Unofficial Battlestar Galactica Blog

BSG news bullets

Here are some Battlestar Galactica new bits... Some are fresh... some not so fresh.

• Aragorn emailed in that the the Official Battlestar Galactica Magazine revealed that Stephen King is a huge fan of the show: “This is a beautifully written show, driven by characters rather than effects… but the effects are damn good,” King wrote of Battlestar Galactica. “And there’s not a better acting troupe at work on television.” While King claimed that Battlestar Galactica was “not quite as good as Lost,” he noted that it was “far better than Star Trek, in any of it’s incarnations”. He also revealed that he watched the show via computer download, and quipped that its source was “the Cylon Empire!” Oh and Aragorn if you read this, I tried to email you back and it bounced... no likey the gmail.
• Mark emailed about the SpikeTV awards. Check out the categories: Best TV Show, Best Heroic Performace - William Adama, Breakout Performance - Katie Sackhoff and Tricia Helfer. Go vote!
• BSG Sitrep has an interesting trailer for a defunct BSG revival project. I guess at some point Brian Singer was attached?
• One of the first Season Three promo pics is making the rounds... mmm pretty.

Fun Fun!

Battlestar bullets

Here are some news bullets... Comic-con was this last week... those reports are spoiler land mines... so I just want you to know that coverage is light on purpose!

• IGN covered Comic-con on Thursday and Friday... but be careful... I dare not tread there because of spoilers so click with care!
• Aaron Douglas says that season four is "All but certain"... good news for us fans!
• The BSG Sitrep has a link to five videos of the BSG panel.
• Who can pass up Cylons in Haiku form?
• This quote had me laughing: "A show so good it makes Nickelback sound good"
• If you don't agree with the quote you can try the trailer rescored! I dunno, I think the Nickelback seems to work for some reason.
• Grant Gould was bumping elbows with Olmos! Lucky guy!
• According to Galactica Station (who heard from Gateworld), Scifi might be running BSG season three without a mid-season break. Would that mean an even longer wait for season four?

And last but not least, Ron Moore returns to the world of blogging!

To catch up on things: we're currently filming episodes 10 & 11, our mid-season cliffhanger episodes, after which we're going to take a four week hiatus from shooting, then resume production on the remaining eight. "Eight?" you ask, perceptively recognizing that would only add up to 19 and our much-publicized order was for 20. "Are you in trouble? Are they cutting back your order? Or did you fail math?"

Read more

Lots of great questions answered by Mr. Moore as well as some info about season three's episode count. It is nice to have Ron back!

Season three preview!

I am sure you have seen it by now. I am a little slow to the party this week. In case you haven't, BSG news has a good collection of links:

Battlestar Galactica: Season Three preview

My thoughts?

It is looking pretty good. It seems like they took the formula that worked so well from the first season (splitting the cast into Capirca and Galactica) and doing the same thing having two story lines going in two separate places. I can imagine this will work out just as perfectly giving a variety of situations and textures for us to experience throughout the episodes.

It also seems like there will be a lot of soul searching... a lot of questioning of motivation... just what does it mean to survive? Does it mean to do enough to live or does it mean do enough to remain human? These are classic questions that writers have tackled over the ages and a very strong reoccurring theme throughout the show. It should be exciting to see the results play out against the background of a Cylon occupation.

Rumor has it, the webisodes will be hitting in September sometime, so it will be interesting to see how those prepare us for October! I am definitely excited though. Seeing this preview reminds me just how great this show is.
 

The 411 on Ron Moore's podcast

Dan emailed in a link to podcast411.com which has an interview with Ron Moore about his BSG episode podcasts. It makes for a good listen. Ron throws out some mild spoilers about season three related to casting efforts... nothing really alarming though.

Interview with Ron Moore @ podcast 411

Latest BSG news bits

Here they are... in no particular order... for a second time because my browser crashed and I lost everything!

• Dan emailed in that BSG is coming to HD-DVD. It isn't very specific as to what is actually being released. Is it the mini-series? The TV seasons? the old series? Such a tease! I am sure it will be pretty though! I might have to actually pick up that HD-DVD drive for my Xbox 360.
• Glenn sent a link to Out Magazine where Jamie Bamber is on the cover this month. The article talks about BSG's gender-blind universe and the use of gay characters in television. Near the end it gets a little close to spoilers... but nothing you can't handle!
• Rudy from galacticast.com sent a link to a recent parody they did called "You Might be a Cylon"
• Chris emailed a link to a podcast where BSG is favorably compared to Trek, Babylon 5 and Stargate. I haven't had a chance to listen to it but I was warned about language!
• The season three premier is coming! According to Justine at the Tahmoh Penikett blog, it will clock in a 2 hours.

With all this news it feels like October!

Official Season 2.5 DVD PR

Via PR Newswire, here is the official press release for the BSG Season 2.5 DVDs, released on September 19, 2006... notice the bonus stuff!

"Battlestar Galactica: Season 2.5" includes an array of bonus features that will delight and surprise hardcore fans and new viewers, including:

• Ronald D. Moore's Podcast Commentaries -- Producer Ronald D. Moore provides a behind-the-scenes peek at the making of "Battlestar Galactica," previously available only online.
• David Eick's Video Blog -- Producer David Eick takes viewers onto the set to reveal the inner workings of "Battlestar Galactica," including a personal tour of the new Battleship Pegasus.
• Audio Commentary -- More insider information from Eick and Moore about the expanded midseason cliffhanger "Pegasus."
• RND TV Logos -- A compilation of the animated logos at the end of each show -- depicting the two executive producers -- David Eick and Ronald D. Moore -- killing each other off in creative ways.
• Deleted Scenes -- All new and never aired on TV!

Read more

You can already pre-order at Amazon.com.

