Major Spoiler for BSG Episode 212
What Happens to President Laura Roslin?
 August 31st 2005 06:16pm | Posted by: Jim Iaccino, HNR Associate Editor



Tonight on Shunomac's Subject2Discussion show at lvrocks, a major spoiler was revealed concerning Laura Roslin's fate on the new Battlestar Galactica series.

In Episode 212, airing right after 211 where Cain's fate is sealed, President Roslin is close to the point of death from her cancer. But Dr. Gaius Baltar saves the day by taking stem cells from Boomer-Caprica's unborn child, thus saving Roslin.

So the next inquiry is if Laura is indeed given a clean bill of health, who is the dying leader that will lead the Galacticans to Earth? Is it perhaps Commander Adama or maybe some other character?

In any case, this one episode will be generating a flurry of activity on the Galactica boards for months to come. Remember that you read it here first on Flight Deck. And keep watching Battlestar Galactica for more twists and turns to come this second season.

Source: lvrocks

Could Aliens Be Coming To 'Battlestar Galactica'?

Author: Michael Hinman
Date: 08-30-2005
Source: SyFy Portal

This is the second part in a series talking to "Battlestar Galactica" co-producer and writer David Weddle.

It used to be that a good science-fiction show couldn't even begin to be a good science-fiction show unless there was some kind of alien in it. Seriously, who would want to see a sci-fi show without some extra-terrestrial being?

In 2002, Joss Whedon broke the mold by saying his short-lived Fox series "Firefly" would have no aliens. While it did get some people talking, it was an idea that stayed popular when the new "Battlestar Galactica" took the air alien free.

Most of the explanation for that is because Cmdr. Adama's Edward James Olmos made it clear if little green men showed up on the set, he would be gone. But does that really mean aliens won't be making their way to the Galactica fleet?

"Battlestar Galactica" co-producer and writer David Weddle fessed up.

"I'm not going to promise you'll never see an alien on our show," Weddle told SyFy Portal's Michael Hinman. "But it will not be the rubber-headed humanoid types you see on Star Trek and countless other sci-fi shows. Edward James Olmos has said that if we ever resorted to that, he'd walk. I'm inclined to agree with him."

But ... wait a minute. Aliens or not?

Click here for the rest of the interview.

Galactica holds steady ratings

Stargate SG-1's "Ex Deus Machina" earned a 1.9 rating in the 8 p.m. time slot, staying even with the previous week's episode.

Atlantis's 2.2 rating built significantly on the lead-in, with "Instinct" up 16 percent (0.3 points) from the previous week.

Battlestar Galactica held most of Atlantis's audience at 10 p.m., with "Home, Part 2" earning a 2.1 rating -- even with the previous week's "Part 1."
 

More info at Gateworld

Sci-Fi Talk: Paul Campbell and Lorena Gale

This Vancouver native plays Billy Keikeya on the new version of Battlestar Galactica. He has also appeared in films like The Perfect Score, We'll Meet Again and The Long Weekend. His TV credits include appearances on Smallville, Black Sash and Andromeda. Taped at Gatecon 2005.

Direct download: PaulCampbell.mp3
Category: podcasts -- posted at: 7:06 PM

She played Elosha on Battlestar Galactica, but Lorena Gale has also starred in her fair share of SF Movies and Television. Youv'e seen her in Fantastic Four, The Chronilces of Riddick and The Exorcisim of Emily Rose. On TV, She's appeared in Smallville and Kingdom Hospital. Taped at Gatecon 2005.

Direct download: LorenaGale.mp3
Category: podcasts -- posted at: 10:27 PM

Newshound Sci-Fi

Cylons: Can't live with them, can't live without them

Jeff Dillon
Source: Sign-On San Diego:
August 27, 2005

(SPOILER ALERT) I love how Battlestar Galactica continues to tease us with the mystery of the Cylons' origin, purpose and abilities.

In Friday night's episode "Home, Part II," we saw the Cylon-occupied Caprica version of Lt. Sharon "Boomer" Valerii tensely reunited with both Commander William Adama -- who was shot and nearly killed by her Galactica version -- and Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol -- who had been the Galactica version's lover.

The Caprica Sharon apparently shared all of the Galactica Sharon's memories up until the Galactica's departure from Colonial space, but how and why the individual Cylons are created, get their memories or are linked to some sort of Cylon "collective" remain unclear. The current Sharon says she doesn't have any of the hidden protocols of the first Sharon, but if the first Sharon could have been programmed not to know she was a Cylon, couldn't this one be deceived, too? (Evidently some Cylons don't have free will -- or don't know that they don't. Then again, who does?)

Lingering behind all this is the entire issue of how the "toaster" Cylons went away for 40 years and returned with their humanoid masters. Who -- or what -- is in charge? Did the Cylons truly evolve or just encounter something which gave them human form. Why are there only 12 master types of humanoid Cylon? (One for each colony? Or one for each of the 12 entities buried in Athena's tomb?)

We learned in the episode "The Farm" that the Cylons are trying to breed human-Cylon hybrids of some sort (we know they've succeeded with Caprica Sharon and Lt. Karl "Helo" Agathon), but as Lt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace points out in Friday's episode the Cylons have removed all the bodies from Caprica's ruins and appear to be rebuilding the planet's infrastructure. For a humanoid Cylon civilization -- or a hybrid Cylon civilization?

"Home, Part II" also addressed the is-she-a-chip-or-isn't-she issue, the question about the seductive No. 6 that executive producer Ron Moore had said in his podcasts he wanted to remain ambiguous as long as possible. While the No. 6 apparition originally told Gaius Baltar she was from a chip in his head -- like the mental clone of Scorpius that accompanies John Crichton for much of Farscape -- we've always been given cause to suspect he may have gone crazy. That's even though No. 6 gives him real-world information he might not have known for himself, such as the presence of the original Cylon tracking device aboard Galactica and Sharon's pregnancy.

So after Baltar had his brain scan, we face the same question he does: If he doesn't have a chip in his brain, where's she coming from? Is she a spiritual entity? Is there another explanation for her ability to communicate with him, such as a widespread nanotech network in his body?

The problem with a lot of these questions is that if the answer is that the Cylons have advanced biotech or nanotech capability, why can't they just wipe out the remaining humans with a plague -- or build better Raiders or better Raider pilots? Unless, of course, it's all a big conspiracy, and the Cylons are just herding the ragtag fleet around for their still-mysterious purposes...

 

Newshound sci-Fi

From Baby Killings To A Baby Humanoid Cylon Only Ron Moore Has The Answers. Or Does He?

Source SciFiPulse
27 August 2005
By Ian M. Cullen

If anything happens in the re-imagination. The new Galactica has certainly not ran away from controversial, daring and ambiguous story lines. Aside from giving most the popular characters a major sex change as well as a somewhat more modern sensibility. The show has toyed with a fair few concepts, which have been lifted directly from the original series, while at the same time it has introduced some of its own ideas to the mix. One of these ideas is a story arc, which lasted throughout all of the opening season, and is now being played out in the new series, which is approaching its 7th week of broadcast in the USA. This particular story involved Boomer Cylons pregnancy as a direct result of her relationship with Helo. This is an element, which certainly has opened up many debates on the message boards and has created a frenzy of fan opinion. In a recent interview with Dreamwatch Magazine Ron D Moore somewhat cagily addressed this issue as well as a few other things.

The story of Boomers Baby according to Moore is very likely to rival that of the classic horror flick ‘Rosemary's Baby' especially when it comes to the grit and grime of Cylon Child Rearing.

