Bamber: Razor Is Sharp

Source: SciFi Wire

Battlestar Galactica star Jamie Bamber told reporters that the upcoming prequel film, Razor, fulfills the cast's desire to make a feature-length Battlestar adventure.

The telefilm follows Lee Adama (Bamber) as he assumes command of the Battlestar Pegasus and also recalls events of nearly a year before, on the eve of the Cylon attack, involving then-Pegasus commander Admiral Cain (Michelle Forbes) and her protege, Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Jacobsen).

"The basic concept I was really, really in love with," Bamber said in a conference call. "I thought it was very bold, different. Every one of us in the Galactica family has always nurtured a not-so-secret passion to try and make a movie out of the show, because there are so many things that on a week-in-week-out one-hour drama you have to compromise on, budgetarily and in terms of storylines and how much you can fit into 44 minutes of a narrative. It was great to tell a longer story and to have a bit more money to throw at it and to tell a huge arc."

Bamber added: "[It goes] right back from before the miniseries, before the very first shot we ever picked up on in the show, and goes right the way through to the back end of season two. It was a huge script in its ambition. It tries to introduce a new character [Shaw], which I thought was a great way to ... see it all from a pair of eyes that we haven't actually met before, that we'll have to meet all the main characters all over again. I thought that was a very worthy endeavor and a good way to bring a new audience to Battlestar before a fourth season being aired." Battlestar Galactica: Razor will premiere on Nov. 24 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The upcoming fourth and final season of the show kicks off in early 2008.

SCI FI, meanwhile, announced that Razor will screen threatrically in special preview screenings in select movie theaters on Nov. 12.

Gary Hutzel GALACTICA.TV interview

Source: Galactica TV

Noah Kadner had the chance to talk to Gary Hutzel, special effects supervisor on the Battlestar Galactica 2003 series. He talks about the digitalization of original Cylons, Raiders and Vipers for the webisodes and the upcoming Battlestar Galactica movie "Razor" and he granted us the very first exclusive images of his work to illustrate the interview. His credits as supervisor also include Spy Kids, Red Planet, Star Trek: DS9 and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

What lead to the decision to feature Cylon Raiders and Centurion designs from the 1970s version of Battlestar Galactica?

We're going back 40 years to the original Cylon war. We wanted to create a Centurion that would be like the original but be completely robotic. There was never a discussion about putting guys in suits. Pierre Drolet, our in house modeler designed that. Richard Livingston did illustrations for us and did a great job.


Click the Galactica TV link to continue.

Razor Flashback 4

The show's 4th Season will premiere in early April

Source: LA Times

Ronald D. Moore, the executive producer who runs "Battlestar Galactica," is gearing up for the long goodbye by taking on a new task. He will step into the director’s chair for the first time next season as his dramatic reinvention of the hokey 1970s’ space opera treks toward the end. The final 20-episode run will kick off in — you read it here first — early April.

Moore’s work on the show as a writer-producer landed "Battlestar" its first Emmy nomination in the drama writing category, where he faced off against the writers of "The Sopranos" and "Lost." A veteran of the "Star Trek" series "The Next Generation," "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager," Moore is also juggling writing duties for the upcoming feature films "The Thing" and the sequel to "I, Robot."

About his directing debut, Moore said, "It’s the perfect opportunity to try and do it here with my family — the cast and crew of the show — who have been working together for years now.

"For all I know, I’ll hate directing, but right now I’m hungry for it."

seLast season ended with a stunning revelation: Four of the characters aboard Galactica that have been helping lead the resistance discovered themselves to be Cylons, the robotic race apparently set on destroying humans. Moore said he’s directing an episode set deep in the Cylon world, as well as aboard Galactica. “On Galactica, things have really begun to fall apart ... and the relationship between President Laura Roslin [Mary McDonnell] and Adm. William Adama [Edward James Olmos] is going to get pretty interesting.”

Moore’s episode, however, won’t air until after the show takes a midseason break and will kick off the remaining episodes in “Battlestar’s” four-season run. Sci Fi Channel executives have not yet determined whether the final season will all air next year or be spread over 2008 and 2009.

