Jamie Bamber on Dollhouse

Jamie Bamber guest starred on the season 2 debut of Dollhouse on Fox joining his BSG co-star Tahmoh Penikett. Maureen Ryan reports that Michael Hogan will guest in the 3rd episode this season.

And Maureen Ryan expertly runs down everything that BSG cast members, writers, and directors are up to these days.

Around the Horn

Tahmoh Penikett - who played Karl 'Helo' Agathon on BSG - has been cast in new TV SyFy Channel movie Riverworld.

Joining the 33-year-old is fellow Canadian star Laura Vandervoort, 24 - who played Supergirl in Smallville. Penikett has also appeared in Smallville, as two different characters.

In Riverworld, Tahmoh will play war correspondent Matt Ellman, who is killed along with his fiancee (Vandervoort) but awakens in a mysterious world populated by everyone who has lived on Earth.

Alan Cumming - known best to geeks as the teleporting Nightcrawler in X-Men 2 - is to guest star as the Caretaker; Jeananne Goossen and Mark Deklin also have been cast.

World Screen reports that Ronald D. Moore, the writer and executive producer of Battlestar Galactica, has been added to the Master Class speaker lineup at the Banff World Television Festival, which is celebrating its 30th edition this June 7 to 10.

Recently Sci-Fi Wire reported that writer Eric Heisserer has been hired to rewrite Ronald Moore's script for The Thing, a prequel film to John Carpenter's 1982 horror movie of the same name.

World Screen also reported:

Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer has signed on to star in The Dealership, a new original series pilot for Canwest that will be distributed by FremantleMedia Enterprises.

The one-hour pilot will feature Helfer in the lead role of Rachel Carson, the tough-as-nails sales manager of an auto dealership founded by her father Frank, played by William Devane (Jesse Stone). Also on board for the show is Patrick J. Adams (Friday Night Lights) as Rachel's younger brother. The pilot is a production of Verite Films.

Tricia was recently on Chuck, and Maureen Ryan reports on efforts to save Chuck. (Mo also suggests that if Fox kills Dollhouse, Joss Whedon needs to find a home on HBO, AMC or Showtime.)

From Proggrrl's Tweet, we find out that Michael Ausiello reports that James Callis will play a "charismatic sociopath" on the May 15th NUMB3RS season finale.

SFX interviews Romo Lampkin actor Mark Sheppard. Newsrama reports on Astronaut Garrett Reisman's BSG cameo appearance. Jamie Bamber and Tricia Helfer's print ads for PETA. Complex on BSG's hottest women.

A new comic book explores the back story of the Final Five. io9 notes:

The Final Five - written by Battlestar TV writer Seamus Kevin Fahey (The man behind "Faith" and "The Face of The Enemy" webisodes) and co-writer David Reed, and illustrated by Nigel Raynor - flashes back to thousands of years before the TV show to show us a backstory of the Final Five that will either explain it all, or confuse and screw up continuity once and for all. And what does it have to do with Starbuck's death?

Also recently released is Battlestar Galactica: The Manga -- Echoes of New Caprica (v. 1).

The DVD for Caprica provides more confirmation of BSG coming to Blu-ray.

Battlestar Galactica makes the list of best series dramas of all time.

SF Crowsnest and UPI report on the upcoming BSG prop auction.

All of the Battlestar Galactica scenes from Robot Chicken provided on Adult Swim.

Check out this concept car the Hyundai Nuvis that looks vaguely Cylon.

Convention appearance updates via the Battlestar Blog.

A BSG crossword puzzle. Geeksugar's BSG quiz roundup. io9 points to this BSG fan anthem.

A PROGRAM NOTE: I'm pleased to formally announce that writer Sam J. Miller has joined the Sitrep team. His work has appeared in literary journals such as Fiction International, Strange Horizons, AlterNet, and The Minnesota Review—who nominated him for a Pushcart Prize. Unabashedly obsessed with the re-imagined BSG, he's the author of “Battlestar Galactica vs. Star Trek,” available at mental_floss. Previously Sam provided us with his essay on BSG's use of Laura Roslin's eyeglasses. Sam will be posting an insightful and interesting essay on the Sitrep with his commentary on the series finale, Daybreak, shortly. So, keep an eye out for that.