"It's such a key component of the show. We will definitely be parcelling out more of that as this year goes on. It will unfold over a period of time. Whose baby is it? Where is the baby? What is the baby? It's one of the threads running through all of the second year."

The second season has also saw the return of Richard Hatch in his role of Tom Zarek who is a political rebel who may or may not have done some questionable things. Moore admits that Richard Hatch's involvement during the second season and his role in the show has proved somewhat invaluable to giving the first half of the second season some pace and a little more political intrigue.

"He has a significant role to play in the early season episodes," Moore details. "He has a unique role within the fleet when we had stories about civil unrest and ships turning against one another. Zarek as a character was a natural to put in that mix and give a voice to people who were apposed to what was going on with Galactica. This year, we just have more strife – filled civil atmosphere among the fleet, so its easy to put Zarek in the middle of it as an established character there I can pull in."

Of course as with anything all things end and one thing that Moore has hinted at is the mere fact that some of the principal characters within the show will more than likely die.

"We always talked about [the fact] that we are trying to play this as real as possible, so not all of them would make the complete journey. I always saw that there would be new characters coming in and other characters would leave. I think it's a good thing for the show because, ultimately, if you are willing to let familiar faces die, it really puts genuine jeopardy in almost any situation. Then the audience can't get comfortable with the idea of, ‘Oh, well they'll never kill them.' If you do [kill someone], then all bets are off. I think that's really a good thing."

Admittedly Ron Moore revealed that much of the first 13 episodes, which aired in the UK back in October and premiered in the USA in January of this year we're quite literally testing the water. One episode, which did not quite work well in Ron Moore's opinion, was the ironic comedy episode ‘Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down' which is an episode that he feels would not be repeated to often.

"It was an interesting experiment in altering the tone of the show. I'm not eager to try another one. You can have humour in the show, that's important. But to try to do a whole piece that tongue in cheek with farce as the climax? I don't know if it's really our strong suit or where the show best lives."

One aspect, which does seem to be working, is something that was touched on in the Classic 70's series, the subject being religion. Since it first premiered the re-imagining of Battlestar has touched on religion. The Cylons even have a religion, hence their belief that the colonials need to be controlled or wiped out. Ron Moore for his part is somewhat surprised at how well the religious elements seem to be working and is somewhat excited by some of the possibilities that this story thread is presenting.

"We were all really surprised in the first season how strong the religious overtones of the series were and how interesting that was going to be in terms of what the show is about. That aspect of the show really opened up the Cylons in a different way and established a way that I could introduce mythos, ironically, from the original Galactica. The lords of Kobol. What is Kobol? Where did they all come from? What is Earth and their mythology and what are the roots of this universe? I wasn't really intending that would be such a big component of the show."

Like it or lump it the new version of Battlestar Galactica seems to have taken flight, in spite of a 23% drop in ratings which most analyst and experts when it comes to the dry and tedious numbers game known as ratings had expected, the show still seems to be holding its own in the small niche world of Cable Television. Something which Ron Moore and the staff at Sci Fi Channel can be fairly proud of.

The second season of Battlestar Galactica will premier in the UK on Sky One sometime in January of 2006. You can read more of this interview with Ron D. Moore in issue 133 of Dreamwatch Magazine which is out now priced £3.50 in the UK.

Promo images of episodes 209 and 210

Episodic Photography for Flight of the Phoenix and Pegasus has been released today and are already online at Dark Thoughts..

Episode 209: Flight of the Phoenix

 Episode 210: Pegasus
 

Aaron Douglas S2D webcast 24th Aug

Well thanks to Koenigrules, Aaron Douglas is said to be calling into my program Subject2Discussion on Wednesday during the second hour at about 25-30 minutes into the second hour.

Subject2Discussion is LIVE on Wednesday at 6pm PST live on http://www.LVROCKS.com Podcast RSS url is:

 http://podcasts.lvrocks.com/rss.aspx?channelid=5

First up will be the news and comment segment and then my interview with Justin Gardner from the http://www.donklephant.com centrist political blog

Then at the top of the second hour is our Subject To Discussion where we bat around a subject or two for 20-25 minutes and then Aaron Douglas is expected to be calling in.

Shaun
 http://www.subject2discussion.com

--------------------
Created and host of Subject To Discussion a weekly current events webcast audio show on LVROCKS.COM

Sneak Peek: Of Home Part 2

More twists and turns?

AOL Sneak Peek of Episode 207:Home, part 2

In part two of the episode 'Home,' Number Six (Tricia Helfer) reveals some surprising news to Dr. Gaius Baltar.

Have to use the IE browser though since AOL wants to install an active-x control and "ocget.dll" before the video will play.
 

Newshound Sci-Fi

 

Major Spoiler for BSG Episode 212
What Happens to President Laura Roslin?
 August 31st 2005 06:16pm | Posted by: Jim Iaccino, HNR Associate Editor



Tonight on Shunomac's Subject2Discussion show at lvrocks, a major spoiler was revealed concerning Laura Roslin's fate on the new Battlestar Galactica series.

In Episode 212, airing right after 211 where Cain's fate is sealed, President Roslin is close to the point of death from her cancer. But Dr. Gaius Baltar saves the day by taking stem cells from Boomer-Caprica's unborn child, thus saving Roslin.

So the next inquiry is if Laura is indeed given a clean bill of health, who is the dying leader that will lead the Galacticans to Earth? Is it perhaps Commander Adama or maybe some other character?

In any case, this one episode will be generating a flurry of activity on the Galactica boards for months to come. Remember that you read it here first on Flight Deck. And keep watching Battlestar Galactica for more twists and turns to come this second season.

Source: lvrocks

Could Aliens Be Coming To 'Battlestar Galactica'?

Author: Michael Hinman
Date: 08-30-2005
Source: SyFy Portal

This is the second part in a series talking to "Battlestar Galactica" co-producer and writer David Weddle.

It used to be that a good science-fiction show couldn't even begin to be a good science-fiction show unless there was some kind of alien in it. Seriously, who would want to see a sci-fi show without some extra-terrestrial being?

In 2002, Joss Whedon broke the mold by saying his short-lived Fox series "Firefly" would have no aliens. While it did get some people talking, it was an idea that stayed popular when the new "Battlestar Galactica" took the air alien free.

Most of the explanation for that is because Cmdr. Adama's Edward James Olmos made it clear if little green men showed up on the set, he would be gone. But does that really mean aliens won't be making their way to the Galactica fleet?

"Battlestar Galactica" co-producer and writer David Weddle fessed up.

"I'm not going to promise you'll never see an alien on our show," Weddle told SyFy Portal's Michael Hinman. "But it will not be the rubber-headed humanoid types you see on Star Trek and countless other sci-fi shows. Edward James Olmos has said that if we ever resorted to that, he'd walk. I'm inclined to agree with him."

But ... wait a minute. Aliens or not?

Click here for the rest of the interview.

Galactica holds steady ratings

Stargate SG-1's "Ex Deus Machina" earned a 1.9 rating in the 8 p.m. time slot, staying even with the previous week's episode.

Atlantis's 2.2 rating built significantly on the lead-in, with "Instinct" up 16 percent (0.3 points) from the previous week.

Battlestar Galactica held most of Atlantis's audience at 10 p.m., with "Home, Part 2" earning a 2.1 rating -- even with the previous week's "Part 1."
 

