The CIC

Last Post

2008-06-25T07:06:00.000-07:00

... For now.

I'm hanging up the helmet for the time being because of a number of things going on right now. I'm in graduate school, working full time and have a couple other blogs that have taken up most of my online time. For, this is farewell, for now. For your galactica news, I'd recommend Galactica Sitrep, as they're nice people and are on top of things.

Once the show returns, I'll probably be back, but not to the extent that I was before.

Crypter crypter crypter.

Battlestar Finale Updated

2008-06-16T09:14:00.001-07:00

This in from the SciFiWire:

Battlestar Finale Updated

SCI FI Channel is unable to confirm a report in the Chicago Tribune that the final part of Battlestar Galactica's last season will expand or that the finale of the series is expected to be three hours long.

The channel will only say that the finale, written by series creator Ronald D. Moore, extends beyond the time allotted for the episode.

The channel is currently exploring how to shoot the extra footage as Moore has envisioned and written it. No premiere date has been announced yet for the start of the second half of the fourth and final season.

Frak! No More Galactica until 2009,

2008-06-13T06:23:00.001-07:00

Tonight's the last new episode of 2008, it would appear:

No more frakking BSG until 2009?!
Posted Jun 12th 2008 5:24PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Programming, Battlestar Galactica, Reality-Free
I mean seriously, what the frak? Why the frak do we have to wait until frakking 2009 for the final frakking season of Battlestar frakking Galactica. Those motherfrakking skinjobs, and I know they're Cylons or they wouldn't do this to us, really like to frakking torture us diehard frakking fans, don't they. Frakkers! Wow, that does make it incredibly frakking easy to drop frakking curse words all the frakking time without really frakking cussing. How frakking liberating is that!

But back to business. Executive producer Ronald D. Moore spoke at a Wednesday night screening of this Friday's summer finale and broke the news that the remainder of this fourth and final season of BSG probably wouldn't air until early 2009. The show just doesn't want to have to face off against the new fall slates on the networks or football and baseball, which I guess I can understand. Why not wait until January so all you have to deal with is those crappy shows nobody watches like American Idol and 24? And nobody will be interested in the build-ups to the season finales of shows like Lost and Heroes. It's a frakking no-brainer!
Source

And:

Battlestar Galactica fans are well-advised to sit back and savor this Friday's midseason finale, because the balance of Season 4 — the series' last, lest we forget — won't be hitting the tube until after "the first of the year," says executive producer Ronald D. Moore. And that's a best-case scenario.

At a Wednesday-night screening of this week's episode, Moore explained to TVGuide.com that even though they are currently filming the series' final scenes, the "practical realities" of post-production — coupled with the formidable end-of-year competition presented by new fall series, baseball and football — places the onset of the final episodes at the start of 2009, at the earliest. "Realistically, there's no way to get back on the air faster," he apologetically added.
Source

Ugh!

'Battlestar Galactica' and 'Lost': The similarities are spooky

2008-06-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

I think that some of these are a bit of a streatch, but it's an interesting read:

'Battlestar Galactica' and 'Lost': The similarities are spooky

I'm certainly not the first to draw parallels between "Lost" and "Battlestar Galactica," two intense and rewarding dramas chock full of dense mythologies. The hardcore fan bases for these shows aren’t averse to spending hours poring over the similarities the programs share, and the Internet is a handy enabler for these overlapping obsessions.

But there seemed to be more coincidences than usual as both dramas wrapped up their most recent batch of episodes (“Battlestar” has its mid-season finale on Sci Fi June 13 and airs 10 more episodes, probably in 2009, before it ends for good; “Lost” just concluded its fourth season on ABC and resumes in January. Pictured at left; Francois Chau as "Lost's" Dr. Edgar Halliwax; at right, "Battlestar's" Lucy Lawless, Tricia Helfer and Grace Park).

The parallels are uncanny. On both shows, people see visions. Mystery babies appear to hold many answers. The “boxing” and “unboxing” of key characters are crucial plot points.

So am I alone in wondering if Ben Linus might be the final Cylon, or in speculating about the possibility of a polar bear hidden away in the Galactica fleet? Or have I just spent too many late nights watching and rewatching these delightfully convoluted dramas? Hmmm…..

In any case, the parallels below are mostly drawn from the most recent seasons of each show. As always, weigh in with your own thoughts in the comment area.

Box brouhaha

“Battlestar’s” D’Anna: Her "unboxing," or revival from a form of Cylon death, was a key plot twist.
“Lost’s” John Locke/Jeremy Bentham: The appearance of this apparently dead character in “Locke box” was a key plot twist.

Miracle baby

“Lost’s” Aaron: This indestructible baby seems to be part of some divine plan.
“Battlestar’s” Hera: This human-Cylon baby seems to be part of some divine plan.

Wounded leader

“Lost’s” Jack: In recent episodes, this headstrong, controversial leader survived dangerous situations despite a Christ-like wound in his side.
“Battlestar’s” Baltar: In a recent episode, this headstrong, controversial leader survived dangerous situations despite a Christ-like wound in his side.

Murderous, remorseless schemer

“Lost’s” Ben: This enigmatic island resident killed without remorse and always has a self-serving plan.
“Battlestar’s” Tory: This enigmatic Cylon killed without remorse and always has a self-serving plan.

Group with a big secret

“Lost’s” Oceanic 6: They do all they can to prevent the world from knowing the truth about them.
“Battlestar’s” Final Four Cylons: They do all they can to prevent the fleet from knowing the truth about them.

Shadowy figure

“Lost’s” Jacob: Who is this guy and what is he really up to?
“Battlestar’s” fifth Cylon: Who is this individual and what is he or she is really up to?

Person seeing visions

“Battlestar’s” Laura Roslin: She sees people who aren’t there, or are they? (Yep, I know, other people on the show have visions too.)
“Lost’s” Hurley: He sees people who aren’t there, or are they? (Yep, I know, other people on the show have visions too.)

Mysterious pregnancy

“Battlestar’s” Caprica Six: Allegedly Cylons can’t get each other pregnant. Or can they? Saul Tigh seems to have done just that, because his secret lover, Caprica Six, has a toaster in the oven.
“Lost’s” Sun: Supposedly women can’t stay pregnant on the mysterious “Lost” island. Or can they? Sun gave birth to a healthy baby after her island rescue.

Powerful father-son duo

“Lost”: A key story line involves the mysterious, possibly island-ruling Christian and his stubborn son, Jack, the leader of the Oceanic Six.
“Battlestar”: A key story line involves the commanding, fleet-ruling William Adama and his stubborn son, Lee, the new president of the 12 colonies’ Quorum.

Big kaboom

“Battlestar”: A human/Cylon team blew up the Cylons’ crucial, life-regenerating Hub.
“Lost”: A vengeful Keamy blew up the ill-fated, possibly life-saving freighter.

Unhappy pet

“Lost”: Bunnies.
“Battlestar”: Centurions.

Scary/freaky servant

“Lost”: Richard Alpert
“Battlestar”: The base ship’s hybrid controller.

Disappearance

“Lost”: The island disappears.
“Battlestar”: Gaeta’s leg disappears.

Disappointing revelation

“Lost”: A frozen donkey wheel controls the island’s powers. Um. Huh?
“Battlestar”: Romo Lampkin has a dead cat in his gym bag. Um. Huh?

Majorly awesome fight

“Battlestar”: Tigh vs. Adama.
“Lost”: Keamy vs. Sayid.

Angry spouse left behind

“Battlestar’s” Chief Tyrol: The death of his spouse left him bitter and angry, plus he’s got a big secret to hide.
“Lost’s” Sun: The death of her spouse left her bitter and angry, plus she’s got a big secret to hide.

Epic romance

“Lost”: When Desmond and Penny reconnected and acknowledged their deep love, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
“Battlestar”: When Adama and Roslin reconnected and acknowledged their deep love, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. (At left, "Lost's" Henry Ian Cusick and Sonya Walger as Desmond and Penny; at right, Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell as "Battlestar's" Adama and Roslin.)

Directional catch phrase

“Lost’s” Jack: “We have to go back!”
“Battlestar’s” Starbuck: “We’re going the wrong way!”

This week’s unifying theory

“Battlestar”: Whoever knows God is close to knowing the secrets of the universe.
“Lost”: Whoever knows the island’s secrets is close to being a god.

Source

The Hub

2008-06-09T05:54:00.001-07:00

From TV Squad:

Battlestar Galactica: Hub
Posted Jun 7th 2008 12:27AM by Keith McDuffee
Filed under: Battlestar Galactica, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free

(S04E09) I've been reading a lot lately from people who've become disappointed with this show the past few episodes or so. I've felt the same way. I'm happy to say, though, that while this episode didn't exactly make up for the lack of luster, it was certainly enjoyable.

Even without seeing the previews for this week (which, I admit, I can't even help but watch), we knew this episode would start with a flashback to what happened when Roslin and the occupants of the stolen Base Star jumped away. Right away we saw that a Cylon ship jumping has a strange effect on humans, though it's not clear if anyone other than Roslin had those brief visions.

When Roslin appeared in the desolate halls of the Galactica with Elosha, I noted right away that she had her real, non-wig hair. Again, I have to ask, how the heck do those makeup people hide that much hair behind another wig or a bald cap? Unreal. I smell another TV Squad award nomination!

It seems Elosha (Head Elosha?) is part of yet another force that's trying to push Roslin to do the "right thing." It makes me wonder sometimes what it is that's pushing Roslin so hard to be pigheaded about her decisions, to abuse the power granted to her. Remember when she was a meek thing who was shocked at being thrust into the position of President seasons ago?

Now, Helo. Y'know, I was beginning to really like Helo. Back when he was in command of the Demitrius, he held his own and did the job well. He was becoming one of my new favorite characters. Then he goes and throws that all away by somewhat blindly following Roslin's orders to bring D'Anna to her for a private meeting. Then he's ordered to be a door bouncer. I'm also surprised that Helo was fine with letting Roslin have that private meeting, when for all he knew Roslin was one of the final five. Look, I know she's the president and all, but Helo had more balls than that. What happened?

Speaking of D'Anna, I actually missed her. Jane Espenson wrote some great dialogue for her and especially Baltar. Baltar was back to the Baltar I like: somewhat comical, a bit scheming, and not getting all Jesusy on us. His interaction with the Hybrid and the Centurion were great, though I'm not quite sure what to make of the Centurion getting blown to bits yet. There's got to be something symbolic there.

There were two big revelations in this episode. The first was one not made to us but to Roslin, where Baltar confesses his involvement in the destruction of Caprica. I was first surprised at how Roslin stopped herself from simply pummeling Baltar to death, then surprised at how quickly she followed her visions and decided he should live after all. It will be interesting now to see what she does with this information.

The second revelation is that, if we're to believe what D'Anna says, Roslin is no way the final Cylon. It wasn't just what she said during their private meeting together, where she seemingly joked that Roslin was one of the final five. It was also when Helo told Sharon that he was taking D'Anna to Roslin, where D'Anna said, "Double-dealing. It's very human. You never got that, Eight." To me this was clear to say that Roslin is human, not Cylon. If we were thrown for a loop after this exchange and Roslin was really the final Cylon, there'd be some 'splaining to do.

Other things:

The book Adama was reading to Roslin mentioned something about 'Scar' saving someone's life. Is that an actual passage out of that particular book or is it a strange part of her vision?
Is Cavil really permanently dead?
Is Hardball dead? Why the big deal about him jumping away as he was wounded? I guess if you wanted to talk about Cylon possibilities and all that, there's all sorts of things you could speculate. I'll just leave that for someone else. Didn't the fleet find Gonzo dead last week? (Nevermind -- thanks commenters for clarifying that Pike is Gonzo, and that was him in the Raptor. Makes much more sense) What about Sandman?
Why did Laura think D'Anna would say anything to her alone in the first place? Roslin's hardly a physically threatening person on her own.

Current fleet population: 39,673
(Assuming Sandman's not dead, since the number didn't go down like I thought last week, and also assuming Hardball's not dead. Unknown if anyone else bit it this week, so the number stays unchanged for now.)

'Battlestar Galactica': Let's get back to base-ics

2008-06-06T05:35:00.000-07:00

This article just popped up:

'Battlestar Galactica': Let's get back to base-ics

Is anyone else as bored and disillusioned as I am by this leaden final season of Sci Fi's "Battlestar Galactica"?

It pains me to write such things, given how the show's first two seasons were so exciting and refreshing. But after Season Three's confusing ending (Tyrol's a Cylon? So why no fuss about his baby?), this fourth and final season has been one long, bleak dud, lacking the common-cause heroism and universal Odyssean storyline that made this retooled drama so compelling.

Last Friday's episode, "Sine Qua Non" — the eighth in the 10-episode first half of the final season (whether we'll see the second half in the fall or next spring, who knows) — was one massive coitus interuptus. When last we saw our valiant crew of refugees, Roslin and company had plugged in the Cylon hybrid, which immediately screamed, "Jump!" and sent the commandeered base ship vanishing to gods-know-where. Finally, a supremely dramatic moment in a season that feels like nothing but marked time! So what happened Friday night on the base ship? Good question. The entire episode never went back to that storyline. All we got was more parental griping from Adama and some creepy old leech revelations about Col. Tigh.

Also, we plumbed the dragged-out depths of the Lee Adama subplot, getting to the heart of why the writers made the thus-far dreadful error of hanging up that hottie's flight suit. His utterly dreary life thus far as a diplomat seems to be leading now to a run for president in Roslin's absence — a plan crafted by ye olde Scottish lawyer Romo Lampkin. I can't help but agree with another reviewer who wrote, "I think the 'Galactica' writers like Romo a lot more than the guy deserves, as he's less a character than a collection of colorful tics." With our surround sound cranked to neighbor-annoying levels, we still couldn't understand half of what that dead-cat-carting weirdo was yakking about in his burbly brogue, and from what we can tell now he wasn't saying anything of real consequence anyway.

The ending, in which the elder Adama turns over the Galactica to Tigh so he can sit in a raptor and wait for his true love Roslin to return — well, in a word, ridiculous. We've been given plenty of clues thus far that a romantic bond was sublimating between them, but nothing whatsoever to suggest it had boiled to the degree that would make Adama give up his ship and sit alone in space waiting for Godot. Uncharacteristic, unrealistic, unfortunate.

The promos for this week's episode give us great hope, though ...

Full Article

Battlestar Galactica: Sine Qua Non

2008-06-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

This in from TV Squad:

Battlestar Galactica: Sine Qua Non
Posted May 31st 2008 12:32AM by Keith McDuffee
Filed under: Battlestar Galactica, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free

(S04E08) After two weeks of waiting, and through several other shows having their season finales, we're back for more frakking BSG, baby. And speaking of season finales, after watching Lost last night with all of its flashbacks and flash-forwards, it almost seemed as though we may be seeing a bit of flashbackery next week to explain what happened to Roslin and the others aboard the hijacked Base Star.

In case you're wondering what the title means, it's a latin legal term, of course.

I've never had a firm grasp on the whole Adama-Roslin relationship, though obviously it's been a budding one for some time now. It wasn't until this episode that we saw concrete affection for Roslin, Bill even saying he can't function without her around. And, with that, he quite honorably and logically takes himself out of active command until he can get his head on straight: e.g., he finds Roslin or dies trying.

In some of the opening scenes we saw the shot Six wasn't yet dead, with Cottle and his crew working frantically to save her. Seeing Six reach up as if "toward the light" and Cottle standing over her seemed either to scream out Cottle as a red herring (for being the final Cylon) or just made his stock price go up a few points. I'm going with the latter in this case.

How could they possibly trust Sharon again after going nuts and killing the Six? I've been bitching for weeks now that the comfort level they've given a known Cylon -- Sharon -- is a tough pill to swallow sometimes. I understand that she put her neck out for the colonials before, but this last incident should leave her in chains with the other Six.

As for the appointing of a new president, I legitimately felt bad for Zarek. Like was said to Bill Adama, they could do a lot worse than Zarek in the topmost place of power in the fleet. The guy seems to take his role of vice president seriously and took it on the chin to see Roslin in the high seat. Now when it's his time, he has it plucked away to please "the old man." He steps down so Adama's own son can be sworn in instead! If that's not enough points now to win over the trust of those who didn't at one time or another, short of taking a bullet for someone else, I'm not sure what will.

Then, of course, we had the return of Lampkin the lawyer. Can I just say that Sheppard as Lampkin, in that long trenshcoat, reminds me of early Phil Collins? Remember that video for ... nevermind. Anyway, the man clearly has more than a few marbles loose. It was a neat trick to show us a cat that wasn't there, but at the same time it was pretty sick to learn he was toting around a tiny corpse in that bag for weeks.

