What is considered Canon?

[Tanky]

Kingfisher made an interesting point that a Battlestar could last 500 yarhen, as seen in a fanfic film, an another thread. My instant reaction was, its fanfic so its not canon. Then I thought, no thats very Trek of me, where basically only whats on TV or the silver screen is strictly and widely accepted as canon.

This brings me to my question. What is considered canon in the Galactica universe. Putting TNS aside, as it's canonality is disputable in fandom, and I think we can all guess each others responces. No point covering old ground and it will detract from the real purpose of this thread. I'm more interested in other extentions of the universe. So are fanfic films, Richard Hatch's or other books, the continutation trailers, the videogame, which of the two SAGA versions is the canon one? Is G80 canon? I'm just interested from a Trek background where Galactia fans draw the line.

:salute: :Nsalute:

[Fragmentary]

It's a lot more flexible in the Galactica world than in Trek. Many people include the novelizations and comics. I think there are two reasons for that. First, Larson has never come out and officially said that only what's on screen is canon, like Roddenberry did. And secondly, and far more importantly, the amount of secondary product is nowhere near as great. In Trek, the novels, and games, and comics, could never be canon because the amount of history to keep straight is just overwhelming. With Galactica, "the other stuff" is much smaller and easier to fit into the aired universe.

But it mostly just boils down to the individual. :salute: Me personally, I don't like including anything outside of what was on screen. Including the novelizations. Of course, if they had been better written, who knows.

[Senmut]

Basically, for me, it is what we saw on screen. This includes the extended scenes in the video/DVD releases as well. In the OS ep HOG, Apollo mentions that the Galactica was launched "over five-hundred yahren ago", so we can assume that these ships can indeed last this long, Cylons notwithstanding.

P.S. Most fans DO NOT consider GAL80 to be canon. The only serious exception is the finale ep, The Return Of Starbuck.

[gmd3d]

Only what on the screen for me is canon.

[Darrell Lawrence]

3 seperate universes are canon for me (aka not tied together, but canon for themselves)-

Original
G-80
nuBG

[justjackrandom]

3 seperate universes are canon for me (aka not tied together, but canon for themselves)-

Original
G-80
nuBG

Ditto. Frag hit the main reason Trek did it. In the film and TV world, this is called continuity. It is much easier to ensure continuity if you control and have access to all canonical material. It also gives the creators more control of their product.

The problem with a great deal of Galactica material that is not part of the original episodes is that it contradicts what was on the screen in those episodes, thus creating continuity errors. This is why many fans fall in line with myself, Senmut, Frag and Warrior.

-JJR

[repcisg]

For me the only thing truely cannon is the original Pilot followed by the series. G80, I try to ignor as a bad dream and nuBG is an entirely different animal.

A point should be made, with the exception of the Thurston/Larson novels, ALL printed matirial must be viewed as FAN Fiction. None of it was ever blessed by Larson or Universal. The authors simply bought a license and made up stuff to publish.

[Eric Paddon]

Canon is only what we saw on-screen, and thus any fanfic, comics etc. must not contradict what was established on screen except from the standpoint of resolving an internal contradiction of sorts.

That means to cite one example, in official BSG canon, Boxey is the real son of Serina and not an orphaned child adopted by Serina like in the novelization.

[Antelope]

Battlestar canon is in the eye of the beholder. You can choose your own canon.

"Canon" in most shows is whatever is put on a television or movie screen. As such "canon" should be TOS and BG80. Since TNS at this point is an unrelated remake (there is some question on this fact) it is "canon" unto itself and not related to the TOS universe "canon". Since most fans do not like BG80 most fans do not consider it "canon", although to date no continuation has been made that resets its existence.

Books etc. are a great insight into possible canons but insight is all we can say. The TOS back stories out there in print are pretty good but also debated and not definitive. Some people like some of the more known TOS fan fictions than some of the licensed books.

[Spike The Cylon]

For me, if it's on screen, it's usually canon, but, with G80 being as bad as it was, I don't exceot that as canon. I think it's up to the person. Personally, i feel that RH's books are canon, even though i've only ever been able to find one :(

[Dawg]

Spike - Amazon.com has them.

I think Richard's sites have links, too.