“I’d probably prefer to see the entire thing air next year to maintain the momentum, to build excitement as it pushes to the end,” Moore said, “not to mention it means less chance of spoilers getting out.”

Lucy Lawless will be plugged back in as D’Anna, the rogue Cylon that was deactivated last season. She’ll be back early on for three episodes, which Moore said will serve as a catalyst for the rest of the season.

And as for that fifth “chosen” Cylon? “It’s definitely been decided who that one is,” Moore said, but it won’t be revealed early. “I can’t say when, but we’re certainly not waiting until the last episode to tell you who it is.”

In the meantime, the series’ fans can get their fix from “Razor,” an original two-hour episode that serves as something of a prequel to the existing “Battlestar” mythology. It premieres Nov. 24 on Sci Fi.

-- Denise Martin

Battlestar Galactica: Origins

Source: Newsarama

Following up on Battlestar Galactica: Zarek, which told of Tom Zarek’s early days, Dynamite will delve into the history of Gaius Baltar in November in the opening arc of Battlestar Galactica: Origins.

The series is something new for the publisher – an ongoing which will feature arcs centered on the early days of the Galactica’s crew and those who threaten her.

“We’ve had writers and creators working on Galactica stories for the last year, originally as a collection of mini-series,” said Joe Rybandt, Dynamite Editorial. “As they came together, we had a thought internally about creating a new series – Origins – and placing them within - all to serve as a companion to our current ongoing, Season Zero by Brandon Jerwa and Jackson Herbert.”

Given that Battlestar Galactica is a licensed property, and these stories being told haven’t been shown in the television series, where do these stories and their component elements come from?
“These stories have been developed over the last couple of years, while the show itself was developing its own backstory, so we combine what we know from the show and work in advance with the producers to fill in areas that they’re not exploring,” Rybandt said, adding who the targets of the series will be from the start. “We could tell stories for years on each and every cast member as there are so many rich characters, but to start, we’re focusing on the heavy hitters: Baltar and Six, Adama and Starbuck. We also have an event from the origins of the Galactica universe we’re focusing on, and that’s the first Cylon War, that may be folded into the Origins series, or may be an origins mini-series, that’s being decided now. As for the first arc, Baltar’s story is the key to the Galactica we know today. It was him that set the stage for the Cylon Apocalypse and he’s a truly fascinating character. Throw in his relationship with the Cylon model Six and you’ve got a no-brainer to start.”

Click Newsarama to see the rest

Battlestar Galactica Razor TV Review

Source: TV Blend

A note about spoilers. While we love that we’ve seen “Razor” and want nothing more than to share our elation with you, we also respect the story that is being told here. There are some spoilers out on the tubes that we feel are a detriment to your experience in watching “Razor,” and as such we have chosen to not include them in this review. Of course, being a review there are minor spoilers in the text that follows. Read on with the knowledge you are safe from having the episode ruined, but with the warning that some things may be revealed you had no idea of. Like Admiral Adama actually being a failed ventriloquist.

A warrior in battle has to put aside fear, doubt, and any human emotion that could lead to monumental loss on the field. Only when the warrior is able to do this will they become the ultimate wartime weapon, a Razor. And only through the actions of a Razor can there be hope to return to a life as human. The edge of a Razor cuts not only the enemy, but can slash through the warrior’s soul. “Razor,” the telemovie set to bring us into the fourth season of Battlestar Galactica, is the story of one warrior’s transformation into a Razor, and ultimately her redemption.

As a fellow fan of the show, dear reader, you are most assuredly aware that beyond the central spoilery plot points of this movie there is a wealth of story behind the actions of each person aboard Pegasus. So it is here that I inform you we will not be taking an in-depth look at every moment as we normally would in a BSG review. Instead let’s just bask in the glow that is a new story in the best universe currently on television.

After the death of Admiral Helena Cain, Lee Adama takes on the task of commanding Pegasus. A role that many of the ship’s crew believes was a gift from daddy. Among that crew is a young Lieutenant who has proven herself reckless and insubordinate under the previous two commanders who failed where Cain so often succeeded. Kendra Shaw is the living legacy of Admiral Cain, a young woman who came to Pegasus 10 months prior just as the second Cylon war began. Under Cain’s careful tutelage Kendra became the epitome of a Razor.

Let’s talk of the Admiral for a moment, because there are some humanizing events in “Razor” that shine a light on the woman rather than the military leader. Our first glimpse of Helena and Kendra together has the Admiral doing the unthinkable, pulling a bit of a prank as she berates the new recruit. Of course, the underlying message of not being late is still an important one. But it’s nice to know that Admiral Cain was at one time capable of a minor practical joke. It’s following this meeting the Cylons begin their attack.

“Razor” has much in common with the mini-series that started this whole show off a few years ago, and there’s an element of seeing the same thing from a whole new perspective during the flashback scenes. The destruction of the Colonies hits the crew of Pegasus hard, and as Adama did many FTL jumps away, Admiral Cain rallies her people with the passion only a seasoned leader can conjure up. So say we all.

What we see as the war begins is the final transformation of Admiral Cain into the Razor that is always waiting for battle to begin again. While there is a wonderful subplot involving Gina/Pegasix, which reveals why the atrocities visited upon the Cylon model were allowed, those actions were preceded by an absolute need for anyone under Cain’s command to obey orders. This is shown with the termination of her first XO, and Col. Fisk’s immediate compliance with orders when he assumes the responsibilities. As Kendra would tell Kara 10 months later, “You don’t disobey orders on this ship.”

It can certainly be argued that Admiral Cain was doing what had to be done. Even Bill Adama tells Lee later that he can’t fault Cain for any tactical maneuvers made by Pegasus under her command. But when emotions get the better of any warrior, the Razor can be turned on those it intended to protect. If you remember way back when, Col Fisk sat with Col Tigh to have a drink and confess about a slaughter of civilians he was a part of. It was during this atrocity that Cain lost control and cleaved out her own soul, and Kendra was forged as the legacy of the Admiral who relinquished control of her own power. The murder of the civilians impressed Cain, because it showed that Kendra was able to make the hard decisions so that later a normal life could become possible.

Ultimately that is what “Razor” is about, but there’s another plot that involves a young William Adama and the results of what he found out 40 years ago in the first Cylon war. Sadly, this whole plot is slightly integral to the overarching plot of BSG and I will not detail it here. I could write the words, quote the revelatory lines in the last 10 minutes of “Razor,” and spoil things for you. Perhaps you would forgive me for that, but if you’re a fan of the series then you’ll be grateful to watch this story unfold without the knowledge of what’s to come. And yes, the revelation at the end is a mega-ton. Imagine the finale of season 3, but tone down the “HOLY SHIT” just a little bit. That’s what happens at the end of “Razor.”

I am, however, comfortable talking about some of the random cool bits in this storyline. You will soon be seeing in the minisodes that air on Friday’s on Sci-Fi a glimpse of the original Centurian Cylon models, which look like a refined version of those used in the classic 70’s series of BSG. In fact, those minisodes are a wonderful look at the last battle of William Adama during the first Cylon war. What he finds on the planet comes back in “Razor” as the central mission that Kendra and Kara must complete. A mission that ends with Kendra’s redemption as she makes one last attempt to atone for her wrongs aboard the civilian ship where so many needlessly lost their lives.

As cool as the Cylon Raiders are, the old school Cylon ships are perhaps a little more badass. For one thing, they are actually piloted by Centurians as the organic processing of the Cylon race had only just begun. These last remnants of the old Cylon order were left out in space to protect an artifact that is important to their species. An artifact that has information that is vital to the survival of mankind.

“Razor” begins slowly, but soon builds up and pounds you with nearly non-stop action and excitement for a solid hour. Aside from last season’s premiere, this is the largest cavalcade of battles we’ve seen in BSG for a long while. It’s a welcome change for those who felt the mid-end of season 3 plodded along just a bit too much. Have no fear, there is a lot of action in “Razor,” and it will hold you until the very end. Ronald Moore and the crew working on the show have not lost their touch with brilliant storytelling weaved into a battle heavy showpiece. In fact, you could say that the writer and director of “Razor” found the magic that still leaves season one as the best in the shows history.

Premieres: Saturday, November 24th at 9pm on Sci-Fi

BSG Making Move to NBC?

Source: Slice of SciFi

It seems the rumors that NBC is thinking of picking up and running “Battlestar Galactica” have been around since the show’s second season. So, it’s not surprising to hear this rumor come up again.

What is surprising is how much closer to reality it is than it has been in the past.

The difference?

The looming writers strike.

With the strike looking more and more like a reality with each passing day, the networks could soon face a dilemma–no new shows or content to fill the airwaves. They could offer us all multiple repeats of shows, but it looks like NBC/Universal is looking to take a different route.

NBC is looking to draw upon the original series produced by NBC/Universal for its various cable holdings and networks.

This means that NBC could pick up and run such cable hits as “Battlestar Galactica” or “The 4400″ should the writers strike become a reality. SyFy Portal reports that NBC is considering picking up and running “Batttlestar” should the writers strike happen. No word yet on if NBC will start at the beginning and run the entire series or may pick and choose episodes to show its audience. In my opinion picking and choosing episodes would be the worst move that they could make for BSG.

Of course, the dark side to this news is that should the writers strike happen, it will cause delays in the production of the fourth season of “Battlestar Galactica” and lead to the inevitable wait until 2009 or even as late as 2010 for the final ten episodes.

So, it’s good news and bad news for “Galactica” fans.

Coming to a movie theater near you: 'Battlestar Galactica: Razor'

Source: The Watcher

If you're on pins and needles waiting for the Nov. 24 debut of the Sci Fi Channel movie "Battlestar Galactica: Razor," help is at hand. You may only have to wait until Nov. 12.

There will be free screenings of the film in movie theaters in eight cities on Nov. 12: Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, San Francisco, Dallas, Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle and, yes, Chicago. The screenings will take place at multiple locations in each city, but all of the screenings will be on the evening of Nov. 12.

The Chicago-area screenings are at the AMC River East 21 in Chicago, the Century 16 Deer Park in Deer Park and the Century Evanston 18 in Evanston.

Admission is free, but those who want to see “Razor” at a movie theater must first register at the site battlestarevent.com. The site will not go live until Friday. Repeat: The site will not go live until Friday. Seat registrations will be given away first-come, first-serve.

“Razor” delves into Lee Adama’s (Jamie Bamber) command of the Battlestar Pegasus and also depicts events that took place on that ship just after the Cylon attack 10 months earlier, while it was under the command of Helena Cain (Michelle Forbes). Cain and the Pegasus, “Battlestar” fans will recall, were first glimpsed in Season 2 of “Battlestar Galactica.”

What will be shown at the Nov. 12 event will be the TV version of “Razor,” which is around 84 minutes long. A 101-minute version of the film, which will be released on DVD on Dec. 4. “Battlestar Galactica” co-executive producer Michael Taylor, who wrote “Razor,” shared some details on what will be on the DVD version. (Extremely mild spoilers ahead. What is below does not give away any plot points about "Razor.")

* Scenes involving “Young Helena Cain,” “Little Lucy Cain” and “Helena’s Father” were trimmed from the TV version. I noticed those names in the credits of the version of “Razor” that Sci Fi sent out and wondered if I had blinked and missed those characters. I didn’t – they’re only in the extended cut.
* On the DVD, there will also be a scene of Cain’s aide, Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Jacobsen) on Caprica.
* A couple of other scenes didn’t make into either version of “Razor.” Taylor said that “the earliest drafts of the script actually showed scenes of a couple of our regular characters on Caprica, but one got cut in the writing, and the other we left on the editing room floor.”

As for general thoughts on “Razor,” I don’t want to ruin a single thing about the movie for you, but overall, I thought it was good.

I thought the first half was especially strong (and the FX crew outdid really outdid themselves this time). Michelle Forbes, who plays Helena Cain, is of course terrific (and if the main impetus behind the film was to bring her back, that's reason enough), and Jacobsen also acquits herself well in her role.

But these are purely preliminary thoughts, and I feel the need to watch the movie again before I write a more complete review, which will run the week before “Razor” debuts.

Executive Producer Sheds Light on Laura Roslin

Source: Buddy TV

Fans of the cult sci-fi classic, Battlestar Galactica, have probably been climbing walls being without their favorite show for so long. Cyberspace is abuzz anew with the coming release of the special two-hour Battlestar Galactica: Razor movie on November 24.

While we all continue to await word on the exact premiere of the franchise's fourth and final season next year, we have some important tidbits and clarifications about the fate of one of its lead characters.

According to SyFy Portal, Terry Moore, wife of Battlestar Galactica executive producer, Ronald D. Moore, has denied rumors that Mary McDonnell's character, terminally ill former president Laura Roslin, will exit the series halfway through the coming last season. Terry Moore is a regular poster over at the SciFi Channel message boards and she promptly clarified the issue after speculations came out regarding McDonnell's premature demise on the program.

McDonnell had reportedly confided to a group of students who had spent time with her at a Massachusetts university last weekend that her Battlestar Galactica alter ego may be gone from the show as early as the middle of the much-anticipated fourth and final season.

"Mary told us that she only has three episodes left to film for BSG and is sad to say good-bye to Laura," a student who attended the gathering told SyFy Portal earlier this week.

For her part, Ronald D. Moore's wife immediately relayed the news to her husband.

"I just told Ron what this spoiler was, and he said the Laura spoiler is 'not true,'" Terry Moore assured. "He also said that he hasn't even told the studio what the end of the show is."

Still according to Terry Moore, her husband has just finished the 13th episode of Battlestar Galactica's concluding season. This leaves him with six more episodes to pen before the writers' strike gets underway as scheduled on November 1st.

Razor Flashback 3

Razor 10 Tidbits - To whet one's appetite

Source: Eonline

Battlestar Galactica: Razor, a two-hour TV movie premiering Nov. 24 on Sci Fi, is meant to tide us over until Battlestar Galactica the series returns in February 2008, and it absolutely delivers the BSG glories we've come to expect, with a little streak of Alien and Terminator 2 thrown in for good measure.

Preview copies were distributed to the press last week, and while we're not at liberty to disclose the entire story, I did feel it was my duty as a fellow fan to check it out and share what I could.

So, for your previewing pleasure, I've distilled Razor down to a list of the top 10 things you need to know. Enjoy!

1. Setting: Razor switches back and forth in time between Lee Adama's leadership of the Battlestar Pegasus and Admiral Helena Cain's (Michelle Forbes) leadership of the Pegasus immediately following the original Cylon attack.
2. Winks at the Audience: Gina's (Pegasus Six) last name is Inviere. Inviere is Old Gemenese for resurrection. Oh, those wacky Cylons and their name games.
3. Characters: Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen—who plays the heroine of our story, Kendra Shaw—is a star of tomorrow. Casting directors, have your phones at the ready.
4. Mythology: DNA is sooo cool. Just like on Heroes these days, everything is about missing links, evolutionary dead ends and hybrids. Also, maybe a few zombies.
5. Cast: Razor features lots of Lee, Kara, Adama and Gina/Pegasus Six; a smattering of Roslin; Tigh and Sharon in passing; and no Baltar, Tyrol or Helo.
6. Pacing: The first 15 minutes are unforgivably slow.
7. Quote to Remember: "All this has happened before and will happen again."
8. Foreshadowing: Kara Thrace gets another prophecy. Girl's the most heralded thing since Buffy, I'll swear.
9. Themes: Cain, for all her robust leadership, is best understood as a "Don't."
10. Effects: Here's to the creation of the 12 humanoid Cylons for the reimagined series. It was an inspired choice, because as Razor reminds us, the original-recipe toasters really are kind of clunky and dumb.

Update for Season 3 BSG DVDs for US

In a story from The Digital Bits, it appears that Battlestar Galactica: Season Three will most likely be coming out in April 2008 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

Apparently, Battlestar Galactica: Season Three "is already out in parts of Europe and it comes out on 11/21 in Australia." It seems that avid viewers of the show "use the DVDs to catch up on what's happened before the start of the new season."

