The Adama Family...

*Snaps fingers*

They're from Tauron and they're...

Never mind. I didn't see this Addams Family parody going anywhere after all. Heh.

Been watching Caprica and the jury is still out for me, to be honest. As a rabid BSG fan, I admit that I was fairly nervous about the prequel show to begin with.

I also feel the same way about Stargate: Universe since I've been a fan of the SG-1 series as well. I recognize that the shows are both in their first season, so I'm waiting for things to develop further. One can never truly judge a series based solely on the first season, in my opinion.


-------------------SPOILER ALERT---------------------------

Don't read the following if you haven't watched Caprica. You've been warned.

----------------------------------------------------------

Ok, so the Cylons were created by man. We knew this from the very beginning of the relaunched BSG, so that comes as no surprise.

What has me on the fence are the virtual "avatars" of two teenage girls having something to do with the Cylon rise to sentience, Zoe in particular. It just seems like we're just waiting for her father to finally piss her off enough to flip out and go crazy nuts.

I can't determine why it is that Joseph Adama's daughter has some great importance as yet other than the fact that she's now a virtual "goddess" of sorts in the virtual world. I can see the potential for this virtual world to bore me to tears if this story line doesn't get anywhere important in the near future.

Ugh, so many questions. We're only six episodes in so I'll have to wait to learn more.

I'm fairly certain that the show will pick up, at least I'm hoping it does...

Should We Shout, Should We Scream...

Awesome.

I am pretty stoked about this decision I made to try to write more.

Big Finish Productions, who have returned classic Sci Fi giants Doctor Who, Stargate, Judge Dredd and others to life with new and exciting audio adventures, have announced two separate writing opportunities for aspiring writers. Having been a looooonnnnnng time fan of Doctor Who, I naturally leaped at the chance.

I finished the first submission to their request of story pitches in January and I am crossing my fingers on that one. We had to create a 500 word "pitch" as well as to submit two pages of sample script. Within two weeks of the original announcement.

I think I pulled off a good one, but we'll see what the BF guys think. I'm one of over 1,200 submissions. Wish me success!

Dusting Off the Keyboard...

Well, I finally did something this time around instead of just sitting and thinking, "Damn, wouldn't it be sweet if..."

For those in the know, I am a fan. I dig the original BBC series, the new series and Big Finish's Doctor Who audio adventures. What was extra cool was when BF announced that they were offering a chance to pitch a story idea, along with two pages of script, of a short episode that would star Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton.

Davison, who played Doc #5 in the original series might be possibly recognizable to those familiar with the BBC Hitchhikers Guide TV serial. He was the pig looking cow thing that was offering himself to Zaphod, Ford and company at the Restraunt at the End of the Universe.

Anyway, #5 was always one of my favorites, if not the favorite. When I started watching Who, PBS was showing stories from his run. To get the chance to possibly write an episode for Davison to star in, well, that I just couldn't pass up!

So, we'll see what happens from here. 1,200 entries to contend with. If nothing else, it felt euphoric to finally do something with my writing than to sit here and merely talk about it.

Wish me success, my friends. :)

Long Live Carl!

For all you science geeks out there, pay due deference to The Sagan in this brilliant music video!

9/13 - Never Forget.

Please join me in a moment of silence as we remember the brave men and women who were lost to the world on September 13, 1999.

They are truly missed.

Oh My Science! - With new link goodness!

Everytime I see this, I can't help but to die in laughter.

Having been a fan of both Buck Rogers and South Park for years, I assign the rank of Awesome to this. What amazes me is how well SP tried to match the original while putting their own twist of course.

Was Ist Das, Herr Kirk?

Behold the frightful terror of Austrian electronica, ala Star Trek...

I'm not sure whether, initially, I should have been appalled or worried after watching that one. I cannot deny the simple genius in the production of this video however.

I mean, how can one deny the truly awe-inspiring design of a starship that has Coke bottle warp drive nacelles, a converted handheld lantern body (complete with handle) and a snowflake-inspired section instead of the usual saucer section. Pure bloody genius, that is. The U.S.S. Edelweiss was, in a word, suuuuper (thanks for asking!).

When you get right down to it, those special effects are also dead sexy. I mean, check out the fabulous "force lightning" effects, the blobby "phaser" effect and the engineering console that doubles as a DJ booth!

And the acting? TOP NOTCH! I mean, the Kirk character totally snogging and getting his interstellar swerve on with that German bar maid. "Scotty" getting all hip hop, over the top and jiggy with or without "it."

Alright, obviously my sarcasm is cranked up to 11 here. This was by far the worst thing I've seen since Chelsea Clinton trying to fit in with a group of marines by hollering "hoooorah!" during a visit with her mom to a bunch of marines stationed overseas.

This film's premise is possibly as worse as "Gigli."

Or possibly as worse as a show about the sex life of dragonflies.

I award the producers of this video the sum of my total daily disgust quota of the week and also a hearty handshake to let them know that there's no hard feelings whatsoever and that I forgive them for unleashing this menace onto polite society.

There Are Those Who Believe...

Yep, it does seem to be Battlestar week here on the ol' blog.

Yesterday, I posted a rather tongue in cheek synopsis of the third season finale of BSG, mostly to tease my good pal W but also because it's my blog and I'll be ridiculous if I want to. What follows next in today's BSG offering is commentary regarding the final episode of this season.

Consider this to be either your "SPOILER ALERT" if you have yet to see the episode or your opportunity to read another entry, which I should be posting shortly after this one if BSG simply does not interest you. Or you can go grab a roast beef sandwich, if you prefer!

But, if you are curious about BSG, I encourage you to stick around. It's not quite like what you'd expect out of a sci-fi series, trust me.

Still with me? Good! Let's begin...

Part I - The Original Series

Back in the 70's, there was a guy with a plan. His name was Glen Larson, who was really starting to come into his own as a show producer and creator.

He had this idea that humans didn't come from Earth. The human race actually was born on the distant world Kobol, which is practically on the other side of the galaxy from here.

Larson tied in a lot of religious themes into the series, borrowing elements from Greco-Roman-Egyptian mythology, the religious beliefs of Eastern cultures, a dash of Hebrew/Christian faith and also drawing from Mormonism, Larson's professed faith.

The story goes that the human race was cast out from Kobol, forced to colonize other worlds. There were 13 established tribes of humankind, twelve of which elected to colonize worlds located in close proximity to each other. The 13th tribe chose a different path, setting out across the galaxy to colonize the planet Earth.

Communication between the other colonies and Earth eventually broke down and as the millenia passed, Earth dropped from being a recognized distant outpost of mankind to achieving a mythical status of it's own.

The other twelve colonies flourished, establishing a loose confederation of sorts that promoted peace and cooperation between the different factions. Then one day, a horrible event took place.

They met the Cylons.

In Larson's original treatment, the Cylons were a reptilian species that had been overcome by their own creations, a series of artificially intelligent robots who soon found their masters to be a hinderance to their desire to rule absolutely. They set about expanding their empire, eventually coming into contact with the humans as well as other species.

A war eventually ensued between human and Cylon, leading to great losses between the two. A heady peace was proposed and when the humans thought that the end to the war was in sight, the Cylons launched a devastating all out sneak attack on the colonies while the colonial's main defense, a fleet of heavily armed warship/fighter craft carriers known as battlestars, were assembled away from the colonies at the location of the "peace conference" that was to take place.

Out of billions of people, only a handful of the human race survived. Just about every battlestar was destroyed, with the notable exception of the Galactica.

The Galactica was commanded by Adama, who was the leader of one of the 12 colonies, Caprica. He quickly came to the realization that the war had been lost and that the only hope for mankind was to flee the 12 colonies and search for the legendary 13th tribe on Earth.

After a brief stop at Caprica, the Galactica sets forth on its journey, picking up stray colonial ships and forming a fleet of ships crammed with survivors. Conditions are rough and there is little in the way of protection against the pursuing Cylon fleet apart from the single battlestar and her complement of Viper fighter spacecraft, piloted by the heroes of the series, Apollo & Starbuck as well as your usual "guy who died in this episode" type characters.

Sounds kind of cheery, no? Believe me, it hooked me like an albacore.

