Battlestar Galactica

From io9: "What's the secret connection between Quentin Tarantino and Felix Gaeta? What relationship between Bear McCreary (in person) and Starbuck did we almost see? We've got the exclusive answers, from Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion Season Four." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

From Gizmodo: "Giz reader Gary Katz has definitely fixed his iMac-o'-lantern error with this wonderful and even dorkierer iMac Cylon Mask. It uses an old lamp iMac base and Larson Scan Kit, like the one used in the Cylon Pumpkin." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

The tinfoil hat for the elitist Apple fanboy. - Maxamad (Amazigh)

From io9: "If you buy enough copies of Battlestar Galactica: "The Plan," coming out tomorrow, Edward James Olmos is determined to make more BSG direct-to-DVD epics. We asked Olmos what those films would be about, and he explained what happened to Starbuck. Oh, and this one-on-one interview with Olmos contains some spoilers for "The Plan," because we talked specifics with him. So go buy the DVD, watch it and come back to read this, if you're concerned about spoilers." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

The story is over. Let it go. Let it go. Remember the Star Wars Prequels? That's what happens when you will not let something die in peace. I loved the series. And I mean L-O-V-E-D it. But c'mon already. - Fleagle

There's a bit of a difference between trying to extend the story beyond its conclusion and what the BSG movies have been attempting to do, which is to fill in the massive, chasm-wide plot holes. Both Razor and The Plan have served to fill in missing gaps in the continuity that, I think, enrich the story rather than detract from it. With the Plan specifically, the Cylon side of the story is much less disjointed. - Mark Trapp

"We were never actually told the details of the Cylons' ultimate plan to annihilate humanity when the series began. The made a dramatic reappearance after vanishing for forty years and with the destruction of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol, nearly wiped out the human race. Now with this new film all is revealed. The story opens 281 days after the destruction of the colonies during the season one episode 'Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II' where Brother John Cavil (Dean Stockwell) has just been exposed as a Cylon by another model of himself. This is the story of two Cavil's: Fleet Cavil, who has infiltrated the surviving fleet as a minister, hoping to break it from the inside and Caprica Cavil, who gets involved with a group of resistance fighters led by Sam Anders (Michael Trucco) and begins to question whether the Cylon attack was justified. Flashing back two days before the attack we finally get to see the destruction in full detail (thanks in part to an increased visual effects budget)." - RAPatton

"Not only is there more than one Cavil, but as always multiple version of Number Six (Tricia Helfer) including a raven haired one who is a bit of a floozy and ends up sharing his bed. It was Cavil who enlisted Number Six “Shelly Godfrey” to accuse Dr. Gaius Baltar of (James Callis) being a traitor in the episode “Six Degrees of Separation” in order to discredit him and put a stop to his... more... - RAPatton

"If you are a fan of this series, both the blu-ray and dvd are highly recommended. This film will no doubt be edited down for length (and a surprising amount of sex and nudity) when it is broadcast next year so if you decide to wait, you may find yourself missing out." - RAPatton

"The Edward James Olmos directed film, Battlestar Galactica: The Plan, is gearing up for a release and we've got all the details. The 112-minute feature has all new Cylon-on-human action, plus never-before-seen BSG behind the scenes features. The new press release describes "The Plan" as a 90-minute feature, but we're guessing that's just the length of the shorter televised version. Amazon is listing the DVD release as 112 minutes long, meaning we'll hopefully get to see a lot more tangled Cylon sex and politics. (And given how racy the Caprica DVD was, this could be pretty strong stuff.)" - RAPatton

From Evil Mad Scientist: "Today we're releasing a new open-source project and kit, which is an updated approach to the "Larson Scanner." The Larson scanner is named in honor of Glen A. Larson, the man responsible for producing both the original Battlestar Galactica and Knight Rider television shows, and consists of a set of red LEDs that scan back and forth." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

If only the pumpkin could talk like Kitt too... - adf

From io9: "Here's your exclusive first look at six draft posters for Caprica, Syfy's Battlestar Galactica prequel series. Syfy has been testing out these posters, to see if people are more excited about the show's soap-opera elements or its weird-science ones. A tipster (who fit into a key demographic that Syfy is looking for) took part in a survey in which he/she was asked about Syfy's programming — and because he/she expressed a lack of interest in paranormal reality shows, the questioning shifted onto Caprica, Syfy's big show premiering in 2010. The survey showed our source these six posters, and tried to suss out which of the posters resonated the most positively." - Mark Trapp

this reminds me that i really miss Karim... - edythe

I love Eric Stoltz so I may need to check this out. - Spidra Webster

Via TVByTheNumbers: "Syfy is launching the first phase of its innovative national marketing campaign behind the highly anticipated January 22, 2010, premiere of Caprica with screenings at the prestigious San Diego, Woodstock and Austin Film Festivals." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