Well, Battlestar Galactica Season Four returns to the airwaves in January. Thus fans might be doing some catching up while they are getting new information from this new season.

BSG on Xbox Live and PC

Source: WorthPlaying.com

Set in a distant part of the universe called the Twelve Colonies, players sign up to either defend the Galactica, or play as the ruthless Cylons as they seek to remove the human race from existence. Battlestar Galactica allows players to take part in enormous multi-player space battles – up to 16 players on PC or 8 on Xbox Live Arcade. Gamers can also play through the intense single-player campaign based on memorable episodes and storylines from the TV series including the riveting first episode of the continuing series, “33,” which finds the fleet in need of protection as it prepares to jump every thirty-three minutes; “Scar,” the season 2 standout that pit the Galactica pilots against a particularly vindictive Cylon Raider; the pivotal “Resurrection Ship,” in which a major asset of the Cylons is discovered and attacked; and the 2007 Emmy Award-winning episode, “Exodus.”

Features:

• Single-Player Campaign – Pilot various ships and complete memorable missions from the TV series.
• Multiplayer Game Mode – Play online with 8 players in this relentless space-based action shooter in Firefight, Skirmish and Domination modes.
• Legendary Spaceships – Fly 4 Human and 4 Cylon ships from the Viper II to the Cylon Raider, each with unique weapon capabilities.
• Special Weapons – Coordinate attacks with a gallery of destructive weapons including the missiles, guns and more.
• Realistic Effects – Full 3D graphics to show off the detailed ships and cosmic environment.
• Defensive Maneuvers – Avoid annihilation with the barrel roll, quick turnabouts and other aerial moves.

Battlestar Galactica, Everyone 10+ , is scheduled to be released on Xbox Live Arcade and PC (download & retail) , fall 2007.

BSG Trailer

Razor Flashback 2

Battling for Hearts And Minds in Space

source:The New York Sun

Whether or not one consumes movies and television shows vocationally, there's always a backlog to catch up on, and, as the end of any given year approaches, a modest sense of urgency can take hold. One Saturday night in December 2005, while in the throes of one of those year-end efforts, I rented two DVDs that, though much discussed, had eluded my Netflix queue. On the surface, the two films in question occupied polar extremes at either end of mainstream entertainment. Even before I pressed play on the first, I was sure it would demolish the second in the storytelling prizefight that choosing the two films in question had provoked.

The first contestant was Alexander Payne's "Sideways," a film that, it seemed, everyone had spent some portion of 2005 praising. The second was the three-hour pilot telefilm for the Sci-Fi Channel's "re-imagining" of "Battlestar Galactica," broadcast amid much hype and ludicrous-looking subway ads in December 2003.

It was no contest — and a surprise upset. When both discs were over, I realized that despite considerable skills and efforts put forth by Mr. Payne, his co-writer, Jim Taylor, and star Paul Giamatti, the latter's character, an obsessive, middle-aged, straight white male semi-alcoholic writer and critic — nearly my demographic twin — had failed to engage my empathy with anywhere near the intensity that I experienced watching a Nordic-featured infant euthanizing a genocidal religious zealot sex robot named Number Six, played by actress Tricia Helfer. Mr. Giamatti's desperation, loneliness, and anger I saw and I understood. Six's peculiar mixture of ardor, evangelism, and anxiety, I felt, and felt deeply.

It's always a slippery rhetorical slope to define something by what it is not. But "Battlestar Galactica" has two antecedents that are simply too relevant to ignore. The first is the original "Battlestar Galactica," a 1978 attempt by television producer Glen Larson to cash in on the big-screen popularity of "Star Wars" with a small-screen aesthetic copy of George Lucas's box-office sensation. The show starred Lorne Greene as Admiral Adama, commander of the titular starship who is charged with leading the remnants of a human civilization that has been all but wiped out by robot aliens called Cylons to a safe haven. They were now beginning on a planet that legend said had spawned Adama's people: Earth. Mr. Larson was the creative force behind "Knight Rider," "The Fall Guy," and several other highly successful and less-than-challenging network programs. Outside of a nod to Mr. Larson's Mormon heritage, "Battlestar Galactica" did not represent a departure from his prior orthodoxy. The show's pastiche of cardboard characters, cute robots, and idiotic "alien" slang were the laughingstock of my schoolyard the morning after its ballyhooed Sunday night debut. As the series ground on into two full seasons, the show's lack of originality (Lucas Film and 20th Century Fox unsuccessfully sued for copyright infringement) and shameless recycling of special effects footage only added to its infamy.

