Battlestar Galactica Discussion

[cobywan]

It's probably to take the edge off of the long wait for the second half if, indeed, they wait to show it in 2009.

[Alpha OTS]

Watched Razor last night because I...uhh..found it.. Anyway, I really enjoyed it. It was a good story and it answered some questions I had about the Pegasus.

Spoiler/question

Only thing that irked me is why would a Six board the Pegasus with the toasters especially if it was a Six that set up the whole trap?

Edited November 7, 2007 by Alpha OTS

[myk]

Watched Razor last night because I...uhh..found it.. Anyway, I really enjoyed it. It was a good story and it answered some questions I had about the Pegasus.

Spoiler/question

Only thing that irked me is why would a Six board the Pegasus with the toasters especially if it was a Six that set up the whole trap?

To oversee the operation, maybe?

[the_foul_fowl]

Interesting tidbit about the New Cap websides from Ron Moore about the ongoing strike:

http://tv.ign.com/articles/833/833633p1.html

"Fundamentally this is about the internet, and this is about whether writers get paid for material that is made for the internet or if they're paid for material that is broadcast on the internet that was developed for TV or movies." Moore shared a story to illustrate the scenario, saying "I had a situation last year on Battlestar Galactica where we were asked by Universal to do webisodes [Note: Moore is referring to The Resistance webisodes which ran before Season 3 premiered], which at that point were very new and 'Oooh, webisodes! What does that mean?' It was all very new stuff. And it was very eye opening, because the studio's position was 'Oh, we're not going to pay anybody to do this. You have to do this, because you work on the show. And we're not going to pay you to write it. We're not going to pay the director, and we're not going to pay the actors.' At which point we said 'No thanks, we won't do it.'"

"We got in this long, protracted thing and eventually they agreed to pay everybody involved. But then, as we got deeper into it, they said 'But we're not going to put any credits on it. You're not going to be credited for this work. And we can use it later, in any fashion that we want.' At which point I said 'Well, then we're done and I'm not going to deliver the webisodes to you.' And they came and they took them out of the editing room anyway -- which they have every right to do. They own the material -- But it was that experience that really showed me that that's what this is all about. If there's not an agreement with the studios about the internet, that specifically says 'This is covered material, you have to pay us a formula - whatever that formula turns out to be - for use of the material and how it's all done,' the studios will simply rape and pillage."

Didn't know the webisodes were actually shown against his will...

[eugimon]

Interesting tidbit about the New Cap websides from Ron Moore about the ongoing strike:

http://tv.ign.com/articles/833/833633p1.html

Didn't know the webisodes were actually shown against his will...

yeah, it's crap to know that when episodes are "aired' on official websites like scifi and nbc.com, the writers don't get squat for it. The sad thing, most of these guys are not millionaires, they're not contracted to the studios, they work job to job. If their show goes off the air because some executive big shot can't get his head out of his own ass and properly market a show, or not FRAK around with the schedule, guess who gets the can? Of course, the spind doctors are trying to make this about high profile writers like Tina Fey playing Prima Donna, but it's about everyday working folk, trying to get a fair paycheck for their contribution.

[azrael]

One thing to keep in mind is the last time they negotiated, the 'Net wasn't a big deal. The 'Net only existed as a way for colleges and corporations to have a database and it was all terminal-based stuff. Your GUI was for the most part, a splendid command prompt and a mouse-driven-windowed GUI was a tool for the people who spared no expense and 1MB of RAM was hitting the extreme end. Now, those things are museum pieces. The contract talks now, as stated since this started, are primarily due to what RDM has talked about: the digital age. Right now, writers do not get paid for DVD sales, online content, etc. This is why BSG's webisodes can exist. It's entertainment for us, but people out there are not getting paid for their work. Lots of people put together a show like BSG. And many of them are not paid appropriately for their work. And one wonders why RDM complains about his budget in virtually every frakin podcast.

[HoveringCheesecake]

Razor was pretty enjoyable. I'm not a huge fan of the chick they threw in there, but I'll deal. Good battle scenes.

[the white drew carey]

One thing to keep in mind is the last time they negotiated, the 'Net wasn't a big deal. The 'Net only existed as a way for colleges and corporations to have a database and it was all terminal-based stuff. Your GUI was for the most part, a splendid command prompt and a mouse-driven-windowed GUI was a tool for the people who spared no expense and 1MB of RAM was hitting the extreme end. Now, those things are museum pieces. The contract talks now, as stated since this started, are primarily due to what RDM has talked about: the digital age. Right now, writers do not get paid for DVD sales, online content, etc. This is why BSG's webisodes can exist. It's entertainment for us, but people out there are not getting paid for their work. Lots of people put together a show like BSG. And many of them are not paid appropriately for their work. And one wonders why RDM complains about his budget in virtually every frakin podcast.

We also have to bear in mind that, the last time they negotiated in '88, the Writers Guild had to wrangle for residuals from VHS. Now it's DVD and online content.

"This has happened before, it will happen again."

[azrael]

It's official: BSG has shut down production. They have run out of scripts.

http://www.mania.com/56656.html

[Dobber]

Anyone know how far into S4 they filmed? I wonder if the show will even return in April, now, to show what has at least been done?

