Sci-Fi Chat
20 April 2004
Claudia Black and Ben Browder

Claudia = ChickwithGun
Ben = BlackTee

Moderator: Ah... Silence is golden

Moderator: I'll explain how to ask questions once we start

BlackTee: ahhhh

BlackTee: look ma... I can talk

Barbarella: I was hoping we could keep the gag on

Moderator: We'll start in a minute folks

Moderator: Ben can you type?

BlackTee: Don't suppose chickwithgun can do a little singing for us?

ChickwithGun: ben can you shoosh now?

Moderator: Hi everybody, thanks for joining us. I'm Ben Trumble for SCIFI. Tonight we're pleased to be chatting with actors Ben Browder and Claudia Black about SCIFI's original mini-series Farscape Peacekeeper War, coming later this year.

BlackTee: Yes Mam

Moderator: Brief word about the drill. This is a moderated chat -- please send your questions for our guests to ChatQ, as private messages. One question per person please.

ChickwithGun: hi everyone

Moderator Well. We zillion of Q's... so lets begin

BlackTee: Wow... de... ja... vu...

Moderator: Hi Ben and Claudia! How does it feel to be back working on Farscape again?

BlackTee: lets do it

ChickwithGun: It was very gruelling

ChickwithGun: but really fun to see everyone

BlackTee: It was outstanding to be back

Moderator: Guys do me a favor and type GA at the end of your answer so I can go on to the next thing

ChickwithGun: Ga

BlackTee: But very surreal

BlackTee: A massive family reunion

ChickwithGun: Surreal, but nice, as they say in "notting hill"

BlackTee: very nice

BlackTee: ga

Moderator: Thanks so much for being here. How do you feel about the steady growth of reality tv worldwide and the decline of scripted television, particularly in the sci-fi/fantasy genre? Do you think we've seen the end of this kind of format, or do you think people will get a clue one of these days and realize that they're watching garbage?

ChickwithGun: Ben , i think you are done answering that one...

ChickwithGun: tee hee

BlackTee: With reality TV they are not really watching reality

ChickwithGun: I think numbers are dropping off gradually ratings wise on reality shows but everything has cycles of popularity

ChickwithGun: ga

BlackTee: anytime a camera is pointed it takes a pov... point of view

BlackTee: Quiz shows ruled the 1950's

BlackTee: Reality TV rules today

BlackTee: perhaps the next cycle of TV will be Westerns

ChickwithGun: I have to admit that I watch survivor and I love rupert ga

ChickwithGun: Claudia blushes ga

BlackTee: or Fan scripted TV???

BlackTee: ga

Moderator: Do either of you feel as if you have been typecast because of your work in Farscape, or do you feel it's only propelled your career's forward into new arena's that weren't open to you before?

ChickwithGun: I have no idea what Fascape will or won't do for my career, only time will tell GA

BlackTee: I haven't been cast enough outside of Farscape to know what my type is.

BlackTee: Let's come back to that question in 10 years.

BlackTee: ga

Moderator: Ben, Claudia thank you very much for taking the time to join us. How did the two of you react when you were contacted about reprising your roles for the upcoming mini-series?

ChickwithGun: yeah when they are doing " Farscape.. where are they now???"

ChickwithGun: GA

BlackTee: I refused to believe it

BlackTee: I'm still not sure I believe it

ChickwithGun: I didn't believe it either. I thought it would take too long and we would be in zimmerframes GA

BlackTee: Isn't Farscape that show that died off quietly?

BlackTee: I mean... Far... what?

ChickwithGun: fire-escape

BlackTee: It's a miracle.

BlackTee: And we owe a whole bunch of people.... big time

BlackTee: I think you know who you are.

BlackTee: ga

Moderator: Ben & Claudia: At what stage of the Mini are you working on?

BlackTee: Post production

ChickwithGun: The part where Claudia gets to work on her sun tan

BlackTee: Still haven't done the additional dialogue

BlackTee: Claude... you have a tan????

BlackTee: I wanna see.

ChickwithGun: They are in early post production at the moment

ChickwithGun: shut up

BlackTee: no you shuddup

ChickwithGun: I wanna watch you surf

ChickwithGun: you should do a surfing "how to" video ben

BlackTee: do they still have the naked surf contest at Bondi?