The new "Battlestar Galactica," the brainchild of writers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick, takes the bare bones of the original series premise and uses it to compellingly and meticulously explore how a society under siege preserves itself, and the corrosive pressure that preservation puts on individual beliefs and relationships. Messrs. Moore and Eick have remade the Cylons, which were portrayed as anonymous metal men on the original series, into a multiethnic race of clones who are both sensualists and religious zealots. As in the original, the Cylons' sneak attack sends Admiral Adama (played by the ageless, pockmarked, and gravelly voiced Edward James Olmos) and his fleet in search of Earth. But this time it also lands Adama on a personal and professional collision course with Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell), a cabinet level education secretary promoted to president and commander in chief by the Cylon extermination of everyone above her in the political chain of command.

During the course of one 13-episode season and two more full 20-episode seasons, the new "Battlestar Galactica" has remained acutely of the moment. By dealing with civil liberties issues, the war on terror, presidential privilege, abortion, fear-mongering mass media, and religious hatred in a dramatic and sympathetically contextualized way, the show has presented cable audiences with a more honest and emotional accounting of the human needs and choices behind these grave issues than either CNN or FOX.

While the characters on the show see themselves as freedom fighters, martyrs, heroes, villains, and saviors of humanity, their realistically self-destructive actions always argue otherwise. Everyone on "Galactica," including the robots, is a deeply flawed human accumulating new layers and new scars in each episode.

The other show the new "Battlestar Galactica" favorably does not resemble is "Star Trek: The Next Generation," the '80s "Star Trek" spin-off on which Mr. Moore began his writing and producing career. "New Generation" offered a sleek, soft-toned Enterprise that shepherded jump-suited purveyors of enlightenment and tolerance all over time and space. "Battlestar Galactica" imprisons a motley assortment of soldiers, refugees, quislings, and bureaucrats in an outdated interstellar aircraft carrier that escaped destruction simply because it was obsolescent. The only thing that the Galactica's dark, cramped passageways have room for, besides makeshift photo shrines to the dead, is a mammoth payload of emotional baggage shared by everyone on board.

The character tapestry that "Battlestar Galactica" wove during its first two seasons proved so richly textured that the Sci-Fi Channel aired "Webisodes" devoted to an otherwise unaccounted for story arc between seasons two and three. Beginning this Saturday night, the network will air what it describes as new "Battlestar" "minisodes" during prime time. At two-to-three minutes apiece, they might better be described as nanosodes, and, as they encompass backstory details for "Razor," a standalone two-hour "Galactica" dramatic digression to air in November, truth in advertising suggests that the word "trailer" or "preview" might be more representative. The minisodes will re-air on Sci Fi's Web site, and when the "Razor" telefilm comes to DVD, they will be part of the package.

For those of us who are irrevocably hooked on "Battlestar Galactica," the new minisodes won't just be an adventure in viral marketing, they'll be sweet relief. The series, which is expensive to produce and not the ratings bonanza that its producers hoped, is currently slated to conclude at the end of its fourth season next year. In the mean time, mini, Web, or otherwise, I'll take any kind of episode the "Battlestar Galactica" brain trust is willing to show me.

Razor Preview 2

Razor Preview

Razor Flashback 1

Universal Says No to 'Battlestar Galactica: Razor' on HD DVD

Source: Hi Def Digest
Despite persistent rumors to the contrary, Universal reiterated yesterday that it will not be bringing the 'Battlestar Galactica' telefilm 'Razor' to HD DVD this year.

As was previously reported, Universal delighted 'Galactica' fans when it announced back in August that it was bringing 'Battlestar Galactica: Season One' to HD DVD December 4, in an extensive box set overflowing with bonus features.