Hi-res photos of exclusive chrome

As previously posted, there will be some exclusive BSG products available at the San Diego Comic-con. Robert Yee from Art Asylum sent over these great pictures:

[Art Asylum] is the license holder of classic and new bsg and would like to send you pics for release.  For SDCC we are offering an extremely limited issue of 300 pieces of a chromed Cylon and Chromed Battlestar galactica 2 pack.  The cylon bust is 7.5” and the Battlestar Galactica is 15” in length.  We are doing an exclusive preorder at the Art Asylum booth 3913 at SDCC for $275.

If you are headed to SDCC and you have the cash, those are a mighty too pretty to pass up!

BSG link dump

Here I am, playing a little catch up with all the great stuff out there:

• I came across a new BSG site out there... it is a Galactica2003.net relaunch, now called www.bsgtns.com Check it out. They did a nice job!
• Over at Celeeb.com you can rank celebrities... Katee Sackhoff has an entry... boost her to the top!
• Over at the Positive Liberty blog, Timothy Sandefur posted his reviews of BSG novels. He didn't have very many good things to say.
• Brett J. emailed in a link to some pictures of the BSG Mini mates.
• You can now get a Battlestar Galactica Mastercard... will wonders never cease?
• You can watch the full episode Scar online now.
• Rob emailed in a great link where Richard Hatch claims "This coming season is probably the most powerful, the most provocative … of any show I’ve ever been put on." You will also see at the end that he has edited a BSG book of essays called So Say We All: Collected Thoughts and Opinions on Battlestar Galactica.
• The season three teaser is available on Youtube. Don't watch it if you haven't seen all of season two! Not really that exciting... but still cool. They do reveal the Cylon's intentions... so small spoiler warning.

That's all folks!

BSG Season 3 begins October 6, 2006

The Futon Critic has the call:

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (Sci Fi) - The show's third season is set to kick off on Friday, October 6 at 10:00/9:00c according to advertising sales materials recently released by the network. The series will run for 10 consecutive weeks (through December 8), after which it will return for an additional 10 installments in 2007.

Looks like they are going to hold BSG in the same timeslot. I guess all those rumors of the show going to network are over? I am fine with that. I like SciFi having a flag ship.

Good stuff!

Sad day for Battlestar fans

As I am sure many of you have heard, Battlestar Galactica's cast was shut out of the big Emmy nominations.

Galactica's technical staff did pick up three though:

Outstanding Costumes For A Series
Battlestar Galactica • Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2 •
Sci Fi Channel • R&D Television in association with NBC
Universal Television Studios
Glenne Campbell, Costume Designer
Glenna Owen, Assistant Costume Designer
Cali Newcomen, Assistant Costume Designer

Outstanding Single-Camera Sound Mixing For A Series
Battlestar Galactica • Scattered • Sci Fi Channel • R&D
Television in association with NBC Universal Television
Studios
Kenneth Kobett, C.A.S., Supervising Re-Recording Mixer
Michael Olman, C.A.S., Supervising Re-Recording Mixer
Rick Bal, Production Mixer

Outstanding Special Visual Effects For A Series
Battlestar Galactica • Resurrection Ship (Part 2) • Sci Fi
Channel • R&D Television in association with NBC
Universal Television Studios
Gary Hutzel, Visual Effects Supervisor
Michael Gibson, Senior Visual Effects Coordinator
Doug Drexler, Digital Supervisor
Steve Kullback, Visual Effects Coordinator
Mark Shimer, Lead Visual Effects Animator
Chris Zapara, CGI Supervisor
Lane Jolly, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
Kyle Toucher, Visual Effects Animator
Daniel Osaki, Lead CGI Model Maker

Congrats! To all involved on the nominations!

Although, as I scanned through the list of primary category nominations, it wasn't hard to see that the "new rules" didn't add much to the field of contenders. Maureen Ryan has the commentary:

The annual Emmy nominations are designed to break the hearts of serious television fans, and this year the awardsfest has done its duty again. The disappointments have a little more sting this year, since many observers thought things were going to be different this time around.

For the 2006 voting process, the Emmy bigwigs instituted new rules designed to allow critically acclaimed underdogs and a less predictable roster of actors and programs into the nomination process. Well, so much for that.

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Hopefully season three will simply kick so much booty that you can't escape all of the hype and press! Sure, one could say that about season one and season two but you never know!

Why does mass America fear science fiction and like medical/crime drama so much? Don't get me wrong... I watch Grey's Anatomy with my wife and we both think it is a great show... but the best on TV?! The drama series is a tough crowd... House is pretty good (from the 1/2 ep I saw) and Sopranos is ok (from the 1 ep I saw)... and 24 had it's moments this season... and my wife says that West Wing ended pretty good... but are any of these shows really (still) pushing the envelope and creating award winning television drama more so than BSG? Galactica is off in the corner reinventing TV at practically every turn with things like online distribution, blogging, podcasts, spin offs, web content... even to the point where people are talking about rebooting other franchises "just like BSG did".

Sure, I run the Unofficial Battlestar Galactica Blog, so of course I am a bit of a fan boy... but there is a reason I am running a blog about this show and not others that I truly love. Battlestar Galactica is something quite different... something you don't see that often... it is a real success that seems to smash the expectations of everyone I tell to watch it. You would think at some point that might be recognized.

BSG thoughts and bits

Here are a few things happening in BSG land:

• Grant Gould has another print up for auction at eBay. Starbuck and a gun. What more can you ask for?
• In other Grant Gould news, he will be attending San Diego Comic-Con, Wizard World Chicago, Dragon-Con, and MN FallCon this year, so if any of you are going to those shows and would like some original art, drop him an email (grantgould@hotmail.com) and order it ahead of time.  That way you can just pick it up when you get there and won't have to worry about waiting in too long of a line. Support the artists!
• I am particularly bummed that Wizard World Chicago is happening while I am on a trip to Alaska... finally a cool convention shows up and I am out of town! What are the chances?!
• Joss Whedon (Firefly, Buffy, etc) gushes about Battlestar Galactica in his own blog comments. It is pretty amazing for him to say that a show like BSG makes him want to go to writing school.
• I didn't watch this the first time around, but I enjoyed watching it this time... Trey Parker and Matt Stone praise BSG in their Peabody acceptance speech. "Somewhere somebody's blog just blew up."