Emerald City

Michael Hogan attended the 7th Annual Emerald City ComicCon April 4th & 5th, 2009 held at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle, WA along with Aaron Douglas, and Tahmoh Penikett.

erradient from the LJ Battlestar Blog has a convention report.

David Crosman, Contributing Writer for Comic Book Resources, has a detailed report as well.




Video from wrathofdon







Video from klozzocity

Michael Hogan will also be at the Polaris Con in Toronto, July 10-12.

Edward James Olmos and other BSG guests will be at this years DragonCon, September 4-7 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Also of note, the Paley Festival is hosting Battlestar Galactica / Caprica: A Look Back and a Look Ahead April 20th at the Arclight Cinerama Dome in Hollywood:

In Person:

Ronald D. Moore, Executive Producer
David Eick, Executive Producer
Jane Espenson, Executive Producer
Paula Malcomson (Amanda Greystone, "Caprica")
Eric Stoltz (Daniel Greystone, "Caprica")
Esai Morales (Joseph Adama, "Caprica")
Alessandra Torressani (Zoe Greystone, "Caprica")
Magda Apanowicz (Lacy Rand, "Caprica")
Tricia Helfer (Number Six, "Battlestar Galactica")
Grace Park (Sharon/Athena/Boomer, "Battlestar Galactica")
Special Guest Moderator:
Seth Green (Robot Chicken, Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

“This has all happened before. And it will happen again.”

Now that Battlestar Galactica—itself a reimagined version of a 1970s TV space opera—has dry-docked, we turn our attention to Caprica, a BSG prequel scheduled to debut on DVD in April and on Sci Fi Channel in 2010. Set fifty years before the nuclear apocalypse that opened Galactica, Caprica follows two families—the Graystones and the Adamas (particularly Bill’s “old man” Joseph)—as they feud over the creation of cybernetic life forms, marrying artificial intelligence with mechanical bodies, aka, Cylons. Like BSG, Caprica is executive produced by Ronald D. Moore and David Eick, plus Remi Aubuchon.

This event brings together cast and creative team members from both shows and features a premiere screening of Caprica.

For other upcoming conventions with BSG and Caprica guests the Battlestar Blog is keeping track of it all.

Pre-Game Show

Here’s some stuff to enjoy while we wait a few more hours for Daybreak…

TV Guide posted another of their interview videos with Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell. This time the topic is…fandom. Olmos will have plenty more time to bask in fandom’s glow later this year when he comes back again to the DragonCon. YAY. And Mary, apparently, is going to France next month…(anyone know if that festival will sell video of their events?)

Many fans have been asking us where they can go in their cities to see the series finale next week in public. The hardworking folks over at the bsg blog on livejournal have compiled a pretty thorough list of frak parties going on across North America that night, in cities from Toronto to New Orleans, New York to Los Angeles. Me, I’ll probably stay home and drink myself into a sorry, sorry state to make Tigh proud.

And for you lucky frakkers in Portland: don’t forget that Katee Sackhoff herself is scheduled to make an appearance tonight at Cort & Fatboy’s free (free!!!!) frak party. Let’s hope they share some video like last time they had a guest…but you locals should go get in line NOW.

EW.com has put up a visual/oral history of the series. I can’t get even halfway through it today, sigh.

Various pieces covering the beginning of The End: The Live Feed with Ron Moore... Zap2it with Edward James Olmos… AOL Inside TV with Tahmoh Penikett… and USA Today.

TimeOut NY has a contest running till Monday to give away the framed Last Supper promo photo.

You can now buy BSG eps via your Sony Playstation.

Thanks to tweep @unconed for this BSG Finale survey…”take it, see pretty graphs, share and enjoy”…

OT while you wait out the next few hours…savor the easter eggs embedded in the Wa7chmen opening credits…courtesy of io9.

