negotiate with Sci-Fi in the creation of the 3-hour mini-series, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars.