Battlestar Galactica to get extended season

[iceman]

It appears a :cylons if Battlestar galactica's fourth and final season wil be extended to a 5th season as according to a press release today, The story lines are so rich that to complete the final season properly the fourth season has been extended to a fivth season in order to complete all stories. :cylon

[Geekyfanboy]

hmmm where did you read this Iceman??

[Geekyfanboy]

Okay.. here is some info I found about this topic... Let's hope this is just a rumor!!!

BSG Split?

http://www.sliceofscifi.com/2007/09/04/bsg-split/

Written by: Michael Hickerson (SoSF Staff Journalist)

First “Flash Gordon” now this….

According to reports from the “Battlestar Galactica” panels at DragonCon, it appears SCI FI is considering splitting the final season of the hit show into two halves…with a long wait in between. If the rumor is true, SCI FI would air the first ten episodes of season four in Febuary of 2008 and then take a hiatus until February of 2009 to air the final ten episodes, according to a report at Buddy TV.

Before you come completely unglued and go Cylon on your co-workers and friends, remember this is just a rumor coming out of DragonCon. We’ve had no official confirmation from The SCI FI Channel that they would do this or wouldn’t do this.

Hopefully, if SCI FI is considering this move, the swell of fan protest might cause them to reconsider the position or realize that ten episodes a year just isn’t enough for the fandom. And how they could easily destroy the momentum and goodwill the fans and critics have given them for “Battlestar Galactica.”

[Rico]

A year wait in between?!?!  Are they frakking kidding me??!?!?    :cylon

[Darth Gaos]

Wow....that would be in the top 5 of completely lame-o moves of all time.  I love BSG but BSG is not "the Sopranos".  It does not have near the following to pull something like this IMO.  The fact I have to wait till Feb '08 still rankles me.  HOPEFULLY this is simply a rumor.

[Rico]

I don't like how they are starting to shorten and stretch TV seasons like this.  In the early days on Trek, it was almost 30 episodes a season.  Now they are proposing 10?!?!  Come on!  The year has 52 weeks people.

[Jen]

Don't go "all Cylon" on us Rico...it's just a rumor.  ;) :D

I hate that idea too...but I think I understand why The Sci-Fi Channel might do it. BSG is almost over, they're trying to ride the wave as long as they can. A shorter season, might mean bigger budget episodes and the break in the middle stretches the life of the show to two seasons, rather than one. Yep I'm with you, it REALLY bites.

[Rico]

Yes - this BSG part is a rumor but I was just saying all "seasons" are getting shorter for TV shows.  Then they wonder why ratings are down or they loose so many viewers from "season" to "season."

I wish the "two seasons" might mean bigger budgets but I think that has been set - at least for BSG.

P.S.  I have a favorite saying....

Rumors are just premature facts.   ;)

[jedijeff]

Hopefully they dont go with two 10 epsiode seasons as I agree, far to short. I would like a 5th season, as I think Galactica can grow past cylons, but dont I dont want 10 episode 4th and 5th seasons. If they want to do 10 and 10, they should have done 10 in the fall and 10 in the february then. I would be surprised if  Ronald Moore and his group would want that as well, if they are committed to one more season, then I am sure they would prefer to finish it and move on to other projects.

[Geekyfanboy]

It's all about money and time... to produce 52 weekly episodes every year would kill everyone and cost a fortune. Remember TV shows don't make money until they go into syndication and that takes at least three seasons. Of course nowadays with TV on DVD they have other ways of making money but still the bottom line is it take a lot of money and time to produce TV series.

As many of you know I work in TV, mostly reality types of shows and it's tough to produce 13 episodes in six months.

I too would like to see seasons of TV shows that ran over 30 episodes but that's not going to ever happen again. Costs are rising, and competition is getting worse. Unfortunately TV networks executives don't care what people want.. they are only about the bottom line.

[brazilianjiujitsu1979]

I think BSG is the best show on TV right now.  I am NOT impressed with Hero's....it is OK and I watch it but it is no BSG.  No TNG.  NO DS9.  NO Voyager.  Look at Lost.  The last episode last season was the best episode EVER.  They got off the island.   Yipppppppppppppeeee.  24 was hideous last season. Terrible.  BSG was not as good as the first two seasons but far and away better than the rest of the shows. BSG and Weeds are the best shows on TV right now.  IMO. 

[Rico]

While I kind of agree with what you say Kenny, I think there is a bigger problem going on.  TV (especially the network shows) are not adapting fast enough to the internet generation.  There is no reason TV productions need to wait three seasons to make money.  In fact, I think many successful shows don't have to wait that long.  Digital distribution is key.  I would of gladly paid for another season of Enterprise - even up front and I know many others would of done so as well.  Or release more shows concurrently for a cost on download.  I'm sick of cable and other middlemen sucking the show's profits away.

The other problem is show loyalty.  It has been proven that having big gaps inside a TV season or from season to season destroys a show's ratings.  This equals less money that can be asked for in terms of commercial time, etc.  They are really hurting shows and hurting the profits they can make by breaking things up.  You need to strike when the iron is hot.  I firmly believe Galactica has been hurt by the long lag between seasons and in the middle of the season gaps.  I think the move to Sunday night also hurt them.  So I think spilting seasons up even more is a terrible idea both for the fans and financially.

[billybob476]

I agree Rico. I am a HUGE Galactica fan, so is my wife. However, a week or two after the season ends, we completely forget about it becuase the wait is so damn long.

[Geekyfanboy]

I totally agree with you Rico on the internet distribution of TV shows.... but when it comes to airing things back to back,  let's say 23 episode are created and played all back to back for 23 weeks.. then you have to wait 29 weeks for new stuff. Of course you can say then why don't they make another 23 weeks worth but making TV shows is not cheap.. it takes millions of dollars to create one TV show episode and as I said.. when you create a TV show it's already in the "red" before it airs.

Bottom line is the system is broken and I don't see them fixing it anytime soon.

I for one am grateful for what is made and put out there. I'll keep enjoying shows that I love for as long as them make them. If the rumor is true and BSG will split there last season in two halfs.. I'll be there watching and loving every minute of it.

[Rico]

I really like the "24" style of showing their seasons.  Starts in January and they play straight through all 24 shows until May.