Chris

Edited November 16, 2007 by Dobber

[HoveringCheesecake]

Eugh... Hello split season into 2009++.

[azrael]

Anyone know how far into S4 they filmed? I wonder if the show will even return in April, now, to show what has at least been done?

I believe they only got up to the half-way point, maybe a little farther. There was a little blurb in one of my previous postings from Mary McDonnell that they were filming one of her appearances in episode 11 or 13. So I would say half of the season is going to make it to post-production and to the airwaves.

[Mr March]

Looks like SCI-FI got their way, just not in the manner they were anticipating

[eugimon]

Looks like SCI-FI got their way, just not in the manner they were anticipating

or maybe they were interpreting this, and saying they were going to split the season was just their way of breaking it to the fans.

Doubt it though. I'm still bummed it's going to take a year and a half to finish out this season though.

[azrael]

or maybe they were interpreting this, and saying they were going to split the season was just their way of breaking it to the fans.

Doubt it though. I'm still bummed it's going to take a year and a half to finish out this season though.

Majority of networks (mostly the ones who are affected, like SCI-FI) have probably known about the WGA strike, or more appropriately they knew a deal would not be hammered out, since summer. With the way things looked heading into the WGA strike, I believe SCI-FI knew a deal would not be hammered out so they decided to split the season to be on the safe side should the WGA strike happen (which it did). I think SCI-FI wasn't trying to kill the show which has brought in viewers, but they were covering their asses to be sure they would still have shows to air. They didn't explain it to anyone since it would have forced the hand of BSG producers and writers. If SCI-FI openly came out early and said, "We are delaying the season due to a possible writers strike", that would have probably pissed off the workers since now they would have to find temp jobs until the season started and then the producers would just say, "we will not work on the show if SCI-FI is going to do that". The last WGA strike lasted 5 months. We don't know how long this strike is going to last. We should be glad we are getting episodes by 2008, instead of waiting till 2009 for new episodes. As much as SCI-FI pissed off fans, I think they played a good hand at getting something out while they still could.

Every show (except for The Simpsons) will not have more than 9-12 (maybe stretch to 15) episodes this season.

[Alpha OTS]

It's official: BSG has shut down production. They have run out of scripts.

http://www.mania.com/56656.html

Damn it. I didn't care about this writer's strike until right after I read this post.

[Dobber]

Good call Azrael, I was thinking the same thing. At Least we will still get our first half of the season.

Chris

[eugimon]

Majority of networks (mostly the ones who are affected, like SCI-FI) have probably known about the WGA strike, or more appropriately they knew a deal would not be hammered out, since summer. With the way things looked heading into the WGA strike, I believe SCI-FI knew a deal would not be hammered out so they decided to split the season to be on the safe side should the WGA strike happen (which it did). I think SCI-FI wasn't trying to kill the show which has brought in viewers, but they were covering their asses to be sure they would still have shows to air. They didn't explain it to anyone since it would have forced the hand of BSG producers and writers. If SCI-FI openly came out early and said, "We are delaying the season due to a possible writers strike", that would have probably pissed off the workers since now they would have to find temp jobs until the season started and then the producers would just say, "we will not work on the show if SCI-FI is going to do that". The last WGA strike lasted 5 months. We don't know how long this strike is going to last. We should be glad we are getting episodes by 2008, instead of waiting till 2009 for new episodes. As much as SCI-FI pissed off fans, I think they played a good hand at getting something out while they still could.

Every show (except for The Simpsons) will not have more than 9-12 (maybe stretch to 15) episodes this season.

don't forget south park (though i think their season is over soon anyways) they're not union.

[Mog]

Finally saw Part 7 of the webisodes.

Well that was a rather anti-climatic ending to this little set. Probably only got about 30 seconds to 1 minute of new stuff shown.

Parts 3, 4, and 5 were definitely the best.

[Dobber]

What I was alittle disappointed about, was that Adama only flew 1 combat mission in the war???? Just seemed a little odd considering how it was talked about over the series.

Chris

[Wes]

So is everyone going to watch Razor this week(it's this week right?) or just boycott and watch the torrent?

[Knight26]

Yeah I didn't like that it seemed like Adama only flew one mission, and that his fighter was lost that way, sorry but after the crash that resulted from his ejection that bird would never have flown again. All in all that is just bad writing. If they had just said that it was x number of months between webisodes 3 and 4, then it would have been better, make it seem like he had been flying more then just one mission. Also having him crash land instead of eject would have made the viper at least salvagable.

[Dobber]

Yeah, or maybe after he watched the baseship fly away...say through voice over or subtitle, 4 months or 6, or whatever amount of time later the war was over. That way we could at least assume he flew more missions before being cashiered out of the service and going to the merchant fleet. REALLY sucked that the Columbia and her crew were lost just minutes before the end of the war. Loved 1 through 4 but 5 through 7 kind of sucked.

Chris

Edited November 19, 2007 by Dobber

[Lindem Herz]

So is everyone going to watch Razor this week(it's this week right?) or just boycott and watch the torrent?

