'Battlestar Galactica' Could Move To NBC

[provenlogic]

http://www.syfyportal.com/news424341.html

'Battlestar Galactica' Could Move To NBC ... We Mean It


NextBy MICHAEL HINMAN
Oct-23-2007

Yes, you have heard this story many, many, many, many times before. But thanks to this little event expected to begin next week known as the Writers Guild of America strike, there is a good chance that you may find some of your favorite shows like "Battlestar Galactica" and "The 4400" coming to a network near you.
Al Norton, the TV editor for Boston Now says it's a real possibility as networks scramble to find scripted programs that aren't simply reruns from their existing shows.

And it's a different world in television than it was in 1988 when writers struck for 22 weeks, causing many shows to bring down their tents midway through the season. Even "Star Trek: The Next Generation" tried to get around it all by digging up old scripts from "Star Trek: Phase II," but most shows don't have those kinds of luxuries.

Today, however, many networks own multiple cable channels, and nearly all of those have some kind of original programming or another. So don't be surprised if "Heroes" gets replaced by NBCU's SciFi Channel programming like "Battlestar Galactica," or even a watered down "Nip/Tuck" joining reality programming on Fox.

NBC Universal probably has the biggest library of cable programming to pull from thanks to owning both SciFi Channel and USA Network where they could easily start adding previously aired shows like "Psych," "Monk" and "The 4400" to the main network schedule. TNT isn't owned by a company that also owns a major network, but Time Warner officials reportedly are offering "The Closer" to networks ... for a price, of course.

"Battlestar Galactica" could be the biggest beneficiary. Although it's clear that a strike would delay production on the show's final season (and likely ensuring that the last 10 episodes will air in 2009), NBC could opt to start the entire show from the beginning or even start picking and choosing episodes it feels will draw viewers when they run out of existing scripted programs. "The 4400" -- which is possibly facing cancellation after a not-so-stellar fourth season -- may get new life with a run on NBC as well.

One thing to remember, however, is that not every show airing on cable is immediately available to the networks. "Stargate: Atlantis," for instance, is not owned by NBCU, and if it were to appear on any network, it would be after they negotiated with MGM.

Of course, no decisions have been made by any network as of yet. And while writers overwhelmingly voted to strike beginning Nov. 1, there are no guarantees that they actually will strike beginning a week from Thursday. So all you can do is keep watching, and see what happens.

 

[provenlogic]

"'Razor' Heading To Theaters Nov. 12


By MICHAEL HINMAN
Source: Chicago Tribune
Oct-23-2007

Well, if you live in one of the largest cities in the nation, you have a chance to see the "Battlestar Galactica" telemovie not only a couple weeks early, but for free and on the big screen.
SciFi Channel is rolling out a theatrical version of "Razor" Nov. 12 to theaters in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Dallas, Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle and Chicago, according to the Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan. Those wanting to attend one of the screenings have to pre-register at battlestarevent.com beginning Friday, as there are only so many seats available.

The film will be the one edited for television that will air on Nov. 24 on SciFi Channel. A much longer one -- a little over an hour-and-a-half -- will be released on DVD Dec. 4 that will include not only the minisodes that have been airing during "Flash Gordon" original runs on Friday nights, but also some additional scenes including flashbacks to Helena Cain as a young girl during the first Cylon war.

The telemovie features Jamie Bamber, Katee Sackhoff and Michelle Forbes heavily, playing the roles of Lee Adama, Kara Thrace and Helena Cain respectively. It also stars Stephanie Jacobsen and Kendra Shaw, an aid to Cain who finds herself trying to continue her former admiral's legacy.

Because the showings are free, NBC Universal is likely avoiding any issue that "Battlestar Galactica" creator Glen A. Larson could bring up, since he owns the theatrical rights to the series and the name.

"Battlestar Galactica" will air "Razor" Nov. 24, and will return for its fourth and final season beginning in early 2008."

