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Downloaded

2006-02-20T08:40:42Z

Collsiobhan: /* Overview */

{{spoiler}}
{{Episode Data|
Image = [[Image:Cylon_resurrection.jpg|300px]]
| Title= Downloaded
| Series= [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|The Re-imagined Series]]
| Season= [[Season 2 (2005-06)|2]]
| Episode= 18
| Guests= [[Lucy Lawless]] ([[D'anna Biers]])
| Writer=
| Story=
| Director=
| Production=
| Rating=
| US Airdate= 24 February 2006
| UK Airdate=
| DVD=
| Population=
| Prev= [[The Captain's Hand]]
| Next= [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]
}}

== Overview ==
Cylon society is revealed when a Cylon's conciousness is downloaded into a new body following her death. The conquerors of occupied Caprica hail two "heroes of the Cylon," who both resist their new celebrity.

== Summary ==
The episode is purported to be the "Cylon point of view" episode mentioned by producer Ron Moore in several interviews and blog postings. It is rumored to show what happened to the soul of [[Sharon Valerii|Galactica Boomer]] after she was killed by [[Cally]]. This episode suposedly gives new insight to the Cylon religion and the basic structure of Cylon society. [[Lucy Lawless]] makes a return appearance as reporter/[[Humano-Cylon]] [[D'anna Biers]]. Source: [http://www.patriotresource.com/bg/insights/spoilers.html The Patriot Resource]

Caprica-Sharon's Cylon-Human Hybrid daughter is born prematurely in this episode. Galactica-D'anna may try to gain access to it. We will see an extended flashback of Galactica-Sharon's consciousness being reborn in a new body immediatelly following the end of "[[Resistance]]" (thanks to the [[Resurrection Ship]], which wasn't destroyed until eight episodes later in "[[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]").

"On Caprica, the reincarnated Number Six (Tricia Helfer) and Sharon (Grace Park) are hailed as Heroes of the Cylon for the key roles they played in the near-destruction of the human race. But these are tortured heroes. Number Six’s thoughts are haunted by Baltar (James Callis), just as she haunts his thoughts on Galactica. And Sharon has so fervently embraced her love for Tyrol (Aaron Douglas) and the fake human life the Cylons created for her undercover mission that the Cylon leadership – D’Anna (Lucy Lawless) and Doral (Matthew Bennett) – are thinking of ‘boxing’ her (putting her consciousness into cold storage). Meanwhile, the human resistance – under the leadership of Kara’s lover, Samuel Anders (Michael Trucco) – is preparing to strike a savage blow, however futile, against the Cylon occupation.

On Galactica, the captive Sharon gives premature birth to Hera, the child she conceived with Helo (Tahmoh Penikett). As the infant fights for life, she becomes the focus of intrigue, as President Roslin (Mary McDonnell) and the Cylons hidden amongst the fleet fight to gain control of this newborn symbol of hope… or harbinger of human extinction." Source: [http://www.nowplayingmag.com/content/view/3170/2/ Now Playing Magazine]

== Questions ==

== Analysis ==
Recent rumours have suggested that this episode has been removed from Season Two's schedule in favor of extending "[[Resurrection Ship, Part I|Resurrection Ship]]" into a two-part episode. Conflicting rumours state that it will air at the end of the season as an extra episode, or in season 3, while others say it will not be shown at all.

However, there are still more rumors that the scrapped "Cylon POV episode" was a ''different'' episode from this one, which would mean that this episode involving the ultimate fate of Galactica-Boomer ''may'' still air in Season 2.5.

Another clue came in an interview with Ron D. Moore in [http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2006/01/president_rosli.html the Chicago Tribune on January 4th, 2006], in which he speaks of the Cylon POV episode as if it will, indeed, still take place ''and'' in season 2:

:“There’s an episode down the line that we’re really excited about, the entire episode is told from the Cylon point of view: what their society is like, what they go through during reincarnation and when they’re born again. We really get inside the Cylon [society] and get to view that for the first time. [In another story in this episode, something really important happens, but I’m not going to give it away, dear readers. It’s just too good]"

It is fairly certain that ''an'' episode was scrapped, because "[[Resurrection Ship]]" was originally just one episode, but was allowed to expand into two when another was removed (not that Resurrection Ship needed padding to do this; the episodes tend to run long already in such important episodes, such as the situation with the Pegasus Director's Cut, etc.). However, it was never "confirmed" that the "Cylon POV episode" was scrapped.

Also, it is not entirely certain if there was "just one" Cylon POV episode, or if there were two separate episodes which focused on the Cylons someone (one more than another, though). However, RDM's recent comments seem to suggest that "Downloaded" is, indeed, the "Cylon POV episode" which has been promised since Season 1.

On January 5th, 2006, Scifi Channel released the schedule for the rest of season 2 [http://www.gateworld.net/galactica/news/2006/01/scifirevealsfebruaryschedu.shtml as reported by Gateworld.net], and it is now confirmed that "Downloaded" itself will air in February 2006. Was it definitely the "original" Cylon POV episode? RDM's statement makes it seem probable. Still, which episode was scrapped (we know ''something'' was), was it what RDM complained about in his blog, and what exactly was it about? We await further behind the scenes information on these questions.

Finally, in his [http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/ blog] on the [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/ official Battlestar Galactica website], [[Ronald D. Moore| Ron Moore]] has confirmed that the episode will be broadcast as episode 18:

:"I've seen some speculation out there that we dropped the Cylon POV episode from the lineup this season, but I'm happy to report that it's untrue. The episode, "Downloaded" will be broadcast as number 18 and I just watched it last night. It's a good show and a very different spin on our story thus far, in that we're telling the A-story entirely through the eyes of the Cylons for the first time."

Moore goes on to explain that the episode which was canceled was just a "clip show" episode, meant to save money because of budgetary constraints on the show. However, this "clip show" was canceled, so that "Resurrection Ship" could be expanded into a two-part episode.

== Notes ==

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

== Official Statements ==
*David Eick's video blog shows the crew preparation for filming a Cylon rebirthing scene, most likely for this episode.
*In a video interview at [http://www.hollywood.com/content/trailer_detail_step1.aspx?id=3474558&FromPlayerPage=1 Hollywood.com], [[Lucy Lawless]] ([[D'anna Biers]]) stated that:
{{spoiltext|"I was on Battlestar last week and Trisha who plays Number Six on the show, she whacks me on the head with a rock, repeatedly..." (Tricia Helfer had previously stated in the Season 2.5 primer that Number Six kills another Cylon at one point).}}

== Statistics ==

=== Guest Stars ===
*[[Lucy Lawless]] as [[D'anna Biers]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0722413/ Donnelly Rhodes] as Dr. [[Cottle]]
*Kerry Norton as Paramedic [[Layne Ishay]]
*[[Matthew Bennett]] as [[Aaron Doral]]

=== Writing & Direction ===


=== Production Notes ===

*Series 2 (2005 / 2006)
*Production Number: 2.18
*Airdate Order: 18 (of 20)

=== First Run Air Dates & Releases ===

*UK Airdate: Date
*US Airdate: 24 February 2006
*DVD Release (UK): Date
*DVD Release (US): Date
*[[Wikipedia:Nielsen Rating|Nielsen Rating]]: X.X million households, XXX share

{{Episode List}}

[[Category: A to Z]]
[[Category: RDM]]

Gaius Baltar

2006-02-20T08:20:02Z

Collsiobhan: /* Background */

{{cleanup}}

''This page discusses the unwitting betrayer of humanity in the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]]. For information on the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]] character that intentionally betrays the [[The Twelve Colonies (TOS)|Twelve Colonies of Man]], see [[Baltar (TOS)|Baltar]].''

{{Character Data|
|photo= [[Image:Gaius Baltar promo.jpg|200px]]
|age=
|colony= [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]]
|birthname= Gaius Baltar
|callsign=
|death=
|parents=
|siblings=
|children=
|marital status= Single
|role= Interim Vice President of [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|the Twelve Colonies]]), Presidential Candidate
|rank=
|actor= [[James Callis]]
|cylon=
}}

== Biography ==

=== Background ===

Dr. '''Gaius Baltar''' was formerly a lead defense systems developer working for the [[Colonial Ministry of Defense]] and was widely considered a genius and celebrity throughout [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|the Twelve Colonies]]. Baltar came to prominence as a computer technology designer having won three [[Magnate Prize]]s. Baltar was born on [[The_Twelve_Colonies_(RDM)#Sagittaron |Sagittaron]] and attracted to [[The_Twelve_Colonies_(RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]] by the Defense Ministry{{ref|birthplace}}. He networks with others well, and became personal friends with President [[Adar (RDM)|Adar]]. Baltar becomes responsible for the design of the critical [[Command Navigation Program]] (CNP) used throughout the [[Colonial Fleet]]. Baltar's scientific prowess seems strongest in the medical and biological fields. As a result of his lesser (although still advanced) computer programming skills, he seeks the help (and as a byproduct, the affections of) a young woman named [[Number Six|Natasi]] to aid him with the CNP.

Elegantly dressed and aesthetically handsome, with the affected humility of the truly arrogant, Baltar is nonetheless a deeply flawed person and almost pathologically narcissist. Beneath his outstanding abilities lurks a dramatic weakness of character. Self-absorbed, sly, guileful, and utterly dedicated to his own self-preservation, Baltar has carried on a two-year affair with Natasi-- even to the extent of using code she herself wrote to overcome shortfalls in his CNP -- and thus allows her unrestricted access to some of the most sensitive systems of the Colonial defenses.

Baltar currently has two roles in the [[Government#Government_of_the_Fleet|post-holocaust Colonial Government]] of the exiled survivors of the Colonies. He is both Vice President and science advisor to the President, [[Laura Roslin]].

=== [[Cylon Attack]] ===
[[image:Mini-Baltar_Six.jpg|thumb|left|300px|[[Gaius Baltar]] and [[Number Six]] kissing in the [[Mini-Series]]. (C. SciFi Channel)]]
When the Cylons launch their attack, Baltar becomes horrified to learn that his "corporate spy" lover is in fact a new type of Cylon -- a [[Humano-Cylon|Cylon in human form]]{{ref|hcylon}}, able to mimic human beings down to the smallest detail -- and that she altered his CNP as a gateway to make all integrated Colonial computers and defense systems vulnerable to a Cylon virus that subverts their command and control systems.

Appalled by the fact that his sexual folly has led to the virtual holocaust of humanity, Baltar is nevertheless determined not only to survive but also avoid having his unintended treachery revealed.

Rescued on Caprica following the forced-landing of a Colonial [[Raptor]] -- at the cost of [[Karl Agathon|one of the crew staying behind]] ([[Mini-Series]]) -- he is pleased to find himself treated with the same esteem he enjoyed back on Caprica. His only problem is that [[Number Six]], his former "lover" -- herself ostensibly destroyed in the shock wave of a nuclear blast -- now appears to him in visions, and he cannot be sure whether this is a result of his own guilt at his actions or whether -- as she initially claims -- she is part of a chip that has been implanted in his brain{{ref|chip}}.

Shortly after Baltar's arrival on ''Galactica'', Commander [[William Adama]] learns that Cylons can mimic human form, and Baltar is put to work trying to devise a means of detecting these humanoid Cylons. By an educated guess (and an apparent attempt to distract those who suspected him of treachery), he exposes [[Aaron Doral]] -- a PR executive who co-ordinated the media coverage of ''Galactica's'' decommissioning -- as a Cylon agent ([[Mini-Series]]), using little more than invented [[technobabble]] to convince [[Saul Tigh|Colonel Tigh]]. Despite his protestations of innocence, Doral is marooned at [[Ragnar Anchorage]], but soon a team of Cylon agents appear to pick up the stranded Doral. Baltar's educated guess was correct--Doral was indeed a Cylon agent.

