Ron D. Moore Addresses the SIX EPISODES supposedly ordered by the SCI FI Channel

[The One]

Here is an interesting posting from Ron D. Moore addressing the so-called "Six Episode Commitment" posted by Cinescape that supposedly was ordered by SCI FI Channel...


Date: 01/26/2004
From: larocque6689

Here is Ron D. Moore's response to an email query on the Cinescape 6-episode report:

Quote:
There has not been an order for 6 episodes or any other number yet. We're still in financial discussions with the studio and network and no decision has been made, but should be made this week. While I don't really know whether a physical office has been opened in Vancouver -- which doesn't really matter one way or the other, since an office could be opened in order to coordinate striking the sets and seeing to the final disposition of wardrobe, props, etc. just as easily as to set up for preproduction -- I do know that no "show-runner" has been hired, other than...

[The One]

I found this posting very interesting...

Note how Ron D. Moore says that a production office could very well be set up to *finalize disposition of sets, wardrobe, props, etc...or could have been set up for pre-production which he has no idea since no episodes have been ordered nor has there been a go ahead for pre-production...

disposition: n, 1. arrangement, disposal, organization

(Shrugs)...very interesting,,,very interesting indeed,,,

[The One]

I accidently cut off the last few words of Ron's...

It is suppose to read:

"...I do know that no new show runner has hired, other than myself."

Sorry about that...my appologizes!

[The One]

Oh, oh...

I just realized that maybe this so-called production listing on the Teamsters Local is for organizing drivers to deal with transporter wardrobe and sets to be disposed which means why everthing is so vague and hush, hush...

And also, Aaron Douglas mentioned about being able to call the so-called Production office and getting an answering machine which I found very, very odd...

Oh, oh...something is not right...something is very strange here!

No wonder why there is no shooting schedule on the Teamster's Production list...

Someone jumped to conclusions too quickly...which actually is what I am doing...YIKES!

But...when I think about all of this...IT ALL ADDS UP TO...TO...

(shrugs)

Who knows...

Over and out!

[The One]

I just realized that the *disposition* comment by Ron D. Moore was the first negative remark he has made regardind anything related to his "Galactica"...

I don't ever recall him (Ron) ever bringing that kind of defeatest annotation to his postings...

[larocque6689]

I don't ever recall him (Ron) ever bringing that kind of defeatest annotation to his postings... [/B]

This is my take on his comments.

Firstly - he remains the showrunner of the production. And secondly, that if there is a production office open (something he's personally unaware of) it could point to either final dismantlement of the sets or series preproduction. Simply put: he doesn't know. He's stated
that talks are ongoing, SciFi has NOT made a decision on this series, and he expects one will be forthcoming very soon.

I don't think he's being defeatist, but I think he has a good take on the situation and where it can go. I'd like to publically thank Ron for continuing the information pipeline.

[koenigrules]

I concur with larocque6689's comments.
In fact, I would evm go one step further to state the decision for a "go" will happen this week!
Stay tuned!

[The One]

I concur wrote: January 27th, 2004 05:30 AM

I concur with larocque6689's comments.
In fact, I would evm go one step further to state the decision for a "go" will happen this week!
Stay tuned!


"You're looking for proof, but you're looking for the wrong
kind. All you want is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles. The only proof you're going to get is what looks like the absence of proof."

-Jesus Christ-

*I just found it interesting that as we get closer to the deadline...he (Ron) made that interesting comment (disposition) which really was unneccessary to speculate on...

I think that principle of Ockham's Razor (Occam's) could be applied regarding all the rumours and Ron Moore's comments...

I think that there is something fishy going on...

[koenigrules]

A more extensive RDM interview will be posted shortly on the galactica2003.net site.
A teaser of that interview indicates RDM will be the show-runner & that a launch of BSG would probably happen in the summer months.
Let's wait & see here before we conclude "something fishy is going on!"
Take it or leave it!!

[The One]

I am not sure why Ron D. Moore *WOULD NOT* be the showrunner...

Why would the SCI FI Channel hire another *NEW* showrunner...that wouldn't make any sense...

