A Battlestar Galactica Prequel Series on the Way

kumasame writes "The Sci Fi Channel has announced it will create a prequel to Battlestar Galactica, as the series enters its final season. The two-hour pilot for the production, called Caprica, is expected to be shot in Vancouver this spring with shooting for the series to follow. The first episodes are expected to air this fall. In a Q&A session held yesterday, the creators and stars of the show revealed a number of tidbits of information about the new show and last season of BSG."

That's a mistake

[elrous0]

The miniseries and first season of BSG was probably the best science fiction even made for television. But it has declined significantly in quality since then. I'm actually glad this is the last season of the show (since it allows them to give a definite conclusion to the series before it declines even more, and gives them a focus that they lacked in season 3). Making follow-up movies or series is a mistake, and it would only tarnish the name of a once-brilliant series.

One of the best series ever put on television

[elrous0]

It's funny, I expected to really hate it too. When I heard they were remaking Battlestar Galactica and casting Starbuck as a woman, my first thought was "Oh great, another cheeseball, politically-correct retread that pales in comparison to the original." Boy was I wrong. At first I wasn't even going to watch the miniseries, but at the last minute I decided to and it absolutely floored me. It was one of the most aggressively brilliant pieces of television I have ever seen, before or since.

It was also the first serious attempt to deal with 9-11 that anyone had done up to that point, and it was absolutely gut-wrenching. The idea of tying the premise of a fairly cheesy 70's TV series into 9-11 now seems so obvious, yet who would have thought of it at the time? There is no way you could have made this remake at any other time, or gave it that kind of brutal impact. The shot of those nuclear explosions blanketing Caprica left me just stunned. And seeing that Raptor lifting off and leaving Helo behind was heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time.

And, amazingly, it got even better in the first season.

Re:That's a mistake

[fifedrum]

I want to respectfully disagree with the opinion that the series is in decline, but I can't, except to qualify it: decline of quality to any degree that matters. IMO, when we compare this series to any other on television, even the lowest quality episode is better than the best quality the rest of the dial has to offer. I believe the intensity of the plots and story lines ebbed and flowed and will peak in season 5 as a natural part of telling this story, and that this isn't taking away from the impact the series had in season 4, or as it moves into the last season. I agree that all episodes aren't created equal. I do definately get the impression they blew their wad in the mini-series and season 1... Even still, this is the first time I've ever watched a television show and literally sat on the edge of my seat fully captured by the story.

Re:One of the best series ever put on television

[electrictroy]

Where's the 9-11 connection? I don't see it.

I see lots of connections to WW1 and 2 however.

Geeks Afraid of Religion

[Colonel Korn]

I think that a lot of the backlash against BSG in the last season was the product of the discomfort a lot of us geeks have toward religion being mixed into our scifi. I think that BSG's main mistake, if I can call it that, is being off the air for so long between seasons. It really breaks up the narrative flow and serves to make us effectively forget what the cliffhangars from the previous season were.

Re:That's a mistake

[elrous0]

Well, yeah, it's relative of course. It's sort of like pointing out that "The Simpsons" has declined in greatly in quality. Even at their absolute worst, they're still better than 90% of everything else out there. BSG is still easily one of the best TV series of all time, even with the decline. But in the miniseries and 1st season, it was THE best TV series of all time.

Re:One of the best series ever put on television

[clickclickdrone]

>Where's the 9-11 connection?
Not so much 9-11 per-se. More the general 'war on terror'. You have an 'enemy' living amongst you at look like you but want to do you harm. Add in state sponsored torture, questions about what is acceptable in war versus peace time and so on. When thy spent some time living on New Caprica there was the issue of one person's terrorist is another's freedom fighter.

Re:Geeks Afraid of Religion

[tmalone]

I think you're partly right about that. I also think that having the humans become terrorists during the occupation made many people uncomfortable. I also think that the series of craptacular single-shot episodes in the middle of the third season made many fans leave the show. Some of those episodes (the factory ship episode comes to mind) were so inane as to be almost unwatchable.
You're right that the huge gap between seasons is bad for business. People who aren't devout followers of the show are simply going to forget about it.

Re:Lets call it a "do over"`

[clickclickdrone]

I thought the song was just their 'switch on' code and them hearing it and feeling a urge to go to the meeting room was part of them being 'enabled'

Re:Geeks Afraid of Religion

[Xeth]

Except that religion was a part of it straight through the Kobol arc in the first and second seasons (which was, IMHO, one of the best parts of the series,and many people agree). No, the problem was that they just did a bunch of one-off episodes with no real resolution or consequences. E.g. (Season 3 spoilers follow): The return of Bulldog and revelations about corruption and warmongering in the admiralty. That went nowhere. The killing of Sagittarons? Swept under the rug and forgotten. The unhappiness and emerging classism in the fleet? 10 second resolution at the end, and not a peep since.

Creation of the Cylons?