Since then, there have been persistent rumors that the Season One box set would be accompanied by an HD DVD release for the telefilm 'Battlestar Galactica: Razor.' Although the studio has denied these reports before, several retail listings have popped in recent weeks -- most notably at Amazon.com -- that fanned the flames yet again.

Hoping against hope that perhaps the studio had indeed changed its mind, we contacted Universal regarding the recent retail listings. Alas, the studio says that the retail listings are incorrect and that there is no currently-planned HD DVD release for 'Razor.'

On the bright side, the studio isn't ruling out a future HD DVD release for 'Razor,' either as a stand-alone title or as part of a future 'Season Four' box set. Needless to say, we'll keep you posted...

In the meantime, you'll find complete disc details for the HD DVD release of 'Battlestar Galactica: Season One' linked from our HD DVD Release Schedule, where it is indexed under December 4.

'Battlestar Galactica' Minisodes Debut Tonight

Source: Buddy TV

Hungry Battlestar Galactica fans will have a chance to satiate their thirst a little this evening when Sci Fi Channel premieres the Battlestar Galactica: Razor flashback minisodes during episodes of Flash Gordon. Yes, this is no doubt a move to try to bolster the ailing Gordon franchise, but if you can’t stomach Flash even for a kibble of Battlestar Galactica action – and no one would blame you if you couldn’t – you will be able to watch the two-minute minisodes online after they air.

The minisodes tell the tale of a young William Adama during the first Cylon war. The minisodes are around two minutes each and feature young Adama duking it out with hordes of centurions, and eventually making a discovery that will come back to haunt him and the Pegasus.

The suggestion is that there may be a bit of information in the minisodes vital to the story of Battlestar Galactica: Razor. If that is the case, fans may not be thrilled with the maneuver. Particularly ones that have to wade through an hour of Flash Gordon’s cathode vomit to get the gist.

Of course if the idea of watching a story two minutes at a time doesn’t appeal to you – as it might to say, someone with severe ADD – you can always wait and buy the Razor DVD that will be released within days of the movies airing. The DVD will contain all of the minisodes stitched together in one linear piece of story.

The movie itself will balance two time lines, that of Admiral Cain in the wake of the Cylon attack on Caprica, and Lee Adam’s first mission as commander of the Pegasus. The title, Razor, is a Colonial Veteran term that refers to a certain type of soldier, one who strips away their sense of humanity, doubt, and shame, until all that remains is a devastating human implement, a ‘Razor’ capable of rending enemies without remorse, and what happens when the blade cuts inward, into the soul of the human being that once was. Heavy.

Battlestar Galactica: Filling the Void with Comics

Source: Buddy TV

It's going to be a long wait for Battlestar Galactica fans before the final season of the prolific sci-fi series starts to air in 2008. Meanwhile Dynamite Entertainment will soon be releasing something that would hopefully ease the wait. Coming out this month is Battlestar Galactica: Pegasus, a one-shot issue featuring the adventures of the crew and commander of the Battlestar Pegasus.

After releasing Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero, Seattle-based comic writer Brandon Jerwa decided to come up with a 40-page one-shot featuring the unseen story of the Battlestar Pegasus and Commander Cain. In an interview with comicbookresources.com, he shares his gratitude towards Battlestar Galactica supporters and mentions his much awaited comics.

“Let me start by saying a big thank you to all the Battlestar Galactica fans that support the Dynamite comics. I know I speak for everyone involved when I tell you that we all work really, really hard on these books - double-and-triple checking the facts, sharing ideas, making changes based on feedback from our liaisons at the television show and just making sure we're churning out the very best that have to offer…my Battlestar Pegasus one-shot is dropping in October, and that one's definitely a companion piece to this series. The show might not be coming back full-time until 2008, but we're doing our best to fill the empty void in your life until then,” Jerwa, whose credits include G.I. Joe and Highlander, told comicbookresources.com.

Battlestar Galactica: Pegasus, which will be available with a cover from Greg Tocchini and with a Battlestar photo cover, chronicles the events leading up to the Cylon attack on the human colonies as seen in the "re-imagining" of Battlestar Galactica on the Sci-Fi Channel.

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