ChickwithGun: Yes, you did it remember and they called you the bondi yeti

BlackTee: Okay... you win

ChickwithGun: It 's ok ben, it's only us in a room with four hundred other people, i feel i can say this stuff

BlackTee: we're in post... ga

ChickwithGun: Booyacasha

Moderator: What did you enjoy/dislike about playing Aeryn as a new mother?

BlackTee: Aeryn's a mamma?

ChickwithGun: Always needing to pee

ChickwithGun: Yeah. It's time for Palimony

BlackTee: Cept... who's the daddy?

ChickwithGun: I didn't like it much because Aeryn hated it.... it's in her way of contributing to the ship

BlackTee: They feed babies to moya for fuel

BlackTee: Farscape tech at it's best

ChickwithGun: Deep down she hated it, it wasn't really in the script but that's what andrew prowse and thought

ChickwithGun: and I thought. oops. GA

BlackTee: ga

Moderator: Did the two of you find it difficult to step back into characters you said good bye to almost two years ago? If so, what aspect did you find the most challenging?

BlackTee: They difficulty was in accepting that time had passed...

ChickwithGun: Stepping back into a costume that might not have fit

ChickwithGun: and we were older...

ChickwithGun: and slower

ChickwithGun: and un-used to early starts

BlackTee: It seemed like the year away never really happened.

ChickwithGun: and going out to Homebush

BlackTee: Everything was the same... But DIFFERENT

ChickwithGun: It was quite surreal going back and seeing the sets in different sheds... i got very discombobulated

ChickwithGun: same same, but different as they say in thai restaurants

BlackTee: Yeah... and the sets had moved around

ChickwithGun: I could never find the lunch room

ChickwithGun: and y'all know how important lunch is to me

BlackTee: But the maure factory next door was the same

BlackTee: Manure

BlackTee: even

BlackTee: ga

ChickwithGun: I found that Aeryn did not do the things she normally does because she was slowed down by the pregancy

ChickwithGun: oh, my the smell was BAD

ChickwithGun: ga

Moderator: Now that you know how it ends, are you happy with the closure the mini-series is supposed to be bringing to the farscape story?

ChickwithGun: but farscape is the show that never ends

BlackTee: I think there is a "To be Continued"

BlackTee: at the end

ChickwithGun: and it goes on and on my friends

BlackTee: like that beer song

ChickwithGun: do a beer... a mexican beeer

ChickwithGun: ray....

ChickwithGun: a guy that buys me beer

BlackTee: I knew we'd get her to sing

ChickwithGun: me a guy, i buy beer for..

ChickwithGun: LOL

BlackTee: ga

ChickwithGun: fa..... a long way to the baaaaarr

ChickwithGun: soooooooo

ChickwithGun: i'll have another beeeeeer

ChickwithGun: la...lalalalalalallalalalllala

ChickwithGun: tea

ChickwithGun: no thanks, i'll have a beer

BlackTee: GA

ChickwithGun: and that brings us back to ....

ChickwithGun: dododododododododo

ChickwithGun: GA

BlackTee: PLEASE

Moderator: How long did it take you to film the mini-series?

ChickwithGun: Go surf naked or somethin'

BlackTee: with you?

ChickwithGun: three months, was it?

ChickwithGun: that

BlackTee: Tan lines and all

BlackTee: 3

ChickwithGun: is quite pervy

BlackTee: months

ChickwithGun: calm down yeti

BlackTee: fur is a natural sunscreen ya know

ChickwithGun: three months of me and Ben picking on each other

BlackTee: three months of her being cruel and unusual

ChickwithGun: what-e-ver

BlackTee: it was TORTURE

ChickwithGun: I am normal

ChickwithGun: very normal

BlackTee: GA

ChickwithGun: yeah, torture.. .ben couldn't remember his lines...EVER

ChickwithGun: just kidding

ChickwithGun: ga

Moderator: Claudia, you said something at Burbank about what you gave up to work on the "unnamed" project. Is that anything you can share with us yet? No is an acceptable answer if you can't.

ChickwithGun: No

ChickwithGun: ga

ChickwithGun: a lot of people made a lot of personal sacrifices

Moderator: Speaking of pervy-- am I right that the actor who played Aeryn's made-up lover Lechna is the same guy who played her Scarren torturer Jenek? Very Farscape, that.

ChickwithGun: so mine is one among many

ChickwithGun: did any one know that? is it in the credits?

BlackTee: yes... it's true

ChickwithGun: well spotted

BlackTee: ga

ChickwithGun: ga

Moderator: I had a question for Ben and Claudia will the Cast make an apperance in San Deigo like last year?? and thanks for Showing up Last year =)

ChickwithGun: If i am asked and in town. I would love to.