[iknownuttin]

I really hope they address the creation of the cylons or at least how they came to the conclusion that humans should be exterminated. I would find that plot intriguing. Also, the hiring of more leggy and busty actresses would help, too. ;-)

Re:That's a mistake

[sensationull]

I have to agree, the mini-series was fantastic and season one was also really good. Season 2 was pretty good but when season three rolled around it just lost momentum, it became so much about reflecting politics and current events that it became harder to stay interested in. It dragged and slowed down then really just became a pre-staging area for season four.

I do hope that they pick up the ball for the last season because it was fantastic and still can be if they pick it up a little and mirror current events subtly rather than just adding special effects and a loose plot to the daily news.

Re:Warning: Spoilers

[just_forget_it]

Oh PLEASE. Everybody was thinking Starbuck could be a cylon anyway. The article doesn't even say one way or the other, just that most of the ship thinks she is, probably because she CAME BACK FROM THE FREAKING DEAD. It's hardly a "massive" spoiler, if it's even one at all.

Re:Geeks Afraid of Religion

[Xelios]

I think the bit about humans becoming terrorists was one of the best plot points of the 3rd season. It made you question this preconceived notion that terrorists are somehow inherently evil, that there's such a thing as "good people" and "bad people" and that "good people" would never do what those "bad people" are doing. The events on New Caprica wanted to show that "normal" people could resort to terrorism given the right conditions, and how acts of terrorism just don't seem quite as barbarous when it's your side that's being oppressed.

Disclaimer for the DHS: I do not condone terrorism, thanks.

Re:That's a mistake

[elrous0]

Actually the "torture of prisoners" issue was dealt with in Season 1 as well (in "Flesh and Bone"). The problem isn't the way they deal with controversial issues (though it is getting a little heavy-handed); it's in the general writing, weak pacing, and lack of direction. For one thing, season 1 had a good mix of different kinds of episodes, to give the viewer some breathing room. Bleaker episodes like "33" and "Flesh and Bone" were occasionally offset by more upbeat episodes like "Hand of God" and "Colonial Day" (and even some comic relief in "Six Degrees of Separation"). And it had a very strong sense of direction. The season was structured clearly to end with the discovery of Kobol and the realization of a subtle mysticism that had been subtly hinted at throughout the season.

Season 1 also had an immediacy and mystery that's lacking now. Moore himself referred in an interview once to one of the biggest problems they had on Star Trek--the fact that enemies who are initially frightening can become much less intimidating the more you best them (and get to know them and their flaws and weaknesses). The Cylons were initially a force of nature, a mystery with an unknown agenda. But, in subsequent seasons, we've seen so many of their flaws, so many of their weaknesses. And so they seem to have lost that intimidating air of mystery that they once had. And whatever "plan" they had at first seems to have fallen by the wayside at this point.

Re:Geeks Afraid of Religion

[tmalone]

I agree that it was one of the best plot points. I think many people were a little put off by it though. This is especially true of people who saw Battlestar as an allegory for 9/11. This ruthless other (that turns out to be a bunch of religious fanatics) comes to wipe out "civilization" and now the humans are on the run. Then it turns out that when the going gets tough, some of the humans turn to terrorist acts. I can see that being a little upsetting to some people. In fact, I witnessed this in the reactions of some friends who were shocked at twist in the story.
This is what makes the show so great: it doesn't pull any punches. The writers don't seem to care about destroying people's conceptions of who is good and who is bad.

Re:Warning: Spoilers

[cvas]

WARNING! I QUOTE THE TITLE AND OPENING BLURB OF THE ARTICLE!! IF YOU DON"T WANT THOSE SPOILED BEFORE YOU GO TO THE SITE, STOP READING!!!!

I guess you missed this part:

The streaming revelation along with other show secrets and anecdotes, was revealed last night at the Morgan Library during a panel discussion with series executive producers David Eick and Ron Moore and nine of the show's stars.

More news on a confirmed BSG prequel, identifying the final cylon and what it's like to find out you're a toaster, all after the jump.

And while not directed solely at the parent, people need to suck it up and take some personal responsibility. The HEADING of the article is Battlestar Galactica Streams Into Season 4 .

If people have not even finished season TWO and still read past the title then they have only themselves to blame, either for lack of willpower, inability to grasp the English language, or general stupidity.

Unless you just got your first computer, chances are you know how this "web" thing works and that going to a site about a show or a movie could possibly contain SPOILERS. Sure it's nice when they give you a warning, but in the Big Bad World, Mommy and Daddy can't always be there to hold your hand or help you make decisions.

I will make one concession, the Slashdot summary could be better (shocking!). The line about the new show and last season of BSG is a bit ambiguous given the context and state of the show. Does "last season" mean the Final Season (yes, in this case) or does it mean the Previous Season? But even being confused by that, the article itself contained enough warning once you got there. Unless you need huge, 72pt., red spoiler warnings because you're an idiot.

