Caprica TV

Caprica soundtrack to be released on July 30

2013-07-26T22:54:00.000+01:00

The season one soundtrack is finally coming out, and this time there is a definite release date: July 30. That's this coming Tuesday.

The 2 CD set will be available on LaLaLandRecords.com. Broadway World has the details.

La-La Land Records will release the long awaited soundtrack for CAPRICA: ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK TO THE Syfy TELEVISION SERIES, composed by Bear McCreary (THE WALKING DEAD, MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D., DA VINCI'S DEMONS) on July 30, 2013. The soundtrack is a 2CD set, limited edition 3000 units.

"I want to give special thanks to you guys, the CAPRICA fans. You've been so loyal and supportive to our series, and that means a lot to everyone involved," said McCreary. CAPRICA was an amazing new musical journey for me. I've written a National Anthem, a Tauron gangster rap, a drag queen burlesque, and an opera for Alessandro Juliani, just to name a few." -- Keep reading

Leo Awards, Falling Skies season premiere, and other updates

2013-06-09T20:59:00.001+01:00

First off, congrats to Meg Tilly, Michael Eklund, Richard Hudolin, Richard Harmon, and the cast & crew of Continuum on winning Leo Awards last night.

Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series

Meg Tilly - Bomb Girls - Armistice

Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama

Michael Eklund - Errors of the Human Body

Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series

Richard Harmon - Continuum - Family Time

Best Production Design in a Dramatic Series

Richard Hudolin - Arrow - Pilot

Best Dramatic Series

Continuum

The complete list of winners is here.

Falling Skies is back with the two-hour season 3 opener tonight at 9 pm on TNT.

Luciana Carro, Ryan Robbins and Ty Olsson are all back this year, and Rémi Aubuchon was still the showrunner for season 3.

Last month, he announced he was stepping down as head writer to focus on his first novel, which sounds pretty interesting.

David Eick will be taking over from him in season 4.

Additions to the cast this season include Gloria Reuben, Robert Sean Leonard and Stephen Collins.

Falling Skies: The Complete Second Season was released on DVD and Blu-ray last week. It's available on Amazon and a few other places.

Here is a recent interview with Aubuchon:

The first two minutes of the season premiere:

And some previews:

"On Thin Ice" (9 pm)

Season three of Falling Skies opens seven months after the 2nd Mass arrived in Charleston. In the interim, Tom has been elected to political office, but he has his hands full as the resistance continues to battle the alien invaders. Tom’s decision to have the rebel skitters fight alongside humans creates tension and raises suspicions that someone may be feeding secrets to the enemy. Meanwhile, Hal struggles with nightmares that seem so real, he has difficulty knowing if he’s awake or dreaming. And Tom and Anne prepare to welcome their baby. Terry O’Quinn and Gloria Reuben guest star.

"Collateral Damage" (10 pm)

With hostilities escalating between the resistance and the alien invaders, Tom calls on a nuclear specialist (guest star Robert Sean Leonard) known as “The Rat King” to come up with a plan that will strip the aliens of their power. As suspicion continues to mount about a mole within the resistance, Tom and his leaders make a drastic decision that jeopardizes trust among the group. Anne, meanwhile, has a feeling that all is not right with her newborn. Gloria Reuben also guest stars.

Elsewhere, no idea if Brian Markinson is showing up on Mad Men tonight (10 pm, AMC), but Sci Fi and TV Talk has a nice, long interview with him, and he talks about most of his current projects. A few snippets:

“Our writers on Continuum are just getting better and better. We recently read the scripts for the final two episodes of the season – the first of which will be directed by the amazing Amanda Tapping [Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Sanctuary] while Pat Williams is directing the season finale – and some people's minds are going to be blown away by what happens. There’s all kinds of cool stuff coming down the pike.”

In addition to his police duties on Continuum, the actor’s other recent roles have been that of Doctor Arnold Rosen in AMC’s Mad Men and Ronnie Dearman in the CBC series Arctic Air.

“I’ve been so blessed this year,” says Markinson. “With Mad Men it’s so easy to play what’s on the page. It’s such a beautifully conceived and written show, and walking onto the Mad Men set is like stepping into a time capsule. You throw on the clothes and all of a sudden there’s not a lot of work left to do. You just breathe and do your stuff.

“As for Ronnie on Arctic Air, he’s fun. Again, throw a cowboy hat and a pair of boots on and he’s easy to play. I think moving forward with subsequent seasons of the show, they’re going to try to bring even more gravitas to the series and I’m hoping Ronnie is going to be more involved. He represents the sort of corporate ‘raping’ of the land and its people that has happened in Canada with the Native population as well as in the United States. So I feel there’s more to plumb with Ronnie and I like the Arctic Air world, too.

“Something else to throw into the mix of the recent projects I’ve been involved with is this fantastic miniseries in Calgary about the Gold Rush of 1897 called Klondike. I had the chance to work with people like Sam Shepard [Father Judge], Richard Madden [Bill Haskell] from Game of Thrones and Abbie Cornish [Belinda]. I play a real nasty piece of work, this guy called Cavendish, who’s a politician. It kind of runs parallel to the Dearman character in Arctic Air in that Cavendish represents the corporate interest coming into Dawson City and The Yukon and raping the land for the gold as opposed to the prospectors who came in. He’s sort of an exterminator who pushes the Mountie who’s in charge of law and order in the town to hang these Natives accused of murder. It’s a delicious role and every scene is just beautiful.”

Also not quite sure ~~who~~ how many familiar faces are showing up on The Killing tonight or if Hiro Kanagawa will be recurring this season, but there is a new episode on at 9 pm on AMC. Here is a quick interview with Ben Cotton from the Leos:

Ryan Robbins was on The Rush a couple of weeks ago, and the video is finally up on YouTube. He may or may not show up both in The Killing and Falling Skies. Here is the interview:

The Killing season 3 premieres tonight

2013-06-02T22:35:00.001+01:00

The Killing is back tonight at 8/7c on AMC with a few familiar faces appearing in the two-hour season premiere, "The Jungle"/"That You Fear The Most."

Aaron Douglas and Ryan Robbins will be recurring this season, and Ben Cotton will make an appearance in at least one episode.

Here is the setup, from Alan Sepinwall's review:

The new season picks up a little over a year after the last one concluded with the election, the arrest of Aunt Terry, and Mireille Enos' over-invested cop Sarah Linden walking away from Holder and the job. Holder is climbing the ladder at the Seattle PD with the advice of new partner Carl Reddick (Gregg Henry) when he catches the murder of a teenage prostitute who was killed in a manner very similar to a case that Linden worked years before with her old partner James Skinner (Elias Koteas). Linden and Skinner arrested their victim's husband, Ray Seward (Peter Sarsgaard), who sits on Death Row, a month away from his execution date. As the two ex-partners begin looking into the cases past and present, evidence begins to suggest that a serial killer is preying on young women.

Trailer & featurette:

John Pyper-Ferguson guest stars on Once Upon a Time tonight

2013-03-17T20:45:00.001+00:00

John Pyper-Ferguson guests on Once Upon a Time tonight, in episode "Welcome to Storybrooke," and you can also catch him in the season finale of Deception tomorrow at 10/9c on NBC.

Once Upon a Time airs at 8/7c on ABC. Press release and sneak peek:

REGINA, OUT FOR REVENGE, VOWS TO KILL MARY MARGARET, AND DURING THE EARLY DAYS OF THE CURSE, A FATHER AND SON FIND THEIR WAY INTO A SUPPOSEDLY UNDETECTABLE STORYBROOKE, ON ABC’S “ONCE UPON A TIME”

“Welcome to Storybrooke” - Emma, David and Mr. Gold must protect Mary Margaret against Regina, who is out for revenge and has made it her mission to kill Mary; and Henry, fed up with all of the feuding, devises a plan to put an end to magic. Meanwhile, Regina discovers that a father and son have somehow found their way into her allegedly undetectable town as she and the fairytale characters deal with the effects of the newly cast curse 28 years prior, on “Once Upon a Time,” SUNDAY, MARCH 17 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

“Once Upon a Time” stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen/Regina, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David, Emilie de Ravin as Belle, Colin O’Donoghue as Hook, Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills, Meghan Ory as Red Riding Hood/Ruby, and Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold.

Guest starring are Raphael Sbarge as Archie Hopper/Jiminy Cricket, Jamie Dornan as Sheriff Graham/Huntsman, Tony Amendola as Geppetto/Marco, Michael Raymond-James as Neal Cassidy, Beverley Elliott as Granny, Jarod Joseph Billy, Ethan Embry as Greg Mendell, Benjamin Stockham as Owen Flynn, John Pyper-Ferguson as Kurt Flynn and Steve Makaj as captain. “Welcome to Storybrooke” was written by Ian Goldberg & Andrew Chambliss and directed by Dave Barrett.

Blood and Chrome soundtrack is out today

2013-03-12T19:59:00.000+00:00

The Blood and Chrome soundtrack gets released today at 1 pm PST.

The first 200 copies sold are signed by Bear McCreary.

You can get the CD at LaLaLandRecords.com.

All the BSG soundtracks, including the one from the Caprica pilot, are also available.

Last word on the Caprica soundtrack is that it is now coming in May, not April as previously announced. No exact date yet, so stay tuned.

And in case anyone else was wondering:

Everyone is asking me if #BloodAndChrome score will be released digitally. Short answer: probably. But not in the next couple months.
— Bear McCreary (@bearmccreary) March 12, 2013

_______________

“In scoring the Battlestar Galactica prequels Caprica and Blood & Chrome, I returned to the unique combination of world and orchestral sounds that defined my previous score,” McCreary described. “But, both prequels had their own distinct approach. Caprica was interlaced with delicate chamber orchestra textures, solo harp and other-worldly source songs. Blood & Chrome is energized by heavy distorted-synthesizers and searing electric guitar performances. Listeners will hear, however, that all three series have a common musical DNA.”

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome (a prequel to the critically acclaimed hit series, Battlestar Galactica) takes place in the midst of the First Cylon war. As the battle between humans and their creation, the sentient robotic Cylons, rages across the 12 colonial worlds, a young, talented fighter pilot, William Adama (Luke Pasqualino), finds himself assigned to one of the most powerful battlestars in the Colonial fleet: the Galactica. Full of ambition and in pursuit of the intense action that the Cylon war promises, Adama quickly finds himself at odds with his co-pilot, the battle-weary officer Coker (Ben Cotton). With only 47 days left in his tour of duty, Coker desires an end to battle just as much as Adama craves the start of it. Though they clash at first, the two men forge an unlikely bond when a routine escort mission with an enigmatic passenger (Lili Bordan) turns dangerous and becomes a pivotal one for the desperate fleet.

Blood & Chrome is the second prequel from the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series. The first was Caprica, which aired from 2009-2010. Though it only lasted one season, the series and its music cultivated their own loyal following.

“The Caprica series soundtrack was made possible by the tireless enthusiasm of the series’ passionate fans,” said McCreary. “After countless Tweets, Facebook posts, emails, questions and rants, fans made it clear they wanted to experience this music in album format. I am thrilled to collaborate once again with La-La Land Records to release more music from the Battlestar Galactica universe.”