ChickwithGun: ga

BlackTee: No plans at the moment past getting the Miniseries finished

BlackTee: hopefully that will be mostly done in June... Junish?

BlackTee: Ask Brian on thursday.

BlackTee: GA

Moderator: David Kemper and Rockne O'Bannon often referred to how, from the beginning, they had specific ideas for how the show would end. Does the mini take us that far (to their original goal), or is this an intermediate ending?

ChickwithGun: kinda close.

BlackTee: Ending... WHAT STINKING ENDING

ChickwithGun: david talks like a jazz muso jams.... so some things he says, he's thinking out loud

BlackTee: We don't need no stinkin ending

ChickwithGun: but this is close to how i remember him saying he wanted to do it

BlackTee: This is the song that never ends

ChickwithGun: do a beer....

BlackTee: see?

ChickwithGun: franchise is the word of the new media millenium... things will never end the way they used to

ChickwithGun: ga

Moderator: Hi. What sort of emotions do your characters go through during the mini-series? Will there be tears?

BlackTee: Yes

BlackTee: many tears

ChickwithGun: never... soldiers never cry

BlackTee: mostly from the fans

ChickwithGun: ben crys like a big fat girl

ChickwithGun: but a cute hairy one

ChickwithGun: ga

BlackTee: I take that as a compliment

BlackTee: there were and will be tears

ChickwithGun: what was that mollusc ep called?

Moderator: Are there special effects on par with the destruction of the Dreadnaught in the mini?

ChickwithGun: you got more wolf whistles than me

BlackTee: Haven't seen the CGI

BlackTee: Expect there to be more

ChickwithGun: you mean, do we blow as much s%^& up?

BlackTee: and bigger

BlackTee: We blowed up the entire galaxy

ChickwithGun: it was pretty high production values they were aiming for

BlackTee: Nothing left behind

BlackTee: no expense spared

ChickwithGun: but no fireworks on wrap this year. :( that's my favourite.

ChickwithGun: ga

BlackTee: Truly... it was big on the explosive front

BlackTee: the sfx guys actually ran out

BlackTee: of hits

BlackTee: and had to import more from America

ChickwithGun: No they just had to go and do mardi gras

BlackTee: Australia ran OUT of PYRO HITS!

BlackTee: True.

BlackTee: ga

Moderator: We're chatting with actors Ben Browder and Claudia Black about SCIFI's original mini-series Farscape Peacekeeper War, coming later this year.

ChickwithGun: ga

Moderator: Do you think Baby Sun looks more like Claudia or Ben?

BlackTee: Rygel

ChickwithGun: ah.. .that's a sensitive subject

BlackTee: Who kinda looks like Yoda

ChickwithGun: the equivalent of mail man in space looks like what?

BlackTee: Who kinda looks like Frank Oz

ChickwithGun: or milk man

BlackTee: Damn Henson Company

ChickwithGun: who looks like the next actor they'll bring in for farscape with the next gen

BlackTee: But if we had a baby... it would be CUTE!!!

BlackTee: But Hairy

ChickwithGun: yeah... but..

ChickwithGun: took the words right out of my mouth

BlackTee: LOL

BlackTee: GA

ChickwithGun: but i know a great beautician

BlackTee: Ouch

ChickwithGun: ga

Moderator: What season posed the most difficult challenges for your characters?

BlackTee: ALL of THEM

ChickwithGun: i loved season three the most because aeryn had so many great story twists.

BlackTee: I LOVED season three cause... well

ChickwithGun: I felt i was being challenged in all the right ways

BlackTee: you know

ChickwithGun: cause of all the kissin'

ChickwithGun: ?

BlackTee: yeah

ChickwithGun: ahhhhh

BlackTee: blowin up things and kissin

ChickwithGun: season three

ChickwithGun: yeah and that day on the dune buggies

BlackTee: that's why I like going to work

ChickwithGun: that was soooooo cooool

BlackTee: and the kissin

ChickwithGun: yeah, blowin stuff up

BlackTee: that's what we call Drahma

ChickwithGun: gen x is such a sex/death culture isn't it?

BlackTee: guns and rose

BlackTee: s

BlackTee: hmmmmm

ChickwithGun: jeez is that your taste in music?

BlackTee: but hey... it worked for shakespeare

ChickwithGun: i thought you were too old for that?

