All Things Verheiden

Part 2 of BSG producer Mark Verheiden's interview with Canada's Hypaspace Podcast is now online.

MP3. iTunes link.

And there is also a Mark Verheiden interview with Wizard.

BSG: All Along the Watchtower

More reviews of BSG's "Crossroads part 2" season finale:

Jace reviews the season 3 finale for Film.com. TVgasm has a recap and review. Reviews from Andy Grieser in Zap2It. And the Houston Chronicle Tubular Blog.

IGN interviews Mark Sheppard (Romo Lamkin).

The Hollywood Reporter takes a look at the fan made BSG films made with the Sci-FI Channel Tool Kit.

The Delayed Podcast

Ron Moore has updated his blog once again, and reports that he's been under the weather and so hasn't recorded a podcast for Crossroads Part 2 yet. Once he's well, I'm sure he'll pour a glass of scotch and light up some smokes, and everything will be fine.

He says he has no idea why the Q&A podcast he recorded in Berkeley hasn't been posted yet.

To make up for it, watch the fan made video, The Delayed Podcast.

Denise Martin in The Los Angeles Times reviews Crossroads Part 2.

Katee on the radio

Katee Sackhoff was briefly interviewed on the Cort and Fatboy radio show and she talked a bit about the return of Starbuck, and her work on the new Bionic Woman.

Ron Moore has updated his blog and reports that he's posting two podcasts related to Crossroads part 2, one will be a Q&A session he had in Berkeley, CA. Ron talked to E's Kristin about the finale and season 4. And TV Squad reports on several recent statements from Moore.

Reviews of and reactions to the finale from, UGO, TV Fodder, San Francisco Chronicle, SyFy Portal, After Ellen, and the Tuscaloosa News.

The shape of things to come

Ron Moore, Mary McDonnell and Edward James Olmos talked to Entertainment Weekly about the season finale, and hints for season 4.

More Moore

Ron Moore also talked to TV Week for an informative interview.

Answers

Ron Moore answers your questions about the finale, and what to expect in season 4, in an interview with Rob Owen of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

And Bear McCreary answered questions for the Live Journal Battlestar Blog.

Afterwords

Mark Verheiden reveals a few production tidbits on Crossroads part 2.

TV Guide and Cinema Blend review the finale.

Crossroads Part Two

Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune offers her reaction to the frakking amazing and stunning season 3 finale of BSG on her blog.

Bear McCreary on his blog, writes about scoring Crossroads, the months of work that went into creating his brilliant and unique take on Bob Dylan's All Along the Watchtower.

New Sitrep

At Sci-Fi.Com there is a new Q&A video with Tricia Helfer answering fan questions from the Sci-Fi message boards.

I uploaded a new 10 minute Galactica Sitrep podcast last night. Grab it from any of the links below:

iTunes

Podcast Blaster

Podcast Alley

Podcast Directory

Podcast Planet

Frontier

BSG producer Mark Verheiden was interviewed on the Hypaspace Podcast and talks about Crossroads.

MP3. iTunes link.

Watch Edward James Olmos directing "Taking A Break From All Your Worries" in the latest David Eick videoblog.

Edward James Olmos is planning to direct a film in Mexico based on the works of Carlos Fuentes, "The Crystal Frontier," that explores U.S.-Mexico border issues and the far-reaching effects of the two nations' foreign-policy decisions.

St. Louis Today finds out that women dig the Battlestar.

Richard Hatch and Grace Park are interviewed by MeeVee TV. MeeVee also reviews Crossroads.

The Return of the Pegasus

In an intereview with Laura Miller in Salon, Ron Moore talks about season 4 and confirms that the fall 2007 BSG 2 hour telefilm for Sci-Fi Channel and DVD will be about the Battlestar Pegasus:

So you couldn't say now whether you think of Season 4 as the last of the series?

I'm considering that right now, to be honest. It's in the air. I don't know. It hasn't been formally decided and I haven't made my own decision. It's a possibility.

The worst thing that could happen to us is if we overstayed our welcome and got to a place where we had not finished the story and then we got canceled. I'd rather go out on my own terms creatively and go out strong.

We won't be seeing Season 4 until January 2008, but I understand there's going to be some kind of miniseries or movie coming before then?

