Check out the Water Cooler TV podcast for an interview with Battlestar Galactica composer Bear McCreary:
We begin our "Behind the Music" series as we talk with composers Sean Callery and Bear McCreary - the men responsible for the music of "24" and "Battlestar Galactica."
If you have seen documentary Trekkies, than you remember Gabe Koerner... if you haven't seen Trekkies, than you should know that Gabe has done a little work on BSG doing 3d modeling. Turns out he had a little BSG party at his place and a few cast members showed up.
I met a wonderful fella named Sam on myspace, who played a character called Crashdown on BSG. If you watch (SPOILERS if you've not seen season 2), Crashdown was the character in command of the downed Raptor crew on Kobol, who got in over his head and was shot in the back by Baltar.
He's a talented local musician and is fast becoming a good friend. Well, Allison's just been catching up with season 2, and we've gotten to his pivotal episode. So we thought it'd be cool to invite him over for the night.
Sam and Nikki seem like rad people. It must be so strange to watch your own performance. I have done a lot of performing in my days, but it must be a huge difference when you are on an effects-laden show like BSG where the entire picture doesn't come together until it is fully produced. I can't imagine you get a very clear sense of it all just acting in the quick little bits between takes and in front of blue screens.
Gateworld posted an article about the challenges that Tricia Helfer faces playing such a complex character:
"I've actually played four versions of Number Six," Helfer said, sitting in her trailer during a break in filming. "As an actor that's fantastic. The Six in Baltar's head can be limiting, in a way, because you can't interact with the other characters. There's a certain relationship that they have that doesn't let you branch out. For me, it's fun to have other Sixes, to be able to have scenes with [other characters]. [But] I love working with James. I don't want to change that!"
Remember Sam Witwer? The man who Baltar shot in the head? Crashdown? He has since gone on to bigger and better things! Like producing a record:
I wanted to drop you a line and tell you that Sam Witwer (Crashdown) has just completed work on his first music release. The band is called The Crashtones. You can find more information at www.samwitwer.com.
Good luck Sam!
Thanks goes out to Chuck Hirstius for writing in with this information!
The Small Screen Buzz podcast has an interview with Aaron Douglas over on their site. Go check it out:
Show Topics
1. News: Charmed Fan Campaign
2. Food Network Challenge (Food), "Chocolate Fantasy Challenge," Airdate 2/12/2006
3. Epitafios (HBO Signature), Episode 11, Airdate 2/15/2006
4. Project Runway (Bravo), "What's Your Line?," Airdate 2/15/2006
5. Finales, Premieres, and Debuts for February 20 - February 26, 2006
6. Celebrity Interview: Aaron Douglas (Chief Tyrol on Battlestar Galactica)
I haven't listened to it yet, so I do not know if there are any spoilers. Listen at your own risk!
The Tahmoh Penikett blog has a link up to a new interview with the man who plays Helo:
Yet another interview with Tahmoh has appeared online (the fourth this week!). He still manages to share tidbits about his experience on the show that he's not mentioned before, among them details about his experiences Season 1 and the challenges of filming with CGI cylons.
Warning: The photos that accompany the interview are spoilery for episode 218, "Downloaded". I've pasted the non-spoilery text of the interview below.
As you can read, Justine was nice enough to copy over all the non-spoiler stuff, so you can click over to her site without fear! Thanks Justine!
Gamasutra is reporting that Ron Moore is on the list of keynote speakers at the Game Developers Conference this year:
The organizers of the 2006 Game Developers Conference, to be held in San Jose from March 20-24, have announced that the creator and producer of the new Battlestar Galactica TV series, Ronald D. Moore will deliver the keynote address of the “vision track” at the 2006 GDC.
The vision track of the GDC was introduced at the 2005 conference, and is designed to provide an environment that fosters the innate creativity of game developers, empowering each of them to establish their own long-term vision of the next decade of games.
In his vision keynote, entitled “Building a Better Battlestar,” Moore will discuss his pioneering global application of realism to story and characters in the science fiction genre, and his experiences creating something new and successful out of an existing and adored intellectual property. During the keynote, Moore will discuss each element of the rebirth of “Battlestar Galactica,” using clips and props from the production of the show as references.
If you are a game developer and a BSG fan, this is a win-win for you!
Source: Science Fiction Buzz
This really isn't news-worthy, but I was flipping through the channels and happen to land on SciFi right when James Callis was on the screen... turns out the show was Jason and the Argonauts and he was playing Aspyrtes:
In Greek mythology, Apsyrtus of Colchis was a son of Aeetes. When his sister, Medea, ran off with Jason, the Argonauts and the Golden Fleece, she distracted Aeetes by killing Apsyrtus and scattering his dismembered body parts. Aeetes stopped chasing her to pick them all up.