More info at Gateworld

Sci-Fi Talk: Paul Campbell and Lorena Gale

This Vancouver native plays Billy Keikeya on the new version of Battlestar Galactica. He has also appeared in films like The Perfect Score, We'll Meet Again and The Long Weekend. His TV credits include appearances on Smallville, Black Sash and Andromeda. Taped at Gatecon 2005.

Direct download: PaulCampbell.mp3
Category: podcasts -- posted at: 7:06 PM

She played Elosha on Battlestar Galactica, but Lorena Gale has also starred in her fair share of SF Movies and Television. Youv'e seen her in Fantastic Four, The Chronilces of Riddick and The Exorcisim of Emily Rose. On TV, She's appeared in Smallville and Kingdom Hospital. Taped at Gatecon 2005.

Direct download: LorenaGale.mp3
Category: podcasts -- posted at: 10:27 PM

Newshound Sci-Fi

Cylons: Can't live with them, can't live without them

Jeff Dillon
Source: Sign-On San Diego:
August 27, 2005

(SPOILER ALERT) I love how Battlestar Galactica continues to tease us with the mystery of the Cylons' origin, purpose and abilities.

In Friday night's episode "Home, Part II," we saw the Cylon-occupied Caprica version of Lt. Sharon "Boomer" Valerii tensely reunited with both Commander William Adama -- who was shot and nearly killed by her Galactica version -- and Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol -- who had been the Galactica version's lover.

The Caprica Sharon apparently shared all of the Galactica Sharon's memories up until the Galactica's departure from Colonial space, but how and why the individual Cylons are created, get their memories or are linked to some sort of Cylon "collective" remain unclear. The current Sharon says she doesn't have any of the hidden protocols of the first Sharon, but if the first Sharon could have been programmed not to know she was a Cylon, couldn't this one be deceived, too? (Evidently some Cylons don't have free will -- or don't know that they don't. Then again, who does?)

Lingering behind all this is the entire issue of how the "toaster" Cylons went away for 40 years and returned with their humanoid masters. Who -- or what -- is in charge? Did the Cylons truly evolve or just encounter something which gave them human form. Why are there only 12 master types of humanoid Cylon? (One for each colony? Or one for each of the 12 entities buried in Athena's tomb?)

We learned in the episode "The Farm" that the Cylons are trying to breed human-Cylon hybrids of some sort (we know they've succeeded with Caprica Sharon and Lt. Karl "Helo" Agathon), but as Lt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace points out in Friday's episode the Cylons have removed all the bodies from Caprica's ruins and appear to be rebuilding the planet's infrastructure. For a humanoid Cylon civilization -- or a hybrid Cylon civilization?

"Home, Part II" also addressed the is-she-a-chip-or-isn't-she issue, the question about the seductive No. 6 that executive producer Ron Moore had said in his podcasts he wanted to remain ambiguous as long as possible. While the No. 6 apparition originally told Gaius Baltar she was from a chip in his head -- like the mental clone of Scorpius that accompanies John Crichton for much of Farscape -- we've always been given cause to suspect he may have gone crazy. That's even though No. 6 gives him real-world information he might not have known for himself, such as the presence of the original Cylon tracking device aboard Galactica and Sharon's pregnancy.

So after Baltar had his brain scan, we face the same question he does: If he doesn't have a chip in his brain, where's she coming from? Is she a spiritual entity? Is there another explanation for her ability to communicate with him, such as a widespread nanotech network in his body?

The problem with a lot of these questions is that if the answer is that the Cylons have advanced biotech or nanotech capability, why can't they just wipe out the remaining humans with a plague -- or build better Raiders or better Raider pilots? Unless, of course, it's all a big conspiracy, and the Cylons are just herding the ragtag fleet around for their still-mysterious purposes...

 

Newshound sci-Fi

From Baby Killings To A Baby Humanoid Cylon Only Ron Moore Has The Answers. Or Does He?

Source SciFiPulse
27 August 2005
By Ian M. Cullen

If anything happens in the re-imagination. The new Galactica has certainly not ran away from controversial, daring and ambiguous story lines. Aside from giving most the popular characters a major sex change as well as a somewhat more modern sensibility. The show has toyed with a fair few concepts, which have been lifted directly from the original series, while at the same time it has introduced some of its own ideas to the mix. One of these ideas is a story arc, which lasted throughout all of the opening season, and is now being played out in the new series, which is approaching its 7th week of broadcast in the USA. This particular story involved Boomer Cylons pregnancy as a direct result of her relationship with Helo. This is an element, which certainly has opened up many debates on the message boards and has created a frenzy of fan opinion. In a recent interview with Dreamwatch Magazine Ron D Moore somewhat cagily addressed this issue as well as a few other things.

The story of Boomers Baby according to Moore is very likely to rival that of the classic horror flick ‘Rosemary's Baby' especially when it comes to the grit and grime of Cylon Child Rearing.

"It's such a key component of the show. We will definitely be parcelling out more of that as this year goes on. It will unfold over a period of time. Whose baby is it? Where is the baby? What is the baby? It's one of the threads running through all of the second year."

The second season has also saw the return of Richard Hatch in his role of Tom Zarek who is a political rebel who may or may not have done some questionable things. Moore admits that Richard Hatch's involvement during the second season and his role in the show has proved somewhat invaluable to giving the first half of the second season some pace and a little more political intrigue.

"He has a significant role to play in the early season episodes," Moore details. "He has a unique role within the fleet when we had stories about civil unrest and ships turning against one another. Zarek as a character was a natural to put in that mix and give a voice to people who were apposed to what was going on with Galactica. This year, we just have more strife – filled civil atmosphere among the fleet, so its easy to put Zarek in the middle of it as an established character there I can pull in."

Of course as with anything all things end and one thing that Moore has hinted at is the mere fact that some of the principal characters within the show will more than likely die.

"We always talked about [the fact] that we are trying to play this as real as possible, so not all of them would make the complete journey. I always saw that there would be new characters coming in and other characters would leave. I think it's a good thing for the show because, ultimately, if you are willing to let familiar faces die, it really puts genuine jeopardy in almost any situation. Then the audience can't get comfortable with the idea of, ‘Oh, well they'll never kill them.' If you do [kill someone], then all bets are off. I think that's really a good thing."

Admittedly Ron Moore revealed that much of the first 13 episodes, which aired in the UK back in October and premiered in the USA in January of this year we're quite literally testing the water. One episode, which did not quite work well in Ron Moore's opinion, was the ironic comedy episode ‘Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down' which is an episode that he feels would not be repeated to often.

"It was an interesting experiment in altering the tone of the show. I'm not eager to try another one. You can have humour in the show, that's important. But to try to do a whole piece that tongue in cheek with farce as the climax? I don't know if it's really our strong suit or where the show best lives."

One aspect, which does seem to be working, is something that was touched on in the Classic 70's series, the subject being religion. Since it first premiered the re-imagining of Battlestar has touched on religion. The Cylons even have a religion, hence their belief that the colonials need to be controlled or wiped out. Ron Moore for his part is somewhat surprised at how well the religious elements seem to be working and is somewhat excited by some of the possibilities that this story thread is presenting.

"We were all really surprised in the first season how strong the religious overtones of the series were and how interesting that was going to be in terms of what the show is about. That aspect of the show really opened up the Cylons in a different way and established a way that I could introduce mythos, ironically, from the original Galactica. The lords of Kobol. What is Kobol? Where did they all come from? What is Earth and their mythology and what are the roots of this universe? I wasn't really intending that would be such a big component of the show."

