Blowing My Mind

Several people have pointed me to this not-so-new but mindblowing essay.

Whoa. Deep.

Also, something Mark Verheiden just wrote made me go watch that S4 promo again. And again. *squee*

[Etch-A-Sketchist art via WatchingBSG]

100,000 vs. 6,000,000

Those of us in fandom who follow TV biz trends and ratings, may find these of interest: Canadian producer Guinevere Orvis writes about how social networking is effecting TV viewing habits and fandoms, and mentions this tidbit (bold case mine):

Broadcasters can address distribution control in a different way: by actively engaging in it themselves and fostering fan involvement. Consider the case of when Ron Moore started writing on the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA blog. The Sci Fi Channel expected 100,000 visitors in the first six months and instead they got 6 million. It’s a great example of how a television producer embraced the social space and it resonated explosively with his fans and their friends. I’m glad that my industry seems to be more forward thinking about the online space than the music industry has been.

Meanwhile, over at The Hollywood Reporter, this quote provides a possible answer to fandom’s constant question: can’t the networks make money feeding us digital content? (bold case mine)

Since few under 30 and virtually no one under 18 is watching scheduled television per se, forward-thinking nets are making their key shows available on as many platforms and under as many different price models as they can dream up.

"Digital is not yet the tail that wags the dog, but it's sure making the dog bark," is how one network exec described it. He also said it will become clearer over the next six to nine months just how big a stream these new ancillaries have become, if for no other reason because the labor talks will demand it.

Every network has a different tilt -- price points, exclusivities, ad avails, revenue splits -- when it comes to putting their shows online. But all of them are starting to see the pennies add up.

Several hundred million dollars in 2008 at each of the networks, this exec hazarded.

Hey Nielsen! Rate This.

The Nielsen Company is the largest and most important provider of TV ratings and entertainment marketing research in the USA. They have opened a web site (still in beta) where you can rate TV shows, films, music, and more.

You know what to do folks! Git yer BSG-lovin’ butts over there, sign in and rate the show. While you’re at it, remember to do Katee and David a solid if you are enjoying BIONIC WOMAN. This is an unheard-of chance to speak directly to the TV ratings makers.


[Many thanks to Skiffy forum member MalteseCrichton for pointing this out.]

First Listen to Season 3 Soundtrack

SoundtrackNet is giving a "first listen" to all the tracks off of Bear McCreary's Season 3 soundtrack album, which hits the shops October 23. These are partial tracks, but they sound great. Can't wait.

Data Points

BSG's co-exec producer/writer Mark Verheiden has an update on his blog about the possible writer's strike, and how it could effect Battlestar Galactica:

In terms of what a November strike would mean for BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, well, I'm not exactly sure, except there would be nobody writing scripts if a strike is called, and there are still several episodes left to be written. I'm hoping that the waters calm and a deal can be made, of course, but if there is a strike, then a lot depends on just how long it goes.

Mark also points to the blog of writer Mark Evanier where you can get more information on the possible strike.

Saturn92103 has a report from a convention event with Katee and Tahmoh, and among other things, Katee said this about Bionic Woman:

Some non spoilerly specifics - Katee asked everyone to give Bionic Woman a chance. She said the show is still finding it's legs and suffers from the input of 9453957 people at NBC. She also admitted that they had to tame Sarah Corvis a bit because she was overshadowing Jaime Summers.

Chew on this.

Wow, a Season 4 promo! *glee*

A new RAZOR promo

Global Flashbacks

For our friends across the globe jonesing to see the first Flashback, these two alternatives to SciFi Pulse may work for you.

ETA: Thanks to The Frakheads, here's a working YouTube post:

RAZOR promo photos

Livejournalist wisteria has gotten her hands on new RAZOR promo photos. Mildly spoilery, and so what! Fun stuff in there - what's the deal with the hypodermic? This one is definitely my favorite. *snicker*

Razor Flashback 1 and Season 3 CD

You can view the first Razor Flashback with young Lt. William Adama here, at Sci-Fi.com.