Caprica Film Festival Screenings: • San Diego Film Festival on Saturday, September 26. • At Woodstock Film Festival, celebrating its 10th anniversary, Friday, October 2, and Sunday, October 4. • Caprica Producer/Director Jeffrey Reiner and star Esai Morales will attend the Austin Film Festival Saturday, October 24 screening as well as participate on panels. - Mark Trapp

"We were excited to talk to Penikett, who's one of the most compelling actors on television, at Comic Con. In case you can't hear the audio on that clip, he told us not to be too sure that former FBI agent Paul Ballard is really working for the mysterious Dollhouse that he was fighting to destroy for so long. In fact, Penikett hints that Ballard still has his own agenda. As for the peppery relationship between Paul Ballard and Boyd Langton, which included a fistfight as well as a team-up in last season's "Omega," Penikett tells us to expect a lot more conflict between those two." - RAPatton from Bookmarklet

"We had a question we'd been dying to ask about the end of Battlestar Galactica — before the final episode aired, Penikett told some interviewers that he'd convinced the show's producers to change Helo's fate. In the original script for the finale, Helo had an ending which seemed too obvious, according to Penikett — until talked the producers into changing it. So we were dying to know — what was Helo's original fate? And according to Penikett, Helo was supposed to die in the final battle." - RAPatton

From the Chicago Tribune: "Since it went off the air in March, "Battlestar Galactica" fans have been waiting for the debut of the "BSG" film "The Plan." But unless they plan to purchase the film on DVD, they're going to have to wait a bit longer. Syfy had said in the past that the two-hour film, which was written by Jane Espenson and directed by Edward James Olmos, would air on the network this fall. As recently as June, Syfy president Dave Howe said that it would likely air in November. However the network has confirmed that "The Plan" will not air on Syfy in 2009. The film, which revisits events from early in the run of "Battlestar Galactica" from the Cylon perspective, is still on track for an Oct. 27 DVD release. And presumably "The Plan" will arrive on Syfy some time next year." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

Lame. But I'll buy the DVD anyway! - Mark Trapp

I'll get the DVD - Ned Garcia-Mathews

From io9: "Is the Battlestar Galactica spin-off Caprica in trouble? One site reported over the weekend that the show is shutting down production due to concerns about the scripts — similar to what happened to the V reboot. CinemaSpy asked whether Caprica was on the brink of cancellation, citing a "100 percent accurate" source: A trusted industry insider informed CinemaSpy on Saturday that production faces suspension on Caprica due to serious script problems/shortfalls, and that the future of the series may well be in jeopardy. From what we've been told, the producers haven't been altogether happy with the caliber of the stories." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

I hope not - Ned Garcia-Mathews from iPod

From CinemaSpy: "This month we are tackling something that has been a hot topic of debate once again: Battlestar Galactica. Recently it was announced that producer and Galactica creator Glen Larson was teaming with A-list director Bryan Singer to bring Battlestar Galactica to the big screen. The new feature, though, will be based on the premise of the original '70s TV series, as opposed to Ron Moore's critically-acclaimed re-imagined series that recently completed its run on Syfy Channel. The paintings further down this page are an interpretation of how a Larson/Singer Galactica could look." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

Thanks for posting. Love BSG!!! - Ned Garcia-Mathews

From /Film: "The AV Club has a brilliant and rather long interview with Patton Oswalt this week, to celebrate the comic’s new CD/DVD My Weakness is Strong. (Which is worth celebrating; it’s a great set.) The interview is worth your time if you have any interest in Oswalt and the art of stand-up comedy in general, but it also has a good tidbit of info that expands what we know about his role on the Battlestar Galactica spin-off Caprica." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

From Michael Ausiello: "Caprica exec producer Jane Espenson is using her powers as a charter member of the Whedonverse for good. Sources confirm to me exclusively that Buffy all-star James Marsters is joining the Battlestar Galactica prequel for a sizable arc. Marsters will play a dangerous terrorist leader by the name of Barnabus Greeley in a minimum of three episodes. Driven by desires both moralistic and carnal, Barnabus is as lethal as he is unpredictable. And no ones does lethal and unpredictable better than Marsters." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

