The return of 'Battlestar Galactica' on Sci Fi

ZAPIT

Although there are hints and spoilers and even an eight-minute summary of the show out there in cyberspace, fans of Sci Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica" will have to wait until next Friday to actually see the first episode of the front half of the space opera's fourth and final season.

If all goes as speculated, by the end of that 20-episode season - the dates for the back half have yet to be announced - the space fleet carrying the human survivors of a devastating nuclear attack on their 12 planetary colonies by their vengeful creations, the mechanistic Cylons, should reach Earth, the 13th human colony in their mythology.

Tonight at 10, Sci Fi is airing back-to-back half-hour specials, a retrospective called "Battlestar Galactica: Revisited" and a celebrity tribute called "Battlestar Galactica: The Phenomenon," but that's still a long time to wait.

"Battle"-stars revved up

In the meantime, fans could head to the official Web site of star Tricia Helfer, who plays the sultry Cylon Number Six, at tricia helfer.com and look for photos of her and co-star Katee Sackhoff, who plays pugnacious pilot Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, on a recent motorcycle trip to Solvang, Calif., where the movie "Sideways" was filmed.

"There are pictures on the Web of us on our motorcycles," Sackhoff says, "so that's pretty funny."

Also on the ride were Tricia's husband, Jonathan Marshall; Katee's boyfriend, Scott Niemeyer; and friend and fellow actor Mark Derwin.

"Tricia has a Harley Sportster, which is what I was going to start out on," Sackhoff says, "but I was a little intimidated by the whole 'get on a motorcycle' thing. Shifting ... oh, my God, I never dreamed that shifting could become second nature. It didn't seem easy to me, so I ended up getting a Honda 750.

"I've already outgrown it. I've put 600 miles on it, and I'm already over it. I keep saying to my boyfriend, 'I need to get some big, huge Harley now, because my bike is so small.'"

Turns out her helmet may be a bit undersized as well.

"I have a little half-helmet," she says, "the least amount you could wear with the DOT telling you that you're not breaking the law.

Tricia's got a good, big, full helmet.

"She's smarter than the rest of us, because the last ride we went on, it was so cold. She was like, 'I'm fine,' because her head was so warm, as I'm trying to keep my bandanna around my face, driving at 70 miles per hour. It doesn't work so well."

Life after "Galactica"

Sackhoff and her fellow cast members returned to work in Vancouver, British Columbia, this week after a lengthy production shutdown due to the recently settled Writers Guild of America strike. That meant that the cast got an unexpected preview of life after "Battlestar." Although Sackhoff had already been moonlighting as crazed cyborg Sarah Corvus in NBC's short-lived revival of "Bionic Woman," the separation still came with some surprises.

"Because of 'Bionic,'" she says, "it never really hit me that it was going to be over, and I didn't have time to really contemplate what the end was going to feel like. So I was OK with it, to be honest. I was, 'Yeah, it's over. It'll be fine. We'll all move on. We'll see each other.'

"This three-month break, no one talked. It was crazy, crazy. It just gave us a taste of who would be in your life later, which was interesting." Sackhoff says she did see Helfer "quite a bit," as well as Michael Trucco, who plays Sam Anders, but only had sporadic encounters with other cast members.

"Tricia and Michael and I, we all ride motorcycles, so we do that together," Sackhoff says. "So, I think that when you have other things in common other than the show, that's when you actually keep in touch."

Sackhoff says she has learned many things on "Battlestar" and "Bionic," including "how to take apart an AK-47 and put it back together blindfolded. So it's one of those things you put on your resume along with knife-training skills. I tend to think I could handle a [real] weapon pretty well."

But, given her druthers, Sackhoff would rather do a romantic comedy next. "That would be my next great challenge. Maybe some running, maybe some hiding, but no shooting, no blood, no guts. I've had my fill of blood and guns."

Battlestar Rolls On Tuesday..

Source: Mark Verheidens

Tomorrow's the big day, we start shooting episode #12 of the twenty episodes left for season four and the series. Mr. Ron Moore himself writes and directs this opus, and... that's all I'm going to say about the episode itself. Except it will probably run the usual 42-ish minutes and I can almost guarantee it will be shot in beautiful color.

I never cease to be amazed at what a freight-train it is when you're in the middle of production. Drafts of scripts are coming in, outlines, notes, production issues pop up... it's just one thing after another, but when you're shooting, you also get a batch of dailies from the set and get to go "ahhhh." (Or occasionally "what th--?" or "oops" or "Holy Crap!", but those are pretty rare on BSG.) That's the fun of television. I'm writing the next episode up to bat, and the immediacy from script to stage never ceases to amaze me, especially coming from a feature background, where it can take a week to figure out who will handle the catering.

So tomorrow. Shooting. Think good thoughts..

Battlestar Galactica Panel

UGO

"It's not a space-based action-adventure show. It's based on a planet, it's very character-oriented." Last week's Battlestar Galactica press conference in New York City - featuring series creator and producer Ron Moore, producer David Eick and cast members Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Aaron Douglas, Tricia Helfer, Michael Hogan, Mary McDonnell, Edward James Olmos, Grace Park and Katee Sackhoff - brought with it the announcement that Moore's prequel series Caprica has been picked up for a pilot by Sci-Fi Channel. This news comes at a particularly welcome time for forlorn fans who will soon lament the departure of Battlestar, which begins its final season on April 4.

"Caprica is set 50 years before Battlestar Galactica, so in the mythos of the show it's before the first Cylon War and it's before the Cylons were created," Moore explained. "The series is about the creation of the Cylons. It's about the politics... surrounding this notion of the creation of the first artificial life form."

Continuing, Moore delved a bit deeper into what fans can expect from the pilot and, hopefully, the series. "It's not a space-based action-adventure show. It's based on a planet, it's very character-oriented... it's a whole different corner of the Galactica universe. Caprica's pilot will most likely film this spring/summer for a potential fall airing. If picked up, the series would not begin until at least the middle of 2009.

Questions concerning Battlestar's coming fourth season were met with the usual broad, non-specific responses, but a few bits of new information emerged nonetheless. Olmos, who plays Admiral William Adama on the show, will definitely be directing at least one episode, as will Moore himself. The producers also opened up a bit on their experience with the now-finished writers' strike, which stopped production on the fourth season after the filming of the 11th episode (out of 20).

"The writers had worked out what the arc in the back half [of the fourth season] was already," Moore said. "I think [the strike] actually benefited the show in some ways in that... we started to think about things that we could change, things we could make better. And when the strike was over... we wrote the second half of the season all over again."

Asked about the apparent resurrection of her Starbuck character at the end of the previous season, Sackhoff remains as mystified as the fans. "We're on episode 14 [of season four]," she said, going on to claim that she still has no clue how she came back or why, a statement which brought raised eyebrows from Moore and nothing else.

