Battlestar Galactica

Crap! Thanks Mark. I almost forgot. - Rick Schmidt

Me too. Was expecting it to be Friday like it was earlier in the season and like BSG was for its entire run. - Mark Trapp

It seems WWE does better at 8pm on Friday. Am I reading that wrong? - Rick Schmidt

From the Chicago Tribune's The Watcher: "Those who've been hoping for a new chapter of the "Battlestar Galactica" story may get their wish. An online series called "Blood & Chrome" is in the works, one that would follow the experiences of a young William "Husker" Adama in the first Cylon War. According to Mark Stern, Syfy's executive vice president of original programming and the co-head of original content for Universal Cable Productions, "Battlestar Galactica" and "Caprica" co-executive producer Michael Taylor will write the the script for the new venture." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

"Interviews from the Red Carpet at the New York Paley Center with Alessandra Torresani,Magda Apanowicz,Sasha Roiz and Esai Morales. Music is by Victor Stellar. Visit the official site for Caprica . Visit the official site for the Paley Center and Join. Special thanks to Bill Brennan, SyFy Channel and Carrie Oman from Paley Center...." - WoH: Professor MOTHRA from Bookmarklet

Happy Easter! :-) - Kol Tregaskes

From io9: "Battlestar Galactica's ensemble is one of the best to ever grace the TV screen — in any genre — but what have those been actors been doing since the finale? And have they been wasted? The most amazing thing about the BSG cast was not their talent, or it's depth — almost any one of them could, and did, carry an episode — but the fact that most of them seemed to come out of nowhere. Sure, we knew Oscar nominees Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell, and we might remember having seen James Callis in Bridget Jones's Diary, but everyone else was such a pleasant discovery — especially rookies like Tricia Helfer and Grace Park. But what's happened to the cast since the Colonial spotlight has faded? It's a little more than a year since "Daybreak, Part 2" — what has the best acting showcase of the last 10 years gotten them?" - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

From io9: "If you're wondering where the Caprica writers get their ideas for how the cylons work, the answer is that they've got a real roboticist consulting with them. Yesterday he explained why Zoe's cylon isn't as far-fetched as you might think. Northwestern University robotics engineer Malcolm McIver was a consultant on the upcoming movie Tron, and worked with writers on Battlestar Galactica as well as Caprica to make the cylons plausible - if not possible (yet)." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

I absolutely detest "our show is relevant because we researched actual near future technology" press releases. They always feel like the same BS to me. - Richard Lawler

Perhaps io9's lede isn't that great, but this wasn't a press release to talk about how relevant Caprica is because they researched near future technology, but an interview with the science consultant for the show who explains how he's contributed to the show's story and why they went with a specific explanation for the events of episode 2. - Mark Trapp

From io9: "Friday's episode of Caprica, "Gravedancing," began with secret monotheist terrorist Clarice waking up with her wife and two husbands all snuggled in bed. And this SF soap has more than just polyamory in common with HBO's Big Love. Caprica's great experiment has been to wed the naturalist melodrama of nighttime soap opera with the posthuman preoccupations of contemporary science fiction. Which is why you have odd mashup plots featuring, for example, the mafia from another planet, and a dissolute rich family whose daughter turns into a cyborg. Ratings for Caprica so far have been low, so it's possible television audiences don't want to see Big Love in space. But frankly I don't care about that - TV audiences aren't always the best judges of what's good. The real question is: Can the genres of SF and nighttime soap be merged successfully? So far, Caprica has convinced me that the answer is a resounding yes." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

From io9: "But the most intriguing thing in the latest interview with Stern, at Hollywood Reporter, might have been Stern's mention of a second BSG spin-off. Says Stern: We're looking for other ways to spin off ‘Battlestar' beyond ‘Caprica.' That world is so rich. We're sitting down with (executive producer) Ron Moore and his team. It would not necessarily be a traditional series." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