Also Bear McCreay has announced that he will be doing a pre-release signing of the Season 3 soundtrack CD at Dark Delicacies book store in Burbank, California, Tuesday October 9th. Even if you can't be there in person, you can order the signed CDs from the bookstore.

To Do Tonight:

Frakking Hiatus of Doom Part 1 is officially over. Hallelujah!

More Human Than Human

Promotions for the DVD of BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT have begun in earnest, leading up to the December release. This new cut just screened at the New York Film Festival last week, and opens in theaters TODAY, for a limited time only in New York and Los Angeles. Here in NYC, if you’ve never seen a film at The Ziegfeld Theater…well, you just haven’t lived, man. Seriously.

Check out recent interviews with director Ridley Scott in The New York Times and Wired Magazine…and Wired’s “nexus” of the many ways this groundbreaking film has influenced culture since it was first released in 1982.

A New Fan

The New York Sun's Bruce Bennett waxes poetic on his discovery of the excellence of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, and why he likes it more than STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION…and Alex Payne’s SIDEWAYS. (?) [Thanks to reader Glenn for the tip.]

Two Katee Scenes

Maureen Ryan has posted video of two new scenes from next week's Bionic Woman episode, "Sisterhood" on her Watcher blog at the Chicago Tribune:

...Given how well recieved Sackhoff was in the role of Sarah (the actress is now a recurring guest star), the producers set about finding a way to have these two become a little friendlier.

And, as others have speculated here and here, now that the show has introduced the idea that a bionic woman can be "hacked" and have her programming changed, what are the odds that Sarah gets "fixed," and maybe even becomes the co-lead alongside Jaime? Or what if Sarah gets rewired to be "good" and Jaime's the one who goes rogue? It's all just speculation, but I don't think any of that lies outside the realm of possibility for the show -- if it sticks around for a while, that is, which isn't a sure thing at this point. Anything to keep Sackhoff around and give her more to do is a good idea...

Read Ryan's full update here.

FBI Profilers beat Emo Docs beat Nano Femmebots

From the Fast Nationals for last night, Zap2It is reporting that BIONIC WOMAN’s ratings went down a bit (much like those of HEROES this week), PRIVATE PRACTICE’s went up…and CRIMINAL MINDS came up from last week’s 3rd place finish to beat them both.

That’s genre TV for ya, folks. It’s our niche, deal with it.

The Upcoming Strike

There's been a lot of speculation that the Writers Guild of America will go on strike in the spring of 2008 along with the Screen Actors Guild. But, Michael Ausiello reports that the WGA sent out Strike Authorization ballots, to begin a strike on November 1st when the current contract ends. Writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski confirms that the authorization vote is in progress and he points to this page with a detailed summary from the WGA that explains why there will be a strike. The short answer is because the studios are run by the criminally corrupt and greedy who not only don't want to pay writers fairly, but in fact want to roll back "every fundamental protection writers have won in the last 50 years."

So, there will be a strike. {ETA: See Producer/Writer Mark Verheiden's comment below. ProgGrrl.}

How will this affect Battlestar Galactica? Unknown. But, the expectation is that all the scripts for the season will be finished by November first. Certainly all writing will stop as of November 1, finished or not.

P.S. Did you catch Bionic Woman's second episode? Mostly a snore, except for Katee's excellent scenes, and a cameo by the Battlestar Pegasus from "Exodus Part 2" crashing into the Basestar. (Playing on a television in the foreground of a scene with Jamie Sommers.)

Surfing with Katee

Posted by George3667

Two Breathe Me Videos

by ny8618


by ChemicalAttraction

Upcoming Interview with Bear McCreary

We'll be having a Q&A interview with Bear McCreary soon, to coincide with the release of the season 3 soundtrack late this month.

If you have any questions for Bear leave them here as comments to this post, or email questions to me at logan[DOT]gawain[at]gmail[dot]com.

Be creative and original with questions he's never been asked before...

Sacramento

encyclops posted on the Live Journal Battlestar Blog, a detailed report of Tahmoh and Katee at the Creation Con in Sacramento on September 30th. (No spoilers of note.)