Gad, I can remember the first time I watched the original series. True, it was indeed a product of the 70's and had more continuity issues than I am normally comfortable with in a series but I found myself glued to it every time it was on the Sci Fi channel. Between BSG and Buck Rogers, I wouldn't miss it even if I'd seen the same episodes more than a few times.

Anyway, the show opened to good reviews. The major problem working against BSG?

It cost too damned much to make. Even by recycling special effects (which they did a LOT of), the budget was just a little too unwieldy for the network to stomach.

Larson was told off and was forced to go along with what the network wanted. Good stories, but cheaper. Wayyyy cheaper.

Which led to...

II. Galactica 1980

Voted as one of the worst series in sci-fi ever, Galactica 1980 supposedly takes place 30 years in the future, with the fleet reaching Earth.

The budget cuts were easy here. Recycle a lot of the special effects from the previous series, fire a majority of the original cast (so they don't ask for more money), bring in a new cast of people that you likely have never heard of before and place a majority of the story lines on the ground of 20th century Earth.

This suckfest was doomed from the start. I was surprised that Lorne Greene even agreed to be part of it, guess he needed the work or something. With a batch of bad storylines, unenjoyable characters and below par acting, 1980 was put to bed before the season reached the halfway point.

But, the fanbase of the first show remained and slowly gained more and more followers. Much like the Firefly "Browncoats," the BSG crowd plotted and schemed to bring their show back...

III. BSG, Re-imagined

Flash forward 23 years. After efforts were made into reviving the series, things were set in motion. The Sci-Fi channel agreed to a proposal from the current show's producers Ron Moore (who'd been highly involved with Star Trek: TNG and had been taking a Turn at trying to get Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series to TV) and David Eick to create a new Battlestar Miniseries.

It would contain a lot of the same concepts as the original show such as the Cylons, the destruction of the colonies, the search for Earth, but would also break new ground in the storyline.

Big differences abound. This time around, the Cylons were actually created by humans and then turned against their creators. Adding to the mix are the humanocylons, which are Cylons who look and act completely human.

The fleet is also searching for Earth, but you see a lot more into the lives of the survivors, their struggles and interactions than you did on the previous show.

The miniseries was actually a ripping success and Sci-Fi authorised a new BSG series, with the first 13 episodes airing a year later.

What grips me with the new series is that the writing is nothing short of spectacular, the acting is superb. The show focuses more on the drama aspect than the neat special effects, so it offers more to a wider audience.

I've loaned out my series DVD's to friends, co-workers and have managed to hook quite a few, including, yes, LADIES. There's really something for everyone in this show and I think that's why it's been as successful as it has been. Each season just gets more and more awesome, but I did have a little concern after watching the season finale, which leads me into deep SPOILER TERRITORY. I'd suggest watching the previous three seasons worth of episodes before braving the next section.

You are duly warned! ;)

IV. Season 3 Finale

First of all... What the hell? The Col., The Chief, The Pyramid Freedom Fighter & The President's Chief of Staff are four of the final five?

Apart from Tyrol, I had no clue. That's messed up, especially Tigh, given his history. It pisses me off that I have to wait almost a year to find out what happens next. Damnit, damnit.

A final note. Is it just me or is anyone else hoping that they don't reach Earth until they decide to end the series?

Seriously. If the Galactica was to arrive here right now, would the show not suck? Think about it. The 21st century is off to a bad start, folks, and if you don't believe me, you haven't been paying much attention.

What sort of help are we going to be to our long lost brothers and sisters from amongst the stars?

Ponder that for a few.

Finally, it's either Starbuck or some unknown who is the final unannounced Cylon. Definitely not Baltar because that'd be too easy and I think his role is more of the "prophet" than the "messiah." It'll be interesting to see what wacky adventures he gets into next season!

Spoiled Eggs...

As requested in a conversation I had with Wonko, I shall now spoil the season finale of Battlestar Galactica, therby ruining any possible surprises or potential enjoyment of discovery within.