I saw an upfront presentation they did last year and it could be boiled down to "Hey, remember how we had Battlestar Galactica?" - James Ferguson

From io9: "Caprica, Syfy's dark, roiling prequel to Battlestar Galactica, is really about the American Empire and its unavoidable collapse, says actor James Marsters, who joins the show Friday. We took the opportunity to ask Marsters if he's coming back to Torchwood. There are minor spoilers for Caprica in this post, by the way." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

"After the intensity of “Gravedancing,” “There is Another Sky” provides a welcome respite, focusing in on the smaller stories, providing closure for some, and endless possibilities for others. Tamara Adama—remember her?—is still in V-World, trying to find her way out. The “other sky” of the episode title hangs over New Cap City, a game in V-World that takes place in a virtual, lawless version of Caprica City. Its players, one of whom is a cute boy her age, discover that she has a special ability. Since she is all avatar, she can’t be de-rezzed, which is advantageous in a game where once you de-rezz, you’re locked out of the game and can never come back...." - WoH: Professor MOTHRA from Bookmarklet

is that right, Joe? - WoH: Professor MOTHRA

From TV By the Numbers: "The final online auction for “Battlestar Galactica” begins today!  In the last of the historic props and costume auctions for Syfy’s powerful drama, fans and collectors will have one last chance to purchase the remaining items that helped bring the series to life.  The auction will be live at 6:00 p.m. PT at http://shop.ebay.com/propwor... and will run through March 7, 2010. Key items in the last auction include Lee Adama’s Viper model, a pair of  “stunt duty blues” for Admiral Adama, a Raptor flight suit, a pair of Karl “Helo” Agathon’s dog tags, Colonel Saul Tigh’s dog tags and Chief Galen Tyrol’s dog tags, Viper cockpit blueprints, a resin FN 5-7 pistol and an architectural schematic of New Caprica." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

I'll need to clean out the garage. http://www.youtube.com/watch... - ʎəlɹoɯ uəʞ

From TV by the Numbers: "Caprica’s episode on Friday night averaged a .5 rating with adults 18-49 and 1.411 million viewers.  That compares with 1.6 million viewers and a 0.4 adults 18-49 rating for the pilot episode.  But the pilot was two hours, and was widely available in a variety of ways (online, on-demand, DVD) well before the pilot actually aired." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

This saddens me: it's not Battlestar Galatica, but it's close enough. Hopefully it's got enough cache to let it linger in bad ratings. Like Star Trek: Enterprise. - Mark Trapp

it was a long time since the pilot was released, BSG fans will take some time to remember and watch - Mike Chelen

"Yeah, there was Zoe-A and her Cylon body, but I think this episode was about all the ways that families suck. You know why families suck? Because families are made of up people; and people fundamentally suck. Yes, even the ones you love and who love you back. Yep, your kids, too. Sorry. Relationships bring responsibility and expectations. Your parents expect you to do well in school and share their beliefs. Your partner expects you to grieve for your lost child in the same way. Your kids expect you to pick them up at the correct school. Your grandmother expects you to eat your traditional ethnic foods...." - WoH: Professor MOTHRA from Bookmarklet

I think Caprica really could be a classic - this episode set up so many new avenues and possibilities that the coming weeks should be a real wild ride. - WoH: Professor MOTHRA

From io9: "This Friday brings the first episode of Battlestar Galactica spinoff Caprica, a noir-scifi drama set on the planet Caprica 58 years before the cylons nuke it into oblivion. Based on the pilot, we think this series could become a classic. Of course there are many reasons Caprica might fail, not the least of which would be poor audience ratings. Many fans of BSG are still smarting from that series' disappointing conclusion, and are predicting that Caprica might take an abrupt nosedive into lameness. But the current facts are these: Caprica is a completely different series, and based on what we've seen so far, it is the coolest new SF show on the air. Here are five reasons why." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

From James Hibberd's the Live Feed: "Syfy's "Battlestar Galactica" spinoff "Caprica" got off to a weak start Friday night, drawing 1.6 million viewers. That's below the averages for "Battlestar" and "Stargate: Universe" on Fridays, and well below their premieres ("Universe" drew 2.4 million last fall).  Of course, most "Battlestar" fans interested in "Caprica" had probably already seen the first episode, since the pilot has been available on DVD and online. Syfy says that between Hulu, iTunes and Syfy.com, they've received about 2 million viewers pre-premiere. The second episode is always more telling than the first, and this time that goes double for "Caprica."" - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

I still want to pronounce that as "Siffy" - Rahsheen?

