Saturday, September 27

Bamber shocked at Battlestar success

Source : MetroUK


Actor Jamie Bamber has admitted he never expected Battlestar Galactica to be such a huge success.
The 35-year-old, who plays Captain Lee 'Apollo' Adama in the show, said: "To be honest I didn't expect very much from it. It was one of those things I thought I was doing because it was on the table, it was a job that was around."

Jamie, who has starred in all four seasons of the new Battlestar Galactica TV series, said he was thrilled with how the show concluded.
He said: "Beside myself, pleased. Especially now I'm looking back at it in hindsight and I realise that the whole thing was a very special chunk of my life for many many many reasons.
"We were just telling this epic story with soap operatic tinges. The final 20 episodes I think are the best by a mile. Very proud about it, very nostalgic."

The British actor added: "Our show doesn't really appeal to those who haven't been along for the ride. This thing is one big story and if you just read the last chapter it won't be as rewarding as starting at the beginning.

"So anybody who has been along for the ride will be absolutely overwhelmed and salivating at the prospect of the final series, and they will not be disappointed."

Battlestar Galactica: Season 4 is out on DVD October 6 courtesy of Universal Playback.

Wednesday, September 24

Sci-Fi Weekly Site of the Week: Galactica Station

Source: Sci-Fi Weekly

There were those who believed it couldn't be done, but Ron Moore proved the skeptics wrong. For fans of the 1978 version of Battlestar Galactica and new initiates alike, the re-imagined series has been both a surprise and a revelation. Ever since the 2003 miniseries kicked off the new Galactica, it has expanded the scope of the original show without straying from its essence, tackling complex political, moral and religious issues and wowing audiences and reviewers alike. Now, as Galactica nears the end of its fourth and final season, the show that gave viewers human-looking Cylons and a female Starbuck has also spawned games, original webisodes and, of course, a passionately loyal Internet following.

Until those much-awaited Season 4.5 episodes do begin airing in 2009, devotees of the show are left to count down the days at places like Galactica Station, a spoilers- and photo-rich Web community where fans can gather to chat about the show and exchange anything from news and opinions to original Galactica-themed fiction and artwork. The site's blog has articles on all things BSG: the scoop on Katee Sackhoff's next acting job (not, sadly, in a sci-fi series), information about upcoming TV movies and the spinoff pilot Caprica—even a link to a CNN article that examines the linguistic inroads the word "frak" has made into mainstream American English.

Galactica Station also has episode guides, screen grabs, actor biographies, webisode transcripts and wallpaper. Its discussion forum, Ragnar Anchorage, is a busy and well-moderated community of enthusiastic viewers. Well-informed and utterly thorough as it tracks Galactica rumors through the noise of cyberspace, this site will keep appetites whetted for the final adventures of the imperiled survivors of the Twelve Colonies and their implacable Cylon pursuers.

Tuesday, September 23

Mary McDonnell Heads to 'Grey's Anatomy'

Source: Buddy TV

While watching the Emmys this past Sunday, I couldn't help but feel disappointed when the list of nominees for Best Actress in a Drama Series were announced. Some of the actresses were more than worthy of their nominations, but the category didn't acknowledge amazing performances from people like January Jones (Mad Men), Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights), or Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica). How do you hand out an award for dramatic acting without considering three of the most talented ladies on television?

One of these women may have a shot at a trophy next year, but probably not for the series she's most known for. The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Mary McDonnell has signed on for a multi-episode arc on Grey's Anatomy, which is full of Emmy-nominated actors.

It's great news that President Roslin herself will soon be walking the halls of Seattle Grace, but who will she play? As usual, the folks at Grey's Anatomy are keeping the role shrouded in secrecy. All that's known is that the BSG star will appear in three-to-five episodes, and that her installments will fall somewhere in the middle of the season. Even with no knowledge of her role, I'm certain McDonnell has a much better chance of landing a Guest Actor Emmy nomination next year rather than being recognized for her work on BSG. Grey's Anatomy is a high profile ratings juggernaut, and McDonnell's performance is bound to bring her legions of new fans.

