BSG renewed for season 4

[Humphrey]

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index...ory=0&id=40133

"Battlestar Renewed For Season 4

SCI FI Channel announced that it has renewed its Peabody-winning original series Battlestar Galactica, ordering 13 new episodes. Production will resume this summer in Vancouver, Canada, with an eye toward a January 2008 premiere.

The decision comes after the series' successful move to a new 10 p.m. timeslot on Sundays. Since moving, Battlestar Galactica's audience has grown over its third-season average by 8 percent in total viewers, by double digits in female viewers and by 19 percent in the show's target demographic of adults aged 18-49 and by 14 percent in adults 25-54. The Jan. 28 episode, "Taking a Break From All Your Worries," delivered 2.5 million total viewers and 1.6 million adults 18-49, the largest audience for any episode since the season-two premiere.

"We're thrilled to bring Battlestar back for another season," Mark Stern, SCI FI's executive vice president of programming, said in a statement. "This series has delivered on every level, from the writing to the acting to the production values. SCI FI is proud to be the home of the best show on television."

The series is from NBC Universal Television Studio and is executive-produced by Ronald D. Moore and David Eick. Its cast is led by Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer and Grace Park. Battlestar recently returned with the second half of its third original season, immediately following SCI FI's newest original series, The Dresden Files.

"While we never had any doubt that SCI FI would get behind a fourth season of Battlestar, it's thrilling to finally make it official, and for Ron and I to continue using this great genre to investigate the darker corners of society, politics and humanity," executive producer David Eick said in a statement."






So its amazing that the best show on television is getting renewed, but only 13 episodes? Thats half of a normal season.

Damn you Sci-Fi. You would rather spend money making these stupid saturday movies of the week then giving it a full 25 episode season? And January? So we will have another 6+ month break between season 3 and the beginning of season 4.

I will say i have been wrong about one aspect. it seems that the move to Sunday has given them more viewers than Fridays. I assumed different.

[Matherly]

Humphrey, you have brought joy to my apologist heart!

[tofu]

On the positive side, they will have more time to work on quality episodes and can probably pack the same amount of good stuff into 13 episodes that they can pack into 25. All they have to do is cut out boxing episodes.

I think it'll be ok.

[ToSeek]

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index...ory=0&id=40133

"Battlestar Renewed For Season 4

SCI FI Channel announced that it has renewed its Peabody-winning original series Battlestar Galactica, ordering 13 new episodes. Production will resume this summer in Vancouver, Canada, with an eye toward a January 2008 premiere.

The decision comes after the series' successful move to a new 10 p.m. timeslot on Sundays. Since moving, Battlestar Galactica's audience has grown over its third-season average by 8 percent in total viewers, by double digits in female viewers and by 19 percent in the show's target demographic of adults aged 18-49 and by 14 percent in adults 25-54. The Jan. 28 episode, "Taking a Break From All Your Worries," delivered 2.5 million total viewers and 1.6 million adults 18-49, the largest audience for any episode since the season-two premiere.

"We're thrilled to bring Battlestar back for another season," Mark Stern, SCI FI's executive vice president of programming, said in a statement. "This series has delivered on every level, from the writing to the acting to the production values. SCI FI is proud to be the home of the best show on television."

The series is from NBC Universal Television Studio and is executive-produced by Ronald D. Moore and David Eick. Its cast is led by Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer and Grace Park. Battlestar recently returned with the second half of its third original season, immediately following SCI FI's newest original series, The Dresden Files.

"While we never had any doubt that SCI FI would get behind a fourth season of Battlestar, it's thrilling to finally make it official, and for Ron and I to continue using this great genre to investigate the darker corners of society, politics and humanity," executive producer David Eick said in a statement."






So its amazing that the best show on television is getting renewed, but only 13 episodes? Thats half of a normal season.

Actually, BSG has never had a 26-episode season (not many shows do, any more). Season 1 was 13 episodes (but with the inaugural miniseries), Season 2 was 20, and Season 3 looks to be 19.

[Humphrey]

really? oh...I thought that season 3 was 20+. Oops..again!

Doh!

[Tobin Dax]

really? oh...I thought that season 3 was 20+. Oops..again!

Doh!

Nope, it was scheduled for 20, but they combined the first two into one.

Thanks for the news, though.

(And welcome back, your turtleness.)

[Launch window]

I've missed the last few episodes and thought the show transformed for the worse into badly written characters or a depressing soap opera in space.


I like the first Season a lot so might tune in again out of curiosity, NBC may start showing it and with more episodes it could get syndication like the mediocre Enterprise did. However with more poor ratings and bad writing BSG now has the ability to become lowest-rated show of the week on any of the major networks.

[Humphrey]

While I was at Megacon last weekend I got to sit in and participate in a Q & A session with Mary MCdonald [President Rosalind] and Jamie Balmer [Apollo] [Sp?] . They say that the epeisodes get very, very, good near the end of the season and they feel, and so do the editors, that the last two episodes of the season are the best they have done yet.

[PhantomWolf]

Be thankful you're getting that. I just bought the miniseries and series 1 on DVD, but we haven't even had Series 2 here, and judging but the fact it's been over a year since series 1, I doubt we will.

