Reality series
These are much worse than most regular series, but have one redeeming feature: they are dirt cheap to make. No stars. No special effects, or at least none that cost more than about thirty bucks. If it's a hit, you're solid gold financially. If it flops, you're out maybe a few hundred thousand bucks at most.*
What's not to like, if you are a producer?
More details here.
*Don't know what Farscape cost. Most SF series break records on episode costs, but I would think that Farscape, with many recurring sets, low-cost actors, and creative effects, would be cheaper than most.