When the damaged Raptor showed up, as soon as I heard someone was going for a space walk, I thought we were going to see another redshirt death. I was half right, though, as it was Eammon Pike who appeared as a bloated mess aboard the mess of a ship. Scratch one off the population for this week.

As for pregnant Six, this clearly points out the differences that the final five have to previously-known skinjobs. As far as I recall, the Cylons have said they can't breed eith each other. Humans and Cylons -- different story. But this whole Tigh-Six "relationship," if you want to call it that, is just too weird and I'm really wondering where they're going with it. Damn, though, that was a mean fist fight between Adama and Tigh. If we can't get some decent space battle scenes, let's get the dukes out!

As a side note, I think we now know why Tigh was wearing admiral tags in scenes several episodes ago, as mentioned in one of Ron Moore's podcasts. They must have shot the sequences out of order is all I can summise.

Adama looked strange in a flight outfit, didn't he? Just didn't quite look right. And in case you missed it, we got aother glimpse of the Orion constellation again in that last scene.

Current fleet population:
(Note: I take the population mentioned at the start of the episode and then subtract/add to that number based on what was shown or heard in this episode to get the number below)

39,672 (since last week it was 39,673 and this week was 39,674, we have +1 birth, -1 for Gonzo, probably -1 for Sandman

)

Want a Lifesize Cylon?

2008-05-30T05:54:00.000-07:00

This is so cool:

Let's sell some cylons!

They have a plan: NBC is selling life-size replicas of the cylon centurion robots from "Battlestar Galactica" for a mere $7,900 each. There's both Ron Moore-era CGI-style cylons and Lorne Greene-era man-in-suit versions. Sound effects and menacing red swivel lights? Of course!

Now if only they could somehow be programmed to watch "ER"...

Here's the press release and photo:

BURBANK, CA - May 28, 2008 - Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group today announced that "Battlestar Galactica's" infamous Cylon Centurion Robots have arrived... as full-size masterpiece replicas from Fred Barton Productions. The announcement was made by Bill Kispert, Vice President and General Manager, Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group. This high-end replica was created by Fred Barton Productions through a licensing agreement with Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group.

These amazing reproductions stand seven feet tall, feature advanced electronics and the trademark sinister red LED scanning eye movements that fans of the series have come to know. There are two life-size versions of the Cylon Centurions available for purchase, one is from the original classic series and the other is from the current Emmy Award-winning "Battlestar Galactica" series, which airs on SCI FI Channel (Fridays 10-11 p.m. ET/PT). Both are made in the USA and retail for $7,900.00. They are now available at specialty retailers and online through www.the-robotman.com and NBCstore.com.

"'Battlestar Galactica' is one of the most exciting and visually intense series on television, with the Cylons being one of its most intriguing character sets," said Kispert. "We are pleased to partner with Fred Barton Productions to create this museum-quality replica. Barton is a master craftsman, and his attention to detail on this project authentically captures the essence of one of the show's signature characters."

"I have always wanted to make the Battlestar Galactica robots," said Fred Barton, "so I was delighted when NBC Universal approached me about bringing the Cylons to life. I loved having the chance to create the re-imagined Cylon, based only on a computer generated design and I know that fans of the show will be as impressed as I am with how these Cylons appear in person."

The Cylon Centurion replicas were both molded and hand-sculpted to perfection in Barton's Los Angeles studios using an original costume from the 1970s and a computer generated, automated foam-cut Cylon, which was scaled to the imposing height of seven feet. The body is made of 100% fiberglass. The classic Cylon Centurion boasts a "reflective showroom finish," while the Cylon from the current series bears a "distressed multi-tone finish." Both incorporate synchronized stereo sound and lighting effects, advanced electronics and red LED light effects.
http://www.thrfeed.com/2008/05/lets-sell-some.html

First Details of Ron Moore's Upcoming Pilot

2008-05-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

The first details of an upcoming Ron Moore show just hit the web:

Exclusive: First Details Of Ron Moore's New Show Virtuality

When we first heard Battlestar Galactica's Ron Moore was doing a show about a deep-space long-haul crew who lose themselves in virtual reality entertainments, our first thought was, "Oh great, a whole show of Star Trek holodeck episodes." But Moore's new Fox pilot, Virtuality, is a lot more multi-layered and twisted than that, judging from the tons of script pages that have turned up. The pages are "casting sides," for actors auditioning for roles in the series, but they appear to be taken from the actual pilot script. Details, with spoilers, after the jump.

There are three strands in the Virtuality pilot, and only one of them relates to virtual reality as such:

1) The ship, the Phaeton, is nearing a slingshot maneuver around Jupiter, which will either send it back to Earth or send it hurtling forwards to its destination of Eridani. This is the "go/no-go" decision point, which will decide the crew's fate once and for all. At the same time, the ship's doctor, Eyal Meyer, has Parkinson's Disease, which throws an extra wrinkle into the tough decision. Should the ship go forward and risk not having a doctor on board? If they don't go, it may be 20 years before humans can try again — which may be too late. There are also glitches with the ship, and emergency repairs may cost one character their life.

2) The crew are all spending time in virtual reality "modules," including everything from a restful seaside scene to a Civil War battle where Confederate troops attack Union soldiers, only to fall into an ambush. In all their "modules," a mysterious figure known as the Green-Eyed Man shows up and kills the humans in gruesome ways. (Unlike in The Matrix and other scifi classics, being killed in VR doesn't harm you in real life, but it's jarring.) Is the Green-Eyed Man a hack by one of the crew members? A computer glitch? Or something else? Everybody suspects Billie, the computer geek — until she's raped by the Green Eyed Man, in a brutal and horrible scene.

3) Even as the crew is stressed out by the experience of being in deep space alone for 10 years, and losing themselves in VR entertainments, they're also being watched. In particular, the ship is one huge "reality TV" show, which is broadcast back on Earth. The ship's computer whiz, Billie, becomes the "host" of the show, which is struggling with declining ratings — so she has to find ways to increase the show's "drama" to make it more compelling viewing. There are interview segments interspersed with sequences where Billie films the crew arguing. The crew have to take part, or risk breaching their contracts — which could mean their families back on Earth lose their preferential housing. (There are tons of hints that Earth is one huge ecological cesspool, and liveable dry land is at a premium, with long waitlists

The show's most freaky character — sort of a cross between Gaius Baltar and Brother Cavil — is Roger Fallon. He's the ship's therapist (and may have to take over as doctor if Meyer is incapacitated.) But he's also the producer and director of the ship's "reality TV" show, which places him in a weird conflict of interest. He's supposed to be listening to the crew's problems, even as he's urging Billie to create more "drama" to boost the show's ratings. He's a manipulative snake, who's a famous self-help guru with a book that's almost as popular as the Bible back on Earth. We're clearly supposed to hate him and yet find him oddly compelling. His wife, Rika, is having a virtual reality affair with the ship's captain, Frank Pike. (Yes, the captain is really named Pike.)

Other simmering subplots: Manny and Val, a gay couple, have been stuck on galley duty and hate cooking, plus they're bad at it. Another married couple, Alice and Kenji, are having sex in weird spots all over the ship and trying to keep it secret for some reason. (Plus it seems as though Alice had an abortion so she could go on the Phaeton's space flight, and her sister just had a baby back on Earth.) Billie is adjusting to being the host of the "reality TV" show, and her VR module is a hilarious scenario where she's a Joan Jett-esque rock star who's also a superspy. (And her band are all super-spies too.) Another character, a scientist named Jules Braun, is having the computer create a virtual reconstruction of his dead son, Shawn.

Bottom line: It's a bleak and disturbing look at the effects of a long space trip on humans, as dark in its own way as Battlestar Galactica. It sort of reminded me of the underrated film Sunshine, in the focus on psychological drama in cramped quarters, plus the dangerous repair sequence and the fact that the ship has a hydroponic garden. But the "reality TV" aspect adds a whole extra sardonic layer to the cake. [Thanks to Lukas for the heads up]
Source

Honestly, I'm interested and annoyed by this. It sounds interesting, but totally unrealistic (as much as you can apply to a SciFi Show.) Space mission = good. Crew dymanics = good. Ron Mood = Good. Reality TV show? Um, what?

More Galactica Movies?

2008-05-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

I've been really behind on Galactica stuff lately, and I apologize. Things have been crazy busy lately. Here's a couple of interesting news tidbits:

From TV Squad:

Battlestar Galactica TV movies on the way?

Posted May 17th 2008 1:07PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: OpEd, Battlestar Galactica, Reality-Free
RazorApparently, NBC Universal wants to make more Battlestar Galactica television movies like Razor, possibly as soon as this summer. According to Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune, discussions have just started regarding this.

Ronald Moore has stated that Battlestar Galactica in its current format would not be continued after this season. Given the death rate of the surviving humans, I wonder if any of the characters will be left to film after the season's end. My guess is that the TV movies would serve as filler for what could be a long delay between the first and second halves of season four.

What keeps Battlestar Galactica intriguing is that, much like Lost, you never know who will be alive or dead by the end of the episode. This makes for exciting storytelling.

On the other hand, the TV movies could simply be tie-ins to the upcoming prequel series Caprica. What do you think the TV movies would be about?

Interesting news - I wonder what that could be...

Caprica Cast

2008-05-06T11:39:00.001-07:00

This in from the SciFi Wire - looks like they've started the casting, and they've selected their lead actor:

Caprica, Warehouse 13 Are Cast

Paula Malcomson (Deadwood) has been cast as the female lead in Caprica, SCI FI Channel's prequel to Battlestar Galactica, while Eddie McClintock and Joanne Kelly will headline SCI FI's two-hour pilot for Warehouse 13, a comedic SF drama to be directed by Jace Alexander.

Malcomson will play Amanda, a surgeon who works as a double agent, in Caprica, which is set 50 years before the events in Battlestar. Caprica follows the evolution of the Cylon race and the fight between two families.

Warehouse centers on two FBI agents, Myka (Kelly) and Peter (McClintock), who work at the government's Warehouse 13, which houses supernatural objects. They are assigned to retrieve missing objects and investigate reports of new ones.

Sackhoff going to CSI?

2008-05-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

This is interesting:

Exclusive: Inside CSI's Battle for Katee Sackhoff
This is seriously frakked up.

Sources confirm to me exclusively that Battlestar Galactica's ass-kicking Katee Sackhoff was thisclose to becoming Jorja Fox's pseudo-replacement next season on CSI. In fact, she was considered to be such a lock for the new series-regular role of Bryce Adams that exec producers Carol Mendelsohn and Naren Shankar, both huge fans of the actress, were practically rolling a red carpet all the way to her trailer.

But...

Oh, come on, you knew there was a "but" coming. After seeing Sackhoff read for the part of the sexy new CSI on the graveyard shift, executives at both CBS (who declined to comment for this story) and Jerry Bruckheimer Television remained unconvinced that they had found their Bryce. And, unfortunately, their opinion won out.

Told you it was a frakked-up story.

Source

Road Less Traveled Review

2008-05-05T07:53:00.000-07:00

From TV Squad:

Battlestar Galactica: The Road Less Traveled - VIDEO

Posted May 2nd 2008 11:54PM by Keith McDuffee
Filed under: Battlestar Galactica, Video, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S04E05) It looks like Sci Fi took to heart some of the complaints over last week's online preview. This week they weren't so vague, making it crystal clear how much of a preview we were going to get. If nothing else, I could skip over the first ten minutes of the episode when it aired on TV.

As we heard tonight, the mission of the Demitrius is nearing the end of its 60-day mission, and there's noticeable tension on-board. Two months doesn't really seem all that long, but then I got to thinking -- what is a "day" to the humans as related to Earth time? Are we to assume Caprica has the same cycles as Earth? I know, I'm digressing here, but I do wonder how they differentiate a day amongst all of the different colonies, then simply say "a day" on Galactica. Most likely they have a military-set definition for it.

I meant to mention something for the past couple of episodes, but I didn't think it was worth mentioning until now. Baby Nicolas cries an awful lot. I get that he's a baby and that, perhaps, the director is just trying to make us more aware of his presence. However, it was tonight when Tyrol turned off the radio as Baltar's speech was playing that I saw there was significance in what soothes him. Do machines -- baby machines -- learn at a different pace than humans? Is it possible that he understands at a higher level than a human baby at his age? Or maybe he just likes Baltar's accent.

Did you notice that Starbuck mentioned that she was waiting to "hear that sound again." I take it that many viewers automatically assume she means the 'All Along the Watchtower' song, but my guess is it's something else. If -- and, for me, this is a big if -- there's a "ship of lights" in this series, I again say I hope it's done well and right. Olmos already said in interviews, several times, that he has a clause in his contract that says there won't be aliens in this show. Well, other than Capricans vs. Earthlings that is. Would the beings on a ship of lights go against that?

I'm not sure what's with Tyrol's shaved head, but it makes him look like someone between a bad-ass and Curly of the Three Stooges, especially when he was rubbing his head, flipping out with a gun in his hand. Out of anyone else on the fleet that we know, Tyrol has more of a reason than anyone to act out that way. It's a wonder how he was able to control himself from pulling the trigger. He feels at fault for Cally's death (and, quite honestly, he is indirectly responsible) and obviously questions his own worth and safety to the rest of the citizens of the fleet.

Baltar's talk in Tyrol's quarters was finally something that someone grounded him, especially after hearing his crazy-sounding speeches this season. The fact that he was able to admit his faults to Tyrol's face was what finally allowed him to reach out a hand and accept him. At the same time, I still loved it when Tyrol grabbed Baltar by the throat earlier in the episode; I could hear the collective cries from Baltar-haters over the planet cry "Yes!"

As for the goings-on on the Demitrius, we could see mutiny coming from a mile away. Regardless of intention, bringing Leoben onto the ship was pure insanity over anything Roslin's ever done. This thing/person kept Kara captive for months as a slave, even going so far as to lie about her having a daughter. How in the world could she trust him for a second?

Starbuck is right, though, in that if they return to Galactica with nothing, they won't be sent back out. And even if they were, the crew would likely not agree to accompany her again. Now, with mutiny at stake, there's no way in hell they'd go out again. So now it's do or die time for Starbuck.

Lastly, a hat goes off to the sudden death of Sgt. Erin Mathias. She may have seemed a Red Shirt to many, but she actually had quite a few scenes on the show. Sadly, she won't really be missed all that much.

Current fleet population: 39,675 (-1 for Sgt. Mathias)
http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/05/02/battlestar-galactica-the-road-less-traveled/

Escape Velocity Review

2008-04-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

From TV Squad:

(S04E04) I went on earlier today about how a lot of us were cut short in the early viewing of tonight's episode, which made me think perhaps something "big" happens later that they didn't want revealed early. With the exception of one "maybe big" moment, I can scratch that theory.

I wouldn't exactly call this a throw-away episode, though with what we saw in the past three episodes it did drag is places.

Thankfully we weren't transported days or weeks ahead of the events from last week, giving us a look at Tyrol coming to terms with what happened to Cally ... or at least trying to. How exactly did everyone know Cally ejected out of the ship? If there was video evidence, we all know what that would have shown. Did a Raptor happen upon her lifeless body in space? She was thrown out of there at a pretty good clip, so the chances of her being recovered weren't so hot.

Tyrol's comments about Cally to Bill Adama were harsh to the Nth degree, though it's exactly what I had been thinking all along. We saw how the Chief was with Boomer, and then we saw where he wound up on New Caprica. This wasn't the Tyrol we knew, and neither is the person we're seeing post-Cally. He's in a whirlwind of crap right now and he's quickly spinning out of control. He went from saying she was the "blood in my veins" to saying she had "vacant eyes" -- he's frakked up.

The scenes with Tigh and Number Six were the best of the episode. Are Tigh's visions of Ellen simply a form of guilt or are we supposed to wonder if she is the final Cylon? Tigh and Tyrol are clearly having a much, much harder time coming to terms with what they are. Tigh has decided to go to a resource that might have answers for him, though I started to wonder why none of them don't just go to the Number Eight that's walking amongst them and fess up. Wouldn't she be a bit relieved or delighted to know she's not alone? Sorry, but the whole Cylon being a part of the crew while everyone knows what she is still bugs me, and I don't care what she did to prove herself. Then again, Tigh can't go to Athena while she's on the Demetrius. Well played, writers.

I keep going back to the scenes from past seasons when we saw the tell-tale Cylon glowing, red spine. That, along with Anders' red eye confuse me when someone like Number Six goes on about how there are "no wires" inside Cylons. What-how? Someone explain that bit to me.

