Father Geek here, thought you'd want to know about this...

The Farscape sets have been struck, but the fears of many fans have not be realised for they have not been destroyed, but are simply in storage. This is probably because other networks have expressed an interest in acquiring Farscape. Both Showtime and UPN have expressed interest.

Showtime would be a better bet as it is a pay channel and it judges it's success on the number of subscriptions the channel receives and not by a show's ratings as SciFi does. It also loves shows which are critics' darlings which Farscape definately is.

UPN is also after a companion SciFi show to Enterprise. I haven't seen the season finale of Enterprise (I heard it was good enough, though), but I have seen the majority of the episodes and I think Farscape is head and shoulders above it. Enterprise is a little generic and could do with more arc plots a la DS9, but it certainly isn't as Drennish* as Voyager became.

The older UPDATE info from LOTTA about addresses, etc... appears below... Don't stop writing if you care, the buzzzzzz can carry over to a new network...

The sets are set to be struck THIS WEDNESDAY!!! Time is of the essence!!!

This will hopefully help direct the letters to the appropriate person, the one who is actually in a position to do something about it! Please note that as I read the info below, Barry Diller and Michael Jackson seem to be the two people that could have real influence on this! Sources listed at end of email.

- The Sci-Fi Channel is owned by USA Cable Entertainment.

- USA Cable Entertainment is owned by Vivendi Universal Entertainment.

-Vivendi Universal Entertainment (VUE) is a joint venture between Vivendi Universal (owns about 93%) and USA Interactive (owns about 6%)

-Vivendi Universal is a French company, is traded on NYSE as "V", and also owns Universal Music Group and Universal Studios

-USA Interactive (used to be "USA Networks") is a U.S. company, is traded on Nasdaq as "USAI", and controls the Home Shopping Network, Ticketmaster, and Expedia

Therefore, as the Sci-Fi Channel and USA Network (www.usanetwork.com) are sister channels, complaining to USA Network may not do much to help, and USA Interactive is only a 6% shareholder in VUE.

Here is updated info from Hoovers, which also correlates with what is on the company websites:

USA Cable Entertainment Company HQ Address

• 1230 Avenue of the Americas
• New York, NY 10020
• Phone: 212-413-5000
• Fax: 212-413-6524

USA SUITS...

• President, SCI-FI Channel: Bonnie Hammer
• President and CEO, USA Cable Entertainment: Michael Jackson
• President, Emerging Networks: Patrick Vien
• President, Entertainment: Angela Mancuso
• President, Advertising Sales: Jeff Lucas
• SVP and General Advertising Sales Manager, SCI-FI Channel: David Safran

Vivendi UNIVERSAL Entertainment Company HQ Address

• 152 W. 57th St.
• New York, NY 10019
• Phone: 212-314-7300
• Fax: 212-314-7309

Front Office SUITS...

• Chairman and CEO: Barry Diller
• President and COO: Ron Meyer
• EVP and CFO: Frederick D. Huntsberry
• Chairman and CEO, Universal Television Group: Michael Jackson
• President, Studios USA Programming: Sarah Timberman
• President, USA Television Production Group: David Kissinger
• COO, USA Entertainment: David Goldhill

Vivendi Universal Company HQ Address

• 42 avenue de Friedland
• 75380 Paris Cedex 08, France
• Phone: 011-33-1-71-71-10-00
• Fax: 011-33-1-71-71-11-79

Home office SUITS...

• Chairman and CEO: Jean-René Fourtou
• COO: Jean-Bernard Levy
• EVP Marketing Strategy and Customer Relationship: Bruno Delecour
• EVP Public Relations: Catherine Gros

USA Interactive Company HQ Address

152 W. 57th St.
• New York, NY 10019
• Phone: 212-314-7300
• Fax: 212-314-7309

More USA SUITS...

• Chairman and CEO: Barry Diller
• Vice Chairman: Victor A. Kaufman
• EVP and CFO: Mr. Dara Khosrowshahi
• SVP Marketing: Sarah H. Beatty
• SVP Strategic Planning: Daniel Marriott
• VP Investor Relations: Roger Clark

Sources:

http://www-2.hoovers.com/co/capsule/7/0,2163,105967,00.html

http://www.vivendiuniversal.com/vu2/en/what_we_do/factsheet_tvfilm.cfm

http://www.usanetworks.com/people/diller.html

http://www.vivendiuniversal.com/vu2/en/who_we_are/bio_diller.cfm

SUIT Titles Definitions...

• CEO: Chief Executive Officer
• COO: Chief Operating Officer
• SVP: Senior Vice President
• EVP: Executive Vice President
• CFO: Chief Financial Officer

I have included the marketing/public relation/advertising sales people, as their jobs would be made harder by any type of boycott or loss of sponsors.

Hope that helped. Let me know if you have any questions.

Best, Lotta

Father Geek with a little advice... write often and with a civil tongue... fax if you can, but also E-mail and PRIORITY snail mail, or if you can afford it EXPRESS OVERNIGHT MAIL... Suits place ALOT of weight on the snail mail, more than E-mail, but they must receive it before sets are struck later this week... It might be helpful to include this info...

The critically acclaimed Farscape has been hailed "The Best Sci-Fi on TV" by TV Guide, "TV's Best Space Series" by USA Today, and "The Year's Best in TV" by Newsday. A TV Guide cover proclaimed Farscape's Claudia Black and Gigi Edgley as two of the "Sexiest Stars in the Universe" and most recently, the August 18 cover of TV Guide Ultimate Cable called Ben Browder one of the "Sexiest Men in the Universe."

Father Geek back... Good Luck... Happy Hunting... Here's the original breaking story...

Mr. Seb here with the most troubling news of the week about the best Sci Fi show on TV.

After the last episodes air in January, the critically acclaimed Sci Fi series Farscape will be no more. Sci-Fi has decided to opt out of Season 5 and cancel the series. The executive producer David Kemper and series star Ben Browder (Commander John Crichton) entered the official Sci Fi chatroom and announced this earlier tonight. As Ben put it, "They're taking a chainsaw to Moya next week" meaning that the sets are scheduled to be destroyed within a matter of days.

Of course efforts have begun to save the show.

Online Petition: SAVE FARSCAPE NOW!!!

The real power lies in calling and sending letters into Sci Fi HQ in New York:

Sci-Fi Programing: 212-413-5821 or comments at 212-413-5577

Write in at:

• USA Networks
• The Sci Fi Channel
• Audience Services
• 1230 Avenue of Americas
• NY, NY 10020-1513

Time is running out. If this show is to survive we all must act and do so immediately.

Father Geek back... Nancy just sent me this from one of the chat rooms...

From the #farscape chat, just minutes ago:

<22:11> As you know, Sci Fi has picked us up

<22:11> for 4th and 5th seasons.

<22:11> However, as with everything done at a

<22:11> corporate level,

<22:12> there was an out clause built into Sci Fi's

<22:12> pickup schedule.

<22:12> As of yesterday, we were informed --

<22:12> after massive efforts by everyone at Henson

<22:12> and working on the show --

<22:12> most importantly Brian Henson

<22:12> and the 3 gentlemen

<22:12> here

<22:13> that Sci Fi was not going to exercise it's

<22:13> option to pick up the 5th season of Farscape.

Nancy

(note : more confirmation can be found on Sci Fi's message boards, chatlines everywhere, and on some of the major farscape fansites)