They Have a Plan: The "Battlestar Galactica" All Access Event

It's no secret: longtime readers of this site know that I am a hardcore Battlestar Galactica devotee. So it was with a certain relish that I got to attend last night's BSG: All Access event at the famed Cinerama Dome at the Arclight in Los Angeles.

Unfortunately, I missed the opportunity to catch the two-hour finale on the big screen, what with work matters and such, but I managed to sneak into the theatre a few minutes before the panel began and the audience was shown a stirring retrospective of the past three seasons of Battlestar Galactica. (I don't know about anyone else in the audience, but I got goosebumps!)

For those of you wondering what all the hubbub is about, this is most likely one of the last times that the cast and crew of Battlestar will come together in a public forum, what with the series being cancelled and all, after the next batch of 22 episodes. (Sniffle.) So you can imagine the sort of fervor and warmth of reception--a standing ovation, no less--when moderator/former BSG actor Lucy Lawless (looking divine in a stunning floor-length black dress) introduced the panelists: creators Ronald D. Moore and David Eick and BSG actors Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber, and Katee Sackhoff.

(Aside: can Lucy Lawless, a source of bawdy humor, witty questions, and flawless timing, moderate every industry panel/discussion I attend? Besides looking gorgeous, she kept the discussion moving along and injected a wicked sense of humor to the proceedings.)

The topic on everyone's minds was what Lawless called "the elephant in the room": Sci Fi's decision to end Battlestar after the current fourth season. Moore said that around the series' second season, he and Eick began to talk about how many chapters were left to tell of this story. Around the time of Season Three's "Eye of Jupiter"/"Rapture" combo, both were struck by how it was the first time the story was really going to a specific place in terms of resolution and that course was set in stone by the time they got around to revealing, in the third season finale, the identities of four of the final Cylons and the fact that not only was Kara alive, but she had been to Earth. (Cue "All Along the Watchtower.")

As for where Season Four is headed, it's the final chapter of the BSG story, broken into two pieces (most likely part one will air beginning in January 2008; with the second batch of episodes perhaps being held until 2009?). The crew of the Galactica WILL head to Earth, whatever Earth may be. (Hmmm.)

In the meantime, however, there is the two-hour Battlestar "movie" that will air this fall on Sci Fi (before swiftly getting a DVD release thereafter), entitled "Razor," that fills in the blanks on some questions fans have been posing. It won't be set after Season Three, however, but will jump about in different times from pre-Season Three: from the Cylon attack on Caprica, the Pegasus under Admiral Cain, Lee's first tour of duty as the commander of the Pegasus, and even before the events of the miniseries. "Razor" features the main cast in a variety of cameos and starring roles, brings back the hard-edged Cain (Michelle Forbes), and introduces a new character: Kendra. Attendees were treated to a sneak peek at a trailer for the two-hour event, which promises some Number Six machinations; she appears aboard the Pegasus talking about how everyone aboard is alike. "We're all human here," she says coyly...

But back to the event on hand. Edward James Olmos says he feels "terrible" about the cancellation. "They can keep my paycheck," he said, were the series to continue. "I'd support the show myself if I could. I don't think the Powers That Be understand what this show has really done, in terms of holding a mirror up to society." Later, he emphasized how unique BSG really is. "You will never see another program like this again in your lifetime."

As for the fact that ratings are allegedly to blame for the network's decision to end the series, Olmos stated that the current ratings system doesn't take into account Latino, African-American, and Asian viewers. "Nielsen needs a hole in the head," he said, to applause from the crowd.

McDonnell also underscored the "passion and emotion" that all of the actors were feeling upon reaching the end of the road for Battlestar. "It's a hard one to contemplate giving this up," she said. "But it's a luxury as an artist to see a show to completion."