To the groans of many I'm sure, we were back with Baltar's story this week. I consider myself on the fence about whether I find his character fascinating or simply annoying. After this episode I'm more on the side of being fascinated. The biggest "wow" moment of the episode was when Number Six picks up Baltar from the floor when he clearly says he doesn't want to get up. I went over that scene several times and I'm convinced Baltar was actually lifted from the floor. So, if that's what really happened, then what the heck? What is "head Six"? Is she an actual force around the ship? He's both mentally and physically a puppet for the Cylons.

Finally, Lee saw Tory having a grand ol' time at Baltar's little service at the end of the episode, so I wonder if he'll use that to his advantage against Roslin in the future. Clearly Lee didn't buy into anything Baltar was going on about, so in seeing Tory there -- the president's aide -- his confidence in Roslin isn't going to gain any points.

Current fleet population: 39,675 (no known births/deaths)

A Storm is Coming...

2008-04-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

Six of One on Tonight

2008-04-11T12:47:00.001-07:00

New Episode tonight, Six of One, at 10, preceded by last week's opener, He That Believeth in Me at 9.

Reviews, reviews and reviews

2008-04-05T06:41:00.000-07:00

It's here, it's here!

And here's some first reviews:

Battlestar Galactica: He That Believeth In Me (season premiere)

Posted Apr 4th 2008 11:00PM by Keith McDuffee

(S04E01)

Starbuck is dead. At least the Starbuck as we knew her before the events of 'Maelstrom'.

Now don't go thinking I've revealed some sort of spoiler pre-jump here. What I said is merely an observation of how Starbuck appears in this episode and how others perceive her now. It's also from something Katee Sackhoff was told by Ron Moore (as she mentioned in an interview). And can you really blame all parties involved for behaving quite a bit differently now, since then?

Some of you may have been lucky/sharp enough to notice that SciFi was airing the episode on its website earlier today, noon ET. Unfortunately I didn't know this until about fifteen minutes into the showing (it was live), so I wouldn't have had time to post about it until you would have missed some key moments. You did miss out on a crapload of Ironman commercials, though (not that that's such a bad thing).

In fact, once such key moment is captured in the screenshot I chose for this post -- Ander's reddening, Cylon eye. If there was any doubt at all about Anders (and the other three from last season's finale) being Cylons, this put that to rest right quick. I do wonder, though, if this is the first time Anders had such an experience during combat. Did he have this seemingly subconscious control over other Cylons before that "switch" turned on last season? How about the others? This scene and the battle around it was a spectacular way to kick off the season.
Full Article

And from the New York Times:

Space Opera Returns: One Last Step for Mankind
By ALESSANDRA STANLEY

Earth, not space, is the final frontier of “Battlestar Galactica.”

The galaxy-wandering survivors of an apocalyptic attack begin the fourth and last season of this Sci Fi Channel wunderseries where they left off: with the faint but improbable hope that one of them has found the lost, mythical home planet.

Whether anyone should believe Kara Thrace, a k a Starbuck, the swashbuckling fighter pilot who was thought to be dead for two months and cannot account for her lost time or prove her claim, is only one of many mysteries confounding the crew of the Galactica. Another is her latest sleeping arrangements: Kara (played by Katee Sackhoff) has a husband and a lover (two, if one counts the amorous Cylon who held her captive on the robot-occupied settlement New Caprica).

“Battlestar Galactica,” which begins on Friday, is a space opera, a high-minded space odyssey with more than a touch of the daytime soaps. It is critically acclaimed and widely respected, but the science-fiction show’s fiercely dedicated cult following has become something of a mass-culture joke: the two lonely mathematicians on the CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” decline lunch with a pretty girl so they can view the commentary on the DVD of Season 2.

And that is a disservice because “Battlestar Galactica” is one of the more beguiling series on television, an action-adventure drama that travels through time and space to explore morality, politics and metaphysics. Science fiction often serves as a modesty curtain that permits authors to think big thoughts at a safe remove — special effects and laser make-believe palliate abstract musings and pompous parables that might otherwise bore or offend viewers. (Without phasers and Vulcan death grips, the moralizing streak in the original “Star Trek” would have been insufferable.)

Full Article

What did you think of the first episode?

Links!

2008-04-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

TVTattle put together a slew of links:

Why "Battlestar Galactica" must self-destruct
"As the end — and Earth — draw near," says Scott Brown, "'BSG' has seen its moral clarities cloud over. This was always going to be a hurtling, one-way trip to enlightenment and/or oblivion. And like all the fantasies born in the Bush age, the show is programmed to self-destruct: Consider 'Lost,' the purgatory-as-therapy sci-fi ropes course that has declared a 48-episode limit on its desert-island wanderings. In fact, it's 'Lost' creator J.J. Abrams who'll be relaunching 'BSG's' sunnier predecessor, 'Star Trek,' with a prequel due out next year. By then, we'll have a new president-elect and, one way or another, a new age, with a new mood — and a new T-shirt."
"Battlestar" for newbies: Everything you were afraid to ask // Another primer
Ron Moore on directing, the strike, final season // Cylon Bible does exist
Cast has mixed emotions // L. Adama on L. Adama // Tigh on being a Cylon
"Battlestar" has been fearless at tackling big issues like war, race, religion...
"Battlestar": Comic Book // How "Galactica" avoided every TV remake mistake

1 Hour To Go

2008-04-04T07:42:00.001-07:00

If you're on top of things and have a good internet connection - the first episode of Season 4 will be airing on SciFi.com. Enjoy!

Casting Info for Caprica

2008-04-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

TV Squad has posted up some casting information for Caprica:

Exclusive: Caprica casting info revealed

Posted Apr 3rd 2008 10:15PM by Keith McDuffee
Now that we got the confirmed greenlight for the Battlestar Galactica spin-off series, Caprica, of course we can expect to see more details of the series trickle in. Just today, for example, sources have provided us with casting information for the series. Cool stuff!

Anyone familiar with the details of the show knows that Caprica will center around two families, the Graystones and the Adamas, and the goings on leading up to the Cylons as we see them on the show now. Now we can get a sense of what the characters on the show will look like and perhaps make our own wishlist of who we'd like to see in the roles. I warn you that there are what to some will consider SPOILERS ahead.

(I put my own comments in bold below)

[DANIEL GRAYSTONE] In his early 40s, a spectacularly wealthy computer engineer / designer, Daniel is married to Amanda and the father of Zoe -- but his extensive business interests leave him little time for his child, whom he still sees as a little girl in pink shoes. Busy trying to design an intelligent robot, Daniel is devastated when Zoe is killed in a suicide bombing, and has no idea that his daughter had a complex, very secret life. After learning that his own wizardry with computer technology was exceeded by his own child, who found a way to upload her personality into an online avatar, Daniel realizes that with a little stolen technology, and with a little intellectual elbow grease, he can create a robotic version of his dead daughter -- and in doing so, he creates the first Cylon...SERIES REGULAR - SUBMIT ALL ETHNICITIES.

As I never followed the original BSG series, I wonder if what Graystone creates is meant to have any resemblance to a human other than being a biped. I can't imagine he'd make his late Zoe look like a Centurion.

[JOSEPH ADAMS] In his 40s, he is a Tauron, an off-worlder who has emigrated to Caprica; his hair is already starting to go iron-grey and his entire demeanor is that of someone who's already put on more miles than most men his age. There's a gravitas to Joseph, an intelligence, and a strong sense of someone you wouldn't want as your enemy. He has risen above the traditional Caprican prejudice against Taurons, and has become a powerful, influential defense attorney, with powerful ties to the Tauron crime underworld. His wife and daughter are killed in the same blast that takes out Zoe, and he bonds with the much-wealthier Daniel in a common grief. A man who has done a few crooked things in his life (largely in order to use his position to protect his fellow Taurons), Joseph reluctantly agrees to assist Daniel in his grief-fueled efforts to create robotic versions of both their children -- but after stealing vital technology from a Tauron computer developer, Joseph is ethically appalled by the robot version of his dead Tamara, and repents his actions. Left with a 9 year old son to care for, Joseph reaches out to young William, revealing to him that his last name is really Adama...SERIES REGULAR - SUBMIT ALL ETHNICITIES. HOWEVER, PREFER LATINO.

At first I thought the "Adams" was a typo, but it seems this was an alias Joseph used at some point. It's no wonder why the Cylons have such an interest in Bill Adama, seeing as his own father was quite instrumental in assisting with their creation.

[AMANDA GRAYSTONE] In her late 30s, Daniel's wife, she is a successful surgeon with a volatile streak to her, who has married well and dearly loves her daughter. Devastated after the death of her daughter Zoe, Amanda turns for consolation, not to her husband but to an ex-lover, Tomas Vergis, a Tauron who is one of her husband's competitors. Furious with herself for having cheated on her husband, Amanda in fact is something of a double agent, plucking information about Vergis' intellectual property from his blabbing mouth and taking it home to Daniel to use as he sees fit...SERIES REGULAR - SUBMIT ALL ETHNICITIES.

You'll note that Tomas Vergis isn't a casting choice here. Either he's already cast or he's an extremely minor role.

[SISTER CLARICE WILLOW] In her mid 30s to 50s, dressed in the traditional clerical robes of an Athenian High Priestess, Sister Clarice is the headmistress of the Athena Academy, a private religious school, where Zoe, Lacy and Ben are all enrolled. A gracious, eloquent, thoughtful woman who grew up in a slum and has seen it all, she's elegant and sophisticated -- and utterly duplicitous. In fact, she is a closet monotheist, and has taken the best and brightest of her students and shared her own (illegal, closeted) beliefs with them -- only to see her efforts literally explode in her students' faces...SERIES REGULAR - SUBMIT ALL ETHNICITIES.

This sounds like a role that's going to require quite a lot of depth. Very interesting with the whole "closeted monotheist" thing, as it shows such beliefs didn't just come from the sentient minds of Cylons alone.

[ZOE GRAYSTONE / ZOE-A / ZOE-R] 16 going on 40 (18 TO PLAY 16), with severe hair and makeup, Zoe is the daughter of Daniel and Amanda Graystone, and she's a girl with many secrets. A computer genius like her father, she has found a way to enliven a holographic avatar of herself, by uploading all her memories and DNA into the hologram, thus creating her online twin, Zoe-A. A closet monotheist in the polytheistic culture of Caprica, and obliged to perform her religion in private, she tries to leave the planet with her boyfriend, Ben, only to be killed when Ben suicide-bombs them both into oblivion. But Zoe-A is left behind, a baffled, grieving digital duplicate of the real, flesh and blood Zoe. With the collaboration of Daniel and Joseph, Zoe-A is downloaded into a robotic brain, thus becoming the first Cylon: Zoe-R...SERIES REGULAR - SUBMIT ALL ETHNICITIES.

Now this is an awesome twist. I wonder what happened to Zoe-B through Zoe-Q.

[WILLIAM ADAMS] 9 years old, Latino, Joseph's sole surviving child, William is inward and withdrawn in the best of times, and grows more taciturn after the death of his mother and sister. Barely aware of his father, whose work kept him away from the family, William is a stoical Tauron who keeps his deepest thoughts to himself and rarely smiles. Promised a closer relationship by Joseph, he is taken aside, taught the basics of his Tauron heritage, and told that his Tauron name is William Adama...7 / 13 SERIES REGULAR -TO PLAY EDWARD JAMES OLMOS AT 9 YEARS OLD.

Big shoes to fill for a 9 year old.

[BEN STARK / BEN-A] 16 years old (18 TO PLAY 16), with close-cropped hair, Ben has an intensity to him, a sense of a kid who's gone someplace far away and may not be coming back. Zoe's boyfriend, he is a fanatical monotheist; he introduced her and Lacy to his cult, and induced them both to flee Caprica with him. But Ben is a little crazy, and he's fleeing Caprica in a different way than he promised: by blowing up their train with a suicide bomb. He later is revealed to have his own uploaded avatar, an on-line twin named Ben-A, whom only Sister Clarice can contact...7 / 13 SERIES REGULAR - SUBMIT ALL ETHNICITIES.

Well, there you have it. I also got a look at the sides (portions of scripts for auditioners to read), but I'd be killed for showing any of that. To be honest, no notable actors come to mind to play these roles, but I'm clearly not thinking too thoroughly about it. I'd love to hear any thoughts you have other than "they should all be relative unknowns" (even though I pretty much agree with that statement, since it will keep the show's cost down.)

The quest for the final Cylon

2008-04-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

More speculation as the 4th season is coming soon -

The quest for the final Cylon
One of the most talked about aspects of the final season of Battlestar Galactica has been who will be revealed as the final Cylon. Many will argue (and rightfully so) that this show is much more than discovering who this final Cylon is, but the fact remains that this discovery is an important aspect of the show. Otherwise, why would such a reveal be such a well-kept secret? Because it makes good TV, that's why.

With four of the final five Cylons being revealed in the third season finale, lots of speculation is flying on who that fifth Cylon might be. There are two interesting theories in particular I want to mention.

Earlier this week I posted my early look at the fourth season premiere. In the comments for that post, reader Stu mentioned a theory I hadn't thought of before (though I admittedly don't read all of the fan boards). In that comment he reminds us of Leoben's exchange with Roslyn in 'Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down', where he whispers "Adama's a Cylon." I remember this scene explicitly, as I had to rewind my DVR to make sure I really heard what he said.

Most viewers automatically assume Leoben meant Bill Adama. Still others thought perhaps he meant Lee Adama. Commenter Stu, however, reminds us there's another Adama on the table: Zac Adama, Lee's brother. Remember, he died in a crash before the events of this series. Could he perhaps come back?

While this theory is great to speculate upon, I'm doubtful. I emailed the talent manager for Tobias Mehler, the man who played Zac one time in the series (he was played by someone else in the mini-series), and as for him having a role this season: "not to my knowledge." Not exactly 100% concrete, but seeing as I doubt she'd lie and didn't say "no comment," I'm inclined to say Zac was human and is dead and buried/burned.

I still wonder why Leoben bothered to say that to Roslyn, though. I understand it causes confusion and distrust, but it didn't really work well, did it? And it just seemed ... uncharacteristic of a Cylon. Maybe he meant Carolanne Adama (she appeared once in 'A Day in the Life')? Maybe I should call Lucinda Jenney's agent next. Nah.

The second theory that's intrigued me for a while is the return of Billy Keikeya as the final Cylon. You might remember that he was killed in 'Sacrifice'. This would be quite a wild reveal, but not as wild as some others. However, just to see what would happen, I emailed Paul Campell's talent agent. When I asked if Campbell would be reprising his role in season four, he said, "you can ask, but I can't tell you." When I then asked if that meant he didn't know or if his answer was "no comment," he replied: "no comment."

The "no comment" remark from a talent agent could mean anything. It could mean he really is returning and has been told not to say (or that he knows by saying it would mean big trouble for him.) It could be that he signed a NDA that states he can't comment on the actor's involvement with the show. It could also just be him messing with us, hoping that I'll do this post and get Paul more press -- and, look, it worked. Heck I would have posted about Paul anyway, but only if he would have really been given a true greenlight for Nobody's Watching. Damn you, NBC! But I digress.

What are some of the better theories you've read or heard out there? I've got a few of my own that just seem way too far-fetched to me, but I'll just pat myself on the back if/when one of those theories comes true.

TV Squad

Two New Articles

2008-04-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

I just came across these two articles:

Exclusive! Caprica Pilot Preview

Frak yeah! Not only is Battlestar Galactica back this Friday, but I've just wrangled up some juicy scoop about the Caprica spinoff.

In case you haven't heard, Sci Fi has ordered a pilot called Caprica from BSG creator Ronald D. Moore. It goes back in time to before the creation of the Cylons for a look at life in the Colonies before, well, everything blew up.

Caprica is the story of two families, the Graystones and the Adams (better known to us now as the Adamas), and we'll be meeting the man who fathered and grandfathered the goodness that is Bill and Lee Adama (Edward James Olmos and Jamie Bamber). Interestingly, when I interviewed Ronald D. Moore last year, Caprica's plotlines were not directly tied to the characters we know from the current series. I asked RDM if there might be any Thrace-Adama-Agathon-Roslin ancestors in Caprica, and he told me, "Right now, there are no ancestors of anybody in the pilot." Well, looks like that changed in the intervening time, and thank goodness!

Full Article

I'm not sure what I think about this - I don't know why a lot of sci-fi fans like connecting things together to an insane level, but eh.

The Biz: Sci Fi Goes To Elle And Back To Promote Battlestar Finale
March 31, 2008

IF you're surfing the Web later this week during a specific prime-time hour, the screen could go completely dark, except for a single command: go immediately to your TV and turn on Battlestar Galactica.

Sci Fi Channel, fully understanding its fanboy base, is tapping further into the online world with some unprecedented stunts to promote the launch of the fourth and final season of the Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning show.