Until the next link fest!!

The sexy Cylons of BSG in EW

The Cylons of Galactica appeared in Entertainment Weekly. The battlestar_blog LJ community has it posted:

Battlestar Babes

Is it just me or does Grace Park look like Lucy Liu in that photo? Tricia looks like she is going to an 80s prom or something!

Update 6/28/2006 7:30am CST

I should have put a spoiler warning on this. There is some spoilerage at the end of the sidebar next to the photo! Don't read it if you don't want to know!

Variety mentions BSG emmy hopes

The more I read, it seems that everyone is pulling for Battlestar Galactica to get noticed! Check out what Variety has to say:

Bonnie Hammer knows that "Battlestar Galactica""Battlestar Galactica" is alien to most Emmy voters.

The critically acclaimed skeinskein isn't one that fits in the kudofest's universe: It's set in space. On the Sci Fi Channel. With a largely unknown cast.

Three strikes? Not according to the president of USA Network and Sci Fi, who believes the show deserves an Emmy nom for drama so much that she's putting her money where her mouth is. Hammer's team is spending what insiders peg to be more than $1 million on the Emmy campaign behind "Galactica" -- hefty coincoin for a basic-cable net.

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Can any one think of shows in the past with so many industry insiders on their side? It seems that everyone that watches the show tends to dig it. I can't help but hope a few Emmy voters can be swayed! Let's all hope together! Go! Now! You aren't hoping hard enough!!

Report from the Season 2 CD release party

Patrick Crowley was lucky enough to attend the Battlestar Galactica season 2 CD release party in LA and has a great post (with photos) up at his blog. Check it out!

I was lucky to be one of the very few fans that got tickets to Sunday night’s

Official Battlestar Galactica: Season Two Soundtrack Album Release Show in Los Angeles.

I actually live in San Diego, not LA, but it’s close enough that I’d figure it’d be worth the drive up (and the more painful drive home… I didn’t get back until 2am Monday morning). And it’s Galactica, right?

So, let’s get to it. The doors were supposed to open at 7pm, so I arrived around 6:30. Initially, there were only half a dozen fans, but the line eventually grew to maybe 20 or 30 people before we started entering the club.

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Awesome write up! Thanks Patrick! I now feel like I was there! Almost...

HNR says Galactica should get an Emmy

Hey, I completely agree with Robert Falconer...and Canda's The Globe and Mail. Check out the article:

It seems we're not the only ones who've been waxing loquaciously about Battlestar Galactica. Just about every major media outlet - including those generally considered among the most prestigious - have been singing the praises of this ground-breaking space drama (or perhaps we should say a drama that just happens to be set in space) for the past year. From Time magazine declaring it 2005's best TV series to making the American Film Institute's top-10 list, the series continues to find support.

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We can hope right?

Yummy BSG news treats

It is the off-season... so here are a few links to keep you nibbling.

• Check out some wallpapers by JefferySG. They are pretty sweet. What I haven't seen are any good dual-monitor BSG wallpapers. If you have, put a link in the comments.
• The rumor on the street is that there isn't going to be a complete DVD set released for season 2... at least not this year... 2.5 is all we are going to get. Anyone else heard differently?
• Head over to the Hasbro site and check out the three new titanium BSG toys coming to a store near you. They are Colonial I, the Raptor, and the Viper MK VII. It is a flash site so you will have to click around. I can't link you straight in. Oh and watch your volume. The site has some pretty loud music.
• I came across a pretty cool BSG sketch in progress. Check it.

That is all I got for now.

Busy days, but still time for BSG

So this post is half BSG related and half personal.

I am working on another project at the moment that has just exploded and it is eating up all my time. My buddy Steve and I started a website called 360voice.com. If you have an Xbox 360 and an online gamer account, you can sign up and the site automatically generates a blog about what games you play every day. It has become extremely popular forcing us to transition to dedicated web hosting and spend the entire week scrambling to keep the site from crashing under the amazing traffic load. You can follow along in the dev blog if you are really interested.

So, if any of you have noticed that traffic is a bit sparse, that is the reason. Hopefully things will slow down soon and I can settle back in to my BSG geekdom. But really quickly, I just wanted to go through my link list and email news... then it is back to writing some code!

1. According to the Malnurtured Snay, TVShowsonDVD is reporting that BSG season 2.5 will be released on DVD Sept. 19th and will include the extended cut of Pegasus. This is only the second half of season two... no word on when the complete season will be released... if ever. You can read more and see the artwork.
2. Speaking of Season 2.5, BSG News, the deleted scenes for it are up on SciFi Pulse.
3. Specialist Cally hit up a tiki bar and there are pictures to prove it!
4. The BSG collectable card game was released and according to Jon who emailed in, it is a lot of fun!
5. A web cast of the BSG event at the Museum of Television & Radio is now available. Go watch it, but beware of spoilers!

So that is all for now!

Firefly writer pens a BSG script

A few readers emailed in with this news. Jane Espenson will be writing an episode of Battlestar Galactica for season three. From Jane's website:

Jane is writing an episode of Battlestar Galactica and she couldn't be more thrilled!  Air dates will be announced when we know them.

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I have to say that I was a huge fan of Firefly, not while the show was airing, but quite a long time afterward on DVD. Jane wrote the episode Shindig which was definitely one of my favorites. It will be interesting to see how her sense of humor and wit translates to the much darker characters of Battlestar Galactica.

