ten41

Despite declining ratings for Battlestar Galactica on SciFi Channel, nearly universal critical acclaim along with robust DVD sales have led Universal Home Video to consider greenlighting a Battlestar Galactica direct-to-video telefilm, which will presumably air on The SciFi Channel, after debuting on home video, sources tell Geek. If it goes forward, the two hour telefilm will shoot in March during the series hiatus and prior to the commencement of production on the series fourth season in June. While there is no story for the telefilm at present, plans are afoot to come up with a screenplay that doesn’t step on existing continuity for the series, but utilizes most of its existing sets. There is also speculation the telefilm will somehow tie into the mythology for the Galactica spin-off series, Caprica, which has not been officially greenlit by SciFi Channel.

The only potential obstacle is that the network (SciFi Channel) and studio (Universal) have not officially greenlit a fourth season of the series, which will presumably occur shortly after the remainder of the third season begins in its new timeslot on Sundays, beginning in late January. In the event, there is further ratings erosion, it is possible the series, and plans for the DTV project, will be scrapped entirely, although this seems unlikely. Whether the Galactica production team will avail themselves of the lack of network censorship restrictions remains to be decided although it seems likely that the format will prove liberating for the creative braintrust of the series led by Ronald Moore and David Eick, the series producers.

DTV appears to be the perfect niche for genre fare that has a dedicated and loyal fan base, but have not been huge mainstream successes. In addition to Warner Bros. recently adding a DTV division within its home video department for horror and genre films, which premiered with the Raw Feed title, Rest Stop, they recently began production on a Babylon 5 DTV movie which was sparred by the series tremendous success on home video. This may bode well for other dormant genre franchises such as Firefly, which despite anemic box-office results for its first feature fiilm, Serenity, and hefty unrecouped P&A expenditures, still sells briskly on DVD. There also continue to be uncomfirmed rumors that Fox Home Video would also like to revive its bestselling Buffy franchise for DTV as well, but for the moment Babylon 5 and, shortly, Galactica remain the earliest to come to fruition.

http://www.geekmonthly.com/news/2006...set-to-launch/

milo bloom

I'm definitely intrigued. It is a little disquieting to read how Season 4 is still up in the air, but I still feel that DTV would be great for BSG and even Firefly.

resinrats

This is the first I've heard that Galactica's ratings were down. With all the fanboys drooling over it & media loving it, I would have thought it would have been one of the top shows on cable.

wergo

I'll buy one. Even if Boomer doesn't have a nude scene.

For the record, in case any executives are reading this (ha!) I'll also buy any Firefly, Buffy or My So-Called Life (ha!) direct-to-DVD movies they want to make.

Josh-da-man

There have been rumors of BSG's cancellation floating around for a while now. I believe they started when it was announced that the show was moving to Sundays.

That move, combined with the slowly declining ratings and uncertainty of a renewal, is fueling speculation that if the ratings don't start improving quickly there won't be a fourth season renewal.

Ausiello at TV Guide addressed these rumors a couple of weeks ago, and had a sort of denial from an anonymous Sci-Fi Channel exec.

The only thing that BSG really has going for it is that it's a Universal property, so the parent company (who also owns the SF Channel) reaps all financial benefits of the series. But even then I don't fully trust them not to pull the rug out from under the series.

TGM

rumors awhile back was that NBC was going to start airing repeats of the show? all the fanboys got in a huff when they read that, but it would be better than having this great show cancelled outright...

cornflakeguy

If they want to cancel it, that's their right because business is business. All I ask is prior notice, enough notice to wrap it up the way they want to so we have a complete story from beginning to end.

That would behoove Universal as well, since it can be packaged and sold as a "Complete" series.

JayDerek

i agree.

This would be my biggest concern

Bcolon

It still gets the networks highest ratings, so I don't think we have to worry about cancellation. Of course, season five of Farscape was a done deal...

JesseCuster

That's been my thinking for a while now. I got a sense that it was moving to Sunday because the other Friday night shows have either been a bust or are ending. And Universal and Sci-Fi have to be getting some good karma off of having what a lot of critics consider the best or one of the top five shows on TV.

davidh777

Which category is Doctor Who? "Ending" because the DVD is coming out soon?

turborobb

I like the idea of direct to DVD releases of sci fi and fantasy shows like Battlestar, Buffy/Angel, Firefly, ect.

At first I didn't like the new Battlestar, as I'm an fan of the old Battlestar, but I stuck with it and now I'm halfway into Season 2 and I really like it.

and Speaking of Doctor Who how about some direct to DVD movies with the 8th Doctor? (for those who aren't complete Doctor Who geeks, the 8th Doctor, played by Paul McGann, was only in 1 TV movie in 1996, which was a failed pilot for a 2nd Doctor Who series after the original series was cancelled in 1989 after it's 26th season. Paul McGann has done several audio radio stories as the 8th Doctor. When the new series started in 2005 they kicked it off with the 9th Doctor, so we never saw how the 8th Doctor died... which would make his Doctor perfect for some direct to DVD releases)

Bcolon

That is a pretty good idea. If they were are not going to do anything with him, I would rather they have ignored the tv movie all together and went from McCoy to the new series.

milo bloom

From AICN, but it seems so logical I actually think it could be true



I'd love to actually see something like this for once. I hate how we were denied

Heat

In an article I read in the Chicago Tribune last week... if there is a Season 4 the movie will be made. If the series is cancelled after Season 3 the movie will not be made.

riley_dude

The ratings have been down because this is the first time it has gone head to head with all the new fall shows. Usually it is shown in the Summer hense the move to Sundays.
Like someone else said below, it has to make it past this season first but it says in TV guide it ends with a cliffhanger so...

milo bloom

The miniseries ended on a cliffhanger with no promise of being picked up, as did the first season. Moore isn't above leaving it as such, hoping for a future project to finish the story.

Bcolon

One week to go...

SonOfAStu

Not really much new to report, but here is yet another BSG article...

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/07016/754039-237.stm

Jason

Which is completely ass-backwards. If it's cancelled after this season, why not make the movie to wrap things up?