Eva Allan and Zak Santiago guest star on Once Upon a Time tonight

2013-03-10T21:11:00.000+00:00

Eva Allan and Zak Santiago are making an appearance in tonight's episode of Once Upon a Time, written by Jane Espenson.

"The Miller's Daughter" airs at 8 pm ET on ABC.

Press release and preview below.

CORA'S DESIRE TO TAKE RUMPLESTILTSKIN'S PLACE AS THE DARK ONE TAKES ONE STEP CLOSER TO BECOMING REALITY AS HE LAYS DYING, AND MARY MARGARET IS ONCE AGAIN TEMPTED BY DARK MAGIC, ON ABC'S "ONCE UPON A TIME"

Rose McGowan ("Charmed") Guest Stars as Younger Cora

"The Miller's Daughter" - Cora's desire to rid herself of Rumplestiltskin in order to take his place as The Dark One takes one step closer to becoming reality as she and Regina try to overpower a dying Mr. Gold, and Mary Margaret is once again tempted by dark magic. Meanwhile, in the fairytale land that was, Rumplestiltskin agrees to offer his services to a younger Cora - for a price - when the king calls her bluff and orders her to actually follow through on her boast of being able to spin straw into gold, on "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, MARCH 10 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"Once Upon a Time" stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen/Regina, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David, Emilie de Ravin as Belle, Colin O'Donoghue as Hook, Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills, Meghan Ory as Red Riding Hood/Ruby, and Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold.

Guest starring are Barbara Hershey as Cora, Michael Raymond-James as Neal Cassidy, Rose McGowan as younger Cora, Gerry Rousseau as father, Joaquim de Almeida as King Xavier, Eva Allan as Princess Eva, Zak Santiago as Prince Henry and Sonequa Martin-Green as Tamara.

"The Miller's Daughter" was written by Jane Espenson and directed by Ralph Hemecker.

Grimm returns with mid-season premiere tonight

2013-03-08T20:55:00.002+00:00

Grimm is back tonight with its mid-season opener, "Face Off." The episode airs at 9 pm ET on NBC.

Synopsis:

Grimm 2.13 “Face Off” – After Nick (David Giuntoli) learns about Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) and Captain Renard (Sasha Roiz), he must deal with the consequences. Things get even more complicated when Nick is called to investigate his own crime. Meanwhile, the search for the key intensifies as Captain Renard finds Nick’s trailer and makes a surprising alliance. With Rosalee’s (Bree Turner) help, Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) informs Nick that they might be able to stop what’s going on with Renard and Juliette before it goes too far. Elsewhere, Wu (Reggie Lee) responds to a bizarre shooting at Nick and Juliette’s house.

Assignment X has an interview with Sasha Roiz (more at the link):

AX: How does Renard feel about all his attraction to Juliette?
ROIZ: I think he is absolutely distraught by it. He has been so good at keeping himself a secret, keeping his plans secret, and plotting along the way. And he’s been very calculating. To all of a sudden lose all control and to jeopardize all the plans that he’s been setting up – it’s incredibly frustrating and terrifying for him. And so I think he would do anything to stop this romance or this infatuation, I should say. Because it’s jeopardizing his entire future. When it comes to Juliette, the potion has taken over, and it’s undone us both. It might ruin our lives, our ambitions, our aspirations. The feeling is absolute and complete infatuation, which prevents him from thinking straight, which prevents him from just living his life the way he’s known up ‘til now and being in control of his own life.

AX: Have you ever had something that’s kind of taken control in your real life, where you’ve thought, “What the hell am I doing?”
ROIZ: Never to that extent, but I can only imagine – this is the kind of stuff that leads people to kill each other and to put each other in tremendous danger and hazard, and I think, as you will see in the next episode, that’s where it’s headed. It’s headed to a very dangerous place, because we are both absolutely overwhelmed by it and determined at the same time to resist it, so it’s become a very dangerous combination.

There is another one at Access Hollywood:

“There’s gonna be confrontation, there’s gonna be repercussions, there’s gonna be fights, as you’ve seen in the trailer, there’s gonna be mad love and obsession and everything will kind of spin out of control,” he added. “But at the same time it’s going to add a whole new level to the show because the characters will all be revealed to one another.”

Capt. Renard is part royal in the Wesen world, but he’s also a police captain in the human realm, so Sasha said not to expect his character’s path to be easily defined as the show continues this Friday.

“Look, he believes in a certain order. The only problem is he believes that he needs to be at the very top of that order,” the actor told Access. “So, yes, you have that part of him that wants to create a very lawful society, but one that’s very loyal to him. So it’s a very interesting dichotomy.”

TV Guide has an interview with Sasha and the rest of the cast here.

And Buddy TV has one with him and Bitsie Tulloch:

The Awkward Triad: Renard, Nick and Juliette
Roiz: Well, it's going to be very delicate moving ahead and, you know, I don't want to say too much because we'll see what happens because it's really Nick's choice at this point whether he wants to move ahead, whether he wants to stay Portland, or whether he wants to, you know, deal with me with [Juliette].

So there's going to be a lot of fall out and that's going to occupy I think the remainder of this season to see what will transpire and how pieces will fall and - where they fall I should say. So that's really going to be a very delicate balance I think moving on.

Renard and Adalind Face Off
Roiz: [Renard and Adalind's relationship] is very antagonistic and she's definitely a thorn in my side and she's out to thwart all of my plans. She's also incredibly conniving and manipulative just the same as Renard is. And so she knows how to play him and, you know, what I love about some of the writing is you really don't know who's playing who sometimes. I think there's always a turn of the tables and so it will be interesting to see what transpires.

But she certainly has presented herself at a very difficult time for him ... he's very vulnerable at this point and so she's found a weakness and her timing couldn't be better.

Another interview from NBCU Direct:

And a couple of previews:

Blood and Chrome is out on DVD today

2013-02-19T22:00:00.000+00:00

Blood and Chrome has been released on DVD and Blu-ray today. You can get it on Amazon.

Here are the specs and list of extras, from Sci Fi Mafia:

Special Features
BLU-RAY/DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

Deleted Scenes – Which like any movie are probably removed to keep the story tighter, but a lot of these are essential bits of storyline that would otherwise be missed. So interesting to watch, since they are all filmed, but not taken through CGI enhancements.
Blood & Chrome Visual Effects Featurette – This gives you the full scope of what was involved in the CGI production of every single shot. Amazing.

Program Information
TECHNICAL INFORMATION – BLU-RAY COMBO PACK: Street Date: February 19, 2013
Layers: BD-50
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen
Rating: Not rated
Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French Sound: 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio

TECHNICAL INFORMATION – DVD:
Street Date: February 19, 2013
Layers: Dual Layer
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: Not rated
Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

From IGN's Blu-ray review:

The extras are fairly minimal, though better than they appear at a glance. The only behind-the-scenes inclusion is a featurette focused on the visual FX, but it’s actually longer than you’d expect at 23 minutes, including interviews with Eick and other producers, along with the FX team. It delves into the conception of Blood & Chrome and spotlights all the work that went into the green screen production. While a commentary or more story-oriented discussion would have been great, this at least does get into the nitty gritty of production on the project.

The only other special feature are deleted scenes, but there are actually a ton of them, running the better part of a half hour. Some are inconsequential moments, but there are several – mostly taken out from the opening portion of the movie – that would have been highly appreciated if they’d been kept in, better building who Adama and Coker are before the action begins. The vast majority of the deleted scenes were never finished, so you can see the green screen surrounding the cast, making the difference between those scenes and the finished project more impressive and notable.

The Blu-ray is the "unrated" version. While essentially the same as what is airing on TV, it features a bit more footage, including, yep, one pair of bare breasts during a co-ed shower scene onboard Galactica and a bit more harsh language.

A couple of deleted scenes:

If you didn't catch it last week, check out Bear McCreary's post about scoring Blood and Chrome on his blog. Here is the video blog that came with it:

The Fulle Circle Podcast has a new interview with Bear. He talks about Caprica and BSG among other things:

And a round of recent Blood and Chrome interviews.

Lili Bordán talked to MovieWeb (full interview at the link):

Were there discussions about where your character and where the story would go if it was picked up? I imagine they had a far-reaching plan in place.

Lili Bordán: A bible was written for a possible series, but I haven't read that, so I'm not sure where the story goes. If you look at it, it's a pretty amazing time in the Battlestar Galactica-verse. It's the beginning of the Cylon War, and it's such a dark, bleak time, where we don't know where everything is going. Young Adama is really coming to terms with what he's really a part of, and the truth about war. It's a true coming of age story, becoming a man during war, and what's a woman's role in this war. My character is a widow of the war. She lost her husband to the war, which turned him into a hero. It's about all of these heroes and what lies behind the propaganda.

Is there anything on the special features you're looking forward to fans seeing?

Lili Bordán: There's going to be a lot of footage that was cut. A lot of the forums are saying that the characters aren't developed enough, which was strange to me because I remember working on the roles and developing the characters. I remember how clear we all were about our characters, and where we come from. A lot of that you'll be able to watch on the Blu-ray, and a lot of it will be with a green screen behind it, so you'll see the contrast between what we saw and what we experienced on set, and then see what these guys at Universal created in the 10 months after we spent three weeks filming.

What would you like to say to BSG fans out there about why they should pick up this Blu-ray and DVD next week?

Lili Bordán: I think what you're going to see is, even though it's in the Battlestar universe, it's set at the beginning of this war, and it will be familiar, but it will also be completely different. It's so much about survival, and choosing sides. We hope that you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Entertainment Weekly has a new interview with Ben Cotton:

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: When you had your brief part in Battlestar Galactica: Razor, did you ever think you’d have a bigger role in the Battlestar world?

BEN COTTON: No, not really. I kind of thought that would kill me for the series, but who would have known this was coming? Obviously, at the time, there was no idea that Blood and Chrome was coming. When it came up it was a pretty good thrill.

What did you do to prepare to play Coker?

I kind of did an experiment with Coker. I would write a letter to his wife every night when I was going to bed about his struggle. It was mostly focused on the struggle and what was going on during Blood and Chrome. There’s a scene where I’m cleaning up the remains of my pilot, and so I wrote letters and talked about him right up until that battle. I’m not really a method kind of actor or anything like that, but I just thought the more that I could imagine Coker’s world thoroughly, that that would help me. Who knows if it did anything or not? I don’t know. But it made me feel more comfortable in him. It made me feel like Coker.

Yahoo! Voices has an interview with him and Luke Pasqualino:

Why do you think that a show like "Galactica" continues to get resurrected? It was on for four seasons and then it was gone. "Caprica" comes along for two seasons and then it's gone. It's like a franchise that nobody can kill. It just keeps coming back. Why do you think that is?

Ben Cotton: It's a great show. I think the writing has always been really good and people love it. It's fans are the best fans you're going to find. They'll stick with you. I think people want to embrace this story. People are excited.

