Blog

Imagine creating the kind of chemistry that Farscape actors Ben Browder and Claudia Black had while playing astronaut John Crichton and former Peacekeeper Aeryn Sun during the whole run of the series. Now imagine having your real life daughter watch it.

Time can be a comedian in so many ways, especially when 25 years zip along seemingly with the snap of a finger. It means that children born back in the early days of Farscape‘s production are now grown up and can watch the fruits of their parent’s television labor. And such is the reality for Browder, who has two grown children, one of whom made it a point to binge all of Farscape (now streaming on Peacock), the actor told SYFY WIRE recently.

“It’s interesting, during the pandemic my daughter and her roommate watched all 92 hours of Farscape,” Browder revealed. “They became absolutely obsessed with the show, which is really fascinating. We’re talking about people who were three-years-old when the show started.”

For More on Farscape: 
Farscape at 25: Ben Browder, Creators Talk Series Legacy – and Ideas For a Series Revival of Moya’s Crew
Farscape: Peacekeeper Wars Director Reveals Secrets of Miniseries Ending: “We Have One Chance!”
Farscape’s Brian Henson Explains How the Iconic SYFY Series Differed from Star Trek

Ben Browder faces the Farscape chemistry he and Claudia Black ignited back in the day

Browder said that for the final eight episodes of Farscape, his daughter wanted to watch the ending with him. He admitted that it’s one of the first times he’s watched the series in quite some time. 

“I sat in and watched some of it,” he shared. “It’s been 25 years so I almost have enough distance that I can watch it and go, ‘Okay, yeah, that was alright.’ Plus, when I was doing Farscape, I watched the rushes and I looked at every cut. After awhile, I just stopped seeing myself which is a weird mindset.”

Asked what his daughter responded to the most in the series, Browder said, “I think it’s the whole package. It’s the writing. It’s the characters. It’s the cast: Claudia Black and Gigi Edgley, and Anthony Simcoe and Lani Tupu. We had the benefit of basically, stripmining Australian actors and directors and crews. We had a great advantage because we were shooting in Sydney and no other show had at the time. So we could bring these amazing actors in to do incredible work. It’s long arc, epic storytelling, which is really about relationships and people.”

Browder added, “But she did say, ‘Dad, I understand why you may not have let me watch certain episodes when I was six,'” he laughed. “There were episodes that I banned from the house for the sake of home life. You don’t want to bring all the episodes home.”

Of course, he’s referencing the sizzling chemistry between characters Crichton and Aeryn Sun, which remains legendary television to this day.

“At the moment, you’re telling a story and you’re living inside this story which you want to be real. You want it to be beautiful and ugly at the same time, the way life is,” said Browder. “Within that, you’re rooting not just for John, not just for Aeryn … you’re rooting for John and Aeryn. You’re sort of watching a relationship unfold over time. It’s just good storytelling. It’s good writing. It’s a good arc. Sometimes you get really lucky. We got really lucky that Claudia and I were good on screen together and good as workmates. She’s an incredible actor, full stop. And it makes your days enjoyable. And it makes the story resonate.”

During this 25th anniversary year of the show, Browder said he’s still grateful to meet fans at conventions or out on the street that still remember Farscape. “It’s remarkable. It’s humbling,” he shared. “You have someone who’s 20-years-old coming up to you and saying, ‘Oh, I love this or, I hate this! Why did you do this?’ The fact that 25 years later anybody’s even talking about it is gratifying, for sure.”

Watch Farscape and The Peacekeeper Wars on Peacock now!