Thursday, July 20

Monthly Moderator Interview July 2006


Many thanks to CylonGod for being in the hot seat last month. This month we have a Viper lined up to take his turn in the Hot seat. He is known around RA for his blue cookie eating ways with a love for the balti .Phantom Dennis locks and loads in his Viper MkII , collects his cookie supply and sits down for a Q&A .


What made you watch the New Series of BSG?

Was a follower of the old series and was curious to see how it was. In fact negative publicity from fans of the pilot made me even more determined to start watching. I was impressed for the start and am still very appreciative of my friend who loaned me the copy of the pilot epiosde.

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

The meeting up of the Rag Tag Fugitive Fleet with the Battlestar Pegasus.. In particular its the tense start changing to relief and delight when they realise that they are not the sole survivors of the holocaust. Bears music makes this intense emotional moment even more poignant.

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

Not sure if I relate to him, but he is my focal point of the series and that character is Bill Adama. In the pilot he is definately in the twilight of his career, winding down and being "decommisioned" in a similar way as Galactica. However, when the Cylon attack occurred, Bill's weariness and age fall away and he rises to the challenge of saving the remanants of mankind and giving them hope and purpose.

Do you feel that the show could be improved in any way?

Perhaps stretching the episode for an hour.. There is so much plot crammed into each episode. You sometimes need a little time to digest the various threads. It would also enable some backplot to be put in, to show scope beyond the lives of the main characters. The new Doctor Who I feel sometimes also suffers from too much happening too quickly and I believe could be improved in a similar manner. I do like the concentrated number of episodes (20 per season). I would rather have quality over quantity, but an extra 10 minutes or so per episode I would feel would go a long way to improve things, set scenes and fully realise the potential of each script.

What is your favorite BSG episode so far?

End of Season One Kobols Last Gleaming Pt. II... Why is it your favorite?So much happens, its like a roller coaster ride. Tension between Adama and Roslin (and I respect both characters!!) Apollo commiting an act of mutiny or disregarding an illegal order depending upon your take. Raptor crews downed and stranded on Kobol and as for the finale with Boomer shooting Bill, how could it not be anyones favourite?

With Many new writers such as Jane Espenson of Buffy fame pening episodes do you think there will be a new episode style?

I think some change of style is inevitable. All writers can offer their own perspective. As long as it follows the same gritty premise that has been pursued so far, I am confident that the reimagined BSG will run for several series to come.

With the Emmy disappointment that Battlestar Suffered, why do Sci-Fi Shows get such a raw deal from the Emmy’s?

Sci-fi is often lampooned by the popular media and yet when surveys are commissioned of favourite films and TV shows the ones ranking high in the polls are the Sci-fi or cult ones. Although they have a "geeky" reputation many people watch them. The reason is this, Sci-fi offers all the plot devices a conventional show has.. The main difference is that its real people in unreal situations.. Intelligent people can work with that.. Perhaps this says someting about people involved with these award events. They don't "get it" because perhaps they can't see there way out of the mundane box. To quote Starbuck, out of the box is where I live.

There has been much criticism over the DVD releases of the show in the UK; do you feel that UK fans have been Short Changed with the lack of Extras on the DVD sets?

Yes, but what else is new. This is why fandom springs up. Fandom is akin to a fan union and tries tod create a voice to serve the interests of fans in general. If we shout loud enough the powers that be should listen.. We make their shows and merchandising a success, ignore us at your peril.. (or profit)

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

Its gritty well written scripts. Its well fleshed out characters and its determination not to becomes another "trek" or "stargate" BSG doesnt pull any punches or patronise its audience.

What has been your best Battlesatar Convention Experience?

Meeting briefly Katee Sackoff and James Callis. The actors are charming and are generally happy to reach out to the wider fan community. Im hoping to attend more BSG conventions in the future so watch this space....

Which BSG sound track do you like the most?

The Pegasus Episode sound track, it just works for me. Combination of instruments, tempo and the visuals in the episode that it accompanies. A very moving composition.

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

Come across more colonial survivors and ships. Although I dont know how this can realistically be intergrated into the current ongoing plot. Perhaps the Cylons dump the humans on New Caprica after finding them hidden from other parts of the colonies. This may create some interesting dynamics, especially if some of them are from the old Pegasus RTF...

Will the Colonials ever reach Earth?

Yes, but I'm a twisted kind of person. Being a fan of dark 70's style British shows (like Survivors) There should be a kind of sting, this would keep the show in the same sort of style that has been presented so far. My ideas about this are not clearly formed yet... But a sweet and rosey ending a definite NO-NO.

How do you feel the Third Season should shape up?

Want to see more of the background characters, in 3rd season episodes. In order to see the reasoning and motives of the more secondary characters. Ie. Who keeps the civvie ships running, what about schools and the little people keeping the RTF up and running.

With the creation of the Web episodes “Caprica” is there a certain area of back-story or a facet of the colonies you would like to be seen explained?

How the cylons get created from initial models to the more advanced models that we see in BSG_TNS. The Hows and whys of the Cylon revolt and what life was like in the colonies before the war.

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

Variety of characters, and the fact that no character is immune from death and that each character seems to have flaws in their personnas. This realism gives you something to identify with and gives the whole show a more realistic context and credible feel.

Any further Comments …..?

You want me to talk more??? ... ;-)

Thanks PD , look for another Moderator Interview next month.

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