The blackouts will happen on sci-fi enthusiast sites like Ugo and 1Up as the opening episode launches on April 4. That follows a mid-day live stream that's intended to whet the appetites of the faithful.

The network, part of the NBC Universal family, also is reaching further into the mainstream than it has in prior years, buying TV time during the NCAA playoffs, magazine spreads in non-genre publications such as Elle, Vanity Fair and the New Yorker, and using celebrities like Brad Paisley and David Letterman to rally newbies to the critical darling's much buzzed-about last 20 episodes.

Full Article

More Advance Reviews

2008-03-31T10:46:00.000-07:00

This one from TV Squad:

Battlestar Galactica season four: An early look

Posted Mar 31st 2008 12:20AM by Keith McDuffee
For some time now, at least some members of the press and other media outlets have had an early copy of the fourth season premiere of Battlestar Galactica. This season, however, Sci Fi has made everyone sign and adhere to an embargo agreement, making us keep our traps shut about anything at all to do with the screener until today.

I'm not going to reveal what I consider spoilers here, though I will warn you that I will discuss some key plot points below. Consider yourself warned.

Firstly I will say that fans clearly won't be disappointed with the episode, though it may bother some in how they split it into two parts. According to the screener, this episode is titled 'He That Believeth in Me' -- I wonder if using "that" rather than "who" is purposeful.
Full Article

Review: He That Believeth In Me

2008-03-31T08:24:00.000-07:00

Looks like reviews are already coming. Here's the first of probably many, and this one doesn't contain spoilers:

Battlestar Galactica: He That Believeth In Me
Creator: Ronald D. Moore

Premieres: Friday, April 4th at 10:00 pm EST on Sci-Fi

Important note about spoilers: There are none in this review. We want you to enjoy the episode fresh and clean, just like we had the opportunity to do. This is a review, not a recap. Recaps will go up, as they always have, AFTER each episode airs.

Battlestar Galactica returns for its fourth, and final, season much the way it left us a year ago. The battle for what seems to be the immortal soul of all mankind is back in play, as are those questions you may have about who is what and why is that happening. Well, those questions get acknowledged, but never answered. Battlestar Galactica, like other great stories on television such as Buffy or early X-Files is not interested in wrapping things up in slick action sequences. The four revealed Cylons from season 3's finale do not appear here as ass kicking humanoid robots that do ninja battle with marines.

The emotional turmoil the show is currently putting its characters, and damnit the audience, through is mind bending. For some it literally is a mind bender. But don’t let that fool you. BSG has a penchant for making you momentarily forget you’re watching an epic space opera with poignant moments like on in which a father figure quetions whether he should believe his heart or his eyes. At the same time set pieces and battle sequences continue to work in their inspired way. This season four premiere in particular has a battle sequence that may go down as one of the best “holy shit” scenes of the entire year. From Cylon raider blood being splattered across Vipers for the first time I can recall, to an end of the fight… which raises far more questions than those of us who are demanding answers may like, BSG returns exactly as promised, and it appears that the problems of mid-season 3 are all but forgotten.
Full Review

New Lee Ad

2008-03-31T07:30:00.001-07:00

All This Week:

2008-03-31T07:23:00.000-07:00

Sci-Fi is having a week-long BSG Marathon starting this Monday @ 8 AM. They will air almost all of the episodes from each season in order, every day from 8 AM to 5 PM until the S4 Premiere this Friday @ 10 PM. From what I can tell, the only things they are not airing are:

Miniseries
1x01. "33"
1x02. "Water"
3x12. "Taking a Break from All Your Worries"
Razor

Not sure why they're not airing 33 and Water. Those are two of my favorites.

Katee Sackhoff talks Battlestar Galactica

2008-03-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

Lot of news as we get closer and closer to BSG-Day. This in from the TV Squad:

Possible Spoilers

Katee Sackhoff talks Battlestar Galactica

Early this afternoon (at least for me here on the east coast), Katee Sackhoff participated in a conference call with reporters, discussing her part as Starbuck in Battlestar Galactica, both in seasons past and the upcoming final season of the series.

A few highlights:

* Katee was asked about the significance of the last supper image promo for season four. She mentions how so many people try to interpret the photo, but she says, at least the way she saw it, the cast would have all had to have been in on it for it to really mean something.
* She was asked if, like Michael Hogan (and other recently-revealed Cylons), her reaction would be negative if she were revealed to be a Cylon. She said she was probably indifferent to the thought. She also said that she thinks Michael's still in disbelief.
* They're currently shooting episode 14, and she is no closer to having answers now (at least with regards to her relationship with Anders) than she was at the end of the third season.
* Director Ron Moore was the first director she can recall that has ever said "thank you" after every take.
* If she could take one item with her from the show when it's over it would be her flight suit, helmet and gun belt. "Drive right off the set and go have the things bronzed."
* She said the cast has been told who the final Cylon is but she still can't believe it. She thinks the final Cylon should be revealed in the final episode, but she's not sure exactly who it really is for certain. She's also not sure if this final Cylon will be revealed in the first run of episodes or not, as she doesn't read through each entire script to know that.
* She agrees with Ron Moore that there shouldn't be a Battlestar Galactica movie after the series is over. She also says that, as of now, she has no interest in being in one if it does happen.
* She said if she had total control over what happens to her character, she'd have her die. She wants Starbuck to find some form of peace, and if that means death or something else, as long as she ends up happy somehow.
* She said she's learned not to hang around online reading about how she's doing on the show, as it would take 100 positive remarks to make her feel better from reading one negative one.
* She said this seasons definitely going to shock people and probably ruffle some peoples' feathers. Be prepared to see things not all wrapped up nicely with a bow at the end of the series.
* Originally Starbuck was being cast as being a 35 year-old woman, but then they went with her.
* Maybe I heard this wrong, but I'm pretty sure she said she could best see Starbuck winding up with Leoben when all's said and done.
* She was asked if she'd have interest in David Eick's upcoming Children of Men TV project, and she says she'd follow Eick to the end of the Earth. So ... Maybe?

Children of Men: The Series?

2008-03-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

It looks like David Eick is starting another TV series, this one based off of the novel Children of Men, by PD James, which was also the source of a 2006 movie:

Children of Men: The series
Since it looks like Bionic Woman is not coming back to NBC, although nothing's been confirmed, the executive producer is moving on. David Eick is writing a pilot based on the Alfonso Cuarón film Children of Men for SciFi.
The film, brilliantly directed by the Mexican filmmaker, was a grim tale about the future -- England in 2027 -- where women have become completely infertile and the human race faces a major crises with less than a century to survive.
At the SciFi Channel's upfront, Eick said the proposed TV series would veer closer to the source material, P.D. James' novel. "It's really taking root more in the origins of the novels in that it will focus on the cultural movement in which young people become the society's utter focus."
Eick's version of Children of Men will also not star Clive Owen, Julianne Moore nor Michael Caine, who were all in the 2006 feature film. The TV Children of Men is going to question how society defines responsibility, freedom and a sense of values when it doesn't necessarily believe humans will survive as a species. "It's not really a war show like the movie was. It's more an exploration of that issue."
Eick is also preparing Caprica, a prequel to Battlestar Galactica for SciFi.

I would watch this - the movie was brilliant, and I can sort of see this being a series.

Battlestar's Olmos OK If All Die

2008-03-28T05:22:00.000-07:00

BSG star lands on Joss Whedon's new show

2008-03-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

This in from TVSquad, a little more with actors and the post-BSG world. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this - Tahmoh Penkiett is, in my opinion, one of the weaker links of the show, but maybe he'll be better in a different role:

BSG star lands on Joss Whedon's new show
With the final season of Battlestar Galactica starting up next week (sniff), the actors on that fabulous show need some new work. At least one of them has a pretty sweet gig set up: Tahmoh Penikett (aka 'Helo') has been cast on Joss Whedon's new pilot.

The pilot is called Dollhouse, and it already stars Eliza Dushku. The series is about four "dolls" who receive different personalities for each assignment (FBI, CIA? I dunno). Dushku's character begins to override the microchips that supposedly wipe out her memory and figures out who she is. Penikett will play an FBI agent who is obsessed with the Dollhouse myth and set on finding out the truth.

Other casting includes Fran Kranz (Welcome to the Captain), Australian actress Dichen Lachman and Enver Gjokaj (don't ask me how to pronounce that one). There are four more main parts that still need to be cast and I'm wondering if it's possible to find more actors with strange and unpronounceable names.

If you're wondering why you haven't heard about Dollhouse, it's probably because the news about it got lost in all the writer's strike mayhem. Just before the strike, 20th Century Fox Television gave a 7-episode order for Dollhouse. Wahoo!

More from the SciFi Wire

2008-03-26T05:37:00.000-07:00

Mary McDonnell, who plays President Laura Roslin on the SCI FI Channel original series Battlestar Galactica, offered SCI FI Wire a spoiler for the upcoming fourth and final season (Highlight to read):

that her character will have to deal with a recurrence of the cancer she thought was cured.

"I can only you tell that, as we all know, I have to struggle once again with the cancer," McDonnell said in an interview at the network's upfront presentation to advertisers in New York earlier this month. "That's a whole different level of struggle than we have seen so far. I [also] have to struggle with the ideas that one commits to as a leader and whether or not they have value. Those are kind of the broad strokes, and other than that I don?t know yet."

Filming on the final season was interrupted by the recently settled writers' strike; production will resume shortly in Vancouver, Canada, on the remaining new episodes of the final season.

McDonnell said that she's eager to return to work. She said that she's sad that such a "real gift" of a job will soon end but "very excited" about completing the saga on the show's own terms.

"I find that the energy going into the last nine [episodes] and knowing that we're completing the telling of the story is a very unusual experience on television," McDonnell said. "You have the choice to go ahead and finish the story, and it's very specifically laid out to be bookended. So on that level I'm thrilled. I think it's a great idea." The fourth season of Battlestar Galactica kicks off on March 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with two back-to-back half-hour specials, with the first new episode, "He That Believeth in Me," premiering the following week, April 4, at 10 p.m.

More from the SciFiWire

2008-03-25T06:02:00.000-07:00

Another article regarding Galactica has popped up on the SciFiWire:

Battlestar's Moore Eager To Helm

Battlestar Galactica executive producer Ronald D. Moore told SCI FI Wire that he's eager to direct the show's first post-writers' strike episode in his debut behind the camera.

"I'm very excited," Moore said in an interview. "It should be a treat to work with the cast and crew in a different context. It's my first time out. I'll make plenty of mistakes, but I'll have a good support system to sort of save me from myself. And it'll be fun."

Moore laughed when asked if there's anywhere he could possibly place a camera that's not already been utilized by one of his predecessors. "I don't think so, and that's the kind of trap you try not to fall into, because then you start just trying to be clever and [try to] do something that no one else has done," he replied. "I think what's important to me on my first time out is to tell the story well, to really tell a good story, to really make it an interesting character piece and just have a piece of film at the end that I'm proud of."

Moore's episode will likely premiere in 2009. Battlestar Galactica will kick off its fourth and final season April 4 at 10 p.m. with "He That Believeth in Me."

Sackhoff Looks Beyond Battlestar

2008-03-24T11:02:00.001-07:00

This in from the SciFi Wire:

Katee Sackhoff, who plays Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on SCI FI Channel's Battlestar Galactica, told SCI FI Wire that she's concerned about finding parts as challenging, formidable and powerful once the show ends after its upcoming fourth and final season.

"It's extremely difficult," Sackhoff said in an interview at SCI FI Channel's upfront presentation to advertisers in New York last week. "It's a definite worry. People ask me if I'm worried about being pigeonholed in science fiction, and definitely not. That's not a fear of mine at all."

Sackhoff has had a few other roles during breaks from Battlestar, notably as the murderous Sarah Corvus in NBC's Bionic Woman (created by Battlestar executive producer David Eick) and as a doomed woman in the 2007 straight-to-DVD sequel film White Noise 2: The Light.

"What I'm worried about is finding strong, fun, exciting, inspirational characters, because Kara is," Sackhoff said. "With all of her flaws and drama, she's still an extremely strong woman first and foremost. And I think that's what I'm most worried about, is if I'm ever going to find that again."

But Sackhoff doubted that she'll play Starbuck again. "I do not think that we'll be back" in a film or subsequent series, she said. "I think there's something to be said for just ending. But then again, I don't think anyone thought Sex and the City would do a movie, and we're kind of following suit with them in ending how they ended."

Hugo Nomination!

2008-03-21T09:42:00.001-07:00

Battlestar Galactica: Razor was just nominated for a Hugo Award for Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.

Top Ten Reasons to Watch Season 4

2008-03-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

More Caprica News

2008-03-20T05:25:00.000-07:00

This in from the SciFi Wire:

Caprica Very Different From Battlestar

David Eick and Ronald D. Moore, executive producers of SCI FI Channel's original series Battlestar Galactica, told SCI FI Wire that their upcoming prequel Caprica will be a markedly different series.

Eick compared it to the feature film American Beauty, while Moore referenced the TV soap opera Dallas.

"Caprica is a story that Ron Moore and I concocted with [co-executive producer] Remi Aubuchon, and we're casting as we speak," Moore said in an interview at SCI FI Channel's upfront presentation to advertisers in New York on March 18. "I'm very excited about that. If Battlestar Galactica is Black Hawk Down, I would say that Caprica is American Beauty. Caprica is all about the inner lives of the people on a planet and how their personal relationships as well as their professional relationships inform what will become the creation of the Cylons."

Moore, a former Star Trek writer and producer, said that Caprica is not a show along the lines of any Trek spinoff series. "It's a different animal altogether," he said in a separate interview. "Unlike those shows, which are all riffs on the same notion of what Star Trek was, Caprica is really a completely different kind of genre. We're trying to do something different."

Instead of Galactica's action-adventure space-based war show, Caprica will tell a story that takes place before any of the wars happened. "This is really more of a sci-fi Dallas," Moore said. "It's a political story, a family story. It's about the creation of the Cylons, and it's about a company. It's planet-based. It's very character-oriented, very serialized and very much about the characters. It's a whole different genre, and that's what makes it exciting."

Production will begin this spring on a two-hour backdoor pilot. Moore said he will be "very involved" with the pilot, but stressed that it's too soon to say whether he'd remain on board if SCI FI Channel gave the green light for a weekly Caprica show.

"If it goes to series, it kind of depends when that happens and what I'm doing," he said. "We'll just wait and see."

2008 SciFi Upfronts

2008-03-19T06:59:00.000-07:00

This in from TV Squad

The 2008 Sci Fi Channel Upfront: A report

Posted Mar 19th 2008 12:20AM by Brad Trechak

Battlestar Galactica castI have just got back from the Sci Fi Channel's 2008 Upfront and the new year looks very exciting. Upon arrival, the press was treated to an interview with the cast of Battlestar Galactica along with co-producers Ronald Moore and David Eick. They were introduced onstage by Mark Stern, the Sci Fi Channel's executive vice president of original programming.

A few announcements were made regarding the upcoming season throughout the night. I tried to keep things spoiler-free, but stuff might leak through. You have been warned.

* The new season begins April 4th, if you didn't already know.
* A streaming version of the season premiere will be available on scifi.com that day at noon if you can't wait until that night.
* This season will have its own set of webisodes available online (similar to last season), probably between the two sets of 10 episodes.
* The prequel series Caprica has been given the greenlight for a backdoor pilot, which will be filmed this spring and shown sometime in the fall.

During the Q and A, a few more tidbits were revealed, most of it from the co-producers. Ronald Moore stated that the strike stopped production of the show at the 11th episode. He also stated that he will be directing the first show to return after the break. He wasn't sure exactly when the final ten episodes would be aired. He said it might be the fall or as late as January 2009.

He and David Eick also stated that when developing the show, they try to let the show's storylines progress naturally and try not to do a "ripped from the headlines" routine, despite the topical nature of the show. Moore also mentioned that he tended to think about the storyline "about ten episodes ahead".

When asked if the show would move to a potential movie franchise, Moore didn't think so. He described it as more of an ensemble television piece that wouldn't translate well to the theater (he gave the example of all the Star Trek: The Next Generation movies being mostly about Picard and Data).

When asked about the defining moments of their character, Katee Sackhoff (Kara "Starbuck" Thrace) stated that for her it was in the pilot when Tigh calls her a chicken and she hit him as a result.

Michael Hogan (Saul Tigh) was asked if learning he was a Cylon changed the way he approached the character. He replied that it didn't really change his definition of the character. Aaron Douglas (Galen Tyrol), when asked the same question, said that he made a conscious decision on how to approach the fact that his character was a Cylon. Katee Sackoff then reiterated a lesson she learned about acting: "Don't make choices. Just say the words."