Helo & Adama

A short but intense scene between Adama and Helo from Islanded in a Stream of Stars, via SevorTB.

Interviews

Bunch of good interviews floating around today...

• Mo Ryan talks to Jane Espenson about "Deadlock" (with a few supplementary questions from Alan Sepinwall)...and to Tahmoh Penikett about BSG and his new show DOLLHOUSE.
  

• Thanks to Morjana for finding these Space/Circuit interviews with Michael Hogan and Jamie Bamber.  (And thanks to Space for letting us lousy Americans get your stream this time!)
  

• Much to our collective luck, Bear McCreary continues to interview cast & crew for his season 4.5 blogging -- this week he talks with Michael Hogan. 
  

And congrats to Aaron Douglas, who has a new CTV show THE BRIDGE which has just been picked up for American broadcast on CBS...

Situation Report

A ton of interviews and news items....

Richard Huff of The Daily News spoke to Kate Vernon. Rick Bentley of McClatchy Newspapers talked to Vernon and Ron Moore.

Tahmoh Penikett has been doing lots of press to promote BSG's final eps, and the debut of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. He talked to Timeout Chicago, Zap2It, and the Boston Herald.

Kat Angus of Canwest News Service interviewed Katee Sackhoff about the end of BSG and the beginning of Lost and Found. (And Starbuck makes a top ten list.)

Jamie Bamber reflects on the end of BSG and promotional photos of his work on Law And Order: London are online via pu5h1n6_da15135 of the BSG LJ blog.

Aaron Douglas spoke to io9 about the final 5 cylons, and the the endgame for the series. (No spoilers.)

Kandyse McClure talked to MediaBlvd Magazine about her end on Battlestar Galactica, and her new work on Children of the Corn, and other projects.

Galactica TV has recent interviews with Grace Park, Jane Espenson, Nicki Clyne and Micheal Tayles.

Dean Stockwell is scheduled to appear at the upcoming Leap Back Quantum Leap Convention in Los Angeles, California, March 27-29, 2009 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Quantum Leap.

Other news and notes: Kevin Smith mentioned BSG at a talk at Ohio State University... Battlestar Galactica leads in shout-outs on other TV shows (like The Office.) ...Dvice's Steampunk Cylon contest continues... Viper cars, and bento boxes...

Upcoming comic books continue the story of BSG and Cylon history, in Ghosts and Cylon War.

Aloha

Hello frakheads...as I am departing for Hawaii today for a week vacation, just wanted to pop over and say that I probably won't be seeing the show right away tomorrow. (::gasp::) And I probably won't be here for all the chatting on the open thread. Logan will handle it.

Below are a few things I just had to share on my way out of the continent.

A very special, unofficial SciFi Grrl-Powered Friday Block starts tomorrow -- an ethereal 6-week period (from now through the end of BSG's airdates, sigh) that includes the following shows back-to-back every Friday night:

8:00 p.m. - TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES (Fox), featuring BSG expats Toni Graphia, Stephanie Jacobsen, and BSG fanboy Josh Friedman (showrunner). Their spines don't glow, but this show has got some pretty tremendous femmebots.

9:00 p.m. - DOLLHOUSE (Fox), featuring BSG expats Jane Espenson, Tahmoh Penikett, and Mark Sheppard (who apparently will appear as soon as the second episode), and BSG fanboy Joss Whedon (co-creator). Programmable ladies? We know our programmable ladies over here at Sitrep.

10:00 p.m. - BSG. If you still haven't had your fill of women with guns, emo lawmen, ethically-challenged scientists, badassery, living on the edge of armageddon, and robot powerplays by the time our show has ended at 11 tonight...well...I really don't know what to do for you.


Frak me...am I dreaming this?




The SciFi.com schedulebot has what seems to be the final schedule for the season finale on March 20th. Apparently the rest of BSG's air dates are happening just as fans had hoped, with no breaks from now to the end:

Feb 13
417: No Exit
[Also note SciFi is running a marathon of all season 4.0 eps beginning at 8am tomorrow morning.]