Not a happy ending for our fine Galactica friend!
It also turns out that Jolene Blalock from Star Trek: Enterprise was in the movie as well... my mind was reeling from it all! Star Trek and BSG thespians, working together!
Anyhow, just wanted to share...
Andrew over at The CIC has an exclusive interview with Battlestar Galactica composer Bear McCreary:
A little project that I've been working on for a little while now, and a holdover from my job on another website, www.clonewarz.com - Interviews. So, it's a very great feeling being able to put up the following interview that I conducted with Bear McCreary, the man behind the music of the show:
CIC - Hello Mr. McCreary, and thank you for having a couple of words with us. First of all, do you follow the Battlestar Galactica Series at all, after everything is finished an on TV? If so, do you have any favorite moments or episodes?
Bear McCreary: Sure thing, thanks for the interview. I am actually a really big fan of the show, so I tune in every week to watch the episodes on the air, even though by that point I’ve probably seen each episode about a hundred times. As for favorite moments, I’m obviously a bit biased by what the score is doing in any given sequence. The opening and closing sequences of the “Kobol’s Last Gleaming” storyline will always resonate with me. However, honestly, my favorite scenes are often not ones where the music is featured prominently. For example, in Litmus, the scene where Tyrol confesses his crime to Adama in his quarters just gives me chills. The performances and writing are rock solid. The music is one of the best cues I’ve done for the show, even though it never stands out at all.
Bear McCreary (the composer for BSG) was interviewed by Robin Parrish of InFuze Magazine. Go check it out. Registration is required, but here is a sample to wet your appetite!
Robin: Take us through what a typical episode cycle looks like for you, from start to finish.
Bear: Oh, Robin, I wish I could! (Laughs.) There is no typical episode of this show!
(Laughs.) In a nutshell, then.
The producers, the writers, and the actors are constantly growing, in regards to what they've learned, what the show needs. Over time, I've gotten pretty good at predicting what works best, musically, in any given episode. Now that I say that, the next few episodes may prove me wrong! But in general, from start to finish, it takes me about ten to twenty days to do a show. That doesn't mean I can only do one show at a time on that schedule; the shows always overlap. Right now, I'm working on two or three.
That's pretty typical. It's really tough on me because I haven't adjusted -- I haven't gotten to the place where I feel like I have a solid handle on this thing, you know what I mean? In a lot of tv shows, you're using the same palette that you paint from, week to week, using a lot of the same themes over and over. With our show, it's different almost every single week. Musically, each episode is almost a big movie adventure all by itself, in a way.
And it's pretty music-heavy, right? There aren't a lot of moments in the show where there's no music playing...
I think it's very music heavy. The average hour-long show on tv has anywhere from twelve to eighteen minutes of music. Our show, I've had episodes that run anywhere from twenty-five to thirty minutes of music. But it's very subtle; it doesn't feel like it's a lot of music. Because a lot of the time, the music is part of the atmosphere, part of the texture of the scene. It doesn't necessarily come at you in a big way.
...
What episode are you working on right now?
I am about to dive into episode fifteen. The break was at ten, so I've finished eleven, twelve, thirteen, and fourteen...
I can tell you this much: the second half of this season is stronger than the first half. I've been really enjoying the episodes that I've seen. In particular, the resolution to the "Pegasus" storyline is really cool.
Read more (free registration required)
It is a great article with some excellent pictures. Bear says he hates spoilers so there aren't any in the article. It is worth the free registration if are interested in the music, the soundtracks and the man behind it all.
The best tid bit of all? The next soundtrack CD! Planned for release late spring or early summer 2006... possibly double-disc!
The Big Dumb Object pointed me to this article:
So before Christmas, I listed my Top 10 Hottest Men in Sci-Fi. It wasn’t an easy list, as I had to go through picture after picture of amazingly gorgeous men in various states of clothing! Phew! Talk about work. This week, I had to continue this perilous work, only this time it was spent scouting out the Top 10 Hottest Women in Sci-Fi.
Read more... to see where Helfer lands on the list.
Battlestargalactica.com has an interview posted with Ron Moore. I held off reading it because people were calling it spoilerish, but I took a quick glance through it and it wasn't as spoilerish as I thought it was going to be. Click at your own risk, but I thought it was pretty tame.
If you really want to dodge anything spoilerish, then skip the answers to questions #1 and #7.
Q: We're now approaching the second anniversary of the airing of the miniseries. Do you think you've succeeded in what you set out to achieve with Battlestar Galactica?
