Quote:

---

After spending four years on a science-fiction series, how do you feel about the genre?

Browder: Science fiction is reasonably hot for the moment. I mean, look, nine out of the 10 top-grossing films of all time are science-fiction films. The only place where science fiction has really suffered is in making the critical ghetto. One of the great joys of being on a show like Farscape or Buffy is that we've managed to crawl out of the critical ghetto so that mainstream critics are looking at it and going, "Actually this is really good television." And from a vanity standpoint, as an actor you hope for that. In science fiction you go in going, "Well, I know no one's ever going to take us seriously." And there will always be people who won't take us seriously. The industry has to take it seriously because science fiction makes a lot of money. But the critics don't have to.


Well, I always take it seriously.

Browder: Well, you should take it seriously. 2001 is one of the seminal films of our time. Star Wars was one of the seminal films of the '70s, no question about it. And Alien was an amazing film. There are a lot of things that science fiction does that it's able to tell a breadth of story that is as important as any mainstream dramatic film. The fact that they're not recognized by critics is because they will often get sidetracked by the whistles and bells and go, "Oh, it's not real," without understanding that everything they see on film is not real [laughs].

Believe me, there's nothing real about Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump is not more real than John Crichton. And I think Forrest Gump is a great film. I think it borders on being science fiction, and it certainly is a fantasy. But it is a great film. It's a Wonderful Life is a fantasy film. It was ignored in its time, as well. It's a great film, but it's a fantasy film and it tells you something about the human condition. They're great films and, yeah, they will be critically ignored.


But they can't fight public opinion.

Browder: No, they can't. In the long run they can't. The longevity of the show and whatever is remembered about the show will be held by the audience and not by the critics. But it's still nice to occasionally to have the critics of the time going, "You know what, this is worth watching." It's really gratifying to see that happen to a show like ours, which any number of critics at the time said, "You know, I wasn't going to review it because it's science fiction, and we don't have time, and it's on SCI FI, and there's other things which are far more important."

Three years later virtually all of those shows are gone, and Farscape is still there. It's a credit to SCI FI that SCI FI kept it. It's a credit to the people who made the show. It's a credit to the audience who stuck with the show, and it's indicative of what the general thought is of the genre that I've been working in and that you report on. You're living in the ghetto. You know, Buffy is a fantastic show. Every time I've seen it, I think, this is a great show, and certainly worth far more praise than any number of shows which I see get nominated Emmys.

I find the entire thing fascinating, but at the end of the day, all we're doing is trying to tell an interesting story. Thank God somebody watched. It was a joy to work on. Crichton was a joy to play. I hope that someone sees fit to give me another role like that sometime in my life. It's very rare that you get roles like that. And to be entrusted with that. Let's be honest. "Ben who? He's going to do what?" I mean, give me a break. I guarantee you I had to be low on the list of acceptable candidates to play John Crichton. I certainly wasn't on anybody's pre-approved list. They took a huge risk hiring me. A huge risk. I was very, very lucky, and I'm very grateful. And as for Farscape, who knows what the future of it is? We've had a glorious past. It's been a hell of a ride.

---