Editing Series bible
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== The Re-Imagined Series bible == | == The Re-Imagined Series bible == | ||
The [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|re-imagined Battlestar Galactica]] series bible was written by [[Ronald D. Moore|Ron D. Moore]] after the [[Miniseries]] during a hiatus and was completed on 17 December 2003<ref>{{cite_book|last=Bassom|first=David|authorlink=|authorlinkurl=|coauthors=|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|pages=41|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|location=|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref> before production on the regular series began. It has not been released in its entirety, nor will it probably, as it still contains much information not yet revealed on screen. However, the series bible is not necessarily definitive, as sometimes the writing team may decide something different must be done in a script than was originally outlined. Still, so long as nothing new is made that conflicts with the bible, it contains the real back stories for the characters and basic plot outline for the future of the show. | The [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|re-imagined Battlestar Galactica]] series bible was written by [[Ronald D. Moore|Ron D. Moore]] after the [[Miniseries]] during a hiatus and was completed on 17 December 2003<ref>{{cite_book|last=Bassom|first=David|authorlink=|authorlinkurl=|coauthors=|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|pages=41|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|location=|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref> before production on the regular series began. It has not been released in its entirety, nor will it probably, as it still contains much information not yet revealed on screen. However, the series bible is not necessarily definitive, as sometimes the writing team may decide something different must be done in a script than was originally outlined. Still, so long as nothing new is made that conflicts with the bible, it contains the real back stories for the characters and basic plot outline for the future of the show. | ||
For example, Moore has said in his Season 1 podcast that, according to the series bible, | For example, Moore has said in his Season 1 podcast that, according to the series bible, [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] used to be a [[pyramid (RDM)|pyramid]] player, intending to play professionally, but sustained a knee injury and had to drop out and find a new direction for her life. Several episodes later, in "[[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]]" Starbuck states on screen that she used to play pyramid but a knee injury forced her to stop. | ||
Moore often refers to information from the series bible in the podcasts (usually, things he wanted to put on screen but could not). Another example is Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]; Moore has stated that his series bible entry says, that he was a young petty officer not unlike Chief [[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol]] when his ship, the ''[[Brenik]]'', was boarded during the [[Cylon War]] and the fighting with [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|Centurions]] was some of the bloodiest of the war, devolving into hand to hand combat. | Moore often refers to information from the series bible in the podcasts (usually, things he wanted to put on screen but could not). Another example is Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]; Moore has stated that his series bible entry says, that he was a young petty officer not unlike Chief [[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol]] when his ship, the ''[[Brenik]]'', was boarded during the [[Cylon War]] and the fighting with [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|Centurions]] was some of the bloodiest of the war, devolving into hand to hand combat. | ||
Later, Tigh was stationed on another ship which was also lost, and then he was dragooned into officer school to become a [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] pilot when Colonial numbers started running low. The series bible also fully describes his poor relationship with his wife, [[Ellen Tigh|Ellen]]. Originally, all the viewers would ever see of this relationship was that it (combined with Tigh's horrific war experience) had driven Tigh to alcoholism as seen in the beginning of the Miniseries, also when Tigh is burning her face out of a photo. Originally, this was supposed to be all viewers actually saw of Ellen Tigh. However, other writers read the full description of her in the series bible, and subsequently thought that she | Later, Tigh was stationed on another ship which was also lost, and then he was dragooned into officer school to become a [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] pilot when Colonial numbers started running low. The series bible also fully describes his poor relationship with his wife, [[Ellen Tigh|Ellen]]. Originally, all the viewers would ever see of this relationship was that it (combined with Tigh's horrific war experience) had driven Tigh to alcoholism as seen in the beginning of the Miniseries, also when Tigh is burning her face out of a photo. Originally, this was supposed to be all viewers actually saw of Ellen Tigh. However, other writers read the full description of her in the series bible, and subsequently thought that she wouldd make a good character, and thus "resurrected" her in "[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]". | ||