There is something that they're calling "extra episodes" or "extended episodes" -- they keep shifting the nomenclature. Essentially, we are shooting two hours of "Galactica" that will be broadcast on SciFi Channel sometime in the fall. Let's say they broadcast it on a Friday; then, on the following Monday, it will be available on DVD.

That story will not pick up our cliffhanger at the end of Season 3. That didn't seem right. The story will be set on the Battleship Pegasus and will take place in the past, relative to where we are in Season 3. But the events set up in that story will then pay off in Season 4.

What was the reasoning behind doing that?

They came to us. It gives Home Video something to sell in the stores. Since we won't be back until January, which is a long time to be off the air, it gives the fans something to see and keeps the show alive. So it serves multiple masters. There was no way we could pick up the cliffhanger in that format, and then ask people to wait to really start the season later. One of the story lines everyone had really liked was the Pegasus story and the character of Admiral Cain, so we decided to go with that.

Are you already at work on Season 4 of "Battlestar Galactica"?

Yep, we've broken the first eight episodes. We're pretty happy. There are a lot of things coming; a lot of things change in the season finale of this season and propel us into the story lines of next season.

Read the full interview with Ron at Salon.

Scene from Crossroads Part 2

Scene with surreal spoilers.


The music at the end is by György Ligeti, which might only have been used as a temp track. "Atmosphères" was used in 2001.

Park

Today the Sci-Fi Channel confirmed the 22 hour long season 4, which includes the 2 hour film to air fall of 2007. Maureen Ryan comments on the news at the Chicago Tribune. Ryan also briefly previews the season 3 finale:

Also this weekend, there are some significant finales. Warning: If you are a fan of Sci Fi’s “Battlestar Galactica,” be aware that Sunday’s 9 p.m. season-ender will run over its allotted one-hour time slot by three minutes, so adjust your VCRs or DVRs accordingly.

Also know that the finale may just blow your mind. I think it’s the wildest, most surprising season finale yet for this fine series, which is really saying something.

And if you’re scratching your head about the trippy finale on Monday morning, you won’t be alone — come back to this site if you want to discuss it with other fans.

BSG producer Mark Verheiden, who wrote Crossroads Part 2, previews the episode and talks about season 4 at his blog.

And Grace Park talked to Sci-Fi Wire about the finale:

"We are going to see the resolution of the trial of Baltar [James Callis] and how Apollo [Jamie Bamber] really is taking the helm of the court case," Park said in an interview at SCI FI's upfront press event in New York on March 21. "But, importantly, there is a bit of a Pandora's box being opened, and what that will ... unleash, I have no idea. The season finale will air even as Battlestar Galactica fans are still buzzing about the recent demise of Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) in the episode "Maelstrom." Even Park was taken by surprise by the shocking turn of events. "Starbuck is gone," Park said. "[Sackhoff's] name is not on the credits. Nothing. She's gone." The actress smiled and laughed at the suggestion that in science fiction no one is necessarily dead forever. "Mm, yes, I guess she could be a Cylon and come back," Park said. "But, you know, everyone's tried that angle before."

Grace is also interviewed by CHUD.

James Callis and Tricia Helfer talked to The New York Daily News.

TV Guide interviewed Mary McDonnell.

Gilles Nuytens interviewed Leah Cairns, "Racetrack".

And Alan Stanley Blair reviews Crossroads part 1 at SyFy Portal.

In Men's Health Jamie Bamber, "shows you how to torch fat in record time"

This season has 22 hours.

From Ain't It Cool News, and TV Week, it's being reported that BSG's 4th season has now officially been expanded to an order of 22 episodes. According to TV Week, that's 20 episodes, plus the 2 hour DVD movie, making a total of 22 hours. TV Week says the DVD film will air on Sci-Fi in the 4th quarter of 2007. Ain't It Cool News goes further and speculates that the movie's plot will center around the happenings on the Battlestar Pegasus just before and after the original attack on the 12 colonies. However, there is not any official confirmation on that yet. Thanks to reader Bret for sending in the information.

Also, David Eick's Video Blog has been updated with a segment about how they shot FX plate shots for Eye of Jupiter and Rapture.

