Buffy is my all-time favorite show. But I've seen most of the first two seasons of Farscape and some of season 3 on TV and it seemed like a great show, too, but I might not be able to give a proper judgment until I watch the entire show from start to finish (it's been on my watch list for a while). I'd say, watch both, in whichever order you want, you can't go wrong with either. The two shows have similarities: they are both really original, quirky, with great characters, they mix drama and comedic moments successfully, they contain pop references (especially Buffy, but Farscape has its share, too,thanks to the main character), they subvert stereotypes, particularly gender stereotypes; and they both suffer from the fact that many people don't take them seriously before they start really watching them - Buffy because of the name and subject matter, Farscape because it uses puppets for alien characters. Like others have said, Buffy takes time to find its footing. There are some really cheesy episodes in season 1, and production values and some of the acting weren't that great, either. But season 1 is still worth watching (don't skip episodes, even when they seem standalone, the character development is important), it gets better (the last 3 episodes are really good, especially the finale) and the show takes a huge leap in quality in season 2, especially the second half of season 2.
Yeah, I drives me nuts when people dismiss FARSCAPE as just "Muppets in space." That's like saying that KING KONG is just a movie about stop-motion monkey puppet. Or that GODZILLA is just a man in rubber lizard suit. Or that JAWS is just a dopey movie about a rubber shark!
I must point out that I am hardly speaking from a position of experience when I said Farscape looked rather like The Muppet Show in space so I didn't watch it. I have seen NONE of it. I still don't fancy it for just that reason, but I may be utterly wrong. In fact, given other peoples impressions, I probably am... By the way Greg, I just finished Weight of Worlds and really liked it - and I'm not a great fan of TOS novels !
Thanks! Glad you liked the book! And my comment about Farscape wasn't directed at you personally. A lot of people seem to fixate on the Henson/Muppet connection and assume that it can't possibly be a grown-up science fiction series, when it's actually one of the best TV space operas ever. IMHO. (Full disclosure: I co-edited the FARSCAPE novels and wrote for the official FS magazine back in the day, so I may be biased a little!)
I have a lot of problems with Farscape, but the puppets weren't one of them. Personally, I think they fit well, especially Pilot.
My father and I were bored and has nothing to do. It was a bonding experience. Buffy is very compelling when you marathon it like that, especially the arc-heavy parts. It actually works better as a marathon than it does if you just watch it episodically.
Farscape is one of the best space operas of the last twenty years. If you like space opera (wild guess about a commenter on a Star Trek forum: you do) consider it. It gets good around the stretch of episodes beginning with "Durka Returns", if you aren't sold on it by "Nerve", it is not for you.
I find it ironic that the Henson creatures turned so many people off, because that was the thing that drew to the series. I have always loved puppetry, especially the stuff done by Henson's Creatures Shop, and sci-fi, so when I heard there was a sci-fi show with Henson puppets I had to watch it. Sadly I was to young to watch it when it first started, so I wasn't able to start watching it until the last season. I since seen the whole thing a couple times, and it is one of my absolute favorite shows. I honestly think the show had some of the best work the Henson Creature Shop ever did. Especially Pilot, he's awesome. All of this Farscape talk inspired me to watch PK Wars earlier today. Great stuff. But that wasn't enough, so I went ahead and redownloaded the first season that I bought off ITunes a couple years ago, so I can start a rewatch.
If you watch Pilot closely, I think you might almost be able to lip read him. The puppetry is that good.
Heck,Yoda was a Muppet (voiced by Miss Piggy), but I'm not sure anybody dismisses The Empire Strikes Back as "Star Wars with Muppets."
I just found my favorite Farscape scene on Youtube. Just to warn anyone who hasn't watched it yet there are spoilers.