From Joystiq: "This Saturday, January 23, the PlayStation Store will be updated with a free pilot episode of the new Battlestar Galactica spin-off, Caprica. It's a great way to catch up, in case you miss the first broadcast tonight on SyFy at 9PM. (Of course, you could just watch it right now on SyFy.com.)" - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

That sentence hurts my brain. - Fleagle

From io9: "One thing Caprica will have in common with its parent show, Battlestar Galactica: Gnarly, uncompromising characters who'll make choices you won't like. We talked to star Paula Malcomson and producer David Eick about the bad mother who birthed the Cylons." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

That's fitting, because it's not really a lovable show either. - Fleagle

From io9: "Caprica, the Battlestar Galactica prequel launching Friday, doesn't feature an army of robots bent on wiping out the human race, because Cylons are just a few prototypes. So the biggest conflict is between groups of humans, says producer Jane Espenson. We were lucky enough to talk to Espenson and producer David Eick last summer, about the themes of Caprica. Chances are you've already seen the pilot, which came out on DVD a couple months ago, but the version being transmitted on Friday has newly added scenes. And we're finally going to see how that set-up plays out over 20 episodes of the first season." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

From Multichannel News: "How do you market a new show that 1.5 million people will have sampled before it airs on TV? That's Syfy's challenge with Caprica, the prequel series to the network's hit space drama Battlestar Galactica. The two-hour pilot airs on Friday, Jan. 22. By then, Syfy says 1.5 million people will have seen at least part of it on Hulu, Syfy.com, DVD, FOD (free on demand) and Apple and Amazon downloads, or at film-festival screenings." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

From io9: "Smartypants music magazine XLR8R has put together an eclectic mix of electronica inspired by upcoming AI noir show Caprica. It's a great selection of music to get futuristic to - and perfect for headphones at work. The mix is called "Music For Our Future," it captures the mood of giant, techno-obsessed Caprica City. You can download the MP3s for free." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

From io9: "BSG spinoff Caprica launches next Friday, but as good as its opening episodes may be (And they are), we're still worried. Why? Because it's a prequel, and if science fiction has taught us one thing, it's that prequels generally suck. The real problem with prequels is that, in almost every instance, they're never really stories in their own right. They're "How did we get to the point we started at in the story you already know about," whether it's in the form of character backstory, societal/cultural/technological history or whatever, and that immediately robs them of any real way of surprising us with their outcome without resorting to gimmicky variations on "A HA! Things weren't the way you thought they were before! Everything you know is wrong!" (which is, you know, annoying)." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

"There's a way of getting around this, mind you, and it's the route that Caprica seems to be taking: Essentially telling a new story only tangentally connected to the original story. Caprica features no Battlestars, post-apocalyptic adventures of the survivors of the human race and no robotic badguys trying to kill us all off. Yes, it's involved with the (an?) origin of the cylons in... more... - Mark Trapp

My thoughts almost exactly! - Jonathan Hardesty

That picture featuring, Kara, 6 and Boomer is not from the plan, but if it were, the ratings would soar! - RAPatton

The final 5 just weren't convincing, and watching the plan just made it even more clear how weird that whole thing worked out. - Richard Lawler