[Launch window]

The mini series and season 1 is where the greatness of the new BSG is. Old fans of a tv show called 'happy days' remember Fonzie jumping over a shark on skis while wearing his leather jacket - this marked the point where the show became unwatchable for happy days fans. Actors in BSG are very good, you've got great people like Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Michael Hogan, James Callis...and so forth but if the actors are given bad material and a poor script there is little even these great actors can do to improve things. Many of the new-BSG fans have noticed characters changes for the worse or a sharp decline in quality of dialogue, or other problems like the poor depressing Starpollo soap opera or writers forgetting about the original 'Cylon Plan'. When you compare the new BSG to other scifi shows or drama like Firefly, Twin Peaks, the original Trek, Babylon-5.... it doesn't really stand up. Moore and Eick added their own unique vision to the show even if in hindsight subplots and themes of the Singer/DeSanto version may have worked better. A show like Babylon-5 is an example of a show started out very ordinary or fair and getting better over time due to the fantastic story arc by JMS however a long good story-arc is missing from the new BSG. The new BSG show is starting to depend more on shock-jockey type stunts to surprise the viewer. Examples may be : torture of enemy prisoners which upset liberal viewers, the iraqtica arc which upset conservative viewers, Apollo falling around the place drunk, suicide bombers, rape or molestation, Admiral Adama's remorse for starting the Cylonwar? Kat the stim junkie, cylon threesomes. I might tune in again but right now I feel I've better things to be doing with my free time than watching a show that has already 'jumped the shark'.

[Humphrey]

Launch: The actors in the panel said fairly the same thing about the recent past episodes. But according to them they promise this season does get better by the end. Jamie Balmer said that he really wants his character to get back to his roots in the pilot role. Also he really wants some more action sequences.


It seems that the Writers are taking the "lost" type of series writing. First season was escaping, second was the pegasus arc, third is the new caprica/after caprica season [dealing with what they dealt with during the new caprica event] and a tiny bit about finding earth. However it is by far a "turning inward" season where they focus inside the ship more than outside.

I feel it is a double edged sword. Many people complained during the first season that far too many of the characters were paper thin and one emotion. Especially Starbuck. So they started to flesh out the characters alot. Sadly it looks like they swung too far in that direction and have turned it into "all my children" in space.

I still absolutely love the show and i still believe, even with its current soap opra styling, that it is the best how on television.

Hopefully season 4 will get back to a bit more action oriented. And maybe introduce some new plot elements by finding other survivors or releasing that a prominent cast member is a cylon. I would really like a storyline where they finally realize they are a cylon and they hide that from every one else while fighting their programming. Like how boomer did in the first season, but a longer and more intimate arc.

I would love something really interesting to happen like Apollo's brother comes back and we find out he was actually a cylon plant to be Adama's son.

[Certassar]

I would love something really interesting to happen like Apollo's brother comes back and we find out he was actually a cylon plant to be Adama's son.

Hehehehe. Or maybe it turns out Apollo is a cylon, and Tom Zarek drops the charade and re-assumes his role as the real Apollo! Anyway, no matter how soapy BSG has become, I'm eternally thankful that Boxey has been written out! But I do miss DRADIS contacts and action stations. It's been too long.

[Doodler]

I've missed the last few episodes and thought the show transformed for the worse into badly written characters or a depressing soap opera in space.

I suppose you now have a solid grasp on how they're increasing their female audience.

[Ronald Brak]

All they have to do is cut out boxing episodes.

What the heck is up with that? Their very survival depends upon the quick reflexes and situational awareness of their pilots and they let them spend the night punching each other in the head? That's nearly as stupid as neglecting to search a cylon raider for atomic bombs before letting it on the flight deck.

And what the heck is tillium anyway?

[Matherly]

What the heck is up with that? Their very survival depends upon the quick reflexes and situational awareness of their pilots and they let them spend the night punching each other in the head?

C'mon, it's not like boxing in the military is somthing unheard of.

And what the heck is tillium anyway?

I believe here on Earth we know it as an ore made of Unobtainium and Nosuchstuffium

[Jason]

Letting the pilots blow off steam and work out personal problems is probably more important than making sure they're not a little sore the next day.

[Vonstadt]

Yes but punch drunk and dizzy is not the best way to report for flight status :P

[Matherly]

Yes but punch drunk and dizzy is not the best way to report for flight status :P

True, but neither is stimmed outta their mind ("33"). The BSG is in a unique situation and sometimes unothodox means must be employed in order to stay reasonably sane

[Van Rijn]

I believe here on Earth we know it as an ore made of Unobtainium and Nosuchstuffium

Maybe a little mithril and adamantium in there too.

[Van Rijn]

True, but neither is stimmed outta their mind ("33"). The BSG is in a unique situation and sometimes unothodox means must be employed in order to stay reasonably sane

Somebody on that ship is sane?

[Tobin Dax]

Somebody on that ship is sane?

Of course someone is. And it's Baltar.

[Matherly]

I did say "reasonably".

[SeanF]

The Top Ten reasons to watch the new season of Battlestar Galactica.

I think they referred to them by the characters' names instead of the actors' just so he could say, "Number six, Number Six."

[Jason]

They were all in costume too, with Jamie Bamber doing his American accent for at least half of his point, and I liked how the intro and outro music was "All Along the Watchtower."

I just finished watching the 3rd season DVDs this weekend, and it really put me in the mood for fourth season. Best show on TV.

[HenrikOlsen]

Incidentally, that link is also spoiler free.

[Tobin Dax]

Incidentally, that link is also spoiler free.

Thanks, Henrik. I probably would have watched it anyway once I got the chance.

[WHarris]

And what the heck is tillium anyway?

Tylium is a fictional substance that is refined into fuel for their ships. At least for the sub-light engines, I guess. It's one of the elements of the old series that made the transition to the new one.