In other Battlestar Galactica news, Tricia Helfer (Number 6) recently told Kristin at E!Online that the upcoming BSG TV movie will be called The Plan. "It deals with the Cylon perspective on the world of Battlestar Galactica," she reveals. "The Cylons have always said they had a plan, and this elaborates on that." McDonnell won't appear in the movie, but it will feature many other actors from the BSG universe. The two-hour feature, which will be directed by series star Edward James Olmos, will air on the Sci Fi Channel in 2009.

Fans of McDonnell can see the actress on Grey's Anatomy either late in 2008 or early in 2009. She'll also appear in the final episodes of BSG, which begin airing on the Sci Fi Channel in January.

Thursday, September 18

Sexy 'Battlestar Galactica' star strips off for 'FHM'

Source: Oneindia

'Battlestar Galactica' star Tricia Helfer is set to send pulses into orbit with a sexy photo shoot for 'FHM'. Tricia took a break from her role as merciless Cylon Caprica Six on the cult TV series to show off her gorgeous curves in the magazine. Clad only in spiked heels and black lingerie, the 34-year-old serves up some smouldering snaps which are sure to get everyone's viper engines running and not just 'Battlestar Galactica' fans!

Her picture-perfect poses should come as no surprise, since the actress also works as a professional model. She is still surprised by her star status and the reaction she gets from 'Battlestar Galactica' fans. "People are so nice to me in the supermarket. Maybe they think that I am going to smash a mirror into their head," she joked.

But Tricia is no brutal killer like her character on the television show, although her sexy photo shoot for 'FHM' is sure to slay men's hearts.

Saturday, September 13

Katee Sackhoff joins cop show on NBC

Source: Zap2it.com

Katee Sackhoff's next TV role will be decidedly more earthbound than the one that has made her famous.

The "Battlestar Galactica" star has signed on to Dick Wolf's NBC pilot "Lost and Found."

She'll play an LAPD detective who is banished to working John and Jane Doe cases after clashing with department brass.

Her involvement lifts a casting contingency on the pilot and gives it a formal green light, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Writer Chris Levinson initially pitched "Lost and Found" during the 2006-07 season. NBC passed then but took another look at the project over the summer. Levinson will executive-produce with Wolf, Nina Rodrigue and Peter Jankowski.

In addition to "Galactica," where she plays Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, Sackhoff had a recurring part on NBC's short-lived "Bionic Woman" remake last year.

Thursday, September 4

'Battlestar Galactica' movie snares Tricia Helfer, Grace Park and lots more Cylons

Source: The Watcher

First of all, Sci Fi batted down a rumor that emerged from a “Battlestar” panel at a convention over the weekend. The rumor was that the show’s last batch of episodes might not arrive until April 2009.

Not so. The target date for Season 4.5 is still January, the network told Sci Fi Wire. Pretty please -- let that date be set in stone. I am not sure I could wait four more months for the final batch of “Battlestar” goodness. It already feels as though January is an eternity away.

Secondly, the second “Battlestar Galactica” TV movie begins shooting on Monday in Vancouver. When the existence of the movie was finally confirmed by Sci Fi a few weeks back, the network noted that Edward James Olmos (Admiral Adama), Michael Trucco (Sam Anders), Aaron Douglas (Chief Tyrol) and Dean Stockwell (Brother Cavil) would appear in it. Olmos is also directing the film, which is Cylon-centric.

But I got to wondering -- who else is in it? A source close to the production said we can also count on seeing a host of actors who play Cylons on the show: Tricia Helfer (No. 6), Grace Park (Boomer/Athena), Rick Worthy (Simon), Matthew Bennett (Doral) and Callum Keith Rennie (Leoben).

Helfer certainly has a full dance card: She’s playing a mysterious spy handler on “Burn Notice,” which returns with its last two summer episodes Sept. 11, and she also landed a role in a mid-season Fox pilot, “Inseparable.” (At left, Katee Sackhoff, Mary McDonnell, "Battlestar" executive producer Ron Moore and Helfer).

It’s a bit of a bummer to learn that Saul Tigh (Michael Hogan), perhaps the show’s most compelling Cylon, doesn’t have a big role in the new film, which will air some time after the show's season finale. My source says that Tigh and a fellow Cylon, Tory Foster (Rekha Sharma), are in the film, but “not as much." In convention footage posted at Galactica Sitrep, Olmos indicates that Chief Tyrol has a good-sized role in the film.