Feb 20
418: Deadlock

Feb 27
419: Someone to Watch Over Me

March 6
420: Islanded In A Stream Of Stars

March 13
421: Daybreak Part 1

March 20
422: Daybreak Parts 2 & 3

Enjoy the ride.

TVWeek: What shows on TV do you have to watch?
Joss Whedon: “Battlestar Galactica” is back on, so, you know, life is worth living again.

Salon: Along with "Buffy" expat Eliza Dushku, you have "Battlestar Galactica" star Tahmoh Penikett in "Dollhouse." Are you a Galactica obsessive? 

Joss Whedon: Um, I think obsessive is too light a word. I absolutely adore it. It's my favorite show ever. Come on, it's "The West Wing" with space battles. It covers all of my needs. I watch their storytelling and go, "Oh, so that's how it's done. Fuck."

Cons: Starfury and New York Comic Con

For those of us who can never make it over to the UK for Sean Harry's fantastic Starfury cons, a fan known as hobbitofkobol has done us a lovely favor and transcribed the sessions at last month's Q&A sessions with Tahmoh Penikett, Nicki Clyne, Jennifer Halley, Michelle Forbes, Katee Sackhoff, James Callis and Mark Sheppard. Terrific photos (some of which we've borrowed here) provided by fan benelie. BRAVO.

By the by if you are in the neighborhood and can get to one of Starfury's events, every fan I've talked to about these cons just loves them. The next BSG one is Mission Starfury in November 2009. Go if you can!

Speaking of good conventions: the New York Comic Con is coming up Feb 6-8. As you can see from their official schedule (and this blog by con Director Lance Festerman) no official BSG panels seem to be happening, which is a shame. Though the con does say: “Most Movie and TV Panels are Still Not Announced – And Will Be Revealed Closer To NYCC.”



There are some BSG-related events on the books: a ton of BSG comic book related panels; Tahmoh Penikett at a DOLLHOUSE panel with Joss Whedon where they will screen part of the first episode and giveaway some posters; Mark Sheppard at the SEGA booth promoting THE CONDUIT; there is a panel about the web series EMMISARY, which co-stars Aaron Douglas. SuperBSGfan Seth Green and his ROBOT CHICKEN posse are doing a panel as well. Last year's RC panel was the best thing I saw at NYCC last year other than the all-cylon BSG panel, make sure to be there if you’re attending!

Off the wireless

[photo: LA Times]

The first season 4.5 videoblog is up…"The Fifth Is Among Us."

The Los Angeles Magazine waxes poetic about BATTLESTAR GALACTICA this week. The Star has 10 Tips for The Battlestarved (great new word!). This blogger penned a thoughtful essay. And this gentleman at The Atlantic twists the knife one last time – yet I couldn’t stop reading his piece. Maybe because he likes to complain about TV shows that “become the culture’s homage to vertigo—to the suspicion that we live in a universe of surfaces, pointlessly arranged, whose invitations to depth or transcendence are all red herrings, shaggy dogs, wild goose chases, and decoy ducks.” ...Does he know something that we don’t?

Time Out and Live@7 interview Katee Sackhoff.

Access Hollywood interviews Tricia Helfer. (Yeah Tricia, I'm gonna be a soppy mess too, when it's over.)

IGN interviews James Callis and Katee Sackhoff.

Comic Book Resources and Cort and Fatboy interview Mark Verheiden.

The New York Times Syndicate and FanCast interview Jamie Bamber.

SyFy Radio interviews Jane Espenson.

The L.A. Times interviews Michael Hogan and Rekha Sharma.

Tahmoh Penikett, with two shows about to go on air, has been interviewed recently by The L.A. Times, TV Guide, and Watch With Kristin.

Fear.net interviews Bear McCreary.

The Space podcast interviews Alessandro Juliana and Nicki Clyne, and in this other show, claims to have director Andrew Stanton revealing a WALL-E/BSG connection.

Slice of SciFi interviews Aaron Douglas.