And Bear McCreary will be answering questions on the LiveJournal Battlestar Blog.

Bionic Katee

Katee Sackhoff has signed on to the pilot of David Eick's re-imagination of The Bionic Woman.

The New York Post reports on a rumor that the 4th season might be Galactica's last. However there is nothing official at this time. We know BSG will have a 13 episode 4th season, but we don't know if the 4th season will be expanded to 22 total episodes, or if Sci-Fi will grant a 5th season, also of 13 episodes, to wrap up the series. So, in any event, it seems certain BSG will wrap up within the next 22-26 episodes.

And TV Fodder reviews Crossroads Part 1.

More Reactions to Crossroads

Angel Cohn reacts to Crossroads part 1 in TV Guide. And Patrick Sauriol reviews Crossroads for UGO.

At the New York Comic Con, The New York Post caught up with James Callis and Tricia Helfer after they appeared on a BSG panel moderated by director Kevin Smith.

The Law and You

Sloan55 provides this YouTube preview of a scene from Crossroads Part 2



Marc Bernardin reviews Crossroads Part 1 in Entertainment Weekly. And Buddy TV has a review. As does TV Squad and TV Blend.

Composer Bear McCreary writes about the music for Crossroads on his blog.

TV Guide reports that Tricia Helfer might have two jobs next season, as she's been cast in the pilot of David Eick's project for FOX, "Them".

Wizard Entertainment has an interview with Grace Park.

Check out some upcoming BSG action figures.

Crossroads preview scene

A Scene from Crossroads part 1


Canadian promo of Crossroads part 2


Both clips posted to YouTube by Sloan55.

Watchtower

Buddy TV has a new interview with Grace Park.

Diane Werts in Newsday and Dave Mason of the Ventura County Star preview Crossroads.

More on David Eick's other projects in Variety.

The Houston Chronicle's Tubular Blog and SyFy Portal review The Son Also Rises.

Comic Book Resources has a preview of upcoming Lorne Greene Era BSG comics.

Tricia Helfer was on the WB's Supernatural, and talks about the experience to Zap2It.

The Last Sentinel, an action film staring Katee Sackhoff will air on the Sci-Fi Channel on May 1st.

Valerie Wells explores the archetype of Starbuck.

David Eick

SyFy Portal reports that David Eick has extended his deal with Universal, and he continues to develope new projects.

SciFi Wire reports:

NBC Universal and MobiTV Inc. announced a deal to make programming available over U.S. wireless networks for the first time, including episodes of SCI FI Channel's Battlestar Galactica and NBC's Heroes.

The two companies will also offer select short-form programming from Bravo, SCI FI Channel, USA Network, Telemundo and mun2 on five new ad-supported channels to subscribers, which will debut on the MobiTV service in the second quarter.

Consumers will be able to access full episodes of select NBCU prime-time shows, starting at $1.99 for a 24-hour viewing period (subject to change). The programming will include current seasons of shows produced by NBCU Television Studios.

Several ad-supported on-demand shows will also be available at no additional charge from within the MobiTV base subscription channel package. (NBC Universal owns SCIFI.COM.)

Gun Fire

Take a look at the new BSG executive producer David Eick's Video Blog, which shows Katee Sackhoff filming a target practice scene that got cut from "Maelstrom". Looks like it was a good scene though.

Crossroads Part 1 promos

US promo


Canadian promo


iPod Observer and UGO review of The Son Also Rises.

Comic Book Resources has more artwork previews of upcoming BSG comics.

Rising Son

Heather Havrilesky, in Salon comments on the death of Kara Thrace.

Buddy TV Reviews The Son Also Rises.

Tonight

A new video Q&A with Tricia Helfer is online at Sci-Fi dot com. Check it out.

Entertainment Weekly reviews tonight's episode, "The Son Also Rises".

Jamie Bamber talked to Galactica TV.

Comic Book Resources previews BSG comics.

Wizard talked to James Callis.

Bears for Auction

With the support of the Vancouver film industry, BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre in Canada is proud to bring you Bears that Care for BC Women's - the cutest fundraiser in town!

Famous personalities from film and television have thrown their support behind BC Women's by autographing these cuddly little bears. And they are just crying out for a new home - with you!