Lawless turned to Bamber and Sackhoff (the "young ones") to see how they're coping with their roles as Lee and Starbuck respectively coming to an end. "I'm a British actor and like nothing better than to moan," said Bamber, recalling how he moaned at signing a six-year contract initially and how each year was an opportunity "to be Ron and Dave's bitch for another year." But now Bamber said he'd "look back on this with such nostalgia it will hurt."

For her part, Sackhoff recalled the phone call she received at the beginning of Season Three that began with "We just want you to know we love you but... we're going to kill you." Sackhoff was in on the plan to bring Starbuck back to the series and even went so far as to really "sell" the lie to the rest of the cast, bringing her mother along for "moral support" on her last day of shooting. For the cast and crew's part, they brought her a cake and champagne on that final day; some crew members now still seem unsure about whether Sackhoff is back.

Turning to a more bawdy subject, Lawless talked about her favorite "nudie moments" from the series (apparently, there are a lot): when Jamie Bamber's towel (ahem) "held itself up." Sackhoff recalled the infamous "pasty incident" in which she finally ripped off her pasties during her and Callum Keith Rennie's painting scene; when told by the director that she was now, er, visible, Rennie planted his paint-laden hands on her goods, solving the problem.

What else did I learn from last night?

-Jamie Bamber says Season Four is "so muscular" and "can't help but be riveting."

-Ronald D. Moore originally wanted to use "All Along the Watchtower" in Season One when Helo and Sharon hide out in a diner on Caprica; the song was going to play in the background on an old jukebox. Moore has wanted to use the song since his days as a writer on Roswell, after executive producer Jason Katims converted him to a Dylan fan. (He almost wrote an entire Roswell episode based around the song.)

-When asked if Adama would ever get laid, Olmos said it was more a question for Roslin. McDonnell replied that she's assumed something's been going on between them, as Adama is "always shaving, getting ready for something." McDonnell said that the two of them "shared something" back in the boxing episode.

-Katee Sackhoff usually craves Taco Bell when, er, using certain controlled substances. McDonnell, however, never craved that particular food.

-Wondering where Bulldog (Alias' Carl Lumbly) is? Jokingly, we're told that he's, er, enjoying himself on the fleet's brothel ship.

-Head Six will be back next season with some new riffs. Moore and Eick decided to downplay the Head Six/Baltar storyline when it seemed that they were just repeating the same note over and over again.

-Sackhoff's inspiration for portraying Starbuck? Her brother.

-Sci Fi pushed for more "happy endings" during the course of the rather dark series, giving Moore and Eick notes to include happier events like birthday parties. Apparently, Mark Stern (SVP, Original Programming at Sci Fi) even suggested a "Maypole dance." To this end, Lawless proposed "there will be balloons when they get to Earth!"

And there you have it. (It all comes down, in the end, to balloons.) To the cast and crew of Battlestar Galactica, thank you for four wonderful seasons of a series that defied all preconceptions and definitions of what sci fi was "supposed" to be. We'll miss these characters and their stories. So say we all!

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Pirate Master (CBS); My Name is Earl/30 Rock (NBC); Smallville (CW); Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? (FOX)

9 pm: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS); The Office/Scrubs (NBC); Supernatural (CW); So You Think You Can Dance (FOX)

10 pm: Shark (CBS); Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Pirate Master.

On tonight's episode ("Pirates, Guns, and Money"), Joe Don gets a little too comfortable as the ship's tyrannical captain, while one player may be out of the game following an injury during an expedition.

8:30 pm: 30 Rock.

It's a repeat of my favorite new series of the year. On tonight's episode of 30 Rock ("Jack Meets Dennis"), after Liz returns to the arms of her ex-boyfriend (guest star Dean Winters) simply because he asked her to, Jack decides to become her mentor and teach her a thing or two about life.

9 pm: The Office.

On tonight's repeat episode of The Office ("Grief Counseling"), following the death of his former regional manager, Michael forces the staff of Dunder-Mifflin to attend grief counseling, Michael Scott-style.