The whole issue in the beginning with the reimagining of "Battlestar Galactica" was Ron's to begin with so it would be absolutely absurd to dismiss his duties in the possible episodic run of "Galactica 2004"...What would be the point?

Also, I think that a summer 2004 production start of Galactica is far more realistic than the rumoured February or April start since a decision seems to be dragging out...

Everyday that the negotiations keep dragging on...a start date will get pushed further into the year...

This assumption agrees with me...that is more like it...

[koenigrules]

You misread me on ONE point:
by launch RDM meant airing on Sci-Fi in summer so production work would begin in the next few months.
Let's wait for that interview, shall we?
Thanks for your prompt feedback.

[The One]

Oh...hmmm....yes...I see, I see...I didn't misread you...you didn't word your point correctly...

Koenigrules wrote:

"A teaser of that interview indicates RDM will be the show-runner & that a launch of BSG would probably happen in the summer months."

*A Launch*...which doesn't imply an airing...not sure why I would have known you meant airing...(shrugs)

Anyways, I got your point now! Thanks!

Are you sure you didn't interpret Ron D. Moore's point on a so-called launch?

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know, drop it!

See ya!

[jewels]

Until RDM knows something, don't work yourselves up.

I think you are probably reading into RDM's statement too much, The One. I think he's just stating a business fact: to dispose of sets, any production would have a temp office set up, so an office on the teamster list doesn't mean anything conclusive. He knows enough about fans to know that they would read tea leaves if it would give them an answer. He's just trying to be neutral until there is news.

Until something's officially said at Skiffy, all is speculation.

[The One]

Tea leaves? WHAT?!?

That's what I have been doing...I been using Tea Leaves for years...and all my postings are based on this readings!

For crying out loud! Geez...

Now all I have is my trusty back 8 ball...

Thanks a lot...thanks for spoiling everything for me!

(mumbles off in the distance)

[jewels]

:laugh:

[The One]

I read a small snipet from the interview with Ron D. Moore...or supposedly from Ron D. Moore over at www.galactica2003.net

The question I ask is when did this interview take place?

It will be absolutely ridiculous if this interview was done awhile ago when Galactica was hot, hot, hot...

Now it is like luke warm water...just how *Derek Smalls" from Spinal Tap describes his role in the band...

This interview has nothing saying it was done recently...this week, last week, last year...who interviewed Ron, when, where, why and how? You know what I mean...

Does anyone have any answers?

[Darth Marley]

Well, you will become familiar with all the characters within fandom in due course.
What answers I could offer are just opinion.
And there has been enough mud slung.
Just read it if you like once it is posted, and reach your own conclusion.

[Darth Marley]

Yes, the interview is posted.
No earthshattering announcements.
Money is tight, and execs have not given the word.
Some revelations about RDM's thought on "Living Legend" and "Ship of Lights" in the miniverse.
He seemed to indicate that (assuming series go) there will not be much in terms of humanoid aliens (low make-up budget will help keep this pure). Nor would much of the action be combat related ( low special effects budget).
Claimed first show is written.

[slider]

That is too bad there is not much money for effects, props, costumes, and other stuff.

Did Ron Moore mention anything about Deep Trash's idea to have Boomer and the other Viper pilots fly naked? This would save money on costumes and improve ratings.

[Darth Marley]

I don't see any indication that RDM has concidered DT's innovative suggestions.

Things look bleak for the Hector & Vector reimagining.

Still, nothing here for anyone to pin hopes on.

[slider]

Maybe someone is holding out for too much money and a game of chicken is going on.

I feel for the fans of the new series. Hopefully after the merger, a new president will take over at Sci Fi Channel. It is hard to image things getting any worse.

[koenigrules]

In the galactica2003.com, under NEWS it states the interview was conducted on the 26th- which is yesterday so its current.

[koenigrules]

Sorry I listed the site address wrong, but you know which one it is, right?
Again,I apologize for the error.

[The One]

That was a very interesting interview and my assumtions were pretty much correct...No decison, no six episodes...the production office is up in the air...there could be one or not and Ron Moore has no idea about that...

It is nice to know that when you ask around town (Vancouver)....when I ask my friends for a source of information...it is correct...It is a nice feeling to know that and to know that the facts are the truth and not just a falsity resulting in ignorance!