Like it or lump it the new version of Battlestar Galactica seems to have taken flight, in spite of a 23% drop in ratings which most analyst and experts when it comes to the dry and tedious numbers game known as ratings had expected, the show still seems to be holding its own in the small niche world of Cable Television. Something which Ron Moore and the staff at Sci Fi Channel can be fairly proud of.

The second season of Battlestar Galactica will premier in the UK on Sky One sometime in January of 2006. You can read more of this interview with Ron D. Moore in issue 133 of Dreamwatch Magazine which is out now priced £3.50 in the UK.

Promo images of episodes 209 and 210

Episodic Photography for Flight of the Phoenix and Pegasus has been released today and are already online at Dark Thoughts..

Episode 209: Flight of the Phoenix

 Episode 210: Pegasus
 

Aaron Douglas S2D webcast 24th Aug

Well thanks to Koenigrules, Aaron Douglas is said to be calling into my program Subject2Discussion on Wednesday during the second hour at about 25-30 minutes into the second hour.

Subject2Discussion is LIVE on Wednesday at 6pm PST live on http://www.LVROCKS.com Podcast RSS url is:

 http://podcasts.lvrocks.com/rss.aspx?channelid=5

First up will be the news and comment segment and then my interview with Justin Gardner from the http://www.donklephant.com centrist political blog

Then at the top of the second hour is our Subject To Discussion where we bat around a subject or two for 20-25 minutes and then Aaron Douglas is expected to be calling in.

Shaun
 http://www.subject2discussion.com

--------------------
Created and host of Subject To Discussion a weekly current events webcast audio show on LVROCKS.COM

Sneak Peek: Of Home Part 2

More twists and turns?

AOL Sneak Peek of Episode 207:Home, part 2

In part two of the episode 'Home,' Number Six (Tricia Helfer) reveals some surprising news to Dr. Gaius Baltar.

Have to use the IE browser though since AOL wants to install an active-x control and "ocget.dll" before the video will play.
 

Newshound Sci-Fi

Region 2 Battlestar at bargain prices

 

Battlestar Galactica (2003 Mini Series)
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our price: £7.99 Delivered
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Battlestar Galactica - Season 1 (4 Discs) (2003)
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Kollaboration All Star 2005 - Grace Park guest host



Click on the pic above to view her pictures.

Grace Park (Boomer) was a special guest at Kollaboration, an annual competition showcasing the Korean American community and its vast talents. Here's a link to all the sub-albums for those that are interested in seeing all the pictures from that event.

Galactica retakes SCI FI ratings lead

SCI FI Friday's anchor show retook the ratings lead for the cable network on Friday, August 19 -- though all three original series remained close. Battlestar Galactica earned a 2.1 average household rating.

Stargate SG-1 started off the night with "Beachhead," the sixth episode of the ninth season. The episode earned a 1.9 household rating, down five percent (one-tenth of a point) from the previous week's episode.


Stargate Atlantis held its lead-in audience in the 9 p.m. time slot, with "Trinity" also earning a 1.9 rating. This is a 10 percent drop from the previous week's episode.

More info at Gateworld
 

Lucy Lawless Sheds Light on BSG

From Julia Houston,
Your Guide to Sci-Fi / Fantasy

Lucy Lawless is that hardest of interviews: the person I want to go shopping with when we're done. She's so instantly likeable, you keep having to remind yourself she's actually talking to you because it's her job (and yours). In fact, when I launched into self-praise about my ability to whip up the world's best martini, she accused me (jokingly) of hitting on her. We might as well have been trying on shoes.

(Seriously, though, I do make a fantastic martini.)

I asked her how she felt about Xena now that the show is over but she is still and always will be the Warrior Princess. Is she going to write a book, I am Not Xena, or does she look on the character still with affection?

LL: I think that everybody should be so lucky as to be identified with a successful show.It was so much fun, and it's given me everything -- without it, I wouldn't have my children, my husband…a lot of financial security. What's to bitch about? It was six years of a lot of laughs.

Next up for Lawless, she's guest-starring on an episode of Battlestar Galactica. September 9, in the episode, "Final Cut," she's a filmmaker sent to Galactica to document life aboard the ship.

JH: All right, you're an outsider there, so I can ask. Is everyone on Battlestar Galactica really so nice and professional and incredible to work with?

LL: Yes, certainly they are. And talented too. Eddie [Olmos] and Mary [McDonnel] are incredible show hosts. And the young people are fantastic. They're passionate about what they do.

They've written real characters for the show. No one is wholly good or wholly bad, and the actors really keep track of their own continuity. They keep it making sense. But at the same time, I don't think there were any changes, apart from the occasional ad-lib that I don't know if they'll use or not, from the script I was first given. It's incredibly well-written.

JH: Did you have a talk with [writer/creator/driving force] Ron Moore?

LL: Yes, we had dinner. He wants every character to be distinct and rooted in truth. Nobody there is embarrassed to make a suggestion, and the producers are not too proud to take a good idea from wherever it is. As a result, the show is greater than the sum of its parts.

JH: So, what's something of yourself that you put into your character, apart from being able to use your New Zealand accent?

LL: As soon as that camera's rolling, it's all you. That's what I love about this job. You get a sense that the buck stops with you.

JH: Is there any chance your character might recur?

LL: Yes, there's a chance. We've talked about it.

JH: So you like the idea?

LL: Who wouldn't want to go on such a successful show?

Continue at About.com
 

Battlestar Galactica: the Musical

In a desperate attempt to inject a bit of fun back into Battlestar Galactica, the producer's have announced plans to film a musical episode.

Described by Ronald D Moore as "Blackpool meets the Black Hole", the episode will feature:

  • Commander Adama growling his way through The Smith's 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now'
  • Boomer serenading Helo with a cover version of Cylon Dion's 'I Will Always Love You' (backed by a choir of naked Boomers). This then segues into Lionel Ritche's 'Helo' (bring a tissue).
  • Colonel Tigh beating his dead wife with a broken bottle while he mimes (badly) to 'Fairytale of New York'
  • President Roslyn's acoustic 'Personal Jesus'
  • Baltar singing the theme tune to Pipkins (for no readily apparent reason!)
  • Starbuck and Apollo in an all-signing, all-dancing version of Kylie and Jason's 'Especially for You'

And then everybody dies...

Source: Tachyon TV

Battlestar Galactica - 'Home, Part 1'


Written by Scott Collura @ Now Playing
Monday, 22 August 2005

Home! After being stranded on the ravaged planet Caprica since the first episode of the new Galactica, Lt. Karl 'Helo' Agathon has finally made it back home, or to a close enough approximation of it as the Galactica fleet has now been divided between the two camps loyal to Commander Adama and President Roslin. But home isn't all it's cracked up to be, as Helo's companion – his pregnant lover Sharon – happens to be a Cylon defector who is received none too warmly by Roslin and Apollo. But if Roslin is to find the Tomb of Athena on Kobol – which is said to be the key to locating Earth – she just might have to trust Sharon for the time being.

There's not a heck of a lot of trust going around in either faction of the Galactica fleet these days, though. While Helo, upon his return, is immediately suspected of being a Cylon collaborator or possibly even a Cylon himself by Apollo – he has been presumed dead for months now, after all – the appearance of another Sharon is even more disturbing to the young Adama. It was the previous Sharon, after all, who almost killed Apollo's father. And the reappearance of Starbuck throws another wrench in the system, as now both she and Apollo are deserters of their military posts aligned on the wrong side of Adama senior.

