Wednesday, June 28

Q&A with Site Actual CylonGod


Galactica Station and her forum Ragnar Anchorage have gone from strength over the last 2 years with now 2000 + members on Ragnar Anchorage our community keeps on growing. This would not be possible without our Guests , members and site visitors.There have been two people who co-run both Galactica Station and the Forum RA. You could call them the A-Team but with far better hair and sense of humors. One of Which CylonGod has taken the time out to answer a few questions on all things Galactican.

What was for you the best moment of the second season?

The arrival of the Pegasus. I loved the sight of the Beast for the first time.

Some fans have criticized the one year jump that the show took in the last episode of the Second season, was it a mistake or was it a stroke of genius?

Not sure about either but I don't mind it. It depends a lot on how the next season continues it for me to know whether it was a mistake or not. As it stands on it's own I like it.

Which BSG character do you relate to (if any)?

Not sure but it is probably a Cylon.

Which Character do you feel has had the biggest transformation from the mini series right through to LDYB PT2?

There are so many that fit this. I would have to say Roslin though. From a no nothing School teacher to hardened president in a few months to school teacher again.

What is your favorite BSG episode so far?

KLG-II

Why is it your favorite?

Lot's of action a lot with suspense and a season ending cliff hanger. It's pretty hard top all that and especially the ending of it?

The Show has pushed the boundaries for SFX, what would you say is the best SFX sequence in the show?

My personal favorite would be the Galactica and Pegasus taking it to the Basestars in Res-ship.

What would you say is BSG biggest strength as a show and what do you think has contributed to its success?

The realistic way of it's character's lives and how events affect them. It makes you care about these people to an extent and thus helps because you want to know what happens to them.

What other Cult TV shows do you think compares with Galactica in terms of dark grittiness or storyline?

Well there's not much. Lost does a little bit I guess. Not much else comes to mind but then again I don't watch a lot of shows.
What do you think of the Music of the Show?
I think it's great. Most of the cores fit the scenes well and I enjoy it. Bear does a great job with it.

Which BSG sound tracks do you like the most?

I like most of Bear's work and don't have a particular favorite. There are only one or two tracks I don't care for.

What would you like to most see happen in series 3?

Don't know if it will happen but I would like to see the arrival of other Colonial military ships but not necessary another Battlesatar.

Will the Colonials ever reach Earth?

I think so but what they find when they get there will be the bigger question.

How do you feel the Third Season should shape up?

I think it should and probably will turn out good. I have faith in RDM's ability to tell a good story.

Do you think of the Subsidiary Characters in the show getting a raw deal over the main characters?

Some of them seem to have really good potential. Not at all. For most of these folks this is a big chance for their careers and BSG is the only show that comes to my mind in where subsidiary characters get good quality screen time.

Do you feel BSG has paved the way for a new generation of sci fi shows?

I think so. It's definitely not another Trek. Don't get me wrong I am a Trek fan but this show takes a space opera to a whole other level.

What is the strongest facet of the Show in your opinion?

The Cylons!

Thanks CG , there may be more Moderator Interviews , and who knows you may find yourself in the hotseat.

Tuesday, June 27

NBC Sold over 6 million shows on iTunes

Source: Spymac

John Miller, chief marketing officer for the NBC Universal Television Group said the company has had the most luck with Sci-Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica," USA Network's "Monk," and sketches from "Saturday Night Live." Classics such as "Alfred Hitchcock Present" have not done as well.

NBC now has plans to use video sharing site YouTube to promote its fall television lineup as viewers turn off the TV and turn to the Internet through the summer.

"The distinction between television and video is becoming murkier and murkier," said Miller. "Rather than putting our heads in the sand and saying this doesn't exist, we're trying to jump in and embrace it."

Newshound: Reverend J

New rules for Emmys rock Hollywood

Source: The Chronicle Herald

LOS ANGELES — In a town where self-recognition is an art form, Hollywood is afraid that some of its stars are not receiving enough attention.

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the overseer of the annual Emmy Awards for prime-time television, has revamped its procedures in an attempt to spread the wealth of Emmy nominations — if not the actual awards — to a broader array of actors, actresses and shows.

That could result in some overlooked and new titles — like "Gilmore Girls" or "Battlestar Galactica" — making the list of nominees in the top Emmy categories for the first time when this year’s nominations are announced on July 6.

The nature of prime-time television is that successful shows run for several years with largely the same casts. That dictates that the Emmys, unlike the Oscars, Tonys and Grammys, do not field a unique group of candidates each year.

As a result, each year’s list of nominees "tends to be a same-old, same-old situation," said John Leverence, senior vice president for awards at the academy. "You might well get a 60 percent to 80 percent repetition of the prior year’s nominees."

The rule changes, however, should result in "a quantitative and a qualitative freshening of the pool," Leverence said.

The changes have Hollywood buzzing.

"It has been a big topic of conversation," said Michael Jelline, a talent agent at International Creative Management.

"The television landscape and the types of programs being done has grown exponentially" with the addition in recent years of original series on cable networks like FX, TNT and Showtime, Jelline said. "That has brought a different realm of shows into the conversation. But the system by which shows are voted on has not changed."

Until now. In past years, the whittling of the 4,500 entries to five nominees in each category was a two-step process. The members of each academy peer group — performers, directors, makeup artists and the like — voted on the eligible shows, with the top five vote-getters in each category being named as nominees. The winner was then chosen by smaller panels of peer-group members.

This year an interim step has been added. The first vote narrows the eligible shows to a list of 10 or 15 potential nominees, and a specially chosen committee then screens and rates an episode of each of those shows, with the ratings used to narrow the list to five nominees. Then a larger panel of peer-group members, numbering from a dozen to several hundred depending on the category, votes to determine the winner.

Because of the academy’s adding both a screening and a committee vote to the nomination process, performers and shows that might not have placed high enough in a popular vote get another chance to impress their peers.

Newshound: Reverend J

SDCC Battle Damaged Cylon Exclusive Update















I hope all is well with you. I just wanted to give you some updated information regarding Majestic Studios and SDCC, as well as share some actual product images of our two 1/6 Scale Battlestar Galactica Cylons.

First off, our booth number this year is # 5201. Also, the response to our announcement of the SDCC Battle Damaged Cylon Exclusive has been so overwhelming, that we have decided to increase the edition size to 500 pieces (original edition size was 400). We hope this will allow more people an opportunity to own one.

As stated previously, we will also have 300 pieces of the regular edition Cylon available for sale at our booth. This is a special pre-release run of product brought in especially for sale at SDCC. The Cylon will be available at retail outlets and online venues (including the new Majestic Studios web site with shopping cart, launching next month) in August.

Since production is now completed on both versions, I have attached several images of the actual product (not prototypes). First image is of the SDCC Exclusive.

Variety mentions BSG emmy hopes

Source: Variety

I've noticed over the past week or so that there appears to more and more people trying to get Battlstar Galactica noninated and be recognised at the Emmy's. But we generally all know that Sci-Fi doesnt even get a sniff in allbeit for FX.



Bonnie Hammer knows that "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.

She's not alone, either.

"Battlestar" is just one of several players from basic cable joining the race for TV's top series kudos. Waging equally pricey drama campaigns are TNT for "The Closer," FX for "The Shield" and four other one-hours, and USA for "Monk" and "The 4400."


Lets keep our fingers crossed for the cast and crew, that this time the influence from people in the entertainment industry has enough clout to make the nominators listen.

Read the who article at Variety

Sunday, June 25

Your most popular Cylon publication

Image Hosted by ImageShack.us

Editor in Chief: Son of Joxer

Saturday, June 24

BSG heads the list of Emmy nominations for best Drama at EW

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment weekly today released its choices for the 2006 Emmys with BSG at the top for drama.




Best Drama
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (Sci-Fi)
One hour of this wildly satisfying, boldly written political allegory — which upped the dramatic stakes with a controversial season-finale time leap — satisfies both heart and mind in ways that few shows can.

Thursday, June 22

Season 1 airing on Free to view in UK tonight

At last Battlestar Galactica's First season is to be aired on a free Channel in the UK.

According to the Radio Times Sky Three are to Air episodes "33" and "Water" on Thursday 22nd June starting at 9pm. Sky Three can be viewed if you have the free Satellite package, via cable or receive your TV through a freeview box.