I wouldn't mind seeing a tad more humor in Battlestar Galactica. I feel the storytelling should be allowed to take itself completely seriously, but it is nice to have characters that can look all the setbacks and challenges in the face and make fun of their situation. Baltar has this element to him... Kara does as well... but often in a very hopeless sort of manner... not the camaraderie that was pervasive on Firefly. Who knows if such a dynamic is possible on BSG. I guess with Jane we might find out.

I would never want BSG to become Firefly... but I wouldn't mind seeing them experiment a little bit with the dynamics of humor during the utter hopelessness of the Cylon occupation.

More details on "Caprica"

Slice of Sci-fi pulled out a nice non-spoiler section of Ron Moore's interview in SFX Magazine.

The newest issue of SFX Magazine has an interview with Battlestar Galactica producer Ronald D. Moore in which he talks about his new series spinoff called “Caprica.”

In the exclusive interview Moore says, “It’s a different kind of show. More of a drama. It’s corporate intrigue and interfamily politics…there are rival companies that are trying to develop the same technology. The government plays a role in trying to sort of get certain military aspects of the technology in place. It’s all coloured by the fact that we know none of this is going to come to a good end. This is a doomsday scenario that we know is leading to something really, really bad, that you’re watching unfold before your eyes…

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It sounds like they are really trying to position the show as an entirely different feel from the current BSG. I haven't made up my mind if that is a good or bad thing. One one side, if they make Capirca too similar, we will continually compare the two... if you make it too dissimilar, the positive association that we have won't carry over. It sounds like an interesting challenge... a very ambitious one for a show only in it's third season.

The world is running on Internet time these days though... things just move faster.. audiences expect more. Maybe we are witnessing the newest trend in entertainment: complete and total market saturation. Perhaps there will be a time when shows do not even take a season hiatus... they just go from one episode to the next, week after week alternating the cast between different parallel story-lines.

Sci Fi could have done that with Stargate SG1. They could have shown the normal Stargate for a few months, then while that crew was on break show Stargate Atlantis. Something like that might just work these days! We would never have to go a week without our favorite shows!

BSG chosen at Spaceys 2006

Just like last year, Battlestar Galactica walked away with the viewer's choice for a TV series. Check out the highlights which include some BSG cast members!

This award show keeps getting better. This year we got let Richard Dean Anderson take the camera and surprise us with a wacky montage. Bryan Singer presented a SPACEY (even though it is weird, considering he knows Kevin Spacey). Katee Sackoff and Grace Park present from the set of Battlestar Galactica, and Kim Poirier gets in a bar brawl.

Watch the highlights

Thanks to Claire for writing in!

Soundtrack.net exclusive look at season two score

Mike Brennan of Soundtrack.net scored an exclusive listen to the Battlestar Galactica: Season Two soundtrack. Head over to the site to read the listening notes and hear some samples!

1. Colonial Anthem ("Theme from Battlestar Galactica" from 'Final Cut') (4:03)
This track opens the album with a very different sound than we are used to for the series because it contains music from the original "Battlestar Galactica" by Stu Phillips and Glen A. Larson, arranged by Bear McCreary. This cue sounds a bit more "Star Treky" than the sound Gibbs and McCreary have developed for the new series, but it is a nice glance back to the show's origins. Some nice brass and percussion is featured in this upbeat cue and it is a great opener for the album.

2. Baltar's Dream (from 'Valley of Darkness') (2:46)
An electric violin starts off this cue with an eerie tone before some metallic percussion takes over. Baltar is one of the show's most unpredictable characters and I find that this odd sound fits his character's downward spiral perfectly.

3. Escape from the Farm (from 'The Farm') (3:12)
More heavy percussion and eerie sounds continue in this cue. We also get a hint of one of the main motifs for the show, the pulsating violin chords. After a brief hint at it, the low strings and percussion push it away, joined this time by Middle Eastern woodwinds for this action cue.

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Man that is going to be a fun CD. Just what we all need in the down time between season to get excited about the show again! There is some really different stuff in here... stuff I don't remember hearing!

I really like the preview tracks for Escape from the Farm, Something Dark is Coming, Scar, Roslin and Adama, and Worthy of Survival. I am sure my favorites will change once I can hear the whole track, but base don the thirty second snips, that is mine. What are yours?

Battlestar Galactica: Resistance

It looks like the title of the web-only series is going to be called "Resistance". Brett J. emailed the information in with a link over to IGN:

The most exciting news on this front involved Battlestar Galactica, which airs on the NBC Universal owned Sci Fi Channel. Debuting later this year will be a Web series spin-off for the acclaimed series called Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance. Lasting ten episodes, The Resistance will fill in the gap between season two and the upcoming season three.

If it is filling the gap between season two and three, I wonder how much time we are talking here... It is going to be one crazy year for BSG.

Source: IGN

...honestly I am still sitting here trying to figure out what the hell just happened on Lost... so my head really isn't in the game on these news items... :)

BSG Emmy consideration page

Check out the special promo page over at SciFi:

Battlestar Galactica Emmy consideration

They are promoting the show and cast for these main categories:

• Outstanding Drama Series
• Supporting Actors Jamie Bamber, James Callis and Michael Hogan
• Lead Actor, Edward James-Olmos
• Supporting Actresses, Tricia Helfer, Grace Park and Katee Sackhoff
• Lead Actress, Mary McDonnell
• Guest Actor in a series, Michelle Forbes, Lucy Lawless and Dean Stockwell

They are also promoting it for a host of other secondary categories. Hit the site to see them all.

Good luck BSG!

Source: Tahmoh Penikett Blog

BSG Webisodes on the way

Gateword is reporting some interesting news... exclusive web-only episodes of Galactica:

Battlestar Galactica jumps to the digital world with a series of original webisodes, now in production. SCI FI will debut the series as part of its new "SCI FI Pulse" online broadband network.

