Will New Series Help or Hinder Continuation?

[Boomer65]

Personally, I see BSG04's success as being crucial to the continuation’s effort (but I also see problems.)

If it fails then it will be labeled as yet another failure of the space-based sci-fi adventure. Yes, we can point to how well TOS did “back in the day” and how BSG04 *isn’t* TOS but remember that TOS’s success is largely credited to the phenomenal success of Star Wars. Also, today’s audiences have little in common with those of 25 years ago.

If it succeeds, well that is good and might help bring a BSG movie to the big screen but…will it be in the Hatch vision? Wouldn’t execs say, “Wait, you’ve got a hit series but you want to model the premise and format from a T.V. show made 25 years ago?”

I think that for Hatch’s vision to have a chance Ron Moore is going to have to bring BSG04 closer the original series AND it will have to be successful.

[jewels]

Boomer, sometimes I think it's going to come down to Mr. Larson running into the right person with money (and listening to some of Tom DeSanto's input on the story will help that, IMHO).

The Complete Epic Series' box set sales set records and that did not go unnoticed in Hollywood. It outperformed more recent series box sets that were half the price.

Matrix & LotR are done, Trek is floundering. Dr. Who, The Thunderbirds, LIS, V and Blake's 7 are all being kicked around for some sort of revival. The time is ripe. But that time can be ripe for a couple of years, it takes time to make movies. Especially good ones.

Hatch's specific vision isn't likely to happen, ever. But the ideas that he & DeSanto both Sprang off of, could very well be how it begins: 20-30 yrs after the hand of God, we catch up with the Colonials, still in mid-journey and the Cylons start the chase anew. Some veteran warriors and the next generation. DeSanto or DeSanto & Larson or Larson could pull off something, it's just a matter of timing and when to place the story.

The interest in the original remains (and perhaps has grown even). That is what they all said was more important than what the mini did.

[bsg1fan1975]

I think you may be right Jewels. and if and when we get a continuation I will watch my dvd's I cannot stomach the new series as it is not what the true fans asked for.

(above statement is only my feelings)

[Antelope]

What I hope happens is not what I believe will happen. Here is what I believe is most likely:

It the new series fails it will spell the end of ALL Battlestar Galactica efforts.

If it succeeds there may be a movie version of Battlestar Galactica one day but it will be based on the new successful series. It will be in the same style as how we saw Star Trek TNG inspire a few movies once they closed down the series. I don't think Desanto will see his version made. Whoever owns the rights to a theatre version will go for the new series version because they won't have to build new sets and they can used canned special effects footage, a big cost savings and known actors with a current fan base. Marketing would be a lot cheaper if it was based on a current successful version versus a 25 plus year old version whose core fan base is at least 35 years old, not your best movie demographics. I bet Larson or whoever owns the movie rights sells the rights to Univeral if things are successful with the series.

What I hope is that the series is successful and that Desanto or Hatch makes their movie with funds from producers who see the series success. This is what Desanto himself says he hopes for. I hope he's right but I wouldn't bet on it.

[thomas7g]

I don't think one series has to preclude others. if BG is a hit it may spurn a continuation running in parallel. I think we may get a movie in a couple of years.

The WORST case scenario is that somehow they can't do it. Some legal hassle, some feuding, whatever. The new show enjoys a healthy run. But like all shows it runs out of gas. Then to keep the franchise going (ala the many star trek shows)what do you think they will do?

;)

[Boomer65]

I don't think one series has to preclude others. if BG is a hit it may spurn a continuation running in parallel.
You’re right. The X-Men-Batman-Superman-Spiderman movies don’t fit into their respective comic book timelines either. So we could have one movie timeline (assuming there is more than one movie) and the BG03 timeline.

The big problem is how to do the continuation (i.e. 20-30 years after Hand of God as Jewels posted) that would appeal to TOS, BG03, and the uninitiated alike. There’d have to be an incredibly thin line to walk so that enough backstory is included so the BG03/uninitiated are not completely in the dark but not too much where the TOS fan sees nothing new.

Still, the question remains: would the execs prefer to go with a “proven” formula (assuming BG03 does succeed) or take an even bigger gamble on the old format? If BG03 enjoys the kind of success that NextGen had it would have to be the former.