1/13-33

Science fiction doesn't just predict the future: it can also hold up a mirror to the present, and there are echoes of the world around us throughout this dazzling wagon-trains-in-space opera. Sky Three has missed a trick in not preceding the series with the explanatory pilot, but you'll soon pick things up. In a nutshell, mankind in another corner of the universe is trying to escape the machines that turned against them and laid waste to their 12 home worlds. But the Cylons seem hell-bent on total extermination. It's all filmed in an edgy, reportage style - effects included - that thrusts you right into the action. Tremendous.

RT Reviewer-Mark Braxton

Wednesday, June 21

Pre-Order Your Complete Season 2 DVD

Source: Amazon UK

The Sci-fi Channel's hottest TV series returns as Battlestar Galactica 2 blasts onto DVD. As the epic second season begins, the fight to save humanity rages on - even as civil war looms within the fleet between the followers of President Roslin and Commander Adama. Battlestar Galactica's second season left no doubts about the continuing excellence of the best science fiction TV series of 2005. Beginning with the Colonial Fleet separated, Col. Tigh (Michael Hogan) botching his temporary command, and Commander Adama (Edward James Olmos) near death after a Cylon assassination attempt, Relive all the intensity and excitement aboard the Galactica. It's a heart-pounding adventure you can't afford to miss!

You can now preorder the DVD containing all 20 episodes of season 2 from Amazon UK

availability: Due for release on 14/08/2006
price: £34.99

Region 2 - Will only play on European Region 2 or multi-region DVD players.

Click any of the Amazon UK links to preorder the item through Galactica Station

Katee Sackhoff on Subject to Discussion

Last night Katee Sackhoff made a surprise appearance on Shaunomac's show 'Subject to Discussion' Katee called in at the top of the hour just as Shaun was starting his segment on Battlestar Galactica and Doctor Who.

They discussed quite a wide range of subjects including: the new addition in her life, her movies and on her career in general. Katee was not very forthcoming about season 3 of BSG although still managed to get alot out in the 23 minute interview.

Shaun also talked to Koenigrules and his well thought out reasons why Doctor Who is slightly better than BSG.

To catch up, head to the podcast either by grabbing the url for your IPOD Here

To listen to the show on your PC try Here

For the edited down version containing only the Katee Sackhoff Segment visit the audio page of Galactica Station

Tuesday, June 20

Universal Officially Announces Battlestar Galactica - Season 2.5

Earlier this month we posted the release date and artwork for Battlestar Galactica - Season 2.5 on DVD. This September 19th release contains the rest of the second season of the "reimagined" show starring Edward James Olmos, including (we were told) an extended version of the highly acclaimed episode "Pegasus"

This morning Universal is formally announcing this release, a 3-DVD set that will sell for $49.98 SRP. Running 8 hours and 41 minutes, it has an Anamorphic Widescreen video format and an audio format that's in English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. Subtitles are in English and Spanish. The discs are single-sided, by the way, stored in "slim cases" that slide into a slipcover.


  • Exlcusive Extended Version of Midseason Cliff-hanger Episode "Pegasus"
  • Deleted Scenes Never Aired On TV
  • Podcasts with Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore
  • Producer David Eick's Video Log
  • Sunday, June 18

    Cylon Weekly World News - Volume Two

    Your most popular Cylon publication

    Image Hosted by ImageShack.us

    Editor in Chief: Son of Joxer

    Saturday, June 17

    The End Is Near, But First, This Commercial

    Source: Washington Post

    There are a lot of really crummy ways we could all die, including nuclear annihilation or a flu pandemic.

    And then, of course, there's the possibility that we'll be attacked by aliens. Or that robots might become smarter than humans and put us in zoos.

    The Sci fi Channel Sponsored a discussion on Capitol Hill this week. It was called "Countdown to Doomsday" The Dissussion focused on a potential end of the Human race and civilisation as we know it . The Cylons were a part of this important debate and many Senators expressed their view on world that would include robots like the Cylons.
    As proof of how this could happen, the special then shows clips from "Battlestar Galactica," a show about robots battling humans that just happens to air on Sci Fi.
    The news conference dealt with only three modes of mass extinction, although Sci Fi Channel Executive Vice President Dave Howe assured everyone that if they view the special, they will see "another seven terrifying scenarios."
    "You wanna watch the robots," Douglass said. "Seriously."
    Rep. James Langevin (D-R.I.), who participated in the panel on nuclear terrorism, said afterward that he had not seen an advance copy of "Countdown." We told him about threat No. 9, alien attack, and asked how he rated that risk.
    "I would put that relatively low on the list of threats," he said. "Who are you with?"

    Season 2 Soundtrack released on Tuesday

    Source: Amazon

    Here's a quick reminder for all those wishing to hear Bear Mc Creary's composition of Battlestar Galactica Season 2 Soundtrack. You can still preorder the CD From Amazon and believe me when I say that Bear has actually impressed me yet again with another stunning album.

    Bears take on the original Battlestar theme by Stu Phillips is the first track which sets the mood for the rest of this amazing album.



    1. Colonial Anthem (Theme from Battlestar Galactica) (4:02)
    2. Baltar's Dream (2:45)
    3. Escape from the Farm (3:09)
    4. A Promise to Return (3:03)
    5. Allegro (4:59)
    6. Martial Law (1:51)
    7. Standing in the Mud (1:45)
    8. Pegasus (2:46)
    9. Lords of Kobol (2:50)
    10. Something Dark is Coming (8:51)
    11. Scar (2:26)
    12. Epiphanies (2:43)
    13. Roslin and Adama (2:49)
    14. Gina Escapes (2:00)
    15. Dark Unions (2:53)
    16. The Cylon Prisoner (3:51)
    17. Prelude to War (8:22)
    18. Reuniting the Fleet (2:45)
    19. Roslin Confesses (2:09)
    20. One Year Later (1:43)

    To order this CD just click the Amazon link

    Friday, June 16

    Episode seven is 'Hero'

    Source: Gateworld

    The seventh episode of Galactica's upcoming third season is titled "Hero," GateWorld has learned. (Beware of minor spoilers below!)

    "The script that I'm writing right now, has to do with a revelation about something truly egregious and illegal that Adama was guilty of doing during the days leading up to the attack, and how he has kept the revelation of that incident from rearing its head," writer and executive producer David Eick recently told iF Magazine. "An event transpires that brings it all home with a vengeance, and the ramifications are significant. The fun is always in dealing with the humanity of these characters. They're heroes, but we are always discovering their feet of clay. For reasons both personal and practical they have to carry on as leaders and role models in their world. The script is called 'Hero,' because it's necessary to keep functioning."

    The episode is set to go before cameras in Vancouver, B.C. soon, as the seventh episode in Season Three's production order -- though the final airing sequence may or may not reflect this.

    Thursday, June 15

    Sagittarius Is Bleeding : Battlestar Galactica 3 (Paperback)

    President Laura Roslin bears a heavy burden. Since becoming the president of the twelve human colonies when the Cylons brutally attacked and destroyed all but a small remnant of humanity's billions, she has been the voice of civil authority, counterbalancing the military leadership of Commander Adama of the Battlestar Galactica. President Roslin has been a source of inspiration to the tens of thousands who survive on Galactica and the other colonial ships. They look to her for honesty, integrity, and courage. For fairness and an evenhanded rule. And most importantly, for the prophecy she has shared with them. Earth, the fabled home of the lost colony, can be found. She has seen this in a vision which has the power of truth.

    Recently, though, her dreams have been darker, of a galaxy overrun by Cylons. . . . Is she having visions of an inevitable future? Or are these terrible dreams caused by powerful medication she's been taking ?

    More dangerously, the Midguardians, radicals who believe that the end of humanity is coming soon, have learned of Roslin's dreams and taken them as a sign. Now, the Midguardians prepare to act.

    President Roslin faces the most important decision of her life, should she tell Commander Adama about the Midguardians, and risk being imprisoned again as a traitor, or dare she keep her secret, and possibly endanger the future of the entire fleet . . .

    You can pre-order the book Here

    Tuesday, June 13

    An Interview with Tahmoh Penikett, Part Two

    Source: SciFi Brain

    The love between Battlestar Galactica's Helo and Boomer is akin to Romeo and Juliet. Find out the motivations behind Helo's actor, Tahmoh Penikett, in part two of this exclusive two-part interview.