Speaking of which, Commander Adama, meanwhile, is finding it difficult to trust anyone since his betrayal by Sharon, Apollo, and Starbuck. Perhaps as a result, his choice for the new commander of the viper air group, a replacement for Apollo, proves to be less than satisfactory. Sure, the new CAG is a loyal guy, but he's a crappy pilot and leader. Even Adama's decision process is suspect here: He quizzes Colonel Tigh, his closest advisor, on who to choose for the position, even though he's already made up his mind.

And back in Roslin's camp, the always untrustworthy Tom Zarek is plotting his next move. With Roslin now dependent on him, Zarek and his lieutenant see the president's chief military advisor Apollo as the main obstacle to their controlling Roslin. Sure she can be leader, Zarek reasons, but the guy controlling the leader isn't a bad spot to be in either. As Roslin prepares to lead an expedition on the surface of Kobol in search of the Tomb of Athena, Zarek readies to off Apollo and seize subtle control over Roslin's faction of the fleet.

But as nice as it is to see Zarek get something to do aside from relay messages to Roslin for a change, it's a bit disconcerting to see his bad guy machinations so obviously presented to us. Sure, we've basically always known that he's up to no good, but to actually see him planning the murder of Apollo seems like a step down for the character – he's suddenly twirling his mustache like a black hat villain, and where's the fun in that?

Otherwise, this episode is pretty solid, with the reunion of Starbuck and Apollo proving most gratifying – if frustrating. Nothing is clear-cut between those two, and things have only been further complicated by Starbuck's new man back on Caprica, Anders. Seeing the two characters in action together again though, blasting away at Cylon toasters, is pretty cool.

And Adama, the end of this episode would seem to suggest, is finally going to redeem everyone for all their recent questionable actions. He's the only guy who can make the fleet whole again and right the wrongs that have transpired, and it's interesting that it takes Petty Officer Dualla of all people to make the commander realize this. Chalk one up for the deckhands! B+

In the mind of Baltar

TV Guide.com recently spoke with James Callis about his alter-ego, Dr. Gaius Baltar on Battlestar Galactica. In the short interview below, Callis discusses the evolution of the character, his relationship with Number Six, and Baltar's growing popularity amongst fans...

Some sci-fi fans may go ga-ga for the long-limbed beauties who populate fictional otherworlds, but it is a dark-haired Brit of short stature who manages to elicit the biggest roars from Battlestar Galactica enthusiasts. James Callis, who plays shifty scientist and Colonial Vice President Gaius Baltar, has won over viewers with his witty line-readings and steamy couplings with the sultry Cylon Number Six. (Battlestar colleagues say Callis is the on-set comic, as well.) TVGuide.com chatted with the amiable actor on the Sci Fi Channel series' Vancouver set.

TVGuide.com: Baltar is getting more Cylon and less human every day. How is he is changing this season?

James Callis: A backlog of uncharted guilt starts to plug up the system. It's like a boomerang that has come back; the thing has been thrown out, and it's finally come 'round the planet and hit him on the other side of the head.

TVGuide.com: Ambition and moral weakness proves to be a dangerous combination, doesn't it?

Callis: Anybody who has political ambition has an Achilles heel. It's fair to say Gaius is amoral. He's compassionate, he has a conscience, he suffers from remorse, but that's not really morality. His weakness is not standing up for anything, he's always trying to sidestep.

TVGuide.com: Gaius is sexually in thrall to Six, but does he love her?

Callis: No, but there's obviously a strange kind of camaraderie. It's like a fatal attraction.

TVGuide.com: How does your wife feel about your hot scenes with the gorgeous Tricia Helfer, who plays Six?

Callis: She finds the whole idea of somebody as lovely as Tricia being all over me very amusing. She's like, "Well, James, you're lucky you're on TV, because I'll tell you it wouldn't be happening otherwise."

TVGuide.com: Gaius is such an interesting character. Did you base him on anyone? A particular politician, maybe?

Callis: [He's influenced by] a scientist I knew, actually. He was brilliant and warm but the worst liar I have ever seen.

TVGuide.com: You realize, of course, that Baltar is one of the most popular characters on the show.

Callis: There's no accounting for taste. [Laughs] I wanted him to be one of the villains in the piece, but if you have somebody who doesn't care about the bad things that they've done, then they're rather uninteresting to watch. He's like a time bomb — very, very dangerous. For the moment, he's almost more dangerous to himself — but he's going to get over that.

TVGuide.com: What's with all that hair?

Callis: It's not my hair. It's extensions. I cut it for a role in a movie, One Night with the King, about the biblical story of Esther. I played Haman, a genocidal maniac of epic proportions. I had my hair all dyed black, and I had a very large beard.

TVGuide.com: Are you based out of England, Vancouver or Los Angeles?

Callis: We're doing 20 episodes, so my house is rented in London for this year and next. I don't actually have a place to go back to. My wife is here with me. She's from India and since we got married seven years ago, we've floated between Delhi and London and everywhere else in between.

TVGuide.com: You had roles in the two Bridget Jones movies. Is Battlestar your first TV series?

Callis: I've done a few. My first show, in England, was called Soldier, Soldier. I was only 24, but cast as a major [character]. I got the girl in the end, so that was a lot of fun. Another series was called Sex, Chips & Rock 'n' Roll, in which I played a rich and talentless drummer in the '60's.

TVGuide.com: Some of your fellow actors refuse to call Battlestar a science-fiction show. What is your position?

Callis: It is a character-driven drama set in space, but the science-fiction element of it really buzzes me in a way that I never though it would.

Source: TV Guide.com

Ron Moore on the Cylons point of View

An interview with Battlestar Galactica Executive Producer Ron Moore can be located in Starburst Magazine's Battlestar Special Issue. Ron talks about using the Season 1 finale as a jumping point into Season 2, "In production terms [Season 2 is] tough as we still have a relatively small budget. After all, we're on basic cable, so the parameters of how much we're ever going to get are limited. It's a hard show to produce, too, given the sort of scope, ambition and quality we're trying to maintain. However, everyone here is more than willing to step up to the plate and work together to overcome any obstacles because we all believe so strongly in this series."

Ron also talks about the summer finale, ‘Peagsus', which will feature Michelle Forbes (TNG's Ensign Ro Laren) as Cain, "with Cain I wanted to maintain that kind of superior warrior attitude of someone who wants to concentrate on the battle against the Cylons as opposed to the survival of the human race. There's a twist, through, in that we've made Cain an Admiral, and that throws a wrench into everything. Adama is no longer the senior military officer, and therefore not in command of the fleet any more."

"Suddenly, Roslin is no longer dealing with Adama, and this creates a new set of problems for her and everyone else. Here's this outsider who comes in and goes, 'What the hell have you people been doing? Apollo is a mutineer, and this Starbuck is smacking people around. This isn't a pirate ship, it's the military.' So Cain starts making changes, and that becomes great fodder for our storytelling."

"...['Pegasus' is] going to propel a whole series of storylines in the latter 10 episodes of this season. We'll also be delving more into the Cylons and starting to do some stories from their point of view. It's going to add a brand new dimension to how we view the Cylons, to the characters we have so far regarded as the enemy, and which side you are supposed to be rooting for. Audiences can look forward to an added layer of complexity as we get closer to this year's finale."

Check out more comments from Ron in the full interview within Starburst Magazine's Battlestar Special Issue – which also includes interviews with Jamie Bamber, Edward James Olmos, Tricia Helfer and Designer Richard Hudolin.