Luke Pasqualino: People like to see action. People like to see relationships. People like to see real life stories. People like to see drama. They like to see comedy. They like to be humored. They like all these different things and "Battlestar" can offer that. The only difference between "Battlestar" and any other show is that it's set in space. I think we're dealing with real life situations here; whether it's love or hate...

Ben Cotton: It's humanity.

Luke Pasqualino: And "Battlestar" is set in space. It just looks cool. People like what the "Battlestar Galactica" franchise does for them.

So does The Advocate:

The Advocate: Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome was initially released as mini webisodes online. As actors, how did you feel about the movie being released in this unique manner?

Ben Cotton: I had never heard of anybody doing it like this before, but I think it’s great.

Luke Pasqualino: I agree. So many people are are using the Internet now to watch movies and TV shows online. As I heard a guy say a few weeks ago, “the Internet is the new TV,” so I think people being able to watch it online first is fantastic. Especially for people over on my side of the pond in England because we don't have the Syfy channel over in the UK.

Caprica set a new standard for the way sexuality is depicted in a high-profile sci-fi series, but the reimagined Battlestar Galactica‘s underlining theme of accepting diversity was something that resonated with LGBT fans as well. Was that something you were aware of when you joined the cast of Blood and Chrome?

Cotton: I’ll be honest, I hadn’t thought of that at all. But why not? The show deals with humanity and human issues, so I don’t see why any group would be excluded from that or should be.

And NBC Bay Area has an interview with David Eick:

You mentioned that you'd love to do something like this again. Are you in a take-a-breather mode, or are there some things percolating right now with the future of ‘Battlestar Galactica?’ What's the state of the behind the scenes universe right now?

We're kicking the tires of continuing the ‘Blood & Chrome’ franchise as either a literal continuation, or maybe another chapter in the ‘Battlestar’ mythos. But we're very early into those talks. There's nothing to report yet.

Is there a sequence, either through the story telling or what you were able to accomplish with the visual effects that stands out for you is something that you got especially excited about or proud of once you pulled it off?

This dovetails maybe into the question about Easter eggs, but another nod to people from ‘Galactica’ fanville that also asks some interesting questions is the fact that the Raptor – which is the name of the space craft that our heroes are on for most of the movie – has a tail gun rig so that a co‑pilot can get behind the gun and counter fire. And for fans of ‘Battlestar’ who are watching raptors for five years, they know that there were no guns on raptors, and suddenly, we have this revelation that there used to be, you know. It's a really bitchin’ gun. It's really cool and fun to look at. Anyway, if you’re asking the geek side of me, yes, that's one of my nice moments.

And a few featurettes. io9.com has one, EW has another. Neither of them can be embedded, so hit the links. Syfy released the last one on YouTube:

Blood and Chrome television premiere tonight (Syfy, 8/7c)

2013-02-10T21:15:00.001+00:00

Blood and Chrome has its television premiere tonight at 8 pm on Syfy.

The TV version will include additional footage, and the unrated cut will be available on DVD and Blu-ray on February 19. The DVD will contain about 30 minutes of deleted scenes.

From the press release:

This highly anticipated chapter in the Battlestar Galactica saga from Universal Cable Productions originally debuted as a weekly web series on YouTube’s premium channel Machinima Prime, drawing upwards of 8 million total views. On February 10, fans will get to see it for the first time in its film version entirety, including additional scenes not included in the online release. The unrated edition from Universal Studios Home Entertainment will then be available on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download on February 19th.

Blood & Chrome takes place in the midst of the first Cylon war. As the battle between humans and their creation, the sentient robotic Cylons, rages across the 12 colonial worlds, gifted fighter pilot, William Adama (Luke Pasqualino, The Borgias), finds himself assigned to one of the most powerful battlestars in the Colonial fleet: the Galactica. Full of ambition and hungry for action, Adama quickly finds himself at odds with his co-pilot, the battle-weary officer Coker (Ben Cotton, Alcatraz). With only 47 days left in his tour of duty, Coker desires an end to battle as much as Adama craves its onset. Lili Bordán (Silent Witness) also stars.

Leveraging cutting edge CGI and virtual set technology, Blood & Chrome is produced by Universal Cable Productions, a division of NBCUniversal, and the award-winning producing team of Battlestar Galactica. David Eick (Battlestar Galactica, Caprica) is executive producer along with Michael Taylor (Battlestar Galactica, Caprica), who wrote the teleplay from a story by Taylor, Eick, Bradley Thompson (Battlestar Galactica, Falling Skies) and David Weddle (Battlestar Galactica, Falling Skies). Blood & Chrome was directed by Jonas Pate (Prime Suspect, Caprica)

Blood and Chrome stars Luke Pasqualino, Ben Cotton, Lili Bordán, Brian Markinson, Karen LeBlanc, Jill Teed, Ty Olsson, John Pyper-Ferguson, Adrian Holmes, Leo Li Chiang, Mike Dopud, Carmen Moore, and Zak Santiago. Tricia Helfer makes a special appearance. Bear McCreary wrote the score.

Some interviews and featurettes below.

Lili Bordán did an interview for The Younge Hollywood Blast:

Screen Picks talked to David Eick (hit the link for the rest):

But Galactica fans will be happy to hear that just because the series is being distributed online, it’s not going to disappoint. Eick acknowledged, “We did nothing differently because it was geared for online versus broadcast. Absolutely nothing was decided or complicated or managed to accommodate that difference. The only choices that were made aesthetically, creatively, and narratively that were different from Battlestar were purely driven by a desire to reinvent once again this franchise and this title for a new audience.”

But Eick conceded that there was one major change in style, “What we decided to do differently to make it fresh and accessible and evocative, but not duplicative of the last Battlestar, was to make this a green screen composite universe.”

He described the process, “You literally had a green screen stage with a massive lighting configuration that was something you’d see at a Rolling Stones rock show that could accommodate a variety of different looks and environments. And then using a painstakingly built creative army put together by Gary Hutzel and Mike Gibson, our visual effects guys from the earliest in the Battlestar days, we were able to achieve a look and a level of 3D immersive compositing detail that you would compare much more easily to what you see in cutting edge feature films than to anything you would see on television.”

MassLive.com has an interview with Ben Cotton and Luke Pasqualino (full article at the link):

A self-described “Battlestar virgin,” Pasqualino exchanged casual emails with Olmos and watched the failed 2010 prequel series “Caprica.”

“It helped me a lot to see where our show fit in the mix,” Pasqualino said.

Cotton, who had a bit part in the “Battlestar Galactica” movie “Razor” in 2007, said he screened a few episodes, but then “opted to pick my battles.”

The two actors developed a fine onscreen chemistry, which they credit to the story by “Battlestar Galactica” veterans Michael Taylor, David Eick, Bradley Thompson and David Weddle, as well as the direction of Jonas Pate (“Prime Suspect,” “Caprica”).

“There was a lot of freedom on this set to let it go and play off each other,” Cotton said. “It was really fun.”

Another one from Comics Online:

Q: Luke, did you have any contact with Eddie Olmos?
L: I was given an email address, and we were kind of sending emails back and forth, but none of it was really about the work, in terms of material or performances. It was more about what’s expected. I didn’t want anything that Eddie did to influence my interpretation of the material because it was two very different stages of his life, so I tried to steer away from watching any of his stuff, but I did watch seasons of Caprica. Mr. David Eick made that a priority. It was homework for me, and I loved it. To be part of the Battlestar franchise now, and to be welcomed on board as this young William Adama character, it’s truly an honor, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity.

Q: Is this, both of you, your first experience working with primarily green screen?
B: (laughs) The hardest part was the helmet. It’s hard to breathe in those things. The green screen was, strange, but I didn’t find it to be too hard of a challenge I mean there were these little markers you could pick to make your imaginary spaceship, but after watching some of the dailies, I realized I wasn’t taking in the environment as much as I would if i was actually in a Cylon facility, but once I figured that out, I didn’t find it too challenging at all. You get used to using your imagination.

And Blastr has one, too:

Cylon possibilities aside, Cotton believes the reason Battlestar Galactica has continued on is because “the writing has always been really good. People love it. Our fans are the best fans that you're going to find. They'll stick with you. I think people want to embrace this story. Or so it seems, anyway. People are excited,” he said.

“I think aside from that, even someone like me who wasn't a Battlestar fan before I was involved with it. People like to see action. People like to see relationships. People like to see real life stories. People like to see drama. They like to see comedy. They like to be human. All these different things, Battlestar can offer that. The only difference between Battlestar and any other show is that it's set in space. We're dealing with real life situations here, whether it be love, hate, there's everything going on there,” said Pasqualino.

Here is a VFX featurette, "The Idea," that includes interviews with David Eick, Michael Taylor, Mike Gibson (co-producer/VFX producer), and Jonas Pate:

Another featurette, "The Value of Proximity," that has interviews with Paul Leonard (producer), Gary Hutzel (VFX supervisor), Doug Drexler (CG supervisor), Eric Lea (editor), and Patrick F.X. Murphy (digital compositor):

And another one, "Pre Viz," with Kyle Toucher (VFX sequence designer), Jonas Pate, and Eric Lea:

Caprica: Original Television Soundtrack to be released in April

2013-02-05T20:39:00.000+00:00

The Caprica season one soundtrack is finally getting released! Bear McCreary has just made the announcement on Twitter. The soundtrack will be out in April.

The Blood and Chrome soundtrack is coming even sooner. It will be released on March 12th. B&C will have its television premiere this Sunday, February 10, from 8 to 10PM ET/PT.

Then, at long last, a multi-CD album of "#Caprica" is coming in April, featuring the songs & score from the entire series, w/ bonus demos.
— Bear McCreary (@bearmccreary) February 5, 2013

The "Caprica" CD is happening because of you guys. Passionate fans never let this go. To each of you, I offer a rowdy "So Say We All!"
— Bear McCreary (@bearmccreary) February 5, 2013

Here is the full press release from Cinemedia Promotions:

LA-LA LAND RECORDS RE-ENGAGES IN THE CYLON WARS WITH TWO NEW SOUNDTRACKS COMPOSED BY BEAR McCREARY

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome on March 12th

Caprica: Original Television Soundtrack in April

(February 5, 2013 – Burbank, CA) La-La Land Records announces the release of two new soundtracks Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome on March 12th and Caprica: Original Television Soundtrack in April. Bear McCreary (The Walking Dead, Battlestar Galactica) composed the music for both series.

“In scoring the Battlestar Galactica prequels Caprica and Blood & Chrome, I returned to the unique combination of world and orchestral sounds that defined my previous score,” McCreary described. “But, both prequels had their own distinct approach. Caprica was interlaced with delicate chamber orchestra textures, solo harp and other-worldly source songs. Blood & Chrome is energized by heavy distorted-synthesizers and searing electric guitar performances. Listeners will hear, however, that all three series have a common musical DNA.”