I'm not watching it again on SciFi because I saw it at the theatre last week already. It's frakking amazing, so I'll wait for the extended edition on DVD. Hopefully it will be reedited a little to remove the opening theme and ad cuts, it really is a movie cosplaying as a special episode because of all Glen Larson's legal angst.

[Knight26]

Will DVR it.

[big F]

Seen it via Torent. Without any spoilers the end is the best. despite the whole Adama and his Viper script bloop this is why we watch the series an episode/short film thats as good as it gets.

And for all you Torrent haters I live in the U.K so well see it on terestrial t.v in like maybe 5 years time.

[azrael]

Seen it via Torent. Without any spoilers the end is the best. despite the whole Adama and his Viper script bloop this is why we watch the series an episode/short film thats as good as it gets.

Concerning the whole Adama flashback...

the movie did it better by omitting the whole fight scene and jump to the plot crucial scenes on the planet. So no, it doesn't handle itself very well if you watch just the flashbacks.

Razor did a much better job of incorporating those scenes.

[Wes]

I'm not watching it again on SciFi because I saw it at the theatre last week already. It's frakking amazing, so I'll wait for the extended edition on DVD. Hopefully it will be reedited a little to remove the opening theme and ad cuts, it really is a movie cosplaying as a special episode because of all Glen Larson's legal angst.

Theature? Where was it paying?!

[Lindem Herz]

Theature? Where was it paying?!

There were a couple of free screenings on the 12th for some selected cities, the link is a couple of pages back. I went to the second San Francisco one, but there were also screenings in Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, and some other cities I don't remember.

[Chewie]

Beware if you're not caught up and a yahoo main page user. The Razor and Season 4 "sneak peak" might as well have said "the last half of season 3 recapped in 3 minutes including who the 4 new cylons are and who Lee sees at the end".

No warning, just put it all out there.

Edited November 26, 2007 by Chewie

[bsu legato]

Just watched Razor, and here's some quick comments:

- The Cain/Gina dynamic took a turn for the sexy! (no wonder Cain was so pissed)

- Old school raiders!

- Old school centurions!!

- By Your FRAKKIN Command!!!

- nice casting for young Adama. He plays a mean EJO

- Cains well intentioned guerrilla war deteriorated into vengeful anarchy pretty damn quick

- Shaw sitting on the bomb at the end was a bit cliche, but not horribly so

- new doom & gloom prophecy regarding Starbuck? Girl can't catch a break, even when shes "dead"

[Golden Arms]

Just watched Razor, and here's some quick comments:

- The Cain/Gina dynamic took a turn for the sexy! (no wonder Cain was so pissed)

- Old school raiders!

- Old school centurions!!

- By Your FRAKKIN Command!!!

- nice casting for young Adama. He plays a mean EJO

- Cains well intentioned guerrilla war deteriorated into vengeful anarchy pretty damn quick

- Shaw sitting on the bomb at the end was a bit cliche, but not horribly so

- new doom & gloom prophecy regarding Starbuck? Girl can't catch a break, even when shes "dead"

That was a great movie. I love how complex all of the characters are. You definately empathize more with Cain and Co. after seeing more of what they went through. There still was no justification of what her officers did with the civilians though.

I can't believe that we have to wait till march for the new season. Scifi should start reairing the series starting with the miniseries.

[Mercurial Morpheus]

There were a couple of free screenings on the 12th for some selected cities, the link is a couple of pages back. I went to the second San Francisco one, but there were also screenings in Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, and some other cities I don't remember.

I would've loved to have caught this in the theatre, but found out too late. This was probably a good thing, as I'd have no ride to the city on a monday. Was it the TV or the DVD version?

As for the film, I liked it a lot. Though I think a little more could've been done to explain Cain's shift in sensibilities.

She goes from, "I won't be risking everything on some holy war" one minute, to shooting her XO for disobeying orders the very next.

It might've made a bit more sense had they outed Gina before that scene, thereby starting a whole mistrust issue with her.

I'll chalk it up there with the "why didn't they just open the door a bit to give the guy some air" moment.

Yes Alpha, I too was a bit amazed that they sent a Six onboard. Maybe they weren't aware of the model on Pegasus in which case no skinjob should've been sent. I find it interesting as well that Gina allowed Pegasus' systems to be taken off line before the attack in the first place. I thought for sure they were going to play up some "second thoughts for the sake of Cain" bit. Then she hacks their weapons... ;;

Other than that, pretty good, if a bit less than the full disclosure we were expecting. I like the twist involving Starbuck.

Seeing the old designs in action again was great. Though it was a shame they were unable (unwilling?) to make the old Centurions costumes. Some of the CG just didn't look right. Though I guess it would've been to expensive given the process involved.

Edited November 25, 2007 by Mercurial Morpheus

[myk]

Damn it, I thought it was premiering tomorrow...

[big F]

I feel kinda down again now after seeing it.

The whole downlad the torrent one night watch it the next was just like the "old days" now I have to wait till next year for more BSG

I do want more Old Centruion action though if they can weave in more of the old guys into the plot then great, a bit like rouge units, lost outposts or the BSG version of the Deciples of Skaro.