There was a funny moment when the entire cast was asked if anybody was hoping to be a Cylon that wasn't. They answered with a resounding "no". Michael Hogan even joked that in the beginning of the show he said "I'm glad I'm not a Cylon". Olmos later said "In my contract: no Cylon."

Mary McDonnell (Laura Roslin) said a few words about her character. She came across as very deep and very passionate about her craft.

When asked if the declining dollar would change the filming location of Caprica, the answer was "no". Caprica would be filmed in Vancouver just as Battlestar Galactica is now.

(I did get to ask a question at this point. I asked if there would be any character-defining flashbacks in the fourth season as there were in Razor. The answer was a negative.)

When asked if the show would be experimenting with any other types of new content, one of the cast joked and said "Smellovision".

Ronald Moore was asked which writers influenced his career. He answered Michael Pillar from Star Trek: The Next Generation, from whom he learned structure, Ira Stephen Behr of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, from whom he learned character, dialogue and finding the truth behind the character and Jason Katims from Roswell, where he learned how to run a show "without being an asshole".

Moore also defined the prequel series as a science-fiction version of Dallas.

The press conference was wrapping up at this stage. I can only reiterate Edward James Olmos (William Adama) when he said "It's been a hell of a ride".

Caprica Gets Green Light!

2008-03-19T05:37:00.000-07:00

Caprica Gets Green Light

SCI FI Channel has given a green light for production to begin on Caprica, a two-hour backdoor pilot and Battlestar Galactica prequel from executive producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick. Production is slated to begin in Vancouver, Canada, this spring.

Set 50 years before the events of Battlestar Galactica, Caprica follows two rival families--the Greystones and the Adamas --as they grow, compete and thrive in the vibrant world of the 12 Colonies. Enmeshed in the burgeoning technology of artificial intelligence and robotics that will eventually lead to the creation of the Cylons, the two houses go toe-to-toe.

"I'm thrilled with the chance to expand on the Galactica world and get deeper into the origins of the story we've been telling," Moore said in a statement. "It's also great to have a chance at doing a completely different kind of science fiction series, one that's even more character-oriented and doesn't rely on pyrotechnics to carry the story."

In his own statement, Eick said: "While Caprica will have its own personality, it will carry on Battlestar's commitment to pushing the boundaries of the genre, and we're thrilled that SCI FI has seen fit to giving us another opportunity to tell character-driven stories in challenging ways."

The fourth season of Battlestar Galactica kicks off on March 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with two back-to-back half-hour specials, with the first new episode premiering the following week, April 4, at 10 p.m.

Season 3 Out Today!

2008-03-18T10:44:00.001-07:00

The third season is finally out on DVD today! I'm getting mine on the way back from work, along with I Am Legend.

If you haven't gotten it yet, you should.

Whedon almost did Galactica - Some Spoilers

2008-03-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

Man, that would have absolutely rocked - Joss Whedon on Battlestar?

According to the Watcher:

'Battlestar Galactica' stars visit Letterman; Joss Whedon bows out of directing the show

Patience, “Battlestar Galactica” fans. It’s not too long until the fourth season of the Sci Fi show begins April 4.

Battlestarwomen And if you’re really dying to see the “Battlestar” cast, they’ll be reading the Top 10 list on “The Late Show with David Letterman” on Wednesday. Galatica Sitrep has more on who'll be doing the countdown.

I garnered some tidbits about the new season from Ron Moore, the executive producer of “Battlestar Galactica” in an interview last week. I’ll post a full transcript of our hourlong talk in early April, but until then, here are few nuggets of news:

* Moore is directing Episode 12 of the fourth and final season; his first-ever directing gig begins March 25. Because Episode 11 had been filmed before the writers' strike began last fall, Moore’s episode is the first episode that the “Battlestar” staff will shoot when the show resumes production in Vancouver. As it happened, the post-strike shooting schedule “worked out for the best,” Moore said. “I’m up here prepping the episode and no one has anything to do but help me. I’m spending a lot of time with the director of photography walking through the sets and talking about things. If we were in the normal production mode, he wouldn’t have the luxury of spending so much time with me.”
* I asked Moore about the rumor that Joss Whedon had been tentatively lined up to direct one of the final episodes of “Battlestar.” Moore confirmed that “Buffy” creator Whedon, a big fan of “Battlestar,” very much wanted to direct a “Battlestar” episode, but it looks as though he probably will not be able to do so, thanks to his commitment to a new Fox series, “Dollhouse.” “He really wanted to do it, but I’m dubious that it will work out,” Moore said.
* Filmmaker John Dahl, who had been lined up to helm an episode before the strike, is still directing an episode of “Battlestar”: He’ll work on Episode 13.
* Fan favorite Romo Lampkin, a wily lawyer played by Mark Sheppard, will be back for one episode before the first 10 episodes of Season 4 finish airing in June. Lampkin should be back once more before the series wraps up for good, Moore said.
* Moore has no idea when the final 10 episodes of the 20-episode fourth season will be shown. The show’s cast and crew will be shooting episodes until June, and it’ll take until at least fall to finish post-production on the last batch of “Battlestar” outings.
* There is renewed interested from Sci Fi in the proposed spinoff series “Caprica,” but Moore has no idea when or even if that pilot will be greenlit.
* By the way, before the strike, he and fellow “Battlestar” writer Jane Espenson had been working on “Warehouse 13,” a series in development at Sci Fi, but both have exited the project.
* Along with several other film and TV projects, Moore and fellow “Battlestar” writer Michael Taylor have a sci-fi flavored pilot in development at NBC.
* Finally, Moore, who worked as a writer for many years on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” recently wangled a visit to the Los Angeles set of the new “Star Trek” film, which is being directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by Damon Lindelof (both of whom are also executive producers of “Lost”).

Here’s the part of our conversation that touched on that experience:

MR: I saw a trailer for the new “Star Trek” film over the holidays and I got excited, just because it was a little glimpse of “Trek” and I realized we hadn’t had anything from that realm in so long. Do you have any feelings about the new feature film? Will you go see it?

Ronald D. Moore: “Oh, I’ll see it. I actually got to go down to visit the set. I actually wangled a set visit that I can say nothing about, other than that I was very excited. It was really a treat for me personally. I was very grateful to J.J. and Damon for making that happen. I saw the sets and thought the production design was just great. I just really liked the visual of it. And the vibe on the set was incredibly positive and very up. People were feeling good and confident and happy. It was really great for me. It was great to be back at Paramount and to walk into a stage where there was a Federation starship.”

MR: Did you think Paramount did the right thing by going outside the “Trek” family, so to speak, for this film?

RDM: “Absolutely. I think that was a very smart decision. God love all of us that did all the series and the movies during those years, but that’s a long time. There were a lot of tired people. A lot of tired blood. And it’s time to bring in fresh eyes to it all.

“I think it’s akin to when they brought in Harve Bennett to [write the second ‘Star Trek’ movie,] ‘The Wrath of Khan.’ [Creator] Gene [Roddenberry] had lived and breathed ‘Trek’ for a long time. He did [‘Star Trek:] The Motion Picture,’ and ‘The Motion Picture’ is what it is – I certainly went to see it and loved it at the moment, but it was bloated and [had] overruns and there a sense of it not really finding its feet yet.

“Then they brought in [writer] Harve Bennett, who had no connection to the show, and [director Nicholas] Meyer, who had never seen the show, and they reinvented it. They started over. They went at the costumes differently, the storytelling, the vibe of it, the style of story that they were going to do. They rescued the whole franchise. ‘Wrath of Khan’ makes all the subsequent ‘Star Trek’ projects possible.

“And I think that’s where they are with the franchise now. They’ve brought in someone new, someone with no connection to the what’s come before, who cares about it and says, ‘Wipe the slate, let’s make this version.’”

MR: Have you seen the script?

RDM: “No, I didn’t even ask. I didn’t ask anything about the plot. I just wanted to take a look and be nostalgic.”

Galactica Cast on Letterman!

2008-03-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

This in from TV Guide:

Exclusive: CBS Captures Battlestar Crew!

Battlestar Galactica fans are going to want to FauxVo the March 19 Late Show with David Letterman. Sources confirm to me exclusively that nearly the entire Galactica cast, including Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, Tricia Helfer and Lucy Lawless, will present the Top 10 list on next Wednesday's Late Show. Frakkin' awesome!

The timing makes sense for two reasons: The Galactica crew will be in New York next week for Sci Fi's annual upfront presentation, and the show's fourth season finally gets off the ground on April 4.

I'm told Letterman's writers have yet to come up with a theme for the Top 10 list, so whaddaya say you float some suggestions in the comments section below. I'll get the ball rolling: The Top 10 Reasons Michael Ausiello Should Be the Fifth Cylon.

Galactica in 8 Minutes

2008-03-03T07:08:00.000-08:00

Like LOST and the Sopranos - Battlestar Galactica in 8 Minutes:

Season 4 Spoilers and Episode Titles

2008-02-25T12:59:00.000-08:00

Some Spoilers

The Chicago Tribune has posted up a bunch of spoilers and article titles for Season 4:

1. “He That Believeth in Me” by David Weddle and Bradley Thompson
2. "Six of One" by Michael Angeli
3. “The Ties That Bind” by Michael Taylor
4. "Escape Velocity" by Jane Espenson
5. "The Road Less Travelled " by Mark Verheiden
6. “Faith” by Seamus Kevin Fahey
7. "Guess What's Coming to Dinner" by Michael Angeli
8. "Sine Qua Non" by Michael Taylor
9. "The Hub" by Jane Espenson
10. "Revelations” by Bradley Thompson and David Weddle

The Spoilers: http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2008/02/battlestar-ga-2.html

New Season 4 Photos

2008-02-25T12:52:00.001-08:00

SciFi has posted up a number of new promotional photographs for the upcoming season of Battlestar Galactica. They look good, check them out here: http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2008/02/battlestar-ga-1.html

Galactica Start Date Pushed Up

2008-02-11T05:02:00.000-08:00

Woo! The SciFi Wire has announced today that Galactica's start date has been moved up to March 28th:

Battlestar Back With A Bang

SCI FI Channel's Emmy and Peabody Award-winning original series Battlestar Galactica kicks off its fourth and final season on March 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with two back-to-back half-hour specials, with the first new episode premiering the following week, April 4, 10 p.m.

Beginning at 10 on March 28, Battlestar Galactica: Revisited will serve up the essential information on the series' past three seasons, providing the uninitiated with an introduction to the characters, relationships and backstory. Executive producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick serve as guides and hosts.

Battlestar Galactica: The Phenomenon follows at 10:30 and is a celebrity-studded celebration of the show's effect on pop culture. Interviewees include Seth Green, country music star Brad Paisley and Talk Soup's Joel McHale talking about why Battlestar Galactica is one of the best shows on television.

In the season-four premiere, the last remnants of humanity continue their search for a new home as the thin line that separates them from the rapidly evolving Cylons is redrawn.

Galactica's crew is rocked by Starbuck's (Katee Sackhoff) sudden and mysterious return from the dead, bringing claims that she has been to Earth and can lead them there. Meanwhile, four members of the fleet are still reeling from the revelation that they are Cylons.

Battlestar Galactica will air Fridays at 10 p.m.

Count down the days!

Two Specials Coming

2008-02-05T07:47:00.000-08:00

This in from Buddy TV:

Sci Fi Channel Schedules Two 'Battlestar Galactica' Specials

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Season 4 of Battlestar Galactica is finally set to kick off on Friday, April 4 at 10pm. By that time it'll have been more than a year since the season 3 finale, and over five months since the premiere of the "Razor" TV movie. With that kind of a wait, even the most dedicated fans of the sci-fi drama may have trouble remembering where we last left the Battlestar Galactica crew. Thankfully the Sci Fi Channel has taken this into account, and is planning to give fans a refresher in all things BSG with a pair of half-hour specials set to air in March.

The two specials are entitled "Battlestar Galactica: Revisited" and "Battlestar Galactica: The Phenomenon." The first will give a helpful recap of the first three seasons of the series, as well as "Razor," while the second special will take a look at the positive response that fans and critics have had to the show. "Revisited" and "The Phenomenon" will air back to back on Friday, March 28 at 10pm.

I think it's a great idea for the Sci Fi Channel to air these specials. Because the season 3 DVDs won't be in stores until March 25, most fans won't have time to rewatch every single episode before the new season premieres. A half-hour recap special will act as a handy primer for the beginning of season 4. I also like the idea of a special dedicated to the Battlestar Galactica phenomenon, if only because I never tire of hearing critics applaud one of the best shows on television.

Though nothing has been confirmed, the fact that these specials are airing on a Friday at 10pm makes it appear as though this is BSG's new permanent time slot. This definitely isn't my favorite scheduling move, but I'd gladly devour new episodes even if they aired on Sunday mornings at 3am.

Source

Season 3 DVDs move up

2008-02-05T07:31:00.000-08:00

TV Shows on DVD has made the announcement that Amazon.com has changed the release date for the long awaited season 3 of Battlestar Galactica on DVD. New release date: March 18th. This is very welcome news indeed!

News and Screencaps

List of Bonus Features for Season 3's DVD Set

2008-01-22T13:05:00.000-08:00

This in from Amazon, a list of special features:

Bonus Features

Disc One
DELETED SCENES from episodes Occupation, Precipice, Exodus
Ronald Moore's Podcast Commentaries

Disc Two
DELETED SCENES from episodes Collaborators, Torn and A Measure of Salvation
Battlestar Galactica- The Resistance Webisodes
David Eick’s Video Blogs for episodes Testimonials, Who Dies, Prosthetics, Lucy and David and Introducing Bulldog
Ronald Moore's Podcast Commentaries for episodes Collaborators, Torn and A Measure of Salvation

Disc Three
DELETED SCENES from episode Hero
Hero Commentary with Executive Producer David Eick
David Eick's Video Blogs for episodes Characters, Adama on Adama and On the Road
Episode 6 Read Through
Steve McNutt Gets a Video Blog
The Soldier’s Code: Leave No Man Behind
Ronald Moore’s Podcast Commentary for episode Hero
Unfinished Business with Grace Park and Tahmoh Penikett

Disc Four
DELETED SCENES from episodes The Passage, The Eye of Jupiter, Rapture and Taking a Break from All Your Worries
Ronald Moore’s Podcast Commentaries for The Passage, The Eye of Jupiter, Rapture and Taking a Break from all Your Worries

Disc Five
DELETED SCENES from episodes The Woman King, A Day in the Life, Dirty Hands and Maelstrom
Ronald Moore’s Podcast Commentaries for The Woman King, A Day in the Life, Dirty Hands and Maelstrom

Disc Six
DELETED SCENES from episodes The Son Also Rises and Crossroads Parts 1 and 2
Ronald Moore’s Podcast Commentaries - The Son Also Rises (with actor Mark Shappard and writer Michael Angeli) and Crossroads Parts 1 and 2
David Eick’s Video Blog for episode Takin’ A Break From All Your Worries On the Road: Part 2, Some Guy Named Colin, Building a Better Show, Katee’s Scrapbook

New Book - Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy

2008-01-18T10:47:00.001-08:00

Looks like there's a new Galactica non-fiction book coming, according to this press-release:

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA AND PHILOSOPHY

In its Fourth and Final season, Book Poses New Questions From Show

New York, NY – (January 20 , 2008) In advance of the 4th – and as announced – final season of this exciting, thought provoking television series, Wiley-Blackwell's latest installment of its Philosophy and Pop Culture Series, Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy, goes, to quote an earlier Sci-Fi series, "where no man has gone before.”

"How To Be Happy After the End of the World" emphasizes that humanity is continuing to evolve and that the human need to strive for something better is a defining quality. "Resistance vs. Collaboration" touches on the very real, incendiary issue of terrorist tactics: under what circumstances are they justified? "The Search for Starbuck: The Needs of the Many vs. the Few" makes a couple of points that raise alarm bells in today's society. That Starbuck is female – as is the president – makes a strike against gender stereotyping and shows that whether one is male or female is really a non-issue, so long as the job gets done. In fact the whole notion of gender stereotyping is assaulted and demolished when you consider that Starbuck' real last name is 'Thrace'. This was taken from 'Thrax' – the son of Ares, the Grecian God of War. The character of Starbuck is not only a hotshot, a gambler, and sexually voracious, but is described as being the best Viper pilot ever! So much for the gentler sex.

As editor Jason Eberl puts it, "The Cylons and the humans are all just playing their roles in a cosmic story that repeats again and again.”

"There are polytheists, monotheists, atheists, Buddhists and Hindus – those who believe in the cyclical nature of time – all those different viewpoints are represented. You get to see things through different perspectives. It takes the best of what's been done in the past and then expands and twists it," Eberl explains.