Source: TGL

More BSG Spoilers Revealed on Subject2Discussion
Episodes 211 & 212 Discussed & SkyOne's Air Date Delayed
 August 18th 2005 09:16pm | Posted by: Jim Iaccino, HNR Associate Editor




Shaunomac's Subject2Discussion internet radio show at lvrocks continues to provide invaluable information, including spoilers, on upcoming episodes of SCI FI's Battlestar Galactica series. The latest news that was revealed this past Wednesday evening (August 17) concerned itself with Episodes 211 and 212. Spoilers follow.

In the conclusion to the "Pegasus" followup, Commander Cain does die. She is shot by the Cylon Six look-alike model, Gina. However, the Battlestar Pegasus will remain on the show for a number of episodes. It was indicated that the Galacticans might be cannabilizing parts of the Pegasus, including using her vipers to complement the Galactica's dwindling number.

And in 212, Laura Roslin becomes very ill, possibly confirming rumors that she will meet her demise by the end of this season.

Also of note was the announcement at The Great Link that Sky One will delay airing the Season 2 episodes until January of 2006. So it looks like the Americans will be seeing all 20 episodes of Battlestar Galactica before our friends do overseas.

Finally, the ratings of the show were discussed at length. While they are hovering around a 2.0 HHR for Episodes 202-205, it was pointed out that all the sci-fi series on Friday nights are earning similar ratings. It was predicted that by the time the summer finale airs, Galactica's numbers will go up.

The transcript of the show is up and can be heard at spankwagon.

Keep tuned to Flight Deck for all the latest news on your favorite SCI FI show. And remember that the summer finale, "Pegasus," airs Friday night, September 16th. The return of Commander Cain is coming soon to the small screen, and yes, Cain is a woman!

Source: lvrocks

BSG Shooting Resumes


Details on episode 11; Lucy Lawless talks 'Final Cut'
August 17th 2005 10:02pm | Posted by: Robert Falconer HNR Senior Editor


Battlestar Galactica resumed production today, August 17, beginning with episode 11, "Resurrection Ship," written by Michael Rymer from a story by Anne Cofel-Saunders. The episode is described as follows: "While tensions mount between Adama and Cain, Galactica and Pegasus mount a joint strike against the Cylons."

In other news, Lucy Lawless recently spoke to SCI FI Wire about her role as reporter D'Anna Friel in episode 208, "Final Cut," an experience the Xena veteran found particularly exciting, since the production actually used footage that she and her crew shot while in their fictional roles. "We were shooting video, and they are using footage that I and my crew actually shot," Lawless said during the phone interview. "It was really exciting, worrying about the camera angle you are getting, and you were truly being your character and fully concerned about shooting the footage. It was like shooting a movie within a movie."


SCI FI reports:

Lawless guest-stars in "Final Cut," the eighth episode of Galactica's current second season, written by Mark Verheiden and directed by Robert Young. In the episode, Lawless plays reporter D'Anna Friel, who gets unlimited access to film aboard Galactica and documents the stress of military life during wartime. The marines, led by Lt. Palladino (Jeremy Guilbaut), get widely criticized when his crew opens fire on civilian protesters, killing four and wounding 12. Then there's a death threat against Col. Tigh (Michael Hogan). Meanwhile, President Roslin (Mary McDonnell) and Cmdr. Adama (Edward James Olmos) offer Fleet News Service full access to the pilots and crew. Along the way, the reporter uncovers some major secrets and faces an ethical dilemma.

Bear McCreary scores pivotal "Battlestar Galactica" episode


 Release Date:(08/16/2005)
Tucked away at a small recording studio at Citrus College in the Inland Empire east of Los Angeles, composer Bear McCreary took up the baton today, and conducted a string session for a pivotal episode in the highly anticipated second season of the hit Sci-Fi Channel series, "Battlestar Galactica". The score for the series has been primarily synthesized, with solo instruments providing levels of flavor.


Composer Bear McCreary examines a score cue

This session focused on a few larger cues, primarily involving some heavy string work. An emotional cue, and then a rather tense rhythmic cue, were recorded before taking a break. Score engineer Steve Kaplan was at the mixing board, making sure everything sounded just right. One cue dominated the session - a classical piece, almost like a Philip Glass work with repeating ostinatos that built over time.

The episode, "Home, Part II", will tie up a lot of loose ends that were left hanging in the climactic finale from Season One which have continued into Season Two for numerous episodes. As such, this episode required strong music to provide significant emotional beats.


Bear McCreary conducts a string session for "Battlestar Galactica"

Look for the episode to air on the Sci-Fi Channel on August 26th, 2005. The second season for "Battlestar Galactica" started earlier this summer, and a soundtrack release for the music from Season One is available from La-La Land Records.

Newshound Sci-Fi

Canadian Space channel Broadcast Dates

The Miniseries will be back in October:
Part 1: Saturday, October 8th, 2005 at 9pm EST
Part 2: Sunday, October 9th, 2005 at 9pm EST

Battlestar Galactica (Season One) has its first SPACE Encore Presentation starting on Saturday, October 15th, 2005 at 8pm EST

Battlestar Galactica (SEASON TWO) has its Canadian Television Premiere exclusively on SPACE starting on Saturday, January 14th, 2006 at 8pm EST

A Man for All Seasons

Jamie Bamber – adventures in Space…

by Steven Eramo
Starburst Special issue #71

Jamie Bamber plays fighter pilot Lee 'Apollo' Adama. He tells us about the challenges of the new season…

In Season One of Battlestar. Captain Lee 'Apollo' Adama Lee puts his expert fighter pilot skills to good use and helps defend the Galactica and its fleet against the Cylons. In doing so, he earns the respect of those around him, including his father, Commander William Adama, from whom Lee had previously been estranged. President Laura Roslin even asks him to serve as her unofficial advisor and he accepts. Ironically, Lee's wish to once again do right by his fellow Humans is what lands him in hot water in the show's first season finale Kobol's Last Gleaming.

"It's a strong decision that he makes and I feel it's the right one for the character, and don't think he regrets it, either," notes Jamie Bamber, who plays Lee Adama. "There are certain things you can and can't do as a military officer and, yes, you're supposed to obey orders. However, when those orders ask you to remove the democratic representative, then those orders are unlawful, so in a way my character has no choice but to step up to the plate and do something. Whether or not you agree with the way he goes about it is another matter. I think what Lee ends up doing, though, is great for the character. It really gives him a sense of his own role in the scheme of things and makes him and the viewer realize that he doesn't just listen to orders. It's at this point that Lee defines himself as his own person and not just a uniform or advisor to the president. Not even as Adama's son."

In Kobol's Last Gleaming, Lee disobeys Commander Adama's orders to arrest President Roslin after she sends Lt Starbuck on a covert mission. Lee ends up in shackles and facing his father's wrath on the Galactica command deck. However, before Adama can deal with his son, the commander is shot by a Cylon sleeper agent. Bamber experienced a sense of déjà vu earlier this year when he and the rest of the Battlestar cast and crew filmed the first scene for the second season opener, Scattered.