A: To be honest, we've achieved more than I could have hoped for two years ago. I always believed in what we were doing, always believed it was going to work, but if you'd told me in 2003 that in 2005 Time would name the show the number one television show on the air, I wouldn't have believed a word of it.
Source: The Great Link
The radio show Subject 2 Discussion is reporting that Katee Sackhoff is scheduled to appear 10 weeks in a row as an interview guest on the show:
Yes Katee Sackhoff will be on as many times as her schedule will allow, we are aiming for 10 weeks.
She will be on Subject2Discusssion in the final half hour as now our Science Fiction segment will give way to Battlestar Galactica in the biggest way possible!!!
Katee Sackhoff has been on twice before and each interview was very popular and she is doing this cause she enjoyed being on so much and for the fans of Battlestar Galactica.
Source: BSG News
This link comes from Battlestar Galactica News:
"Battlestar Galactica" exec producer Ronald D. Moore has inked a rich overall pact with NBC Universal Television Studio, reupping for another two years.
Deal calls for Moore, who exec produced the first season of HBO's "Carnivale" before joining "Battlestar," to create and develop series, with an emphasis on sci-fi-themed projects.
He's already set up the NBC fantasy skein "Pen and the Sword" and "Warehouse 13," a quirky one-hour for Sci Fi Channel. Moore also will continue to steer "Battlestar," which kicks off the second half of season two Jan. 6.
A part of me is thinking this will be both good and bad for the show. Good in that Ron Moore gets additional influence with NBC and therefore more security for his projects... bad in that it might detract from his involvement with Battlestar Galactica directly. What are your thoughts on this announcement?
Someone going by "Ro Laren" sent me an email about Tricia Helfer's hosting job via Trekweb:
Tricia Helfer, known as the duplicitous Number Six to fans of Ron D. Moore's BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, has been appointed as host of Canada's upcoming NEXT TOP MODEL, where she could be an inspiration for sci-fi's Next Top Cylon.
I assume she is doing this in the Galactica off season?
The Great Link has a link posted to an article in TV Zone Magazine. It says that Aaron Douglas is taking a more active role in the behavior of his character due to comments from fans of the show:
"In [Season 2] I’ve taken a bit more of an active role insofar as talking to [Executive Producers] David Eick and Ron Moore about my character as well as to our show’s military technical advisors because I want to get it right. We get so many comments from people in the various armed services that our show does a great job of mirroring military life, despite it being set in the future and outer space. I want to make sure I maintain that sense of realism in my performance."
I linked to a write-up about Richard Hatch being at SupaNova 2005. Bruce Moyle was kind enough to send a link from his site where you can download the podcast of the SupaNova 2005 panel with Richard Hatch:
Richard talks about:
- About Being an Artist
- Battlestar Galactica New & Old
- Playing Tom Zarek
- Becoming an actor and moving onto the big screen
- Star Trek
- and more…
Thanks Bruce!
BSG News is linking over to an interview with Katee Sackhoff where she says:
“I did get [hate mail] for a while, people were just really mad,” Sackhoff comments. “There was a side of me that wanted to get on the Internet and slam back and say ‘Kiss my ass’. But if they remade Indiana Jones with a woman I’d be mad, so I have to put myself in their shoes, and go, ‘I guess I get it’.
“I actually think it would have been worse if they’d cast a guy,” she adds, “because at least by casting a woman you can’t compare the two characters, there’s such a difference. But I can’t imagine what a male actor would have gone through in this role, they’d have just got beaten.
“But now people come up to me and say they prefer my Starbuck.”
The Tahmoh Penikett blog has a humorous post about the legendary Jedi Master Chef's... it looks like Tahmoh (Helo) is know a member!
While at Galactica One, Tahmoh earned the rank of "Jedi Master Chef," resulting in fairly hilarious photos. If you're wondering what a Jedi Chef is I recommend you visit their webpage.
Tahmoh is apparently "Jedi Master Chef 44" according to their listing of celebrity chefs (who include Jamie Bamber, Aaron Douglas, Sam Witwer and a bunch of Firefly and Stargate folks).
Random! This is the best photo!
I find it intriguing that there are no Star Wars actors who are Jedi chefs... somehow that is just wrong.
Chris Howell from The Great Link sent along this bit of news:
An interview with actor Michael Hogan (Battlestar Galactica’s Colonel Tigh) can be located in [TV Zone Magazine]. Here’s a few snippets from the full interview:
"When the original Galactica series was on TV I was aware of it but never watched it. So when casting began for the mini-series I had no opinion about it one way or the other. In fact, I passed on it the first time around because I was busy working on something else. However, that was before I found out that [Michael Rymer was directing the mini-series]. I also heard that Edward James Olmos was playing Commander William Adama. His resume speaks for itself. I mean, Eddie doesn’t have to do anything he doesn’t want to, so I figured if he was involved then this had to be good."