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome (a prequel to the critically acclaimed hit series, Battlestar Galactica) takes place in the midst of the First Cylon war. As the battle between humans and their creation, the sentient robotic Cylons, rages across the 12 colonial worlds, a young, talented fighter pilot, William Adama (Luke Pasqualino), finds himself assigned to one of the most powerful battlestars in the Colonial fleet: the Galactica. Full of ambition and in pursuit of the intense action that the Cylon war promises, Adama quickly finds himself at odds with his co-pilot, the battle-weary officer Coker (Ben Cotton). With only 47 days left in his tour of duty, Coker desires an end to battle just as much as Adama craves the start of it. Though they clash at first, the two men forge an unlikely bond when a routine escort mission with an enigmatic passenger (Lili Bordan) turns dangerous and becomes a pivotal one for the desperate fleet.

Blood & Chrome is the second prequel from the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series. The first was Caprica, which aired from 2009-2010. Though it only lasted one season, the series and its music cultivated their own loyal following.

“The Caprica series soundtrack was made possible by the tireless enthusiasm of the series’ passionate fans,” said McCreary. “After countless Tweets, Facebook posts, emails, questions and rants, fans made it clear they wanted to experience this music in album format. I am thrilled to collaborate once again with La-La Land Records to release more music from the Battlestar Galactica universe.”

Bear McCreary’s unique combination of atypical instrumental background (he is a professional accordionist) with rigorous classical training prepared him to compose for disparate genres. By the age of 24, McCreary was launched into pop culture history with his groundbreaking score to SyFy’s hit series Battlestar Galactica, for which he composed “the most innovative music on TV today” (Variety). It “fits the action so perfectly, it’s almost devastating: a sci-fi score like no other” (NPR). Io9.com declared Bear McCreary one of the Ten Best Science Fiction Composers of all time, listing him alongside legends John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith and Bernard Herrmann.

McCreary continues to write for the television show The Walking Dead. In 2013 he will lend his talents to SyFy and Trion World’s groundbreaking entertainment experience, Defiance, a combined launch of a MMO videogame and television series as well as Da Vinci’s Demons, a bold new historical fantasy series from David S. Goyer (co-writer of The Dark Knight trilogy) for STARZ. His upcoming film projects include Europa Report and Knights of Badassdom. His other credits include critically acclaimed scores for series such as Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Eureka and The Cape. His swashbuckling score for Human Target featured the largest orchestra ever assembled in the history of series television and earned him his first Emmy nomination. His videogame credits include SOCOM 4 and Dark Void.

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome, can be watched as twelve 10-minute webisodes on Machinima.com and will air as a two-hour movie on Syfy on February 10, 2013. The DVD, BluRay, and digital download will be released on February 19, 2013.

La-La Land Records presents Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome (limited edition 3000 units) available at www.lalalandrecords.com and other soundtrack boutique retailers on March 12, 2013. Also available are the soundtracks for Battlestar Galactica: Season 1, Season 2, Season 3, Season 4, The Plan/Razor, and Caprica: Original Soundtrack from the Pilot Episode.

Blood and Chrome - final two episodes

2012-12-07T23:21:00.000+00:00

Machinima has posted the last two episodes of Blood and Chrome today. You can watch them below or on YouTube. And there are a couple of updates after the clip.

Episode 9
In the aftermath of the deadly Cylon ambush, Coker (Ben Cotton) threatens Becca (Lili Bordan), forcing Adama (Luke Pasqualino) to a heated standoff.

Episode 10
Becca discovers a startling new development that will affect the future of the human race. Meanwhile, Coker’s life hangs in the balance as the team holds out hope for a rescue, and Adama has a disheartening realization about the war effort and his place in it.

If you didn't get around to reading the transcript Bear McCreary's AMA on Reddit from last Friday, here is what you've missed:

Is there any update on what's happening with the Caprica soundtrack? There's so many wonderful tracks from it that I want to listen to properly.
Hey cube1701... this is a great question. First, a little background on how I deal with albums. As you guys probably know, I put a lot of time and energy into them and make sure that they are great listening experiences, not just a collection of cues that were mixed for broadcast. This approach resulted in some great BSG albums, and a great album for the Caprica pilot.

The rest of the series was no exception. I assembled a collection of the best cues into suites, re-recorded, re-mixed and re-mastered a fantastic double disc album. It's done, and it's been done for a while.

However, Caprica's swift demise and slim ratings made it difficult to get this album released. I can't move forward on anything like that without involvement from NBC Universal and for a long time, there was little interest in working on an album for a show that was no longer on the air. (For the BSG records, we always had the promotion of the following season or DVD release to piggy-back on for album promotion).

So, the bad news is that no album has come out yet. But, the good news is that we're beginning to make some real progress now. NBC Universal is showing interest in letting me release this music.

The best thing fans can do is continue to show their support and enthusiasm for the idea. I'm confident we can make it happen, as long as the fans make it clear to the powers-that-be that they want it.

How can we show NBC Universal that we're interested? The scores for Caprica's first season (particularly the second half of the season) are some of my favorite cues you've ever written. It would make my week to see a release. :)
Trust me. You guys are helping right now. People who can help make the Caprica album a reality are watching what's happening right now. Keep it up!

I know a CD release of Caprica is tied up at the moment, but what's the word on a release of Blood & Chrome?
Plans are afoot.

Hey Bear. Is there any indication that Blood and Chrome will have a life beyond the single movie? Just hearing the BSG style of music again gives me pangs for a weekly intake. Also, say hi to Erin, Todd and Nova if you talk to Erin any time soon.
As far as I know, there are no concrete plans right now. But, it also seems that everyone is open to the idea. Fans have a say in this, though. Enough views on Machinima, enough views in February when it airs, and / or enough DVD sales when it comes out in February can all make a difference. Everybody tune in, because we're all ready to make more of these!

Tons more about Bear's work on BSG, The Walking Dead, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Defiance (coming in April), and everything else at Reddit.

Ben Cotton and Mike Dopud were on The Rush last week. They talked about Blood and Chrome, and also about season two of Arctic Air - they will both be appearing in it. Here is the clip:

Blood and Chrome - watch episodes 7 & 8

2012-11-30T22:18:00.001+00:00

Episodes 7 and 8 of Blood and Chrome have been posted. You can watch them below or on YouTube. Two more to go.

Bear McCreary is doing a Q&A on Reddit at 6 pm EST. Head over there to ask questions.

The episodes:

Episode 7

Waylaid by a ferocious storm, Adama (Luke Pasqualino), Coker (Ben Cotton) and Becca (Lili Bordan) reluctantly follow their eccentric savior, marine recon sergeant Xander Toth (John Pyper Ferguson), to shelter in an abandoned ski lodge. Adama and Coker finally find some common ground and secrets about Becca’s mysterious mission are revealed.

Episode 8

The tentative safety of the ski lodge is abruptly shattered as Cylons breach Toth’s defenses. With Becca and Toth nowhere to be found, Adama and Coker face off against their deadly robotic pursuers. Becca makes a horrifying discovery about the Cylons’ agenda on Djerba.

Blood and Chrome - watch episodes 5 & 6

2012-11-23T23:32:00.000+00:00

Machinima has posted two new episodes today. You can watch them below or on the Machinima Prime channel. The first episode has over 2 million views so far and episodes 2, 3, and 4 around 600,000. To watch all the episodes from start to finish, go here.

Jill Teed and Ty Olsson are back in episode 5 and John Pyper-Ferguson shows up to take the kids for a walk in episode 6. Also, there is the cython.

Watch the episode, and there is more stuff after the jump.

Adama dogfights Raiders while the Battlestar Osiris tries to hold off a Cylon Basestar.

Just a few more tidbits from this week for people who aren't on Facebook and Twitter.

First, there was Patton Oswalt talking to the A.V. Club about his most memorable roles:

Caprica (2010)—“Baxter Sarno”
PO: That was very frustrating, because I got a glimpse of what the second season of Caprica was going to be, and the stuff they had planned for that show was fucking amazing.

Beyond the stuff I was going to be getting to do, what they were going to do with that world, and with its darkness, would have been so thrilling. But I love the fact that even in a show as dark as Caprica—and in a lot of ways, that show was as dark as Battlestar Galactica—[Sarno] was very aware that people want their fucking distractions. Even in a future science-fiction world like Caprica, they’re going to want their Jon Stewarts, they’re going to want their Bill O’Reillys and their Rachel Maddows and their things to get all up in arms about, their Jay Lenos and their Lettermans.

So I was playing that role, and I would talk to [series creator] Ronald D. Moore about what happens to a guy like this who is kind of aggressively shallow in a lot of ways. When he’s engineering that whole fight between Eric Stoltz and Stoltz’s rival, it’s not because [he cares] about technology and where humanity is going; it’s great fucking ratings. So what happens when the shit comes down? It reminds me of that moment in Cabaret when they’re singing “Tomorrow Belongs To Me,” and they cut to the Emcee from the Kit Kat Club just smiling and nodding in his dressing room, you’re like, “What happens to that guy when the Nazis rise to power? Why is he smiling? Why is he nodding?” That stuff is really intriguing to me.

^ You can catch Patton on Burn Notice next week (Thursday, 10/9c, USA).

There is a new interview with Doug Drexler over at Lightwave3d.com. Snippets below, more at the link.

How is the production of Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome unique?
It really is an amazing experience that’s unlike any other. It’s unprecedented for guys that we’ve brought onto the show; they don’t believe me at first when I tell them, ‘This is as close as you can get to get to making a show. You won't be some nameless guy across town in a cubicle.’ We cut our own shots in with the editor. If it doesn’t work, we do a new shot, run down the hall, put it in, and look at it together. If it doesn’t flow, if it doesn’t work... there’s no approval process... we just do it.

That’s how we are able to do so many amazing shots in so little time on Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome. In eight months, we did more than 2,000 shots with nine guys— that’s because we had unprecedented freedom.

How do other production workflows compare?
I was on all the various Star Trek television series for 17 years—including Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise—and there was a really strict approval process. You couldn’t just take a leap by putting together a sequence and saying, ‘This is what we might do here.’

The process on Battlestar Galactica was a stark contrast. We did a show called 'Razor' where the Scorpio Shipyard is attacked by the Cylons. In the script, it read: ‘A dot of light approaches the station and there’s a huge explosion’—and that’s the end of the sentence! [Digital Artist and CGI Sequence Designer] Kyle Toucher and I read that and we said, ‘No Way! This is our chance to do Pearl Harbor!’ So, Kyle laid the whole sequence out—it was awesome—and Gary sold it to Ron Moore.

io9.com has an exclusive VFX featurette that has some BTS footage from next week's ep and interviews with David Eick, Gary Hutzel, and Jonas Pate.

Here are a few things David Eick said on YouTube last week:

For the love of all things Cylon will you get Caprica up and going again?
Alas, Caprica was "one and done" -- although the story bible we drafted for a possible Season 2 was awesome. Really focused the Cylon/Colonial historical struggle in a much more accessible, American Civil War metaphor. I really felt SyFy should've given it another shot. Oh well, one day....