The actor explains, "Year Two picks up literally seconds after the end of the first season. You're right back in that predicament; Adama had just been shot and Lee is cradling his father in his arms. So it's the same moment, and as an actor that was sort of weird on many levels. We'd been away from Battlestar and each other for a few months. I'd been home in the UK doing different things, and then this past March I found myself back at the exact moment where we left off last year. It was an extremely emotional as well as a traumatic moment and a neat start to the season. That first morning when we began filming, my character was whisked off to the brig straight on the heels of seeing his father shot. Acting-wise it was a bit of a challenge to tap into Lee's feelings at that particular point in time, but once I was able to do that I just went with it and it felt right…"

Life Lessons

Battlestar Galactica

by Jenny Eden
TV Zone issue #193

Edward James Olmos reflects on how Commander Adama's brush with death has left him a changed man – and how Battlestar Galactica reflects the modern world

Commander William Adama stares death in the face and returns to take charge of Battlestar Galactica a changed man – the first series' dramatic cliff-hanger ending saw the Cylon infiltrator Boomer blast him twice in the chest with a gun. As Season Two opens, Adama is still fighting for his life and the fleet is in chaos, with his second-in-command Tigh taking control and initiating martial law…

Olmos says he's revelling in the twists and turns in the plot and the almost prophetic parallels between the story and world events. "It's very real drama, it's not like creatures from the black lagoon are coming up or four eyed monsters, but it can still seem quite bizarre and crazy stuff," he says. "But when you look at it all this is happening around us right now.

"Something like what has happened on Caprica could become a reality real quick. There are nuclear weapons in China, Iran, Korea and Pakistan. It wouldn't take much to send a couple of warheads off on this planet somewhere that would cause a lot of environmental damage, then if you have got someone who wants to retaliate you have real problems. I remember hydrogen bombs in the '50s and '60s, then they said if 16-H-bombs ignited at any given moment it would knock the planet off its axis. Nuclear warheads are many times more powerful, so what would happen if several of those were set off at once?

"Then there are robots which being used to fight the war in Iraq. They are little tanks, with a camera and a gun, a guy sitting behind a bush somewhere two miles away is working them like playing a video game. And of course in Korea and China, they're cloning Human Beings – they are not stifled by the feeling there is a higher power.

"Everything in this show, you are looking at and living it right now. So you can go to it and say, 'I wonder how I would act and what would happen to me'.

Newshound Sci-fi

TV Guide: Shows we're watching tonight

Battlestar Galactica[New]
 10 pm/ET, SCIFI
Although Adama's return to duty aboard the Galactica should be cause for celebration, the turmoil awaiting the flinty commander might have him wishing he were still in a coma. Not only is his son's betrayal sticking in his craw, but now Apollo is conspiring against him with Roslin and Zarek. Worse, Tigh's heavy-handed attempts to impose order have provided this Gang of Three with plenty of political ammo. Back on Caprica, a wounded Starbuck is puzzled by a doctor's insistence that she can serve humanity better by bearing children than by fighting Cylons.

 

Battlestar Galactica TV magazine

 

The update information on the upcoming Battlestar Galactica TV magazine, which is being published by Titan Magazines, will be released in September 2005. It will be 5 issues [bimonthly] and 1 yearbook. The US subscription price is $39.95 including the postage charge. If you want to pre-subscribe, go to the website link listed above. Also, the Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion book by David Bassom (published by Titan Books) is to be released on October 1, 2005 for US distribution.

Titan Books have been on set from the beginning, and now proudly present the official companion, packed with exclusive interviews, photos, behind the scenes secrets, and a complete episode guide to the mini-series and first season.

 

Xena Embarks on the Galactica


Written by Scott Collura
Thursday, 11 August 2005
Source: Now playing

The Sci Fi Channel has announced that Lucy Lawless, once known as Xena the Warrior Princess, will be dropping in on another beloved genre show: Battlestar Galactica. Lawless (is that really her God-given name?) will appear in the ninth episode of the current season, which airs on September 2, as a reporter who visits the Galactica to document the lives of the ship's crew.

The episode, called "Final Cut," is written by Mark Verheiden and directed by Robert Young. Here's the official logline for the episode, directly from the network – but Those Who Dare Not Read Spoilers That You've Already Guessed, consider yourselves warned:

"After a team of marines fire into a crowd of civilian protesters, a reporter is invited aboard Galactica to document the stressful reality of military life during wartime."

And here's a plot description, also quoted from Sci Fi:

"Criticism of the military reaches fever pitch when a team of Galactica's marines led by Lt. Palladino (Jeremy Guilbaut) open fire on civilian protesters aboard Gideon, a sister ship. Col. Tigh (Michael Hogan), commanding officer during an incident that leaves four dead and 12 wounded, receives a death threat, then almost falls victim to an act of sabotage. Intent on improving relations between the civilian fleet and the military, President Roslin (Mary McDonnell) and Captain Adama (Edward James Olmos) offer Fleet News Service reporter D'Anna Friel (Lucy Lawless) unlimited access to Galactica. With her cameraman in tow, D'Anna interviews a series of stressed-out pilots, crew and officers. Urged on by Number Six (Tricia Helfer), Gaius Baltar (James Callis) hopes to gain the reporter's support in his political ambitions.

"D'Anna stumbles on one of Galactica's explosive secrets when she encounters the Cylon Sharon (Grace Park), whose unborn child is saved by the quick actions of Dr. Cottle (Donnelly Rhodes) following a threatened miscarriage. When Louanne 'Kat' Katraine (Luciano Carro), wired on stimulants, crash lands her Viper, D'Anna must decide whether she'll deliver her intended hatchet job or a balanced portrait of life aboard Galactica. The arrival of two Cylon attack ships clarifies her thinking, as does a potentially deadly ambush that puts Tigh in the gunsights of his would-be assassin."

Now how's that for spoilers?!

Ron Moore's Blog Updated

July 23, 2005

Yes, Virginia, there really is a blog

In Which Ron Answers Questions:

"Will there be a Apollo-[Sheba] romance as in the original, if/when Pegasus shows up? "

No, I opted not to include Sheba aboard our Pegasus (and for those of you who aren't fans of the original series, Sheba was the daughter of Cain, who commanded the Pegasus in the episode "Living Legend"). I did think about it, however, and we discussed her character at length in the writers' room before deciding against it. Ulitmately, as intrigued as I was by her inclusion, I just decided that it was too cute for Cain to also have a child commanding the air group in our version of Galactica. I acknowledge that Cain/Sheba is a key part of that mythology, but it just felt wrong for us and would've immediately been out of place in our show. It's hard to define all the reasons why, but in essence, what worked for it in the original series was the vague wink and a nod to the audience in having Apollo encounter a female version of him and then become interested in her, and in our show that very wink would break our conventions.

(Yeah Ron, that's clear...)

"I've noticed from your podcasts that most episode content usually run 50+ mins. and that you guys have to shave down to 41-ish for airing, leaving lots of unseen material on the floor. I hope this is an obvious request--please, when it comes time to release the seasons on DVD, put/leave everything in as you guys intended! The Producers' Cut."

As much fun as that would be, it's probably not going to happen. There are a few problems, starting with the fact that once we cut scenes and character beats from the show, we then treat those scenes for the most part as if they didn't exist as we develop subsequent episodes, so in some cases we might well be reinstating scenes that are then contradicted by later events. Also, to re-edit the shows with additional footage would entail significant post-production costs that no one's likely to cough up -- not just the expense of completing visual effects, but also editing time, sound mixing, color correction, etc.

And finally, there's really not a definitive Producer's Cut to go back to in any case. Each episode is edited and re-edited by myself and David Eick several times even before they're presented to the network and oft times David and I find ourselves prefering our own cut of the same episode to the one done by the other. I find editing to be a lot like writing (Joe Menosky, one of the best and smartest writers I ever worked with once told me that a TV writer does his second draft in the editing room) and I like to reshape and reconceive different elements of the story along with the editor. David likes to work on individual scenes and fine-tuning takes and performances. Our two cuts are then blended together and presented to the network, and we usually submit an episode that is within a few seconds of our alloted running time so that we are the ones who make the painful choices on which scenes to be lopped out. More changes ensue, and by the time the show gets on the air, I generally have an overall impression of the show that encompasses all the different cuts I've worked on. But picking out the "best" cut from all the versions that have gone before would be a herculean task at best.