So what can fans expects from the fourth and final season of Battlestar Galactica then? It will be presented in two parts, with the second half set to film this summer for a probable fall airing. While the cast themselves remain in the dark as to how the series will close, Moore and Eick insist that the story is served and that the most pressing loose ends are tied up.

Which isn't to say that all will be well for the human race when the end credits roll on episode 20. "It's devastating," said Olmos of the fourth season, "don't watch this program; it's not an easy ride." Easy ride or not, expect fans to ignore Olmos' advice and tune in for the start of Battlestar Galactica's final journey on April 4.

Battlestar's final season

Source: Star.com

Katee Sackhoff and Grace Park strike a back-to-back pose, smiling coquettishly for the cameras – the resulting pictures, when printed, guaranteed to warm the hearts (or something) of every male Galactica geek, and inspire and empower their female counterparts.

Sexy photo spreads in major magazines from Maxim to Entertainment Weekly. Mob scenes at public appearances and science-fiction conventions. A highly touted guest gig earlier this week on David Letterman's Late Show.

At this point, anyone who hasn't heard about the cult-hot rebirth of Battlestar Galactica hasn't been paying attention. But better late than never.
Indeed, it's pretty much now or never – the first half of the sci-fi series' fourth and final season kicks off April 4 on Space.

You will be in good company. The Battlestar phenomenon has somehow been embraced by a sizeable mainstream audience – although, typically, their number, and relative passion and dedication, pale in comparison to the core contingent of fiercely loyal genre junkies.
And Sackhoff and Park have become the pin-ups of that passion, the postergrrls of Battlestar's "rag-tag fleet," their macha, model-perfect mugs glaring down purposefully from basement den and dorm-room walls around the world (and, for all we know, beyond).

"And just wait till the new one on a motorcycle comes out," deadpans a characteristically sardonic Sackhoff, in town with Park recently to talk about the show. "Chaps and bikinis ... it's going to be fantastic."
Not to give the uninitiated the impression these women are sex symbols in the old-school brainless bimbo mould.

The characters they play – Sackhoff a hard-drinking, cigar-chomping fighter pilot and Park an emotionally conflicted android infiltrator – are smart, strong and admirably complex.
And also, when angered, very likely to tear your head off and spit down your neck.
"She's volatile," allows Sackhoff of her breakthrough role, Kara "Starbuck" Thrace. "And sensitive and sarcastic and witty and damaged, and loving and protective and talented ..."
"She's talking about my character," interjects her pal, Park.

"Yeah, right," counters Sackhoff. "But which one?" (Park's Sharon "Boomer" Valerii was revealed early on as a Cylon "toaster," and is thus depicted in infinite incarnations – trust me, it makes sense in the context of the show.)
"I am going to miss her uncontrollable vulnerability," Sackhoff continues. "She is so many things ... she's so much of humanity rolled up into one character. Even when it's all over, I'm probably going to have dreams about her from time to time."

And it is almost all over, with only 20 more astoundingly eventful episodes to go. And that's it. No chance of a last-minute, extended "bonus" season. No theatrical feature (see sidebar, right) – although a prequel TV-movie, Caprica, is about to go into production in Vancouver, with an eye toward launching a spin-off series.

But without any of Battlestar's familiar fan faves. Much as they will miss their characters, and the BSG set's unconventional camaraderie, both actors see the impending end as a light at the end of the Viper launch tunnel.

With nine post-strike episodes still left to shoot, the inevitable separation anxiety has not yet set in. "I don't think it'll kick in until the last episode," Sackhoff says. "I think that once the characters, like, start to have closure, that's when we as actors will feel it coming for us.
"And when people start to die. Because, God knows, this is Battlestar Galactica, and people are going to die."

And therein lies one of the primary reasons for the series' enduring impact and appeal: You never know what will happen next, and absolutely anything can – particularly during this climactic last season.

Not even the cast members are told in advance.

"I don't know how they manage to keep surprising us," says Park, "because you would have thought they would have done all of the angles, every storyline would have either been done, or you can expect it ... and somehow they always manage to do something that you don't expect."
"It all surprises me," Sackhoff agrees. "But it doesn't, you know? (We don't know anything until) the day we get our scripts, really. Occasionally, they'll allude to certain things, but you don't have anything in concrete until it's on that page, and even then things get cut."

Often intentionally. Producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick are notorious for scripting and even shooting fake scenes – mostly to throw off Internet interlopers.
"You never know whether or not to believe 'em," laughs Park. "You'll get a script, and then, days later, you get another script, and it's like, `What happened to that ending?' And they're like, `Oh yeah, that was a fake.'"

"Like the one where they brought Dirk Benedict in," recalls Sackhoff of one such bogus episode, ostensibly guesting the original series' Starbuck.

"He was supposedly going to play God, and we were all like, `Excuse me?'"

The inside joke being that, unlike his former co-star, Richard Hatch – who signed on for a recurring role – Benedict has been a vocal and vehement critic of the Battlestar remake.
Initially, at least, his was the majority opinion, given fans' considerable before-the-fact outrage over the recasting of Sackhoff and Park in roles (Benedict's included) played by men in the '70s original.

"What's interesting," offers Sackhoff, who took the brunt of the sexist sentiment, "is if you add it all up – in time, not years – we have both been these characters longer than the originals."
And what a long, strange trip it's been.

"I've been able to experience such a great joy working with whatever the writers have given me," enthuses Park. "Not every episode has been a walk in the park – for me, it has been a huge obstacle course. But I grew so much through it."

Now it's Sackhoff's turn to interrupt – the ease with which these two play off one another is a testament to their working relationship.

"I found it really interesting ... umm, how do I put this? As an outsider looking in to someone else's craft, I firmly believe that Grace in particular has had the most growth as an actor."
"Yeah," pouts Park. "I started really s---ty on purpose."

"No, it's not to say that you were s---ty. It was your first show ..."

"You're right. I was very green."

Sackhoff continues: "And then they realized what she was capable of. It's just phenomenal what she has done with that character."

And she is – they both are – almost done with those characters. The end, as they say, is nigh.
As to what form that end might take ... even if they knew, they'd never tell.
"We're going to have a contest," jokes Park. "So please write in to www.scifi.com/battlestarbabes.";

"I'll tell you how it's going to end," feints Sackhoff. "It'll end with me jumping in my car, with my flight suit, my gun belt and my helmet on ... I'm going to bronze the frakking thing and put it in my bathtub. When you bathe at my house, you will have to bathe around a bronzed flight suit.
"I am going to try and drive across the border with those guns. And then I will get deported and I can never come back."

Caprica Very Different From Battlestar

Source: SciFi Wire

David Eick and Ronald D. Moore, executive producers of SCI FI Channel's original series Battlestar Galactica, told SCI FI Wire that their upcoming prequel Caprica will be a markedly different series.