Due to his unique abilities, Baltar is charged with turning his initial "[[Cylon detector]]" into a working machine capable of screening everyone in [[The Fleet (RDM)|the Fleet]]. While he at first balks at this task, events such as the sabotaging of ''Galactica's'' water reserves ([[Water]]) force him into a position where he can no longer procrastinate over the detector -- despite his fear that such a device might somehow expose him as the original traitor among humans. Gaining aid from a most unusual source -- his "virtual" Six ([[Bastille Day]]), who gets him to request a nuclear warhead for the detector -- Baltar eventually develops a genuine detector; which functions by exposing cell samples to the warhead's radiation, because it has already been demonstrated ([[Miniseries]]) that Cylons are more susceptible to certain kinds of radiation. This, together with his survival of a foiled attempt to expose him as a traitor ([[Six Degrees of Separation]]), firmly establishes his credentials within the Fleet's hierarchy.

With this new-found trust, and despite his willingness to deliberately conceal vital information, such as [[Sharon Valerii#"Boomer" Valerii|Lieutenant Valerii's]] true status as a [[Humano-Cylon|Cylon agent]] ([[Flesh and Bone]]), Baltar willing enters the realm of political leadership, first as the Representative for [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]] on the [[Quorum of Twelve]], and then as the newly-elected Vice President of the Colonies ([[Colonial Day]]).

=== Cylon Manipulations ===

The Cylons commenced their direct manipulations of Baltar some two years prior to the attack on the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]], by bringing him into contact with their agent, [[Number Six]], who started a torrid affair with him while at the same time using him to access vital Colonial command and control systems within the Ministry of Defense ([[Mini-Series]]).

This manipulation continues even after the Doctor leaves Caprica behind, with Six appearing to him in sensory perceptions, possibly through an implant in his brain ([[Miniseries]]) or perhaps even through a series of psychotic hallucinations as the doctor struggles to reconcile his guilt and his desire of self-preservation.

Regardless of the cause of her appearances, Six continues to help and hinder Baltar, gradually drawing him to a point of near-open acceptance and participation in Cylon plans and activities ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]). The majority of this manipulation has been through religious intrigue, linked to physical threats to Baltar's well-being or that of other humans. These manipulations include:

* Using the threat of Baltar's former colleague, Dr. [[Amorak]], attempting to contact [[Laura Roslin|President Roslin]] with information on a "traitor" within Colonial circles -- and only "removing" this threat once Baltar has "repented of his sins" ([[33]])
* Using the threat of direct accusation (in the form of "[[Shelly Godfrey]]") coupled with "photographic evidence" -- and only "removing" this threat once Baltar has "accepted" [[God]] into his life ([[Six Degrees of Separation]])
[[image:Scattered-Baltar_Six.jpg|thumb|[[Gaius Baltar]] and [[Number Six]] seeing "the shape of things to come" in "[[Scattered]]". (C. Universal Studios)]]
Baltar's near-acquiescence to the [[God|Cylon religion]] comes when he goes through a process similar to the [[wikipedia:Evangelicalism|evangelical Christian]] belief in "rebirth" through adult baptism. In this, the new believer in the Christian faith is baptized (generally through full immersion in water), symbolizing the "death" of the "old" self and "birth" of the "new" Christian self. In "[[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]", Baltar apparently undergoes "death" at the hands of his inner Six when she "breaks" his neck -- and is "reborn" in his real life as the "instrument of God", able to point-out precisely where Colonial forces must strike in order to eliminate the Cylon base preventing them from accessing supplies of [[Tylium|tylium]] ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]).

This act leaves Baltar ripe for the final revelation of his role within Cylon expectations, when "the future" is revealed to him by Six on [[Kobol]], in the form of the first of "God's new generation of children" ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]). Baltar is not particularly pleased by this, especially when he learns that he is to be the father and that the mother will be Six ([[Scattered]]). Despite this, when he believes Commander Adama is trying to kill the child in one of his dreams, he tries to stop this ([[Valley of Darkness]]).

===Survival on Kobol===
[[Image:Baltarixvalleydarkness.jpg|Number Six showing Baltar the clearing filled with human bones, telling him they were from human sacrifices.|thumb]]
While stranded on Kobol, Baltar "awoke" in a clearing filled with human bones. Number Six tells him the bones were from human sacrifices, and that all of the myths about the gods of Kobol and the paradise on Kobol were a lie to hide the true brutality of man, which increases Baltar's cynical opinion of humanity. Number Six also warns that one of the survivors of Baltar's crash would turn against the others.

The Raptor crash survivors, consisting of Baltar, Chief [[Galen Tyrol]], [[Cally]], [[Seelix]], and ranking crew member [[Crashdown]], a lieutenant, are faced with [[Cylon Centurion]]s building a missile battery that will destroy any rescue ships trying to save them. Crashdown, obsessed with success after the deaths of [[Tarn]] and [[Socinus]], orders the team to make a suicidal attack on the Cylon position. Baltar has never fired a weapon in his life and feels it could not be done. Due to the fact that he was the only non-military member of the survivors, he insists that they put it to a vote before Tyrol shouts him down to follow the chain of command.

On starting the attack, Cally freezes in terror, unable to create the needed diversion. Crashdown points his gun at her head and threatens to kill her if she does not obey the order. Immediately, Tyrol levels his gun at Crashdown. A tense standoff ensues. Just as Crashdown is about to fire, Baltar shoots him in the back, killing him instantly{{ref|killing}}. The group successfully carries out the alternate plan of attacking the Cylon's [[DRADIS]] dish, and are rescued by the Raptors. Baltar tells the [[SAR]] team that Crashdown died a hero in the fight, and Tyrol reluctantly corroborates his story ([[Fragged]]).

===Return to ''Galactica''===

Back on ''Galactica'', Baltar insists that if Roslin's presidency was terminated, as Vice President he should then succeed her in command, but Col. Tigh dismisses the notion because he has instituted martial law in [[The Fleet (RDM)|the Fleet]]. Later, Cally blackmails Baltar into making it a priority to prove that Chief Tyrol is not a Cylon, as Col. Tigh suspects, or Cally would reveal to all that it was really Baltar that killed Crashdown. Baltar pushes Cally against the wall and lectures her sternly, but she refuses to back down, telling him to "help the Chief [by] help[ing] [him]self." Incensed at this ingratitude, Baltar heads to the [[brig]] to take a blood sample from Tyrol, located in the same cell as [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Boomer]], but actually injects him with a toxin that will kill him in seconds without an antidote. Baltar uses Tyrol's importance to Boomer to coerce the panicked Cylon agent to disclose how many remaining humanoid Cylons are hiding in the Fleet. He gambles that, even if Valerii was programmed to think she was human, on a subconscious level she truly ''would'' know the answer as a Cylon operative. With time running out, she shouts out "Eight!" Baltar revives Tyrol. Baltar plans to perform a series of experiments on Boomer, but she is soon killed by Cally ([[Resistance]]).
[[image:brainscan.jpg|Baltar recieves his brain scan from Dr. Cottle, as Six watches on in amusement.|thumb]]
Some time later, as Commander Adama attempts to retrieve President Roslin and reunite the Fleet, Baltar yells at his internal Number Six for her increasingly ridiculous random changes in appearance, even questioning her actual existence. She responds by simplifying her appearance and attitude and told him that he truly had gone crazy, claiming there is no "computer chip" in his head with her personality, and that she is indeed a hallucination brought on by his guilt-ridden subconscious. Baltar has a brain scan performed in [[sickbay]] by Dr. [[Cottle]] (despite ''interference'' from Six), which confirms no "foreign objects" are present in his head. Baltar is ready to believe that he is truly insane when he hears [[Karl Agathon|Helo]] and [[Sharon Valerii (Caprica copy)|Caprica-Sharon]] discuss Valerii's pregnancy with a Cylon/Human hybrid child from his observation room. Six told Baltar earlier that "their child" would be born in that cell, and this leads Baltar to realize that Six ''must'' be real because his subconscious couldn't have known that. Number Six says that she is indeed real and not a hallucination. While she still denies the presence of a chip in Baltar's head, she claims to be "an angel of God sent here to protect [Baltar]". Six tells Baltar that by "their" child she is referring to Caprica-Valerii's biological child: Six considers herself the mother, and Baltar the father ([[Home, Part II]]).

When [[D'anna Biers]] films a documentary about life aboard ''Galactica'', Six urges Baltar to give an interview to try to win people over to thinking that he should be running the Fleet. Baltar performs badly as he begins his interview but, fortunately, his interview is interrupted by a Cylon attack that Biers chooses to film instead ([[Final Cut]]).

Baltar aids in trying to overcome the Cylon [[logic bomb]] which devastates ''Galactica's'' [[computers]]. Tigh's dislike of Baltar's involvement in this problem makes the scientist edgy enough to retort, "I'm sorry. Do you want to survive this one or not, Colonel?" ([[Flight of the Phoenix]])
[[image:baltargina.jpg|Baltar with Gina, the Cyclon prisoner from ''Pegasus''.|thumb]]

===Arrival of ''Pegasus''===

When battlestar ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' reunites with the Fleet, Commander Adama requests that Baltar examine ''Pegasus' '' own Cylon prisoner to see what information he could glean from it. Upon arrival in the ''Pegasus'' brig, Baltar is horrified to discover the Cylon was a terribly abused and tortured copy of Number Six named "[[Gina]]". Baltar vows to help her in any way he could, and begins by having her restraints removed and bringing food to her. The inhumane treatment of Gina by the ''Pegasus'' crew likely makes Gaius more critical of humanity's worth ([[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]).

Over the course of his examination of Gina, he uncovers both her wish to die and the secret of the Cylon [[Resurrection Ship]]. He passes this information to Adama and [[Helena Cain|Admiral Helena Cain]], who develop an [[Attack on the Resurrection Ship|operation to destroy it]] ([[Resurrection Ship, Part I]]).

Baltar continues to spend time with Gina, growing closer to her despite Six's pleas to the contrary and eventually helps Gina escape from the brig. He tells Gina that he can hide her, and also that he loves her. Gina goes on to kill Cain and escapes from the ''Pegasus'' through unexplained means, although it is probable that Baltar had something to do with it ([[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]).

{{spoiltext|According to an interview with Ron D. Moore, Gina's will go on to form a sort of love triangle between Gina, Baltar and Six. Baltar's relationship with her will "continue throughout the season".}}

===Serving Everyone, but No One===

To many others, Dr. Baltar's personality appears to exhibit more odd behavior than what may be cosnidered the expected eccentricity of a genius. Crewmembers on ''Galactica'' find him mumbling with himself or discovering him in places they do not expect, such as aboard battlestar ''Pegasus'' to see its new commander, [[Jack Fisk]]. Torn between the "flesh and blood" copy of the [[Number Six]] copy, Gina, the demands of his internal Number Six, and his continuing attempt to cover his own multiple duplicities, Baltar becomes more aggressive and confrontational. With President Roslin's advice to abort the Cylon-hybrid fetus of the incarcerated [[Sharon Valerii]], Baltar reacts to defend it as if it were his own child (as does his internal Six, who threatens him on the problem). Admiral [[William Adama|Adama]] admonishes Baltar, telling him that, on Roslin's death, he will become President and that he needs to behave like one.

Desperate to save Valerii's fetus, Baltar reviews Dr. [[Cottle]]'s medical tests and performs experiments of his own, learning a striking revelation: the blood of the fetus can destroy cancer and repair its damage to human tissue. With Admiral Adama's permission, he injects the dying President Roslin with some of the fetal blood, which works miraculously, saving both Roslin and Valerii's child by circumstance.