Will we be seeing any of the 'bigger questions' that we saw in BSG in Blood and Chrome, or will this be more combat/CG and less 'why they hate us'?
B&C will definitely deal with the "why they hate us" premise... and will definitely wrestle with larger issues attendant to the BSG theme -- what it means to be human, etc. But probably a bit less esoteric and contemplative than BSG Season 4. Closer in tone to Seasons 1 & 2.

You truly captured the feel of a sub inside the Osiris. Also Galactica's 'CIC' looks a lot different than the recent series. Did you look back to the original series for ship design?
We had the original sets scanned so that we could implement/augment in a digital space. Glad you dug the Osiris -- we were definitely going for the "Das Boot" vibe...

The ship design for the Osiris is so distinct. The antennae at the rear and the reflective shell, there's no doubt it's a stealth ship. For this and other ships where did your dev team look for inspiration?
All R&D, like BSG, rooted in naval and AF tech. Definitely erred on the side of reality wherever/whenever possible.

Hi David! Do you think that there is still a market for multi season space operas like bsg in tv? Can platforms like youtube & itunes provide new possibilites for the genre?
Always a market for great scifi as long as creators and distributors are gutsy enough to allow it to be metaphorical/allegorical. When they get too soft/escapist, they tend to have shorter half-life. Works great in movies but doesn't have the "legs" for TV unless there's real depth.

For us Caprica fans, will any of the loose ends from that show be tied up in this series?
We don't address the world of "Caprica" in B&C except in offhand moments... but if there are future B&C episodes (beyond the first 10), we'll definitely get into William Adama's youth, family and culture.

Hi David. Whats the word on a tv series after the Blood and Chrome movie airs? Are you guys waiting to see how many views this minishow gets before committing?
This was always designed for online, the "digital space." That said, all our futures are tied to current success!

Will any of the human cylons be making an appearance or will it just be toasters and I'm assuming the hybrid if you were to show the end of the war?
B&C will definitely investigate the "evolutionary" nature of Cylon tech... how their process of going from rivets and metal to soft, Tricia Helfer-flesh did not happen overnight... there were several experiments in between...

And another Blood and Chrome featurette from Wired that also has some BTS footage and interviews with Michael Taylor, David Eick, Gary Hutzel, Jonas Pate, Luke Pasqualino, Lili Bordan and Ben Cotton:

Blood and Chrome - watch episodes 3 & 4

2012-11-16T21:11:00.000+00:00

Machinima has posted episodes 3 and 4 of Blood and Chrome. You can watch them below or on the Machinima Prime YouTube Channel. Episode 1 has had 1,773,800 views so far and episode 2, only 517,234. Some high-traffic sites didn't embed both episodes last week, so if you haven't seen ep 2, you should probably catch up first.

And a slight correction: Machinima has released the full schedule for the show, and the final two episodes will be posted on December 7, not November 30, which makes more sense since they are being released in pairs.

David Eick will be answering questions about the show on YouTube any minute now, so if you have an account, you can head over there.

Nerdist has a new interview with Eick. Here is a snippet that probably isn't a surprise to the conspiracists among us (the part about those plans for a B&C TV show not being what they were cracked up to be):

N: What challenges were there in cutting the show down to smaller, webisode-sized segments?
DE: I think that question unfortunately comes from a misinformed place. People have developed a belief that we developed this pilot for SyFy Channel and they passed on it, but then said, “Let’s put it online.” It was actually the opposite. We developed this as an online project, but then SyFy read the script and said, “Let’s keep our options open.”

As the production started coming together, we decided to go back to the original plan because there was a real opportunity to blow the wheels off of the level of quality you would expect from a web-based production. So, when people come to me saying that SyFy passed on Blood & Chrome, I’m like, “What the f@$# are you talking about?” They didn’t pass on it; we simply went back to our original plan of action. It was always going to be a ten-part story and a one hundred minute movie that you could divide into ten-minute bite-sized morsels. We embedded natural cliffhangers and segues within the episodes that lend themselves well to serialization. This has been a part of the plan since the get-go.

When we were thinking about how to crack the digital marketplace with the Battlestar franchise, I just thought about Raiders of the Lost Ark and the world where that came from with these movie serials that you would go and see each week, they would end on a cliffhanger, then you would come back and see the next little installment the following week. You might be able to build something like that if you rushed mission design; military missions are made up of many smaller missions.

And Spoiler TV has the transcript of the conference call he did with Luke Pasqualino last week. A lengthy read, but well worth it. Here is an interesting snippet:

There are a number of little Easter-egging nods to the Battlestar faithful that anyone watching the DVDs or seeing this online will be able to recognize. But I think one of the things that will be less resistance to is to think about, do we [get] Esai Morales who played William Adama's father, to reprise his role in some capacity in a future episode? Do we show some of that conflict and strain between father and son and some of the uniquely kind of contradictory impulses that a mob lifestyle and military lifestyle sort of present?

That's all really rich storytelling—top soil for us—to pursue if we get the chance to go forward.

The new old faces making an appearance in the new episodes are Jill Teed (Col. Patel on Caprica, Sgt. Hadrian on BSG) and Ty Olsson (Capt. Kelly on BSG).

The episodes:

Episode 3

Reeling from the discovery of the ruins of Battlestar Archeron, Adama (Luke Pasqualino) and Coker’s (Ben Cotton) small Raptor is nearly outmatched when they engage with three enemy Raiders. More secrets are revealed when the crew makes a shocking discovery deep in Cylon space.

Episode 4

Adama and Coker prepare for a dangerous mission above the Cylon occupied planet Djerba. Coker reunites with an old friend (Sebastian Spence) and reveals startling news.

Blood and Chrome - first two episodes posted

2012-11-09T15:50:00.000+00:00

Machinima has posted the first two episodes of Blood and Chrome. You can watch them below. New episodes will be posted every Friday on the Machinima Prime YouTube channel, and the finale will be available on November 30.

CG Society has an interview with Doug Drexler (CG Supervisor) and Gary Hutzel (VFX Supervisor). You can read the full article at the link.

Blood & Chrome was a natural progression for Hutzel and his team, as they moved out of Caprica. In the last half of the season, the artists working on Caprica started to expand the show’s VFX footprint by doing entire virtual sets—something they perfected in Blood & Chrome.

Blood & Chrome is, nonetheless, a departure from previous productions in the franchise. “The show is unusual in the sense that it is cut very, very fast,” Hutzel describes. In fact, most of the shots in the two-hour movie span three seconds or less. “Consequently, we ended up with more than 1,800 shots, either full-CGI shots or shots with virtual backdrops created completely in-house for the scene. Battlestar Galactica never delivered anywhere near that number of shots.”

A staff ranging from 22 to 35 VFX and CG artists also delivered the shots on a short schedule. “We delivered up to 150 shots a week, which was barely getting it done in time,” Hutzel affirms. “When I did the Battlestar Galactica miniseries—which, for the time, was a huge VFX show—we had six months to complete 320 VFX shots in the show. Now, we’ve just completed 1,800 shots that are an order of magnitude more complex in five months.”

The unrated version of Blood and Chrome has a release date now. It will be out on DVD and Blu-ray (you've read that right: Blu-ray) on February 19, 2013. You can pre-order them on Amazon:

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome DVD

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome Blu-ray

Here is the DVD trailer:

And back to the episodes. Ben Cotton, Brian Markinson, Carmen Moore, Zak Santiago, and Mike Dopud all make an appearance in the first 20 minutes. (There aren't that many actors with speaking parts who weren't on Caprica.)

Enjoy:

Episode 1

Ensign William Adama (Luke Pasqualino), barely in his 20′s and a recent Academy graduate, finds himself assigned to the newest battlestar in the colonial fleet: The Galactica. He quickly clashes with his co-pilot, Coker Fasjovik (Ben Cotton), a war-weary officer with just 47 days left on his tour of duty. In pursuit of the intense action that the Cylon war promises, Adama can’t wait to enter the fray.

Episode 2

Adama and Coker’s supply mission features a surprise: their cargo is the beautiful and enigmatic scientist Dr Becca Kelly (Lili Bordan). The routine mission quickly becomes deadly as the small crew pilots their Raptor into Cylon territory.

Blood and Chrome premieres online this Friday

2012-11-05T22:52:00.002+00:00

Well, holy frak. The sequel has a release date.

Entertainment Weekly reports that Blood and Chrome will be released online on Machinima Prime's YouTube Channel in ten 7-12-minute installments starting this Friday, November 9.

The full two-hour pilot will air on Syfy early next year, and an unrated version will be released on home video some time after that.

Refresher course from EW (because it's been a while):

For those who haven’t followed the B&C saga, the project was originally developed as a series for Syfy following the conclusion of the critically beloved Battlestar Galactica reboot and its movie spin-offs The Plan and Razor. BSG vets David Eick and Michael Taylor are executive producers, with Taylor writing the script from a story by Eick, Bradley Thompson and David Weddle. Jonas Pate (Caprica) directed.

The prequel follows young William Adama (Luke Pasqualino, UK’s Skins) during the first Cylon War. Assigned to the Galactica, the eager Adama finds himself at odds with his co-pilot, the battle-weary officer Coker (Ben Cotton, Alcatraz). (...)

“With its top-notch storytelling, pulse-pounding action, and cutting-edge visual effects, Blood & Chrome is the perfect extension of the Battlestar Galactica universe,” said Mark Stern, Syfy programming president and co-head of original content at UCP. “We are thrilled to see this hotly-anticipated event premiere on Machinima, an online network that is unparalleled in its delivery of high-class digital content to millions of viewers.”

Other than Ben Cotton, Caprica actors appearing in B&C include Brian Markinson, Jill Teed, Mike Dopud, John Pyper-Ferguson, Carmen Moore, and Zak Santiago. Lili Bordán plays Dr. Beka Kelly, an ex-employee of Graystone Industries.

Here is the official trailer (yes, that's Bear McCreary putting the music in the frakking ship):

American Horror House with Alessandra Torresani airs on Syfy tonight

2012-10-13T23:00:00.000+01:00

American Horror House starring Morgan Fairchild and Alessandra Torresani premieres tonight at 9/8c on Syfy.

Synopsis:

On Halloween night a sorority house is overrun with ghosts while a vengeful housemother goes on a killing spree. The American Horror House Original Movie is directed by Darin Scott (Dark House) and stars Morgan Fairchild and Alessandra Torresani.

Entertainment Weekly says:

Continuing Syfy's schlock legacy, HORROR pits buxom sorority pledges against an evil housemother (Morgan Fairchild) who's harvesting the souls of unfortunate visitors. The gore, acting, and screenplay are decidedly camp — which I suspect is kind of the point — making for silly, brainless Halloween fun. And to prove it's ultra-contemporary, it's all set to dubstep! No, really.

And from Shock Till You Drop:

American Horror House works because it does not take itself seriously and has modest ambitions. With healthy doses of sniping sorority girls and plenty of pop culture references, very often it is intentionally funny.

Trailer:

The longer & gorier version:

Enjoy. :)

Dead Souls with Magda Apanowicz premieres on Chiller tonight

2012-10-12T22:58:00.000+01:00

Dead Souls, starring Jesse James, Magda Apanowicz and Bill Moseley, airs tonight at 9/8c on Chiller.