    “It’s funny,” Tahmoh Penikett speaks about how his parents feel about seeing their son on the hit show, Battlestar Galactica. “I think they are both very proud and they enjoy it. But, I’m still at that point where my career is young enough so that it is strange for them to see. My father is more accepting to it, because he was an actor. But, my mother, I have been with her a couple of times where she has seen some of my projects and she is,” he pauses, looking for the right phrase. “I couldn’t really elaborate what she is thinking, but it is still a little strange for her. Especially when I am in anguish. One time she asked me, ‘why do you have to be so harsh on film?’ I had a scene where I was yelling at a girl.” Jokingly, he gives an impression of his mother, “ ‘I didn’t raise you that way, to talk to a woman like that.’ ”

    Tahmoh’s father, Anthony “Tony” Penikett, was a premier of Yukon, Canada—one of the country’s northern territories. And, like father-like son, was an actor while attending university. “Of the things my father and I did when I was young, he would take me to films. My dad is a big film critic, he loves to watch films. He was an actor when he was young at the university. So, I have been going to adult, well-driven plot dramas ever since I was a really young child. [I’d] really listen to my dad critique and appreciate it. One of the first films I remember my dad taking me to was Blade Runner.”

    Of all the science fiction films the Canadian-native has seen, Blade Runner has been the most influential. The 1982 cult film—directed by Ridley Scott, features Harrison Ford, Daryl Hannah, and fellow Battlestar alumni actor, Edward James Olmos. “I think Edward James Olmos leaving such an impression on me [made me want to act]. I was very young when that came out and I will always remember it being so great. I remember wanting to know more about him and see more of him in that film.”

    At the end of season two, Penikett’s character, Helo, was promoted to executive officer aboard the poorly manned Galactica. Which, he served directly under Admiral William Adama, played by Olmos. While shooting the final scenes of Lay Down Your Burdens part 2, Helo is seen manning the DRADIS station aboard Galactica’s Command Intelligence Center—a job he normally does in the cockpit of a Raptor.

    “This is funny,” he admits, laughing, “people are going to get a kick out of it, but I didn’t realize until the [third season] that a couple episodes in, that I was actually the XO! I thought I was simply put in Gaeta’s (Alessandro Juliani) station.

    “I am a senior lieutenant all ready, but I thought because of the skeleton crew, and not that many people left up there with Adama, there was a small establishment. So, I sort of overlooked the XO thing. This season, I remember reading a second time and it said ‘Helo, the XO, is coordinating a mission plan’ or whatever. I though, ‘XO?’ I kinda got a kick out of that then!”

    Penikett’s place as XO also has him shooting his scenes almost entirely with Edward James Olmos. “I mean, so far, I have only read the first three episodes. There is definitely more scenes with Eddie and I. Which, is great for me, a dream come true!” He also says that some of his favorite and most challenging episodes have been with his role model. “I got to do a scene with Eddie in Home part 2, that was my first big scene with him. Although it wasn’t very long, it was well written. It was an emotionally challenging scene; those are the thing I get a high off of as an actor.”

    Outside of the studios and convention arena, Penikett admits that since season two has begun airing in his home country, he’s being noticed all most all the time. “I am getting stopped all the time now, it’s really [weird]. It’s happened a lot more in the last year, because of the second season. In the last eight months, it’s funny, I was taking an acting workshop a couple of months ago. There was this really big guy who was giving me a funny look. I was on my cell phone, and I was looking back and I was like, ‘who is this guy? Have I had a situation with this guy before?’ He was looking at me really strange. I am looking back and I put down my phone. I say, ‘Is there a problem?’ The guy walks away. I forgot about him.

    “The next day, I am walking to class again, and I see this guy walking towards me and I am like, ‘Ok, we have a situation here!’ ” Penikett chuckles. “The guy is looking at me funny again and out of nowhere, he points and says,” the actor paused briefly, apologizing for his language, “ ‘I love the f***ing show man! Keep up the good work!’ And, he walks by and he literally screams this at me. He is so enthusiastic about it. I got a kick out of that cause, you know, it was just funny and I am just proud. I love getting into conversations with fans about it.”

    Newshound: Razorback

    Part one can be found in the Galactica Station archives (May 21st)

    Glitz and prestige

    Source: Variety

    NEW YORK -- Host Jon StewartJon Stewart brought some levity to the presentation of the usually erudite Peabody Awards in Gotham on June 5.

    "This is why I love the Peabodys," he said, "I'm not a comic; I'm a 'satirist.'"

    He urged honorees to continue telling "uncomfortable truths about the world so you can receive an award your family and friends will be vaguely familiar with."

    Stewart dubbed the event "The Peabodys: Katrina Edition" for the dominance of hurricane-related honorees, including NBC News, CNN and Biloxi, Miss.' WLOX-TV.

    But Hollywood also had a significant presence, and the honorees seemed tickled that their dramatic work was deemed important enough to coexist with news and docs. "I'm totally blown away; this is the most prestigious event I've ever been to," said Edward James Olmos, who was honored as part of the cast of "Battlestar Galactica."

    Also honored were "South Park's" Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Martin Scorsese for "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan," FX skeinskein "The Shield," Fox's "House" and David E. Kelley's "Boston Legal."


    Newshound:
    SciFi

    Monday, June 12

    Review of season 2 Soundtrack

    Source: Soundtrack.net

    I am writing this article from aboard a research vessel in the Black Sea. As luck would have it, I happened to take the soundtrack from the first season with me, so when SoundtrackNet asked me to write this "First Listen", I had that with me for comparison. I'm also lucky to have left the country after the finale of "Battlestar Galactica" aired, and that sure wasn't one to miss!

    Beginning with Richard Gibbs' score for the "Battlestar Galactic"a mini-series in 2003, the series was picked up by Bear McCreary. To date, we have had one compilation from Season One and following the stunning conclusion to the second season, La La Land Records offers a great selection from Season Two. SoundtrackNet is proud to offer our readers a preview of this exciting and much anticipated soundtrack release.

    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.

    4. A Promise to Return (from 'The Farm') (3:05)
    McCreary organized a string quartet for the emotional farewell between Starbuck and Anders on Caprica. The pulsating motif flows in the low strings behind the violins. This cue is dedicated to the recovery of Ludvig Girdland and performed beautifully by the Supernova String Quartet. This track fits the sound of the series with the string motifs, but is a new style all together, which is something McCreary steadily adds to the second season.

    5. Allegro (from 'Home Part One') (5:02)

    More string ensemble begins this cue in a more restrained manner, but with more players than the quartet. Again, the same main motif in the strings dominates this cue, but to an entirely different effect than the previous cue. A number of slow tracks begin this album, but all viewers know that the action is there in force and this album begins to pick up
    from here.

    6. Martial Law (from 'Fragged') (1:53)
    This cue showcases a militaristic theme performed by the French horns that, unfortunately, only appears this once. A slow theme backed by restrained percussion, this is one of my favorites, mostly because it is a very different sound for the show. The brass makes rare appearances; the taiko percussion is usually solo and it is nice to hear the horns come in over the beats, even for a short time. The taiko roll the cue to a close.

    7. Standing in the Mud (from 'Black Market') (1:48)
    A tense cue, an acoustic guitar and Middle Eastern instruments dominate it. McCreary has done an excellent job and continuing Gibbs' use of multiple ethnic instrumentations to bring a feel of all ethnicities to the series, as it is the story of the last of all of mankind. Mixing Celtic, Asian, Middle Eastern, and a whole assembly of other kinds to the mix, this is one of the elements that make this soundtrack and this series so amazing.

    8. Pegasus (from 'Pegasus') (2:48)
    For the episode "Pegasus", McCreary laid the guitars on heavy. This cue begins quietly, with soft electric guitar chords, which are then joined by popish drums. The orchestra comes in toward the end to support the guitar theme. A bit of Middle Eastern woodwind can be heard in the background just before the cue ends.

    9. Lords of Kobol (from 'Pegasus') (2:52)
    Raya Yarbrough provides vocals for this cue, adding a depth to the music. Light percussion then comes in before Yarbrough returns with heavy guitars. Her voice is dubbed into multiple parts behind the electric guitars. Every episode of "Battlestar Galactica" has a slightly different sound for it, but McCreary gave this one a distinctly varied tone, from the electric guitars to Yarbrough's vocals.