After saving Roslin's life, Baltar reads the letter given to him in the event of her death, in which she says he lacks compassion and asks him to open his heart if he becomes president. Furious, and goaded on by Six who tells him that Roslin doesn't trust him, Baltar delivers the nuclear warhead used for the Cylon detector to Gina and her militant [[Demand Peace]] movement. ([[Epiphanies]]).

Baltar keeps his [[fumarello]] supply fresh by trading in the [[black market (organization)|black market]] through new ''Pegasus'' Commander [[Jack Fisk]]. Not realizing that Fisk had been murdered, the scientist visits Fisk's quarters, only to meet Captain [[Lee Adama]], who has starten an investigation on the black market and Fisk's murder. Baltar truthfully tells Adama that he knows nothing of Fisk's murder, but Adama correctly deduces Baltar's association with Fisk and the black market since the "Caprica Imperials" fumarellos are a known favorite of Baltar's.

Baltar is also unaware that his involvement in the destruction of the Colonies is partially revealed. In ''Galactica's'' sickbay, Laura Roslin recalled those final days on Caprica, and remembered Baltar in the company of a woman on Caprica who she knows now is a [[Number Six|Cylon agent]]. Baltar is summoned to ''[[Colonial One]]'', where Roslin offers him, without explanation, the chance to resign from the Vice Presidency to return to his studies. Baltar becomes immediately suspicious (and frightened) in Roslin's succinct and direct vote of no-confidence in her vice president. Realizing that the Vice Presidency now has greater importance (if nothing other than to save his own hide), Baltar turns down what Roslin calls a "one-time offer" to save himself as he saved Roslin on her
deathbed ([[Black Market]]).

=== Gaius as Presidential Candidate ===

It is revealed in [[The Captain's Hand]] that Dr. Baltar will run for President in the coming Colonial Elections.

== Speculation: The Real Baltar? ==

There is speculation that Gaius Baltar could be a Cylon agent himself. See the [[Cylon agent speculation#Gaius Baltar?|Cylon Speculation]] article for the pros and cons of this theory.

==Notes==

#{{note|hcylon}}"Humano-Cylon" is the popular ''Battlestar Wiki'' term for the humanoid Cylons. It is not a [[canon|canonical]] term found in any episode.
#{{note|chip}}The idea that Six is an actual chip in Baltar's head was dismissed by Dr. [[Cottle]]'s image scan of Baltar's head. See [[Gaius Baltar#Speculation: The Real Baltar?|the section on alternate reasons for Six's existence]] for more.
#{{note|killing}}The act of killing Crashdown appears to have led to a dramatic change in Baltar's attitude toward hurting anyone directly. When Cally tries to blackmail him after they return from Kobol, Baltar is somewhat rough with her. When he visits Tyrol and Boomer in the brig, he does not hesitate to inject Tyrol with fatal drugs to blackmail Boomer into giving Cylon secrets. Baltar's humanitarian acts to the Six copy known as Gina also suggests Baltar's attitude in the care of Cylons is further changing. More and more, Baltar appears to prefer direct intervention and is less cowardly in his attitude.
#{{note|birthplace}} Baltar's planet of birth and recruitment by the Colonial Defense Ministry to Caprica are according to SkyOne. However, information from SkyOne may not be canonical at all.

Here is SkyOne's summary of Baltar:

:''Scientific genuis Gaius is one of the greatest minds humanity has to offer. Unfortunately, his abundance of intellect is counterbalanced by a complete lack of ethics. His moral weakness allows the Cylons to infiltrate and neutralize the defences of the 12 Colonies.''

:''Gaius Baltar was born on a farm on the colony of Sagittaron.''

:''His family had worked the land for three generations and even as a boy, Gaius hated farm life. Fortunately, his parents owned a large and sprawling agri-business controlling millions of acres across the planet; Gaius found a different use for farm life and used it to study science and maths.''

:''Gaius became more than a good student - he was a genuis at 14.''

:''By the age of 21 he had his first doctorate under his belt. Soon he was being hotly pursued by every major university to set up a research lab.''

:''Gaius' speciality was theoretical physics, but his true passion was computer science. He saw the prevailing anti-technological edicts as short-sighted, and believed in advancing human technology that the Cylons could not infiltrate.''

:''Because of his achievements, Gaius' help was needed by the Defence Ministry on top-secret projects. Gaius soon found himself the keeper of secrets, a position that flattered his already impressive ego.''

:''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 lated 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?''

{{Characters}}

[[Category:A to Z|Baltar, Gaius]]
[[Category:Characters|Baltar, Gaius]]
[[Category:RDM|Baltar, Gaius]]
[[Category:People from Caprica|Baltar, Gaius]]

Battlestar Galactica (TRS)

2005-12-29T19:28:30Z

Collsiobhan: /* Directors */

{{shortcut|TNS}}
{{shortcut|TRS}}

A re-imagining of the original ''Battlestar Galactica'', currently in its second season.

==Summary==
Considered a "[[re-imagining]]", this series is a version of the 1970s ''Battlestar Galactica'' made more suitable to the sensibilities of the 21st Century. Tackling issues of civil rights, survival, terrorism, and religion, ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an epic following the survivors of the human race -- which number under 50,000. The ''[[Galactica]]'' finds herself leading a rag-tag refugee fleet on a lonely (and quite possibly, ficticious) quest for [[Earth]], with turmoil from within and danger from without.

==Cast==
===Stars===
* [[Olmos, Edward James|Edward James Olmos]] as [[Adama, William|Commander William Adama]]
* [[McDonnell, Mary|Mary McDonnell]] as [[Roslin, Laura|President Laura Roslin]]
* [[Sackhoff, Katee|Katee Sackhoff]] as [[Thrace, Kara|Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thrace]]
* [[Bamber, Jamie|Jamie Bamber]] as [[Lee Adama|Captain Lee "Apollo" Adama]]
* [[Callis, James|Jame Callis]] as [[Baltar, Gaius|Doctor Gaius Baltar]]
* [[Helfer, Tricia|Tricia Helfer]] as [[Number Six]]
* [[Park, Grace|Grace Park]] as [[Valerii, Sharon|Sharon Valerii]]
===Co-stars===
* [[Hogan, Michael|Michael Hogan]] as [[Tigh, Saul|Colonel Tigh]]
* [[Douglas, Aaron|Aaron Douglas]] as [[Tyrol, Galen|CPO Tyrol]]
* [[Penikett, Tahmoh|Tahmoh Penikett]] as [[Agathon, Karl C.|Lieutenat Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
* [[McClure, Kandyse|Kandyse McClure]] as [[Dualla|Petty Officer 2nd Class Dualla]]
* [[Campbell, Paul|Paul Campbell]] as [[Keikeya, Billy|Billy Keikeya]]
* [[Juliani, Alessandro|Alessandro Juliani]] as [[Lieutenant Gaeta]]
* [[Witwer, Samuel|Samual Witwer]] as [[Crashdown]]

==Production Crew==
===Producers===
* [[Moore, Ronald D.|Ronald D. Moore]] - Developer / Executive Producer / Writer
* [[Eick, David|David Eick]] - Executive Producer
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Toni+Graphia Toni Graphia] - Co-Executive Producer / Writer
* [[Frand, Harvey|Harvey Frand]] - Producer
* [[Larson, Glen A.|Glen A. Larson]] - Consulting Producer

===Directors===
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Marita+Grabiak Marita Grabiak] (episode 1.02 "Water")
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Rod+Hardy Rod Hardy] (episode 1.04 "Act of Contrition") (episode 1.06 "Litmus") (episode 2.05 "Farm, The")
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Alan+Kroeker Alan Kroeker] (episode 1.03 "Bastille Day") (episode 2.04 "Resistance")
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Sergio+Mimica-Gezzan Sergio Mimica-Gezzan] (episode 1.05 "You Can't Go Home Again") (episode 2.03 "Fragged") (episode 2.06 "Home: Part 1") (episode 2.17 "The Captain's Hand")
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Michael+Nankin Michael Nankin] (episode 2.09 "Flight of the Phoenix")
* [[Olmos, Edward James|Edward James Olmos]] (episode 1.09 "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down")
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Jonas+Pate Jonas Pate] (episode 1.11 "Colonial Day")
* [[Rymer, Michael|Michael Rymer]] (episode 1.00 "Miniseries") (episode 1.01 "33") (episode 1.12 "Kobol's Last Gleaming: Part 1") (episode 1.13 "Kobol's Last Gleaming: Part 2") (episode 2.01 "Scattered") (episode 2.02 "Valley of Darkness") (episode 2.10 "Pegasus")
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Jeff+Woolnough Jeff Woolnough] (episode 1.10 "Hand of God, The") (episode 2.07 "Home: Part 2")
* [http://us.imdb.com/m/person-exact?+Robert+Young Robert Young] (episode 1.07 "Six Degrees of Seperation, epi 2.08 "Final Cut")

===Writing Staff===
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Sergio+Mimica-Gezzan Sergio Mimica-Gezzan]
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Carla+Robinson Carla Robinson]
* [[Bradley Thompson]]
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Brad+Turner Brad Turner]
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Jeff+Vlaming Jeff Vlaming]
* [[David Weddle]]
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Robert+Young Robert Young]

==Episodes==
*[[Mini-Series]] (2003)
===Season 1 (2004-05)===
*1.01 [[33]]
*1.02 [[Water]]
*1.03 [[Bastille Day]]
*1.04 [[Act of Contrition]]
*1.05 [[You Can't Go Home Again]]
*1.06 [[Litmus]]
*1.07 [[Six Degrees of Separation]]
*1.08 [[Flesh and Bone]]
*1.09 [[Secrets and Lies]] (aka: [[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]])
*1.10 [[The Hand of God]]
*1.11 [[Colonial Day]]
*1.12 [[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]
*1.13 [[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]
===Season 2 (2005-06)===
*2.01 [[Scattered]]
*2.02 [[Valley of Darkness]]
*2.03 [[Fragged]]
*2.04 [[Resistance]]
*2.05 [[The Farm]]
*2.06 [[Home, Part I]]
*2.07 [[Home, Part II]]
*2.08 [[Final Cut]]
*2.09 [[Flight of the Phoenix]]
*2.10 [[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]
*2.11 [[Resurrection Ship, Part I]]
*2.12 [[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]
*2.13 [[Epiphanies]]
*2.14 [[Sacrifice]]
*2.15 [[Black Market]]
*2.16 [[Scar]]
*2.17 [[The Captain's Hand]]
*2.18 [[Downloaded]] (?)
*2.19 [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]
*2.20 [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]

== Official Statements ==

* ''"Apart from the fleet, is there any chance that there are other survivers? Clearly ''[[Colonial One]]'' would not have gotten to every ship that was in transit and those that had [[FTL]] could have escaped as well."''

:We are talking about shows that deal with other survivors right now. Don't ask about the [[Pegasus]] -- I [still] haven't made up my mind yet.

* ''"Will we see any of the [[:Category:Cast (TOS)|origonal cast (sic)]] appart from [[Richard Hatch]]? "''

: It's possible, but not yet on the board. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"Why [[frak|"frack" (sic)]]? Where did the idea come from to make this the new F-word? Not that I don't like it, I find it amusing."''

: It's straight out of the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|original series]]. I dropped many other terms from the old show like "[[centon]]" (a unit of measurement) and "[[yahren]]" (year) because I felt they distracted from the mood I was trying to create and they sounded a bit silly to my ear. There was something elegantly lovely about "[[frak]]," however. There's nothing like being able to say my favorite four letter word on TV over and over again and I salute [[Larson, Glen A.|Glen Larson]] for giving the joys of frakking up, frakking off, not giving a frak, and frakking-A to the masses. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"Why does the doctor smoke?"''

:Because smoking is cool. Don't let anyone tell you different, kid.