Eick compared it to the feature film American Beauty, while Moore referenced the TV soap opera Dallas.

"Caprica is a story that Ron Moore and I concocted with [co-executive producer] Remi Aubuchon, and we're casting as we speak," Moore said in an interview at SCI FI Channel's upfront presentation to advertisers in New York on March 18. "I'm very excited about that. If Battlestar Galactica is Black Hawk Down, I would say that Caprica is American Beauty. Caprica is all about the inner lives of the people on a planet and how their personal relationships as well as their professional relationships inform what will become the creation of the Cylons."

Moore, a former Star Trek writer and producer, said that Caprica is not a show along the lines of any Trek spinoff series. "It's a different animal altogether," he said in a separate interview. "Unlike those shows, which are all riffs on the same notion of what Star Trek was, Caprica is really a completely different kind of genre. We're trying to do something different."

Instead of Galactica's action-adventure space-based war show, Caprica will tell a story that takes place before any of the wars happened. "This is really more of a sci-fi Dallas," Moore said. "It's a political story, a family story. It's about the creation of the Cylons, and it's about a company. It's planet-based. It's very character-oriented, very serialized and very much about the characters. It's a whole different genre, and that's what makes it exciting."

Production will begin this spring on a two-hour backdoor pilot. Moore said he will be "very involved" with the pilot, but stressed that it's too soon to say whether he'd remain on board if SCI FI Channel gave the green light for a weekly Caprica show.

"If it goes to series, it kind of depends when that happens and what I'm doing," he said. "We'll just wait and see." --Ian Spelling

Eick: Bionic Is Dead

Eick: Bionic Is Dead

David Eick, co-executive producer of NBC's SF series Bionic Woman, confirmed to SCI FI Wire that the network has indeed canceled the show, though the network has not yet officially said as much.

"I just felt that the process was so frustrating, and the conditions under which we were making that show never really came to fruition in such a way that I felt like we could make the show well," Eick said in an interview at SCI FI Channel's upfront presentation to advertisers in New York on March 18. "The actress [Michelle Ryan] we found was wonderful. Some of the writing was good."

But, he added: "We just didn't ever bring it all together like we did with Battlestar. At a certain point, when it becomes that frustrating, I think you're better off to say, 'Let's try again another time,' and let it go."

Bionic Woman, a reboot of the 1970s series of the same name, debuted to strong ratings last fall, but its numbers dropped precipitously after that, and behind-the-scenes problems persisted. Cancellation was expected after the network failed to order additional episodes once the writers' strike ended. (NBC is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.)

Fourth Season: What To Expect

Source: Cinema Blend

So you say you’d like to know what’s going to happen in season four of Battlestar Galactica. Well, after spending an evening with eleven people directly involved in the show have I got news for you. Despite the cast’s insistence that they are constantly in the dark as much as we are, there was a surprisingly generous sharing of information on the upcoming season from everybody. So, here’s what we can expect from BSG’s final season.

The writers strike stopped production at the 11th episode, so the final 9 on order are being worked on currently. Ron Moore said during a Q&A that he would be directing his first episode when the show came back. He seems nervous and excited about taking the reigns stating, “You can applaude after the episode airs.” When that would be neither he nor Sci Fi executive Mark Stern could confirm as of last night. We’ll be sure to keep on top of that so you know when the final season will finally come out. Speaking of directors, Ron Moore once again confirmed that it looks like Joss Whedon won’t be able to make it out to direct one of the final episodes. His work on Doll House with Eliza Dushku presents too many scheduling conflicts. Happily, Edward James Olmos is returning to the director’s chair this season. When asked if he were offered the job of directing the finale would he take it the actor said, “I’d love to.” That job is already taken though, as is often the case for any show.

Of course we tried getting info on the final Cylon. Ron Moore stated as he looked around at the cast on the stage, “Who’s left?” To which Katie Sackhoff sheepishly put up her hand. Is that confirmation? No, it didn’t look anything like it. But it is funny to note that so much of the main cast is now Cylon. Michael Hogan (Col. Tigh) said that from the beginning he’d told everyone, “Boy, I’m glad I’m not a Cylon.” Talking with him at the party later he indicated that he was possibly more surprised to find out than any of the fans were. Edward James Olmos said that in his contract it stated, “No Cylon.”

Katie simply shrugged when asked about Starbuck’s return and what it meant. She then went on to say that it’s something we’ll have to watch in season four, but at 11 episodes filmed she still doesn’t know the full truth. So that looks like a big secret for the later half of the final season. James Callis (Gaius Baltar) had a similar reaction when asked about his character’s future. “I’ve been told all I can say is, ‘Baltar is in a cult,’” the actor said. Great, we had no idea.

During my one-on-one conversation with Ron Moore I did inquire about the nature of Baltar’s connection with the Cylon’s, along with Starbuck’s. “There are similarities, and there are connections, between Starbuck and Baltar that will develop as time goes on,” he said. So let the theories fly on what the connection might be, and what it means for either of these two being the final Cylon. My verdict on that is if one is the final, then so are both. Which makes no mathematical sense.

We’re also still not sure about the fundamental differences between the other models and the final five Cylons. But Ron Moore did tell me that the Cylon’s would be able to recognize the final four (at the least) now that they’re revealed. So, the four who were revealed at the end of season three may not have long to hide before being found out. We’ll have to see how that plays out.

One of the best moments of the night was getting to sit and listen to Edward James Olmos talk. He was quiet most of the Q&A, but when he had something to say it was always good. For instance, he started talking about the show and how harsh it can be. “I tell people not to watch,” he joked. There’s just so much death and sadness on Battlestar according to the actor. And season four is the worst of them all. He confirmed that there are deaths in the final season, and many are dear friends. As Olmos was stating this the rest of the cast laughed, and Jamie Bamber (Lee Adama) quipped, “The publicist is backstage pulling her hair out right now.”

I got a great sense that these people truly love this show. They aren’t just there for a paycheck, and if given the chance they would continue playing their parts for many more seasons. But when I spoke with Michael Hogan at the after party we both agreed it’s better to go out on your own terms, rather than let the damn bureaucrats rip the heart and soul from your craft. I’m sad to see Battlestar Galactica make its final jump, but I’m happy that Ron Moore and his crew are doing it on their terms. As you can tell there is still a ton to be revealed, and from the sounds of it, we wont be disappointed!

Caprica Gets Green Light

Source: Sci-Fi wire

SCI FI Channel has given a green light for production to begin on Caprica, a two-hour backdoor pilot and Battlestar Galactica prequel from executive producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick. Production is slated to begin in Vancouver, Canada, this spring.

Set 50 years before the events of Battlestar Galactica, Caprica follows two rival families--the Greystones and the Adamas --as they grow, compete and thrive in the vibrant world of the 12 Colonies. Enmeshed in the burgeoning technology of artificial intelligence and robotics that will eventually lead to the creation of the Cylons, the two houses go toe to toe.