    10. Something Dark is Coming (from 'Lay Down Your Burdens Part One') (8:54)
    The longest track on the album opens quietly with some bass guitar chords. Quiet but heavy percussion and woodwinds follow. A different electric guitar style from the previous cue is used here. The percussion begins to take over through the cue, pushing the guitars and ambient electronics to the background. I found this cue a bit slow and probably didn't need to be so long. The low strings take up a version of the main string motif toward the end and the track closes as quietly as it began.

    11. Scar (from 'Scar') (2:28)
    Highly percussive, this short cue has some very complex drum rhythms and is quite fun. The use of Japanese taiko has always been a defining part of Battlestar Galactica's music and the second season continues this trend. Of course, this cue has more than just taikos in the percussion mix. The cue slows in the middle, but the drums return for a pounding end.

    12. Epiphanies (from 'Epiphanies') (2:45)
    A solo violin performs a quiet statement of one of the main themes before woodwinds and low strings enter with a variation on the pulsing string motif.

    13. Roslin and Adama (from 'Resurrection Ship Parts One and Two') (2:52)
    An electric violin creates a somber mood in the style of Zimmer's quieter moments from Black Hawk Down. Actually, the similarities are quite close, with the electric violin and piano, but the effect is wonderful; this is actually a cue I remember from the series when I was watching it on air. The style changes halfway through to a faster beat with acoustic guitar and light percussion backing up the violin.

    14. Gina Escapes (from 'Resurrection Ship Part Two') (2:02)
    Heavy percussion and a strange Eastern guitar give this cue a very strange sound and I honestly cannot remember what scene this cue corresponds to. Some of the ethnic music in the second season accompanies some of the series writers' efforts to expand the viewers' understanding of the culture aboard ships other than Galactica.

    15. Dark Unions (from 'Lay Down Your Burdens Part Two') (2:56)
    A quiet cue, some ambient sounds give way to flutes and light drums halfway through. The percussion takes over completely in the last few seconds and pounds to a close.

    16. The Cylon Prisoner (from 'Pegasus') (3:51)
    For some reason, the tracks are not grouped by episode, so we return to the guitar-dominted "Pegasus" here. Bt4 is the featured vocalist here, behind some twanging, western-sounding guitars. His wordless vocals add yet another strange sound to the mix. This is one of the slower cues on the album, but again adds to the variety of sounds used in the series.

    17. Prelude to War (from 'Pegasus' and 'Resurrection Parts One and Two') (8:25)
    This track will get the "repeat" treatment in your CD player. Beginning with moving strings over snare drums, the lengthy cue builds as Middle Eastern woodwinds come in behind the strings. Japanese taiko then take over in the classic solo style that Gibbs began for the space battles in the mini-series. Taiko are used so often in film today, they are done right here, used both solo and as percussion behind the orchestra. Various rhythms in the taiko over the past two seasons and the mini series also can be considered various themes, though much relates to space battles. The cue builds with the taiko and then the string theme comes back over the drums. The taikos pound to a dramatic finale and end the cue.

    18. Reuniting the Fleet (from 'Home Parts One and Two') (2:50)
    One problem with a compilation release of selections from an entire season is a lack of thematic cohesion between cues due to the large amount of music. This cue contains a Celtic theme that McCreary introduced in "The Hand of God" from the first season, which appears in the tracks "A Good Lighter" and "Wander my Friends" from the first album. This theme is for the fleet and also for the Adama father/son relationship. I am happy to see it resurface in season two.

    19. Roslin Confesses (from 'Lay Down Your Burdens Part Two') (2:07)
    Okay, so I didn't notice the music during this scene because I was yelling for Roslin not to confess! Now, however, I get to hear the music. A quiet string section plays a sad dirge for the losing president and the Black Hawk Down-like theme returns briefly for President Roslin.

    20. One Year Later (from 'Lay Down Your Burdens Part Two') (1:45)
    Piano and light percussion accompany the beginning of a mind-blowing turn of events. Violins come in and out in the background as the music builds. The steady and eerily quiet tone for this cue accompanies viewers' thinking, "what's going on?"

    21. Worthy of Survival (from 'Lay Down Your Burdens Part Two') (3:39)
    We find out what's going on all too quickly and the music darkens just as fast. A low solo flute plays sorrowfully and percussion eventually comes in as the strings play another variation on their pulsating motif. The drums take on a typical "Battlestar Galactica" battle tempo as viewers start to think, "Aww, crap." Taiko and Middle Eastern woodwinds close the season with a bang.

    22. Battlestar Galactica Main Title (Richard Gibbs) (0:47)
    We all know this cue. The shortened main title for the second season contains vocals by Michael Now and Caitanya Riggan. I like how each episode's main title changes to show snippets of the upcoming show once the percussion takes over the cue.

    23. Black Market (from 'Black Market') (5:48)
    Why this cue is stuck on at the end, I have no clue. It features Steve Bartek on electric guitar in an African market/Gladiator-sounding cue. Bartek's guitar takes over in a rock-style toward the end in a very out-of-place cue (maybe that's why it is at the end?). Again, the mix of sounds is what defines the score and the use of three different sounds of guitar here (heavy and lead electric, and acoustic) give it a very interesting sound. A North African instrument comes in behind the heavy guitar at the end.

    This is a strange way to close the album, but listeners can put the cues in any order they want anyway. The second season soundtrack is yet another step in the right direction and I am sure fans of the series and the score are waiting on the edge of their seats for season three. I sure am.

    TV Review: Battlestar Galactica

    Source: Blog Critics

    Sci-fi lovers already know how good this series is. My review is aimed at others (such as several of my own friends) who will likely roll their eyes - those who wouldn’t stoop so low as to waste their valuable time on a space opera: too hopelessly nerdy.

    I came late to this cable serial, as I have to several other TV phenomena, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Six Feet Under, watching it mostly on disc. And, as also happened with those two series, becoming hopelessly, helplessly hooked.

    The four-hour miniseries and the first several weekly episodes are indeed space opera, well done but, I was thinking, not worth continuing to clog my Netflix queue with. Then, somewhere in the second half of the first season, I began to realize just how good this was: in fact, a pop masterpiece.

    Humans are being genocidally annihilated by evil robots, but wait: Why are the humans non-believing carriers of Greek/Roman religious traditions, while the robots are fierce devotees of "the One True God"? What goes on here? And then there are the episodes that touch on terrorism (is it ok to torture a robot?) and presidential politics (including abortion) without once being heavy-handed, the uniformly excellent writing and acting, the brilliantly conceived documentary look that, combined with beautifully done special effects, giveS the series an immediacy and believability previously unknown in either film or TV sci-fi.

    Most important of all is the enormity of the overall conception, with its long, novel-like story arcs - again, something quite new for filmed space sagas. And it’s sexy, and funny, and… oh, just rent it already. If I told you it’s as good as The West Wing, but with an actual plot, will that convince you? Because it is.

    No weekly series is without the occasional bummer episode. They may be cheating a little with the mythological stuff about God and the Arrow of Apollo and the Lost Planet Earth - raising tantalizing questions and then dropping them. I hope I’m wrong about that last part. I can’t wait for the new season to start in a few months since the second one left us with a jaw-dropper of a twisty cliffhanger, just as the first season did. It's a work of genius.

    Newshound: SciFi

    Battlestar Galactica #0 review

    Source: Now Playing Pagazine

    Since returning from Kobol, Adama has not spoken to either Apollo or Kara, despite the latter discovering a diary of letters he’s been writing to his dead son, Zak. But personal concerns must be pushed aside when the fleet discovers itself in a Sargasso sea of space, amidst dead ships from the Third Colonial Conflict. But one ship still has survivors — all of whom have been dead or reported missing for years.

    Battlestar Galactica may be one of the most highly anticipated comic book adaptations since… well, since Marvel did the last adaptation of the old series in print form, and Dynamite Entertainment knows it. Hence this first issue comes in no less than four different covers, all with a cover price of one American quarter. If that doesn’t get the faithful reading, nothing will. One big problem, though, is that it’s only the faithful — i.e. those who follow the television series already — who will be able to follow the first major expository scene in this issue between Adama and President Roslin. The assumption that the publishers and writer Greg Pak have made is that, if you’re reading this book, you’re watching the series — and while that’s not a bad assumption, it risks causing brand new readers to do the comic-book equivalent, as rare as it is, of “switching off.” There’s even a note on the inner cover saying this story takes place between this episode and that episode, a good move for continuity freaks, but a bad one for someone who wants to start here. (I could say something about the oddity of having a little girl at a Presidential press conference, but hey — desperate times lead to desperately weird social situations.)