:Seriously, we're showing people doing what people really do and not all of their choices are smart ones. We smoke, we drink, we have sex with the wrong partners -- we make lots of bad choices and some of them we do knowingly and in full cognizance of the risks and consequences. Dr. [[Cottle]] obviously knows the risks associated with smoking and he elects to do it anyway -- that's his choice.

:I'm also frankly tired of all the anti-smoking p.c. crap that we're bombarded with these days and I decided that this was a world without all that. Call it my one sop to the idea of an idealized society, the notion that adults can make informed choices and not be nagged to death or run out of public spaces for making choices that others may not like or agree with. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"What is the rank structure? It doesn't seem consistant with the Navy."''

:The rank structure is derived from the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|original series]]. I didn't want to change Commander [[Adma, William|Adama]] to Captain Adama or Colonel [[Tigh, Saul|Tigh]] to Commander Tigh, so I elected to simply embrace the co-mingled nature of the original rank structure. For our internal purposes, we've decided that the ranks are indeed a mixture of naval and army nomenclature and are basically as follows:

:'''Officers''' --
:Admiral
:Commander
:Colonel
:Major
:Captain
:Lieutenant
:Lieutenant (junior grade)
:Ensign

:'''Enlisted''' --
:Master Chief Petty Officer
:Chief Petty Officer
:Petty Officer (1st, 2nd Class)
:Specialist
:Deck Hand
:Recruit

:Just to complicate matters further, there are also [[Marines]] aboard ''[[Galactica]]'' which conform more closely to the traditional enlisted Marine ranks, with Sergeants, Sergeant-Majors, etc. Unresolved is the question of whether the Marine officers would also adhere to the mixed rank structure (which sounds odd) or if they are strictly army equivalents (which makes no sense given that the "Navy" ranks seem oblivious to there being any such distinction). Aren't you glad you asked? -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"Will we see the mess hall and other parts of the ship such as the main Kitchen where all the meals are prepared?"''

:I'd like to. It's a question of budget; there has to be a story point or scene so cool that we just have to build this set. The Head (bathroom to you lubbers) was built in the [[33|pilot]] specifically so we'd have it around during the series. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"Was this the first show to ever show a bathroom on a space ship?"''

:It's ground-breaking TV, baby. Talk about reinventing the genre. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

:'''Note:''' While we are uncertain as to what show as the "first" to show a bathroom on a space ship, we know that this series was not the first to do so. One of the few shows prior to ''Battlestar'' to show a bathroom was, in fact, a second season episode of ''Babylon 5''.

* ''"Minor question: was [[Galactica]] ever re-commissioned? As I recall, the ship was decommissioned right before the [[Cylon attack]]. It'd be nice to show the ceremony if they ever get a free moment."''

:It's an interesting point. Might be something to play at some point, but more really as an "Oh, I haven't thought about it, but..." kind of thing. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"The question I would really like to see addressed is how to reconcile the underlying quest of ''Battlestar Galactica'' with actual scientific plausiability. The quest of Battlestar Galactica is to find [[Earth]], the 13th Colony. However, it is a basic and well-substantiated tenet of science that human life here on Earth evolved slowly from a primate ancestor. Attempts to deny evolution based on the notion that human kind deserves a far more worthy origin than what evolution details, are a diservice to the pursuit of scientific truth and endeavors in our own world. There was always that reactionary sense to the original series, which drove it away from a secure standing as *science* fiction. How will the new series avoid this pitfall?"''

:I don't have a direct answer for this question yet. There are a couple of notions rolling around in my head as to how we reconcile the very real fact of evolution with the ''Galactica'' mythos, but I haven't decided which approach to take. However, it was a fundamental element of the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|orginal (sic) ''Galactica'']] mythos that "Life here began out there..." and I decided early on that it was crucial to maintain it. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

*''"How did you come to decide upon [[Edward James Olmos]] and [[Mary McDonnell]] for their roles? This kind of project seems somewhat out of their typical genre - did either have second thoughts about taking on the project?"''

:Eddie and Mary were actually the archetypes for the characters when we were developing the series. [[Eick, David|David Eick]] and I used to sit around and talk about what kind of actors would play [[Adama, William|Adama]] and [[Roslin, Laura|Laura]] and we always talked about these two Oscar level actors as our dream duo for the series, but we never really thought we'd get them. They've told the story themselves of why they decided to do the project, but in essence, they really responded to the [[Mini-Series|pilot script]] and saw a lot of potential in the characters so they went for it, to our everlasting gratitude. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* "Are you using military advisors and if so, from what branch?"

:We don't have a full time military advisor on staff. However, we did have [[Blecker, Ron|an advisor]] on set during the miniseries, who also put the principal actors through a "boot camp" before shooting. I can't honestly remember his name or service branch (sorry if you're reading this!) As far as the scripts go, [[Bradley Thompson]], [[David Weddle]], and I provide a lot of the military technical details based on our own knowledge base. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"I'll second the question - why is it that the paper in the Galactica universe has the corners cut off, even the tractor fed printer sheets! i just want to know."''

:This is a closely guarded secret of the show and certainly not a wacky design element that someone came up with during the [[Mini-Series|miniseries]]. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

:'''Note:''' It has been admitted by some of the production staff that this is, more or less, a joke that went overboard -- namely one derived from the fact that corners had to be cut in order to keep within the budget for the mini. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"You mentioned that the reason that the ''[[Galactica]]'' was so low-tech was that it was designed to fight the [[Cylons]], who could possibly infiltrate it's systems, and that this was one of the reasons it survived. If that is so, then who were the other ships designed to fight? The 120 ships alluded to are a big force just for border patrol. Are there [[aliens]] we should know about? "''

:The first [[Cylon War]] came very close to wiping out the [[Colonies]], and so when the [[Armistice]] was declared, the government maintained a large standing military force for quite some time, just in case. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

*''"Mythos. Every science fiction show that stands the test of time needs to develop its own Mythos. By this I mean, its own unique cultural identity. For instance ''Star Wars'' has its Jedi, its Force; ''Star Trek'' has its Prime directive, beaming, and warps (sic) speed. As a writer you are aware of this and having worked in the ''Star Trek'' franchise are rather qualified in it. What will are your thoughts and insights into the development of Mythos in this new BSG child that you are tending to and caring for? Especially, since there seems to be heavy pressure to incorporate the original mythos themes of the show, will this be a guiding blueprint for thought, or just a framework to create? "''

:The mythology of the new ''Galactica'' is heavily influenced by that established in the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|original]]. I've always approached this project with an eye toward taking the original material and making it work in a new context. I still try to do this whenever possible. Does it make sense that there would be a star system with [[Twelve Colonies|12 inhabitable planets]]? Not really, but that was in the original and at some point I decided to run with that as another nod to the old show. The mythology of the old show centered around [[Kobol]] and the thirteen "tribes of man," so I've kept it as the centerpiece of ours. Not every single element is the same and not every element is even intact, but the roots are there. The point was to make another version of ''Battlestar Galactica'', not just use the name. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"I was watching ''Wing Commander'' last night with my wife and she made a comment that the Kilrathi fighter looked pretty similar to the Cylon Raider. I know that some of the production staff from Wing Commander went on to begin production on the [[Tom DeSanto|DeSanto]] continuation, but is there in fact any sort of link here? I mean I first thought Droid Fighter from ''Star Wars: Episode One'', but that seems to be some kind of common design going on. "''

:"Wing Commander" is frequently mentioned to me as a possible influence on the show, but I've never actually seen it. While it's possible that other members of the production team were influenced by it, it wasn't something that figured into my thinking. My own design influences were things like "Das Boot" "Blade Runner" "Alien/Aliens" and a stack of documentaries on the modern and history US and Royal Navies.

*''"My questions: Can the show explain a little more about their technology, for example how fast are the [[FTL]] jumps. It seems the fleet barely moves when not jumping, if the jumps are only light speed and not multiples of, some of the sublight ships could conceivably catch up (the ones not destroyed by cylons)"''

:An [[FTL]] Jump is nearly instantaneous, essentially moving a ship from point A to point B without travelling through the normal space-time continuum, presumably by bending space around the ship in some way. The analogy I used during production was to imagine three dimensional space as a flat piece of two dimensional paper. To get from one side to the other, you can travel in a straight line across the page, or you can gently bend the sheet in half and cross from edge to edge virtually instantly. How this is accomplished and what is the basis of this technology outstrips my technical brainpower.

:In fact, I feel faint just coming up with that explanation... -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"Did the [[Twelve Colonies|colonies]] have outposts, bases, or trade partners outside of the 12 colonies. Did they even explore other systems. The colonies could have had observatories, listening posts, or even scientific research teams exploring other planets beyond the colonial system(s). They could encounter any of these which could lead to supplies, raw materials, food, fuel etc. "''

:I think that's probably true, but part of our premise is that the fleet has Jumped far out into unexplored space in an effort to elude the [[Cylons]], so we won't be encountered any other outposts or colonies. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

*''"Are there any similarities between your reconception of the BG universe and where you might have gone if you'd been given the reigns of ''Voyager''?"''

:There are similiarities in the premise of the two shows, so yes, there are things I'm applying here that I would've like to have done in [Star Trek:] ''Voyager'', i.e., lack of resources, the development of unique cultural and civil institutions, and internal strife among people trapped aboard ship(s) without any reasonable hope of finding sanctuary anytime soon. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

*''"I have a friend who has a son and they both enjoy watching the new ''Battlestar Galactica''. But it is a very frustrating thing when he cannot allow his son watch the show when there are sex scenes and constant sexual innuendo scattered throughout the episodes.

:"The standard of the stories are superb and I would have to say it is one of the finest sci fi series I have seen in a long time. BUT IT DOESNT NEED SEX TO GET THE VIEWERS. Call me a little old fashioned but I nor others that I know really appreciate having to endure sex scenes that really do not further the story in any significant way. In fact I think they are rather pointless."''

:First of all, I'm sorry your friend can't watch the show with his son, but I always intended this series to be for adults. I have two small children, and I wouldn't dream of letting them watch the show -- mostly because of the violent content. Second of all, I disagree that the sexuality is intended to be exploitative or that it's somehow not integral to the story. We're presenting adult human beings as adults, and their sexuality is a key part of their lives. [[Baltar, Gaius|Baltar]]'s sexual weaknesses, [[Valerii, Sharon|Sharon]] & [[Tyrol, Galen|Tyrol]]'s forbidden love affair, and [[Thrace, Kara|Starbuck]]'s promiscuity are part of who and what they are. I think the only reason this gets the kind of attention is does is that we're not used to seeing sex treated maturely in science fiction -- nine times out of ten, any sex is either something to snigger at or to make fun of. Somehow it's okay to fetishize sex by putting women in S&M leather "space" outfits or have Carrie Fisher run around in harem clothes (not that there's anything wrong with that), but to portray two mature adults simply having sex is somehow controversial in sci-fi circles.

:I'd also point out, as I have many times before, the strange standards of American audiences, who can become red-faced with indignation over nudity, but find no problem with slasher films or chains-saw massacres. I mean, ''Galactica'''s premised on a massive genocide, and [[Mini-Series|the pilot]] deals with violent, shocking deaths over and over again, but people get upset about the sex? Weird.... -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* Regarding the financial cost per episode of ''Battlestar'': "I can tell you that it’s well over one-and-a-half million dollars US per episode. It’s a substantial budget, especially when you convert it into Canadian dollars—and what we’re able to get up there—it’s a lot of money." [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude3.htm]

* ''Regarding a typical day as an executive producer on ''Battlestar'':''

: The job changes as the year goes on. Right now, before we start shooting, my time is spent almost exclusively here with the writing staff. I’m writing an episode at the moment. I wrote the first episode and I’m writing the second one. The writers meet by themselves…they break some stories…I come in and give notes…and we talk about directions for other episodes. Then, as time goes on, they’ll start generating scripts and stories, and I give notes on those. I’m also taking notes from the network and the studio on previous existing material.