"I'm thrilled with the chance to expand on the Galactica world and get deeper into the origins of the story we've been telling," Moore said in a statement. "It's also great to have a chance at doing a completely different kind of science fiction series, one that's even more character-oriented and doesn't rely on pyrotechnics to carry the story."

In his own statement, Eick said: "While Caprica will have its own personality, it will carry on Battlestar's commitment to pushing the boundaries of the genre, and we're thrilled that SCI FI has seen fit to giving us another opportunity to tell character-driven stories in challenging ways."

The fourth season of Battlestar Galactica kicks off on March 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with two back-to-back half-hour specials, with the first new episode premiering the following week, April 4, at 10 p.m.

'Battlestar' blondes on bikes

Source

Although there are hints and spoilers and even an eight-minute summary of the show out there in cyberspace, fans of Sci Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica" will have to wait until April 4 to actually see the first episode of the front half of the space opera's fourth and final season.

If all goes as speculated, by the end of that 20-episode season - the dates for the back half have yet to be announced - the space fleet carrying the human survivors of a devastating nuclear attack on their 12 planetary colonies by their vengeful creations, the mechanistic Cylons, should reach Earth, the 13th human colony in their mythology.

March 28 at 10 p.m. ET, Sci Fi is airing back-to-back half-hour specials, a retrospective called "Battlestar Galactica: Revisited" and a celebrity tribute called "Battlestar Galactica: The Phenomenon," but that's still a long time to wait.

In the meantime, fans could head to the official Web site of star Tricia Helfer, who plays the sultry Cylon Number Six, at www.triciahelfer.com and look for photos of her and co-star Katee Sackhoff, who plays pugnacious pilot Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, on a recent motorcycle trip to Solvang, Calif., where the movie "Sideways" was filmed.

"There are pictures on the Web of us on our motorcycles," Sackhoff says, "so that's pretty funny."

Also on the ride were Tricia's husband, Jonathan Marshall; Katee's boyfriend, Scott Niemeyer; and friend and fellow actor Mark Derwin.

"Tricia has a Harley Sportster, which is what I was going to start out on," Sackhoff says, "but I was a little intimidated by the whole get on a motorcycle' thing. Shifting ... oh, my God, I never dreamed that shifting could become second nature. It didn't seem easy to me, so I ended up getting a Honda 750.

"I've already outgrown it. I've put 600 miles on it, and I'm already over it. I keep saying to my boyfriend, I need to get some big, huge Harley now, because my bike is so small.' "

Turns out her helmet may be a bit undersized as well.

"I have a little half-helmet," she says, "the least amount you could wear with the DOT telling you that you're not breaking the law. Tricia's got a good, big, full helmet.

"She's smarter than the rest of us, because the last ride we went on, it was so cold. She was like, I'm fine!', because her head was so warm, as I'm trying to keep my bandanna around my face, driving at 70 miles per hour. It doesn't work so well."

Sackhoff and her fellow cast members are set to return to work in Vancouver, Canada, on March 24 after a lengthy production shutdown due to the recently settled Writers Guild of America strike (the writers came back in mid-February). That meant that the cast got an unexpected preview of life after "Battlestar."

Although Sackhoff had already been moonlighting as crazed cyborg Sarah Corvus in NBC's short-lived revival of "Bionic Woman," the separation still came with some surprises.

"Because of Bionic,' " she says, "it never really hit me that it was going to be over, and I didn't have time to really contemplate what the end was going to feel like. So I was OK with it, to be honest. I was, Yeah, it's over. It'll be fine. We'll all move on. We'll see each other.'

"This three-month break, no one talked. It was crazy, crazy. It just gave us a taste of who would be in your life later, which was interesting."

Sackhoff says she did see Helfer "quite a bit," as well as Michael Trucco, who plays Sam Anders, but only had sporadic encounters with other cast members.

"Tricia and Michael and I, we all ride motorcycles, so we do that together," Sackhoff says. "So, I think that when you have other things in common other than the show, that's when you actually keep in touch."

Sackhoff says she has learned many things on "Battlestar" and "Bionic," including "how to take apart an AK-47 and put it back together blindfolded. So it's one of those things you put on your resume along with knife-training skills. I tend to think I could handle a (real) weapon pretty well."

But, given her druthers, Sackhoff would rather do a romantic comedy next. "That would be my next great challenge. Maybe some running, maybe some hiding, but no shooting, no blood, no guts. I've had my fill of blood and guns."

New Battlestar Galactica interview sheds light on Cylon rights

Source

The reimagined Battlestar Galactica is often described as "gritty" and "grimy". For some Den of Geek contributors, it's too gritty. Our own Martin Anderson criticised the show's depiction of torture in episode 8: Flesh and Bone - his argument being that the scenes of interrogation amounted to an endorsement of violent coercion (When Good Guys Torture). In this episode, we follow Galactica fighter pilot Starbuck as she tortures enemy Cylon agent (and artificial construct) Leoben, in scenes that are sometimes very difficult to look at. The show ends with the captive Cylon being executed; tossed into space to die on the orders of civilian leader President Roslin. So appalled was Martin by the episode, that he stopped watching the series entirely.

I took the stance that BSG is a little more complex than just "good guys versus bad guys" - and that showing a "hero" acting in a manner that isn't heroic doesn't automatically endorse that behaviour in the same way that it might if the scene had been shown in a less morally ambiguous, less intricate series like Star Trek. At the time I commented:

"The narrative dynamic at play in Battlestar Galactica (…) questions the traditional hero/villain dichotomy that is so clearly delineated in less complex sci-fi and horror.

"Galactica doesn't explore "good" and "evil" - but seeks instead to analyse the complex motives and behaviours of two different cultures in the context of war. Battlestar Galactica as a whole does not "tacitly endorse" Starbuck's behaviour - or that of Roslin. In fact, many of the episodes that follow Flesh and Bone refer back to this (interrogation), questioning (its moral validity) in light of further revelations made about Cylon society.

"For example, a Cylon character joins the fleet and is accepted into the fold. Inevitably, a moment arrives where she has a confrontation with Roslin in which she says "What are you going to do, throw me out of the airlock?" Many of the human fleet are forced to reconsider their knee-jerk prejudices about the Cylons - their categorisation of them as "merely machines". Flesh and Bone becomes a reference point for the change in view that occurs".

Now, a new interview with Battlestar creators David Eick and Ron Moore directly addresses some of these issues - and more. It's testimony to the irreducible complexity of BSG that this interview wasn't with a TV magazine or a cult media web site like Den of Geek. It was conducted by Concurring Opinions, a scholarly blog that broadly concerns itself with the role of law in society. The transcript is broken down into sections covering "Legal Systems", "Torture, Necessity and Morality" and "Politics and Economics". So, not exactly "How Much is a Pint of Milk?" then.