    Once we’re past all that, though, Pak’s script truly soars, turning into the beginnings of an unseen episode we wish they’d hurry up and film already. The in medias res approach that Pak takes, while potentially alienating to new readers, also allows for some of the book’s best emotional punches, such as Kara’s discovery of the diary in Adama’s quarters. It also means we don’t have endless reintroductions to all of the characters, allowing major players such as Baltar and Number Six to safely remain “off-screen” (even if one or both of them does appear on three of the four alternative covers). But the best payoff to this approach is that final page, which even a new reader can have a shock of surprise over, since Pak has set it up so well within this issue. It’s an amazing moment, and one which should get this series started with a bang.

    I wish I could say the same thing about Nigel Raynor’s art, but it really is the biggest flaw this book has going for it. Raynor’s fine when it comes to drawing Cylons and spaceships, but when it comes to drawing characters consistently, there’s a problem. I’m not even talking about making sure that Adama looks recognizably like Edward James Olmos — that’s a minor concern when talking about comic adaptations of shows, in my opinion. Instead, I’m talking about Adama looking the same from page to page, or Roslin looking anything like a normal woman would. In some panels, she looks very disturbingly like Lisa Hayes from the old Robotech series. The busy layouts don’t help, either, at one point making Galactica‘s bridge look more like a high-tech mall. Thank goodness for the scripts, then. B+

    Newshound: SciFi

    Sunday, June 11

    Cylon Weekly World News 2.0

    Your most popular Cylon publication

    Image Hosted by ImageShack.us

    Editor in Chief: Son of Joxer

    Saturday, June 10

    Battlestar Galactica collectibles

    Source: Shop AFX

    Limited Edition of 1000

    The hottest show on the Sci-Fi channel just got hotter! With a third season on the way this Fall, fans are hungry for Battlestar Galactica collectibles. AFX is honored to fill that need with the first in a line of upcoming mini busts. Made of polystone resin, this exclusive "premium format" mini bust stands approximately 7.5" tall, making it slightly larger than the upcoming standard releases. By your command...

    By Art Asylum.

    This item will only be sold at the San Diego Comic-Con. Any remaining stock will be made available in Shop AFX online store. Please check back with them on Tuesday, July 25 for more information.

    Friday, June 9

    Battlestar meets Tiki Bar

    Source: Slice of SciFi

    I have no idea how they managed it, but the crazies at Tiki Bar TV scored Nicki Clyne (plays Cally on Battlestar Galactica) to guest star in their most recent episode.

    It’s Episode #17 called, coincidentally, Space Cadet. This so makes me wanna do a video cast! Good snag, Dr. Tiki, Johnny-Johnny and Lala!

    Note: Tiki Bar TV is a light hearted show in which various forms of alcohol are featured. I think it’s brilliant, but there will be at least one person out there offended by the lack of attention to the serious concern of alcoholism and under age drinking. If you are this person, please do not visit Tiki Bar TV. If you do, please don’t rail on us for posting this, OK?

    The video can be downloaded from Galactica Station Video Vault

    Jane Espenson Pens Season 3

    Source : Syfy Portal

    Jane Espenson's career has taken so many turns since her 1998-2003 run on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Now she is getting a positive turn, onto "Battlestar Galactica."

    TeevBlogger has reported that Espenson is writing an unidentifed episode in the series which rarely uses outside writing talent. Espenson first announced the news in her personal blog.

    Besides "Buffy," Espenson -- A Joss Whedonite -- also has written for "Firefly" and "Angel." She's also written for other shows such as "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," "Gilmore Girls" and "The O.C." Her writing is known for its fast-paced, biting humor. She was responsible for some of the best lines in Buffyverse history, including Harmony's musing about doctors in "The Harsh Light of Day."

    "Hey, I don't have a pulse," she said in the episode. "Cool. Can we eat a doctor and get a stethoscope so I can hear my heart not beating?" Also in the works now, beyond BSG, Espenson has some episodes of the animated series "The Batman" coming up, co-written with fellow "Buffy" alum Doug Petrie.

    Espenson was a 2003 Hugo award winner, along with Drew Goddard, for the "Buffy" episode "Conversations With Dead People." That episode also won the Best Episode/Television category in the SyFy Genre Awards that same year. - Article by Sherri Lonon

    BSG to Air on Freeview in the UK (Sky Three)





    At last Battlestar Galactica's First season is to be aired on a free Channel in the UK.

    According to the Radio Times Sky Three are to Air episodes "33" and "Water" on Thursday 22nd June starting at 9pm. Sky Three can be viewed if you have the free Satellite package, via cable or receive your TV through a freeview box.

    Sky One are also repeating season one starting Tuesday 13th June at 8pm. However this is not free to view.

    Thursday, June 8

    Queers and Battlestar Galactica

    Source: Out.com

    We catch up with the sexy spaceage stars of Sci-Fi’s hit show to dish on politics, dealing with Cylons, and the show’s gay fan base.

    Last week at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood, the producers and cast of Battlestar Galactica gathered at the William S. Paley Television Festival for a screening of the first part of the two-part season finale (the second part of the season finale airs Friday, March 10). At a private reception following the screening, we caught up with the very sexy Jamie Bamber (Commander Lee “Apollo” Adama), the fantastic Mary McDonnell (President Laura Roslin), and bombshell lesbian-icon-in-the-making Katee Sackhoff (Kara “Starbuck” Thrace).


    As Lee Adama, sexy, buffed Brit Jamie Bamber is responsible for quite a feat: keeping many gay men home on Friday nights—no doubt thanks to his shirtless scenes in the futuristic co-ed locker room. Seen previously in the U.K.’s Horatio Hornblower series and in Band of Brothers, Apollo is Bamber’s first sci-fi role.

    Out:What did you think about taking on this role?

    Bamber: When I read that it was a remake of Battlestar Galactica, I had this sphincter-clenching, butt-tightening, remake-itis reaction. But the quality of the writing was so great I got over that quickly.

    Out:What do you think of your gay fanbase?

    Bamber: Well, I’m flattered about it. Amazed. I’d heard there was a gay following, but didn’t know much about it until recently.

    Out:Do you approach a sci-fi role differently than you would another type of role?

    Bamber: No, it’s just like a costume drama to me. There’s the military aspect to the character, so it’s like Band of Brothers in some ways.

    Out:What about the special effects? Are you often working on a green screen background? How does that affect your performance?

    Bamber: It’s just like theater. One has to pretend. There’s quite a lot of green screen with [the fighter planes]. You’re working with a blank canvas, and that’s a challenge I enjoy.

    Out:Tell me a little about your experiences with sci-fi conventions. Those are some intense audiences.

    Bamber: It’s something I never knew existed before. At first I was really scared and didn’t know why I was there! But it’s nice to know that the show has such strong appeal.



    Mary McDonnell plays Laura Roslin, the former Secretary of Education who is suddenly thrust into the role of President of the Colonies when 12 home colonies of humans are destroyed. She is the one actor for whom the role was tailor-written.

    Out:Mary, you’re fantastic on the show, and incidentally, I loved Donnie Darko [in which McDonnell plays Jake Gyllenhaal’s mother].

    McDonnell: Thank you—and isn’t Donnie Darko a fantastic movie?

    Out:One of my favorites! Do you draw on any actual political figures for inspiration for President Roslin?

    McDonnell: I didn’t draw on anyone in particular; instead I draw on the feeling of unpreparedness, a woman thrust into power. I was very excited to play a middle-aged woman who discovers power.

    Out:It seems to me, especially in recent episodes, that your character parallels Hillary Clinton in some respects.

    McDonnell: You know, I thought of that for the first time watching this episode [the first part of the season two finale]. I love Hillary Clinton. I wonder if that was something I was waiting to do [with the character] until I was ready.

    Out:Roslin seems like Clinton in that she’s a progressive who has to take some more right wing–type actions because of political circumstance. In a recent episode, Roslin has to outlaw abortion to promote the survival of the species.

    McDonnell: I still don’t want to think about [that episode]. That was much harder than [shoving Cylons out of the airlocks]. Instead of taking an action involved with survival, this was about taking away rights. This is not really [Roslin’s] way. It goes against everything she believes in.