Battlestar Galactica is a great story. "I absolutely love the show," he continued. "It's the most expensive and most successful show the Sci-Fi Channel has ever produced."

Dating from the original series in 1978 through the present, at least 5 comic book publishers, including Marvel, have issued numerous series of Battlestar Galactica adaptations. There have been a minimum of five video games, one board game, one role playing game, a space-flight simulator game and a community related strategy game developed and in development. Time, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and National Review all raved about the current series.

About the Editor

Jason T. Eberl is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis where he directs a graduate program in bioethics. He also teaches medieval philosophy and metaphysics. He’s the co-editor (with Kevin Decker) of Star Wars and
Philosophy (2005) and Star Trek and Philosophy (forthcoming). He has contributed to similar books on Stanley Kubrick, Harry Potter, and Metallica. He and his wife, Jennifer, own two cars, affectionately known as the “Bucket” and the “Beast.”

About Wiley-Blackwell

Wiley-Blackwell was formed in February 2007 as a result of the acquisition of Blackwell Publishing Ltd. by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and the merger between Blackwell and Wiley's Scientific, Technical, and Medical business. Together, the companies have created a global publishing business with deep strength in every major academic and professional field. Wiley-Blackwell publishes approximately 1,250 scholarly peer-reviewed journals and an extensive collection of books with global appeal. For more information on Wiley-Blackwell, please visit www.blackwellpublishing.com or http://interscience.wiley.com.

Random News

2008-01-14T11:30:00.000-08:00

A couple of things this afternoon. Things are going to start heating up with Season 4 finally within sight...

Vote for Galactica - Vote for Galactica on E!, Battlestar is currently at .8%

Remote Access has a look at the Season 3 DVDs

SyFyPortal has a look at the new Terminator series's music as Bear McCreary is the composer.

Ecplise Magazine has a contest for Razor.

And, best for last, Cinema Blend is reporting that the start date for Season 4 will be... April 4, which makes sense, because the Season 3 DVDs are coming out just before that. And, as the SyFyPortal also reports, Galactica's back to Friday nights.

New Season 4 Preview

2008-01-08T05:10:00.001-08:00

Caution, there are spoilers here.

Season 3 Ready for Pre-Order!

2008-01-08T05:05:00.001-08:00

Finally, we've got some news regarding the Season 3 DVD sets. Mark your calendars: March 25, 2008. The set can be pre-ordered from Amazon.com, and comes in at $59.98

Here's the cover art:

New Spoilers for Season 4!

2008-01-07T09:47:00.001-08:00

It's been a little while, but there's been a little news out about Season 4 today from a couple of sources:

TV Squad:
Possible spoilers for Battlestar Galactica season four

Ron Moore has offered a few new spoilers with regards to season 4 of Battlestar Galactica. Much of it can be determined from a two-page spread in Entertainment Weekly (the one with Matthew Fox on the cover). Or you can see the two-page spread directly from here.

I know that in today's Internet-laden society, it's tough for anything entertainment-related to remain secret, but it sure says something when the creator of the show offers goodies about the show's final season.
Full article: http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/01/07/possible-spoilers-for-battlestar-galactica-season-four/

Cinemablend:
Moore Offers New Clues About Battlestar Galactica

Moore Offers New Clues About Battlestar Galactica If you’re like me, one of the things you’ve been looking forward to most about 2008 is the premiere of the fourth season of Battlestar Galactica. It feels like its been forever since we got any new information about the series. Thanks to Entertainment Weekly, we finally have a few exciting tidbits to mull over for the next few months. If you don’t want to know any spoilers about the upcoming season of BSG, read no further!
Full article: http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Moore-Offers-New-Clues-About-Battlestar-Galactica-8129.html

And, there's a really cool picture here: http://www.filmhobbit.com/moviereviews/kelly/bsg.jpg

New Galactica Promo!

2007-12-17T13:40:00.001-08:00

Here's a really cool promo that's surfaced for Season 4:

Life Size Cylon?

2007-12-17T12:57:00.000-08:00

Say that five times fast. Looks like slideshow collectibles is going to release a life sized Cylon figure. I don't want to know how much that costs...

This is Cool.

2007-12-13T11:58:00.001-08:00

Completely off topic, and for the old Galactica, but this is a cool, Ralph McQuarrie poster concept:

After four days of talks, WGA rejects studios' offer

2007-11-30T09:22:00.000-08:00

This in from TV Squad:

Our long, dark national nightmare ... continues. After four days of talks and media silence, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) disclosed the latest offer presented by Hollywood studios to the striking writers. But the WGA (Writers Guild of America) quickly rejected this offer, according to Yahoo! News. The studios described their offer as a "new economic partnership" with writers, who refer to it instead as a "massive rollback."

This isn't good for anyone - the studios will loose money from the shows not being on the air and we loose out by not having anything to watch. Arg.

‘Battlestar’ Goes Boldly Into the DVD Universe

2007-11-26T06:01:00.000-08:00

From the New York Times:

Forget the robot killers with machine guns built into their arms. The DVDs are taking over.
Fans of the television series “Battlestar Galactica” are familiar with the frightening chrome mechanical monsters known as Cylons, seemingly bent on the destruction of humanity. But the force behind a two-hour episode on the Sci Fi Channel this Saturday night is the DVD, the equally shiny
disc.
The episode, “Razor,” marks yet another step in the complex, fast-changing relationship between DVD sales and cable broadcast. The episode would not exist except for the promise of selling it on DVD just days after it is shown on television.
The move is part of a trend. Already there have been instances of DVD sales reviving canceled television series, like Fox’s “Family Guy,” which sold so well that it was put back on the air. And “24,” also on Fox, began selling DVDs of its four-episode season premiere earlier this year, the day after it concluded.
But such tactics are still rare.

Full Article

'Battlestar Galactica: Razor' and the struggle for redemption

2007-11-26T05:59:00.000-08:00

From the LA Times:

Those of us left slack-jawed by the return of presumed-dead Starbuck in the final minutes of the third-season finale of "Battlestar Galactica" -- how could she be alive? Her ship exploded -- will have
to wait until April, when Season 4 begins, for our answers. "Battlestar Galactica: Razor," a two-hour movie designed to keep us happy in the interim, delves into the show's past to find, of course, foreshadowing and peril for the future.
It tells the story of Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Jacobsen), who served on the crew of the Battlestar Pegasus under the command of both the formidable Adm. Helena Cain (Michelle Forbes) and later
first-time commander Lee "Apollo" Adama (Jamie Bamber). Shaw, we learn, joined the crew of the Pegasus mere moments before the Cylon attack that destroyed the 12 colonies. "Razor" goes back in time to explain what happened aboard the Pegasus before it met up with the Galactica in Season 2. (And if none of this means anything to you, the reader, then that might serve as a clue that "Razor"
is not for the uninitiated viewer: Prior knowledge of "Battlestar Galactica" is required here.)
Forbes' Cain, who was featured in that memorable Season 2 story arc, is tough enough before the Cylon (near) genocide of the human race; when she realizes her ship may be all that remains of
humanity, she becomes utterly ruthless in her desire for revenge. Though some of the crew rebel against Cain's extreme measures, Shaw admires her steely resolve, making choices in Cain's shadow that did not seem possible before the Cylon attack.

Full Review

''Battlestar Galactica: Razor'': Close to the Edge

2007-11-26T05:55:00.000-08:00

From Entertainment Weekly:

Man, it has been too long since we got together like this, to talk about last night's Battlestar Galactica. And I've missed you. Really. Okay, maybe the last time we spoke, things were a little chilly. It was me, not you.
But here we are, with the only new Galactica we're likely to get for a long,
long while. Good thing it was awesome.
The battlestar Pegasus is a ghost ship, haunted by the mistakes of the past. Her first commander, Admiral Helena Cain (Michelle Forbes), was a stern taskmaster, forced by circumstances to make
decisions as she saw fit, decisions that are judged by the Galactica crew (and, by extension, us) to have been disasters. Then came Commander Fisk (Graham Beckel), her executive officer, who let greed pull the shining battlestar further into the muck. And then Commander Garner (William Heard), an engineer who, seeing the machine but not the men, couldn't right the ship.
Razor follows two stories, both of which revolve around a young Pegasus officer named Kendra Shaw: Admiral Cain's experiences during, and following, the Cylon attack on the colonies, and newly minted commander Lee Adama's first mission at Pegasus' helm. (There's also a mini-detour further back in time to peep at Bill Adama's first mission as a Viper pilot.)

Full Review

'Battlestar Galactica: Razor' gives the saga a sharper edge

2007-11-26T05:53:00.000-08:00

Review from the Seattle Post-Inquirer:

Underneath the explosive special effects, "Battlestar Galactica" examines what it means to be human, in all its facets.
Executive producers Ronald D. Moore, David Eick and their co-writers have used the series to explore the sustaining and destructive power of religion, the ways in which crises bring out our best and most deplorable instincts, and how far we'll go to survive.
The will to survive is the story's spine, personified in every episode by the stalwart Admiral William Adama (Edward James Olmos), President Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell), the headstrong Kara Thrace
(Katee Sackhoff) and Adama's driven son Lee (Jamie Bamber).
But Adama and Roslin wrestle with Galactica's priorities more than the others. Their job is to
ensure the survival of the human race, but each challenge forces a struggle to maintain their humanity in spite of desperation and temptation.
Thus our second season introduction to Admiral Helena Cain (Michelle Forbes), the ruthless leader of Battlestar Pegasus, shocked the system of "Battlestar" watchers. Cain, whose command at last receives a close examination in the two-hour extended episode "Battlestar Galactica: Razor," was everything Adama is not. She cared nothing about being loved, seeing fear as a more effective
leadership tool. She did unspeakable things, without hesitation, to her own
people as well as the Cylons.

Full Review

Razor Reviews

2007-11-26T05:42:00.000-08:00

Reviews are starting to come in for Razor, the Galactica Telemovie. Here's one from TV Squad:

Rather than have you sit through what basically would amount to a more detailed version of the Early Look post I did about Razor last month, I wanted to at least make sure you all had a forum of sorts to discuss the movie. I will, however, mention a few points worth mentioning again ...

Obviously the biggest "news" from the episode was the revelation that Starbuck is supposedly the bringer of apocalypse. Should the hybrid really be believed?
Several times we saw the message hit home that "this has happened before and it will happen again." Ron D. Moore had also made that theme pretty clear several times in the past, not to mention the webisodes carrying that same message.
OK, so it's pretty clear that Cain was into girls. Know what? Big deal. I have no idea why that was such a fuss when that spoiler came up before, as it doesn't seem to mean a whole lot of anything significant.
It was surreal to see Cain actually kill the former XO in the exact way it was told to the crew of the Galactica in the series. A extremely tense moment in the movie for sure.
Any thoughts on the old Cylon "guardians" and what their purpose might be in the fourth season?

More as I find them!

Fan Day at the Strike.

2007-11-16T06:20:00.001-08:00

Want to help support the writers? Go here: http://www.fans4writers.com/news/?p=19

Battlestar Production Shut Down

2007-11-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Due to the writer's strike, both David Eick shows Battlestar Galactica and Bionic Woman have stopped, because they've effectively run out of script.

This in from Comingsoon.net:

Battlestar, Bionic Woman Shut Down
November 15, 2007
Because of the
writers strike, NBC's Vancouver-shot TV series "Bionic Woman" shut down Nov. 9, well ahead of its scheduled Dec. 12 close, says The Hollywood Reporter.Also, the fourth season of SCI FI Channel's "Battlestar Galactica," which was set to shoot through mid-March, will wrap Friday because it, too, has burned through available scripts.

And from the Hollywood Reporter:

Strike shutters 'Bionic,' 'Battlestar' up north
By Etan Vlessing
Nov 16, 2007
TORONTO -- The impact of the U.S. writers strike has reached Hollywood North.NBC's Vancouver-shot TV series "Bionic Woman" shut down Nov. 9, local publicist Bill Vigars said Thursday, well ahead of its scheduled Dec. 12 close.
And local media reports indicate that the fourth season of Sci Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica," which was set to shoot through mid-March, will wrap Friday because it, too, has burned through available scripts.Executives at the New York-based Sci Fi Channel in New York were not available for comment.
Ken Ferguson, president of Toronto Film Studios, said he knows of one U.S. project that had considered Toronto for location shooting, only to pull back because producers were uncertain whether
the script was entirely complete, and would have had no writer on set to make changes if shooting had gone ahead.
Full article

Well, that sucks. Hopefully the studios will realize that this needs to be ended and give to the writers a little more than they have been...

Ron Moore on the Strike - From IGN

2007-11-13T07:04:00.000-08:00

This in from IGN:

Battlestar Galactica Producer Talks Strike
Ron Moore on why he's striking and how Battlestar's final season is affected.
by Eric Goldman

November 7, 2007 - In the midst of the Writers Guild
strike, Battlestar Galactica showrunner Ron Moore walked the picket line outside
the Walt Disney Studios today, alongside a large assemblage of showrunners from
other series. I spoke to him for several minutes for a candid conversation about
the issues surrounding the strike and how the situation is affecting Galactica,
which is currently filming its fourth and final season. For Moore,
"Fundamentally this is about the internet, and this is about whether writers get
paid for material that is made for the internet or if they're paid for material
that is broadcast on the internet that was developed for TV or movies." Moore
shared a story to illustrate the scenario, saying "I had a situation last year
on Battlestar Galactica where we were asked by Universal to do webisodes [Note:
Moore is referring to The Resistance webisodes which ran before Season 3
premiered], which at that point were very new and 'Oooh, webisodes! What does
that mean?' It was all very new stuff. And it was very eye opening, because the
studio's position was 'Oh, we're not going to pay anybody to do this. You have
to do this, because you work on the show. And we're not going to pay you to
write it. We're not going to pay the director, and we're not going to pay the
actors.' At which point we said 'No thanks, we won't do it.'" "We got in this
long, protracted thing and eventually they agreed to pay everybody involved. But
then, as we got deeper into it, they said 'But we're not going to put any
credits on it. You're not going to be credited for this work. And we can use it
later, in any fashion that we want.' At which point I said 'Well, then we're
done and I'm not going to deliver the webisodes to you.' And they came and they
took them out of the editing room anyway -- which they have every right to do.
They own the material -- But it was that experience that really showed me that
that's what this is all about. If there's not an agreement with the studios
about the internet, that specifically says 'This is covered material, you have
to pay us a formula - whatever that formula turns out to be - for use of the
material and how it's all done,' the studios will simply rape and pillage."

Battlestar Galactica producer Ron Moore on the picket line

Moore, like most of his fellow writers, was extremely bothered by the
studios attempting to designate content shown on the web as "promotional," even
when that content has sponsors and advertisers. "Their position continues to be
that this is 'promotional.' That they can have it promotional material, free of
charge and they can make you do the work and they don't have to compensate you
for it and they don't have to credit you for it. It's undercutting everything
that the writers have built up in other media. The notion that just because it's
on your computer as opposed to your television set is absurd. It's an absurd
position for them to take, but, you know, if they can pull it off, they're at
the moment of a watershed change of how your media is delivered to you. Your
television and your computer are going to become the same device within the
foreseeable future. That reality is staring us in the face."
Full Article

My review of Razor

2007-11-13T05:51:00.000-08:00

So, I got a chance to take a look at Battlestar Galactica: Razor earlier this month, and I'm pleased to say that it's just as good as I had hoped, and that it is probably up there with some of the best Galactica episodes thus far. Razor is the long-awaited tele-event that the SciFi channel has been working on, and brings to light an episode of Galactica history that has only been touched upon lightly - the Battlestar Pegasus. In the three-part episode arc in the middle of Season 2, the Galactica comes across the Battlestar Pegasus, under the command of Admiral Cain. We learn that they had also been able to escape the destruction of the colonies, but that the crew had become extremely dark - willing to rape and torture prisoners, kill civilians and were essentially a crew of suicidal fascists.
Razor follows three seperate storylines - The main one follows the crew of the Pegasus, seen through flashbacks as the newly promoted Lee Adama takes on a mission with the Pegasus, which leads to a third flashback story, one in which we see a very young Admiral Adama in the earlier colonial wars, something that we have seen in the mini-episode that have been airing on the SciFi channel.

