[jewels]

Warhammerdriver,
the other thing about BG that I think especially Universal never understood:
This show possibly had one of the hugest casual fanbases of any sci-fi TV show ever. They tuned in faithfully every week it ran, even following it through pre-emptings (BG was pre-empted 8 times in the 17 episodes of the show). They weren't necessarily Trekkies or fans of other Sci-fi. They were there because it was a family show, or as close as they would get to another Star Wars until "The Empire Strikes Back". But they were the viewers that kept Galactica in the top 20 throughout it's run.

25 years later, it's not exactly the easiest thing to rate what the true fanbase is currently. Because the people that tuned in every week weren't necessarily fanatics about it. They loved it but to most of those tens of millions: it was a TV show they enjoyed and that was it. A story they wanted to see told.

If Universal had possessed a functioning market research brain cell, they would have used the DVD release (done a year earlier than they did, just as Tim Smith & crew planned) to test the market for what people would support. If the original concept sold like hot cakes--maybe a show with retro values and clear heroes and villains was marketable.

Instead, they went in blind, took the reins away from a solid storyteller that could have preserved the franchise without losing the fanbase or the casual fans (Tom D.), kept Glen happy with royalties and had much more avenues for marketing merchandizing goodies like toys.

Check the news channel here: the "toys" (figurines) being released later this year--TOS figures....25 years after the thing aired. And this is the 2nd time TOS based collectables/toys have been released with only comics or video from the original series--no new shows with those characters--to support the marketing.

There is something about the story in TOS BG that people want to see....still. I'm hoping Mr. Larson will give us that. I'm sorry Mr. Moore's hands were tied and yes I do think he has his foot in his mouth often, but I'm sorrier still that Ms. Hammer did an end run around DeSanto just to get a flash in the pan rating. Universal could have had "it all" as far as the rights are concerned: now they are relegated to sharing the profit with some other studio when Glen gets his project going.