BlackTee: funny... old wench

ChickwithGun: i don't remember axel rose in merchant of venice

ChickwithGun: did you really train as an actor?

BlackTee: he played lorenzo

BlackTee: wasn't very good

ChickwithGun: he didn't need a wig neither

BlackTee: NEXT...GA

ChickwithGun: ga

Moderator: So, any plans to continue the story in further miniseries? Any other "Farscape" projects sitting on the far horizon? (Pun intentional.)

BlackTee: Brian mentioned something with the F word

ChickwithGun: ask the puppet master, brian ga

BlackTee: ASK

BlackTee: and then tell us

BlackTee: we're looking for things to blow up

ChickwithGun: yeah, i am sure you guys out there will be making it happen

ChickwithGun: ga

BlackTee: they made me kiss HER!!!

BlackTee: GA

Moderator: Hi Ben and Claudia, you guys are kinda like UFO's... various sightings of you regularly occurs on the net, but with no apparent evidence. Do you lurk at various websites or even post under pseudonyms?

BlackTee: I have 5000 pseudonyms... I used them all at save Farscape

BlackTee: I also am currently using 300 nicks

BlackTee: in chat

ChickwithGun: I have a rule in my household which came from my mum.... people before machines.... so less time watching telly and surfing online, more time face to face with people

BlackTee: ANYTHING to work with Claudia Black

ChickwithGun: GA

BlackTee: More time surfing naked

BlackTee: you mean

BlackTee: GA

ChickwithGun: and waxing apts

ChickwithGun: ga

BlackTee: ouch

Moderator: Who would win 12 rounds of bare-knuckle boxing? Braca or Crais? btw, Ben, you're hot : )

BlackTee: hmmmm

ChickwithGun: just thought youd slip that in, hey rx-queen.

ChickwithGun: ?

BlackTee: Crais is Dead

BlackTee: Hard to whup a dead man

ChickwithGun: Braca doesn't fight with his knuckles

ChickwithGun: ga

BlackTee: He doesn't fight bare

BlackTee: Or does he?

ChickwithGun: btw, ben, you're hot

ChickwithGun: just slipped it in

ChickwithGun: ga

BlackTee: Wench

ChickwithGun: tee hee

ChickwithGun: bint

BlackTee: Crais wins

ChickwithGun: me, i mean

BlackTee: ga

ChickwithGun: ga

Moderator: What's the most embarassing thing the other has done on set?

ChickwithGun: well we all know mine

ChickwithGun: ben feel free to remind them if you dare

ChickwithGun: i told EVERYBODY at the con

ChickwithGun: ben is never wrong

BlackTee: You told them about the fart?

ChickwithGun: ya

ChickwithGun: the loud one, just after i danced around

ChickwithGun: ay

BlackTee: never happened... it's a lie

ChickwithGun: ya

ChickwithGun: that one

ChickwithGun: oops

BlackTee: you never fart

ChickwithGun: ya,,,, it never happened

BlackTee: you told me so

ChickwithGun: ga

ChickwithGun: we are done here

ChickwithGun: i am being nice and saying nothing abouty you

BlackTee: Many things I do on set are embarrassing

ChickwithGun: like what?

ChickwithGun: act?

BlackTee: But I'm blessed with selective memory

ChickwithGun: tee hee

ChickwithGun: i love you

BlackTee: back atchya

BlackTee: GA

Moderator: So assuming you guys get re intergrated early on in the mini, Who ends up carrying the baby???

ChickwithGun: ga

BlackTee: Crais

BlackTee: Crais gets the Baby

BlackTee: wait...

BlackTee: Moya's baby

BlackTee: right?

ChickwithGun: there is no baby

ChickwithGun: that was a jedi mind trick

BlackTee: Sorry...

BlackTee: there is no baby

BlackTee: move along

ChickwithGun: ga

BlackTee: GA

Moderator: I just wanted to thank you for the great care and respect you showed in your performance in "The Choice". It was magnificent and helped me learn how to say good-bye to a baby I lost a couple of cycles ago and move on, but never forget, as well. Thank you and God Bless You!! WAS THAT THE MOST DIFFICULT EPISODE YOU HAD TO DO?

ChickwithGun: It was fulfilling. was it the hardest for you to watch? you are very brave.

BlackTee: Claudia was fairly magnificent in the Choice

BlackTee: ga

BlackTee: ...