On Flesh and Bone, Moore says:

"There was a notion that [torture] was permissible under some circumstances but not others, or at least we should have a public debate about it. And that alone just felt like . . . well, okay then, just by having it in our show we would touch into what's going on in America today. I think that given the circumstances of where they are, it was completely believable that people in different circumstances would choose to use aggressive, physical coercion on their enemies.

"[This is] especially [true] in the circumstance [in the show] where we have the distinction [between humans and cylons.] [In the show,] Kara ["Starbuck" Thrace] and the rest of the Colonial officers did not view the Cylons as legitimate people. They were not accepted as [humans] -- they were not human, and they did not have the rights of humans, and they would not be accepted as anything other than machines. So when we approached the first episode that really dealt with this, "Flesh and Bone," one of the key concepts was: "Well, it's a machine." Is there anything morally wrong about beating a machine? And torturing machines? And making a machine go through all kinds gyrations?

"We were sort of at pains in the story discussion room and at the script phase to not send [any particular] message [about torture]. We were trying not to say, "Hey, guess what, torture's bad!" or to go through the rationalizations of why it should be employed in certain circumstances. We really just wanted to put the audience in the room and make them really uncomfortable. We really wanted them to struggle (we like to do this a lot in the show) -- we wanted them to struggle with [the questions]: "Who am I supposed to be rooting for in this circumstance? Whose side am I on?"

The full interview, in both transcript and audio forms can be found at www.concurringopinions.com . It looks at BSG in a serious context, covering issues of legality, human rights and moral imperative - and is well worth a thorough read. The fourth and final season of Battlestar Galactica comes to the US Sci-Fi channel on the 4th of April.

Grace Park Q&A

Wizard Universe

The hottest hottie on Battlestar Galactica drops her flight suit and teases Season 4 secrets.

WIZARD: Our last issue named you one of the top five all-time sexiest women on TV. You must think about how hot you are a lot.
[Laughs] Everyday. It’s on my wallpaper all the time. I e-mail love notes to myself. No, I think more like, “Isn’t it nice that people are doing top hundred lists all the time and I happen to be kicking around at the same time.” I think that if people were doing it 10 years from now, I really don’t think that I would be on those lists.

Come on, Grace, you’re the hottest woman on the hottest show on TV!
The thing is that when I look at the show, if I was Tricia [Helfer] who’s always poured into this hot red dress and strutting around in heels all the time, I would feel much more aware of being a sex symbol type. But I’m always in rubber suits, or for a whole year I was in a pair of dirty drawstring pants and a tank top and bare footed.

I’d love to keep asking about your sex appeal, but some of our readers want to know what’s coming up on “BSG” when the show returns in April.
As soon as we see new script outlines, we’re just as rabid trying to find stuff out [as fans]. It’s gotten so secretive that we’re not even allowed to read them! They now keep them at the office on lockdown. But I can tell you that a lot of people are struggling with Kara’s return. [Sharon] is definitely going to try and distance herself from Kara, but she ends up finding herself involved with Kara’s search for Earth.

With “Battlestar” coming to an end, do you plan on taking any “souvenirs” from the set before you wrap?
People have already started taking things. Hera has this adorable mobile above her crib that is made up of Vipers and Raptors. I asked the prop master and he said, “I was hoping that you took it because someone else took it.” I kept hearing how Katee [Sackhoff] and Jamie [Bamber] were going to take [their flight suits] and I was like, “Ah, why not?” [But] I thought that it’d be really uncomfortable to walk back and be like, “Grace, your flight suit is missing. I hope you brought it with you today.”

Battlestar Galactica Composer to Perfom at the Roxy

Source: Wired


If you love rocking out to the Enigma and tribal beats mashup during Battlestar Galactica, you may want to hit up Ticketmaster. BSG composer Bear McCreary is set to perform live April 13 at Los Angeles' Roxy nightclub. Cast members from the show will act as emcees.

According to Bear's blog:

We'll have a larger band, playing music from all four seasons of Battlestar Galactica, more taikos, more strings and more soloists in the group. We're also producing an all-new video presentation/documentary which will premiere at the concert. And there are some very special guests coming too.

Bear also scores the highly acclaimed Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

In the Limelight: Michelle Forbes

Source: TV Squad

Mysterious. Mesmerizing. Interesting. Dynamic. Compelling. Any and all of these words accurately describe actress Michelle Forbes. She is one of the finest actresses in television, and yet she has maintained a distinct quality that makes her as elusive a performer to come around since Garbo! Intensely private, there's not much known about the Austin, Texas native. (However, I can tell you that she collects clocks -- broken clocks. As she told me, quoting the movie Withnail and I, "Even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day.")

She's currently making HBO's new drama In Treatment appointment TV, drawing her loyal following to find her latest work as she did in 24, Prison Break, Homicide and Battlestar Galactica. And that doesn't even take into account the millions who first discovered this chameleon when she first burst onto the scene in Guiding Light, and then Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Through all the years, though, Michelle Forbes has continued to defy categorization, refusing to become typecast or trapped by stardom, let alone celebrity. Indeed, you could even say that she's a star in spite of herself.

Michelle Forbes was an instant sensation on Guiding Light in 1987 as Sonni Carrera Lewis. It didn't take long before the powers that be realized she was a cut above the usual neophyte daytime actor. She'd been given a character that was introduced as one thing, a brilliant Venezuelan psychiatrist, who turned out to be impersonating her twin sister, Solita -- or was she? Michelle was playing a good girl who was in fact a vixen, who had good reasons for the evil she did. This was not what 20-year-old Michelle expected to play: "When I got hired, I thought I'd get to wear pretty clothes and talk about who's sleeping with whom. [Instead] we're talking religion, sex, guilt, rejection, loyalty, greed; there are some serious issues here," she said of her role as Sonni/Solita on Guiding Light.

Still, she handled it all brilliantly, and her performance reminded viewers of Bette Davis in her prime. She was nominated for a Daytime Emmy, and GL tried to sign her up for a long-term deal. In a move that would prefigure the rest of her career, Michelle left the soaps after just a couple of years. If she'd wanted to, she could have made a career out of soaps, like Kim Zimmer and Robert Newman, both of whom she played opposite, did. However, Michelle Forbes wanted something more, something different.

In 1991, after guesting on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the producers were so impressed that they created a role for her on the show and in season five, she was introduced as a feisty, Bajoran officer, Ensign Ro Laren. She was a strong character, one who challenged authority, and the fans responded to her immediately. When Paramount greenlighted a spin-off called Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Forbes was offered the chance to take Ro to the space station and become that show's female lead.