Here is the synopsis:

Adapted from the novel by Bram Stoker Award Finalist Michael Laimo, Chiller’s latest original production Dead Souls tells a harrowing tale of family secrets and ancient evils.

On his 18th birthday, Johnny Petrie learns he was adopted when he inherits a farm in Maine, abandoned for the 18 years since his natural family died at the hands of his father, the local preacher. Eager for a new life, he leaves home to start over in his new dwelling. However, as he digs into his past, he soon uncovers the horrifying details of his father’s questionable teachings. In a frightening revelation, he also learns that his return has revived decades-old forces trapped in the home and sets in motion a heart-stopping finale to a ritual that already claimed the lives of his family.

Dead Souls stars Jesse James (The Amityville Horror, The Flyboys) as Johnny, Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, The Devil's Rejects, House of 1,000 Corpses), Magda Apanowicz (The Butterfly Effect), Noah Fleiss (Brick), Jaiden Kaine (Hellbenders) and Geraldine Hughes (Rocky Balboa, Gran Torino).

A quick review from Sci Fi Mafia:

What a great movie! A good old Goldilocks scarefest that’s just right. Not too over-the-top, not too silly, but also not too involved, not too dark, with just enough blood and eye-popping action right from the start to last you until you’re almost too hungry but then tosses you some more. It moves along nicely, with a good balance of creepiness and suspense, classic characters, and a somewhat unusual “reason” for all the horror.

The cast is also just right. Jesse not-the-one-in-the-scandal-sheets James is a likeable lead, and it was great to see Magda Apanowicz again, after her work on Kyle XY and Caprica. Geraldine Hughes really rules as the rather disturbing mom.

And a couple of clips. A featurette that has short interviews with the cast:

And the trailer:

Arrow premieres tonight (8/7c, CW)

2012-10-10T22:46:00.001+01:00

Arrow has its series premiere tonight at 8pm on the CW.

Brian Markinson, Hiro Kanagawa and Roger Cross guest star in the pilot, Ty Olsson will make an appearance next week, and Tahmoh Penikett will guest star in at least one episode later in the season. The show is filmed in Vancouver, so there will probably be other familiar faces showing up throughout the season.

Press release for the pilot:

After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. When he returns home to Starling City, his devoted mother Moira, much-beloved sister Thea, and best friend Tommy welcome him home, but they sense Oliver has been changed by his ordeal on the island.

While Oliver hides the truth about the man he's become, he desperately wants to make amends for the actions he took as the boy he was. Most particularly, he seeks reconciliation with his former girlfriend, Laurel Lance. As Oliver reconnects with those closest to him, he secretly creates the persona of Arrow - a vigilante – to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory.

By day, Oliver plays the role of a wealthy, carefree and careless philanderer he used to be - flanked by his devoted chauffeur/bodyguard, John Diggle - while carefully concealing the secret identity he turns to under cover of darkness. However, Laurel's father, Detective Quentin Lance, is determined to arrest the vigilante operating in his city. Meanwhile, Oliver's own mother, Moira, knows much more about the deadly shipwreck than she has let on – and is more ruthless than he could ever imagine.

The series stars Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen, Colin Donnell as Tommy, Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, with Susanna Thompson as Moira Queen and Paul Blackthorne as Detective Quentin Lance.

Based on characters appearing in comic books and graphic novels published by DC Comics, ARROW is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti ("Green Lantern," "Brothers & Sisters"), Marc Guggenheim ("FlashForward," "Eli Stone"), Andrew Kreisberg ("Warehouse 13," "The Vampire Diaries") and David Nutter ("Smallville," "Supernatural," "Game of Thrones"). Melissa Kellner Berman ("Eli Stone," "Dirty Sexy Money") is co-executive producer. The pilot was directed by David Nutter from a teleplay by Andrew Kreisberg & Marc Guggenheim, story by Greg Berlanti & Marc Guggenheim.

For news and all the info you need about the show, hop over to Green Arrow TV.

Here is a sneak peek with Brian Markinson:

A BTS featurette:

And an extended trailer:

Polly Walker on The Mentalist & Once Upon a Time season premiere

2012-09-30T20:01:00.000+01:00

Once Upon a Time and The Mentalist are among the shows returning with new seasons tonight (if anyone needs a reminder about Dexter, Homeland, The Good Wife, The Simpsons and Revenge - they're also back tonight), and there is also a new episode of Hell on Wheels at 9/8c on AMC.

Polly Walker has a recurring role on The Mentalist this season, and will make her first appearance in the premiere tonight at 10/9c on CBS.

Synopsis:

“The Crimson Ticket” — While Jane tries to decipher Lorelei’s connection to Red John, the CBI team is forced to partner with the FBI to solve the murder of a hotel employee, on the fifth season premiere of THE MENTALIST on Sunday, Sept. 30 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Emmanuelle Chriqui (“Entourage”) returns as Lorelei Martins, Polly Walker (“Rome”) guest stars as Senior FBI Agent Alexa Schultz and Ivan Sergei guest stars as FBI Agent Gabe Mancini.

And another bit from EW:

The CBI’s New FBI “Colleagues.” Season 5 will see the CBI squad working — and clashing — with a trio of FBI agents also chasing Red John. Polly Walker from Rome plays the group’s boss; Ivan Sergei (Jack & Jill, Gravity) and Drew Powell (Southland, Straw Dogs) play a “lovely bizarro world version of Rigsby and Cho.”

The season two premiere of Once Upon a Time airs at 8/7c on ABC. Jane Espenson is still on the writing team and her first episode airs next Sunday. Speaking of, watch this puppy if you haven't:

And back to Once, BSG's Keegan Connor Tracy returns as Mother Superior/Blue Fairy in the premiere.

Here is what to expect this season:

In the premiere episode, "Broken," reality and myth begin to merge as the fairytale characters awaken from Evil Queen Regina's broken curse and remember who they were. But to their dismay, they aren't transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin - aka Mr. Gold - in an effort to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina, has introduced magic into the town. In fairytales magic has its place, but in our world it can have unfathomable consequences. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land, Prince Phillip awakens his sleeping beauty, Aurora (Sarah Bolger, "The Tudors"), but discovers that he and his traveling companion, Mulan (Jamie Chung, "Sucker Punch," "The Hangover Part II"), will soon have to face a deadly foe, on the Season Premiere of "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Promo:

And a BTS featurette:

Winston Rekert, R.I.P.

2012-09-15T22:26:00.000+01:00

Very sad news today.

Winston Rekert lost his battle with cancer yesterday. He was 63.

He played Obal Ferras in Caprica ("Unvanquished"). Before that, he appeared in a couple of episodes of Battlestar Galactica as the priest who swore in Baltar ("Lay Down Your Burdens, Pt. 2") and Roslin ("Collaborators") as presidents.

He is best known for starring in the Canadian shows Adderly (1986-87) and Neon Rider (1989-94), and for his theatre work in Vancouver.

Earlier this year, he received the Sam Payne Lifetime Achievement Award for his "accumulative outstanding body of work in the industry."

The Vancouver Sun has a great article about his life and work.

And this is from The Province:

Rekert, 63, is best known as the star of the B.C.-filmed Neon Rider TV series in the late 1980s and 1990s, for which he also did some writing, directing and producing. The Vancouver actor won Gemini awards for his roles in Cold Squad (2001) and Blue Murder (2003). Rekert also starred alongside Jane Fonda, Meg Tilly and Anne Bancroft in the 1985 feature Agnes of God.

He and his childhood friend, producer Danny Virtue, created the syndicated series Neon Rider together in 1989.

"He got half the town started in this business," Virtue said. "He was cherished by a lot of people. I’ve known him and loved him since we were kids."

The show, which starred Rekert as a therapist who ran a ranch for troubled teens, ran for 64 episodes and helped launch Vancouver as a film and TV production centre. Details of a celebration of Rekert’s life were being worked out.

Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, colleagues, and fans.

TV tonight: Grimm season two & Major Crimes series premiere

2012-08-13T23:41:00.000+01:00

Grimm is back with the season two premiere, "Bad Teeth," tonight at 10 pm on NBC, and Mary McDonnell finally gets her own show at 10 pm on TNT.

Here is the synopsis for the Grimm season premiere:

After their face-off with Kimura (guest star Brian Tee), Nick (David Giuntoli) finds himself trying to come to grips with the return of his mother, Kelly Burkhardt (guest star Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). A trail of brutal murders unveils a foreign conspiracy to hunt down Nick, leading to several revelations about his past. Meanwhile, Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) still lies in her mysteriously-induced coma as Rosalee (Bree Turner) and Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) work tirelessly to bring her out of it safely.

Elsewhere, Hank (Russell Hornsby) struggles with the shocking truths he’s recently seen and Captain Renard (Sasha Roiz) deals with unexpected family issues when his estranged brother (guest star James Frain) comes back into his life. Reggie Lee also stars.

Mike Dopud will make an appearance in next week's episode, and John Pyper-Ferguson guest stars in episode 2x03.

Grimm will air Mondays at 10 until Friday, September 14, when it moves back to its old slot, Fridays at 9. Collider has a pretty good overview of things to look forward to this season. Here is a preview with the cast:

And an interview with Sasha Roiz:

Meanwhile, The Closer finale airs tonight at 9 pm on TNT, followed by the Major Crimes series opener at 10 pm. Synopsis:

Capt. Sharon Raydor (Mary McDonnell) leads the L.A.P.D.'s Major Crimes division in this spin-off from "The Closer," featuring characters from that series. In the premiere episode, 'Reloaded,' the newly appointed Raydor investigates a string of store robberies that turns fatal. Meanwhile, an undercover detective proves her worth and is transferred into the division; and Raydor tries to protect Rusty (Graham Patrick Martin). Major Crimes cast includes Mary McDonnnell, G.W. Bailey, Tony Denison, Michael Paul Chan, Raymond Cruz, Phillip P. Keene, Kearran Giovanni and Graham Patrick Martin.

After tonight's episode, Major Crimes will move to The Closer's 9 pm slot. Here is a clip introducing the show:

And some promos:

Hell on Wheels is back tonight

2012-08-12T22:38:00.000+01:00

Hell on Wheels is back with the season two premiere tonight on AMC at 9 pm.

Christopher Heyerdahl is a regular this season and Ryan Robbins makes his first appearance as Hawkins the train robber in tonight's episode.

Synopsis:

On the run for his crimes, Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount) robs trains with a group of ex-Union soldiers, while Lily Bell (Dominique McElligott) and Durant (Colm Meaney) continue the Union Pacific Railroad's westward progress.

On Sun., Aug. 12 at 9/8c, the second season of Hell on Wheels continues its epic story of post-Civil War America, focusing on Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount), a former Confederate soldier, and his dramatic journey west as he struggles to leave his past behind.

