Foundation

Apparently, this is the demo trailer done by the now defunct Foundation Imaging (the company that did the CGI effects for Babylon 5 seasons 1-3, and worked on Star Trek: Voyager and other projects) for the abandoned Bryan Singer/Tom DeSanto Battlestar Galactica continuation project. Posted to YouTube by Bishop37.

Season 3 is 2 months away

The Merovingian reports on season 3 episode titles. (No major spoilers.)

TV Shows on DVD has screen shots of the DVD menu screens for BSG season 2.5 due September 19th.

Galactica Station has a trascription of Jamie Bamber interviewed in The Official Battlestar Galactica Magazine.

Come to Burbank, California August 26-27th for Creation's Battlestar Galactica Convention. Guests include: Tricia Helfer, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Aaron Douglas, Tahmoh Penikett, and others.

RocketChick makes excellent videos, so check out the BSG music video set to Coldplay's "Fix You". (Scroll down that page to the Battlestar Galactica banner where the video is located.)

Comic Con Reports

"mistabrown" has video on You Tube from the Galactica panel at Comic Con from a different angle, and edited down to about 8 minutes of highlights. The video contains big spoilers, so beware. There are also spoilers in these two IGN reports here and here.

Moore's Blog

Ron Moore has updated his Battlestar Blog with some interesting information.

He reports in part:

To catch up on things: we're currently filming episodes 10 & 11, our mid-season cliffhanger episodes, after which we're going to take a four week hiatus from shooting, then resume production on the remaining eight. "Eight?" you ask, perceptively recognizing that would only add up to 19 and our much-publicized order was for 20. "Are you in trouble? Are they cutting back your order? Or did you fail math?"

No, no, and yes, but that's not the issue.

In another of our patented feats of editorial derring-do, we've taken what was to be episode 3, "Exodus" and crafted two episodes from it, thereby obviating the need to shoot one more show. As it currently stands, we will be opening Season Three with a two-hour premiere of what were originally two stand-alone episodes, "Occupation" and "Precipice" ("Occuprice," as it were) then resume airing normal one hours with "Exodus Part One." Confused? Good, that's the way we like it. Gotta keep the audience guessing.

Rescored

So lets say you didn't like the Nickelback song used in the season 3 BSG trailer... Then you might prefer this version instead...

Comic Con

Here is a report on the BSG panel at the San Diego Comic Con, and 5 videos of the event on You Tube. (There are spoilers there.)

Aaron Douglas is interviewed by Eclipse Magazine.

Another convert won over.

News, you can use

Battlestar Galatica on one of four covers of TV Guide.

Jamie Bamber talks to Out magazine.

Bamber talks about his favorite scene in season 3, thus far.

More season 3 trailers on You Tube.

Dwight from The Office is blogging again about BSG and Lost.

The latest info from Bear McCreary.

The lyrics to the season 2 soundtrack song "Lords of Kobol".

A positive review of the season 2 soundtrack.

David Eick talks season 3 with Now Playing magazine.

Katee Sackhoff does intense yoga.

Other items here and here.

New Season 3 Preview

Emmys are rigged (updated)

As others have noted the Emmy nominations came out today, and thanks to the insular and gamed system, the best shows on television were totally ignored. BSG got 3 technical nominations, but none for the writing of such ground breaking installments like Pegasus, Resurrection Ship 1 &2, and Lay Down Your Burdens 1 & 2. Bear McCreary brilliant scores were ignored. And great Oscar nominated actors Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell were both snubbed. Katee Sackhoff has more than proved worthy of the best supporting actress Emmy, yet the Academy lives in a strange universe where even fine shows like Lost and Boston Legal are ignored, while 2 and and a half men gets nominations.... Odd.

The most nominations went to 24, which had it's most cartoony season ever, with an ending hour that was utterly idiotic, in every single aspect.

Well, at least Galactica gets the awards that matter, the Hugos, the Peabody, the Saturn, and the Golden Toaster....

UPDATE: Alan Sepinwall nails it.

In other news, Amazon.com now is showing the DVD box art for the season 2.5 set, you can see a large version of the cover art at TV Shows on DVD.

Whedon

Joss Whedon is a fan of Battlestar Galactica:

I'm just sneaking in to say I've been continuing to watch BSG, the wife and I are about halfway through season one and gushing isn't gonna cover this one. You guys have heard me gush, so it won't have any real meaning. You have to imagine Pauline Kael bursting into song, Lionel Barrymoore In "Wonderful Life" jumping up and jitterbugging with George Bailey, the Grinch's heart growing three sizes... you gotta start down there to explain what it feels like up here. I'll put it simply. The show is humbling. Not since the Matrix (the first one) have I had such a strong desire to go to writing school. I think it's so passionate, textured, complex, subversive and challenging that it dwarfs everything on TV. Or in theaters. Or boho perfomances spaces. Stuff hanging in the Tate? Not as cool. I'm not gonna go on, because I have to get back to work and because if I really start, this post will crash the internet from sheer length. Only downsides are a) I was already having a crisis of confidence, thank you very much and b) I can't go near any Sci-Fi mags for fear of spoilers. Apart from that, life is to be loved. The Gods are to be praised. Back to the job. -j.

joss | June 12, 21:18 CET

A re-imagined Star Trek?

