Battlestar Galactica (aka to fans as BSG) is coming up on it’s fourth and final season, with the last 20 episodes slated to kick off on April 4th, 2008. I’m sure some of you are not looking forward to the show ending but there may yet be hope for your BSG addiction!
I’m sure that your rock solid memories recall that on April 27th 2006, the Sci-Fi Channel announced their plans for a spin-off prequel to it’s blockbuster hit Battlestar Galactica, to be titled Caprica.
Historically, I’ve been leery of prequels. I get enamored with a story and then someone wants to come along and try to tie some story line into what I’ve become accustomed in hopes that I buy into it. I hold my breath, and every now and then, I get surprised.
Well it’s a “go” for the BSG prequel!
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Yesterday (Tuesday, March 18th, 2008) at the “upfronts” held at the Morgan Library in New York City the Sci-Fi Channel announced that they’ve green-lighted the production of a two hour prequel. It’s being brought to us by the creative forces of Ronald D. Moore and David Eick with writer Remi Aubuchon and NBC Universal Television. (In case some of you didn’t know, The Sci-Fi Channel is owned by NBC.)
Caprica takes place fifty years prior to the time frame we know on BSG, where life is a high tech, peaceful existence in the Twelve Colonies.
The colonists enjoy their lives that benefit from high technology and it’s here that we see the invention of artificial intelligence joined to a robotic body - to be called a Cylon. (Don’t do it!) I hope they get right into building Number Six… but alas, she may be numbered six for a reason, unless that’s one heck of a typo. Oh, sorry - back on track.
Caprica will follow two rival families. The Graystones and the Adamas. (Yep, those Adamas) and will be interweaving corporate mystery with techno-action and sexual politics into what I hope is another gripping story.
I expect more of a high tech type society in Caprica than we’ve gotten with Battlestar Galactica because if you recall, the Galactica survived the nuclear attacks and computer viruses because of it’s low tech, hard-wired technology systems. It was about to be moth-balled because it was so old, when the attacks came about.
Sci-Fi Channel is looking to make this show one of the first science fiction family sagas to hit television in the hopes of capturing the imagination of a new audience. Maybe the Nielsen families might want to watch Caprica and get dragged into the realm of Sci Fi fandom while kicking and screaming. Hehe.
Casting for Caprica has yet to be set, but will be soon with production slated to begin this spring in Vancouver.
With Caprica taking place in this idealistic society, I can only hope we get to see the underbelly of their life and not see the show stray into soap opera type antics. But then again, Lost is a big hit. (Crap.. I can’t believe I just mentioned Lost. I’m not a big fan, but if they would just explain just ONE of their freaking mysteries, like killer smoke tendrils, I could find myself jumping on board that show.)
IMHO Moore and Eick have done a fantastic job with BSG and I hope they will continue their track record with Caprica but I’m worried they aren’t going to be able to create the same desperation and anxiety in Caprica that we found ourselves fearing for in Battlestar while the human race struggled to survive.
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4 Comments
If it’s done at the quality level of ‘Battlestar’ then I think it holds promise. Although techno-action and sexual politics doesn’t define “science fiction family saga” to me.
Vic
Hmm rather than going the prequel route why not take the Galactica in a radical new direction ?
Kill off the actors that don’t want to be part of it and go. Also arnt the original Cylons featured in “Razor” going to conflict with this if we see No 6 types ?
I personally think prequels are a waste of momentum on ANY franchise.
Exculding Batman Begins and a few other Superhero films.
Weird! SF-Channel basically axed season 5 - forcing the story to conclude this season - and now they want to do a prequel series?
I’m rather afraid they will either try a CRUSADE on it (screw with the concept until it’s completely ruined) or treat it like Warner did with BABYLON 5 - like a bastard child.
Dudes, forget about the Nielsen ratings and better check the internet if you want to get some GOOD advice how popular this franchise ACTUALLY is!
If you want to appeal to the Nielsen crowd better start renaming your channel to “SitCom Jackass Channel”. Or go check out Cartoon Network with their “less cartoons more live action” idiocy!
ZAR.
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