Trekkers were astonished that she would turn down the role; was she crazy? No, she wasn't; she simply didn't want to commit to a seven-year contract, which is what she was asked to sign in order to take the role. In her place, Nana Visitor was signed and a new Bajoran character, Kira Nerys, was created. Reflecting on her decision not to do DS9, she told TV Zone Magazine: "There were all sorts of rumors about why I didn't take it, that I was quite arrogant about the whole thing. It wasn't that at all. It was, again, about wanting variety in my career. ...That's not to say I wasn't grateful for the opportunity; I genuinely was. However, I had to make a choice that felt right for me, which was a difficult one, especially as a young actor being offered a steady job."

That quote is 100% accurate. When I knew the actress, her during her time on the soap, she told me that she was not interested in celebrity. She loved acting and the challenge of playing different characters. All the hoopla and stardom was not her thing. A few years later, we met again and she reiterated to me that she didn't regret her choice. In fact, she was more excited that ever about her career and told me she had just finished making a movie with Brad Pitt and David Duchovny called Kalifornia. Clearly, Michelle was doing just fine plotting her own career course.

As an actress, Michelle has handled all kinds of parts. In 1994, for instance, she took to comedy when she appeared on a classic Seinfeld episode, "The Big Salad," as George's girlfriend. And she more than held her own opposite Kevin Spacey and Frank Whaley in the satiric feature Swimming with Sharks.

Dramatically, the actress made notable additions to Homicide: Life on the Street, as M.E. Dr. Juliana Cox, and on the hit series 24, as presidential aide Lynne Kresge. One series that didn't make it was Wonderland, a grim, dark drama set in a mental institution in which she played Dr. Lyla Garrity. The subject matter proved too controversial for ABC.

As a professional actress, Michelle Forbes always seems to be doing interesting work. In 2004, she learned British Sign Language (in just six days!) for a role in the BBC drama, Messiah. She was a semi-regular on Prison Break in 2006, and did a memorable two-parter in Waking the Dead in 2007.

However, it was her characterization at Admiral Helena Cain on Battlestar Galactica starting in 2005 (which she recently reprised in 2007's Razor episode), that's brought her tremendous acclaim. Speaking of Battlestar Galactica's Cain, a tough-minded, ruthless, militaristic hawk, she told the Chicago Tribune, "I think that there is something compelling... about her sense of duty, and her sense of getting the job done at whatever cost. There is comfort in that in difficult times, in times of war. But people like that may be misguided."

Right now, Michelle is appearing as therapist Paul's (Gabriel Byrne) wife, Kate, on HBO's In Treatment. As with so many of her characters, there's nothing simple about Kate and her complicated relationship with Paul makes for fascinating drama.

Fascinating, in fact, may be the perfect word to describe Michelle Forbes. She never fails to be a fascinating presence in whatever endeavor in which she participates. And that, although she may not like to hear it, is why she's a star. Just don't expect her to ever play the same role in the same way. That's not her style. In her own words, she states it clearly: "As an actor, you want as much variety as you can muster up. Otherwise you just keep playing the same chord over and over again."

Do Starbuck and Apollo Belong Together?

Source: Buddy TV

There aren't many shows on the air that are devoid of complicated love triangles and relationship dramas, even when those shows are set in the cold depths of space. In the third season of Battlestar Galactica, the emotional tension and romantic entanglements really ratcheted up to epic proportions. Throughout the first two seasons of the Sci Fi Channel series, it became quite obvious that Lee "Apollo" Adama and Kara "Starbuck" Thrace were madly in love with each other, even if they had trouble admitting it. Their refusal to admit to their feelings eventually led Apollo to marry Lt. Dualla (Kandyse McClure), while Starbuck got hitched to Sam Anders. This, of course, led to both of them cheating on their spouses and eventually beating each other to a bloody pulp. Where should this crazy mess of a romance go when Battlestar Galactica returns for a fourth season?

The way that Apollo (Jamie Bamber) and Starbuck acted in season 3 turned off a significant portion of the BSG fanbase. Both of them were cruel to their spouses and to each other throughout much of the season, and it took them much too long to call off their scandalous affair. On many shows, such as Smallville or Grey's Anatomy, the requisite on-again, off-again couple is painted in a soft light where they're always romantically pining for one another. It's easy for the audience to root for them to eventually get together. That's not the case on Battlestar Galactica. Starbuck and Apollo both have so many issues that it's impossible to decide if they're good for each other or if they should never interact again.

Of course, their already complicated relationship will become even more complex in season 4, thanks to Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) coming back from the dead. Is she a Cylon? Is she a ghost? Is she something else entirely? I think these questions need to be answered before there can be any further romantic involvement between her and Apollo. And let's not forget the marriage issue, which also poses a problem. It seems obvious that both Apollo and Starbuck married the wrong people, but that doesn't mean they'll do anything to rectify it anytime soon.

Though some fans are ridiculously fed up with the Starbuck/Apollo drama, I have to admit that I actually want to see them together in the end. They make each other more interesting and bring out the sort of messy, complicated feelings that great romances are made of. However, I don't want to see them together until they get their issues straightened out. That could take decades, or, at the very least, until the series finale.

Hints and clues about Season 4

Source: Chicago Tribune

Spoiler alert: What follows in this post is only for folks who want to know not just the titles of the next 10 "Battlestar Galactica" episodes, but who also want some clues about what's coming up in Season 4 of the Sci Fi drama, which arrives April 4.

I'll post the episode titles first, then post yet another spoiler warning, so you can see the titles and then exit at that point if you wish.

NOT TOO SPOILERY:

Here’s what we know about “Battlestar Galactica’s” fourth and final season: There will be 10 episodes that air starting April 4. There will be 10 more episodes that will finish off the series, but it’s not known when those episodes will air. The “Battlestar” writers only recently went back to work, and production is expected to resume in March on the final set of episodes for the series.

Here are the episode titles and writers for the first 10 episodes of Season 4:

1. 1. “He That Believeth in Me” by David Weddle and Bradley Thompson
2. 2. "Six of One" by Michael Angeli
3. 3. “The Ties That Bind” by Michael Taylor
4. 4. "Escape Velocity" by Jane Espenson
5. 5. "The Road Less Travelled " by Mark Verheiden
6. 6. “Faith” by Seamus Kevin Fahey
7. 7. "Guess What's Coming to Dinner" by Michael Angeli
8. 8. "Sine Qua Non" by Michael Taylor
9. 9. "The Hub" by Jane Espenson
10. 10. "Revelations” by Bradley Thompson and David Weddle

THIS IS THE SPOILERY PART. Exit now if you want to remain unspoiled for Season 4.