I am
Dawg
:warrior:

[Spike The Cylon]

Thanks Dawg.
Maybe i'll ordre them so i'll ahve something to read over the next few weeks, while i'm off work.

[SpyOne]

First, I like to use an idea about non-canon sources adopted from Star Wars: a non-canon source may be considered canon unless/until it is contradicted on-screen.
I don't recommend applying this to everything, as there are some pretty stupid things out there, but it is good to keep in the back of your mind.

In my book, canon consists only of aired footage.
This creates some problems, as there is more than one "aired" version of the pilot, among other episodes. This effectively creates seperate "parallel" canons.

Personally, I prefer "canon" to embrace all footage used in any aired version. I realize this sometimes creates conflicts within canon, but that sometimes happened in the original aired version, so those will have to be resolved some other way.
Footage that only got released as part of a "telemovie" or direct-to-video release is less-canon, sort of strongly semi-canon. It should be included when it does not contradict existing footage.
Stuff from the original writers, written at the time but never used, is below that, but still semi-canon as it shows intent. The Galactica 1980 episode "The Return of Starbuck" isn't canon (as I reject all Galactica 1980), but it reflects the Second Season script it was based on which would be semi-canon, as if there had been a second season that episode would probably have aired.

Basicly, below that is the hierarchy of non-canon, where some still gets more weight than others. Basicly, all things being equal I give Glen Larson weight over some guy I never met, but I leave the freedom to totally disregard even material from Glen Larson if I don't like it, on the basis that what he believes today may not be the same as what he believed then.

[bsg1fan1975]

Canon is only what we saw on-screen, and thus any fanfic, comics etc. must not contradict what was established on screen except from the standpoint of resolving an internal contradiction of sorts.

That means to cite one example, in official BSG canon, Boxey is the real son of Serina and not an orphaned child adopted by Serina like in the novelization.



That's my view too!

[skippercollecto]

There is one aspect of Galactica outside of the episodes that I borrow from. In the novelizations of the original episodes, some of the characters who were unnamed in the programs themselves are given names in the books. I have used these names from time to time.

[Damocles]

Damocles :salute:

Ditto. Frag hit the main reason Trek did it. In the film and TV world, this is called continuity. It is much easier to ensure continuity if you control and have access to all canonical material. It also gives the creators more control of their product.

The problem with a great deal of Galactica material that is not part of the original episodes is that it contradicts what was on the screen in those episodes, thus creating continuity errors. This is why many fans fall in line with myself, Senmut, Frag and Warrior.

-JJR

There is only one problem with that statement with regards to filmed Trek.

What continuity?

Examples.

The infamous "photon torpedo".
Zephram Cochrane.
Ferengi.
Klingons.
Voyager
The Borg
Enterprise
etc. ad nauseum.....


Once Berman and Bragga finished trashing the FRANCHISE the continuity was out the window!

Compared to them George Lucas' Star Wars is a masterful example of continuity. :LOL:

As for OBG, what was broadcast is canon. BG80 does not exist. NBG is its own seperate entity on a wait and see basis.

Damocles :colonial:

[Tanky]

Damocles you may like this site, its got some great articles on Trek

http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/

[Damocles]

:thumbsup: Berny Schneider!

:salute:

Thank You!

I'd forgoten his URL!

Damocles :colonial:

[Tanky]

No worries Damocles. If its been awhile since you've there, you have a lot of new material to get through ;)

[Kronus]

Damocles you may like this site, its got some great articles on Trek

http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/ Hey...very good site...thanks for posting it. :thumbsup:

[gmd3d]

I spend way to long on that site .. have to tear myself away :D

[TopGun]

At the end of the day it's down to the fan to decide wether they accept something or not. I'm one of those Trek fans that likes all aspects of it, even if it's Cannon or not

[Kronus]

At the end of the day it's down to the fan to decide wether they accept something or not. I'm one of those Trek fans that likes all aspects of it, even if it's Cannon or not
Overall I believe the same too. Now when I am GMing a sim or writing an article I generally like to stick to some form of cannon...and that has been one of my mixed feelings when it comes to BSG RPG's or sims.

But as long as everyone can keep it fun and not too dogmatic about it all I can really enjoy participating.

[cobrastrikelead]

(Rerun of an earlier Colonial Fleets joke that I still think is hilarious.)