 

[provenlogic]

"Moore Denies Roslin Rumor, Fuels Season Split


NextBy MICHAEL HINMAN
Source: SyFy Portal
Oct-19-2007

This story contains possible MODERATE SPOILERS for Season 4 of "Battlestar Galactica."
"Battlestar Galactica" executive producer Ronald D. Moore has denied a recent report by SyFy Portal that Mary McDonnell's character of President Laura Roslin could exit the fourth season as early as mid-season. He's also fueled speculation that SciFi Channel will indeed split the fourth season, all thanks to the pending Writers Guild of America strike.

"I just told Ron what this spoiler was, and he said the Laura spoiler is 'not true,'" said Terry Moore, wife of the executive producer, who is a regular poster on the SciFi Channel message boards. "He also said that he hasn't even told the studio what the end of the show is."

The denial comes after McDonnell reportedly told a bunch of college students that hung out with her at a Massachussetts university last weekend.

"Mary told us that she only has three episodes left to film for BSG and is sad to say good-bye to Laura," a student who attended the gathering told SyFy Portal earlier this week.

While it's universally accepted that Roslin, who is dying from breast cancer, will say good-bye at some point in the upcoming season, it's still unclear where. McDonnell told the students that the crew have already filmed eight episodes plus the "Razor" telemovie which is airing in November.

One quick note on this. Earlier this year when actors Edward James Olmos and Katee Sackhoff told reporters that the show would end after the fourth season, executive producer David Eick denied the report, claiming that Olmos made those claims in the past. A week later, Eick and Moore announced that indeed the show would end in the fourth season.

In the same conversation through his wife, Moore also revealed that he has only just recently completed Episode 13 of the last season, which means he still has six episodes to write before writers walk out on Nov. 1 as part of an imminent writers strike. It's unclear how Moore is covered under WGA rules in case of a strike, and if his position as an executive producer affects his ability to continue writing even during a walkout.

It had been believed that writing was nearly complete so that "Battlestar Galactica's" shooting schedule would remain uninterrupted in case of a prolonged writers strike.

With this news, however, it seems almost impossible -- unless the strike is short-lived -- that the final season would not be split with one half in 2008 and the other half in 2009. This would suggest that SciFi Channel's chatter about splitting the season is actually based on production issues, not entirely over SciFi Channel trying to expand the shelf life of the series.

"Battlestar Galactica" will return Nov. 24 with "Razor," the story of the Battlestar Pegasus, and is expected to return in February with the fourth and final season of the show on SciFi Channel."

 

[Luka]

That'll be odd, but maybe viewers would increase.

 

[Sangshao]

Maybe this will lead to the 4400 being renewed.

 

[gazzax2]

the old Battlestar from the 70s is fantastic

 

[provenlogic]

the old Battlestar from the 70s is fantastic

You mean cheesy right?

 

[-live-]

Wow I love the new Battlestar Galactica. Whatever happens I hope it airs on Sci Fi and comes back early next year for final season!

And who is this writiers guild?

 

[provenlogic]

Wow I love the new Battlestar Galactica. Whatever happens I hope it airs on Sci Fi and comes back early next year for final season!

And who is this writiers guild?

Right now it's supposed to come back around February or March, however, with the WGA Strike, it may not be back until April, and then only for 10 episodes, with the final 10 episodes airing as late as early 2009.

The WGA (Writer's Guild of America) is a union of writers that all american writers working in Television (and film for that matter) are required to join. Their current contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), along with the contracts of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Directors Guild of America (DGA) (both of which may join in the strike), expires Oct 31st, and the WGA has demanded changes the AMPTP has so far been unwilling to agree too.

Thus the WGA may strike as early as Nov. 1st. All members of the union would be required to strike (whether they want to or not) or risk loosing membership in the WGA, which in turn would mean they could not write for any television program or film studio in the United States.

If the WGA goes on strike, that means no scripts will be able to be written for any television shows or movies, and when the current stockpile of scripts runs out, that's it, they'd have no more. This would halt production on any television show or movie made in the U.S..