100% of the proceeds from the auctions of the Bears that Care for Women's will benefit the BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre. Charitable Registration No: 890267537RR0001

BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre is Canada's busiest maternity hospital. Your assistance helps us care for the pregnant women who come here from across the province when they're in danger, when something suddenly goes terribly wrong during their pregnancy. By helping us raise money in this project, you are also helping us provide the best possible care for more than 1,200 babies every year who fight for their lives in our Special Care Nursery. You are helping BC Women's, a recognized world leader in women's health, care for women at every stage in their lives.

Each week until the end of March, a new group of celebrity bears will be up for grabs.

You can find out what's up for grabs each week at http://www.bcwomensfoundation.org/online_auction.php

From the small screen:
Smallville - Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, Allison Mack, Erica Durance, Kristin Kreuk, Annette O'Toole, John Glover
Supernatural - Jared Padalecki & Jensen Ackles (5)
Battlestar Galactica - Edward James Olmos, Jamie Bamber, Tahmoh Penikett, Kate Vernon
Firefly - Jewel Staite (3), Summer Glau, Alan Tudyk
Happy Days - Erin Moran

Movies filmed in Vancouver:
Case 39 - Renee Zellweger (2), Callum Keith Rennie (2), Ian McShane (2)
Shooter - Mark Wahlberg
Postal - Verne Troyer (4), Larry Thomas (3), Zack Ward (2)

This week we have the following auctions:

Summer Glau (Firefly/Serenity - Autographed Bear
Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica) Autographed Bear
Jensen Ackles & Jared Padalecki (Supernatural) Autographed Bear & Production Photo
Allison Mack (Smallville) Autographed Bear & Autographed Photo
Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville) Autographed Bear & Autographed Photo
Callum Keith Rennie (Due South/BSG) Autographed Bear - Last bear available
Renee Zellweger (Chicago/Bridget Jones)- Autographed Bear
Ian McShane (Deadwood/Lovejoy) Autographed Bear - Last bear available
Larry Thomas (Seinfeld) Autographed Bear & Autographed Photo
Verne Troyer (Austin Powers "Mini-Me") Autographed Bear

Please support the women and babies of British Columbia, and bid on our snuggly autographed bears!

Bear's Music

Bear McCreary in his blog, goes into detail about how the music score for Maelstrom evolved.

Bear wrote:

Knowing what was to come, I blasted through the scores for A Day in the Life and Dirty Hands as fast as I possibly could. I even scored next week's The Son Also Rises in advance. Doing each of those episodes in four to five days was tough, but it cleared my schedule so that I had a full two weeks to do Maelstrom . This was a genuine luxury. The last time I had fourteen days to score a show was for the season premiere! Writing the score for this episode was rewarding, but incredibly emotionally draining....

Portal News

SyFy Portal reports on Ron Moore and Katee Sackhoff. Quote:

Using a posted Q&A on the SciFi Channel message boards, Moore said Sackhoff's performance was moving.

"I think that Katee grabs hold of the screen in 'Maelstrom' and never lets go," Moore said. "It's a bravura performance in the truest sense of the word. Whenever she's on camera, she's eliciting multiple emotional responses from the audience and I think that's the secret of her appeal."

Sackhoff possibly ended a three-year run on "Battlestar Galactica" with the apparent death of her character in "Maelstrom," as her Viper was crushed by the air pressure forces of a superstorm. The fleet was hiding out near the planet because the heavy radiation was masking Dradis, and allowed the fleet to refuel without worrying about the Cylons popping in.

"If you're looking for a one-note emotional figure, then she's not the actress for you," Moore said. "But if you're interested in someone truly embodying the role and conveying several layers of meaning all at once, then Katee is the one to watch."

Sackhoff recently told an Oregon radio station she frequents that as far as she knows, her character is dead, and that she has no immediate plans to return to the show. Starbuck's death has been one of the most talked about television topics since the episode first aired on SciFi Channel Sunday night...

Also, Alan Stanley Blair reviews Maelstrom. And SyFy Portal's Michael Hineman, talked to BSG writers Jane Espensen and Anne Cofell Saunders.