Executive produced by John Shiban (Breaking Bad, The X-Files), Joe and Tony Gayton (Faster, Uncommon Valor) and Endemol USA’s Jeremy Gold, the show depicts the traveling town known as Hell on Wheels, a dangerous, raucous, lawless melting pot that follows and services the construction of the first transcontinental railroad.

Hell on Wheels also stars Common as Elam Ferguson; Colm Meaney as Thomas “Doc” Durant; Dominique McElligott as Lily Bell; Christopher Heyerdahl as The Swede; Robin McLeavy as Eva; Tom Noonan as Reverend Cole; Ben Esler as Sean McGinnes; Philip Burke as Mickey McGinnes; and Eddie Spears as Joseph Black Moon.

Here is a sneak peek:

An interview with Christopher Heyerdahl from the season premiere screening:

A BTS featurette:

And a season two teaser:

Ryan Robbins will also show up in Falling Skies tonight (TNT, 9 pm). It's the second to last episode this season, and it was written by Mark Verheiden. Synopsis and teaser:

The 2nd Mass meets new faces, while Tom comes across his former mentor and professor Arthur Manchester (guest star Terry O’Quinn). But it’s difficult to know whom to trust. Maggie begins to realize that Pope may not be sticking with the group very long. And Tector embraces his military past.

Alphas returns tonight (10/9c, Syfy)

2012-07-23T22:22:00.002+01:00

Alphas is finally back tonight with the second season premiere, "Wake-Up Call," which airs at 10 pm ET on Syfy.

John Pyper-Ferguson will appear in at least six of the 13 episodes, including the season opener and the finale, and Kandyse McClure will guest star in episode 2x09 as one of the Red Flag Alphas who work for him.

Season one was released on DVD last week. You can get it from Amazon.

Here is the synopsis for tonight's episode:

Eight months after Dr. Rosen's startling announcement to the world about the existence of Alphas, the government has locked him up at Binghamton. His Alphas, which have gone their own ways, must decide whether to reunite and save their friend.

And more info about this season:

The second season of Syfy's hit series Alphas, produced by Universal Cable Productions and BermanBruan Television, returns Monday, July 23 at 10PM ET/PT with a deep roster of guest stars. New this season are Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Rudy), C. Thomas Howell (Southland), Lauren Holly (NCIS), Steve Byers (Immortals, Total Recall), Kandyse McClure (Battlestar Galactica) and Noah Reid (Rookie Blue). Returning guest stars include John Pyper-Ferguson (Caprica, Brothers and Sisters) as Stanton Parish, Kathleen Munroe (Haven, Stargate Universe) as Dani Rosen and Mahershala Ali (Treme, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) as Agent Nathan Cley. Summer Glau (Dollhouse, Firefly) who was a fan favorite last season playing an Alpha, Skylar Adams, will return for three episodes.

Alphas stars David Strathairn as Dr. Lee Rosen, Malik Yoba as Bill Harken, Warren Christie as Cameron Hicks, Azita Ghanizada as Rachel Pirzad, Ryan Cartwright as Gary Bell and Laura Mennell as Nina Theroux. Erin Way (Detroit 187, Private Practice) joins the cast this season as Kat, a mysterious young loner whose Alpha ability equips her with perfect muscle memory, making her a “quick study.” But while her skills are permanent, her personal memories are short-lived.

Alphas follows a clandestine group of ordinary people with superhuman mental and physical abilities. Led by preeminent neurologist and psychiatrist Dr. Lee Rosen (Emmy Award-winner and Academy Award-nominee David Strathairn), the unlikely team takes on cases the CIA, FBI and Pentagon are unwilling or unable to solve going head-to-head with many of the criminal Alphas hiding among the normal population.

The new season picks up eight months after last year’s stunning season finale with the stage set for an explosive turn of events at the Binghamton facility (the Guantanamo of the Alpha world) that could have devastating, far-reaching consequences. Dr. Lee Rosen, having exposed the existence of Alphas to the unsuspecting public, finds himself discredited and imprisoned by a government desperate to cover up his stunning revelation. Some of the team have disbanded and without Dr. Rosen’s care and guidance, have regressed to their old, destructive ways. They must now battle their individual demons, reunite and try to save their own.

And some clips. The reel they showed at Comic-Con:

And a teaser:

What to see at Comic Con 2012

2012-07-10T00:29:00.000+01:00

Some panels to check out:

WEDNESDAY, JULY 11

6:00-9:45 Special Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings — Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television proudly continue their annual Preview Night tradition, with exclusive world premiere screenings of the pilot episodes of five of the most highly anticipated TV series pilots of the 2012-13 television season: 666 Park Avenue, Arrow, The Following, Revolution and Cult.

Arrow - From executive producers Greg Berlanti (Green Lantern), Marc Guggenheim (Green Lantern), Andrew Kreisberg (Fringe), and David Nutter (Smallville), hard-hitting action series Arrow reinvents the DC hero. After being marooned for five years on a remote island, billionaire Oliver Queen returns home with a mysterious agenda and a lethal new set of skills that he uses in a war on crime. The series stars Stephen Amell (Private Practice), Colin Donnell (Pan Am), Katie Cassidy (Supernatural), David Ramsey (Dexter), and Willa Holland (The O.C.), with Susanna Thompson (Dragonfly) and Paul Blackthorne (The River). From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, Arrow will air Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW this fall. Ballroom 20

(Brian Markinson, Hiro Kanagawa and Ben Cotton appear in the pilot.)

THURSDAY, JULY 12

10:30-11:30 Battlestar: So Say We All — Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek, Capt Apollo) hosts a 35th anniversary preview panel and fan discussion of the Battlestar universe, politics, philosophy, and 35 year history. Joining Hatch for this exciting BGcelebration, roundtable, and Q&A session are Jane Espenson (producer/writer, Battlestar and Caprica), Lili Bordan (actress, Blood and Chrome), Michael Taylor (Battlestar, Caprica, Blood and Chrome), Toni Graphia (Battlestar producer/writer), and Dr. Kevin Grazier (science consultant for BSG and Defiance), plus surprise guests. Room 6BCF

3:45-4:45 The Walking Dead — The bestselling, award-winning comic The Walking Dead has been a critical and commercial success -- and its TV adaptation on AMC holds its own weight as a record-setting juggernaut. Join creator/writer Robert Kirkman and series artist Charlie Adlard for a rare sit-down, where they will discuss the past, present, and future of the decade's most talked about zombie phenomenon. A Q&A will follow the conversation between the visionary collaborators. Room 6A

6:00-7:00 The Science of Science Fiction: Canon Fodder — Aliens, robots, wormholes, superheroes... there's more than a little science in all of these, but how can that science be kept straight and consistent across multiple movies and seasons of TV shows? Panelists Jon Spaihts (writer, Prometheus), Jane Espenson (producer/writer,Battlestar Galactica, Caprica), Zack Stentz and Ashley Miller (writers, Thor, X-Men: First Class), Jaime Paglia (producer/writer, Eureka), and Dr. Kevin Grazier (science advisor, Battlestar Galactica, Defiance), talk about the ups and downs of respecting the science in ongoing science fiction TV and movie series. Moderated by Dr. Phil Plait(writer/host, Phil Plait's Bad Universe, Discover magazine's Bad Astronomy blog), and courtesy of The Science and Entertainment Exchange, a program of the National Academy of Sciences. Room 25ABC

FRIDAY, JULY 13

2:00-3:30 - Actors Richard Hatch (Captain Apollo) and Dirk Benedict (Lieutenant Starbuck) will be reunited at the Entertainment Earth booth #2343 to officially launch our fantastic new line of Battlestar Galactica merchandise, kicking off a 35th year anniversary celebration! For the first time ever, 8-inch EMCE “Mego” style action figures will be available for this classic series. Visit sdcc.entertainmentearth.com and our booth for exact signing dates and times.

1:25-2:25 AMC's The Walking Dead — Andrew Lincoln, Sarah Wayne Callies,Norman Reedus, Laurie Holden, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, and introducing Danai Gurira as Michonne and David Morrissey as The Governor join executive producer and showrunner Glen Mazzara, executive producer Robert Kirkman, executive producerGale Anne Hurd, and special effects makeup supervisor and co-executive producer Greg Nicotero in a panel moderated by Chris Hardwick (The Nerdist, Talking Dead). The panelists will discuss the wildly successful second season of The Walking Dead and what to look forward to in season 3, debuting this fall on AMC. Join the panelists for a one-on-one Q&A session and an official sneak preview of season 3. Hall H

3:00-4:00 Arrow Screening and Q&A — Oliver Queen lives! The iconic DC Comics character will be the subject of a hard-hitting new drama series on The CW this fall. Arrow makes its Comic-Con debut with a screening of the full Arrow pilot, followed by a Q&A with series stars Stephen Amell (Private Practice) and Katie Cassidy (Supernatural), executive producers Marc Guggenheim (Green Lantern) and Andrew Kreisberg (Fringe), and pilot director/executive producer David Nutter (Smallville). After being marooned for five years on a remote island, former billionaire playboy Oliver Queen returns to his home of Starling City with a mysterious agenda and a lethal set of new skills that he uses in a war on crime. From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, Arrow will air Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW this fall. Ballroom 20

4:30-5:30 Falling Skies: The Battle Is Just Getting Started — Continuing the fight against alien invaders, TNT's Falling Skies follows a band of human survivors on their quest to outrun and outwit the powerful alien force that invaded Earth. Join stars Noah Wyle (ER), Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation), Will Patton (Armageddon), Drew Roy (Secretariat), Colin Cunningham (Living in Your Car), Sarah Carter (The Vow), and Connor Jessup (The Saddle Club), and show runner Remi Aubuchon (Caprica), with Q&A hosted by Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Big Bang Theory). Watch never-before-seen clips and be treated to an in-depth discussion on Falling Skies season 2. Room 6BCF

6:00-7:00 Girls Gone Genre — Listen to and talk with women who write, read, game, and perform in arenas that are statistically dominated by men. What happens when traditionally "male" genres are reinvented by female writers and embraced by female fans? Sex and the City (or for that matter, Girls), it ain't. Meet the women who like to play with trucks and Barbies. And Wolverine action figures. And flux capacitors. Panelists: Marti Noxon (Buffy, Angel), Jane Espenson (Battlestar Galactica, Torchwood), Karyn Kusama (Jennifer's Body), and Angela Robinson (True Blood). Room 7AB

6:45-7:45 Defiance — Syfy and Trion unite television and gaming in the biggest entertainment event of 2013: Defiance. Grant Bowler (Nolan), Julie Benz (Amanda Rosewater), Tony Curran (Datak Tarr), Jamie Murray (Stahma Tarr), Kevin Murphy (executive producer), Nick Beliaeff (SVP, development, Trion Worlds), Rob Hill(senior producer, Trion Worlds), and Mark Stern (president, Syfy original content and co-head UCP) discuss how Defiance defies everything you know about conventional storytelling. Moderated by Geoff Boucher (Los Angeles Times). Room 6DE