Darth Mojo has begun blogging again, and has put up a very cool post about VFX radiosity, including a ton of great renders of BSG ships that I’m sure we’ve never seen before. Well, OK – maybe only SOME of you guys are with me on how cool this is. The rest of you, move along.

The UGO TV Blog posts an explanation written by auction CEO Alec Peters of why there are TWO arrows of Apollo on auction.

The Star and Wired’s Geekdad blog mark geek territory as they proclaim the crucial nature of BSG’s final season for geeks everywhere. Duh.

Entertainment Weekly has a Guess Who’s the Final Cylon bracket game up…and has put the BSG 4.0 DVD (and the return of 4.5) on this week’s Must List.

There is apparently a BSG-themed rollercoaster being developed for the Universal theme park in Singapore (see 12/3 & 12/8 entries).

The Hero Complex blog things J.J. Abrams’ STAR TREK owes a massive debt to BSG and STAR WARS for its battle scenes.

You can watch Rekha Sharma guest starring on SANCTUARY here.

If you have a Tivo DVR or a Windows PC, you can watch the film MY NAME IS BRUCE, written by Mark Verheiden, on Amazon VOD.

In this Vancouver Sun piece, Ron Moore discusses how fraktastic the Vancouver BSG crew is and how they helped the show excel. Moore also confirms that BSG Production Designer Richard Hudolin is working on the CAPRICA series. Thank the gods!

The Straight has some updates on CAPRICA casting in Vancouver.

For those of you who enjoyed the “Battlestarbook” this week…the fan who created it is going to do more.

Trying to get your friends hooked on BSG? Show them this fantastic primer written last year by Salon, just before the start of 4.0. Combine it with these vids, for the perfect prep session.


[Thanks to readers Kate and Stu for tips]

DVD clips online

io9 has an exclusive clip from one of the 4.0 DVD extras, with footage of David Eick and Mark Verheiden discussing the show.

Youtuber kdlmd243 has posted these four clips from the DVD extras.

Virtuality…and a few random items

There are some crumbs of news this week about another show we BSG fans are keeping our eyes out for: Ron Moore and Michael Taylor’s VIRTUALITY. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox is looking at the pilot now and it “might stay in consideration for May and be reworked as a more mainstream drama.”

Hmm. Is that news is making you even more nervous than Fox’s previous announcement about DOLLHOUSE getting a death slot? Well here’s something that might cheer you up: through some random googling, Sitrep has discovered that Wendy & Lisa are working on the musical score to the VIRTUALITY pilot. Which will be great stuff, I'm sure. (W&L fans out there: apparently they are also about to release a new record, their first in 10 years). Wendy & Lisa's music has been featured on HEROES, CARNIVALE, CROSSING JORDAN, and they are also working on the new Showtime series NURSE JACKIE with Edie Falco.


More off the wireless...

Polly Walker (CAPRICA) has become a BSG fan while catching up on the show, and is looking forward to going to fandom conventions. And we are looking forward to having you, my dear!

Jane Espenson, BSG writer, BSG webisode writer, and writer of the post-series TV film BSG: THE PLAN, will be a guest on SyFy Radio December 18th.

Galactica.TV has been posting tons of new interviews during the long hiatus, including Michelle Forbes (Cain), Carl Lumbly ("Bulldog")...and Tiffany Lyndall Knight (The Hybrid).

Bear McCreary’s score music for TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES is now available on CD…and you can have Bear sign one for you this Saturday in Los Angeles.

Speaking of Los Angeles…if you’re going to be in town for the huge Props and Costumes auction the weekend of January 16-18, 2009, you should definitely hang with the BSGcast folks because they are planning some fun stuff to celebrate the season premiere and preview the auction. I may be in L.A. for that, fingers crossed...

Holiday Merch Alert, part 1: Amazon has a big sale right now on BATTLESTAR GALACTICA DVDs: you can buy seasons 1 through 3 plus the TV film RAZOR, for a total of $121.99. Catch the frak up! (HT /Film)



Holiday Merch Alert, part 2: did you know that the NBCU-SciFi store has released a new version of the infamous Frakkin' Toaster? And this version puts WORDS on your toast?