Re:Geeks Afraid of Religion

[tmalone]

The one-offs could have been okay if they hadn't been so horrible. I think the problem with the one-offs is that the writers don't know how to write a one-off. They start on the episode like any other episode that will have consequences, then they get to the end and realize they aren't allowed to change anything, so they just end it and return everything to normal, despite the massive internal changes that occurred. Either that, or they farmed out the writing to a bunch of hacks, because some of those episodes were just poorly written.

Re:Lets call it a "do over"`

[smooth wombat]

Is Buck Rodgers next?

Only so long as they can get someone who can approach Erin Gray [wikipedia.org] in natural beauty when wearing a metallic full-body jumpsuit.

Re:One of the best series ever put on television

[ravergonemad]

I do think there was one connection, the wall of pictures of family members lost as they hope they are still alive, seems chillingly similar to pictures posted in NYC after the attacks.

Re:That's a mistake

[jollyreaper]

The miniseries and first season of BSG was probably the best science fiction even made for television. But it has declined significantly in quality since then. I'm actually glad this is the last season of the show (since it allows them to give a definite conclusion to the series before it declines even more, and gives them a focus that they lacked in season 3). Making follow-up movies or series is a mistake, and it would only tarnish the name of a once-brilliant series.

The show had huge potential going in. It has great actors, high production values, and just has a very authentic look. You can buy this is happening. The only problem is that the scripts are all over the fucking place. They're Stephen Kinging it, working without an outline, making stuff up as they go. You have two characters locked in a room, one who has a gun pulled on the other and a genuinely good reason to kill him, something from the past. That reason should have always been there up to this point in the show, influencing motives and actions. Something like that can't just be pulled out of the ass like "Oh, yeah, by the way, remember when it was me who killed your family? Sorry about that." The only thing that the writers can genuinely change their minds on is whether the guy with the gun does or doesn't shoot the other guy.

I do appreciate the idea of keeping show uber-arcs shorter so they can be punchier, more energetic. I hate it when shows go flabby at the end, churning out piles of drek episodes nobody wants to see. Better to go out with a bang! The thing is, with a premise like BSG, it's perfectly possible to tell additional stories within the setting, in effect keeping the same time slot but cycling out actors and production staff so the energy could be kept fresh. The West Wing sort of did this with seasons 6 and 7, most of the action occurring outside of the White House with main characters shuffled off the board, new ones coming in. If the producers so desired, they very well could have kept the show going with a Santos presidency, naturally swapping out much of the cast and bringing in new energy and ideas.

Re:One of the best series ever put on television

[Hal_Porter]

Where's the 9-11 connection? I don't see it.

Cylon suicide bombers because they have no fear of death due to their fanatical belief in an alien religion? Cylons making a dramatic surprise attack that causes a liberal democracy to become markedly less liberal and start torturing its opponents?

Naah, you're right, no 9/11 references at all.

Re:That's a mistake

[Hal_Porter]

Yeah I always wondered about that they have a plan thing

The problem with Sci Fi series is that they always hint that there is some overarching plot arc. But most of time there isn't. They add hooks in episodes when they get a chance and hang more stuff on those hooks when they get a chance. Some episodes are pure filler with neither.

Because all the episodes are written by different people and they never know how many shows they will get to make or even what order they will air in, there probably isn't an arc. At best they can do arcs that span a season, because that's the longest they can rely on the show running for. Quite possibly the "They have a plan" was written by some marketing guy who's never seen an episode.

Sorry and all, but the Cylons don't have a plan, just like The Truth was never really Out There.

Re:That's a mistake

[xtinct]

i logged in just to respond and heartily agree with you about how absolutely awesome "Exodus, part II" was...

when galactica is free-falling on new caprica, launching vipers, and does a jump just a couple hundred feet above the ground...

and when the galactica is getting pounded by 3+ cylon starships and adama gives his "well, that's it" speech, with that awesome sad orchestral music playing -- just to have lee and the pegasus burst in launching rockets...!!!

anyway, i thought it was just me who thought that was some of the best FILM i'd ever seen; not just TV. will you be my friend? ;)

Re:One of the best series ever put on television

[shinma]

The destruction wasn't really the part that makes it resemble 9/11. It's the tactics of the governments, the treatment of the military, and of course, the paranoia over who is and who isn't a Cylon (terrorist) that does.

The Cylons are largely religious zealots, the humans are doing terrible things largely out of fear, and they're damaging their own liberty and sanity to do so. The entire series is a statement on the war in Iraq.

Re:One of the best series ever put on television

[elrous0]

I still can't believe that people can't see this. They made it about as blatantly obvious as they could have without having the residents of Caprica wearing "I Love NY" t-shirts.

I really do think that most people suffer from an innate inability to see beyond the most basic literal level on anything they encounter. As Lex Luthor once wisely said "Some people can come away from reading War and Peace thinking it's a mere adventure story."