    Out:Are there ways in which you see yourself as similar to Roslin?

    McDonnell: I see myself close to her when I am inside the moment and I am trying to take an action toward survival. You do want to be with me in an earthquake. I like taking responsibility for people. My emergency response kicks in and I take charge. Like at Roslin’s swearing-in ceremony, I could relate to her thinking, Dammit, someone’s got to do this. I share that with her. There was a funny article in the Boston Herald—well, my husband made it funny—that looked at the styles of the two TV women presidents [the other was Geena Davis as President McKenzie on Commander in Chief]—and it compared McKenzie to Clinton and Roslin to George Bush with intelligence.

    [Out’s interviewer can’t help but make a face.]

    McDonnell: That was my reaction too! But then my husband said, no, you’re not like an intelligent Bush but like Hillary Clinton but with better legs.

    Out:You do have dynamite legs.

    McDonnell: Thank you! It comes from my years as a water ballerina! I was a young Esther Williams!



    Katee Sackhoff surprised the audience of die-hard sci-fi fans when she admitted that when she landed the role of Starbuck she had never seen the original series. Before beginning taping, her father, a military man and a fan of the original, suggested she give it a look. He didn’t mention that the first Starbuck was a man. Sackhoff and a friend sat down with a bottle of wine and watched a rental copy of the original. “I thought we must really be drunk because they’re talking about Starbuck. Where’s Starbuck? So we rewound it…”

    Out:You know you’re becoming a lesbian icon, right?

    Sackhoff: My lesbian fans are my favorite! It’s extremely flattering to have a strong female following, both straight and gay. A lot of my friends are gay men, but even when I’m out with my boyfriend [in the gay neighborhood near her home] these fabulous queens will come up to me and tell me I’m fierce. And women too—the real deal, some that look like they could beat up my dad!

    Out:I think a lot of gay fans—men and women—like the gender parity in the Battlestar world. Both men and women participate equally in the military, politics. Did that appeal to you in regards to this role?

    Sackhoff: Yeah, and I’m the best fighter pilot! It’s a respect thing, and I like it. I think women are just as strong and well-suited to the military role. I think we’re more emotional in general, so we’re more trained to rein in our emotions. We hold on to it better.

    Out:I noticed a team of bodyguards had to line the front of the stage as you and the cast exited the screening. The fans actually rushed the stage!

    Sackhoff: Yeah, it’s crazy, and the sci-fi conventions are surreal. Unfortunately I now have to be a little more guarded around fans of the show.

    Out:You said in the Q&A that you didn’t know much about Battlestar. You said, “Let’s face it, I needed a job and wanted to shoot a gun.” The other cast members thought that was a riot.

    Sackhoff: I know! In all the conventions we’ve done, we’ve never been asked about the casting. It was great to hear each others’ stories.

    Out:You are a kick! Thanks for chatting with us.

    Sackhoff: My pleasure, and, oh! You’ve got to see the finale. It’s going to totally blow you away!

    TV Guide's Ausiello reveals S3 Spoiler

    Source: TV Guide

    Question: Did I see you at the Museum of Television and Radio on Friday for the Battlestar Galactica panel discussion? Curious on your thoughts on the trailer snippet for Season 3 (I'm still reeling) and desperate to know if the cast dropped into the reception upstairs. - Wendy

    Ausiello: Yes, that was me sitting in the second row trying mightily to suppress my inner geek - and failing miserably. What a fraktastic night! For those who missed out, 400 lucky fans were treated to a screening of the Season 2 finale, followed by a Matt Roush-moderated Q&A session with Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber, and executive producers Ron Moore and David Eick. Highlights included Bamber joking about Apollo's weight gain, saying the new season starts with him on Jenny Craig. (No worries, ladies and gays, Apollo's extra poundage was applied through the magic of prosthetics. Bamber was his usual trim, buff self.) McDonnell, who received a spontaneous mid-screening ovation for her tour-de-force scene in which Laura admits to Adama that she rigged the election, revealed herself to be Galactica's biggest, giddiest cheerleader. Walking in to thunderous applause, she exploded with enthusiasm, clapping, shrieking and fist-pumping right along with the fans. This is clearly a woman relishing her rock-star moment. Regarding the Season 3 trailer, I was shocked by how spoilery it was. Not only did it show one of the Sixes getting shot in the noggin, but we saw some guy introducing a baby to Starbuck saying, "This is your mother." Eick and Moore, meanwhile, spilled more details about the in-the-works Caprica spin-off, saying it would be a family drama set 50 years before the original Battlestar series. And yes, the cast did drop into the post-reception, but I spent most of the time hangin' with Bamber's lovably loopy wife, onetime Galactica medic Kerry Norton. She gave me a peek at her hubby's top-secret Big Apple itinerary, which included his first cover shoot for a national magazine. (Hint: the mag's title rhymes with "doubt.") I ended the evening chatting up a tipsy McDonnell, who gushed endlessly about Galactica fans and admitted she can't wait to attend Comic-Con next month. Gods love her.

    Newshound: Sci Fi

    ScoreKeeper interviews Bear McCreary!!!

    Source: Aint it Cool News
    Greetings! ScoreKeeper here filling the between-seasons-void for “Battlestar Galactica” fans everywhere by posting my recent interview with “Galactica” composer Bear McCreary. The music is one of the aspects of this show that truly sets it apart from other network television series. Bear is not only the composer but also a huge fan of the show which is clearly evident in his music. Here’s a little behind-the-music magic while you’re anxiously awaiting Season Three. Enjoy!

