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Battlestar Galactica (1978 - 1979)
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Bud Brewster
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Joined: 14 Dec 2013
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Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2023 12:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pow wrote:
Reminds me of what Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski said when he was creating his B5 TV show, "No funny robots, no cute kids."

Okay, so how 'bout cute robots and funny kids? (No, that's no good either . . . Sad)

Ah-ha, I've got it! A cute, funny robot kid!
Very Happy
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Pow
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Joined: 27 Sep 2014
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Location: New York

PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 1:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just read an interview with the late Richard Hatch discussing plans about BSG had it been renewed for another year (not that BSG 1980 mess). According to Richard, none other then famed author Isaac Asimov was to have come on board the production as head story editor. If true, he might well have been able to take a mediocre series and transform it into something quite remarkable.
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Krel
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Joined: 19 Feb 2023
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 26, 2023 12:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

BSG had a problem, in that it was never intended to be a TV series. ABC looked at the mini series and ordered a TV show for the fall season. There was no lead time, and they were working on the story-line as the show was being broadcast.

The show did okay in the ratings, but it cost around a million dollars per episode. A great amount for a TV series back wen TV episodes had a budget of around 45,000 dollars. Even with the huge budget, they still had to rely on stock footage. The show did well, just not a million dollars per episode well. If the episodes hadn't cost that much, the show probably would have gotten a second season. That would have given the production staff time to work out the kinks.

I like the show and have the DVDs, it was a fun Space Opera with likeable actors and characters.

Richard Hatch was left-handed and had to used a right hand holster mounted on the left side of the belt.

When the miniseries came out the Daget handler came on "The Tonight Show". He walked onto the stage, layed the Daget on it's side. He started operating a remote control and the Daget stood up, it's ears and mouth moving. He put the Daget through it paces, then revealed the truth. The robot Daget was a chimpanzee in a costume with remote controlled mouth and ears. He took the head and front paws off the costume, and had the chimp sit next to him. The chimp was given a mug to drink from.

David.
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orzel-w
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 27, 2023 12:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I thought it was rather obvious the Daget was a chimp in costume.
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Krel
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Joined: 19 Feb 2023
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 27, 2023 12:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It wasn't a secret, I remember a TV Guide article on the Daget costume with several photos. But this was done in front of a live audience that probably hadn't see the TVG article.

David.
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Maurice
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Joined: 14 Dec 2013
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 15, 2023 7:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Krel wrote:
BSG [...]The show did okay in the ratings, but it cost around a million dollars per episode. A great amount for a TV series back wen TV episodes had a budget of around 45,000 dollars.

I think you dropped a zero there.

Most US hour-long network shows in that era cost about $400K (see this). Long running ones, over $500K. BSG (beyond the first five hours) averaged about $750K, as did Buck Rogers the following year.

BSG didn't rely on stock footage only because of budget. Dykstra's group was signed up to do the VFX for the miniseries, and when ABC put in a full series older there was a scramble to set up a VFX plant to do the work. Stock footage was standard procedure on TV (hell, the leads on Bonanza always wore the same clothes so that stock footage could be used all over the place). The problem with Galactica's VFX repetition was that they had so many space battles that the re-use was super apparent, especially week after week.

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Pow
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Joined: 27 Sep 2014
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2024 4:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Richard Hatch who played Captain Apollo was passionate about reviving BG.

His plan was to bring it back to television with what was called "The Second Coming." He produced a video for it.

"The time has come to stop running and take back our sacred homeland." Apollo.

In the video we see the survivors of the Cylon attack are now on some unknown planet with newly constructed pyramids.

Civilization has recovered but there is a new Cylon threat. A Cylon Civil War has taken place and a brand new species of Cylon has evolved.

There are images of the long-dead reptilian race who first created the Cylon robots.

A new generation of characters appear such as Apollo's son & Starbuck's daughter.

Starbuck is M.I.A., and presumed deceased. Yet a rescue mission is being planned.

Colonel Tigh (Terry Carter) is now the commander. John Colicos returns as Balter (with facial scars) offering to help defeat the new Cylon threat.

It is shown that the late Commander Adama possessed E.S.P. So does Apollo & Athena. The new show would have a darker tone to it.

Richard Hatch presented this new continuation to Universal Pictures. In order to create a demo-reel of his proposed project, Hatch re-mortgaged his home to make the film short.
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