ChickwithGun: a lot of people say the same about the choice. it was my version of grief up there. i drew on personal experience so i am glad it translated and had resonance for others. thank you for what you said.and i am so sorry for what you went through. may you be blessed with a joyous life

ChickwithGun: ga

Moderator: Ben, does Fran reprise her role as Akhna? Say hello to her for us! She's part of the Farscape family, too!

BlackTee: Francesca is of course in the Mini

BlackTee: I'll say hi

BlackTee: No farscape would be complete with her getting a chance to bust my chops

Moderator no other reason :)

ChickwithGun: sorry that last answer tracks as though i agree that i am fairly magnificent. it was a response to previous question

ChickwithGun: ga

Moderator: Has there been any involvement in the mini by some of our Farscape favorites-- Monjo, Manning, Prowse, Woods. Tilse, etc.?

BlackTee: You do agree

BlackTee: Jedi mind trick

ChickwithGun: i do agree with what?

ChickwithGun: that i am magnificent?

BlackTee: You are Magnificent

BlackTee: yes?

ChickwithGun: like the soccer song, there can be only one... directore

ChickwithGun: ga

BlackTee: Prowsie was around quite a bit

BlackTee: shooting second unit

BlackTee: He also produced on this one.

BlackTee: I really CAN'T imagine Farscape without Andrew Prowse

BlackTee: The others we missed

BlackTee: But until they invent the multi-director mini

BlackTee: we'll just have to settle for season FIVE.

BlackTee: GA

Moderator: Just to let people know, we're into the last five minutes. We've been lucky holding the server togather under a load of about 800 ppl. Thanks to Barbarella for that. We can't push our luck too far... So... Three more questions then we open the floors

Moderator: Ben have you been writing (screenplays, etc) lately?

BlackTee: Am working with a group of folks on a screenplay at the moment

BlackTee: News....

BlackTee: Claudia has been locked out of chat

BlackTee: while we wait for Claudia..

BlackTee: oh... she's back

BlackTee: well done Barb

Moderator: Claudia can you type?

BlackTee: So... where were we...?

BlackTee: Screenplay?

BlackTee: Yes.

ChickwithGun: i am here...

ChickwithGun: anyone out there

ChickwithGun: yay.

ChickwithGun: i got lost for a minute

BlackTee: hellooooo

Moderator: Are they saving the sets this time?

ChickwithGun: i saved a piece of set

BlackTee: Dunno

BlackTee: Oh... Claudia has the sets

ChickwithGun: yeah... all of them

ChickwithGun: i got my prowler too

BlackTee: we'll be doing a Farscape play over at her house

ChickwithGun: i drive around in it

ChickwithGun: funny

BlackTee: anyone wants to watch.... it's a musical

ChickwithGun: you can play aeryn this time

ChickwithGun: this is the show that nver ends

BlackTee: about beer.

ChickwithGun: toot toot i'm in my prowler

ChickwithGun: ga

BlackTee: ga

Moderator: "Did the other Farscape directors, like Tilse and Woods, consult with Henson on the direction of the mini?

BlackTee: Not that I know of

ChickwithGun: woodsie is now being fancy pants and doing a film with kate blanchett

ChickwithGun: cate

BlackTee: But Brian may have secretly been channeling some of them

ChickwithGun: ga

BlackTee: Yeah... WOodsie is Bigtime

BlackTee: Reckon he'll give us Job, C?

ChickwithGun: so is tilse... very very busy

BlackTee: Or he can play Zaahn in our Musical?

ChickwithGun: hey back

ChickwithGun: yeah

BlackTee: GA

ChickwithGun: ga

Moderator: Claudia and Ben -- thanks for joining us. Any comments before let you go?

BlackTee: Uh...

ChickwithGun: um..............

ChickwithGun: read

BlackTee: That's it?

ChickwithGun: "dude where'smy country by michael moore

BlackTee: Yes of course we have comments.

BlackTee: First... I have to thank a whole bucket of folks for providing me with work!

BlackTee: Claudia left again?

BlackTee: And I can thank those folks for Claudia as well.

BlackTee: It is a priviledge for us to be working for you all.

BlackTee: Thank you

BlackTee: Thank you

BlackTee: Thank You!

BlackTee: Ah... hell... I'm just gonna get sentimental... these chats become like therapy.

BlackTee: Just open up the server and unleash the hounds of chat!

BlackTee: Thanks Ya'll

Moderator: Ben. Thanks again for joining us. I certainly hope we'll talk again soon

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