"...['33'] was a pretty amazing episode to start Season 1 with. During the cast’s first read-through of the script, Eddie said ‘This sleep deprivation is serious stuff; we have to work on it’. We had doctors come on set to speak with us, and we did our research...the writing just kept getting better and better [in Season 1]. Some of the greatest TV ever done is, in my view, ['Kobol’s Last Gleaming, Parts 1 & 2'], it blew my mind when I read those scripts."
Thanks Chris!
The Tahmoh Penikett blog has a link to the transcript of Helo answering fan questions in an online chat:
Last Saturday at Galactica One, fans had a chance to post their questions to Tahmoh in an online chat. A transcript of the chat has now been posted. A lot of interesting questions were asked. Here are a couple (the rest are behind the spoiler cut):
What do you think Helo's pre-mini relationship with Kara was like?
Tahmoh: I think they have obviously been friends for a long time, possibly were cadets together and most definitely long time drinking buddies.
When did you get interested in kickboxing?
Tahmoh: I have been interested in the martial arts ever since i was a child, i first studied judo for a number of years and then took up kick boxing after seeing a muay thai practitioner in a foreign film.
There are a lot of intelligent questions, some personal, some about the show. If you missed it in the past, there is a great interview with him from Gatecon 2005 that you should listen to. He seems like a really down to earth guy who loves his craft.
Jamie Bamber, token stud on BSG, has made it into the pages of Fleshbot:
The new Battlestar Galactica, whose second season is now, tragically, ending, is almost certainly the best televised science fiction series ever. (Apologies to Firefly fans.) One could cite the quality of the acting and writing, or the silence of the space battles, which marks television’s belated acknowledgement that sound does not travel in a vacuum. But this is Fleshbot. So let us give credit to the shower scenes. In Final Cut, a recent episode, Lee Adama, aka Apollo, commander of the Viper pilots, struggles with a skimpy towel as a reality TV camera pans up and down his torso. Apollo is prime space totty, and the camera lingers lovingly for a good couple of minutes.
The site isn't safe for work... so click carefully... it is naughty...
BSG News has a few pictures posted that I haven't seen before. Go check them out:
This is a great post by Mariah about her encounter with Katee Sackhoff onboard an Alaskan Airlines flight:
Our flight ended up being delayed, and I spent all my time playing cards on my dad's laptop. I didn't look around at all. D'oh! But finally we boarded, and this is where it gets good. I'm tired, I'm bored, and I'm looking for my seat, row 21. I look down the aisle and see a girl with blonde hair, so of course I think, "haha, she looks like Starbuck.". But I think that about a lot of blonde people. But then I looked at her again and thought, no, she really looks like Starbuck. I look down at her arm, and there is the tatoo that all the fans know about. OMG. It really IS HER!!
I passed her to put my bag up above, and, in shock, sit behind her. I leaned to my mom, and told her, "OMG!OMG! It's Katee Sackhoff!!! It's Starbuck!!!!". This makes sense, because she lives in LA, and she's from Portland, so she would be going home to visit her parents. But OMG. I was in so much shock. I suddenly scrambled in my bag for a pad of paper and a pen. I had to ask her! I leaned over her shoulder and went:
"Excuse me... uh, are you Katee Sackhoff??"
"Yeah."
It is a great post... with photo.
Being that I was born and raised in Alaska, I was happy to see Alaskan airlines getting some patronage from the BSG elite! :)
BSG News has a link to an excellent little piece of commentary by EJO about Battlestar Galactica over at TV Zone:
Olmos says he’s reveling in the twists and turns in the plot and the almost prophetic parallels between the story and world events. “It’s very real drama, it’s not like creatures from the black lagoon are coming up or four eyed monsters, but it can still seem quite bizarre and crazy stuff,” he says. “But when you look at it all this is happening around us right now.
Source: BSG News
Scott Collura from Now Playing Magzine has a mid season interview with Ron Moore:
As Battlestar Galactica (is there really any need to call it the “new Battlestar Galactica” anymore?) heads towards its midseason hiatus in a few weeks, what better time to chat with Ron Moore, executive producer and showrunner on the hit Sci Fi Channel series? And what better way to start off such a chat with some prodding of Moore about whether there will be a season three of Galactica or not…
It looks like there will be a few more articles over the next few days featuring Ron Moore's interview. I will post them when/if I see them.