An Extra 5 Minutes

From the Sci-Fi Channel:

NEWS FLASH! The Sunday, March 25, season finale of Battlestar Galactica will run five minutes longer than usual. If you plan on recording the episode, set your DVR or VCR to continue for five to 10 minutes after the end of the hour so you don't miss anything!

Voight-Kampff

The Sci Fi Channel wants to help you make your own BSG fan films:

Battlestar Fan Film Tools Here

SCIFI.COM is putting Battlestar Galactica in the hands of its fans with the launch of the Battlestar Galactica Videomaker Toolkit.

The toolkit gives fans everything they need to create their own four-minute Galactica movies. It provides more than 30 visual effects and 20 audio effects, as well as cuts from the show's soundtrack. Fans can post their completed videos on SCIFI.COM to share with other fans. Two videos have been posted on the site as examples.

Battlestar Galactica executive producer David Eick will select his favorite video, and it will be broadcast in its entirety on SCI FI Channel during an episode of Battlestar Galactica.

Watch a bonus Grace Park Q&A on Sci-Fi.Com and watch for the ending where Grace takes the Voight-Kampff exam.

iPod Observer reviews Maelstrom.

Ron Moore has been named Toastmaster for the Nebula Awards of the Science Fiction Writers of America.

Tricia Helfer and James Callis talked to IGN.

TV Shows on DVD reports that Universal Home Video is finally going to be selling season 2 and 2.5 together.

Aurora

Mary McDonnell spoke at Brown University about Battlestar Galactica's relevance to politics, culture, ethics and identity.

Katee Sackhoff talked to radio personalities Cort and Fatboy about new roles, and employment she is now seeking.

More reactions to Maelstrom from various sources:

San Francisco Chronicle.

L. A. Times.

Alan Sepinwall.

UGO.

Media Blvd.

Starbuck

Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune previews the season 3 final 3 episodes and reflects on Kara's fate in Maelstrom. Ryan writes:

Given what happened in Sunday’s episode of “Battlestar Galactica,” you may have questions about Kara “Starbuck” Thrace (Katee Sackhoff) and whether she’s dead or alive.

I have questions too, but they’re different ones: How do the creators of this show keep coming up with such gripping season finales? And if fans are in a tizzy now, what will they think of the mindbending season finale? I can’t even imagine.

Sci Fi Channel sent certain members of the media the last few episodes of “Battlestar Galactica’s” third season. And it’s my fervent hope that nobody, including me, spoils the major details of the end of the season for “Battlestar” fans.

Reviews of Maelstrom:

Mark Bernardin in Entertainment Weekly.

Angel Cohn and Matt Roush at TV Guide.

Buddy TV.

Live Journal Capsule Review.

Review and Interview

TV Squad has a brief review of Maelstrom.

Chud.com interviewed Tricia Helfer.

It's been a while...

It's been a while, but there is finally a new installment of the Galactica Sitrep Podcast now online. You can grab it from any of these fine links....

iTunes

Podcast Blaster

Podcast Alley

Podcast Directory

Podcast Planet

And the Direct RSS Feed

Enjoy!

Save the kitten, save the world

Katee Sackhoff talked to the Boston Globe about Starbuck's potential destiny in the new episode, Maelstrom airing Sunday night. BSG co-exec producer Mark Verheiden previews the episode in his blog. (No major spoilers in either article.)

Mary McDonnell talked to TV Guide about the final 4 episdoes of season 3.

Wizard Entertainment caught up with Tricia Helfer at the New York Comic Con. At Tricia's website you can buy signed photographs of her and other items, with the proceeds going to several animal charities such as, ASPCA, Humane Society of Canada, and United States, Kitten Rescue, and Noah's Wish.

Galactica TV interviewed artist Grant Gould.

Gaius

Chud talked about the rest of season 3 with James Callis.

Soundtrack Net talked to Bear McCreary as he scored "Maelstrom" at the Warner Bros. Eastwood scoring stage.

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette previews the remaining 4 episodes of season 3.


If you watch Battlestar Galactica and Lost in the U.K. on Virgin Media, there are problems, The Guardian reports.

Maelstrom Preview 2

A scene between Kara and Lee.


Posted on YouTube by Frakheads.Com.