: There’ll also be more of me going back and forth between LA and Vancouver. And as we get closer to production, then there’ll be more looking at production designs, dealing with budgetary issues, having meetings with directors and actors, looking at casting tapes for guest-star roles. Once we get into production and start generating film, there’s dailies to watch…post moves forward and there’s cuts of episodes to watch…and there’s visual effects sequences to give notes on.

: There’s not really a typical day, per say. You have to be nimble and on your feet and able to keep changing direction. You have to cover all these different bases, and sometimes you can’t run to first. Sometimes you have to run to third, and then run back home, and then run to second. It’s never a complete pattern.

: I believe very much in delegating authority to the department heads, in empowering people and having them take responsibility for the work. My principal job is to maintain the overall vision of the piece. [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude3.htm]

* From the "Fashioning Verisimilitude" article / interview on [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com Hollywood North Report (HNR)]:

: '''Robert Falconer:''' And I guess the whole concept of the show, by definition, is that of a bottle show.

: '''Ron Moore:''' Yeah. And it was designed that way from the get-go. When [[David Eick]] and I went in and pitched it initially—knowing how expensive space opera can be—we designed it to be affordable on what we could get on a SCI-FI Channel budget. [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude3.htm]

* ''Regarding the use of bullets versus lasers on the [[Vipers]], as explained by [[Ron Moore]]:''

: [The bullets are s]ome sort of caseless ammunition. We had long technical discussions about some of this. What mattered to us was that they weren’t laser blasts. We just felt that had been done to death, it wasn’t as interesting, and it wasn’t realistic. From our research we discovered that such weapons would take huge amounts of energy, and that fighters would probably be better served by using actual bullets. But presumably they’re more advanced than what we’re using today, although we haven’t actually sat down and defined them as such. [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude5.htm]

* ''Regarding the reconciliation between [[William Adama]] and his son [[Lee Adama]] at the end of the [[Mini-Series]], as explained by [[Ron Moore]]:''

: I think it will go up and it will go down, like any father-son dynamic does. I think they bridged a gap in the miniseries that certainly had held them apart for a couple of years. I don’t think that issue has been completely resolved, but they’ve moved past it to a certain point. Now they’re in a new relationship and a new dynamic…they’re father and son and they’re also serving on the same ship, and the stresses and pressures of that will affect the relationship. I think it’s interesting that Lee Adama has a strong relationship with [[Laura Roslin|Laura]], and that he in some respects is a bridge between her and his father. [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude5.htm]

== See Also ==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturalistic_science_fiction A description on Wikipedia on naturalistic SF] concepts used in the series

==Related Topics==
* [[List of Season 1 Guest Actors (RDM)]]
* [[List of Season 2 Guest Actors (RDM)]]
* [[List of Recurring Characters (RDM)]]
* [[List of Recurring Character Appearances (RDM)]]
* [[List of Emmy Nominations and Wins]]

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Behind the Scenes]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Battlestar Galactica (TRS)

2005-12-29T19:27:56Z

Collsiobhan: /* Directors */

{{shortcut|TNS}}
{{shortcut|TRS}}

A re-imagining of the original ''Battlestar Galactica'', currently in its second season.

==Summary==
Considered a "[[re-imagining]]", this series is a version of the 1970s ''Battlestar Galactica'' made more suitable to the sensibilities of the 21st Century. Tackling issues of civil rights, survival, terrorism, and religion, ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an epic following the survivors of the human race -- which number under 50,000. The ''[[Galactica]]'' finds herself leading a rag-tag refugee fleet on a lonely (and quite possibly, ficticious) quest for [[Earth]], with turmoil from within and danger from without.

==Cast==
===Stars===
* [[Olmos, Edward James|Edward James Olmos]] as [[Adama, William|Commander William Adama]]
* [[McDonnell, Mary|Mary McDonnell]] as [[Roslin, Laura|President Laura Roslin]]
* [[Sackhoff, Katee|Katee Sackhoff]] as [[Thrace, Kara|Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thrace]]
* [[Bamber, Jamie|Jamie Bamber]] as [[Lee Adama|Captain Lee "Apollo" Adama]]
* [[Callis, James|Jame Callis]] as [[Baltar, Gaius|Doctor Gaius Baltar]]
* [[Helfer, Tricia|Tricia Helfer]] as [[Number Six]]
* [[Park, Grace|Grace Park]] as [[Valerii, Sharon|Sharon Valerii]]
===Co-stars===
* [[Hogan, Michael|Michael Hogan]] as [[Tigh, Saul|Colonel Tigh]]
* [[Douglas, Aaron|Aaron Douglas]] as [[Tyrol, Galen|CPO Tyrol]]
* [[Penikett, Tahmoh|Tahmoh Penikett]] as [[Agathon, Karl C.|Lieutenat Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
* [[McClure, Kandyse|Kandyse McClure]] as [[Dualla|Petty Officer 2nd Class Dualla]]
* [[Campbell, Paul|Paul Campbell]] as [[Keikeya, Billy|Billy Keikeya]]
* [[Juliani, Alessandro|Alessandro Juliani]] as [[Lieutenant Gaeta]]
* [[Witwer, Samuel|Samual Witwer]] as [[Crashdown]]

==Production Crew==
===Producers===
* [[Moore, Ronald D.|Ronald D. Moore]] - Developer / Executive Producer / Writer
* [[Eick, David|David Eick]] - Executive Producer
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Toni+Graphia Toni Graphia] - Co-Executive Producer / Writer
* [[Frand, Harvey|Harvey Frand]] - Producer
* [[Larson, Glen A.|Glen A. Larson]] - Consulting Producer

===Directors===
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Michael+Angeli Michael Angeli]
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Marita+Grabiak Marita Grabiak] (episode 1.02 "Water")
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Rod+Hardy Rod Hardy] (episode 1.04 "Act of Contrition") (episode 1.06 "Litmus") (episode 2.05 "Farm, The")
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Alan+Kroeker Alan Kroeker] (episode 1.03 "Bastille Day") (episode 2.04 "Resistance")
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Sergio+Mimica-Gezzan Sergio Mimica-Gezzan] (episode 1.05 "You Can't Go Home Again") (episode 2.03 "Fragged") (episode 2.06 "Home: Part 1") (episode 2.17 "The Captain's Hand")
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Michael+Nankin Michael Nankin] (episode 2.09 "Flight of the Phoenix")
* [[Olmos, Edward James|Edward James Olmos]] (episode 1.09 "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down")
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Jonas+Pate Jonas Pate] (episode 1.11 "Colonial Day")
* [[Rymer, Michael|Michael Rymer]] (episode 1.00 "Miniseries") (episode 1.01 "33") (episode 1.12 "Kobol's Last Gleaming: Part 1") (episode 1.13 "Kobol's Last Gleaming: Part 2") (episode 2.01 "Scattered") (episode 2.02 "Valley of Darkness") (episode 2.10 "Pegasus")
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Jeff+Woolnough Jeff Woolnough] (episode 1.10 "Hand of God, The") (episode 2.07 "Home: Part 2")
* [http://us.imdb.com/m/person-exact?+Robert+Young Robert Young] (episode 1.07 "Six Degrees of Seperation, epi 2.08 "Final Cut")

===Writing Staff===
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Sergio+Mimica-Gezzan Sergio Mimica-Gezzan]
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Carla+Robinson Carla Robinson]
* [[Bradley Thompson]]
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Brad+Turner Brad Turner]
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Jeff+Vlaming Jeff Vlaming]
* [[David Weddle]]
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Robert+Young Robert Young]

==Episodes==
*[[Mini-Series]] (2003)
===Season 1 (2004-05)===
*1.01 [[33]]
*1.02 [[Water]]
*1.03 [[Bastille Day]]
*1.04 [[Act of Contrition]]
*1.05 [[You Can't Go Home Again]]
*1.06 [[Litmus]]
*1.07 [[Six Degrees of Separation]]
*1.08 [[Flesh and Bone]]
*1.09 [[Secrets and Lies]] (aka: [[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]])
*1.10 [[The Hand of God]]
*1.11 [[Colonial Day]]
*1.12 [[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]
*1.13 [[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]
===Season 2 (2005-06)===
*2.01 [[Scattered]]
*2.02 [[Valley of Darkness]]
*2.03 [[Fragged]]
*2.04 [[Resistance]]
*2.05 [[The Farm]]
*2.06 [[Home, Part I]]
*2.07 [[Home, Part II]]
*2.08 [[Final Cut]]
*2.09 [[Flight of the Phoenix]]
*2.10 [[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]
*2.11 [[Resurrection Ship, Part I]]
*2.12 [[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]
*2.13 [[Epiphanies]]
*2.14 [[Sacrifice]]
*2.15 [[Black Market]]
*2.16 [[Scar]]
*2.17 [[The Captain's Hand]]
*2.18 [[Downloaded]] (?)
*2.19 [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]
*2.20 [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]

== Official Statements ==

* ''"Apart from the fleet, is there any chance that there are other survivers? Clearly ''[[Colonial One]]'' would not have gotten to every ship that was in transit and those that had [[FTL]] could have escaped as well."''

:We are talking about shows that deal with other survivors right now. Don't ask about the [[Pegasus]] -- I [still] haven't made up my mind yet.

* ''"Will we see any of the [[:Category:Cast (TOS)|origonal cast (sic)]] appart from [[Richard Hatch]]? "''

: It's possible, but not yet on the board. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"Why [[frak|"frack" (sic)]]? Where did the idea come from to make this the new F-word? Not that I don't like it, I find it amusing."''

: It's straight out of the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|original series]]. I dropped many other terms from the old show like "[[centon]]" (a unit of measurement) and "[[yahren]]" (year) because I felt they distracted from the mood I was trying to create and they sounded a bit silly to my ear. There was something elegantly lovely about "[[frak]]," however. There's nothing like being able to say my favorite four letter word on TV over and over again and I salute [[Larson, Glen A.|Glen Larson]] for giving the joys of frakking up, frakking off, not giving a frak, and frakking-A to the masses. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"Why does the doctor smoke?"''

:Because smoking is cool. Don't let anyone tell you different, kid.

:Seriously, we're showing people doing what people really do and not all of their choices are smart ones. We smoke, we drink, we have sex with the wrong partners -- we make lots of bad choices and some of them we do knowingly and in full cognizance of the risks and consequences. Dr. [[Cottle]] obviously knows the risks associated with smoking and he elects to do it anyway -- that's his choice.

:I'm also frankly tired of all the anti-smoking p.c. crap that we're bombarded with these days and I decided that this was a world without all that. Call it my one sop to the idea of an idealized society, the notion that adults can make informed choices and not be nagged to death or run out of public spaces for making choices that others may not like or agree with. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"What is the rank structure? It doesn't seem consistant with the Navy."''

:The rank structure is derived from the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|original series]]. I didn't want to change Commander [[Adma, William|Adama]] to Captain Adama or Colonel [[Tigh, Saul|Tigh]] to Commander Tigh, so I elected to simply embrace the co-mingled nature of the original rank structure. For our internal purposes, we've decided that the ranks are indeed a mixture of naval and army nomenclature and are basically as follows:

:'''Officers''' --
:Admiral
:Commander
:Colonel
:Major
:Captain
:Lieutenant
:Lieutenant (junior grade)
:Ensign

:'''Enlisted''' --
:Master Chief Petty Officer
:Chief Petty Officer
:Petty Officer (1st, 2nd Class)
:Specialist
:Deck Hand
:Recruit

:Just to complicate matters further, there are also [[Marines]] aboard ''[[Galactica]]'' which conform more closely to the traditional enlisted Marine ranks, with Sergeants, Sergeant-Majors, etc. Unresolved is the question of whether the Marine officers would also adhere to the mixed rank structure (which sounds odd) or if they are strictly army equivalents (which makes no sense given that the "Navy" ranks seem oblivious to there being any such distinction). Aren't you glad you asked? -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"Will we see the mess hall and other parts of the ship such as the main Kitchen where all the meals are prepared?"''

