Farscape (Syndicated)

When intrepid astronaut John Crichton (Ben Browder) blasts off from Earth aboard the experimental spaceship Farscape One, he accidentally falls through a wormhole and emerges on the far side of the universe, right in the middle of an interplanetary conflict. His own ship destroyed, Crichton finds refuge aboard an enormous living spaceship named Moya, which is crewed by an eclectic band of galactic rogues. Many of his new colleagues are just as displaced as the lost astronaut, and FARSCAPE follows their adventures as they try to return to their various home planets.

Farscape has similarities to many other sci-fi shows, with a team of adventurers encountering conflicts and crises as they explore the universe. But this one stands out. Its special effects and production values are excellent; though several of Moya's crew are Muppets, they never seem any less alive than the human actors. Even more importantly, the show's storylines and scripts manage to stay in the sweet spot between taking themselves too seriously and devolving into utter schlock. Crichton's tendency to make 20th-century pop culture references ranging from Die Hard to Monty Python is especially endearing to fans.

One of the series' strengths is that the characters are all fully fleshed out. Though they come from different planets with different cultures, each has a unique back story explaining how and why they ended up on the run. All of that said, as entertaining as the show is, its depth also makes it complex, and newbie viewers may have trouble following along. There are so many political conflicts between the various races, factions, and empires that it can sometimes be hard to understand why the Scarrans and Sebaceans are enemies, and why everyone is afraid of the Peacekeepers.