The Underrated Sci-Fi Series That Inspired James Gunn's Guardians Of The Galaxy

Stop me if you've heard this one before: once upon a time, in the uncharted territories of deep space, a rag tag group of misfits joined forces to help the denizens of the galaxy resist a fascistic, oppressive peacekeeping force. These misfits are made up of a wisecracking man plucked from his home planet of Earth, a militaristic warrior woman upon whom he has a crush (and the feeling is mutual), a kooky alien with healing properties that even other aliens find bizarre, a muscular brute with a heart of gold, and a bitter little guy who appears to be completely selfish but, deep down, is fiercely loyal.

If you've already asked me to stop and said "those are the Guardians of the Galaxy," well hold your frelling horses, friend: I'm talking about the crew of Moya, the living ship, from the TV series "Farscape." The series, produced by the Jim Henson Company, aired on the SyFy Channel (originally the Sci-Fi Channel) from 1999 to 2003, and while it never became a hit on the level of "Star Trek" or "Battlestar Galactica," it garnered a small but intensely passionate following. 

One of the show's fans was none other than James Gunn, who, when Marvel Studios tapped him to co-write and direct 2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy," was inspired by the Rockne S. O'Bannon-created series. Although Gunn has been coy about citing his influences in the past, he happily admitted to looking to "Farscape" for inspiration when making the "Guardians" films, posting on Twitter in 2017: "People are always bringing up a million films asking me if they're inspirations. Usually the answer is no. In the case of #Farscape it is most definitely YES. (sic)"

Gunn's "Guardians" trilogy are three of the most beloved films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and rightfully so. They're a remarkable blend of space opera, comic book-style stakes and irreverent humor. That mixture is also present in "Farscape," so if you're a fan of the "Guardians" films, you owe it to yourself to check out the adventures of John Crichton in the Uncharted Territories. Here are a few reasons why.

As I cheekily pointed out earlier, both "Farscape" and the "Guardians" films share a cast of similar characters, with the former comprised of astronaut John Crichton (Ben Browder), Peacekeeper Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black), Delvian Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan (Virginia Hey), Luxan Ka D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe) and the Hynerian Dominar Rygel XVI (voiced by Jonathan Hardy). Meanwhile, the Guardians of the Galaxy include Earth-born scoundrel Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), and Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper). Various other characters join both crews along the way, but it's clear from watching the "Guardians" films that Gunn was interested in utilizing a similar blend of archetypes and personalities that had been seen in "Farscape."

That's because both "Farscape" and "Guardians" take a refreshingly unique approach to their material, especially when it comes to subverting the high dramatic stakes of the space opera and comic book movie. Space operas like "Star Wars" have a sense of humor, but of a more swashbuckling type, and exploratory/allegorical series like "Star Trek" are more cerebral in their irreverence. There are tons of comic book films that poke fun at their premises — heck, snark has been a mainstay of the MCU, from Tony Stark's sarcasm all the way up to Deadpool breaking the fourth wall. Yet "Farscape" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" make a clever meal out of the way their underdog characters zig when people expect them to zag. There's a direct line of descent from Crichton confusing his enemies (and his friends, too) with an endless string of American pop-culture references during a heated moment to Star-Lord insisting that Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) battle him via a dance-off.

This is the secret sauce which gives both "Farscape" and the "Guardians" films such a winning tone. It's one thing for a character to make pop-culture references at inappropriate times (again, see the "Deadpool" films). It's another thing for that character to be the only one on screen who has any idea what they're talking about. This not only makes their love of pop culture feel more earnest, but allows us, the Earthbound audience, to better identify with them. It highlights the cultural contrast between what we know and what strange world the character finds themselves in. This is partially why the soundtracks for the "Guardians" films were such hits: not only did they contain some classic banger tunes, but the songs felt extra warm and nostalgic when put against a literally alien backdrop.

Both "Farscape" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" feature a doomed romance at their center. For John and Aeryn, and Peter and Gamora, the appeal is not just the "opposites attract" aspect of a warm vs. a cold character (though that is a big factor), but the way that the crazy circumstances surrounding the couples continually thwarts their burgeoning feelings for each other. Over four seasons and the concluding miniseries of "Farscape," these obstacles ranged from missed social cues to Crichton being cloned (or rather "twinned," making Aeryn face an impossible situation). In "Guardians," Peter and Gamora attempt to find common ground through wild events like their respective megalomaniacal daddy issues, only to connect at the worst possible time, when Thanos (Josh Brolin) uses Gamora for a Soul Stone bargaining chip in "Avengers: Infinity War."

There aren't just tonal and stylistic connections between the series and the films. There's also a direct homage, thanks to John Crichton actor Ben Browder appearing in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" as the Sovereign Admiral. According to an interview with Browder (via SyFy), he and Gunn shared a knowing laugh over the latter's debt to the former's old show:

"I would have been surprised if I hadn't seen 'Guardians' before I met him. When I met him, I introduced myself and said, 'Hey, James Gunn ... I'm Ben Browder. Huge, huge fan of 'Guardians.' And he goes, 'Yeah, I know who you are.' And I said, 'I thought you did! You stole my show.'"

Of course, the show and the movies aren't exactly alike, and this is simply a case of an artist performing a true homage to something he loves. But if you like the "Guardians" movies, it's a good bet that you'll find a lot to like in "Farscape," too. Sure, there are far fewer pop songs (the show didn't have the budget for them), but the various incredible alien makeups and animatronics (courtesy of the wizards at the Jim Henson Creature Shop), the endearing characters, and the bold writing that the series boasts are enough to make up for that. Give "Farscape" a shot, and then join me in hoping that one day, the crew of the Milano may one day meet the crew of Moya somewhere in the stars.