GateWorld has learned that an early webisode will be titled "Crossroads." It is not yet known whether this is the first episode, nor how many installments will be produced.

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Well this is getting interesting. First a spin-off, then mini-episodes? If you haven't checked out Scifi Pulse yet, head over to SciFi.com and give it a try.

I think this is a great move. Little things like this will help flesh out the show... it is very equivalent to the Clone Wars cartoons for Star Wars... or the Animatrix shorts for the Matrix... maybe BSG will even go animated with a few of them? That could be fun.

It seems like this third season is going be pretty crazy... not only do we have an extremely compelling story shaping up, but all sorts of cross-platform-muli-media goodness to keep us inundated with more BSG than we will know what to do with. All that needs to happen now is for them to announce a new video game and my life will be complete!

BSG wins three Saturn awards

Our little show picked up three Saturn Awards:

Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series

Best Supporting Actor on Television
JAMES CALLIS

Best Supporting Actress on Television
KATEE SACKHOFF

See the full list

Congrats to the show! I am glad James Callis got some recognition for his efforts.

Galactica cast clueless about spin-off

The Caprica Report, a new blog about the upcoming BSG spin-off has an interesting report. The last paragraph has some stuff about Season three that might be considered spoilery in a few subtle way:

It appears that the high level of secrecy surrounding the new Caprica series even involved the cast of Battlestar Galactica. In a preview to a MediaBLvd Magazine interview with Grace Park, the actor admits that she did not know of the spinoff until the press release.

"Grace Park says that the cast of Battlestar Galactica didn't know that the spinoff prequel Caprica was in the works until Wednesday, the same day the rest of the world first heard about it. She received a call from her manager, who read about it in Variety. Trish Helfer also sent an email out to the cast, which was the first that most of the rest heard about the show being developed.

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That seems a bit strange... I just can't imagine that as a cast member you wouldn't hear ANYTHING about it! I wonder what the reason was for that?

BSG action figures now possible?

Will emailed in this awesome rumor/scoop about licensing for the BSG regular-sized action figures. Check it out:

Chris Huisman, JoyRide Studio's senior graphic designer and Project manager, stated earlier today that JoyRide has not renewed their license to produce regular-sized action figures based on the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series.

From: "Chris" <removed>
To: "Will" <removed>
Subject: Re: Battlestar Galactica: SciFi Channel version action figures?

Date: Mon, 1 May 2006 14:46:49 -0500

Hi Will,
JoyRide Studios no longer has a contract with Universal regarding any BattleStar Galactica figures.

Thanks!
-Chris

Of interest to fans of the new SciFi Channel version of Battlestar Galactica is the possibility that Joyride may also have been the mystery company known to have been ineffectively holding the license to produce regular-sized action figures from the new series.

If so, it could mean that both licenses (for old and new) may again be available for bids from other action figure companies.

(Please note the the license to produce regular-sized action figures is a different license than the license to produce 12" dolls; the 12" doll license is of course held by Majestic Studios).

If you are a fan of action figures, this might mean good news could be around the corner! If a new line of action figures is announced for the new series, who would you like to see in the first run?

Thanks for the great information Will!

Caprica online only?

I was reading the announcement about Capirca a little closer, and it made me think... might Caprica first appear on the new Pulse network that SciFi is working?

Sci Fi Channel is getting into the broadband business, launching new channel Pulse online on May 8.

Pulse was one of just many new developments Sci Fi unveiled Wednesday during its "upfront" presentation to advertisers and the media, including a potential prequel spinoff to "Battlestar Galactica" from the hit series' executive producers.

Pulse will premiere next month with a mix of recycled original series and movies, as well as behind-the-scenes footage and other video extras. Exclusive original content including "webisode" spinoffs of primetime series and a weekly news show will be added in the summer. Sci Fi will go as far as testing potential series pilots online for viewer feedback.

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That would be a good way to make a splash on your new online network! Put up a spinoff series of an already hit show! So what is the community thoughts on this? Is there a chance that Caprica will debut online?

Interview with Dirk Benedict

Dirk is now famous amongst new BSG fans for his somewhat scathing post Starbuck lost in Castration. It was interesting to see him comment on the backlash in the interview at Jonja.net.

Jonja.net: I read Starbuck lost in Castration

Dirk: You did? That got me in huge, huge, huge problems. Did you see all the women’s reactions? Oh my god, they were mad. They called me a bitter angry old actor who can’t get a job and he is mad cause he is not on the new show. The article explained I hadn’t even seen the new show, so how could I saw it was bad, I never did say it was bad, a terrible show or awful, I never did say it. I just pointed out how different they are and why they are different. How they both reflect the times they were made in, a sign of the times. The destruction of the family is reflected in the new Battlestar Galactica, the dysfunction and the lack of spirituality and the dysfunctional man, the weak man, the drunk man. Nobody commented on that, it was just I was a bitter, angry; they assume everyone’s dream is to be an actor, to be famous. I don’t know, it’s so shallow and Katee Sackoff got it all wrong, she doesn’t have a clue, she is either brain dead or she must have never read the article. If she read that article and all she could say is “My feelings are hurt, He is just bitter man” Its like a child and I think oh my god this is what it has come to.

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He seems like a genuinely thoughtful man, but he still seems to take himself a bit too seriously. Honestly it is just a TV show. Using it as an example of the downfall of our conservative civilization is a bit of a stretch. There are far better contexts under which to debate changing cultural values...

Source: Big Dumb Object

Update 6/12/2006 2:26pm CST

Due to flame war the comments are now closed. It is all fun and games until people start swearing at each other.

Prepare for the BSG prequel!