Looks like something Starbuck would use to cook
your Valentine's Day breakfast, don't it?

Oh and speaking of DOLLHOUSE and that, erm, "death slot"...have all of you heard the news? There's going to be an exciting new "Sci Fi Friday" happening, starting Friday February 13, 2009. That's when the following 3-hour block of TV will suddenly coalesce across two TV networks:

FOX, 8pm: TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
(mid-season return)

FOX, 9pm: DOLLHOUSE
(series premiere)

SCI FI, 10pm: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
(already in progress bbs!)

Pretty nerdalicious. We BSG fans are so comfy in the death slot already, aren't we? Not only will I stay home on Fridays for this lineup -- I might not even use my DVR. ::gasp:: It's worth pointing out the number of BSG alumni who will be spread across those two earlier hours: Jane Espenson...Tahmoh Penikett...Mark Sheppard...Toni Graphia...Stephanie Jacobsen...

BSG's Tahmoh Penikett enters a DOLLHOUSE

Driveby DragonCon Goodies

Sorry folks but my "real job that pays actual money" has been mad busy this week, so I am a bit behind on the posting, and sharing collected DragonCon links with you. However, I cannot let another moment go by without sharing the following, which is guaranteed to provide much fandom happy:




- nnaylime's massive collection of panel videos on youtube and for download! Remember to leave comments thanking her, she's a trufan. She's got some other reports up of her con experience on her livejournal, if you're looking for that.

- jettdelirium's wonderful photos and write-up of her experience at the Colonial Fleet party

- bobbarker's glorious party and parade photos

Too fun...no wonder the cast hung out all night!

[photos: jettdelirium and bobbarker]

First bits of fun from DragonCon

[photo by squirrely24U]

Livejournalist m-a-r-i-k-s has posted some lovely photos of the first BATTLESTAR GALACTICA panel at DragonCon this weekend in Atlanta. This panel incluldes Tahmoh Penikett, Richard Hatch, Michael Hogan, Edward James Olmos, Aaron Douglas, Kevin Grazier, and James Callis. WOW!

Fans Wickedpenguin and wisteria have posted some panel videos... Let us know if you find more as they trickle up into the webs...

Cosplay and Michael Hogan: together at last



wisteria's video of panel - Part 1

Dragoncon - BSG Panel - 082908
Uploaded by alannab99

Part 2



Part 3



ETA: Oh and that other guy sitting on the panel, between Douglas and Callis? He is going to appear on BSG in season 4.5...I didn't catch his name, anybody know it?

Stop it, Tahmoh.

Seriously Tahmoh, stop it with all the beautiful articulate interviews for frakssake, or I'm gonna cry again.

IGN.com: Was it strange leaving [the BATTLESTAR set after wrapping the finale], unsure if you'd see it again?

Tahmoh Penikett: It was weird. Ron and I were discussing it the last day. He went through it on Star Trek before and stuff, and he's like, "The hardest thing for me is when you come on the set and it's all gone; it's all taken down." We weren't quite at that point, but some of our sets were taken down. We were starting to feel it. It's like things are closing in, you know? It's a really strange feeling. It really is. I'm an optimist, always, and I like to celebrate our achievement and the wonderful bond I created with this cast and the writers – this family unit that we had on the show and really believing in this beautiful piece of art that I think redefined the sci-fi genre and the stereotypical idea of sci-fi. I'm so proud to be a part of it and I think of how profound it was and how much of an impact it's going to have on television in general – but specifically the sci-fi genre. And finally getting the respect and demanding forcibly that people respect the genre more than it ever has been before. We won't even realize how much it's done that for maybe another four or five years.