From io9: "Fan-turned-comedian Patton Oswalt is living the dream: He's joining the cast of Caprica as a Jon Stewart-esque late night host who puts Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz) and his wife Amanda (Paula Malcomson) under the lens. Oswalt is taking on the role of Baxter Sarno, a comic in the city of Caprica who also hosts his own, very popular talk show." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

From io9: "Universal have reportedly fast-tracked their big-screen reboot of Battlestar Galactica, bringing Bryan Singer on board to direct and co-produce. But is there any way in which this will end up being anything other than a well-intentioned failure? Even if you're the greatest Bryan Singer fan in the world - and I'm sure someone out there saw Valkyrie and thought, "Man, if only this guy could have handled the Galactica reboot instead of that Roswell dude" - the idea of anyone handling a new version of Battlestar Galactica less than a year (Hell, it was announced less than six months) after the much-discussed, critically-inescapable finale of the then-SciFi Channel's version seems like a horrific misstep on the part of Universal and executive producer (and Galactica creator) Glen Larson. Why? Let us count the ways:" - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

From I Watch Stuff: "You'd really think someone would have put together an updated version of the 1978 series Battlestar Galactica by now, creating both a critical and ratings success for whatever thematically-appropriate cable network might have picked it up, but seeing that obviously no one has done that, Universal has attached Bryan Singer to write and produce a completely re-imagined BSG film. Maybe something with Danny Trejo as some sort of space commander and Senator John McCain in an eye patch? Just some ideas. Completely original ideas." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

This is now apparently confirmed by Universal to be green-lit. - Mark Trapp

From /Film: "According to HitFix, Universal appear to be on the verge of engaging Bryan Singer to produce and also maybe direct a new Battlestar Galactica feature film. Quite a surprise, huh? You may recall that before the Ron Moore TV series of recent years, Singer was working on a pilot for a reboot of the show himself (some Cylon concept art from their efforts is at the head of this post). That one was halted by in the aftermath of September 11th, 2001 after the Sci-Fi network became sensitive to similarities between the planned plot and real-life tragedy. Would Singer be looking to return to a similar storyline here? I think we can be pretty certain his film won’t be in any way tied into the recent series." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

I'm glad the concept art didn't make it very far. It looks like a stormtrooper that can be disassembled with a Phillips head screwdriver. - Kevin Fox

From io9: "Hitfix seems to believe it's still all up in the air saying: Right now, my sources indicate that the big decisions haven't been made yet. Singer is the first major creative element to be approached, so once they sign him, they'll go find a writer and they'll figure out exactly which story they're telling. It seems like he'd want to get back to the ideas he originally loved about the piece, but since that was developed with another studio, I'm not sure that would work. AICN reports that the Singer screenplay (pre-RDM) was about "genocidal Cylons [that] were secretly taking their marching orders from humans." (You can read our detailed description of the screenplay, from last year's Comic Con, here.) The real question seems to be: would you be interested in a BSG without Six and her red dress? Are you prepared to accept Cylons that can only look like killer robots?" - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

I think they stopped before the show jumped the shark. I cant see how a feature film wouldn't do anything but detract from what turned out to be a near perfect run. - J. Abdul-Qahhar

From TV By The Numbers: "Perceptions sometimes get clouded by various rooting interests, and I saw a lot of  “Dollhouse Season One is on top of Amazon pre-order list!” chatter, but  didn’t see anyone chiming in about Battlestar Galactica season 4.5.   That’s not particularly surprising when you consider that everyone knows BSG’s fate, but a lot of fans of Dollhouse and lovers of all things Whedon are not sure what’s in store for Dollhouse beyond the current order of 13 episodes. Dollhouse – Season One came in second for the week among the TV show DVDs, in both sales in total units in its first week of release.  Number one Battlestar Galactica – Season 4.5, also in its first week of release, bested Dollhouse by a wide margin.   BSG sold over $5.5 million worth of DVDs on over 173,000 units, while Dollhouse sold $1.8 million on over 67,000 units. If Dollhouse’s chances for a back nine pickup or season 3 hinge on big DVD sales (and I’m not saying that they do), things don’t look  great after week one." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