    SCOREKEEPER: What about “Battlestar Galactica” can you tell people who aren’t familiar with the show that this is really a series they should check out?
    McCREARY: Honestly, I have yet to find a way to convince people. I think a lot of people see the words “science-fiction” or even worse, they hear the word “spaceship” and they tune out. So I’ve found that it’s easier to let people hear about it. I have friends that I’ve told them to watch the show and they said ‘I don't like science-fiction shows.’ A year later they call me up and say ‘I love Battlestar! Why didn’t you tell me how different it was?’
    I think the exciting thing about “Battlestar” is that it pushes the envelope for television in ways that I don’t think any other TV show does. I don’t mean to say this is an experimental show – this isn’t “Altered States” the TV series. But what’s interesting about it is that it stays dramatically entertaining while also trying out new things. If someone hadn’t seen the series what I would say to them is set aside your expectations and be prepared to be surprised.
    SK: I agree with that completely. The show is on the Sci-Fi Network so it clearly has that label attached to it. Yet why doesn’t it seem like a sci-fi show?
    McCREARY: It’s a drama more than anything else. It just happens to be a science-fiction series as well. I think that is something that has been completely underestimated in regards to science-fiction fans. They want something that is dramatic and moving, they want character development, interesting story arcs and in addition to all that, spaceships and aliens. I feel like in the past decade or so it’s been difficult finding those elements in science-fiction TV.
    SK: Did you as the composer, and this goes for everybody else on the production staff as well, approach this series as something brand new even though it’s coming from familiar sources? How do you approach balancing the old and the new?
    McCREARY: Everybody else on the production wanted to reference the old show. It was written that way, the spaceships were designed as an homage to the old ones, the names used in the show, little hints in the dialogue, everything was hinting back to the old show trying to embrace the fans that stuck around. Now with the music, from day one before I was even involved, David Eick and Ron Moore, knew the music would be the thing that would not reference the old show at all. So I think in reality nothing is more different from the old show than the music. Stu Phillips’ score for the original “Galactica” was obviously set in a traditional, orchestral style. While I use elements of the symphonic orchestra for dramatic impact, the majority of the new “Galactica” is scored with a barrage of ethnic instruments – taikos, duduks, percussion, vocals and other instruments from around the world. A traditional orchestral sci-fi score would detract from the documentary-style camera work and gritty, often ambiguous character arcs of the new series.
    SK: Many television actors take a season or two before fully developing their character. Is this similar for you? Are you as a composer starting to feel like you really understand the series now that you’re entering your third season? Or is it no different now than season one?
    McCREARY: It’s hard to say. One of the things that keeps the show interesting is how dynamic it is. We feel like we know these characters but at the same time they’re complex enough that we really don’t know much about them yet. There are so many interesting characters to be mined for good stories. So as the composer, I feel like I have a grip on it and I certainly feel comfortable in the musical universe but I’m always on my toes. Every episode is its own adventure. It’s certainly not at a point where I’m on any kind of auto-pilot. Every episode has to be scored as its own unique film. All that inspiration comes from the writing and the performances.
    SK: How do you think you have developed as the composer from the First Season to now and even looking ahead into Season Three?
    McCREARY: Well I’ve changed a lot and my musical style has changed a lot for sure. One of the reasons that’s happened is the show continues to find new territory and whenever it does I have to evolve along with it. I can’t just set up a specific sound at the beginning of the season and say ‘This will be the sound I use the whole time’ because inevitably there will be episodes that need something different. That’s one of the things that keeps “Battlestar” really exciting as a composer. I never get bored.
    SK: Scoring a weekly television show is one of the hardest jobs in show business. How do you keep yourself creatively fresh week in and week out?
    McCREARY: Being a big “Battlestar” fan makes all the difference. It’s hard to imagine what it would be like working on a show that I didn’t like. The best part of my job is going to spotting sessions and getting to watch the episodes before all the other fans do. That part of it is really exciting. Every time I spot an episode, I can’t wait to get home and start writing music for it. That’s certainly how I keep my creative energy up.
    SK: How were you chosen to be the composer for Battlestar Galactica?
    McCREARY: I worked on the mini-series as an additional composer with Richard Gibbs. I worked with Michael Rymer (the director) and Richard who was doing a lot of the thematic elements of the mini-series and I did a lot on the percussion side of things. So when it came time to go to series they hired Richard back for a couple of episodes and I worked with him on those. Then early on, after episodes two and three of Season One, he realized he couldn’t keep up his schedule while doing theatrical films. So I met with the producers and they gave me a shot to score the next episode which happened to be an episode called “33”, which was the first episode of Season One. I scored that one and it went great and I never heard anything since so I guess I got the job.
    SK: Can you walk me through a typical work week for you on the show?
    McCREARY: No, actually I can’t. There’s no such thing as a typical week. The way this usually works is I’ll spot a show and then have anywhere between 7 to 14 days, at the most 20 days to do it. In that time I’ll spot one or two more shows so I’m always working on one or two shows at a time. Usually if I can get at least three days to write music I can get something that I’m semi-proud of. I usually like to get 4 or 5 days just to be creative and those are the times that I put most of my energy in. The rest of the time, the remaining 10 days, is when we’re orchestrating, recording, and mixing. We do anywhere from 3 to 10 sessions per episode – including strings, percussion, ethnic soloists and vocals – that’s usually pretty chaotic and when I start losing a lot of sleep. But I always try to make sure that I spend as much energy as I can on the creative side of it. There’s nothing worse than working really hard on recording, mixing and producing music that you wrote in a hurry and isn’t very good as a result. None of this would be possible without my co-producer and engineer Steve Kaplan who does all the mixing and recording. On a typical day I’ll be composing and orchestrating at my studio, while Steve is mixing at his studio on a different episode. It pretty much takes the two of us working 20 hours a day, every day, to get this done.
    SK: Some people might be intimidated by a lack of structure in their schedule. You seem to be the type that enjoys that.
    McCREARY: [Laughs] Yeah, you can’t worry about the lack of structure. That’s just the way it goes. I don’t think that’s just TV. That goes with any kind of freelance, artistic profession. For me though it’s not like work. It’s fun. It’s a great show and I really love writing the music. The musicians I work with are top notch guys. The rhythm section from Oingo Boingo plays on all the episodes, the percussionist and duduk player are very talented. The orchestra sessions are a lot of fun. It’s just a blast. It’s what I would do for fun if it weren’t my job.
    SK: Are all the episodes scored live? Are there any electronic ingredients in the score?
    McCREARY: There are plenty of electronic ingredients. It just depends on the cue. The general rule of thumb on “Battlestar” is if it sounds like a synthesizer it's a synthesizer, if it sounds like an orchestra it is. I don’t do fake orchestra or “fakestra” as I call it. But we definitely mess around with a lot of cool synthesized textures.
    SK: When do you start up again to score the first episode of season III?
    McCREARY: I’ve kind of already started believe it or not. But I really dive in and roll up my sleeves in about a month, around the middle of July.
    SK: How far into Season Three have you been privy to and is there anything you can share with the fans at all about what they can expect?
    McCREARY: For the most part, I don’t read scripts and I try to plug my ears whenever people are talking about what’s coming up because I’m such a fan of the show I hate having it spoiled for me. Quite honestly, the only down-side of working on a show is that it’s really hard to not know what’s coming up ahead. I can tell you guys that things will get a lot worse before they get better for our heroes. You’re going to like it though.
    SK: Let’s say BG is still going strong twelve years from now. Are you still the composer?
    McCREARY: Whew! Twelve years?...Ya, I hope so! I want to see it through the end. I’m always doing other projects on the side but I’m so possessive of Battlestar I can imagine letting someone else do it.
    SK: What other projects do you get time to focus on aside from the show?
    McCREARY: Theoretically I could take on as many as I want. I try to keep it really limited. Mainly because a movie or another TV show has to be really exciting for me to want to split my attention like that.
    SK: You’ve got a big event planned on June 11th to kick off the soundtrack release for Season Two. Can you tell me a little bit about what’s going on that night?
    McCREARY: This is the first performance of its kind that I know of. We are doing a CD release show for the second season album and we’re going to be performing the score live at an intimate venue called The Mint in Los Angeles. You’re going to see nine musicians who are the same men and women who perform the score each week. Steve Bartek, John Avila, and Johnny “Vatos” Hernandez, from Oingo Boingo are going to be there playing all the crazy instruments they play. The percussionist, electric fiddle player and the duduk player are going to be there. We’re going to do live music, show some exclusive video footage and then do a CD signing at the end. Best of all you can pick up a copy of the second season album a week before it ships. I’m really excited about it and think the fans are going to really enjoy it.
    [Those interested in attending the event can RSVP online at: http://bearmccreary.com/rsvp/]
    SK: When is the actual public release date for the second season album?
    McCREARY: The public release date is the 20th (of June) I believe. [CLICK IT HERE TO ORDER IT!!!]
    SK: I want to go back in your life and give the fans a chance to know you a little better. At what age did you realize that you wanted to be a composer and what were the circumstances surrounding that realization?
    McCREARY: When I first got into film music, I was probably seven years old when I saw BACK TO THE FUTURE. That was a real ear-opener for me. By that point I was already really into STAR WARS, and STAR TREK and all that big orchestral science-fiction music. But it was really movies like BACK TO THE FUTURE, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT and finally EDWARD SCISSORHANDS which sealed the deal for me.
    SK: Can you talk a little bit about your experience as a film scoring student at USC?
    McCREARY: My experiences there were great! I did about 30-40 student films while I was there where I really learned a lot of valuable lessons – more than I ever learned in a class there. That was where I really honed my counterpoint, orchestration, theory, and history. These were all things that I didn’t know at all. I was basically self-taught as a musician. I took piano lessons and played in my high school band but I had never seen a score in my life when I got into USC. So that kind of classical training was really handy but it was doing the student films where I really learned how to deal with filmmakers and the things to say and not to say and even a great amount of conducting and orchestral experience. By the time I left I would score everything I did with an orchestra – sometimes 10, 15 on up to 60 players. It was a great experience for sure.
    SK: Can you share with us how your relationship with Elmer Bernstein came about?
    McCREARY: I met Elmer through a totally random connection. He would go yachting every summer up to Alaska and when he wasn’t yachting he kept his boat docked in Bellingham, Washington which is where I grew up. So I went to high school there and I was voted Student of the Month through the rotary club. I went to this ceremony and somebody introduced me as ‘Bear McCreary, he wants to be a film composer and go to USC…’. Afterward, a guy named Joe Coons comes up to me and says ‘Hey, I’ve got a friend who teaches at USC and he’s a film composer. Maybe you’d want to talk to him?’ And I’m like ‘sure…whatever’. And he said ‘Have you heard of Elmer Bernstein?’ My jaw hits the fucking floor. I couldn’t believe what this guy just said. So I gave him a tape of my music that I had recorded on my little keyboard and Joe sent it to Elmer. Sure enough in the spring of my junior year, Elmer came up and met with me and that was the beginning of an almost ten year relationship. I took some classes from him at USC then eventually started working for him over the summer where I did some orchestrations for him. He really took me under his wing and showed me the ropes. It was just the most remarkable experience for a young musician. I definitely changed my life forever.
    SK: The loss of Elmer Bernstein two years ago was felt by everyone in the motion picture industry. You had a close personal relationship with him for almost ten years. What can you tell us about him from your experiences working with him that others may not know?
    McCREARY: The thing that made him so incredible was just how in control of his life he was. When I was 17 especially, I had this impression that all artists had to suffer and be miserable. You look at Kurt Cobain and Elvis and Beethoven and Gershwin and Ravel and its all drugs and brain tumors and suicide and your just like ‘Man, I’m fucked if I want to go into music.’ When you’re 17 that stuff gets into your head…that musicians are miserable people.
    So I met Elmer and here’s a guy who at that time is pushing 80 – healthy, happy, revered in his industry. He’s a guy who has changed the world. He’s a guy whose music is so commonplace you forget that somebody had to write it. You forget that THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN wasn’t written before 1960. It sounds as if that theme has been around for hundreds of years. Just on a personal level, forgetting about the musical inspiration he is, I saw that you could lead a happy, healthy life and be a successful composer. I’ll never forget that.
    SK: I didn’t really have a question surrounding this but I did want to acknowledge that your main instrument is the accordion.
    McCREARY: Yeah. Accordion is actually my main instrument. It’s the only instrument that I actually practice. I took piano lessons for about ten or eleven years and I never really got very good. When I got the accordion it was almost as a joke. Somebody in my family got me a really nice one and I picked it up. Immediately, I found how expressive and beautiful an instrument it is, and also how much fun it is to play. So I got really good at it basically. I started practicing about 6 or 7 hours a day for about six months – I almost quit writing music. When I was down in my dorm room there at USC I think people thought I was crazy playing accordion down there all the time.
    SK: Do you still perform? Gig regularly?
    McCREARY: Oh yeah. I have a band. It’s kind of a gypsy-jazz-rock band called SEVENTEEN BILLION MILES OF DNA. I also play in my brother’s rock band, Bt4. I play as often as I can. I played on some source music for the soundtrack for THE ALAMO (by Carter Burwell) and some other random stuff. It’s a lot of fun.
    SK: I’d like to ask you the ubiquitous question everybody asks…which composers influence you?
    McCREARY: Probably my biggest influences are Elmer Bernstein and Bernard Herrmann. Bernard Herrmann for his sense of orchestration and color and his willingness to ignore all the traditional rules. I’d like to think that his music has more in common with my “Battlestar” score than anyone else’s. Elmer’s music for his incredible sense of translating character and narrative story into music. He was so smart about watching a movie and figuring out what it needs. I think he was the best at that.
    SK: Bear, thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with me. I wish you the very best with Season Three of “Battlestar Galactica.” We’ll be looking forward to it.
    McCREARY: Thanks. I appreciate it.