It's such a part of pop culture now. It's really incredible. The last couple of years so many new people have jumped on board. Even though we're in the fourth season, I'm constantly getting new fans coming up to me going, "Man, I love the show. I never gave it a chance. I don't like sci-fi. My friends made me watch it. I love it. I love it!" I get approached all the time. The fans are true, passionate fans. They love it. They say, "It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen!" I'm so proud of it. I'm like a proud parent. I'm always going to hold it so dear. It's such an incredibly huge and profound experience in my life as a young [actor] coming on this show – so green, like so many of us were. And just having to learn the ropes in a short period of time, but learning it with such incredible mentors. Just the actors – Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell… All the talent on the show. It's stupendous. And the writing in particular… the special effects. The entire beautiful machine ran so well. It's weird to be talking about it past tense right now!

*sob*

In The News

Sci-Fi Wire and Buddy TV talked to Jamie Bamber about the big Galactica finale, and his upcoming new series in London, Law and Order: UK.

Variety reports that BSG's uber director Michael Rymer is set to direct a new feature film for Platinum Studios, Inc., Top Cow Productions and Arclight Films of the comic book Witchblade. Rymer also recently wrapped production on "Revolution," a two-hour series pilot for NBC Universal Media Studios and the Sci Fi Channel.

G4 and CVG report that former BSG writers Bradley Thompson and David Weddle are scripting a first person shooter video game set in the Alien universe called Aliens: Colonial Marines.

BSG fan Joss Whedon recently explained what's going on with the shooting of a new pilot for his upcoming Fox series Dollhouse, co-staring Tahmoh Penikett. Maureen Ryan talked to Whedon after a tour of the Dollhouse sets to get further information.

Jenna Busch of UGO talked to Grace Park about BSG and her new show The Cleaner. Grace Park was also profiled by FHM.

It's Perfect.

EW's Michael Ausiello has a terrific video interview with Tahmoh Penikett from the Fox TCA party last night. Penikett talks about the final day of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA production (last Thursday), and calls the ending of the series "perfect."

Nerdvana Revealed

Some details of what TV fans will be getting at this year's Nerdvana (aka the San Diego Comic-Con) are at last coming out.

This morning Seat42F started to reveal a bunch of panel days and times. After a full day of source-prodding, the Watch With Kristin grrls have a whole bunch more, including stuff we care about here at Sitrep. Although they take pains to point out this is all "totally unofficial, unauthorized and subject to change (especially if there is an actors' strike)," this is what they've announced:

Saturday, July 26

2:15–3:15 p.m.: Battlestar Galactica panel

6–7 p.m.: Jason Smilovic of My Own Worst Enemy and Ronald D. Moore of Virtuality, TV Guide panel

TBD: Dollhouse panel


I hope you kittens bought your tickets already, because the 4-day pass, and the Saturday-only pass, ARE COMPLETELY SOLD OUT NOW.

No mention yet of a CAPRICA related panel...is it too much to ask to get Morales, Stolz, Walker, Malcomson and a juicy clip reel? :)

ETA: PopCultureGeek has compiled a great list of film-related panel rumors and possibilities. *getting more excited*

ETA2: Dark Horizons with a bit more on possible film-related events.

Quote of the Day

IGN: I know you're a big Battlestar fan. Was it great for you to get to work with Tahmoh Penikett?

Joss Whedon: I'm gonna go out on a limb here and tell the truth – I've had a man-crush on Tahmoh since the first episode of Battlestar.

IGN: From the moment he stayed behind on Caprica?

Whedon: I had a feeling about him. I just had a feeling about him. I know, he gave up his seat to Baltar! Not bright, but cute! But no, he just has a presence. Tim Minear watched the dailies and he said, "I can't believe you found this guy. This guy is so hard to find. A leading man that has a real soulfulness and a real unique quality" and I just felt that from Battlestar, and he brought it completely [to Dollhouse]. When I spoke to him, he was the first person to mention Never Let Me Go, the novel, just from hearing the premise of Dollhouse. The beautiful sadness of that novel so suffuses what we're trying to do, and it was so beautiful when he brought it up that I just knew this guy [was right]. And it follows my rule with Nathan [Fillion]. Hire a Canadian! They're gentlemen and they're very tall.