Ah well, I’ll just nurture a (probably futile) hope that one day there will be a third “Battlestar” movie, and that it’s Saul Tigh's Tigh-lon adventure. A girl can dream, right?

Finally, in other outer space news, there’s been no decision yet on a pickup for “Caprica,” the prequel series set 51 years before the events of “Battlestar Galactica.”

The 2-hour “Caprica” film, written by “Battlestar” executive producer Ron Moore and “24’s” Remi Aubuchon, wrapped weeks ago and Sci Fi executives are contemplating now whether to make it a full series that would debut in 2009. A few weeks back, Sci Fi execs felt so good about the show that they ordered additional scripts, but there’s been no news since then. (A side note: "Battlestar" writer Mark Verheiden, who wrote one of those "Caprica" scripts, has begun work as a writer on NBC's "Heroes," where he'll be helping out with the second arc of Season 3).

Regarding a "Caprica" pickup, “no word yet, but all signs look good at this point,” Moore said Tuesday. He added that a decision on the fate of "Caprica," which he discussed more here, should be made in “the next few weeks.”

Finally, this piece examines the growing popularity of a certain made-up expletive popularized by “Battlestar Galactica.”

Tuesday, September 2

The curse word 'Battlestar Galactica' created

Source: CNN

It was Larson who first used the faux curse word "frak" in the original "Battlestar Galactica." The word was mostly overlooked back in the '70s series but is working its way into popular vocabulary as SciFi's modern update winds down production.

"All joking aside, say what you will about what you might call the lowbrow nature of many of his shows, he did something truly amazing and subversive, up there with what Steven Bochco gets credit for, with 'frak,' " Goldberg said.

There's no question what the word stands for and it's used gleefully, as many as 20 times in some episodes.

"And he was saying it 30 years ago in the original goofy, god-awful 'Battlestar Galactica,' " said Goldberg, a television writer and novelist whose credits include "Monk" and "Diagnosis Murder."

The word is showing up everywhere -- on T-shirts, in sit-coms, best-selling novels and regular conversation.

"I have to start by saying that I'm drinking coffee out of a mug that says 'frak off' on the side of it, so much has it seeped into my life," "Galactica" star Jamie Bamber said.

The word is insinuating its way into popular vocabulary for a simple reason.

You can't get in trouble. It's a made-up word.

"It may have been the great George Carlin who talked about these things so cleverly," Larson said. "He'd say, 'Mother would say shoot, but she meant ... when she reached in and burned her fingers on the crocker.' And the child says, 'I know what you meant, Mom.' "

The word has slipped the bonds that tethered other pretenders like Mork's "shazbot" in "Mork & Mindy" or Col. Sherman T. Potter's "horse hockey" in "M*A*S*H." Its usage has moved from the small but fervent group of "Galactica" fans into everyday language. It's shown up in very mainstream shows like "The Office," "Gossip Girl" and "Scrubs." One YouTube posting has 2 minutes of sound bites that cover the gamut.

"I'm in my own little cocoon of science fictiondom, but it is certainly used around here and amongst the people I know," said Irene Gallo, art director at the sci-fi imprint Tor Books, where employees held a "frak party" to watch the season premiere. "It's sort of a way to be able to use a four-letter word without really getting into any kind of HR trouble or with people you're really not quite comfortable being yourself with."

The word has even appeared in the funny pages where Dilbert muttered a disconsolate "frack" -- the original spelling before producers of the current show changed it to a four-letter word -- after a particularly dumb order from his evil twit of a boss.

"Dilbert" creator Scott Adams calls the word "pure genius."

"At first I thought 'frak' was too contrived and it bothered me to hear it," Adams said. "Over time it merged in my mind with its coarser cousin and totally worked. The creators ingeniously found a way to make viewers curse in their own heads -- you tend to translate the word -- and yet the show is not profane."

Best-selling novelist Robert Crais slips the word into the prologue of his latest Elvis Cole mystery, "Chasing Darkness." He did it because "Galactica" is his favorite show, like calling out in the wilderness to his fellow fans. But he sees the word popping up everywhere, even among those who have never watched the show.