Moore previously indicated considering releasing the series bible, as "a lot of the background information on the characters is starting to come out in both Seasons One and Two, so there might come a point where I'd let the bible be put out there for public consumption."<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2005/03/index.html#a000023|title=RDM Blog|date=12 March 2005|accessdate=6 March 2007|last=Moore|first=Ronald D.|format=|language=}}</ref> As of the closing of [[Season 3 (2006-07)|season three]], this has not come to pass. | |||
Several lines from the series bible are briefly shown during ''[[Battlestar Galactica: The Lowdown (Season 1)|Battlestar Galactica: The Lowdown]]''. The images show that the series bible has sections on the Religion and the Culture and Society of the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Colonials]]. | |||
== Excerpt == | |||
The following are lines seen during ''Battlestar Galactica: The Lowdown'': | |||
:Our show is built… | |||
:1. Series Arcs | |||
:2. Multi-episode Arcs | |||
:3. Episode Arcs | |||
:The series arc run through the life of the show… | |||
:pursuit of our fleet, while the Multi-Episode Arcs… | |||
:specific crises lay on one planet discovered by… | |||
:closed-end (unclear) for each show and giving… | |||
:episode. By employing the structure, we gain… | |||
:on the existing… | |||
:and… | |||
:the… | |||
:the… | |||
:The key… | |||
:Galactica lives in a perpetual state… | |||
:And where terrorist bombs, murders, rebellions,… | |||
:Routines of day to day life. There are no days for… | |||
:Approaching the quiet normal existence they once… | |||
:The series is about a chase. | |||
:Let the chase begin. | |||
:…The centuries according to… | |||
:…governmental structure existed… | |||
:…events of the Cylon War. | |||
:Religion | |||
The | :The colonies have a poly-theistic belief… | ||
:…God-like beings on the planet Kobol… | |||
:…thanks to or ask for blessings from the… | |||
:…how many there are is not yet known… | |||
:…and Roman gods of Earth (this linkage… | |||
:…roots to those of Colonial society,… | |||
:…from the same homeworld, namely Kobol… | |||
:Religious belief and practice varies from co… | |||
:…completely secular and others verging on… | |||
:There is a formal body of priests and clerics… | |||
:…now operates in a quasi-civil role within the C… | |||
:…to the British House of Lords. At the name imp… | |||
:…representatives from each of the Colonies. The… | |||
:…government on policy, matters from religious… | |||
:…relatively narrow. | |||
:Culture and Society | |||
:Colonial society is very similar to 21st… | |||
:…a parallel world for all intents and… | |||
:…professional sports, they… | |||
:…bureaucracies… | |||
==Sky One Biographies== | ==Sky One Biographies== | ||
The following are biographical information from [[Sky One]]'s website which was later removed. | |||
The following are biographical information from [[Sky One]]'s website which was later removed. It has now become apparent that they were based on information from the show's series bible. | |||
The first evidence of this was that [[Richard Adar|President Adar's]] first name is given as "Richard" in Laura Roslin's biography, obviously long before Adar's first name was mentioned on screen. Further background information confirmed by the show is detailed below each character. | The first evidence of this was that [[Richard Adar|President Adar's]] first name is given as "Richard" in Laura Roslin's biography, obviously long before Adar's first name was mentioned on screen. Further background information confirmed by the show is detailed below each character. | ||
| Line 66: | Line 121: | ||
:''Laura wanted to return to teaching but her loyalties to Adar would find herself fulfilling her political role. Her desire for a quiet life changed when she came under scrutiny and was accused of corruption in the Seacade District Scandal. Adar stood by her and eventually the scandal subsided.'' | :''Laura wanted to return to teaching but her loyalties to Adar would find herself fulfilling her political role. Her desire for a quiet life changed when she came under scrutiny and was accused of corruption in the Seacade District Scandal. Adar stood by her and eventually the scandal subsided.'' | ||
===Kara "Starbuck" Thrace=== | ===Kara "Starbuck" Thrace=== | ||
| Line 86: | Line 139: | ||
:''Kara served her first tour aboard the battlestar ''Triton'', but she was not admired by all, and soon found herself shipped back to where she started.'' | :''Kara served her first tour aboard the battlestar ''Triton'', but she was not admired by all, and soon found herself shipped back to where she started.'' | ||
:''This is where she met Zak Adama, and fell in love. Tragedy struck when Zak failed a key flight test and his plane crashed. Kara was devastated. She then spent two years on ''Galactica'' - concentrating on her flying.'' | :''This is where she met Zak Adama, and fell in love. Tragedy struck when Zak failed a key flight test and his plane crashed. Kara was devastated. She then spent two years on the ''Galactica'' - concentrating on her flying.'' | ||
In the podcast for "[[Maelstrom]], | In the podcast for "[[Maelstrom]]", he confirms that Kara Thrace grew up on several colonies on account of [[Socrata Thrace|her mother]] being a sergeant major in the Colonial Marine Corps (the [[:Image:SocrataThraceLetter.jpg|letter]] she receives lists her, incorrectly, as corporal. This is clarified in the extended DVD edition of "[[Razor]]", where Thrace refers to her mother by rank). As noted above, her knee injury is mentioned in "[[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]]", and her service on ''[[Triton (RDM)|Triton]]'' is noted in a personnel file seen in "[[The Son Also Rises]]". | ||
