AdamCollings January 18th 2018, 5:41 pm
1) It doesn't feel weird, because like you, we've all grown up watching movies where the big events always take place in America. So we're kinda used to it. And it makes sense. The best sci-fi movies come out of America, and it makes sense that American filmmakers set their stories in their nation (which is exactly what we've done here). We have a bit of a chuckle about it. There's even a funny line in the (American) movie Monsters vs Aliens, where the news anchor (played by a prominent Aussie TV personality) says "Aliens have invaded America because that's where aliens always land." It does feel special when a story like this has a local setting, though. I guess it's the same feeling that may be driving the modern push for diversity in fiction. The "these are people like me. I don't usually get to see that" kind of attitude.
I was a little disappointed when Speilburg moved the setting of War of The Worlds to contemporary America (although I enjoyed the movie and it was otherwise surprisingly true to the book) but I think it would be awesome to see a movie version that retains it Victorian England setting, just because that would be a cool genre-mash-up to see. The world needs more historical sci-fi.
2) Continue to hammer away
I watched some of the first season of Farscape when it first aired. I remember thinking of it as a bit of a hybrid. Shot here, with a lot of local cast and crew, but also jointly made by the American Jim Henson company (and with an American lead). Anyway, it was pretty exciting to have something like this being shot here. I didn't fully get into it though, and kinda quietly drifted away. Partly because they probably moved it to a late timeslot and I just forgot about it, but I remember one particular episode, where the alien muppet guy urinated acid as a diversion. At that moment I said to myself "This is too silly. It's not serious sci-fi like Trek. I don't think the show is for me."
When you first started mentioning how much you love it, I was initially surprised, given your clear preference for darker serious fiction, but I quickly realised I'd misjudged the show, and had clearly missed something. I would love to go back and re-watch the whole thing now. I hunted around Netflix and Stan, but neither had it. At this point, probably the only way I can watch it is by hiring the DVD box sets (assuming our one remaining video library in town has it) I should go see if I can find it once the house moving is done and dusted.
When I was younger, I dreamed of a world where every episode of every show ever made was online in a vast database that you could just stream and watch. Advances in technology has made that a reality, except for one stupid little thing. Exclusive licensing. Netflix exists, but can only show those titles it has the rights to.