"It's viral, it spreads like a virus," Crais said. "That first wave of people who use it are all fans. They use it because they're tickled by it and like me they're paying an homage to the show. When they're using it, they're probably doing it with a sly wink. But as it gets heard and people use it, it spreads."

The re-imagined "Battlestar Galactica" tells the story of the human survivors of a war with a robotic race known as the Cylons. Fewer than 40,000 humans remain in a ragtag fleet being pursued across space by the Cylons, who wiped out the 12 colonies in a surprise nuclear holocaust.

Their destination is the mythical planet Earth, a legend passed down in religious texts. Shooting wrapped in July and the final 10 episodes will appear beginning in January.

Larson, one of television's most prolific and successful writers, doesn't much care for the new series. He used "frack" and its cousin "feldergarb" as alternates for curse words because the original "Battlestar" was family friendly and appeared on Sunday nights. The words fit in with his philosophy that while the show was about humans, it shouldn't have an Earthly feel.

In what he said was his first interview about the series, Larson says there were no red fire extinguishers on his Battlestar Galactica and characters wore original costumes, not suits and ties.

"Our point was to whenever possible make it a departure like you're visiting somewhere else," Larson said. "And we did coin certain phrases for use in expletive situations, but we tried to carry that over into a lot of other stuff, even push brooms and the coin of the realm."

When new series producer Ron Moore first introduced "frak" in early scripts, Bamber said the actors were dubious. But as writers expanded its use, they caught on to the possibilities.

"I mean why are we not offended by 'frak' because it means exactly the same thing as the other thing?" said Bamber, who plays fighter pilot-turned-president Lee "Apollo" Adama. "So it raises questions about language and why certain words are offensive. Is it their meaning? ... Clearly it's not their meaning. Clearly it's literally their sound."

Co-executive producer and writer Michael Angeli, an Emmy nominee for the episode "Six of One," said using the word in scripts is satisfying for anyone who's been censored over the years.

"It's a great way to do something naughty and get away with it," Angeli said. "One of the things that television shows do constantly is they battle with Standards and Practices over what can be seen and what can't be seen, what can be said and what can't be said.

"A lot of our characters are soldiers. That whole sort of view and that subculture, that's how they speak. They're rough and tumble, and they're bawdy and they swear."

He said producers have gotten no complaints from SciFi owner NBC Universal or the Federal Communications Commission.

Goldberg believes Larson should get more credit for "frak" and has posted an appreciation on his Web site. He even sought out Larson to let him know how he feels: "I told him, 'Frak is fraking brilliant, Glen.' "

BSG Not Returning until April 2009?

Source: CinemaBlend


It looks like we could be waiting until April of 2009 for the rest of the fourth and final season of Battlestar Galactica to air. I don’t know why but this rumor doesn’t really surprise me. Perhaps it’s because SciFi kept us hanging for a year before they started airing the first half of the fourth season, so I guess I’m not getting my hopes up that we’ll get the rest of it in the earlier months of 2009.

GeeksofDoom.com reported the rumor, which came from BSG star Aaron Douglas at Dragon Con 2008. Douglas plays Chief Tyrol in the series and according to Geeks of Doom, complained a bit about SciFi ignoring their biggest hit. Douglas went on to say, Ten episodes is not a season, in reference to the first half of the fourth season that aired from April to June of this year.

This is just pure speculation here, but I'm going to disagree with Douglas. I don’t think the SciFi network is ignoring their most popular series so much as they are trying to keep the many fans of the show hanging on until they’re ready to roll out the prequel-spinoff series. Caprica will begin with a two-hour backdoor pilot set to air either towards the end of 2008 or early 2009, with the actual series airing sometime next year. I’m guessing that the network wants to combine the hype with the end of BSG with that of the new series in an attempt to bring as many BSG fans over to Caprica as possible. I can’t think of any other reason why the network would hold back the rest of the season when there are so many of us BSG geeks just itching to find out how it all ends.

As for the finale of BSG, Geeks of Doom reports that BSG Scientific Advisor Kevin Grazier says it’s a real tear jerker.