=== | ===Lee "Apollo" Adama=== | ||
Here is Sky One's summary of Lee Adama: | Here is Sky One's summary of Lee Adama: | ||
| Line 104: | Line 157: | ||
:''Two weeks later, Zak's plane went down while he was flying a routine solo mission and he was killed. Lee spent the next two years focusing on his career, having no personal life and working to become the perfect fighter pilot.'' | :''Two weeks later, Zak's plane went down while he was flying a routine solo mission and he was killed. Lee spent the next two years focusing on his career, having no personal life and working to become the perfect fighter pilot.'' | ||
Part of this is contradicted by on screen evidence: Zak died during an important flight training mission and not a "routine" one. Lee did not work hard (at least after Zak's death) to be the best Viper pilot or to improve his career; multiple cast interviews, as well as Ron Moore's podcasts, state that he was despondent, didn't know what to do with his life, and was considering leaving the service. Moreover, in "[[Final Cut]]" it is established that he is a member of the Colonial Fleet Reserve, not regular fleet, indicating that he wasn't particularly concerned with a lifelong career. However, according to a [[List of Deleted Scenes (RDM)#Razor|deleted scene]] from "[[Razor]], | Part of this is contradicted by on screen evidence: Zak died during an important flight training mission and not a "routine" one. Lee did not work hard (at least after Zak's death) to be the best Viper pilot or to improve his career; multiple cast interviews, as well as Ron Moore's podcasts, state that he was despondent, didn't know what to do with his life, and was considering leaving the service. Moreover, in "[[Final Cut]]" it is established that he is a member of the Colonial Fleet Reserve, not regular fleet, indicating that he wasn't particularly concerned with a lifelong career. However, according to a [[List of Deleted Scenes (RDM)#Razor|deleted scene]] from "[[Razor]]", Lee Adama was accepted to test pilot school, showing that he is a very talented pilot, despite his lack of clear goals in his life. | ||
===Gaius Baltar=== | ===Gaius Baltar=== | ||
| Line 126: | Line 179: | ||
:''Still it wasn't enough; he hungered for a chance to work on a true artificial intelligence project. He then meets a smart and beautiful woman who seemed to understand him in a way no other had. She shared his passion of A.I. systems. The relationship lasted for two years and during this time she provided him with new and innovative ideas. Only one thing was missing; Gaius could not find out anything about her. Was it the perfect relationship he once thought it was?'' | :''Still it wasn't enough; he hungered for a chance to work on a true artificial intelligence project. He then meets a smart and beautiful woman who seemed to understand him in a way no other had. She shared his passion of A.I. systems. The relationship lasted for two years and during this time she provided him with new and innovative ideas. Only one thing was missing; Gaius could not find out anything about her. Was it the perfect relationship he once thought it was?'' | ||
The description of Gaius Baltar coming from a farming family has been confirmed as well, though the writers decided to change his origin to [[ | The description of Gaius Baltar coming from a farming family has been confirmed as well, though the writers decided to change his origin to [[Aerelon]]. In the podcast for the episode "[[Dirty Hands]]" Moore states that, according to the series bible, Baltar grew up a farmer's son in a rural community. Moore also confirms that originally Baltar was supposed to be from [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Sagittaron|Sagittaron]]. | ||
===[[Sharon Valerii]]=== | ===[[Sharon Valerii]]=== | ||
| Line 141: | Line 194: | ||
:''She later applied for flight school and was accepted over more qualified candidates. Flight school was rough on Sharon. Not a born pilot, she laboured long and hard. By the time she had graduated. she managed to earn the second chances that she seemed fated to be given. Her first assignment was aboard the battlestar ''Galactica'', and by the time of the Cylon attack, she had been there for almost a year.'' | :''She later applied for flight school and was accepted over more qualified candidates. Flight school was rough on Sharon. Not a born pilot, she laboured long and hard. By the time she had graduated. she managed to earn the second chances that she seemed fated to be given. Her first assignment was aboard the battlestar ''Galactica'', and by the time of the Cylon attack, she had been there for almost a year.'' | ||
Valerri's back story is contradicted by her telling Boxey that her parents died when she was little | Valerri's back story is contradicted by her telling Boxey that her parents died when she was little ([[Miniseries]]), but supported by a comment in "[[Downloaded]]", that she received a gift from her mother when she left for the Academy. Furthermore according to Adama, she had been on ''Galactica'' for nearly ''two'' years, not almost one ([[The Farm]]). | ||
== References == | == References == | ||
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[[Category: A to Z]] | [[Category: A to Z]] | ||