UberBeaver said:
Cult TV show Battlestar Galactica will end early next year, the program's makers have confirmed. The final fourth season of the sci-fi show will be broadcast on U.S. cable network Sci Fi Channel from November. Executive producers Ronald Moore and David Eick released a statement, saying, "This show was always meant to have a beginning, a middle and, finally, an end. Over the course of the last year, the story and the characters have been moving strongly toward that end, and we've decided to listen to those internal voices and conclude the show on our own terms. And while we know our fans will be saddened to know the end is coming, they should brace themselves for a wild ride getting there - we're going out with a bang."
That makes me both sad and excited. I like well thought out endings, I think it makes the quality better over the long run.
I thought I could shield you from the terrible news, my friends, but I can't protect you from this cruel world. You now know the truth about BSG. Next, you'll want to know where babies come from...... Terrible joke, but, anyway, there were rumors floating around a month ago when Edward James Olmos and Katie Sakhoff stated it would be the last season; I didn't say anything and hoped they got it wrong, and that the writers might persuade the network to change it's mind.
Here's as much of the transcript as I've been able to find:
http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/06/battlestar_gala_1.html
Also, the 4th season won't begin until early next year. The press keeps confusing the 2-hour TV special airing in November which will tie into Season 4, but is really a story set in the past. It will be available for sale the following week.
UberBeaver said:
Yeah, but you know what? I've noticed that with shoes that go out on top, I'm more likely to watch it over and over. Arrested Development and The BBC Office had 2-3 season each, and I watch them way more than anything else. BSG will probably turn into one of those. The X-Files - I loved it, but it just went too long, and now I have zero desire to watch it.
My only problem with that argument which a lot of fans have been putting forth is that the show has not shown itself to be running out of themes or other creative ideas. I think it's too soon. The mistakes made this past year are to do with pacing, rushing things because they have so much to pack into an episode. It's a huge problem that wasn't really there in Season 1. I've really liked some of the standalones, but hated "The Passage" and some of "Hero" and "The Woman King", but that probably had something to do with the network pressuring them to have stand alones to bring in new audience members.
What really killed the X-Files was not being able to find new themes: Scully's theme of following Mulder in the face of career suicide was interesting in Season 2's ''Colony"/"Endgame", acceptably repeated in Season 4's "Tunguska"/"Terma", but annoyingly exploited in the film and in conjunction with using Diana Fowley in Season 6. Mulder's faith was tested over and over. Skinner was depicted as a potential enemy, but it was unbelievable by Season 7, and then they just beat that dead horse in the Season 9 premiere with Doggett not trusting him. The interesting scepticism of Scully and faith on Mulder's part were getting tired in Season 7, and, while things did rejuvenate a bit with Doggett and Scully becoming full-fledged believer, the dynamic of Mulder and Scully was just displaced onto Doggett and the annoying Reyes. Even the theme of Scully seeking religious faith in time of need, was used again with Doggett praying for Reyes in Season 9. The writers just couldn't come up with new themes, despite trying really hard. The only theme that was continually well-handled was about loss. And yet, even if the show started to decline in Seson 6 and 7 and on, these seasons still had some great mythology episodes. It could be that if they were forced to end things, they would have just pushed up solving the conspiracy and Samantha's disappearance, but I still think the mythology was really strong through Season 5, and things just wouldn't have been the same if the show had to end in, say, Season 4.
BSG is so full of innovative themes and dynamics partly because they have so many characters. Season 3 was all about the politics of collaboration in an occupied regime, and really allows us to understand the complexities faced in Vichy France, or Israeli-occupied Palestine and Lebanon, or British-occupied Ireland. It hasn't shown any signs of running out of ideas. It's just too soon, especially to give all the characters their due. There's so much we don't know about Caprica 6, Gaeta, the black cylon Simon, and so little of Tom Zarek was used in Season 3.
deep said:
I caught all those on my dvr
and have watched them all
It really is a great series
the writers do a good job
intertwining current topics into the scripts
torture, suicide bombers, abortion and religion in elections, and they do a good job of blurring the lines.
small complaint: in the last episode I felt they gave up too much with the reveal of the 4 cylons and the 5th one was pretty obvious, and it is too bad
that we know you who is no longer in consideration
I'm so glad you're enjoying the show! Regarding the final cylon, I was pretty sure it was Starbuck, too, but don't be so sure. Ron Moore hasn't conceded that, while admitting that she did die. It'll be an interesting wait, huh?