Here's bit more on a few of those upcoming episodes listed above:

* Michael Taylor said in an interview last fall that in “The Ties That Bind,” “we say goodbye to another longtime character, though who that is and the manner of his or her departure should come as a surprise.”
* Regarding “Sine Qua Non,” Taylor said the episode “features the return of another favorite character, who’s undergone something of a crisis since we last touched base with him… or her.”
* As for “Faith,” here’s what Ron Moore told me about the episode a few months back. In Season 4, Laura Roslin’s cancer returns. Nana Visitor (“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”) plays “another cancer patient named Emily who's being treated in sick bay,” Moore said. “She gets Laura’s attention because she insists on listening to Baltar's wireless broadcasts every day, much to Laura's annoyance. The two women connect and bond over their treatment regimens, and explore the nature of mortality and questions of life after death.”

A few general notes about the season:

* Taylor also said that Sharon “Boomer” Valerii is back in a big way this season.
* Romo Lampkin (the charismatic lawyer played by Mark Sheppard) will return some time in Season 4, though the timing of that reappearance is not known at this point.
* In addition to the character that will pass away in "The Ties That Bind," at least one other "Battlestar" character will die during Season 4. “It’s interesting, there have been a couple cast members where we’ve had to say, ‘Your character isn’t going to make it,’” Moore said in an interview last summer. “But because it’s this year, as opposed to last year, it’s different. They kind of went, [in an upbeat tone], ‘Oh, I kind of wish I was going to make it to the end – but I’m in the last [season]!’”

# In a conference call with reporters last year, Moore and fellow executive producer David Eick talked about the search for Earth and how that will factor into Season 4: " At the end of Season 3, we showed you a glimpse of Earth," Moore said. "You actually saw it and I think you will see more of it. We will get to a place that we’re going to call Earth, by the end of the series. You’ll get to see it."
# Season 4 will also deal with the challenges faced by the four characters who've found out that they're Cylons. "Essentially you’re going to see an extension of that initial moment [in the Season 3 finale], where they try to figure out, what does this mean to them," Moore said. "If they’re Cylons, when did that begin and what are their true backstories? What are they meant to do? Are they dangerous to each other, are they dangerous to the ship, can they trust any of the people around them, should they keep this secret only among themselves?"
# Lucy Lawless said last summer that her character would be back for two of three episodes around the middle of the season. Her character, D'Anna, will be unboxed by those who are interested in what she may know “It’s a pivot point for the season,” Ron Moore said at a Comic-Con press event last summer.

# Sci Fi has confirmed that Leela Savasta has a recurring role as Tracey Anne, one of Baltar’s followers. The Web site Imdb.com says that actor Ryan McDonell will appear as Lt. Eamonn “Gonzo” Pike in several episodes, and that Marilyn Norry will appear as a character called Reza Hebrides, but that has not been confirmed by the network.
# A couple more tidbits that surfaced at Comic-Con: The revelation that the final Cylon would be revealed late in Season 4, and the idea that Hera, Sharon "Athena" Valerii and Helo's child, would have a special fate.
# Finally Mark Verheiden offered this on his blog: “Season four … is a roller coaster/gut-punch from start to finish, with some of the rawest emotional moments yet, from characters you may not expect. Plus space battles!” Yesssss.

Galactica writers are back

Source: Chud

Impeccable sources tell me that Battlestar Galactica's fourth season, put on hold for three months by the just-ended writer's strike, will not be truncated. The SciFi Channel has told Ron Moore that they want to complete the entire 22 episode season four order! The network will be giving Ron Moore, David Eick and their embarrassingly good writing staff a lot of hours to wrap up the show's story without rushing or trimming.

When the show shut down three months ago, there were some worries as to whether it would start up again. Battlestar is expensive, and other expensive shows that weren't burning up the ratings found themselves axed during the strike. Getting BSG a 22 episode fourth season order was seen as nothing short of miraculous at the time, so people wondered if SciFi wouldn't just 'cut their losses' (in their shortsighted eyes) and end the season at the 12 or so episodes in the can, maybe giving Moore et al the chance to finish everything up in a TV movie.

Thankfully that didn't happen, and there's more good news: the entire writing staff is back. They gathered this week to rewatch the completed season four episodes to get back up to speed, and now that the strike is completely and officially over, they'll be revisiting the outlines of future episodes and break those stories. There are still some details that will need to be ironed out - actor's deals may need to be renegotiated to get them secured past when their season four contracts end, for example - but the sets in Vancouver were never struck and the behind the camera types are raring to go and finish their epic story. I've heard that the show is firing on all cylinders in the season four episodes filmed to date, and I hope that three months away has given everybody new energy and perspectives to match the first half of the season.

The one mystery that remains is how SciFi will air the final season. Currently the feeling is that they'll split it in half and we'll only get ten or eleven episodes now, with the rest following as late as 2009. Here's to hoping that they wise up and give us the complete story in a more reasonable time frame.

‘BATTLESTAR’ IS BACK

Source: The Watcher

The fourth and final season of "Battlestar Galactica," as many fans probably already know, will debut April 4. Sci Fi has also set the air dates for two specials that will air before Season 4 begins.

The refresher special, "Battlestar Galactica: Revisited," will air 9 p.m. Central time March 28. "Battlestar Galactica: The Phenomenon" will air the same night at 9:30 p.m. Central.

Ten episodes of "Battlestar's" last season will air through early June. Ten more episodes will air later in 2008 or in 2009. Nine episodes from that last batch of stories have not been shot yet, due to the writers strike.

Sci Fi's Friday press release follows.

Sci Fi's press release:

‘BATTLESTAR’ IS BACK

SCI FI’s Emmy and Peabody-Winning Series Returns March 28
With Two Back-To-Back Half-Hour Specials

New York,NY – February 8, 2008 – The wait is finally over for Battlestar Galactica fans. SCI FI’s Emmy and Peabody Award-winning original series returns for its fourth original season on Friday, March 28 @ 10pm ET/PT with two back-to-back half-hour specials. The first new episode will premiere the following week, Friday, April 4 @ 10pm ET/PT.

Battlestar Galactica: Revisited (10pm) will serve up the essential information on the series’ past three seasons, providing the uninitiated with an introduction to the characters, relationships and spine-tingling drama that have captured the imagination of audiences around the world. Galactica’s executive producers, Ronald D. Moore and David Eick serve as guides, providing insights and revelations about the critically-acclaimed series.

Battlestar Galactica: The Phenomenon (10:30pm) is a celebrity-studded celebration of the show’s impact on pop culture. Interviewees, including Seth Green, country music’s Top Male Vocalist of 2007 Brad Paisley, and Talk Soup’s Joel McHale, and others, wax poetic about why Battlestar Galactica is one of the best frakkin’ shows on television.

As season 4 opens, the last remnants of humanity continue their search for a new home, the thin line that separates them from the rapidly evolving Cylons is being redrawn. Galactica’s crew, rocked by Starbuck’s sudden and mysterious return from the dead – and her claims that she has been to Earth and can lead them there – attempts to make sense of the inexplicable. Meanwhile, four members of the fleet are still reeling from the revelation that they are Cylons and have been all along.