But as far as he (Ron) is concerned...there is no deal yet so where these rumours came from...(shrugs)...I find it interesting that someone started the rumours...stupid if you ask me! Those false sources gotta a lot of guts if you ask me...

But then someone will probably come out still saying that the show is possibly greenlit! *shrugs*

Well, that would be nice of them to do all of this behind Ron D. Moore's back! (sarcastically said)


The truth is out there!

[The One]

Here is the interview:

www.galactica2003.net/articles/moore012704.shtml

[The One]

Oh, I guess the link doesn't work...

Does anyone know how to bypass the banned link site so everyone has access to read the interview so they can make their own assumptions!

There are many answers given by Ron D. Moore about all the rumours! It is very, very, very informative!

[The One]

posted: January 27, 2004 7:15 AM GMT


(Interview was conducted on January 26, 2004 by Farvoyager.)

The cats already know the drill. They are impatiently waiting in my room while I wait for the phone to ring. For the twentieth time, I do a sound check on my recorder. All appears to be working well. Good.

Then the phone rings. Its Ron Moore’s office calling. His Personal Assistant says she will connect me.

I listen to the funky California radio station on the phone while I wait.

His Personal Assistant comes back on... he must be in a bad reception area, she says, she can’t reach him on his cell phone. She reassures me that she’ll keep trying and that she’ll call back as soon as she has him.

Meanwhile, I’m wondering how I will explain this to the Web Masters of Galactica2003? They will be so disappointed. My cats on the other hand, would be thrilled to get out of the bedroom sooner.

The phone rings again!

Its Ron Moore’s Assistant again. She has Ron on the line. Sorry cats.

Battlestar Galactica 2003: I sound like the cell phone guy. Can you hear me now? Can you hear me now?

Ronald D. Moore: Yeah..

BG2003: Well I guess I’d like to start by... I’d like to know how much time do you have.

RM: I’ve got a little while.

BG2003: I guess I’d like to begin by saying I’m a big fan of Battlestar Galactica, since I was a kid I really enjoyed the old one and I’m excited about the new one also and really impressed with the changes that have been made. I’m sure you’re aware of some of the rumors that have been floating around regarding the status of the mini. Any comment on that?

RM: Nothings been decided yet.

BG2003: uh huh.

RM: I’ve got some e-mails about the rumors as well, that there was a 6 hour pickup, and none of its true, I mean, they haven’t made a decision. I just spoke with the studio today and they’re continuing the, its sort of all financial, budgetary discussions that are way above my head. They’re all dealing with the corporate level, you know, because the studio and the network are both owned by the same parent. And they’re deciding how much they want to deficit on the show, how much the studio will deficit on the show how much the network pays for license fee what are the broadcast windows what are the other licensing partners, I mean its just all of these sort of complicated financial discussions, which is... they want time to try and figure those things out which is why they extended the actor contracts until the end of January but to date they haven’t ...

BG2003: ...right...

RM: ...neither picked it up nor canceled it so we’re still waiting.

BG2003: ...and the end of January’s just a few days away.

RM: yeah essentially I think we’re going to have to have some kind of decision this week.

BG2003: Right, are you expecting the contracts to be renegotiated?

RM: Uh, no. Not really.

BG2003: Laughs is there any kind of hint you can give us? Or do you even have one?

RM: I don’t really have one. I mean that’s really the state of affairs as they are now, talk, I’m sort of in daily communication with them, I have periodic budget meetings,

BG2003: Right...

RM: I’m going into a budget meeting tomorrow and discussing it. And we look at the budget a lot of different ways, you know, taking money out of this department and putting it into that department, and seeing if we can get by with less here, I mean its all kind of the standard drill that you go through on a TV show before it goes to series.

BG2003: Yeah.

RM: So its all just sort of a lot of talk and somebody eventually will have to make a decision.

BG2003: So I guess in some ways you’re uh... kind of in the same boat as the fans, just waiting.

RM: yeah pretty much.

BG2003: laughs So I guess then you can relate to the pins and needles everyone’s feeling.

RM: laughs

BG2003: Except your salary depends on that, so

RM: Yeah (chuckle)

BG2003: So a little bit different for you I think. OK, assuming that the series is picked up, how soon would you expect filming to begin?