"Never mind the best books, comics, movies or TV shows of the last ten years, which new character made the biggest impact in your hearts and minds? We want to know what you think, and I have my own suggestions... In this era of franchises based on pre-existing... well, franchises, really, it should be tough for brand new characters to make any significant impression, but I feel like we've been spoiled for choice in some ways; beyond the five mentioned below, I could've also gone for Y The Last Man's Yorick Brown, Scott Pilgrim's Kim Pine (Because, really, it's all about Kim. Admit it), Fringe's Walter Bishop or Dollhouse's Adelle DeWitt, to name just a few more. I'm not talking about the most important characters of the last ten years, or even the most popular, please understand; this is purely a (selfish and subjective) question of quality, for once. These, however, are my top 5:" Benjamin Linus, Thaddeus S. "Rusty" Venture, Gaius Baltar, Donna Noble and Kate Kane/Batwoman - RAPatton

*GASP!* - Adrian

"Long-awaited Battlestar Galactica prequel Caprica starts on January 22, and we've seen the first few episodes. Here's our spoiler-free assessment of this challenging show that's going to take you in unexpected directions. After watching the two-hour pilot (currently available on DVD) and first two episodes of Caprica, I was left feeling like I wanted this to be a brand-new series completely released from the Battlestar Galactica universe. The show's speculative worldbuilding is pyrotechic in its awesomeness, but diehard fans of BSG are going to find themselves nitpicking about how this vision of Bill Adama's history doesn't seem to fit with the person he became (or even things he's told us about his past in the original series). My advice is to muzzle the voice in your head that's going to say, "Hey! Adama couldn't have come from that!" and just enjoy this as a mind-bending look at another world." - RAPatton from Bookmarklet

"So far I've mostly talked about the worldbuilding in Caprica, which as I said earlier is its strongest suit. But what about the story itself? Former showrunner Jane Espenson has helped create a world that feels truly original, but as a result the main characters are burdened with carrying us through a lot of complicated politics. It's hard to teach us about a mostly alien culture while... more... - RAPatton

"Actually I think we're in for a hell of a ride no matter what, and you're going to see the kind of science fiction story that's rarely been told on television. Blending 40s-style noir with the birth of artificial intelligence? It's like a retro singularity story, and damn that's shiny. There are some absolutely stunning scenes in episode 2, "The Reins of a Waterfall," where the feeling... more... - RAPatton

"His son Lee Apollo's rash, and he sometimes sports a 'stache..." - Mark Trapp

"When it comes to keeping secrets, Katee Sackhoff has become a real pro, having safely zipped her lips when it comes to plot spoilers (“After Battlestar Galactica, I'm sooo good at it,” she says proudly). But even now that’s she’s got a super-classified role on the new season of 24, she couldn’t resist giving a teeny, tiny tease to TV Guide Magazine, and she spilled news that she’ll be penning her own comic book series. When it comes to what she’s enjoyed about her role as Dana Walsh, a CTU agent who may be hiding her own big secret, she says “This is kind of a spoiler but I like when things get physical – and not in a sexual way.” That’s about all she’s willing to give up – including whether or not the producers asked her to maintain a certain level of physical fitness for the role. “That's just a prerequisite of my own!” she laughed. “I feel like if I didn't work out, my ass would be the size of Texas.” She’s playing her character’s cards close to vest. “Everyone keeps asking me and I'm like, 'Of course I can't say anything!'”" - RAPatton from iPhone

"When it comes to keeping secrets, Katee Sackhoff has become a real pro, having safely zipped her lips when it comes to plot spoilers (“After Battlestar Galactica, I'm sooo good at it,” she says proudly). But even now that’s she’s got a super-classified role on the new season of 24, she couldn’t resist giving a teeny, tiny tease to TV Guide Magazine, and she spilled news that she’ll be... more... - RAPatton from iPhone

From io9: "If you want to see the (extended version of the) Caprica pilot before next month's premiere, Syfy have an early gift for you; they've put the whole thing online." - Mark Trapp from Bookmarklet

I was just about to watch that, but then I was afraid I was watching something that had already died. LOL. - Rahsheen?