Battlestar Galactica is the gripping saga of humanity's last remnants and their struggle to find a new home while fleeing from their deadly Cylon enemies. Redefining the space opera with its gritty realism, Galactica’s intensity, issues-driven topicality, and command performances have garnered it numerous awards, including an Emmy and the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. The show was recognized by the American Film Institute (AFI) as one of the most outstanding programs of the year two years running. The series is from Universal Media Studios and is executive produced by Ronald D. Moore and David Eick. The outstanding ensemble cast is led by Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer and Grace Park.

Leah Cairns - official site

Source: Leah Cairns Site

Welcome fans of Leah Cairns! Finally, after being "under construction" for quite some time, Leah Cairns now has her own website. So, what's on this website?

In our "news" section we'll keep you updated with the latest news, convention appearances and interviews published around the globe (please send in anything we don't have up yet!). The "biography" was partly written by Leah herself and we will add some new details as time passes. For the "gallery" Leah provided a large amount of personal photos which I'm sure you'll all enjoy. We hope to add more screencaps of the different films/series Leah starred in (and hope you'll help us with that as well!). In the "gallery" we also plan to start a special section for fanart, so do send in your best material and we'll add a selection. Finally in the "podcast" section we'll offer the chance to get your question answered by Leah Cairns in person. For starters there's also a personal welcome message from Leah for all the fans, so do check that out!

If you go to the "contact" page you'll find all information you need to contact us or Leah Cairns' agent for professional inquiries. Any feedback on the website is also greatly appreciated. I hope you'll all like the website and to hear from you soon. Enjoy!

'Battlestar Galactica' Spin-Off May Be Resurrected

Source: Buddy TV

The writers' strike has helped all sorts of projects get off the ground, though unfortunately most of them have been terrible reality shows that obliterate brain cells. However, there are some scripted shows such as NBC's upcoming Quarterlife, which was originally an online series, that may never have made it to air without the striking writers. These are desperate times for the networks, and desperate times can lead to the strangest programming decisions.

Viewers who are feeling deprived of original programming will be happy to hear that the script-starved Sci Fi Channel may be ready to take another look at Caprica, the proposed Battlestar Galactica spin-off from executive producer Ronald D. Moore. The script for the two-hour pilot of the series, which would act as a prequel to the events in Battlestar Galactica, was completed back in 2006, but the Sci Fi Channel chose to pass on it at the time.

In a recent issue of TV Guide, Sci Fi Channel Vice President Mark Stern stated, "I just got a call from NBC-Universal. They want us to take another look at the project."

Though he didn't elaborate any further, the renewed interest in Caprica comes as a shock to Ronald D. Moore, who claims he hasn't heard anything from the network. In a statement to Ain't It Cool News, Moore said, "Despite the rumors to the contrary, there's still no word on Caprica. I have yet to get a call from the network about it, and if they're really considering it, they're keeping it to themselves."

This is definitely a strange situation, but just because Moore hasn't received word from the network is no reason to give up hope. It's possible that the plans to resurrect Caprica are at such an early stage that they simply haven't contacted the BSG mastermind yet.

As originally conceived, the series was to be set on the planet Caprica about 50 to 70 years before the events that take place in Battlestar Galactica. The show was going to follow the family life of Joseph Adama, father of William Adama, who is played by Edward James Olmos in the current series. The spin-off would deal with the creation of the Cylon race and the events leading into the First Cylon War.

The Sci Fi Channel was originally scared away from Caprica due to the low ratings of Battlestar Galactica, as well as the fact that the show was planned to be very story arc heavy. The network has always been a fan of more standalone episodes, and even pressured Moore to add more standalones to the third season of BSG. This tactic backfired, as both fans and critics lambasted Galactica for a run of subpar episodes.

In my opinion, the Sci Fi Channel should absolutely pick up Caprica. Aside from a couple of awesome shows, the network is known for having scripted programming that is a boil on humanity's rear end. Also, let's not forget the apocalypse of quality that's known as the Sci Fi Original Movie. The network is going to need a smart, buzzworthy show after BSG exits the airwaves, and Caprica is their best hope. They were idiots not to pick it up the first time, and they'd look even more ridiculous if they passed it over again.

BattleStar Galactica Season 4 Spoilers

Source: BuddyTV

The premiere of the fourth and final season of Battlestar Galactica is still a few months away, but eager and excited fans have long been buzzing, trading speculations and minor spoilers on the web. While it's now easy to come by titles for episodes of the upcoming season, specific information regarding the installments are still quite limited. There are, however, some details available on the fourth season premiere episode, which is slated to air on April 4.

Die-hard fans of Battlestar Galactica most likely already know the title of the first episode of the new season, but we'll say it anyway for the benefit of those who haven't been updated. The episode is called “He That Believeth in Me,” and is lifted from John 11:25-26, which says, “Jesus said unto her, ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And so whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

As seen on the a preview special on a Canadian show Hypaspace, “He That Believeth in Me” picks up from where the third season finale, "Crossroads, Part II," ended. A scene shows Lee (Jamie Bamber) telling Kara (Katee Sackhoff) – aka Starbuck – that he saw her Viper explode, to which Kara replies that he didn't. She then tells him not to lose her “this time” and they both fly back into the battle.

Starbuck's seemingly relaxed return coincides with what show star Michael Trucco, who plays Anders, said in an interview with Cult Times late last year. Apparently, Starbuck thinks she's only been away for six hours, when in reality it's been two months.

"Lee grabs her first and gives her this big bear hug, and the Anders comes up to her and he's got tears of joy in his eyes,” Trucco said. “Of course Starbuck is confused and is like 'Hey, what the hell is going on?'”

Trucco also said that although he is happy to have his wife back, his joy “is instantly replaced with fear. He's wondering 'Does she recognize I'm a cylon? Do I want her to recognize that? Do I want to tip her off?" Anders is also tasked by the other closet cylons – Tigh, Tori and Tyrol – to “pick Kara's brain for information,” making Starbuck's return even more bittersweet for Anders.

Finally, Trucco revealed that a particular scene shows Anders telling Kara that he'd still love her even if she was a cylon, but her reaction isn't exactly what Anders is hoping for.

"So their relationship has become strained to say the least, and it continues to be so throughout the early part of season four,” Trucco explained.

Now, going back to the Hypaspace preview, show cast members gave general details of what fans can expect from the upcoming season, with Alessandro Juliani, who plays Lt. Felix Gaeta, saying that the main plotline of Battlestar's final season is finding out who the identity of the 12th Cylon. Sackhoff, meanwhile, said that she has been told from the get-go that she is “not a Cylon,” and executive producer Ron Moore confirmed this information via the portrait, which was reminiscent of the Last Supper, he released to Entertainment Weekly recently.

There is one scene in the preview special, however, that has Mary McDonnell's Roslin's questioning Natalie, another version of Six, if Kara is, indeed, the 12th Cylon.