RM: Probably in the next couple of months, two or three months.

BG2003: have there been any targeted air dates?

RM: Summer, would be, uh, I dunno, they didn’t give me a “date” date, but even, but at this point all the dates are kind of vague anyway. I think they would want to probably do a summer launch, which is typically, you know, July, something like that.

BG2003: Right. Will you be up in Vancouver, I assume. when the filming begins?

RM: Me personally?

BG2003: Mm-hmm.

RM: I’d be up there for part of it. I mean I’d run the show, the writing staff and post production would most likely be done in Los Angeles, and then we’d be shooting in Vancouver, so I’d go back and forth.

BG2003: Do you expect there to be much different, uh, much difference in terms of your involvement if this goes to series, than your involvement when this was a mini-series?

RM: Uh, yes, in that when it was in production on the mini-series, I was show-running Carnivale, so at that point I wrote the miniseries and helped in pre-production, and pretty much had to step away and go off and produce Carnivale. And this time I would be full time, it would be my full-time gig, I would be the show-runner on the scene, and you know I’d be the guy running the writing staff, and to try to take the direction of the show.

BG2003: Right. A lot of people viewed your saying, your letting go of Carnivale as a big hint that Galactica was gonna be a go, I don’t know if there’s anything you can say to that?

RM: Uh, they were sort of two separate things and I wanted to, you know, Universal wanted me to come over and offered me a development deal and Galactica, you know, they were hoping that it was gonna go to series, and certainly that was a big carrot for me to come over and do it. And uh, yeah, that decision that was made back in, God what was it, like September, something like that, and that was before the miniseries was even on the air, so you know, everyone assumed, or not assumed, everyone was hoping it was going to go to series. And everyone still hopes its going to go to series, the studio and the network still want to make it work, they’re just trying to find a way, you know, how to do they make it work more than anything else.

BG2003: And budget seems to be the primary issue?

RM: Budget’s the primary issue.

BG2003: Is it just, obviously, the cost of doing the CG work and so forth these days is pretty expensive...

RM: Well, its sort of, it’s the whole package. You know, its, “space opera” shows are just expensive by their nature. Cost, you know, everything, is you know, there’s not a lot of rental involved, because you’re essentially using materials, or creating materials for the show, sets are expensive, costumes are expensive, CGI is expensive, we have an expensive cast, its just a hard show. You know, the whole, to maintain, I mean... the key thing is, I mean, you can shoot anything for nothing, you know, you could like go up there and shoot, like a cheapo version of Battlestar Galactica.

BG2003: Yeah.

RM: But the point of doing it is to maintain the quality of the miniseries.

[The One]

BG2003: Do you have any concerns that you could be sacrificing the artistic creativity if the budget were cut too far?

RM: Well no because those are the discussions that I’m in. I mean, I, you know, we discuss, I’m involved with, you know, discussing where we make cuts and what is it, what I’m willing to sacrifice and what we’re not willing to sacrifice.

BG2003: Right.

RM: So, you know, I have a hand in sort of saying “well no, if we do that we’re not going to be able to do the same level of”... you know like CGI for instance, if we cut it to that point, so “no we can’t do it, we can’t make a cut over in that department because we have to maintain that kind of quality, however this department over here, you know I think we could get by with one fewer body doing that job.” You know, it’s a lot of horse trading, but you know I keep my eye on what it will take to do the show week in and week out, and maintain a certain level of quality.

BG2003: Right. Um, OK, I guess, regarding some of the controversy over the changes and over the characters, I’ve heard it said in fandom, at least among some of the purists, that they feel the miniseries was disrespectful toward the original. Do you think that’s so?

RM: No. I think that’s a complete... I think that’s their perception of it, I think the people that say that, essentially, you know, had an agenda before they watched it.

BG2003: Right.

RM: Its like, if you’re ready to be offended, you know [laughs] then I think you get offended.

BG2003: Laughs.

RM: But none of it was, no one on the part of the production intended to be disrespectful for the original. You know we included little homages to the original, along the way, we used snippets of the original theme music, we put in original Cylons, we saw some of the original Galactica and the old Base Stars, and you know the Vipers are obviously very close to the original, very, very close to the original. And yet there were lots of little touches along the way, you know, including Boxey, that were meant as sort of homages to the old show. None of us were interested in insulting the old show. You know, that just wasn’t anyone’s motivation.