:I'd like to. It's a question of budget; there has to be a story point or scene so cool that we just have to build this set. The Head (bathroom to you lubbers) was built in the [[33|pilot]] specifically so we'd have it around during the series. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"Was this the first show to ever show a bathroom on a space ship?"''

:It's ground-breaking TV, baby. Talk about reinventing the genre. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

:'''Note:''' While we are uncertain as to what show as the "first" to show a bathroom on a space ship, we know that this series was not the first to do so. One of the few shows prior to ''Battlestar'' to show a bathroom was, in fact, a second season episode of ''Babylon 5''.

* ''"Minor question: was [[Galactica]] ever re-commissioned? As I recall, the ship was decommissioned right before the [[Cylon attack]]. It'd be nice to show the ceremony if they ever get a free moment."''

:It's an interesting point. Might be something to play at some point, but more really as an "Oh, I haven't thought about it, but..." kind of thing. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"The question I would really like to see addressed is how to reconcile the underlying quest of ''Battlestar Galactica'' with actual scientific plausiability. The quest of Battlestar Galactica is to find [[Earth]], the 13th Colony. However, it is a basic and well-substantiated tenet of science that human life here on Earth evolved slowly from a primate ancestor. Attempts to deny evolution based on the notion that human kind deserves a far more worthy origin than what evolution details, are a diservice to the pursuit of scientific truth and endeavors in our own world. There was always that reactionary sense to the original series, which drove it away from a secure standing as *science* fiction. How will the new series avoid this pitfall?"''

:I don't have a direct answer for this question yet. There are a couple of notions rolling around in my head as to how we reconcile the very real fact of evolution with the ''Galactica'' mythos, but I haven't decided which approach to take. However, it was a fundamental element of the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|orginal (sic) ''Galactica'']] mythos that "Life here began out there..." and I decided early on that it was crucial to maintain it. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

*''"How did you come to decide upon [[Edward James Olmos]] and [[Mary McDonnell]] for their roles? This kind of project seems somewhat out of their typical genre - did either have second thoughts about taking on the project?"''

:Eddie and Mary were actually the archetypes for the characters when we were developing the series. [[Eick, David|David Eick]] and I used to sit around and talk about what kind of actors would play [[Adama, William|Adama]] and [[Roslin, Laura|Laura]] and we always talked about these two Oscar level actors as our dream duo for the series, but we never really thought we'd get them. They've told the story themselves of why they decided to do the project, but in essence, they really responded to the [[Mini-Series|pilot script]] and saw a lot of potential in the characters so they went for it, to our everlasting gratitude. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* "Are you using military advisors and if so, from what branch?"

:We don't have a full time military advisor on staff. However, we did have [[Blecker, Ron|an advisor]] on set during the miniseries, who also put the principal actors through a "boot camp" before shooting. I can't honestly remember his name or service branch (sorry if you're reading this!) As far as the scripts go, [[Bradley Thompson]], [[David Weddle]], and I provide a lot of the military technical details based on our own knowledge base. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"I'll second the question - why is it that the paper in the Galactica universe has the corners cut off, even the tractor fed printer sheets! i just want to know."''

:This is a closely guarded secret of the show and certainly not a wacky design element that someone came up with during the [[Mini-Series|miniseries]]. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

:'''Note:''' It has been admitted by some of the production staff that this is, more or less, a joke that went overboard -- namely one derived from the fact that corners had to be cut in order to keep within the budget for the mini. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"You mentioned that the reason that the ''[[Galactica]]'' was so low-tech was that it was designed to fight the [[Cylons]], who could possibly infiltrate it's systems, and that this was one of the reasons it survived. If that is so, then who were the other ships designed to fight? The 120 ships alluded to are a big force just for border patrol. Are there [[aliens]] we should know about? "''

:The first [[Cylon War]] came very close to wiping out the [[Colonies]], and so when the [[Armistice]] was declared, the government maintained a large standing military force for quite some time, just in case. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

*''"Mythos. Every science fiction show that stands the test of time needs to develop its own Mythos. By this I mean, its own unique cultural identity. For instance ''Star Wars'' has its Jedi, its Force; ''Star Trek'' has its Prime directive, beaming, and warps (sic) speed. As a writer you are aware of this and having worked in the ''Star Trek'' franchise are rather qualified in it. What will are your thoughts and insights into the development of Mythos in this new BSG child that you are tending to and caring for? Especially, since there seems to be heavy pressure to incorporate the original mythos themes of the show, will this be a guiding blueprint for thought, or just a framework to create? "''

:The mythology of the new ''Galactica'' is heavily influenced by that established in the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|original]]. I've always approached this project with an eye toward taking the original material and making it work in a new context. I still try to do this whenever possible. Does it make sense that there would be a star system with [[Twelve Colonies|12 inhabitable planets]]? Not really, but that was in the original and at some point I decided to run with that as another nod to the old show. The mythology of the old show centered around [[Kobol]] and the thirteen "tribes of man," so I've kept it as the centerpiece of ours. Not every single element is the same and not every element is even intact, but the roots are there. The point was to make another version of ''Battlestar Galactica'', not just use the name. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"I was watching ''Wing Commander'' last night with my wife and she made a comment that the Kilrathi fighter looked pretty similar to the Cylon Raider. I know that some of the production staff from Wing Commander went on to begin production on the [[Tom DeSanto|DeSanto]] continuation, but is there in fact any sort of link here? I mean I first thought Droid Fighter from ''Star Wars: Episode One'', but that seems to be some kind of common design going on. "''

:"Wing Commander" is frequently mentioned to me as a possible influence on the show, but I've never actually seen it. While it's possible that other members of the production team were influenced by it, it wasn't something that figured into my thinking. My own design influences were things like "Das Boot" "Blade Runner" "Alien/Aliens" and a stack of documentaries on the modern and history US and Royal Navies.

*''"My questions: Can the show explain a little more about their technology, for example how fast are the [[FTL]] jumps. It seems the fleet barely moves when not jumping, if the jumps are only light speed and not multiples of, some of the sublight ships could conceivably catch up (the ones not destroyed by cylons)"''

:An [[FTL]] Jump is nearly instantaneous, essentially moving a ship from point A to point B without travelling through the normal space-time continuum, presumably by bending space around the ship in some way. The analogy I used during production was to imagine three dimensional space as a flat piece of two dimensional paper. To get from one side to the other, you can travel in a straight line across the page, or you can gently bend the sheet in half and cross from edge to edge virtually instantly. How this is accomplished and what is the basis of this technology outstrips my technical brainpower.

:In fact, I feel faint just coming up with that explanation... -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"Did the [[Twelve Colonies|colonies]] have outposts, bases, or trade partners outside of the 12 colonies. Did they even explore other systems. The colonies could have had observatories, listening posts, or even scientific research teams exploring other planets beyond the colonial system(s). They could encounter any of these which could lead to supplies, raw materials, food, fuel etc. "''

:I think that's probably true, but part of our premise is that the fleet has Jumped far out into unexplored space in an effort to elude the [[Cylons]], so we won't be encountered any other outposts or colonies. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

*''"Are there any similarities between your reconception of the BG universe and where you might have gone if you'd been given the reigns of ''Voyager''?"''

:There are similiarities in the premise of the two shows, so yes, there are things I'm applying here that I would've like to have done in [Star Trek:] ''Voyager'', i.e., lack of resources, the development of unique cultural and civil institutions, and internal strife among people trapped aboard ship(s) without any reasonable hope of finding sanctuary anytime soon. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

*''"I have a friend who has a son and they both enjoy watching the new ''Battlestar Galactica''. But it is a very frustrating thing when he cannot allow his son watch the show when there are sex scenes and constant sexual innuendo scattered throughout the episodes.

:"The standard of the stories are superb and I would have to say it is one of the finest sci fi series I have seen in a long time. BUT IT DOESNT NEED SEX TO GET THE VIEWERS. Call me a little old fashioned but I nor others that I know really appreciate having to endure sex scenes that really do not further the story in any significant way. In fact I think they are rather pointless."''

:First of all, I'm sorry your friend can't watch the show with his son, but I always intended this series to be for adults. I have two small children, and I wouldn't dream of letting them watch the show -- mostly because of the violent content. Second of all, I disagree that the sexuality is intended to be exploitative or that it's somehow not integral to the story. We're presenting adult human beings as adults, and their sexuality is a key part of their lives. [[Baltar, Gaius|Baltar]]'s sexual weaknesses, [[Valerii, Sharon|Sharon]] & [[Tyrol, Galen|Tyrol]]'s forbidden love affair, and [[Thrace, Kara|Starbuck]]'s promiscuity are part of who and what they are. I think the only reason this gets the kind of attention is does is that we're not used to seeing sex treated maturely in science fiction -- nine times out of ten, any sex is either something to snigger at or to make fun of. Somehow it's okay to fetishize sex by putting women in S&M leather "space" outfits or have Carrie Fisher run around in harem clothes (not that there's anything wrong with that), but to portray two mature adults simply having sex is somehow controversial in sci-fi circles.

:I'd also point out, as I have many times before, the strange standards of American audiences, who can become red-faced with indignation over nudity, but find no problem with slasher films or chains-saw massacres. I mean, ''Galactica'''s premised on a massive genocide, and [[Mini-Series|the pilot]] deals with violent, shocking deaths over and over again, but people get upset about the sex? Weird.... -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* Regarding the financial cost per episode of ''Battlestar'': "I can tell you that it’s well over one-and-a-half million dollars US per episode. It’s a substantial budget, especially when you convert it into Canadian dollars—and what we’re able to get up there—it’s a lot of money." [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude3.htm]

* ''Regarding a typical day as an executive producer on ''Battlestar'':''

: The job changes as the year goes on. Right now, before we start shooting, my time is spent almost exclusively here with the writing staff. I’m writing an episode at the moment. I wrote the first episode and I’m writing the second one. The writers meet by themselves…they break some stories…I come in and give notes…and we talk about directions for other episodes. Then, as time goes on, they’ll start generating scripts and stories, and I give notes on those. I’m also taking notes from the network and the studio on previous existing material.

: There’ll also be more of me going back and forth between LA and Vancouver. And as we get closer to production, then there’ll be more looking at production designs, dealing with budgetary issues, having meetings with directors and actors, looking at casting tapes for guest-star roles. Once we get into production and start generating film, there’s dailies to watch…post moves forward and there’s cuts of episodes to watch…and there’s visual effects sequences to give notes on.

: There’s not really a typical day, per say. You have to be nimble and on your feet and able to keep changing direction. You have to cover all these different bases, and sometimes you can’t run to first. Sometimes you have to run to third, and then run back home, and then run to second. It’s never a complete pattern.

: I believe very much in delegating authority to the department heads, in empowering people and having them take responsibility for the work. My principal job is to maintain the overall vision of the piece. [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude3.htm]

* From the "Fashioning Verisimilitude" article / interview on [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com Hollywood North Report (HNR)]:

: '''Robert Falconer:''' And I guess the whole concept of the show, by definition, is that of a bottle show.