Whoa big news. You look away from your news aggregator for a second and the entire fanscape changes in the blink of an eye! A spin-off series?!?! See for yourself:

"Caprica" will be set more than 50 years prior to the events of "Battlestar Galactica" and focus on the lives of two families -- the Adamas (ancestors of future Galactica commander William) and the Graystones. Humankind's Twelve Colonies are at peace and on the verge of a technological breakthrough: the first Cylon.

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Yes... you read that right... Is BSG pulling a Stargate?! Sure seems like it!

I am really trying to figure out if this is good or bad. Sure more sci-fi is a good thing, but three seasons in? It seems a tad ambitious... Sure I will watch the hell out of both shows, but still... I can't help but think it is a bit premature. I don't think I have ever heard of a show that split its time lines being on the air at the same time. Stargate is parallel. Star Trek was parallel. This is going to be crazy!

So what do you all think? Crazy news today!

Ron Moore blog update

Ron Moore throws down another entry in his producer blog. HIs best stuff in this entry isn't about BSG, but about his life decisions surrounding the military:

It's interesting that I've almost never mentioned the fact that I was a Marine Midshipman -- I almost invariably talk about being on track to join the Navy. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's a bit of wishing my way onto the path I thought I would've been happier on, or maybe it has to do with lingering embarassment over my washing out of the whole program, or who knows what.

The closest I've come to making peace with this part of my past came about three years after I'd washed out. I went back to Cornell to see friends at my fraternity (K.A.) and hang out a bit, and I found a old box with some of my junk still in it. Most of it was literally trash, but when I found my old shoulder boards, I felt like I'd done something wrong by leaving them there to tarnish in a box. Men had fought and died with that Eagle, Globe, and Anchor on their collars and it bothered me that I'd tossed mine aside so cavalierly. So I put them in an envelope with a note and left them at the door to the NROTC unit up at Barton Hall. I remember I wrote something like, these meant something to me once, and please return them to the unit and hope they find their way onto the shoulders of someone who deserved them instead of lying in a box of trash. I felt better somehow after doing it, felt like I'd maybe shut the door on that chapter of my life, but in truth, I don't think I've ever really made peace with the experience and I probably never will. There will always be a sense of something left undone, something incomplete, and certain questions about myself left unanswered.

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That is some great blog writing. It really let's you inside Ron's head a little bit. It makes sense why so much of the show works the way it does. Through Ron's reverence for the military, we are treated to a spectacular display of realism in his writing.

Shooting schedule for season three

A "secret source" on set emailed in this shooting schedule for April 10th, 2005. Consider it spoilerish since it does describe what happens in a few scenes.

April 10, 2005 BSG shooting schedule (jpg)

I know I normally do not post spoilers, but this seemed cool. Click if you are interested!

Moore looking at a Galactica game?

Straight from Reuters to me to you:

Moore says no one has come up with the great TV/video game hybrid yet, the game that everyone in the U.S. has to play. As a result, there's the opportunity to be a pioneer in this space.

"I've thought about doing something where you start a property across mediums, with Internet participation and role-playing video games," he says. "Not every show or property will lend itself to that type of hybrid environment, but if you set it up from the get-go to design it that way, I think that's a really rich and interesting place for the business to go."

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A lot of this article is a retread of snips from his Game Developers Conference (GDC) keynote... I don't remember reading about his "hybrid" idea though. Can TV show producers be game producers? I bet he could if he had one hell of a dev studio to back up his story.

Galactica wins a Peabody award

Thanks for the emails Wicky and Stephen... It looks like Galactica picked up a Peabody award. The George Foster Peabody Awards are often cited as the most prestigious awards in electronic media. E! Online has a small story:

Meanwhile, Sci Fi Channel's Battlestar Galactica, a hit reimagining of the campy 1970s series about a ragtag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest to start life anew on Earth, also brought home its first Peabody--something the original never did.

"It treats contemporary issues from an angle that really make you think about those issues…issues of race, gender, all those things are dealt with in that context," said Newcomb. "In a way it's almost a counterpart to South Park which just throws everything up there, while Battlestar considers them in a dramatic narrative."

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More praise for a deserving show! It is pretty hilarious that they compare it to South Park.

Season 2 soundtrack coming in June

As reported by BSG News, according to the La La Land Records home page, season 2 lands this summer:

JUNE
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: SEASON 2
The best musical moments from the second season of the acclaimed Sci Fi Channel series, composed by Bear McCreary

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Right around the corner!

Ron Moore interview about gaming

The Tahmoh Penikett blog linked me to this one. An interview with Ron Moore about BSG and video gaming:

Moore would love to see Battlestar Galactica explored in another video game. He said he'd like to see some type of game where you were set in the Galactica world and had to navigate these crises.

"You took the role of Adama or Starbuck or Tigh and were able to make decisions and guide the character through either the adventures you'd seen on the show or adventures that took place before the show began or adventures that never happened," explained Moore. "To me, I would enjoy trying to do these things. If I'm Kara I can drink and sleep with people and slap my superiors in the face and then every once in a while jump in the cockpit of a Viper and shoot down cylons."

Moore said he wants the game to incorporate a complex world, rather than just having a first-person shooter game that focused on shooting cylons. He said the ideas that intrigue him involve the real world of Galactica. Some issues that gamers could deal with include where the water for this week is coming from, dealing with low food rations, and a contending with a plague outbreak on another ship.

"Games have the ability to expand the universe that the show does not," said Moore. "We're limited by budget. There's a reason we don't see many civilian ships in the fleet and it's strictly money. It's not because there aren't plenty of stories to tell. In a game you could explore this find all these different cultures and how the colonies are different from each other and have episodic stories that could take place on these other ships in the fleet."

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Ambitious sounding! I wonder what Moore thinks of the Freespace mod currently in development. Maybe we need a Battlestar Galactica MMO? One can dream...