Back in 2004 writers Joe Straczynski and Bryce Zabel got together and created a 14 page pitch to Paramount on how they would do a new Star Trek show. Zabel posted a pdf of the treatment in his blog.

Interestingly, their idea is not unlike Ron Moore's take on Battlestar Galactica, which was to start over. As we know, Moore took a lot of flack from Battlestar fundamentalists who wanted a continuation series instead. But, Ron correctly saw the potential of doing it over, better. The ratings for BSG, critical praise, Hugo Awards, Peabody Award, and likely Emmy nominations have indicated that his way was wise and correct.

So, it's interesting that JMS and Zabel had a similar idea for Trek, to do the 5 year mission over again, with Kirk, Spock, McCoy, in a "re-imagined" Trek universe with new actors filling those iconic roles. And I think after years of pretty dull Trek like Voyager and Enterprise, fans would have been open minded about "re-boot" of the Kirk/Spock/McCoy Star Trek.

(Oddly enough one of the ideas in the treatment, a sort of DNA quest showing the various Trek races to be related was actually also explored in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, that Ron Moore co-wrote called The Chase.)

Anyway, Trek is now in the hands of J.J. Abrams (Lost, Alias, MI3, etc.) and he plans to be doing a kind of re-boot as well, for the film franchise. The rumor is that he's dusting off and revising Harve Bennett's idea of a Starfleet Academy movie, showing Kirk, Spock and McCoy in their college days. Though, another twist on that rumor is that Matt Damon is who Abrams wants as Kirk... And since Damon is a bit older than college age, one wonders if that's actually the idea? Anyway, supposedly Denny Crane himself approves of Damon taking on the role.

I think the JMS/Zabel project had a lot of potential. It could have been kinda fun.

Anyway, bringing this topic back to Battlestar Galactica, Ron Moore and David Eick have shown that doing a "re-boot" or re-imagined version of an established franchise can work very very well, if done right.

Check out the proposed JMS/Zabel version of Trek and decide for yourself.

BSG News

More on Battlestar Galactica season 2.5 coming to DVD in the fall from TV Shows on DVD.

Soundtrack Net reports on a music event that Bear McCreary attended.

Bear McCreary blogs about performing at The Mint recently.

Summertime

You can find sets of the Battlestar Galactica complete season 2 Emmy consideration DVDs on Ebay. Of course, if you happen to know any Emmy voters, besure they watch BSG so the show will get some highly deserved nominations.

There are many BSG fan created Galactica music videos on YouTube, and this one is very well done and polished.

DVD 2.5

Battlestar Galactica Season 2.5 will be out in September, according to TV Shows on DVD, which has a scan of the DVD box art which can be seen in flyer that comes with the BSG season 2 CD.

Cally on TIki

Nicki Clyne, Specialist Cally, Chief Galen Tyrol's favorite deckhand, can be seen on the latest episode of Tiki Bar TV (one of the best video podcasts) playing a pointy eared space alien learning to dance, and drink. Watch it and enjoy...

New News

Check out the webcast of the Battlestar Galactica pannel discussion at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York, with Ron Moore, David Eick, Jamie Bamber, Mary McDonnel, Edward James Olmos, and moderated by TV Guide's Matt Roush.

On Sci Fi Pulse, you can view clips of the Battlestar Galactica team accepting the Peabody Award, watch the creators of South Park praise Battlestar Galactica, and see new deleted scenes from season 2.5 of BSG.

At the MTR event, a season 3 promotional trailer was shown, and The Great Link has a run down of what was shown in it, but with the main spoilers removed.

Tube Socket however relates a few of the spoilers from the trailer and wonders if John Hodgman (seen recently on those neat Mac ads playing the P.C., and on segments of the The Daily Show) is a Cylon.

Finally, a Galactica fan has created a neat opening credits montage for season 3. Maybe season 3's credits will be something similar, though I hope they let Bear McCreary come up with new opening theme. (Since the theme in the U.S. in the first season was different, and in the second season we got the theme that was used in the U.K. and elsewhere, it now kinda makes some sense to change the theme each year, like Christopher Franke did with Babylon 5 each season. There are some impressive tracks on the season 2 score that may even lend themselves to becoming the framework for a new season 3 theme.)

Bear's Music

SoundtrackNet has an excellent review, and preview samples of Bear McCreary's season 2 Battlestar Galactica score.

Emmy Consideration

The Sci-Fi Channel has set up a site to help promote Emmy nominations for Battlestar Galactica.

Music!

Pre-order an autographed Battlestar Galactica Season 2 cd by Bear McCreary from La La Land Records. Hear some samples from the score.

RSVP to attend the BSG season 2 concert in Los Angeles.

Baltar Rocks

Check out this excellent and funny video of James Callis accepting the three Saturn Awards Galactica recently won. (For actor, Callis, Actress, Katee Sackhoff, and Best Cable Series.)