The Battlestar Galactica storyline is fairly straight forwards, and serves as the common link between the three storylines. A Raptor team goes missing, and the Pegasus is sent after them. The Pegasus storyline is actually nothing new - we knew everything from the three-episode arc, but it has been absolutely wonderful to see it as it happened. The third storyline brings some light on the first colonial war, and the beginnings of the humanoid Cylons. Hopefully, this will be looked at more in the fourth and final season.
This feels like an extremely long Galactica episode, or a two parter that's been combined into a long episode, but it doesn't drag on or slow at all. The pacing and editing between the three stories is logical and works extremely well, focusing on each storyline when needed. The Pegasus storyline is the one with the fewest surprises, and at times seems to pass a little too quickly.
One of the best things about this is the characters - the new character to be added in was Kendra Shoal, a member of the Pegasus crew. It was a bit of a risk adding in a completely new character to the cast for the episode (and only for this episode). She proves to be one of the more interesting ones, and she is quite possibly one of my favorites in the entire series. She's got some interesting things in her background, as well as her actions in the Pegaus. The best moments were when she and Kara Thrace interacted - they made an interesting pair, and unfortunently, she gives her life at the end of the episode, in which we learn something that will most likely carry into Season 4.
Director-wise, this is up there with the best of the Felix Alcala, who's directed some of the best Galactica episodes to date. The CGI is top-notch from the get-go, with a good look at the fleet yards and other Battlestars and other ships. It was absolutely fantastic to see the Colonial Fleet operate outside of the Galactica perspective that we've seen thus far. I really hope that the new show that's being concocted will show some more into the fleet. The soundtrack that accompanies this is fantastic as well - I'm really hoping that this will be a seperate release, because there are some really good songs here.
Go check this out when it premieres later this month. You won't regret it.

Did anyone make the screenings last night?

2007-11-13T05:49:00.000-08:00

If so, how was it?

Reminder: Razor Screening Tonight!

2007-11-12T08:31:00.001-08:00

And if it's in your area, go see it.

The Story Behind the Webisodes...

2007-11-09T06:03:00.001-08:00

The SyFyPortal has an interesting thing about the webisodes:

SciFi Channel Forced 'Battlestar' Webisodes
By MICHAEL HINMANSource: E!
OnlineNov-08-2007
Remember all that hub-bub about SciFi Channel releasing Webisodes of "Battlestar Galactica" before the third season premiered?
Apparently, the real story about what happened behind the scenes has come out.The signature show's executive producer, Ronald D. Moore, was among hundreds of writers picketing in Los Angeles over the last few days as part of the Writers Guild of America strike, and shared with E! Online some of the details of what happened when the network decided it wanted to produce some teasers to hold fans over until the third season premiere.
"When we were approached to do 'Galactica' Webisodes, the studio's position was they didn't want to pay anyone to do it," Moore said. "They considered it promotional material. They weren't going to pay any of the writers or the actors or the directors to do it, which we thought was crazy."
At first, the crew refused to do them, but SciFi Channel eventually sweetened the pot saying they would pay everyone to create the Webisodes, however they compromised saying they wouldn't actively give credit to those who produced it.
"They weren't going to acknowledge anybody who wrote it," Moore said. "And then I refused to deliver the Webisodes, and they came and took them anyway, which is their right since they own the show ... but it really made me aware of the issues."
At the time the Webisodes were about to be released, the WGA demanded that the network credit writers and compensate them or not to release the Webisodes. SciFi Channel didn't comply, and the Webisodes were released almost as scheduled. It was later reported by SyFy Portal that the ebisodes were written by the team of David Weddle and Bradley Thompson.
But that wasn't all that Moore was upset about.
"I mean, my staff writer, who is the lowest man on the totem pole, they want him to do all this work for another media and not pay him for it, and then make money off of his work. Ultimately, that's why we're here, because that's just wrong."
"Battlestar Galactica: Razor" will show Nov. 24 on SciFi Channel, with the fourth and final season scheduled to premiere in April.

Re-Cap Episode Coming?

2007-11-06T08:24:00.000-08:00

This in from the SyFy Portal:

'Battlestar Galactica' Finally Gets A Recap
Fans have asked for it, and now it seems that SciFi Channel is delivering.TV Guide's Michael Ausiello says the network plans to offer some "Battlestar Galactica" goodness in March in the form of a recap episode that would highlight the last three seasons of the show as it prepares for an April fourth season premiere.
"While it's true that original episodes won't start unspooling until early April, Season 4 will technically
blast off in late March with a (prepare to groan) fancy schmancy recap special," Ausiello said. "Hey, it's something."
The current gap between seasons is the longest in the show's history since the one-year gap between the airing of the miniseries and the launch of the first season. With television audiences
apparently getting shorter memories, and the hope that final season buzz may draw in some additional viewers, it appears SciFi Channel added the recap special as an additional draw for audiences.
That won't disrupt the release of "Razor" on Nov. 24 or any other aspect of the show. And original episodes won't begin after that until spring.

Sounds similar to some of the things that they have done before - there was a catchup episode prior to Season 3 being released, and if memory serves, shortly before Season 2 as well.

Razor's Jacobsen Praises Boldness

2007-11-06T08:18:00.000-08:00

The latest from the SciFi Wire:

Razor's Jacobsen Praises Boldness
Stephanie Jacobsen—who plays the central character, Kendra Shaw, in the upcoming Battlestar Galactica prequel telefilm Razor—told reporters that it was a gutsy move to introduce a previously unseen, never-mentioned figure into the mix.
"I think that the introduction of Kendra was really, I guess, an act of boldness and an act of ingenuity," the Australian actress said in a conference call last week. She added: "[To] throw someone into the mix who's never been alluded to or otherwise seen ... so many years into an established series is a very, very courageous thing to do."
Razor follows Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber) as he assumes command of the battlestar Pegasus and
also recalls events of nearly a year before, on the eve of the Cylon attack, events involving then-Pegasus commander Admiral Cain (Michelle Forbes) and her ambitious, conflicted protege, Shaw.
"What I think it did was enable this entirely new, untainted, alternative perspective of situations, people and events ... that had already been told," Jacobsen said. "So I think, in a sense, that sort of risk and that sort of [boldness] was to a large extent the point."
Battlestar Galactica: Razor will premiere on Nov. 24 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The upcoming fourth and final season of the show is slated to kick off in early 2008. SCI FI, meanwhile, announced that Razor will screen threatrically in special preview screenings in select movie theaters on Nov. 12.

2007-11-05T05:37:00.000-08:00

I've seen Razor.

And it's really, really good.

Full review coming...

Jacobsen Is Battlestar Rookie

2007-11-02T05:29:00.001-07:00

New article from the SciFi Wire, as we see more from the Razor press:

Jacobsen Is Battlestar Rookie
Stephanie Jacobsen, who plays the new character Kendra Shaw in the upcoming Battlestar Galactica prequel telefilm Razor, told reporters that the show's veteran cast made her feel welcome on the set during production. Razor follows Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber) as he assumes command of the
battlestar Pegasus and also recalls events of nearly a year before, on the eve of the Cylon attack, involving then-Pegasus commander Admiral Cain (Michelle Forbes) and her ambitious, conflicted protege, Shaw.
"I have to say that I didn't feel like an outsider stepping in at all," Jacobsen said in a Nov. 1
conference call. "Everyone was just wonderful. So I didn't have that to draw from. Everyone was helpful and accomodating, welcoming, very open, very generous with me in every which way. So I didn't have that sort of same solitary experience working on Battlestar as my character did. But ... coming in as
someone who was completely new to the environment and new to everyone who was already established there was akin to the character. So I guess there was that correlation."
Jacobsen said that she shares many scenes in Razor with Michelle Forbes and came away impressed by her co-star. "Oh, she is almost like a force of nature, in a way," Jacobsen said, adding: "Her focus and her intensity, I have to say she made this one of the easiest jobs I've ever done, in a sense, because responding to what she provides on set as a fellow actor is absolutely effortless. It's like she does almost everything; you just have to listen to her and watch her. Yes, she's incredible. I'd recommend working with her to anyone."
Battlestar Galactica: Razor will premiere on Nov. 24 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The upcoming fourth and final season of the show kicks off in early 2008. SCI FI, meanwhile, announced that Razor will screen threatrically in special preview screenings in select movie theaters on Nov. 12. —Ian Spelling

Still can't wait to see this...

Jamie Bamber on Razor

2007-10-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

The SciFi Wire has posted up a couple of articles from Jamie Bamber (Apollo) recently:

Battlestar's Bamber Looks Ahead
Battlestar Galactica star Jamie Bamber told reporters that he'll miss the people, his character and the quality work when the show ends after the upcoming fourth season, but added that he'd much prefer
the show go out on top. SCI FI Channel recently announced that its award-winning original series will end; it is currently in production and will kick off in 2008.
"No, I think it's a good time," Bamber said in a conference call while promoting the upcoming special two-hour prequel movie, Battlestar Galactica: Razor. "We've been saying from the very first season that the most important thing is to be able to finish this story in a way that is up to the people that
create the story and not up to the audience or to the network or up to the financial criteria of what it is to make a TV show. It should be about ending the story, because the story begs an ending. This is the first and foremost thing about having ended."
Bamber has played Lee Adama since the 2003 miniseries that began the series. He said that he is sad about the show's imminent demise but is excited about moving on to the next phase of his career. "There's always nostalgia," Bamber said. "It's been an amazing learning process for me, personally, and this experience is without doubt the most interesting and rich one I've had as a professional working actor. I have learned everything from everyone around me. So it will be very sad to sort of disband the team, and every day that we're up here in Vancouver there is an
element of nostalgia about moments passing and little scenes that will never be revisited and sets maybe that disappear, because, you know, they're gone forever."
Bamber added: "That's all very sad, but personally I also look to the future. We all do. And I'm very keen to do other work and to test myself in other ways. So it's positive nostalgia about all good things that only in their ripening do they become truly tasty and edible. And I think once Battlestar
Galactica is finished and the story is finished, it will be more perfect than it would be had we been cut short. So it's inevitable." Battlestar Galactica's fourth and final season kicks off with Razor at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Nov. 24. The show's additional 20 episodes will return in early 2008. —Ian Spelling

And,

Bamber: Razor Is Sharp
Battlestar Galactica star Jamie Bamber told reporters that the upcoming prequel film, Razor, fulfills the cast's desire to make a feature-length Battlestar adventure.
The telefilm follows Lee Adama (Bamber) as he assumes command of the Battlestar Pegasus and also recalls events of nearly a year before, on the eve of the Cylon attack, involving then-Pegasus commander Admiral Cain (Michelle Forbes) and her protege, Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Jacobsen).
"The basic concept I was really, really in love with," Bamber said in a conference call. "I thought it was very bold, different. Every one of us in the Galactica family has always nurtured a not-so-secret passion to try and make a movie out of the show, because there are so many things that on a week-in-week-out one-hour drama you have to compromise on, budgetarily and in terms of storylines and how much you can fit into 44 minutes of a narrative. It was great to tell a longer story and to have a bit more money to throw at it and to tell a huge arc."
Bamber added: "[It goes] right back from before the miniseries, before the very first shot we ever picked up on in the show, and goes right the way through to the back end of season two. It was a huge script in its ambition. It tries to introduce a new character [Shaw], which I thought was a great way to ... see it all from a pair of eyes that we haven't actually met before, that we'll have to meet all the main characters all over again. I thought that was a very worthy endeavor and a good way to bring a new audience to Battlestar before a fourth season being aired." Battlestar Galactica: Razor will premiere on Nov. 24 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The upcoming fourth and final season of the show kicks off in early 2008.
SCI FI, meanwhile, announced that Razor will screen threatrically in special preview screenings in select movie theaters on Nov. 12.

I really can't wait to see Razor on the 24th. I really wish that I could catch it in theaters, that would be awesome to see on the big screen.

Galactica's Back ... In April

2007-10-25T13:41:00.001-07:00

This in from the LA Times:

'Battlestar Galactica' news: The show will premiere in early April, Ron Moore will direct an episode
Ronald D. Moore, the executive producer who runs "Battlestar Galactica," is gearing up for the long goodbye by taking on a new task. He will step into the director’s chair for the first time next season as his dramatic reinvention of the hokey 1970s’ space opera treks toward the end. The final 20-episode run will kick off in — you read it here first — early April.
Moore’s work on the show as a writer-producer landed "Battlestar" its first Emmy nomination in the drama writing category, where he faced off against the writers of "The Sopranos" and "Lost." A veteran of the "Star Trek" series "The Next Generation," "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager," Moore is also juggling writing duties for the upcoming feature films "The Thing" and the sequel to "I, Robot."
About his directing debut, Moore said, "It’s the perfect opportunity to try and do it here with my family — the cast and crew of the show — who have been working together for years now.

Full Article

God, that's a long wait.

Want To See Razor Early?

2007-10-24T10:29:00.001-07:00

Want to see Razor early, on November 12th? Go to Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, San Francisco, Dallas, Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle and, Chicago, where that night, and that night only, there will be a number of free screenings of a slightly shorter version of the special. This will be an 84 minute version of the episode, while the DVD will be 101minutes and will be released on December 4th.The best part? It's free!

Here's the full article: Coming to a Movie Theater Near You: Battlestar Galactica: Razor

Battlestar Galactica: Season 3 Official Soundtrack

2007-10-22T08:42:00.000-07:00

I just got a copy of the soundtrack for the third season of Battlestar Galactica. This is a bit different than what I usually write about, but these soundtracks are certainly worth pointing out. There's one for each season of the show, as well as the miniseries that was released in 2003. Battlestar Galactica, for those of you who aren't science fiction fans, is a show currently on the SciFi channel, and is a remake of a 1978 show by the same title. Rather than a continuation of the original, this is a re-imagining, starting the show over with a fresh look and feel, as well as more modern. Where some science fiction is enough to make your eyes roll, this one's down to earth, realistic and dark. It's easily one of the best shows on television today.

When the show's creators went forwards with this, they changed a lot of the conventional aspects of sci-fi TV - They rooted it in more realism, from set design, uniforms, situations and dialog, making it a very accurate show, at least militarily. One of the big things that was also a big change was the music.
A number of science fiction television shows and films have a very bombastic type of score - lots of brass, loud, dramatic and exciting. Just listen to the opening credits of Star Wars or the original Battlestar theme (which they actually brought back in Season 2 for one episode).
These soundtracks, like the rest of the show, is a bit of a reinvention. Like the show, the score here is darker and moodier. Furthermore, they branch out with their sound, utilizing a number of world influences from India to Ireland, giving this show a very unique sound.
The third season soundtrack is possibly the best of the three soundtracks. It compounds on a number of themes that have been introduced already in the series, and adds in some new ones. The album opens with a bang, with the first couple of songs. The music here is more dramatic, darker and richer in sound. It also includes the fantastic cover of Bob Dylan's song, All Along the Watchtower, vocals by the band BT4. It's a fantastic blend of the soundtrack's usual sound and rock and is a purely Battlestar Galactica feeling song.

Also reviewed at http://carryyouaway.blogspot.com - select tracks up for download.

More Rumors...

2007-10-19T06:22:00.000-07:00

This in from the SyFy Portal:

Moore Denies Roslin Rumor, Fuels Season
Split
This story contains possible
MODERATE SPOILERS for Season 4 of "Battlestar
Galactica.""Battlestar Galactica" executive producer Ronald D. Moore has denied a recent report by SyFy Portal that Mary McDonnell's character of President Laura Roslin could exit the fourth season as early as mid-season. He's also fueled speculation that SciFi Channel will indeed split the fourth season, all thanks to the pending Writers Guild of America strike.
"I just told Ron what this spoiler was, and he said the Laura spoiler is 'not true,'" said Terry Moore, wife of the executive producer, who is a regular poster on the SciFi Channel message boards. "He also said that he hasn't even told the studio what the end of the show is."
The denial comes after McDonnell reportedly told a bunch of college students that hung out with her at a Massachussetts university last weekend.
"Mary told us that she only has three episodes left to film for BSG and is sad to say good-bye to Laura," a student who attended the gathering told SyFy Portal earlier this week.

Source

Not sure what to think now...

Season 3 DVD Update

2007-10-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

TV Shows on DVD has some information on the upcoming Season 3 DVD set - Apparently the DVD set is scheduled to be released in April of 2008.

Source

Another Source

Stay tuned.

Rumors on Death - Spoilers

2007-10-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

This in from the SyFy Portal:

Spoilers

The End Is Near For 'Battlestar' Character
By MICHAEL HINMAN
Source: SyFy Portal
This story contains possible MAJOR SPOILERS for the fourth and final season of "Battlestar Galactica."
Many fans are concentrated on who is the 12th and final Cylon. But what fans are forgetting
about, or simply finding it too painful to think about, is a certain prophecy that one of the show's beloved main characters will not make it to the end.

Full Article

TV Squad Previews Razor

2007-10-13T18:39:00.000-07:00

This in from TV Squad:

Battlestar Galactica: Razor -- An early look
Posted Oct 13th 2007 3:24PM by Keith McDuffee
"You are capable of setting aside your fears, setting aside your hesitation ... and even
your revulsion. Every natural inhibition that, during battle, could mean the
difference between life and death.When you can be this -- or as long as you have
to be -- then you're a razor." -- Admiral Helena Cain, Battlestar Galactica:
RazorYes, I was as shocked as the rest of you that, when I got to the TV Squad
package drop the other day, one of those magical purple binders was waiting for
me, emblazoned with a big white "IF", which could only mean one thing -- SciFi
Channel goodness.Before you continue, I will warn you that some of this is a
little spoilery. I don't think it's much, but I'd rather warn you now than incur
your wrath later.
So let's get right down to the nity-gritty here. You all
want to know how good it is, what's new and if it'll satisfy us until the last
season starts back up. In short: It's frackingI unbelievably good, there's more
new than I thought there'd be and as for it being satisfying -- that's a tough
one. While I completely loved this ... movie? episode? ... I'm now aching for
the next season more than ever. It can't come soon enough!

Full Article

I can't wait to see this...

Listen to Season 3's Soundtrack Now!

2007-10-11T06:35:00.001-07:00

Soundtrack.net has come and given people an exclusive listen to the upcoming Battlestar Galactica Season 3 Soundtrack. Give it a listen here:

http://www.soundtrack.net/features/article/?id=243

Enjoy!

Meet Bear McCreary

2007-10-11T06:31:00.001-07:00

This in from La La Land Records:

“MEET COMPOSER BEAR McCREARY”

BEAR McCREARY, signs his new WRONG TURN 2
and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: SEASON THREE soundtrack CDs
Director Joe Lynch, and cast members, will also be present to sign copies of the WRONG TURN 2 CD
Tuesday, October 9th at Dark Delicacies 4213 W. Burbank Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505 Dark Delicacies and La-La Land Records present a rare opportunity to meet and greet composer Bear McCreary, the acclaimed maestro behind the new BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, EUREKA and the horror films WRONG TURN 2 and REST STOP.
Bear will sign more than one item, but one of the items must be a WRONG TURN
2 or a pre-release BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: SEASON THREE soundtrack CD purchased at Dark Delicacies.
Can’t make the signing? Order your signed CD from Dark Delicacies today, before the signing.
Pre-release copies of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: SEASON THREE are only available at Dark Delicacies for this event.
The soundtrack will be released to stores and the La-La Land website on Oct
23rd.

For more info on Dark Delicacies, this event, and upcoming events, visit www.darkdel.com

Two Razor Previews

2007-10-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

Two new preview clips from Razor:

One:

Two:

New Promo for Season 4

2007-10-09T13:33:00.001-07:00

Frackin' Badass.

Want Spoilers? Here's some Spoilers

2007-10-01T13:55:00.001-07:00

I borrowed this link from Sitrep:

http://users.livejournal.com/wisteria_/772875.html?view=14325003#t14325003

All the spoilers around for Season 4.

New Razor Promo

2007-09-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

Looks good!

Bionic Woman - What'd You Think?

2007-09-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

Last night, the David Eick-produced show, Bionic Woman, premiered. It's got several Battlestar alums in it - Katie Sackhoff, Mark Sheppard and Aaron Douglass. Like Battlestar, it's a remake of an older Science Fiction show.

Did anyone catch it? What'd you think?

Season 4 to be split?

2007-09-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

I'm a little behind on the news, working to catch up, and this seems to be one of the bigger stories of the last couple weeks...

From TV Week:

Sci Fi Executives Weigh 'Battlestar Galactica' Options
The Sci Fi Channel is wrestling with a pair of key decisions for its acclaimed “Battlestar Galactica” series: whether to break the highly anticipated final chapter into two 10-episode seasons, and deciding whether to greenlight a two-hour pilot for the long-gestating “Caprica” spinoff.
Sci Fi executives attending the NBC Universal pre-Emmy party at Spago in Beverly Hills Saturday said the decision whether to split the final season was an ongoing discussion, but at least one network programmer was firmly against the idea.

As is often the case with the lavishly produced series, the issue is “the money people,” as one executive put it. Since “Battlestar” eats a considerable portion of the Sci Fi programming budget, the network might be forced to spread the resulting product across two seasons.

Showrunner Ron Moore shrugged off the issue. “It doesn’t affect my job either way, since we’re shooting it straight through,” he says. “It might be better to get it all done [in the same year] for the fans so they don’t have to wait.”
Full Article

I have to agree with Moore here - splitting the show into two runs would be torture, and given that their midseason breaks are cliffhangers anyway, it'd be a pain to wait. In addition, last television season proved that it's not really a good idea for a show to be split, with LOST, Heroes, and a bunch of other shows suffering by dropping ratings like a rock when they returned. While Season 4's the last season, it's still not a good thing if no one watches it.

This is also in from the SyFyPortal:

SciFi Channel Stockpiling For Writers Strike
As if the world of entertainment wasn't confusing enough, try understanding the actual business side.
That's what fans of various SciFi Channel shows are trying to figure out as rumors continue to float about what the network intends to do in scheduling the fourth and final season of "Battlestar Galactica" and the resurrection of what seemed pretty cold and even buried projects.
But it all seems to tie back to one thing, and one thing only: the NBC Universal property is expecting all-out stoppage if script writers walk out Nov. 1, marking the first major stoppage since 1988 when shows like "Star Trek: The Next Generation" had to cut down their seasons and rely on previously-written scripts.
Even worse, the Screen Actors Guild is threatening to strike in June, and there is a good possibility that writers could hold off striking until then, to create a much more tenable situation with studios as they try and negotiate better collective bargaining agreements.
Networks have ordered practically marathon sessions of pre-production work, in an effort to make sure that everything that needs to be written for the upcoming television season is written just after Halloween. And a network source tells SyFy Portal that it's really the strike leading the charge for a spread out final season of "Battlestar Galactica" and the new life paid to by "Caprica."

Full Article

Rutrow - This isn't good news at all. Galactica's made it's name as an extremely well written show. We've all seen what happens when the writers get lazy, with episodes such as Black Market. Let's hope that if this is the case, we'll not run into that problem...

Plot of Razor Webisodes

2007-09-23T12:17:00.001-07:00

I just got this e-mail from SciFi in my mailbox, containing the plot of the upcoming Razor Webisodes, (which was new to me) .

Coming in October: Follow young William "Husker" Adama on his rookie Viper mission during the First Cylon War, in action-packed weekly minisodes!

Looks interesting, can't wait to see them.

First Look at Razor

2007-09-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

Entertainment Weekly has an early look at Razor:

First Look! 'Battlestar Galactica: Razor'
Get a sneak peek at the two-hour
flashback ''Razor,'' plus hints about season 4
By Adam B. Vary

Gotta love those wily scribes at Battlestar Galactica. The fourth and final (sniff!)
season of the acclaimed Sci Fi series doesn't yet have a set air date—a rep says
look for it early next year (more on that in a bit)—so for an appetizer, the
show's cooked up Razor, a two-hour flashback episode airing Nov. 24. (An
extended-cut DVD hits shelves Dec. 4.)
The story is ostensibly about the first mission of the (now-lost) Battlestar Pegasus under the command of Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber), which falls roughly in the latter half of the second season. It's told, though, through the eyes of new character Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Jacobsen). ''Lee promotes [her] to be his [second-in-command],''
explains show-runner Ronald D. Moore, ''and you wonder, who is this woman?''
That question, says Moore, allows the show to explore ''a lot of things that
we've talked about or alluded to but never actually seen. You start flashing all
the way back to before the Cylon attack on the colonies, to who she was, how she
came to the Pegasus, what happened to them, and what was their story before they
met up with Galactica.''

Full Article Here.

Battlestar Galactica - Robot Chicken Style.

2007-09-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

This is just too cool for words:

Track Listing for Season 3 Soundtrack

2007-09-13T05:53:00.000-07:00

This is probably somewhat old news by now - Very sorry for the delay, but as things get busy, I don't have as much time to research as I did before.

Bear McCreary has posted up the track listing for the season 3 soundtrack:

1. A Distant Sadness (from 'Occupation') [2:50]Featuring Raya Yarbrough, vocals
2. Precipice (from 'Precipice') [4:52]
3. Admiral and Commander (from 'Exodus, Parts 1 and 2') [3:16]
4. Storming New Caprica (from 'Exodus, Parts 2') [7:48]
5. Refugees Return (from 'Exodus, Part 2') [3:43]
6. Wayward Soldier (from 'Hero') [4:17]
7. Violence and Variations (from 'Unfinished Business') [7:42]
8. The Dance (from 'Unfinished Business') [2:33]
9. Adama Falls (from 'Unfinished Business') [1:46]
10. Under the Wing (from 'Maelstrom') [1:11]
11. Battlestar Sonatica (from 'Torn') [4:44]Performed by Bear McCreary, piano
12. Fight Night (from 'Unfinished Business') [2:27]
13. Kat's Sacrifice (from 'The Passage') [2:46]
14. Someone to Trust (from 'Taking A Break From All Your Worries') [3:09]
15. The Temple of Five (from 'The Eye of Jupiter') [2:44]
16. Dirty Hands (from 'Dirty Hands') [3:32]
17. Gentle Execution (from 'Exodus, Part 2') [3:28]
18. Mandala in the Clouds (from 'Maelstrom') [5:53]
19. Deathbed and Maelstrom (from 'Maelstrom') [5:53]
20. Heeding the Call (from 'Crossroads, Part 2') [2:11]
21. All Along the Watchtower (from 'Crossroads, Part 2') [3:33]
Featuring Bt4, VocalsWords and Music by Bob DylanAdapted, Arranged, and Produced by Bear McCreary

Looks like a good one!

Kevin Smith to Direct Galactica Episode

2007-08-31T12:26:00.000-07:00

This in from TV Squad:

Kevin Smith to direct episode of Battlestar Galactica
Posted Aug 24th 2007 6:22PM by Joel Keller
It looks like Kevin Smith is really getting his feet wet in the TV business this year, isn't he? Not only did he direct the very funny pilot to the CW's new series Reaper and write and direct the first episode of Heroes: Origins, but it now looks like he will also be directing an episode of Battlestar Galactica during its upcoming final season, as well.
Smith revealed that little tidbit to our friend Angel Cohn at AOL's TV Tattler, where he spoke about how he came on board all three of his upcoming TV projects, as well as a couple of details about his non-TV work. But, for right now, the most important part of the interview will be the details about his BSG episode...Unfortunately, there aren't many details to tell. All Smith knows is that he's set to direct an episode; he doesn't know what it will be about, because they haven't delivered the script to him yet. But he tells a good story about how the opportunity came about. Let's just say that if it weren't for Reaper, none of this would have ever happened.
As I said, Smith also talks about some other projects in the interview, including Red State, a horror film he's currently writing, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, which will be going into production soon, and My Boring Ass Life, a new book that compiles posts from Smith's blog.

Cool stuff!

Battlestar to no longer be sold on iTunes?

2007-08-31T12:23:00.001-07:00

This in from the New York Times:

NBC Will Not Renew ITunes Contract
NBC Universal, unable to come to an agreement with Apple on pricing, has
decided not to renew its contract to sell digital downloads of television shows
on iTunes.
The media conglomerate — which is the No. 1 supplier of digital
video to Apple’s online store, accounting for about 40 percent of downloads —
notified Apple of its decision late yesterday, according to a person familiar
with the matter who asked for anonymity because negotiations between the
companies are confidential.
A spokesman for NBC Universal, part of General Electric, confirmed
the decision, but otherwise declined to comment. A spokesmen for Apple declined
to comment. The decision by NBC Universal highlights the escalating tension
between Apple and media companies, which are unhappy that Apple will not give
them more control over the pricing of songs and videos that are sold on iTunes.
NBC Universal is also seeking better piracy controls and wants Apple to
allow it to bundle videos to increase revenue, the person familiar with the
matter said.
NBC Universal is the second major iTunes supplier recently to
have a rift with Apple over pricing and packaging matters. In July, the
Universal Music Group of Vivendi, the world’s biggest music corporation, said it
would not renew its long-term contract with iTunes. Instead, Universal Music
said it would market music to Apple at will, which would allow it to remove its
songs from iTunes on short notice.
The action by Jeff Zucker, NBC
Universal’s chief executive, will not have an immediate impact on iTunes. The
current two-year deal extends through December, so a vast video catalog — some
1,500 hours of NBC Universal’s news, sports and entertainment programming — will
remain available on iTunes at least until then.
Among the most popular NBC
Universal shows available for sale on iTunes are “Battlestar Galactica,” “The
Office” and “Heroes.” The company has been talking to iTunes about offering
Universal movies, but has not done so to date because of piracy
concerns.

This kinda sucks. I was hoping to keep up with Heroes on iTunes this season.

Pick the Razor DVD Cover Art

2007-08-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

This is cool. SciFi's letting you pick the cover art for the Razor DVD: Here

Personally, I'm a fan of A.

October set for Season 3 Soundtrack Release

2007-08-16T05:34:00.000-07:00

This in from Bear McCreary's blog: (I'd post a link, but there's no direct link to his blog.)

August 3, 2007
Wow! I knew it would take me a while to get back to this blog, but I never thought it would be 5 months! After finishing the intense Bob-Dylan-inspired Galactica season finale, I think I needed a little time off. So here's what's new... I will begin scoring the two-hour straight-to-DVD movie, Battlestar Galactica: Razor, next week. I'm looking forward to diving back into the Galactica universe for one last season. And no, I didn't score the trailers Sci Fi Channel has been running. I'm never involved with any of the promos, even though sometimes they'll use my score in the ads. There are some really exciting releases coming up in the next few months. I spent my entire spring and summer working on the new Battlestar Galactica Season Three Soundtrack Album for you guys and it's finally finished!

With each passing album I lavish more and more attention to getting every mix (every single note) perfect and this was no exception. I know I'm biased, but I have to say that this record truly kicks ass. I think it will be the best of the new Galactica albums. All the outstanding cues from the third season made the cut, including the bombastic battle pieces from Exodus II, the haunting solo piano from the basestar and, of course, my version of All Along the Watchtower. I'll be releasing the official track list here very soon.

The record will be out in October from La La Land Records, and we will definitely be doing a BATTLESTAR GALACTICA LIVE CONCERT in Los Angeles to celebrate the release! We did this last year and it was a big success, so if you missed it, here's your chance to check it out. The score is exciting in the context of the show, but there's nothing like being able to experience the music live and in the flesh, performed by the incredible musicians who work on the series every week. Also, the Boingo boys, Bt4 and I will be doing another series of Oingo-Boingo-inspired concerts for Halloween, in Orange County and Los Angeles. More details for both shows will be posted soon.

Looks very good, and I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Catching Up on Old News

2007-08-16T05:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates. Change in job means that I have more computer time, but it's been busy lately. Thus, a bit of a roundup is called for:

Dynamite Comics will be releasing a one-shot Pegasus comic, due out in October: Here

Universal has listed Razor on it's DVD website: Here

New Trailer for Pegasus:

Start Dates for SciFi Programs Announced

2007-08-16T05:23:00.000-07:00

This in from the SciFiWire:

Beginning in October, SCI FI will air Battlestar Galactica "mini-sodes" entitled "Razor" during episodes of the hit series Flash Gordon, Fridays at 9 p.m. The two-to-three-minute shorts will lead into the Nov. 24 premiere of "Razor," the two-hour Battlestar special TV movie, which will tell the story of Lee Adama's (Jamie Bamber) first mission as commander of the Battlestar Pegasus and will reveal the story of how Adm. Cain (Michelle Forbes) served her ship during the original Cylon attack on the Colonies. "Razor," which airs at 9 p.m., will provide a backdrop to events in the rest of Battlestar, which returns for its fourth and final season in early 2008. "Razor" is written by Michael Taylor and directed by Felix Alcala. It also stars Katee Sackhoff and Tricia Helfer and introduces Stephanie Jacobsen as Kendra, Adm. Cain's protege.

101 Days to go before Razor!

Moore Signs Deal with NBC

2007-08-09T07:27:00.000-07:00

This in from the SciFi Wire:

Battlestar's Moore Signs Deal
Battlestar Galactica creator Ronald D. Moore has signed a two-year deal with Universal Media Studios, Variety reported. Under the deal, Moore will continue on Battlestar, which will wrap its run on SCI FI Channel next year. Moore will simultaneously begin developing projects for the studio, with a fall 2008 series a possibility, the trade paper reported. Getting a Moore-created series on SCI FI's sister broadcast network NBC is a top priority. Moore's feature work will also include the sequel to I, Robot for 20th Century Fox and an update of The Thing for Universal Studios. (SCI FI, NBC, Universal Media Studios and Universal Pictures are all owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.) is the top priorities, and Moore said he's definitely open to expanding beyond what he's best known for.

I wonder what it means that they're continuing with Battlestar - more projects after the series?