    Wednesday, June 7

    Galactica Collects Peabody (includes video links)

    Source: Sci Fi Wire

    Battlestar Galactica executive producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick were on hand in New York June 5 to accept a prestigious Peabody Award for the SCI FI Channel original series. They were joined by cast members Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber, Katee Sackhoff and Grace Park at the 65th annual Peabody Awards ceremony, hosted by TV satirist Jon Stewart, which took place at the historic Waldorf-Astoria hotel. The show's writing staff was also in attendance.

    Video of Moore and Eick's acceptance speeches - as well as praise from fellow Peabody winners and South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone - have been posted on SCIFI.COM's SCI FI Pulse video feature.

    Peabody winners were announced in April by the event's organizer, the University of Georgia. The awards honor "distinguished achievement and meritorious service by radio and television networks, stations, producing organizations, cable television organizations and individuals."


    Click on the above link and at the top of the article there are 2 videos. One with the cast on stage with RDM and D. Eick making their acceptance of the award speech. The 2nd video is South Park creators accepting their award and commenting on BSG.

    Tuesday, June 6

    Season 2.5 Is Coming Out This September!


    Source: Tv Shows on DVD

    One would never have guessed that news on Galactica's Season 2.5 boxed set would come out on 6-6-06- of all dates! But unofficially, tvshowsondvd reports that Season 2.5 will indeed be released in September, the 19th to be precise, and that it will contain the remaining 10 episodes of that respective season (#11-20) as well as the long-awaited, extended version of "Pegasus". This is indeed good news for fans who purchased Season 2.0. Now they have an opportunity to complete their set.
    Included alongside this article is the proposed artwork for the Season 2.5 set that was included as a flyer in the Galactica Season 2 soundtrack (which was just released).

    Close encounters with Grace Park

    Source: KoreAm Journal

    Grace Park is running down Hollywood Boulevard, all 6 feet of her (5 feet 9 inches without the stilettos) poured into a lipstick-red dress. Tourists near Grauman’s Chinese Theatre stop and stare, while male passersby crane their necks to catch sight of the toothsome stunner.

    “Who’s that?” Conversations ensue in several languages and soon, a Frenchman, a Russian woman, an Italian couple and a group of Japanese students are all snapping photos of the lady in red and her silver spaceman.

    This is a glimpse into a possible near future: Park fleeing an international menagerie of paparazzo. It is also a snapshot of the present: Park with extraterrestrial life form. Well, not really.

    Park is one of the stars of “Battlestar Galactica” (BSG), the Sci Fi Channel’s remake of the 1970s TV series. The modern rendition, a surprise hit that has garnered a cult following, is about a group of humans who survived a genocidal attack and their quest to find a new home on Earth. Their search for home, however, is obfuscated by Cylons, a race of man-made creatures hell-bent on destroying their creators.

    It’s all about survival.

    If there are any BSG fans on Hollywood Boulevard, they don’t seem to recognize Park, who plays a Cylon who doesn’t know she’s a Cylon until later. (Note to non-BSG fans: explanation to follow.) When not in military garb, Park is dressed down on the show.

    But today she’s glammed up, as if for the runway. A former model, Park is no stranger to the catwalk. She struts down the Walk of Fame, seemingly oblivious to the gawking and pointing. And with professional aplomb, she coolly complies as the photographer maneuvers her through the crowd.

    Spectators bundled up in hats and thick coats against the chilly weather look on as Park, though a Vancouver, Canada, resident, shivers nonetheless in her paper-thin dress. She grins and bears it, though. She did, after all, tell the photographer: “I’m game to do crazy things.”

    Park is the kind of girl you’d want to have a beer with, except that she’s not much of a drinker. She is, at turns, giddy, goofy, introspective and engaging. She’s down to earth — almost tomboyish — and her greetings are usually informal salutations, like “Hey, punk!” followed by a headlock.

    Compliment Park on her depth and compassion and she gives you mock evil laughter, à la Dr. Evil from “Austin Powers.” Praise her beauty or hard work, and she deflects the praise, mentioning others’ contributions, or she just changes the subject.

    Park is multilayered but stops short of being complex — if only because, in Hollywood, “complex” is code for “high-maintenance b-tch.” She’s anything but. On the 45-minute drive from the KoreAm office to Hollywood, for example, she took the backseat in the cramped Toyota minivan, drawing in her long legs close to her chest so the person seated in front would have more room. In the makeup chair, she’s ever mindful of what the artist is trying to do — “Am I sitting too tall for you? Look up or down?”

    Click the KoreAm Journal link to Read the rest of the article.

    Newshound: weissman

    Holy Frak BSG at MT&R

    Source: MT&R
    Some of the cast and crew of Battlestar Galactica joined forces at a special Museum of Television and Radio event in NYC at the weekend. You can view the webcast of their session with TV Guide critic Matt Roush over at MT&R. There is a brief Q&A and trivia session and the discussion contains some spoilers for Season 3. David Eick and Ron Moore also briefly discuss their future plans for the Galactica spinoff series 'Caprica'.

    “And it’s all the corporations involved in struggling how to find the best way for this artificial intelligence to realize itself,” says Eick. “And so you have a lot of conflict between the corporate barons and the scientists and the dreamers, who are all looking upon this thing really as a great breakthrough. There was a great piece in the LA Times yesterday about nanotechnology, and how terrifying it really is because we known so little about it and we’re already starting to use it. And so it sort of follows that principle of stumbling upon some technological advance, some epiphany that you start putting to use even before you quite understand what it is or what it might do.”

    The producers also mention that Remi Aubuchon, who is writing the pilot for Caprica, has promised to submit his script to them in about two weeks.

    Click the link to watch the webcast.