After years of being on the run, the Colonials finally reach Earth. Sadly, however, the Earth's technology is well below the level enjoyed by the other 12 tribes of man, so it is up to the hardy men and women of the Galactica to bring them up to speed. Plans are discussed and schemes are schemed.

Unfortunately, our main two heroes, Captain Apollo and Starbuck, decide to break free from military life in order to open up a chain of fast food restraunt and coffee shops aptly called "Captain Starbuck's." This however leads to a major lawsuit with Starbucks Coffee, who decides to treat the two new residents of Earth to a lunch of trademark infringement and salad. Why salad, I have no idea.

Meanwhile, Adama, who has now grown a beard and is also sporting a self-styled hippie haircut, has secured the aid of his son's illegitimate son's friend, Troy in further bringing down the destruction of Colonial society by piping in old broadcasts about Paris Hilton and her wacky antics from Earth throughout the fleet.

Troy's bad-haired friend (and Captain Apollo's son) Boxey shows up to give the ladies something to stare at, although they are not staring in a good way. No, sadly, they just can't seem to get over how much Boxey looks like Dick Van Dyke.

The cylons finally show up and the hot ones (ie Number 6's & the Sharon models) go over to my house for beer and nachos, while the rest of the humanocylon models decide that this whole Earth business is just silly and they head off to fight the Romulans instead. Let's just hope they never realize that the Romulans are in a totally different show altogether and NO ONE make them any wiser, 'k?

So, yes, there's the 6's and Sharon's at my house. Oh, wait, the D'anna's can stay as well. And President Roslin can come over too if she wears that Dances With Wolves getup. Hooyeah..

Oh. Sorry.

Where was I?

Oh, yeah, Romulans. Well after the rest of the cylons leave, the remaining colonists decide that Earth, with all our wars and wacky stuff, is also a silly place to be and that the whole journey was a big waste of time. They decide to colonize Mars instead and terraform it into a giant theme park and movie studio complex.

This doesn't go unnoticed by Disney, who had designs on Disneymars for years. They dispatch a crack team of WED lawyers and Roy Disney and they come to an agreement. The Colonials CAN have the licensing rights to the fry stalls and can sponsor the "Space Mountain" ride, but they cannot drink their ambrosia anywhere except within the confines of Mars 33, Disneymars' exclusive restaurant and bar.

Of course this doesn't sit well with Tigh, who will drink his booze any way he damned well pleases, so he leads a resisitance group against the occupying Mickey Mouse Stormtroopers which completely confuses this plot sixteen ways to Sunday.

And twice on Thursday.

Oh, and Baltar finally pays for his crimes against humanity by scrubbing every square inch of the New York City subway system clean with his tongue. And a pair of scissors.

And that, good friends, is the plot to the season finale of Battlestar Galactica. No need to thank me. :)

Now If They'd Only Post That Kickass Pegasus Fight Music...

Oh, yes.

Oh, very much yes.

Now if I can only whistle up a team and a script. Hmmmm...

A Little Sci-Fi For Friday...

I must admit that I have been in total <3 with the Sci-Fi channel lately...

First of all, they have picked up the next season of Doctor Who, which airs at the end of this month. Say what some of you might about Doctor Who, I love it. I grew up watching the old episodes on PBS and while yes, the monsters were rubbery (and in some cases made with bubble wrap of all things) and yes, many of the effects lacked a certain polish to them, it was a show that caught my attention.

Needless to say, I'm stoked.

The next item on the list is the return of BSG. The show returns in early October, however, Sci-Fi is releasing "webisodes" every Tuesday & Thursday from this week on to the premiere of Season 3. If you dig the show, click here to watch!

Also, the Season 2.5 box set is due out soon! Huzzah!

Finally, Sci-Fi is having a Firefly marathon on Sept. 18th. If you haven't seen Joss Whedon's Sci-Fi/Western epic series yet, you should. I had no idea about the show when it originally aired (mostly due to the fact that the network really didn't care about promoting or airing the show) but found myself caught up in it after borrowing a friend's DVD box set. It's really a damned shame that intelligent and entertaining shows such as this die a whimpering death. C'est la, I suppose.

Anyway, tons o' watching coming up in the next few months. Good thing I don't have a life or this would get tricky... Heh.