Source: Gateworld
Check out these two interviews with Paul Campell (Billy) and Lorena Gale (Elosha) on Sci-Fi Talk:
Paul Campbell
This Vancouver native plays Billy Keikeya on the new version of Battlestar Galactica. He has also appeared in films like The Perfect Score, We'll Meet Again and The Long Weekend. His TV credits include appearances on Smallville, Black Sash and Andromeda. Taped at Gatecon 2005.Lorena Gale
She played Elosha on Battlestar Galactica, but Lorena Gale has also starred in her fair share of SF Movies and Television. You've seen her in Fantastic Four, The Chronicles of Riddick and The Exorcism of Emily Rose. On TV, She's appeared in Smallville and Kingdom Hospital. Taped at Gatecon 2005.
Both interviews were taped at Gatecon 2005. I have not listened to them so I can't really give you a spoiler warning.
Via BSG News, TV Guide Insider has an interview posted with Jamis Callis who plays Gaius Baltar. This was marked as mild spoilers but I read it and I don't really see anything spoilerish. He just talks about what makes his character tick:
Some sci-fi fans may go ga-ga for the long-limbed beauties who populate fictional otherworlds, but it is a dark-haired Brit of short stature who manages to elicit the biggest roars from Battlestar Galactica enthusiasts. James Callis, who plays shifty scientist and Colonial Vice President Gaius Baltar, has won over viewers with his witty line-readings and steamy couplings with the sultry Cylon Number Six. (Battlestar colleagues say Callis is the on-set comic, as well.) TVGuide.com chatted with the amiable actor on the Sci Fi Channel series' Vancouver set.
From what I gathered from the article, I am glad that Callis is committed to keeping the lines between evil and selfish intact for his character.
Check out this Sci-Fi Talk MP3 with Tahmoh Penikett from Gatecon:
He plays Lt Karl "Helo" Agathon, a Galactica pilot trapped on a hostile planet, in the hit series, Battlestar Galactica. We talk season two, the show's concept, and style. We also chat about his appearences on Stargate SG-1, Smallville and Cold Squad (He was a regular). Taped At Gatecon 2005.
I always forget his charachter's first name is Karl... I don't know why that makes me chuckle...
Pick up a copy of Life Magazine this week for an article with Tricia Helfer in it:
Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer reveals her true alien nature; plus: How to arrange the perfect summer bouquet
So what's the deal with the bouquet?
Thanks to Alexis for the heads up via email!
As reported by the Sci Fi Website:
LVROCKS.COM presents its "Subject2Discussion" talk show, featuring Katee Sackhoff, who portrays Starbuck on SCI FI's hit series Battlestar Galactica, chatting with Shaun Daily. Visit www.subject2discussion.com to listen in.
Also check Subject2Discussion after the show... they normally post the MP3 file.
This is Katee's second time around... she was on the show back in April.
Check out this Sci-Fi Talk MP3 with Aaron Douglas from Gatecon:
This talented actor plays Chief Tyrol in the new version Of Battlestar Galactica. We discussed his character, season two and his appearence in the Exorcisim Of Emily Rose, at Gatecon in his native Vancouver, Canada. Taped on Saturday July 30, 2005
Check out this link over at the Tahmoh Penikett blog. Justine has the scoop:
So I blogged a short excerpt and pic from Hypa-Space's behind the scenes tour of the Galactica sets by Tahmoh before. However, now the full 4 minute clip is online, thanks to Space (which airs BSG in Canada)!
Michael Hinman of the SyFy Portal has posted part one of an interview with Battlestar Galactica composer Bear McCreary:
"I think music is very often critically overlooked," McCreary recently told SyFy Portal's Michael Hinman. "That's because it's not supposed to be noticed. A lot of times when I read reviews of the show, and the reviewer goes out of his way to compliment the special effects team, the actors, the writers, the director, and they leave the music out ... I take it as a compliment. The music is like this invisible layer of super glue that goes over everything and tightens it up to make the whole thing a cohesive unit."
I particularly like the part at the end of the article where he discusses the choice to use the music from the US title in the death scene of Socinus. I thought it was extremely effective and was very excited to hear that piece of music used there. It is interesting to hear how that decision came about.
Chris Howell sent this link over... more great stuff over on the Great Link:
An interview with Battlestar Galactica’s Tricia Helfer (Number Six) can be located in the September issue of SFX Magazine. The former model talks about the show and Six’s wardrobe:
"The grass is always greener...I look at the cast’s flight suits and go ‘I just wanna be in a flight suit and sneakers! And the other girls look at me and go ‘Oh, I want a red dress and heels!’ But I think as we go along we’re gonna keep seeing more sides of Number Six, and the side I played yesterday was not dressed up like that. It’s a definite new side to Number Six that we’ve never seen before. It’s essentially another side to the Six that’s in Baltar’s head. But it’s not a separate clone…it’s another side of Baltar’s Six. Its another side of her."