"I have been downloading podcasts and I'll be saving them until the second season has ended. Would you mind letting us know if we can watch the first half of the second season with the podcasts once episode 10 is over, or if it will contain information about the second 10 episodes. I'm willing to wait --really!"

In general, I try not to give away spoilers for episodes beyond the one covered in the podcast itself. But, I may well slip and mention things by accident, or I may well just blurt something out, so you never know. I've taken to doing the podcasts in one take, to keep them fresh and keep me interested and on my toes, which also explains why you are treated/tortured with ringing phones, leaf-blowing gardeners, etc. during the session.

"Why didn't G-Sharon use Tyrol's first name when she told him she loved him in her dying moments?? It was a perfect opportunity to add a deeper level to the the Chief's loss, a way to convey how close they once were and a way to clearly introduce Tyrol's first name to the audience... "

I did write that in an early draft, but his first name -- Galen -- tends to elicit a chuckle the first time you hear it and we decided that hearing her say, "I love you, Galen" would break the moment for the audience. (Sort of like that priceless moment on "Seinfeld" when you hear that Kramer's first name is actually Cosmo, it requires a slow, George Costanza take to really give it its due.)

"Is it still your intent to keep Baltar a somewhat conflicted character? Maybe I'm wrong...but he still seems partly on the fence about whose side he is on. He is obviously evolving, but I have yet to see him as an "evil" character. "

I think Baltar will always be conflicted, and probably always has been. Certainly in his own mind, Baltar isn't "evil" and would recoil at the very notion of it. You decide whether you think he's evil or not.

"Did you think up "motherfrakker" or did Nikki Clyne? I have to know. Consider your answer wisely Mr. Moore, for it may doom your wild maned demigoguery to the vales of mediocrity. I think it was Nikki, though. It sounds like something thought up in a spur of the moment. Plus, Aaron's reaction to it seemed genuine."

Well, I certainly don't want my maned demigoguery to be doomed to the vales of mediocrity, but, alas, yes, I came up with "motherfrakker." This and every other variation of my favorite four letter word will continue to be provided for you and your children to memorize and quote at the dinner table as part of my on-going effort to destroy the underpinnings of western democracy as we know it. (Well, a guy's gotta have goals...)

"Just how did Starbuck become so fracking awesome? I mean, she's the best pilot, the best shot, potential pro athlete, ex-flight instructor, her personal vehicle is a Humvee loaded with submachineguns (like that BEFORE the Cylons attacked), she dual-wields Skorpions like Neo, her fists pack a wallop, she's a tactical genius, second-best card player in the known universe... she's a tomboy Mary Poppins. Practically perfect in every macho way."

This is partly an outgrowth of the original Starbuck character, partly a result of the realities of television, and partly a riff on the traditional male action hero transposed to a woman.

The original character was supposed to be the best pilot in the fleet and the best card player, so I always saw those two attributes as integral to the role. Also in the original was the conceit that Starbuck and Apollo were inevitably assigned the most important positions in any mission and they carried out a variety of tasks that had little or nothing to do with flying Vipers and I decided to continue that conceit for continuity and for practicality -- you use your regulars to tell story in TV, that's why you're paying them. This is one of those areas where the realism of our fictional universe has to give way to the realism of producing the show. Could we have introduced a new sniper character for the final action scene in "Bastille Day"? Of course. But would that have been as dramatic or interesting as having Kara be the sniper while Lee is in the center of the action? Probably not. Could we have introduced a different pair of shipboard investigators to deal with the assassination plot in "Colonial Day"? Absolutely. But the show is about our group of regular characters, and handing over an entire investigative storyline to two people we've never seen before simply isn't as good as letting Kara and Lee do it -- as long as we can plausibly believe they'd handle those chores. And yes, I think that given the premise of the show, namely that there are only a handful of survivors to begin with and that Galactica herself was undermanned when the attack went down, I can accept Kara being asked to do a variety of roles.

I also frankly enjoy watching Kara take on many of the traditionally male roles in the show, as the leading hero(ine), which more often than not involves being extraordinarily adept at more than one thing. (James Bond, anyone?) Some of it is just my own perverse pleasure at watching us explode gender roles and stereotypes and seeing Kara Thrace be the go-to character in a genre which typically demands that person be a man. And truth to tell, if she were still a he, I strongly suspect that this question wouldn't come up at all.

"I'm curious as to what characters we are supposed to like at this point in the second season. Adama, Roslin, the XO, and Apollo have all been disappointments. Adama has been a non-factor due to his injury but is at the root of the martial law problem along with Roslin since they begin working at cross purposes. Roslin has turned into this Jim Jones/David Koresh type figure and added a drug addiction to it which I find off putting. The XO can't make a good decision (other than to go back to Kobol) and has turned into more of an alcoholic than ever. He's let his wife manipulate him for worse as well. Apollo seems like an ingrateful whelp with a chip on his shoulder, going against both the military and his father. Starbuck hasn't been much better, going against Adama and then tooling around Caprica reliving her old life and playing ball games. Which character has shown any redeeming values this season?"

It's up to you to decide who you like and who you don't. Personally, I like all of them. I like their flaws and I like their virtues, and for me, it's not a matter of finding redemption for anyone as much as it is a matter of allowing each character to be true to who and what they are and finding the most emotionally truthful storyline for them each week.

Sure, Tigh's made bad decisions and he'll likely make more, but isn't it interesting how all the good he did last season, all the good decisions he made, are suddenly overshadowed by the few bad choices he made this season? Tigh saved the entire ship during the miniseries, held the crew together through the nightmare of "33", located the lost fleet in "Scattered" and knew how to defeat the Centurion boarding party in "Valley of Darkness," but now that he's made a few bad calls (and some were really bad) he's called a worthless loser. What does that say about the nature of heroism? Does it mean that bestowing the title of Hero is less about discerning the intrinsic nature of a man than it is simply another example of the old game of "Yeah, but what have you done for me lately?" We love you today, but if you screw up tomorrow, you're history. Maybe that's only fair. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to work. Maybe. Again, it's up to you to decide, you're the audience. Me, I love Tigh and Starbuck and all of'em. Warts and all.

"Could you explain via plot or in your podcast why the colonials aren't trying to copy the FTL drive from the raider? It seems like that would solve most of their problems if they could even learn to make one 1/2 as capable."

For now, we're saying that the industrial capacity available in the rag-tag fleet is extremely limited. I doubt that they are really capable of reproducing the Raider FTL drive with the equipment on hand.

"that thing that adama and starbuck say:
"morning starbuck, whatdya hear?"
"nothin' but the rain."
"Grab your gun and bring the cat in."
my friend and I have made up our own little meaning/interpretation for it, and use it on a pretty regular basis (parts of it). but what does it mean to those characters? and how did the writers come up with it?"

I came up with this in the miniseries, and it's essentially a riff on contemporary marching chants or cadences used in the military called, "jodies." You've seen them in films: the platoon is marching or jogging along and the drill instructor sings out something like, "Up in the morning in the rising sun/Gonna run all day 'til the running's done," and the platoon either repeats the lines or adds the next line in the jodie. They range from the funny to the deeply profane and I remembered several of them from my NROTC days while I was writing the mini. In that opening scene,