: '''Ron Moore:''' Yeah. And it was designed that way from the get-go. When [[David Eick]] and I went in and pitched it initially—knowing how expensive space opera can be—we designed it to be affordable on what we could get on a SCI-FI Channel budget. [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude3.htm]

* ''Regarding the use of bullets versus lasers on the [[Vipers]], as explained by [[Ron Moore]]:''

: [The bullets are s]ome sort of caseless ammunition. We had long technical discussions about some of this. What mattered to us was that they weren’t laser blasts. We just felt that had been done to death, it wasn’t as interesting, and it wasn’t realistic. From our research we discovered that such weapons would take huge amounts of energy, and that fighters would probably be better served by using actual bullets. But presumably they’re more advanced than what we’re using today, although we haven’t actually sat down and defined them as such. [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude5.htm]

* ''Regarding the reconciliation between [[William Adama]] and his son [[Lee Adama]] at the end of the [[Mini-Series]], as explained by [[Ron Moore]]:''

: I think it will go up and it will go down, like any father-son dynamic does. I think they bridged a gap in the miniseries that certainly had held them apart for a couple of years. I don’t think that issue has been completely resolved, but they’ve moved past it to a certain point. Now they’re in a new relationship and a new dynamic…they’re father and son and they’re also serving on the same ship, and the stresses and pressures of that will affect the relationship. I think it’s interesting that Lee Adama has a strong relationship with [[Laura Roslin|Laura]], and that he in some respects is a bridge between her and his father. [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude5.htm]

== See Also ==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturalistic_science_fiction A description on Wikipedia on naturalistic SF] concepts used in the series

==Related Topics==
* [[List of Season 1 Guest Actors (RDM)]]
* [[List of Season 2 Guest Actors (RDM)]]
* [[List of Recurring Characters (RDM)]]
* [[List of Recurring Character Appearances (RDM)]]
* [[List of Emmy Nominations and Wins]]

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Behind the Scenes]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Battlestar Galactica (TRS)

2005-12-29T19:25:43Z

Collsiobhan: /* Directors */

{{shortcut|TNS}}
{{shortcut|TRS}}

A re-imagining of the original ''Battlestar Galactica'', currently in its second season.

==Summary==
Considered a "[[re-imagining]]", this series is a version of the 1970s ''Battlestar Galactica'' made more suitable to the sensibilities of the 21st Century. Tackling issues of civil rights, survival, terrorism, and religion, ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an epic following the survivors of the human race -- which number under 50,000. The ''[[Galactica]]'' finds herself leading a rag-tag refugee fleet on a lonely (and quite possibly, ficticious) quest for [[Earth]], with turmoil from within and danger from without.

==Cast==
===Stars===
* [[Olmos, Edward James|Edward James Olmos]] as [[Adama, William|Commander William Adama]]
* [[McDonnell, Mary|Mary McDonnell]] as [[Roslin, Laura|President Laura Roslin]]
* [[Sackhoff, Katee|Katee Sackhoff]] as [[Thrace, Kara|Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thrace]]
* [[Bamber, Jamie|Jamie Bamber]] as [[Lee Adama|Captain Lee "Apollo" Adama]]
* [[Callis, James|Jame Callis]] as [[Baltar, Gaius|Doctor Gaius Baltar]]
* [[Helfer, Tricia|Tricia Helfer]] as [[Number Six]]
* [[Park, Grace|Grace Park]] as [[Valerii, Sharon|Sharon Valerii]]
===Co-stars===
* [[Hogan, Michael|Michael Hogan]] as [[Tigh, Saul|Colonel Tigh]]
* [[Douglas, Aaron|Aaron Douglas]] as [[Tyrol, Galen|CPO Tyrol]]
* [[Penikett, Tahmoh|Tahmoh Penikett]] as [[Agathon, Karl C.|Lieutenat Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
* [[McClure, Kandyse|Kandyse McClure]] as [[Dualla|Petty Officer 2nd Class Dualla]]
* [[Campbell, Paul|Paul Campbell]] as [[Keikeya, Billy|Billy Keikeya]]
* [[Juliani, Alessandro|Alessandro Juliani]] as [[Lieutenant Gaeta]]
* [[Witwer, Samuel|Samual Witwer]] as [[Crashdown]]

==Production Crew==
===Producers===
* [[Moore, Ronald D.|Ronald D. Moore]] - Developer / Executive Producer / Writer
* [[Eick, David|David Eick]] - Executive Producer
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Toni+Graphia Toni Graphia] - Co-Executive Producer / Writer
* [[Frand, Harvey|Harvey Frand]] - Producer
* [[Larson, Glen A.|Glen A. Larson]] - Consulting Producer

===Directors===
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Michael+Angeli Michael Angeli]
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Marita+Grabiak Marita Grabiak](episode 1.02 "Water")
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Rod+Hardy Rod Hardy](episode 1.04 "Act of Contrition") (episode 1.06 "Litmus") (episode 2.05 "Farm, The")
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Alan+Kroeker Alan Kroeker](episode 1.03 "Bastille Day") (episode 2.04 "Resistance")
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Sergio+Mimica-Gezzan Sergio Mimica-Gezzan] (episode 1.05 "You Can't Go Home Again") (episode 2.03 "Fragged") (episode 2.06 "Home: Part 1") (episode 2.17 "The Captain's Hand")
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Michael+Nankin Michael Nankin] (episode 2.09 "Flight of the Phoenix")
* [[Olmos, Edward James|Edward James Olmos]] (episode 1.09 "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down")
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Jonas+Pate Jonas Pate] (episode 1.11 "Colonial Day")
* [[Rymer, Michael|Michael Rymer]](episode 1.00 "Miniseries") (episode 1.01 "33") (episode 1.12 "Kobol's Last Gleaming: Part 1") (episode 1.13 "Kobol's Last Gleaming: Part 2") (episode 2.01 "Scattered") (episode 2.02 "Valley of Darkness") (episode 2.10 "Pegasus")
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Jeff+Woolnough Jeff Woolnough](episode 1.10 "Hand of God, The") (episode 2.07 "Home: Part 2")
* [http://us.imdb.com/m/person-exact?+Robert+Young Robert Young] (episode 1.07 "Six Degrees of Seperation, epi 2.08 "Final Cut")

===Writing Staff===
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Sergio+Mimica-Gezzan Sergio Mimica-Gezzan]
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Carla+Robinson Carla Robinson]
* [[Bradley Thompson]]
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Brad+Turner Brad Turner]
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Jeff+Vlaming Jeff Vlaming]
* [[David Weddle]]
* [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Robert+Young Robert Young]

==Episodes==
*[[Mini-Series]] (2003)
===Season 1 (2004-05)===
*1.01 [[33]]
*1.02 [[Water]]
*1.03 [[Bastille Day]]
*1.04 [[Act of Contrition]]
*1.05 [[You Can't Go Home Again]]
*1.06 [[Litmus]]
*1.07 [[Six Degrees of Separation]]
*1.08 [[Flesh and Bone]]
*1.09 [[Secrets and Lies]] (aka: [[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]])
*1.10 [[The Hand of God]]
*1.11 [[Colonial Day]]
*1.12 [[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]
*1.13 [[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]
===Season 2 (2005-06)===
*2.01 [[Scattered]]
*2.02 [[Valley of Darkness]]
*2.03 [[Fragged]]
*2.04 [[Resistance]]
*2.05 [[The Farm]]
*2.06 [[Home, Part I]]
*2.07 [[Home, Part II]]
*2.08 [[Final Cut]]
*2.09 [[Flight of the Phoenix]]
*2.10 [[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]
*2.11 [[Resurrection Ship, Part I]]
*2.12 [[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]
*2.13 [[Epiphanies]]
*2.14 [[Sacrifice]]
*2.15 [[Black Market]]
*2.16 [[Scar]]
*2.17 [[The Captain's Hand]]
*2.18 [[Downloaded]] (?)
*2.19 [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]
*2.20 [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]

== Official Statements ==

* ''"Apart from the fleet, is there any chance that there are other survivers? Clearly ''[[Colonial One]]'' would not have gotten to every ship that was in transit and those that had [[FTL]] could have escaped as well."''

:We are talking about shows that deal with other survivors right now. Don't ask about the [[Pegasus]] -- I [still] haven't made up my mind yet.

* ''"Will we see any of the [[:Category:Cast (TOS)|origonal cast (sic)]] appart from [[Richard Hatch]]? "''

: It's possible, but not yet on the board. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"Why [[frak|"frack" (sic)]]? Where did the idea come from to make this the new F-word? Not that I don't like it, I find it amusing."''

: It's straight out of the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|original series]]. I dropped many other terms from the old show like "[[centon]]" (a unit of measurement) and "[[yahren]]" (year) because I felt they distracted from the mood I was trying to create and they sounded a bit silly to my ear. There was something elegantly lovely about "[[frak]]," however. There's nothing like being able to say my favorite four letter word on TV over and over again and I salute [[Larson, Glen A.|Glen Larson]] for giving the joys of frakking up, frakking off, not giving a frak, and frakking-A to the masses. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"Why does the doctor smoke?"''

:Because smoking is cool. Don't let anyone tell you different, kid.

:Seriously, we're showing people doing what people really do and not all of their choices are smart ones. We smoke, we drink, we have sex with the wrong partners -- we make lots of bad choices and some of them we do knowingly and in full cognizance of the risks and consequences. Dr. [[Cottle]] obviously knows the risks associated with smoking and he elects to do it anyway -- that's his choice.

:I'm also frankly tired of all the anti-smoking p.c. crap that we're bombarded with these days and I decided that this was a world without all that. Call it my one sop to the idea of an idealized society, the notion that adults can make informed choices and not be nagged to death or run out of public spaces for making choices that others may not like or agree with. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"What is the rank structure? It doesn't seem consistant with the Navy."''

:The rank structure is derived from the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|original series]]. I didn't want to change Commander [[Adma, William|Adama]] to Captain Adama or Colonel [[Tigh, Saul|Tigh]] to Commander Tigh, so I elected to simply embrace the co-mingled nature of the original rank structure. For our internal purposes, we've decided that the ranks are indeed a mixture of naval and army nomenclature and are basically as follows:

:'''Officers''' --
:Admiral
:Commander
:Colonel
:Major
:Captain
:Lieutenant
:Lieutenant (junior grade)
:Ensign

:'''Enlisted''' --
:Master Chief Petty Officer
:Chief Petty Officer
:Petty Officer (1st, 2nd Class)
:Specialist
:Deck Hand
:Recruit

:Just to complicate matters further, there are also [[Marines]] aboard ''[[Galactica]]'' which conform more closely to the traditional enlisted Marine ranks, with Sergeants, Sergeant-Majors, etc. Unresolved is the question of whether the Marine officers would also adhere to the mixed rank structure (which sounds odd) or if they are strictly army equivalents (which makes no sense given that the "Navy" ranks seem oblivious to there being any such distinction). Aren't you glad you asked? -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"Will we see the mess hall and other parts of the ship such as the main Kitchen where all the meals are prepared?"''

:I'd like to. It's a question of budget; there has to be a story point or scene so cool that we just have to build this set. The Head (bathroom to you lubbers) was built in the [[33|pilot]] specifically so we'd have it around during the series. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"Was this the first show to ever show a bathroom on a space ship?"''

:It's ground-breaking TV, baby. Talk about reinventing the genre. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

:'''Note:''' While we are uncertain as to what show as the "first" to show a bathroom on a space ship, we know that this series was not the first to do so. One of the few shows prior to ''Battlestar'' to show a bathroom was, in fact, a second season episode of ''Babylon 5''.

* ''"Minor question: was [[Galactica]] ever re-commissioned? As I recall, the ship was decommissioned right before the [[Cylon attack]]. It'd be nice to show the ceremony if they ever get a free moment."''

:It's an interesting point. Might be something to play at some point, but more really as an "Oh, I haven't thought about it, but..." kind of thing. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"The question I would really like to see addressed is how to reconcile the underlying quest of ''Battlestar Galactica'' with actual scientific plausiability. The quest of Battlestar Galactica is to find [[Earth]], the 13th Colony. However, it is a basic and well-substantiated tenet of science that human life here on Earth evolved slowly from a primate ancestor. Attempts to deny evolution based on the notion that human kind deserves a far more worthy origin than what evolution details, are a diservice to the pursuit of scientific truth and endeavors in our own world. There was always that reactionary sense to the original series, which drove it away from a secure standing as *science* fiction. How will the new series avoid this pitfall?"''