Read the full article... spoiler warnings apply!
Check out these video links over at IGN Film Force:
Battlestar Galactica just premiered its first episode of the new season, and the cast was on hand at San Diego Comic-Con to talk about the show. We caught up with Grace Park, James Callis and Tahmoh Penikett and chatted with them about what they're up to this season.
The Tahmoh Penikett blog has some great behind the scene's photos of the actor that plays Helo:
Gotta love the sunglasses! I'm just glad Tahmoh has better fashion sense than *ahem* other male members of the cast.
If you click on the photos, you'll be able to see huge versions. All I have to say is "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu," who knew?
Go see the photos and get links to more!
An interview article with Jamie Bamber (Apollo) is up at the News Tribune:
When actor Jamie Bamber saw a script for the remake of "Battlestar Galactica," he had a shrinking feeling.
"But I guess that's normal for any remake," says Bamber, 32. "You should go into it wondering why (anything) should be remade."
After nabbing the role of swashbuckling Apollo Adama, Bamber realized how serious this new version would be. The producers shipped him and other cast members off to a two-day Army boot camp for physical training and "to get the right mental attitude," he says.
Like always, the Tahmoh Penikett blog has all the great links! Check this new one out:
Sci-Fi aired a great sneak-peak into BSG season 2 tonight. It was fun, interesting and entertaining, esp. as it featured a super cute scene with Tahmoh and Grace Park.
Trekweb has an article up that recaps some comments made by Katee Sackhoff in Wizard magazine:
When asked about the original' Starbuck' actor Dirk Benedict, who have criticized the new GALACTICA, she said "I met him about two years ago, right after we finished the mini-series. We created a little teaser thing to show before the mini-series aired. And it was called, 'Starbuck buys Starbuck a coffee at Starbucks'. And we went and sat at a Starbucks and had a cup of coffee together. I thought, you know, I thought he was a great guy, nothing bad to say about the man. But he talks a lot of s--t about the show now. I was really shocked."
Regarding a possible cameo by Benedict on the new show, she said "I would work with him. But I think it's really hard to offer somebody a job that has done nothing but criticize the work."
If you have never read Dirk's comments about the new show, I managed to dig up a copy of the infamous article on a message forum: Starbuck: Lost in Castration
Wizard magazine has an interview with Katee Sackhoff the dives deep into season 2 details:
In Wizard #166 (on sale today), actress Katee Sackhoff, who plays Lt. Kara “Starbuck” Thrace on the hit SCI FI Channel series, “Battlestar Galactica,” spills some secrets on what to expect in season two, which kicks off on Friday, July 15. The show, a reimagining of the original series that aired in 1978, has fans buzzing for its dark and realistic telling of what some say is “the story of Exodus—set in space.”
We caught up with Sackhoff during a break in filming on the Vancouver set, and here’s what else she had to say.
The Tahmoh Penikett Blog has what looks to be a fun behind the scenes chat with the man behind "The Helo":
HypaSpace interviewed Tahmoh and Grace Park on the set of BSG, "Grace Park & Tahmoh Penikett Talk BSG". HypaSpace is a news/info show produced by Space, Canada's sci-fi Channel.
You can see informal pics, the text of their interview and a cute clip of Grace and Tahmoh being silly. It's a must see.
The SyFy Portal has another spoiler ridden article up, discussing comments made by Katee Sackoff in the latest issue of TV Zone Magazine:
According to Katee Sackhoff, the character she plays on "Battlestar Galactica," Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, is one of the most flawed characters on the series. And the actress likes it that way.
It is one thing to be flawed, it is another thing to be destructive. I am interested to see how Starbuck falls out of favor with Adama after disobeying him. I hope they don't take it too far off the edge. I don't know why, but I hate seeing good characters ruin themselves. Sure, that definitely happens in "real life" but these people are also our heroes. I don't know how fun a show can be if all your hero's are ruining their lives.
But, I trust Moore... I am sure he will deliver.
The Syfy Portal has an article posted about the talented, overworked Edward James Olmos as he balances his Galactica gig with his directorial ambitions:
Edward James Olmos, who plays Commander Adama in "Battlestar Galactica," is preparing to direct a film for HBO while continuing his acting role on the successful SciFi Channel series, according to DailyNews.Com.
There is a TINY spoiler in there about the amount of screen time for Adama this season... just warning you...