BG2003: Right, it wasn’t like an “agenda” or anything...[laughs]

RM: No! Why would we do that? [laughs] I mean, its just, no... We were recreating Battlestar Galactica, I mean where the roots of the program were, we weren’t even out there to attack them.

BG2003: Would you have any advise for some of the purist the fans who sort of feel like their favorite toy has been taken away?

RM: They always have the old show. Nothing we’ve done has eliminated the original series, or eliminated their ability to enjoy it. If anything, what we have done is opened up, you know, avenues for people, who were unaware of the original or not unfamiliar with it, now have an interest in going and checking it out and maybe become fans of the original too. So I don’t really see any negatives from the miniseries that impact the original. People saying, or feeling like their toy’s been taken away, is just kind of silly, I mean. They can watch it whenever they want!

BG2003: Laughing

RM: I mean, they can hold onto the DVD and play it. I mean it does exist, and it will always exist.

[The One]

BG2003: You know its interesting because I was talking with Grace Park, a couple weeks ago, I interviewed her, and we were discussing this, and she said she sort of felt empathy for some of the purists in that, you know, you can’t really tell them not to love it because they do, and its been kind of hard for them in some ways.

RM: Yeah...

BG2003: But then she also said that you know, really, it was better to make the changes that you did, because if you had tried to mimic it, it might, it would not have achieved the result, it wouldn’t have made them happy.

RM: I completely agree. I think that an attempt to recreate the old show would have fallen on its face, and that they would not have liked it. You know, I think what made the old show work, was sort of, it was specific to its time...

BG2003: Yes

RM: ...to the moment that it came on the scene. And people remember it fondly and its part of, you know, most of the fans remember it as part of their childhood...

BG2003: Yes.

RM: And you can never recapture that. Its always going to have the warmth of nostalgia about it because it was something that you saw when you were very young. And sometimes you watch it as an adult and you can still recapture that but its hard to then recreate it...

BG2003: Yeah...

RM: ...to then do it all over again, and even if had the exact same costumes, the exact same ships and the exact same music and everything its still not going to really give you what you’re looking for, because you’re looking for a childhood memory.

BG2003: Yeah, 25 years have passed...

RM: yeah.

BG2003: That’s a lot of time.

RM: It really is.

BG2003: Do you envision, assuming this goes to series, do you envision any new characters getting written in? For example, I know there’s also been some talk among fandom about there being possibly, or hopefully, some people of which there could be an African American lead, and not just a supporting character?

RM: I haven’t given that any direct thought, I mean we that wasn’t something we were avoiding when we cast the show...

BG2003: Oh no...

RM: ...we read some African Americans, they just didn’t happen to land those particular roles.

BG2003: Right

RM: There’s not a plan in the end to specifically write a lead role for an African American lead actor. There are other roles that will are gonna come up, and I’m sure they will come in to read for them.

BG2003: One of the things, I was mentioning I talked with Grace Park, and one of the things she mentioned, I thought was very interesting, she was talking about some of the freedom that the actors had, in that they were allowed to do a little bit of improvisation during the filming of the mini and she mentioned the “so say we all” scene, toward the end, where Edward James Olmos had that monologue, and she mentioned that some of that was just him.

RM: Oh yeah.

BG2003: That -

RM: He improved a lot of that and got them going. I mean, none of the, that whole back and forth where he stands and looks at them?

BG2003: Yeah.

RM: ...and he goes “so say we all” and then they kind of quietly say it back and then he you know he stirs them and they keep doing it and doing it? And then he gives the speech? That was all Eddie. That was all something he came up with down on the set.

BG2003: That just - that blows me away.

[The One]

RM: Oh it was fantastic. What I had written was, you know, he went up and gave the speech. And they got down there, and the “so say we all” line was in there, but it was just something... I talked with him about that at the TCA, the Television Critics Association gathering, and I told him how [great] that scene was and I was very pleased, he talked about it, it occurred to him sort of within the moment...