8:30-9:30 Space Command: Bold Adventures in the Far Reaches of Space — Science fiction legends Marc Scott Zicree (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Doug Drexler (Battlestar Galactica), Neil Johnson (Humanity's End), Michael Reaves (Star Wars, Batman), and Ian McCaig (Star Wars) premiere footage from the highly anticipated epic adventure series that spans 200 years of Galactic History. StarsDoug Jones (Pan's Labyrinth), Katherine McEwan (Humanity's End), Christina Moses (Star Trek New Voyages), and Amber Benson (Buffy) discuss their roles. The visionary team gives you an early look at the stunning character design and visual effects, plus the epic score from David Raiklen. Inspired by heroic science fiction of the '50s. A revolution in film funding and distribution, made by A-list creators for the fans free from studio restrictions. Room 5AB

SATURDAY, JULY 14

11:00-11:45 Once Upon a Time — Magic is coming! Moderator William Keck (TV Guide Magazine senior editor and columnist) takes you to Storybrooke, where a curse placed on its fairytale inhabitants by the Evil Queen has been broken and reality and myth have merged. It's a place where magic is about to be introduced, but with it comes its own set of consequences. Co-creators and executive producers Edward Kitsis (Lost, Tron: Legacy) and Adam Horowitz (Lost, Tron: Legacy), along with Ginnifer Goodwin (Big Love), Jennifer Morrison (House), Lana Parrilla (24), Josh Dallas (Thor), Emilie de Ravin (Lost), and Meghan Ory (Vampire High) engage in a Q&A about their hit TV series. Ballroom 20

11:00-12:00, Nerd HQ (Block No. 16 Union and Spirits, 344 Seventh Avenue), Grimm Signing (Presented by Universal Television) Cast and producers from "Grimm" will be available to sign autographs and limited-edition “Grimm” comic posters designed by notable comic book artist Whilce Portacio. Whilce will also be on hand to sign.

2:00-3:00 Alphas — Alphas are among us... especially at Comic-Con. A panel featuring the stars of Syfy's Alphas discuss the show's exciting new season. Moderated by Geoff Boucher (Los Angeles Times). Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

3:00-4:00 Grimm Q&A/Season 2 Preview — Grimm, NBC's police procedural with a supernatural mythology, returns to Comic-Con to kick off its second season packed with chills and revelations.

Be among the first to get a glimpse of season 2 and participate in a Q&A session with the cast and producers: David Giuntoli (Turn the Beat Around), Russell Hornsby (Lincoln Heights), Bitsie Tulloch (The Artist), Silas Weir Mitchell (Prison Break), Reggie Lee (The Dark Knight Rises), Sasha Roiz (Caprica), Bree Turner (The Ugly Truth), and executive producers/writers Jim Kouf (Angel) and David Greenwalt (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), executive producer/director Norberto Barba (Law & Order: Criminal Intent), and executive producers Sean Hayes (Hot in Cleveland) and Todd Milliner (Hot In Cleveland). Produced by Universal Television and Hazy Mills, Grimm returns late summer on NBC and Grimm Season One will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on August 7. Room 6A

3:00-4:00 Being Human — This panel is a beast. Stars Sam Witwer (Aidan), Meaghan Rath (Sally), and Sam Huntington (Josh) join executive producer Anna Fricke to discuss the forthcoming third season of Syfy's hit series about a vampire, a ghost, and a werewolf-all just trying to be human. Moderated by Drusilla Moorhouse (Zap2It.com). Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

4:30-5:15 True Blood Panel and Q&A session - Mixing romance, suspense, mystery, and humor, the Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated True Blood kicked off its 12-episode fifth season June 10 on HBO. The series follows the exploits of waitress and part-faerie Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), who can hear people's thoughts; vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer); and vampire Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgård). Oscar and Emmy Award winner Alan Ball created and serves as executive producer of the series, which is based on the bestselling Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. The series and this panel also features Ryan Kwanten as Jason Stackhouse, Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte, Rutina Wesley as Tara Thornton, Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette Reynolds, Deborah Ann Woll as Jessica Hamby, Kristin Bauer van Straten as Pam Swynford De Beaufort, Joe Manganiello as Alcide Herveaux and Chris Meloni as Roman Zimojic. Moderated by Tim Stack of Entertainment Weekly. Ballroom 20

5:45-6:45 Metal Hurlant Chronicles — In the lineage of cult series such as The Twillight Zone, The Outer Limits, and Tales from the Crypt, Metal Hurlant Chronicles is the science fiction live-action adaptation of stories from the eponymous world-renowned magazine that gave birth in the U.S. to Heavy Metal. This series world premiere screening will be followed by Q&A session with director Guillaume Lubrano; actors Michael Jai White (The Dark Knight), James Marsters (Buffy),and Darren Shahlavi (Watchmen); fight choreographer Larnell Stovall (Mortal Kombat); and composer Jesper Kyd (Assassins Creed). Room 6DE

7:00 War of the Worlds: Goliath Exclusive US Premiere - Tripod Entertainment officially announced the exclusive US premiere of their 3D stereoscopic animated epic “War of the Worlds: Goliath” at this year’s San Diego Comic Con.

Produced by Tripod Entertainment, “War of the Worlds: Goliath” is a 85-minute animated steampunk epic of war, comradeship and courage under fire. Directed by animation veteran Joe Pearson (Epoch Ink Animation), written by accomplished wordsmith, David Abramowitz (Highlander), and executive produced by Heavy Metal CEO Kevin Eastman. Featuring the voice talents of Adrian Paul (Highlander), Peter Wingfield (Highlander, X-Men 2), Adam Baldwin (Serenity, Firefly, Chuck), Mark Sheppard, (Battlestar Galactica,Sanctuary), Elizabeth Gracen (Highlander), Jim Byrnes (Highlander), Beau Billingslea, (Cowboy Bebop) and many others.

There will be limited seating for the premiere in San Diego on Saturday July 14th, 2012.

Voice actor leads Adrian Paul, Peter Wingfield and other cast members will be there to make the night unforgettable. Reading Cinemas Gaslamp 15, 701 5th Ave, Gaslamp Quarter.

SUNDAY, JULY 15

11:15-12:15 Supernatural Screening and Q&A — Series stars Jared Padalecki (Friday the 13th [2009]) and Jensen Ackles (My Bloody Valentine 3D), recurring guest stars Misha Collins (Ringer), Jim Beaver (Justified), and Mark A. Sheppard (Battlestar Galactica), executive producer Jeremy Carver (U.S. version of Being Human), and consulting producer Ben Edlund (The Tick) return to Hall H to answer questions from the audience about what's in store for the eighth season of this thrill-ride series. Fans will also see an exclusive video presentation featuring series highlights, as well as a portion of the special features from the upcoming Supernatural: The Complete Seventh Season DVD and Blu-ray release, in stores September 18. The eighth season of Supernatural will premiere in October on its new night, Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW. The series is produced by Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television. Hall H

12:00-1:00 Espenson: an Anagram for Openness — Writer Jane Espenson (Once Upon a Time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Battlestar Galactica, Game of Thrones, Husbands) discusses past and current work with moderator Jenna Busch (Zap2It). Artwork from an upcoming Buffy comic will provide the first look at an anticipated new character, and Husbands' Brad Bell (Pop-Up Videos), Sean Hemeon, and Jeff Greenstein (Will and Grace, Desperate Housewives) will be on hand to discuss the upcoming season 2. Attend to learn which sci-fi superstar is joining the Husbands cast. Room 7AB

2:15-3:15 Buffy Turns 20: Celebrating 20 Years of Buffy the Vampire Slayer — Once upon a time, Buffy Summers became the Slayer, the Chosen One who proved a young heroine could battle the forces of darkness instead of playing damsel in distress. Stars from the hit TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Nicholas Brendon, Clare Kramer) join forces with Dark Horse editor Scott Allie, writer/producer Jane Espenson, illustrator Georges Jentry, and the original Buffy herself (Kristy Swanson, star of the 1992 motion picture), not to mention a surprise guest or two, to celebrate 20 years of slayage. Room 6BCF

3:30-5:00 Starship Smackdown All*Stars: InterGalactic 3D Edition — The must-see panel of Comic-Con, brought to you by the new Geek Magazine, as featured on National Public Radio, returns for another action-packed year as the greatest spaceships in the history of the universe converge in the ultimate cosmic conflagration for the highly-coveted Smackdown title in Comic-Con's most scholarly and erudite panel. Will the Enterprise once again defeat an Imperial Star Destroyer? Can the Serenity make mincemeat out of the Battlestar Galactica? In space, can anyone hear you scream on the Prometheus and can you actually get cell reception in the TARDIS? And what exactly is the "Captain's Courageous" lightning round anyway? Join our panel of expert spaceshipologists as they outwit, outplay and outphaser, starring Chris Gossett (The Red Star), Ashley E. Miller (X-Men: First Class, Thor), Steve Melching (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Transformers), Robert Meyer Burnett (Free Enterprise, The Hills Run Red), Kay Reindl (Millennium, Twilight Zone), and the Gene Rayburn of the stars, moderator Mark A. Altman (Femme Fatales, DOA: Dead Or Alive), along with some surprise guests. End your weekend with the geekiest and most beloved panel of all time in this or any other dimension, known or unknown. All new ships, all new quips as the Smackdown beams down to San Diego for its final mission. Courtesy of the all-new Geek Magazine. Room 6A

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And more about Grimm at Comic Con:

NBC takes over Gaslamp Square Park (Fifth Avenue and K Street in the Gaslamp District of Downtown San Diego) to bring the ultimate “Grimm” and “Revolution” experience to fans.

• Local restaurant Tin Fish (170 Sixth Avenue) will be transformed into the world of “Grimm” as lush greenery encompasses the building and its surroundings. Guests can “‘Grimm’ their skin” and receive creepy “Grimm” skin carvings applied by professional theatrical makeup artists. Those who tweet photos of their skin carvings with the hashtag #Grimm will be entered for a chance to win a Season 1 DVD collection signed by the cast.

• Aunt Marie’s vintage Airstream trailer (replica) is coming to Gaslamp Square Park and fans will be treated to a personalized introduction from Nick and Monroe as they take a tour inside and see authentic props from the series including weapons cabinets, maps, the book of “Grimm” and more. Upon exit fans will receive a limited edition “Grimm” comic poster.

• From the trailer take a trip through the “Grimm” forest and visit the Wesen Monuments for a description of which Wesen to look out for in the forest. Receive a “Grimm”/ “Revolution” bag if you make it out of the forest.

This year, NBC.com will once again go behind-the-scenes at Comic-Con to bring videos, photos and interviews to fans unable to attend. From the convention floor, press rooms and Gaslamp Square Park, NBC.com will be on hand to capture and deliver a comprehensive look at all of NBC’s initiatives for SDCC 2012.

NBC also looks to engage fans via various social media platforms with active updates throughout the duration of Comic-Con on NBC.com, Facebook, Tumblr and YouTube, and by live tweeting during the panels. Beginning today, fans may also submit questions for the casts and producers of “Grimm” and “Revolution” via Facebook and Twitter.

For schedules, online exclusive content, interactive features and the latest news about NBC at Comic-Con please visit http://www.nbc.com/comic-con.