This bit of news comes to us via Battlestar Aggregatica:
I went on a walk today in Lynn Valley Canyon and just happened to stumbled upon the cast and crew of Battlestar Galactica. Imagine that! :) I had a chance to chat with Grace Park (Boomer) for a few and she's really nice. She was kind enough to let me snap a couple pictures of her too. Thx guys!
Great photography work KK!
You can get the original resolution images off KK's Flickr pages.
UPDATE June 9, 2005 11:21am
KK has also posted a photo from his camera phone of himself and Grace Park.
BSG News has the following spoiler scoop over at their site. It isn't a major spoiler, just the name of an actress and the type of character they will be playing in season 2.
There is a column on TV Guide. Com called Ask Ausiello which is basically just a write in gossip and spoiler column. It's a lot like the Ask Wanda bit on E Online. Well this morning's column is up and there's some interesting stuff in it.
Justine of the Tahmoh Penikett blog pointed me at this bit of content over at Galactica Station:
There's an old actor's joke that no matter what a show is about, the actor always seems to think it's about him. Like the spear-carrier in Romeo and Juliet who says, "Well, there's this guy, and he's carrying a spear..."
That's just how James Callis, the sexily duplicitous Dr. Gaius Baltar on The SCI FI Channel's new Battlestar Galactica series, relates to SCI FI's hit series, which returns for a second season in July.
"It's in space," Callis says. "The world's ended... [But] it's not all a total disaster, because I'm running around, and Tricia's in my head. And that seriously seems to get a lot of viewers."
Tricia, as in Tricia Helfer, who plays the drop-dead sexy Cylon, Number Six. Partly a figment of Baltar's feverish paranoia, partly a bizarre connection that's been evolving from a game of control into something much, much deeper, Six steamed up TV screens with Baltar from their introduction in the original Galactica miniseries. And they've just kept at it with their perplexing interludes throughout season one. At the end of the season, Baltar and Six found themselves on Kobol, the ancestral home planet of human race, and their unholy coupling promised to produce...a holy child? A Clyon savior? The Antichrist?
With the second season of Battlestar Galactica now in production, Callis and Helfer sat down to talk about their alter egos, each other and what kind of hell they plan to unleash on humanity next.
The interview was transcribed from the official SciFi Channel magazine by Silentwolfdog At Ragnar Anchorage.
The Great Link has posted information about an interview with Jamie Bamber by Brian Cairns for Dreamwatch Magazine. Part of the interview is posted at SciFi Pulse:
Question: With the second season of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica now in production with a July Premier on the USA 's Sci Fi Channel, the episode count is likely to surpass that of the ‘Classic Battlestar Galactica' series. Bamber when confronted with this prospect admits to not having really given it any thought.
Answer: To be honest, it is completely irrelevant to us. But what it may do is relax that whole debate about, ‘How dare we mess around with what we supposedly messed around with.
After a certain point, we become as valid a response to the material as they did because as you can think, ‘There's more of it in the can and more to love.' Now that I say that, I can see that antagonizing die hard fans of the original even more so, it may get even fiercer.
“My only wish is for it all to become a bit more mature and accepting of both shows because they are equally valid with their merits. It is not a competition.
You can read the entire interview in this issue of Dreamwatch Magazine.
Zirone of the Battlestar Galactica Online website emailed me with links to a pair of exclusive interviews:
I wanted to let you know that we had an Aaron Douglas (CPO Galen Tyrol) interview ten days ago and yesterday one of Ron Beckler (Military and Technical advisor).
Give them a read!
He hasn't updated his official blog in awhile, but he is giving interviews! The Tahmoh Penikett blog links over to some spoiler filled interview action:
Will more characters die in the upcoming second season of SCI FI Channel's original series Battlestar Galactica? That's what series creator and executive producer Ronald D. Moore told SCI FI Wire in an interview at EnigmaCon at the University of California, Los Angeles, on May 28.
Hollywood North Report links over to an interview by TheLogBook's Earl Green with Battlestar Galactica composer Bear McCreary:
"For me, the challenge is two-fold. Just getting all the music done on time - there's considerably less time to get one episode done. And finding out what they want when they want to deviate from the sound of the miniseries."
"Every episode or every other episode, they throw a curveball at me - Gaelic music, big band music, hip-hop background music," McCreary says, adding "In fact, many of the most interesting cues are actually from when I deviated from the sound of the miniseries."
It is a great interview with lots of detail about the different motifs. I use to be really big into film scores back in college. I use to subscribe to Film Score Monthly and all that jazz. I have since drifted away from them, but who can't appreciate a good theme?