:I don't have a direct answer for this question yet. There are a couple of notions rolling around in my head as to how we reconcile the very real fact of evolution with the ''Galactica'' mythos, but I haven't decided which approach to take. However, it was a fundamental element of the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|orginal (sic) ''Galactica'']] mythos that "Life here began out there..." and I decided early on that it was crucial to maintain it. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

*''"How did you come to decide upon [[Edward James Olmos]] and [[Mary McDonnell]] for their roles? This kind of project seems somewhat out of their typical genre - did either have second thoughts about taking on the project?"''

:Eddie and Mary were actually the archetypes for the characters when we were developing the series. [[Eick, David|David Eick]] and I used to sit around and talk about what kind of actors would play [[Adama, William|Adama]] and [[Roslin, Laura|Laura]] and we always talked about these two Oscar level actors as our dream duo for the series, but we never really thought we'd get them. They've told the story themselves of why they decided to do the project, but in essence, they really responded to the [[Mini-Series|pilot script]] and saw a lot of potential in the characters so they went for it, to our everlasting gratitude. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* "Are you using military advisors and if so, from what branch?"

:We don't have a full time military advisor on staff. However, we did have [[Blecker, Ron|an advisor]] on set during the miniseries, who also put the principal actors through a "boot camp" before shooting. I can't honestly remember his name or service branch (sorry if you're reading this!) As far as the scripts go, [[Bradley Thompson]], [[David Weddle]], and I provide a lot of the military technical details based on our own knowledge base. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"I'll second the question - why is it that the paper in the Galactica universe has the corners cut off, even the tractor fed printer sheets! i just want to know."''

:This is a closely guarded secret of the show and certainly not a wacky design element that someone came up with during the [[Mini-Series|miniseries]]. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

:'''Note:''' It has been admitted by some of the production staff that this is, more or less, a joke that went overboard -- namely one derived from the fact that corners had to be cut in order to keep within the budget for the mini. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"You mentioned that the reason that the ''[[Galactica]]'' was so low-tech was that it was designed to fight the [[Cylons]], who could possibly infiltrate it's systems, and that this was one of the reasons it survived. If that is so, then who were the other ships designed to fight? The 120 ships alluded to are a big force just for border patrol. Are there [[aliens]] we should know about? "''

:The first [[Cylon War]] came very close to wiping out the [[Colonies]], and so when the [[Armistice]] was declared, the government maintained a large standing military force for quite some time, just in case. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

*''"Mythos. Every science fiction show that stands the test of time needs to develop its own Mythos. By this I mean, its own unique cultural identity. For instance ''Star Wars'' has its Jedi, its Force; ''Star Trek'' has its Prime directive, beaming, and warps (sic) speed. As a writer you are aware of this and having worked in the ''Star Trek'' franchise are rather qualified in it. What will are your thoughts and insights into the development of Mythos in this new BSG child that you are tending to and caring for? Especially, since there seems to be heavy pressure to incorporate the original mythos themes of the show, will this be a guiding blueprint for thought, or just a framework to create? "''

:The mythology of the new ''Galactica'' is heavily influenced by that established in the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|original]]. I've always approached this project with an eye toward taking the original material and making it work in a new context. I still try to do this whenever possible. Does it make sense that there would be a star system with [[Twelve Colonies|12 inhabitable planets]]? Not really, but that was in the original and at some point I decided to run with that as another nod to the old show. The mythology of the old show centered around [[Kobol]] and the thirteen "tribes of man," so I've kept it as the centerpiece of ours. Not every single element is the same and not every element is even intact, but the roots are there. The point was to make another version of ''Battlestar Galactica'', not just use the name. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"I was watching ''Wing Commander'' last night with my wife and she made a comment that the Kilrathi fighter looked pretty similar to the Cylon Raider. I know that some of the production staff from Wing Commander went on to begin production on the [[Tom DeSanto|DeSanto]] continuation, but is there in fact any sort of link here? I mean I first thought Droid Fighter from ''Star Wars: Episode One'', but that seems to be some kind of common design going on. "''

:"Wing Commander" is frequently mentioned to me as a possible influence on the show, but I've never actually seen it. While it's possible that other members of the production team were influenced by it, it wasn't something that figured into my thinking. My own design influences were things like "Das Boot" "Blade Runner" "Alien/Aliens" and a stack of documentaries on the modern and history US and Royal Navies.

*''"My questions: Can the show explain a little more about their technology, for example how fast are the [[FTL]] jumps. It seems the fleet barely moves when not jumping, if the jumps are only light speed and not multiples of, some of the sublight ships could conceivably catch up (the ones not destroyed by cylons)"''

:An [[FTL]] Jump is nearly instantaneous, essentially moving a ship from point A to point B without travelling through the normal space-time continuum, presumably by bending space around the ship in some way. The analogy I used during production was to imagine three dimensional space as a flat piece of two dimensional paper. To get from one side to the other, you can travel in a straight line across the page, or you can gently bend the sheet in half and cross from edge to edge virtually instantly. How this is accomplished and what is the basis of this technology outstrips my technical brainpower.

:In fact, I feel faint just coming up with that explanation... -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* ''"Did the [[Twelve Colonies|colonies]] have outposts, bases, or trade partners outside of the 12 colonies. Did they even explore other systems. The colonies could have had observatories, listening posts, or even scientific research teams exploring other planets beyond the colonial system(s). They could encounter any of these which could lead to supplies, raw materials, food, fuel etc. "''

:I think that's probably true, but part of our premise is that the fleet has Jumped far out into unexplored space in an effort to elude the [[Cylons]], so we won't be encountered any other outposts or colonies. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

*''"Are there any similarities between your reconception of the BG universe and where you might have gone if you'd been given the reigns of ''Voyager''?"''

:There are similiarities in the premise of the two shows, so yes, there are things I'm applying here that I would've like to have done in [Star Trek:] ''Voyager'', i.e., lack of resources, the development of unique cultural and civil institutions, and internal strife among people trapped aboard ship(s) without any reasonable hope of finding sanctuary anytime soon. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

*''"I have a friend who has a son and they both enjoy watching the new ''Battlestar Galactica''. But it is a very frustrating thing when he cannot allow his son watch the show when there are sex scenes and constant sexual innuendo scattered throughout the episodes.

:"The standard of the stories are superb and I would have to say it is one of the finest sci fi series I have seen in a long time. BUT IT DOESNT NEED SEX TO GET THE VIEWERS. Call me a little old fashioned but I nor others that I know really appreciate having to endure sex scenes that really do not further the story in any significant way. In fact I think they are rather pointless."''

:First of all, I'm sorry your friend can't watch the show with his son, but I always intended this series to be for adults. I have two small children, and I wouldn't dream of letting them watch the show -- mostly because of the violent content. Second of all, I disagree that the sexuality is intended to be exploitative or that it's somehow not integral to the story. We're presenting adult human beings as adults, and their sexuality is a key part of their lives. [[Baltar, Gaius|Baltar]]'s sexual weaknesses, [[Valerii, Sharon|Sharon]] & [[Tyrol, Galen|Tyrol]]'s forbidden love affair, and [[Thrace, Kara|Starbuck]]'s promiscuity are part of who and what they are. I think the only reason this gets the kind of attention is does is that we're not used to seeing sex treated maturely in science fiction -- nine times out of ten, any sex is either something to snigger at or to make fun of. Somehow it's okay to fetishize sex by putting women in S&M leather "space" outfits or have Carrie Fisher run around in harem clothes (not that there's anything wrong with that), but to portray two mature adults simply having sex is somehow controversial in sci-fi circles.

:I'd also point out, as I have many times before, the strange standards of American audiences, who can become red-faced with indignation over nudity, but find no problem with slasher films or chains-saw massacres. I mean, ''Galactica'''s premised on a massive genocide, and [[Mini-Series|the pilot]] deals with violent, shocking deaths over and over again, but people get upset about the sex? Weird.... -- {{from_RDM_blog}}

* Regarding the financial cost per episode of ''Battlestar'': "I can tell you that it’s well over one-and-a-half million dollars US per episode. It’s a substantial budget, especially when you convert it into Canadian dollars—and what we’re able to get up there—it’s a lot of money." [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude3.htm]

* ''Regarding a typical day as an executive producer on ''Battlestar'':''

: The job changes as the year goes on. Right now, before we start shooting, my time is spent almost exclusively here with the writing staff. I’m writing an episode at the moment. I wrote the first episode and I’m writing the second one. The writers meet by themselves…they break some stories…I come in and give notes…and we talk about directions for other episodes. Then, as time goes on, they’ll start generating scripts and stories, and I give notes on those. I’m also taking notes from the network and the studio on previous existing material.

: There’ll also be more of me going back and forth between LA and Vancouver. And as we get closer to production, then there’ll be more looking at production designs, dealing with budgetary issues, having meetings with directors and actors, looking at casting tapes for guest-star roles. Once we get into production and start generating film, there’s dailies to watch…post moves forward and there’s cuts of episodes to watch…and there’s visual effects sequences to give notes on.

: There’s not really a typical day, per say. You have to be nimble and on your feet and able to keep changing direction. You have to cover all these different bases, and sometimes you can’t run to first. Sometimes you have to run to third, and then run back home, and then run to second. It’s never a complete pattern.

: I believe very much in delegating authority to the department heads, in empowering people and having them take responsibility for the work. My principal job is to maintain the overall vision of the piece. [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude3.htm]

* From the "Fashioning Verisimilitude" article / interview on [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com Hollywood North Report (HNR)]:

: '''Robert Falconer:''' And I guess the whole concept of the show, by definition, is that of a bottle show.

: '''Ron Moore:''' Yeah. And it was designed that way from the get-go. When [[David Eick]] and I went in and pitched it initially—knowing how expensive space opera can be—we designed it to be affordable on what we could get on a SCI-FI Channel budget. [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude3.htm]

* ''Regarding the use of bullets versus lasers on the [[Vipers]], as explained by [[Ron Moore]]:''

: [The bullets are s]ome sort of caseless ammunition. We had long technical discussions about some of this. What mattered to us was that they weren’t laser blasts. We just felt that had been done to death, it wasn’t as interesting, and it wasn’t realistic. From our research we discovered that such weapons would take huge amounts of energy, and that fighters would probably be better served by using actual bullets. But presumably they’re more advanced than what we’re using today, although we haven’t actually sat down and defined them as such. [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude5.htm]

* ''Regarding the reconciliation between [[William Adama]] and his son [[Lee Adama]] at the end of the [[Mini-Series]], as explained by [[Ron Moore]]:''

: I think it will go up and it will go down, like any father-son dynamic does. I think they bridged a gap in the miniseries that certainly had held them apart for a couple of years. I don’t think that issue has been completely resolved, but they’ve moved past it to a certain point. Now they’re in a new relationship and a new dynamic…they’re father and son and they’re also serving on the same ship, and the stresses and pressures of that will affect the relationship. I think it’s interesting that Lee Adama has a strong relationship with [[Laura Roslin|Laura]], and that he in some respects is a bridge between her and his father. [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude5.htm]

== See Also ==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturalistic_science_fiction A description on Wikipedia on naturalistic SF] concepts used in the series

==Related Topics==
* [[List of Season 1 Guest Actors (RDM)]]
* [[List of Season 2 Guest Actors (RDM)]]
* [[List of Recurring Characters (RDM)]]
* [[List of Recurring Character Appearances (RDM)]]
* [[List of Emmy Nominations and Wins]]

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Behind the Scenes]]
[[Category:RDM]]