BG2003: Yes.

RM: He really, he just found something within the scene, and that kind of improvisation is something I would definitely encourage within the show. It’s a fine line, its like, you always have to be aware of what is the intent of the scene, because obviously it has to fit into the show and if its just out of whack with the rest of the story line its not gonna work...

BG2003: Right

RM: But you know when you have actors and directors that are really in tune with the intentions of the script and understand the overall picture then they can really fly with something like that.

BG2003: Well its interesting to me, because, we were talking about people making up their minds before they’d seen it, and I know that before the mini ever aired, a lot of people claimed they’d read the script and they had all these opinions, well, I personally never read the script. Because I felt that if I read that, it would predispose me toward it, and you cannot get a visual idea of how this is going to turn out until you’ve seen it. And just this example of Olmos, completely taking that scene away from the script, and just doing something so phenomenal with it, that, to me that proves my point.

RM: Yeah, absolutely. And a lot of things change from script to final cut, I mean there’s things that are lost in editing, there’s things that are changed around in editing, the order of the scenes sometimes changes, you cut moments out of scenes, or linger longer on certain moments on character that change the context of the scene, and a script is just a blueprint, its where it all begins...

BG2003: Yeah...

RM: Yeah, you’re right, a lot of times it is very different from what you see as the final product.

BG2003: yeah, I know that just from working in TV news [laughs]. Have you had a chance to check out some of James Swallow’s work on the Galactica video game?

RM: No I haven’t. I’m aware of it, and we had a discussion with the creators of the video game early on, but I haven’t actually looked at it.

BG2003: Our Website recently interviewed him and he has, some of his work actually alludes to both the original and the remake and is kind of a bridge between the two. And we had recently interviewed him and he expressed a great love for your script and wished that he could have an opportunity to write for the series, and I wondered if there’d be any chance that you would consider allowing him to write an episode.

RM: I have no idea.

BG2003: [laughs] Well can he be hired?

RM: [laughs] Have him give me a call...

BG2003: [laughs] I bet... um... its got to be difficult to sort of, you know, be thinking too far in advance about what you’d like to do when everything’s in limbo, I’m sure.

RM: A little bit. I mean I’ve written essentially the first episode, its nearly complete, and I’ve written an extensive story - series bible, and outlines for the first 3 or 4 episodes, and I’ve stroked out the character and story arc for the first season, but that’s about as far as I can do until they pick it up.

BG2003: Do you envision following, or echoing, some of the episodes which were you know, created in the original or do you think you’ll just branch out and explore your own territory?

RM: By and large we’ll branch out and do our own, but I’m starting to go back and re-watch the original episodes and there were some things, you know, I always thought the Pegasus story was pretty cool, it was something I’d always sort of...

BG2003: You have to promise me you won’t re-do “The Young Lords,” though.

RM: [Laughs]

BG2003: [Laughs]

RM: That’s one I just watched...

BG2003: “The Young Lords”? [laughs] Or what was the one with Siress Bellamy?

RM: That was on, we must have watched them together. They were on the same, Sci Fi channel ran them back to back...

BG2003: Did they really?

RM:... those two particular episodes.

BG2003: Well my Fiancé got me my silver Cylon for Christmas and I’ve been looking at it.

RM: Well maybe they were just broadcast in that order, yeah maybe, I was watching them on Sci Fi, they had that one and then the one with Siress Bellamy back to back.

BG2003: Oh, Lord... well I think that the Pegasus one, there could be so much that could be done with that.

RM: Yeah, it’s a good story. You know, it’s a good set up and its something I would probably like to take a crack at. I’m not sure when it would be, but that’s the only one I specifically have targeted, and I’ve thought about doing something with the ship of lights and all that, but I’m not quite sure that the ship of lights in that mythos fits into this universe of Galactica, but I’m still considering it.

BG2003: If you did the ship of lights, and then if you took Count Iblis, would you be doing sort of this, I mean in the original it seemed kind of like they were almost going for angels and devils.

RM: Yeah it seemed kind of that way.

BG2003: Almost a theological approach.

RM: And I’m not sure, that’s so, that’s so on the nose, to me, I’m not sure if it fits in with this view of the world...

BG2003: Yeah...