BSG coming to Comcast VOD

If you have Comcast cable, good news for you! Gateworld is reporting that IMDB says that Battlestar Galactica is being added to the Comcast Video On-Demand service along with a few other NBC shows. You won't even need a Comcast DVR! You can watch it any time you like!

Comcast announced Thursday that it will be adding several popular NBC shows to its on-demand service, including the Law & Order spinoffs SVU and Criminal Intent, the comedy The Office and the drama Las Vegas.

Subscribers who access any of the shows after midnight on the day they are broadcast will be charged 99 cents to see them. Shows from NBC's cable siblings USA Network, Sci-Fi Channel and Bravo, including Monk, Battlestar Galactica, and Celebrity Poker Showdown will be available without charge, as will NBC's two night-time shows, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno and Late Night With Conan O'Brien.

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This is convenient for me because I just switched to Comcast! One can only hope that it will be the HD version! I would pay $0.99 if it was in HD. Otherwise I can just watch my standard-definition version recorded on my DVR.

Ron Moore recounts GDC experience

Ron Moore has posted a few blog updates. Once of them is a recap of his experience at the Game Developers Convention.

I grew up in the Classic Atari era, when a row of quarters on the Asteroids machine carried a great deal of credibility down at the bowling alley where I and the few video denizens of Chowchilla plied our trade. I had the first home consoles as well, but after college I pretty much dropped out of gaming, with periodic forays into the burgeoning computer game market over the years. My last effort involved buying an XBox a couple of years ago with the determination to get back into the game (pun intended) at last. A week spent in frustration over my inability to master the multi-buttoned controller finally put to rest my dreams of mastering Max Payne and Madden NFL, and as Terry constantly reminds me, the XBox sits beneath the TV table in my office gathering dust.

That may have to change, however, after spending a few days at the GDC getting to know the people in the gaming business. I was impressed, first of all, by the sheer brainpower which permeated the event and second of all with the maturity and seriousness of the business itself. To put it succinctly: these are seriously smart people, doing seriously smart things with a deadly seriousness of purpose. When I walked the convention floor, I was struck by the intensity of the attendees as they browsed through the various booths and displays. I'm told the event itself had discouraged the "babe booth" mentality long ago wherein scantily-clad women beckoned to the hormonally-challenged, and sadly, I saw no such relics from this storied past. Instead, I found a lot of intense concentration and discussion of the latest software applications and character-building tools, upwards of ninety-five percent of which went sailing over my head.

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As someone who is a hard core gamer and follows the GDC developments like a hawk, it is interesting to hear his opinion of the industry as a whole. I often get in to debates with people who simply do not understand gaming... how it is all about the creation of experiences and memories. I find it particularly interesting how people who are die-hard sports nuts playing fantasy leagues and everything can't seem to grasp how what they do is no different than video gaming... just in a different medium.

I'm not a game developer, but I would love to attend a conference like that. A friend of mine is an Xbox 360 MVP and is going to E3 this year... I am so jealous!

There is also another Q&A post on his blog too...

Be a fly on the wall in the writers room!

This is pretty cool! SciFi posted a thirty minute MP3 of a writers meeting about the episode Scar. You can get it here:

Battlestar Galactica Podcasts or direct link

Source: BSG News

When are the season 2 DVDs coming out?

I just wanted to throw a quick post up here and let everyone know the latest rumor on the season two DVD release. It has been linked and reported in many places that the DVDs will hit before season three begins. This is from a TV Guide columnist:

Question: Will the entire second season of Battlestar Galactica be released on DVD before the third season premieres in October? — Marilyn

Ausiello: Yes. I'm not sure of the exact street date, but I hear it'll be in stores by early September.

The original column (you have to scroll to near the bottom)

Until further notice, that is the current rumor...

More info surfaces on BSG comic

The CIC has all the best links lately. If you are following the comic book closely, go check out this article at Comic Book Resources:

Dynamite Entertainment announced today that artist Nigel Raynor will be joining writer Greg Pak (SOLD OUT Planet Hulk AND Phoenix Endsong) on the all-new Battlestar Galactica comic book series, a license of Universal Studios Consumer Products Group, as well as cover artists Steve Mc Niven (Civil War, New Avengers) and Michael Turner (Wolverine: Origin and Civil War cover artist), with more to be announced!

“After an exhaustive search for the right artist to work alongside Greg, we’re please to announce that Nigel Raynor is the newest member of Dynamite’s Galactica Crew,” explained Dynamite Entertainment Spokesperson J. Allen. “Nigel’s a relatively new name to comics, but fans will get a taste of his exceptional art, and Pak’s awesome script, in the introductory priced Battlestar Galactica #0 planned for release in May. And remember fans, this issue will be at the incredible introductory price of twenty-five cents (that’s right, just a slim quarter!) featuring a photo cover of Six and a brand new cover by Steve (Civil War, New Avengers) McNiven!”

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Olmos says third season is underway

I got this from The CIC:

he "Battlestar Galactica" troupe is heading into third-season production feeling spurred on by the fresh wave of acclaim that's been coming to the Sci Fi Channel show, reports Edward James Olmos.

"Normally, the sci-fi genre doesn't get the affirmation dramas get. But since Time magazine named ours the best show of 2005, people have found it and are starting to talk about it," he notes. He's referring to the year-end story in which the series was called "a ripping sci-fi allegory of the war on terror."

Read more, if you want, but there really isn't anything more about BSG in the article...

Maybe this year is the year... some serious award recognition... maybe if the rumors about moving to NBC is correct, it could go down that way. It seems you have to be on network to get the good stuff...

BSG picks up a Hugo nomination

Bigdumbobject pointed me to the Hugo noms... it looks like BSG gets on for dramatic presentation short form. They won it last year! Can they go two in a row?