Posted by antelope526
If the new series fails it will spell the end of ALL Battlestar Galactica efforts.
I think “delay” would be more appropriate. Nothing ever seems to die in Hollywood – if they can bring back The Brady Bunch and Leave It To Beaver ANYTHING is possible.

[Antelope]

I hope you are right. My fear is that the last Battlestar Galactica series, BG1980 was a financial and rating failure. No one even syndicates the episodes on TV. We basically are now on revival effort number two and the jury is out. Some of the TOS only fans don't like a significant number of TOS episodes and there were only 22. A lot of weight is on the shoulders of any Battlestar revival effort. We need it to be a ratings success. This is the revival 26 years later. I don't think you'll find another series that lasted a year and went away, was revived a year later and failed, revived again 23 years later and if it fails was then given a FOURTH chance.

[BST]

From the 2-cent file:

All of this is "IMO":

There will be a window of opportunity for the decision to be made on whether to try a 'continuation' movie. That decision will be based on the ratings / acceptance of the new show. My own thought is that it will be somewhere between 4-6 episodes into the show. Larson and/or DeSanto will only need to see the general trend for the new show.

If the ratings are good and steadily on the upswing, the chance for a TOS-based movie might be gone. The underlying thought is that the average moviegoer would relate to the characters/storyline of the present show, not 25 years ago.

If the ratings fall off and when combined with the DVD sales, the pitch could be made to do the movie.

*****

If a continuation movie does not come to pass, a movie based on the new show will probably not happen, at least for several years. The reason is that a fairly healthy collection of stories will need to be established before jumping to the big screen since Sci-Fi is a 'niche' network. It might happen quicker if the show were on one of the major networks but, as long as it's on Sci-Fi, the relatively low viewer population will require a longer time frame in order to prove to a studio that a movie would be a money maker. (No slam intended, it's just that the major networks have a higher overall viewing population to draw from. Since more folks, on average, watch the major networks than ANY cable channel, Sci-Fi would be under greater pressure to sustain their viewership numbers in order to convince a studio of the viability of doing a movie project.)

At any rate, Larson will definitely be involved. If a continuation movie is done, he'll be directly involved. If a movie is done based on the mini-series, Larson will most likely be approached in order to purchase the movie rights or to gain his approval since he owns the movie rights. In the end, Universal may wind up owning the whole kit and kaboodle, given the right set of circumstances.

I honestly think that we can support 2 different shows, in terms of a discussion forum but, in reality, when it comes to producing a movie, it will most likely be one show or the other. I don't think both a TV series and a theatre movie will run simultaneously. I could be wrong, lord knows, I have been before. :D

[peter noble]

Personally, I don't think the series will help a continuation series.

Yes, it might bring attention on the classic show, I think the DVD release did help a lot with that, but if the show goes on to be a big sucess it will only show that people are interested in that format - the reimagination one.

I say this because even though Glen Larson owns the movie rights, he does not own the name "Battlestar Galactica" which is a trademark of Universal. If Larson was to try to launch a BSG project he'd have to call it something else entirely, also there is some reason to believe that if he did, Universal could sue him for brand confusion/infringement (don't know the exact legal term).

Mind you, Larson could just sit on his rights and wait till the series is over then launch movie, or he could sell his movie rights back to Universal, or to someone else, he could even pass them on to his family.

If the series had been set in the same universe as the original but at some time in the future, then I think a movie would have more of a chance because it would be following the Star Trek model.

Peter

[Antelope]

Great post BST and Peter Noble! I think the closest thing we may see to a Desanto version would be a few years after the current series ends assumming it is successful. The script may be Desanto but the look would be the current version since it would be marketed off the then current popularity. Since most of the characters are not adults in TOS or the new versions it probably would keep everyone happy so long as you get past the bullets versus lasars type issues, which to me are pretty minor any way.

If Boxey in the new version is a human-cylon (already speculated) that could throw a loop in my above thoughts but Apollo could always have another son in a new series (maybe even with Starbuck!). Names are irrelevant.

[shiningstar]

I think you have it Right Jewels.

I think it's a slap in the face that Moore said
he'd THINK about putting some of the 1978 stuff
back in.

It's like throwing HALF a peanut to a starving ELEPHANT.

[peter noble]

It's like throwing HALF a peanut to a starving ELEPHANT.

That's a great saying, I'll have to remember that one!

LOL!

Peter