From Verna & Randy's Rockets: "To scratch build the standard single engine version of the BSG Viper Estes kit #1310, go to the JimZ site at http://www.dars.org/jimz... download a complete set of instructions and parts list. You will be able to gather most of the parts needed at any good hobby shop or online vendor. There are a couple of items you will need to special order that are listed below.   The information that follows is a list of several things you will want to know before you start your build. Be aware that you will need 0.6 ozs. of additional weight for the nose cone." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

From /Film: "This morning Battlestar Galactica producers David Eick and Ronald D. Moore gathered with several cast members and writer Jane Espenson to discuss the upcoming BSG film, The Plan, and the new TV series Caprica. Edward James Olmos, who directed The Plan, was on hand, and he was also joined by Esai Morales and Grace Park. Unfortunately, we didn’t see much new footage (aside from a short teaser for The Plan). Still, it was nice to see just how much everyone involved continued to love working in the BSG universe. Since the Q&A was fairly disjointed, I’m just going to run down some of the juicier news bits:" - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

I liked it. Haters be damned, it provided a lot of closure to the series. - Aaron Brethorst

From /Film: "Following the news that former Whedonverse member Alexis Denisof will appear in Dollhouse season 2 (and that Summer Glau could likely show up as well), we’ve also learned that members of the Battlestar Galactica cast will be appearing in the new season. Jamie Bamber, who played Lee Adama in BSG, will be showing up as a character “heavily involved” in an engagement according to E! Online. And just a few minutes ago, we learned from Mo Ryan’s Twitter account that Michael Hogan will be appearing in the second episode of the season." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

"Wow! Members of the Television Critics Assn. actually put their awards where their big mouths are! Finally, the TCA Awards recognized "Battlestar Galactica" after voters beat the beans out of the Emmys for failing to give the show any major awards in the past. Can this mean a break from the TCA Awards' hypocrisy? In years past, voters whined, fumed and harrumphed about the Emmys failing to recognize "The Wire" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," then they snubbed them too. TCA members never gave those shows real prizes — just handed them that bogus "Heritage Award" after they went off the air and failed to win best drama series or program of the year. "Battlestar Galactica" didn't win a significant TCA Award in the past and now finally reaped one after sailing off the airwaves, but at least it's fared better than other great TV series cruelly snubbed by TCA and the television academy. And while TCA voters skunked vampires back in Buffy's heyday, they did just hail HBO's walking dead by... more... - RAPatton from Bookmarklet

Yay Betty White. - Jack (a.k.a. Jeber)

and list price was $349? - Josh Haley

In London I paid £ 39 for the complete series in DVD except 4.5 season, last May - mario ℒ maroi

From io9: "Battlestar Galactica's prequel series, Caprica, may be about the origins of the Cylon killer robots, but a lot of its storylines will deal with battles between the twelve colonies... which may actually heat up into full-on interstellar combat. Spoilers below." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

Caprica is so promising, I loved the pilot - mario ℒ maroi

From io9: "Most of the talk at today's Battlestar Galactica panel was on prequel series Caprica and TV movie "The Plan." But Edward James Olmos revealed that even after The Plan has ended, he's not done with Bill Adama. When asked whether he thought The Plan would be the last we've seen of BSG, Olmos was adamant that there will be another film: As a matter of fact, I've got to tell you right now. Because of you all, what you're doing, because of the love for that world...I can guarantee that this will not be the last movie." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

so say we all - mario ℒ maroi

From io9: "How thick will the stew of terrorists, gangsters and cyber-freaks get in the Battlestar Galactica prequel series Caprica? Judging from some new script pages, the pilot was just the beginning of the ethical quandaries and tangled alliances. Major spoilers below..." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

From Brad Templeton: "Battlestar Galactica attracted a lot of fans and a lot of kudos during its run, and engendered this sub blog about it. Here, in my final post on the ending, I present the case that its final hour was the worst ending in the history of science fiction on the screen. This is a condemnation of course, but also praise, because my message is not simply that the ending was poor, but that the show rose so high that it was able to fall so very far. I mean it was the most disappointing ending ever. (There are, of course, major spoilers in this essay.)" - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

@Fleagle, that's the point: some of the criticisms (most of all) seem to concern a documentary and not a fiction. Pretty nice to discuss about scientific details, but so better to talk on other plot issues: characters, quotes, acting skills, plot interpretations and so on, without pretending to re-write the story, or chasing contradictions. - mario ℒ maroi