• Battlestar Galactica: "Pegasus" (NBC Universal/British Sky Broadcasting; Directed by Michael Rymer; Written by Anne Cofell Saunders)
• Doctor Who: "The Empty Child" & "The Doctor Dances" (BBC Wales/BBC1; Directed by James Hawes; Written by Steven Moffat)
• Doctor Who: "Dalek" (BBC Wales/BBC1; Directed by Joe Ahearne; Written by Robert Shearman)
• Doctor Who: "Father's Day" (BBC Wales/BBC1; Directed by Joe Ahearne; Written by Paul Cornell)
• Jack-Jack Attack (Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation; Written & Directed by Brad Bird)
• Lucas Back in Anger (Reductio Ad Absurdum Productions; Directed by Phil Raines; Written by Phil Raines and Ian Sorensen)
• Prix Victor Hugo Awards Ceremony (Opening Speech and Framing Device; Written and performed by Paul McAuley and Kim Newman; Directed by Mike & Debby Moir)

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It is just me or is that one weird category of nominations?

And Pegasus? Honestly that was an OK episode, but I wouldn't call it the best of the season at all. Sometimes awards are just strange. I am really stoked to see Charles Stross nominated for Accelerando though. That is one of the best Scifi books I have ever read.

Ron Moore speaks at GDC

Ron Moore was invited to speak at the Game Developers Conference about adapting and improving existing franchises. Zonk posted his notes to Slashdot. Go check em out:

Ronald Moore may have done a lot for the Trek series of shows, but recently he's been making new fans with his work on the Battlestar Galactica title. He was invited to speak at GDC to relate ways in which intelligent folks can adapt an existing franchise. He focused on not only adapting and improving the original, but maintaining the core goodness of the inspiring work. Read on for notes from his talk.

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Watch the final minutes of season two

Head over to the official BSG website at Scifi.com and you can watch the final few minutes of Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II as well as a teaser for season three. This is great because I know a few friends who had their Tivos cut off with a few minutes left! Thanks Scifi!

Battlestar Galactica Official Website

The voice-over during the far-too-short teaser clears up the motivations of the Cylons...

Season 2 music samples

The site may be in another language, but the sound of music is universal. Here are a few samples of music from season 2:

Bear McCreary - Gina Escapes
Bear McCreary - Baltar's Dream
Bear McCreary - Market
Bear McCreary - Resurrection Ship
Bear McCreary - Adama and Roslin
Bear McCreary - Adama's Choice

Listen to the mp3s

From a quick listen to these, it seems that the season two soundtrack surpasses season one in many ways. Great stuff!

BattlestarMobile site launch

As reported by the CIC, SciFi Channel has launched a site (er.. page) dedicated to the Battlestar Galacitca mobile phone game:

Battlestar Galactica Mobile captures the thrill and suspense of your favorite SCI FI Channel show. Start as a rookie pilot, take over the controls of the Colonial Viper Mark VII high-performance fighter, and plunge right into the ongoing interstellar war!  Fight your way through 11 levels and a variety of missions in this action-packed shooter game, then put your skills to the test as you battle head-to-head with the deadly Cylons.

(Available from Cingular and T-Mobile. Check back for additional U.S. carriers.)

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There is a video demo and screen shots! Woo hoo!

Baltar at DragonCon 2006

James Callis (Baltar) will be making an appearance at Dragon*Con. Mark your calendars!

Dragon*Con
September 1 - 4, 2006
Atlanta, GA

Dragon*Con is America's largest, multi-media, popular arts convention—focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film.

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Battlestarblog on Subject2Discussion tonight!

I will be appearing on Subject2Discussion tonight to talk about the BSG season two finale Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II.

Tune in via streaming audio at LVRocks.com at 8pm PST (10pm CST, 11pm EST) to catch my segment. Should be fun like last time.

Update 03/16/2006 7:30am CST

Once gain, the interview was fun! You can download and listen to my segment here:

Battlestarblog.com Interview on LVRocks.com 11/29/2005 (mp3)

You can also grab the entire show here. The first half is political, but the second hour starts with me and continues the Battlestar talk with Koenigrules.

 

Is Adama coming back for season three?

I haven't listened to the podcast yet for ep 2.20... Two days in a row I left the headphones for my Treo sitting on my desk, so I was unable to partake during my commute. Supposedly this podcast is the source for rumors about Edward James Olmos not returning for season three.

If you consider casting news about already announced characters a spoiler, look away...

As many of you have emailed, this rumor seems to be addressed on Scifi's website with this news article:

Returning to its Friday night slot with a complete 20-episode order, season three of Battlestar Galactica promises even more of the drama, intrigue and action that viewers have come to expect from the series. One of television's most critically acclaimed dramas, Battlestar Galactica has captured the minds of a new generation of fans, distinguishing itself with the intensity and present-day relevance of its stories and the riveting performances of its ensemble cast.

The entire Battlestar Galactica ensemble will return, including Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer and Grace Park. As previously announced, Lucy Lawless will also join the cast for a 10-episode arc, reprising her role as D'Anna Biers, a Cylon.

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As of right now, whatever you might have heard, there is no real evidence that Olmos is bailing out on the show. Word on the street is that what was mentioned in the podcast was a joke.

Until new evidence surfaces, I am calling the rumor dead. Feel free to discuss if you think this is premature. I would love to see corroborating information if you have a link.

Paley Festival Battlestar Panel Links

Justine over at the Tahmoh Penikett blog did a great roundup of all the links containing content about the Paley Festival:

Battlestar was honored on Friday at The 23rd Annual William S. Paley Television Festival presented by The Museum Of Television & Radio. Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber, Katee Sackhoff, Grace Park, James Callis, Ron Moore and David Eick were all in attendance.

Read more to get more links and see some great photos.

It is always strange to see the cast out of their costumes.

BSG Season 3 coming in October

Gateworld is reporting the news... don't shoot the messenger:

The SCI FI Channel's top-rated original series will break the mold and jump to a fall season premiere, the network announced today.