Battlestar Galactica

[Just Jeans]

Battlestar Galactica enters it's fourth and final season in 2008. But it won't be going out without a bit of high-profile talent adding to the legacy.

From SyFy Portal (http://www.syfyportal.com/news424083.html):

It might not be "Clerks" or even "Dogma," but Silent Bob actor Kevin Smith is getting what might be almost a dream come true.

Smith, one of the more high-profile defenders of "Battlestar Galactica," will direct an episode of the show during the show's final season. The details were shared with Angel Cohen on AOL, and will mark the third television series Smith will be involved with this coming season.

"I know that I'm going to go up and direct an episode of 'Battlestar Galactica,' which I am kind of stoked about," Smith told Cohn. "It's cool, but it is scary because it is like, 'What the fuck? I can't bring anything to that show.'"

Don't expect to see anything wacky or outright different in terms of cinematography, however, as Smith said he knows how true to form the SciFi Channel show likes to be.

"That show is genius and they have a very distinctive visual style," he said. "But you are safe as a kitten. If you go in there and say, 'I"m going to shoot everything in one big master shot,' they'll go, 'No you're not, because that is not what we do on 'Battlestar Galactica.'

"I guess it is more about performance-oriented stuff, but at the same time that cast is top-notch. How do you fucking direct Mary McDonnell?"

It's not clear what episode Smith will direct, but now that the cast is about halfway through the final season on the production cycle, it likely will be an episode found late in the show's final season, which begins early next year.

Smith has been busy so far this television season. He directed the pilot of The CW series "Reaper" and also will write and direct the first episode of "Heroes: Origins," the mid-season spinoff series of NBC's hit show "Heroes."

Smith is well known for his character of Silent Bob, but also for writing and directing such movies as "Clerks" and "Dogma" as well as "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back." He has filled in for film critic Roger Ebert on "Ebert & Roeper," and has released some of his convention panel talks where he gives frank insight on film and television, straight to DVD.

"Battlestar Galactica" returns in November with the telemovie "Razor" before debuting its fourth and final season in early 2008.

Battlestar is ending after its fourth season. There are rumors that Doctor Who will be ending after its fourth season... what's up with all the fourth season endings?

[Alex DeLarge]

I've always been meaning to check this out. Joss Whedon praises the hell out of it and Jane Espenson is a writer (does she still do the quirky, fun episodes?). Kevin Smith being added is just about the nail in the coffin to get me watching...

An interesting Battlestar and DW anecdote (spoilers, obviously). On the commentary to Last of the Time Lords, RTD points out that he'd been planning to set it "One Year Later" since the very beginning and lo' and behold, he saw the last episode of Season 2 and what does it do? Sets the finale "One Year Later"! But he said BSG doesn't have 1/4 the viewership as DW so he did it anyway.:p:p:p

[Shoesalesman]

I haven't seen the new series yet. I'm a HUGE fan of the old series in the 70s/80s.

A friend of mine has some of the newer stuff on DVD and he said I could borrow it if I wanted to. Maybe once I get a good Doctor Who routine going I'll have time to watch these.

[Just Jeans]

...and Jane Espenson is a writer (does she still do the quirky, fun episodes?).

There aren't quirky, fun episodes. Battlestar Galactica is about the most dire show I've ever seen. There isn't a funny bone in it's body, which is why I skipped it and started watching Eureka instead (which has David Greenwalt onboard as a producer and consultant). BSG also lift a little too much from Firefly in terms of cinematography for my tastes (the same FX house handles the outer space sequences, and it shows).

Not that I think it's a bad show, it just isn't for me. I know my mother and sister love it, but I'm happy enough with Eureka and Doctor Who as my weekly dose of the SCI-FI Channel.

[Alex DeLarge]

In that case, maybe not. I like all my shows to have some bit of humor. Even Firefly, which is very dark, can also be very funny at times. Maybe their tastes are a bit different than their products, but Joss Whedon and Kevin Smith, both guys who know how to handle comedy and drama in one, praising the heck of it made me think there's something there that isn't.

[DrLar]

Nooooo not FINAL please!!!!

It was so short, darn it!... (or should I say "frack it")

Well maybe they make a BSG AE (After Earth) or something...

[SoulOnFire]

Can't believe how long ago the last post was here.

Did anyone watch that mid-season finale? I think I need an antacid. There was speculation about how it would end, but it was still a major gutshot. It's gonna be Hell waiting for the last half of this season.

They find Earth. But it's no paradise. Totally destroyed and not very "utopia" like. That last shot of the destroyed NYC was chilling.:eek::eek:

[Just Jeans]

It's going to be a long wait for the second half of the season -- it's looking like it won't be back until 2009 -- but you dedicated fans might be getting two extra episodes for the wait:

Final 10 'Battlestar' Episodes Could Expand To 12 (http://www.syfyportal.com/news425121.html)

One would almost think that a big-time mid-season finale of "Battlestar Galactica" was airing Friday night with all the news coming out ... and they would be right.

But as fans start to worry about how long they'll have to wait to see how Friday's cliffhanger concludes, Chicago Tribune columnist Maureen Ryan has some good news: we may be getting a bigger dose of "Battlestar Galactica" in 2009 in the form of at least one telemovie similar to "Razor" and two additional hours tacked on to the end.

Moore told Ryan that the last episode is three hours long, and it's likely SciFi Channel will opt to not air the entire episode in one night, and instead, break it down into three more episodes.

The expansion of the last half of the season would follow a telemovie that could begin as early as the completion of production on the "Battlestar" spinoff "Caprica," according to some sources with SyFy Portal. "Caprica" is already in pre-production, if not in full-blown production, and there are no strike orders for some of the main sets for "Battlestar Galactica" at its Vancouver, B.C., studio.


Because Glen A. Larson holds the movie rights for "Battlestar Galactica" and not NBC Universal, a telemovie would likely air on SciFi Channel and then have an "instant" DVD release, likely within a week of the broadcast.

Ryan had previously reported that as many as three "Battlestar" movies were being considered, but it's unclear if the other two would be made.

Although official distribution numbers were never released, sources have said in the past that sales met the goals set by the SciFi Channel high brass.

The mid-season finale of "Battlestar Galactica" airs Friday at 10 p.m. ET on SciFi Channel.

[francesco]

the mid season finale must be one of the best finale ever. battlestar is my favorite tv show. I won't live without it.

if u know who's the 5th? please tell me...

[El Diablo]

That final shot was absolutely haunting, though I had a feeling they'd eventually find the planet in ruins. This season has been terrific so far, it really pisses me off that we're going to have to wait until 2009 for the remaining episodes.

[DrLar]

Can anyone say Planet of the Apes??

It just felt like that, minus the statue of Liberty

I absolutely HATE that they take that much time in between the SAME season..