Justine of the Tahmoh Penikett blog pointed me in the direction of a Yahoo press release:
MAXIM MAGAZINE Unveils Their ``Hot 100'' for 2005
The MAXIM Hot 100 continues to be a barometer of Hollywood cool, and this marks its 6th anniversary. Each year, MAXIM chooses 100 of the most successful women of the year in film, television, music, sports and fashion. All of the women on the list have several things in common, a tremendous amount of buzz and heat surrounding them, undeniable beauty and a promise of greater things to come. Editors are given the daunting task of selecting which of these women will keep people talking throughout the year.
Looks like Tricia Helf and Grace Park made the list!
81. Grace Park
83. Tricia Helfer
I wonder if there is any "I'm hotter than you are!" friction on the set now!
Chris Howell from The Great Link website has some great excerpts of Ron Moore from the June 2005 issue of SFX magazine:
Part 2 of SFX Magazine's Season One episode guide for Battlestar Galactica can be located in the June 2005 Issue of the magazine, and the guide includes more comments from Executive Producer Ron Moore on several episodes, including the season finale, ‘Kobal’s Last Gleaming, Parts 1 & 2’:
"A pretty massive piece of business. Kobol is the place from which all of humanity was supposed to have sprung. This was the place where the gods and man lived in paradise until the 13 tribes left a thousand years ago. Twelve of them went that way, one of them went that way. We found humanity’s home. There is a lot going on with all of the characters that comes to a head at the very end."
Ron was pleased to end the season on such a high note, and feels that the writing team accomplished their goal of using Galactica as an allegory of the present day world situation
Thanks Chris!
BSG News has posted a link to an interview that Jamie Bamber gave at Collectormania 7 in the UK:
Gateworld has posted an interview from Collectormania 7 where one of their reporters sat down with Bamber and asked him his favorite scenes from S1, his feelings about his fellow actors and where Apollo stands in the days ahead. Very mildly spoilerish.
I liked this question/answer:
Question: Apollo seems to draw inspiration from Adama and from President Roslin, from their leadership; and yet he's always ready to challenge their authority. Do you see him as a natural leader or as someone who wants to fall in line but who can't find someone to line up behind?
Answer: I think he's his own man. I think he's a natural leader, but I don't think he's realised that yet. We are exploring it.
At the end of the first season he's on his own again. I mean, he's always been an isolated figure in the first place because he doesn't really belong on the Galactica. He doesn't even intend to be there but then the end of the world sort of catches him on the hop and that's where he has to make a start. He cuts a role out for himself as the "CAG," something he perhaps wasn't intending to do.
And I think he comes into his own gradually. He surprises himself. But then again, at the end of the first season he disobeys an order, so that's basically burned all his bridges that he had with the crew of the Galactica.
So he's a lone thinker in many respects, but I think more and more you'll see him start to come out with true leadership qualities.
I always forget that he was sort of marooned on the Galactica as the result of the Cylon attack. He probably had a favorable career going and now he is stuck with a run down ship of "outcasts" trying to carve his own niche under his father's shadow. I have to remember that Apollo is a much more complicated character than I give him credit for.
I came across an interesting blog entry that describes one man's star struck encounter with Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck) on an airline flight:
“On the flight home yesterday, the girl who sat beside me on the Burbank-Portland leg of the flight was none other than the girl who plays "Starbuck" on the new Galactica series. No kidding. I was looking at her on the cover of T.V.Guide in the checkout of Vons not a day before (although I didn't recognize her, to be truthful)."
Justine of the Tahmoh Penikett blog sent me another great article/interview with David Weddle, one of the story editors for Battlestar Galactica. My friends and I have compared the new BSG to Twin Peaks in the past so it was interesting to see this question:
Questions: David Lynch and Mark Frost's groundbreaking 1990 television series Twin Peaks built a devoted cult following, with its unique aesthetic and multi-threaded storylines. Yet by the second season, the show had lost much of its steam with the resolution of the "Who Killed Laura Palmer" storyline, as it meandered on towards its cancellation by ABC. Isn't there a danger that the mystery of the "Cylon Plan" might not provide enough of a longterm (i.e. multiseason) interest in the Battlestar Galactica story? Do you have some other storylines hiding up your sleeve, to keep up the audience interest?
Answer: Well, there's a danger every moment of every day that the series might lose momentum, inventiveness and vitality. We spend all of our waking hours, and many where we're supposed to be sleeping but can't, worrying about this very problem. I don't want to over promise, but I think the scripts we've produced so far this season are even stronger than they were the first season. We are just hitting our stride. There are plenty of twists and discoveries coming your way. Hang on tight because season two is thundering toward your TV screen like a runaway freight train. I can't wait to watch the shows myself!
See the full interview, its only 3 questions making it a nice short read!
Battlestar Aggregatica is hosting a poll for who is the hottest character on BSG. Your choices are:
