Unofficial Battlestar Galactica Blog

Grant draws Galactica

There is an interview with Grant Gould at ComicFounry.com where he takes us step by step through the process of creating his Battlestar Galactica sketch card:

My ComicFoundry.com interview is online, and features not only a great Q&A, but also a Step-by-Step feature showing how I created this "Battlestar Galactica" fan art - show finished picture

Read the step-by-step process

If you go to his personal site you can buy the card for only seven bucks ($7)! What a deal!

BSG headed to NBC?

The Dead Parrot society says that Jeff Harrell says:

"NBC is so completely wiped out after their disaster of a fall season, they're looking very hard at "Galactica" to fill a 9-o'clock-hour hole in their summer schedule. The question at this point is whether they could get away with running the shows uncut, or whether they'd have to edit them."

"This is entirely rumor, and should be treated as such. In other words, tell everyone you know."

Mission accomplished!

I am all for a bigger audience. My only hope would be that it not impact the writing of the show. Not like it matters... At this point it is all rumor and that is probably all it will ever be.

Update 4/1/2005: Jeff Harrell jumps in to clarify his rumor:

"To clarify my point, the rumor I've heard is that NBC is looking to run season one of "Galactica" in a 10:00 p.m. weeknight slot (I wrote nine o'clock because I'm in the Central time zone and it's a reflex) during the summer season. This is not a rumor of a move from Sci Fi to NBC, nor is it a rumor of a change of plans for season two. I got this rumor via an e-mail from a source that seems reliable enough, but I haven't been able to independently confirm it. So yes, please do spread this far and wide, but please keep the caveat that it's an unconfirmed rumor attached to it."

Thanks Jeff! This makes a lot more sense to me than moving the show.

Chat with Richard Hatch

The CIC links over to a chat with Richard Hatch at Cylon.org. It is a really laid back discussion with a good deal of "old school" fans, primarily about Hatch's books, but he does make mention of the new show in a few places:

Question: I think they should just cancel it [the new BSG] and make a Tom Zarek series instead

Hatch: Thanks but I do admire what Ron Moore has accomplished in such a short time. We all would have love to see the original series continued but my god look at the ratings for this new show. Even though this show is much different than the original they've managed to find an audience

Check out the full post at CIC or read the whole chat transcript

Katee Sackhoff LIVE 4/6 6pm PST on S2D!

Coming next week to Subject to Discussion:

"Katee Sackhoff has graciously agreed to come on to the show to talk about her career and her role on Battlestar Galactica."

"Her time is limited and I will try to get to as many questions as I can."

Read the full post and remember to tune in to LVrocks.com next week!

This is pretty exciting stuff. It is great that they have been able to land a principal actor of the show! They better have their questions polished up! Other interviews I have heard with Katee have been a lot of fun though. She seems so easy going. I am sure it will be a good time!

I'm never tired of a good BSG review... are you?

I know there are a ton of reviews of Battlestar Galactica out there, but this one by R. Jason Bennion of the Simple Tricks and Nonsense blog is a really extensive and solid critique... maybe because he is a writer. His beast of a blog post spans three whole entries:

Neo-Galactica, Part 1
"I've thought a lot over the past few weeks about remakes, or "reimaginings," as TV and movie producers have pretentiously taken to calling them. They're nothing new, of course -- updating older entertainment properties for a new generation has been a common industry practice since at least the early sound era, when a number of prominent silent films were redone as talkies. These days, however, there seem to be a lot more of them being made than there used to be."

Neo-Galactica, Part 2: The Rant
"Before I proceed with my long-promised review of the new Battlestar Galactica remake series, there's something I want to get off my chest: I am really sick and tired of the way every article I read about the new show starts out by trashing the original series. What is it about American culture that we can't complement one thing without denigrating something else? It's almost like one of Newton's laws -- for every positive word spoken there must be an equal and opposite insult."

Neo-Galactica, Part 3: The Review (At Last!)
"I like it. -- I didn't think I would. I even tried not to, out of loyalty to the series that I grew up with and still enjoy. But in the end (and to my surprise), I find that I actually do like the new Battlestar Galactica. It's a good series on its own terms, and it's also the rare example of a remake that improves on the original by taking it seriously."

"That's not to say, however, that I like it without reservation. There are aspects of it that don't quite work for me, and, as I've already mentioned a couple of times, I'm not at all comfortable with the fact that this show is on track to replace the original in our collective pop-cultural memories. Nevertheless, I can't deny that Ron Moore, the driving force behind the remake, has created something that is honestly worthy of the attention the show is receiving."

The whole trilogy is a pretty huge read, but it is a very well thought opinion and I think that deserves recognition. If there is one thing this world is short of, it is well thought opinions.

Fan fiction sample platter

I am not normally one to get too involved in fan fiction... however I can't help but appreciate the passion that lies behind it and the sheer quantity that is getting produced for Battlestar Galactica these days. I decided to start reading a few at the recommendation of some fellow bloggers:

Lights a Candle
A short story about the "first" librarian of the fleet. (thanks Malkin Grey)

Calliope
A longer story centered on the fleet's smallest ship of "common" people. (thanks ireadthat)

Even if you aren't into fan fiction like me, a BSG fan can really appreciate how fiction like this can really help to flesh out the universe.

Scifi Channel dominates Friday

The Futon Critic has an article about the Scifi Channel's domination of Friday nights:

"The SCI FI juggernaut continues. Feeding on the unyielding momentum of its 'SCI FI Friday' lineup of original series, the Channel ends 1Q05 with the best first quarter - and second best of any quarter* - in its history. SCI FI averaged a 1.1 HH rating and delivered more young viewers than ever before and ranked solidly within the Top 10 of all cable networks in every key demo."

Read the full article and get all the juicy ratings statistics of which are absolute jibberish to me. HH ratings? P18-34? F25-54?... yeah.

(via the CIC)

Postive press about Park

Say that 10 times real fast!

SyFyPortal has posted a good article about Grace Park and her Boomer/Clyon character:

"Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell clearly provide the veteran starpower on the SciFi Channel's new "Battlestar Galactica." Fortunately, however, series creator Ronald D. Moore knows he's got one fine ensemble on his hands, and the two heavyweights never overshadow the other cast members. "

"Each of the cast members have made their own unique contributions over the course of the show's first season. But, without a doubt, it is Grace Park who has simply become the series' standout talent."

Read the full article

I still think James Callis has the strongest week-to-week performances on the show... but this article definitely makes me appreciate Grace Park a little more. The author is correct that her performances are nuanced and yet she is still able to communicate that she is playing vastly different characters.

New video feature: Epilogue

Head over to the Official Battlestar Galalactica site and check out the brand new video feature:

Video Feature #12 Epilogue

Watch it now

What is it about? The feature has interviews with all primary members of the cast and crew where they give their impressions about working on the first season. Most of the comments focus on the decision to re-imagine the old series and the impact that decision has had on the show.

I like Mary McDonnell's comment the most:

"It isn't about trying to do something new as it is about trying to do something real"

As the last line of the video feature says, "There is no downside to Battlestar Galactica, it is just a fantastic show."

Tricia Helfer on the cover of Stuff

How did we miss this one? From the TVSquad, Tricia Helfer on the cover of Stuff Magazine:

"Imagine my surprise/glee when the latest issue of Stuff came to the house with "Battlestar Galactica's" Tricia Helfer on the cover. Yes I get Stuff. It was one of those “Get Stuff for only $4” when I re-subscribed to a car magazine deals, really."

Check out the full post or see the cover over at Stuff Magazine.