To no one's surprise (at least around here) the SciFi Channel this week announced that Battlestar Galactica will be back next year, for at least thirteen episodes and possibly more. (Literally next year, as the fourth season won't begin to air until January 2008 - a long wait as the third season finale is March 25.) Production will begin this summer.
SciFi's head of programming Mark Stern says Battlestar Galactica is "the kind of series we want to continue producing in the future," in spite of the fact that it's the network's most expensive series to produce.
While the series' recent move to Sunday night hasn't particularly done anything to improve the lackluster ratings, apparently that does not matter. Battlestar Galactica does well enough in DVD sales to appease the powers that be, and the constant acclaim from critics does not hurt either.
Battlestar Galactica executive producer, Ronald D. Moore, says they "don't think we ever doubted doing another season. I design my season-ending cliffhangers with the hubris that we'll be back."
Moore's fellow executive producer David Eick says it's "thrilling to finally make it official, and for Ron and I to continue using this great genre to investigate the darker corners of society, politics and humanity."
Finally confirmed as well is the rumour that one of the main characters is definitely a Cylon, say Moore and Eick. (TV Guide's Michael Ausiello says it's "not Starbuck.") Where this might lead is still up in the air; Moore and Eick haven't actually written any of the next season's episodes yet, and claim that they'll decide on next season's stories "over blackjack and Jack Daniels," says Eick. "We came up with the second season cliffhanger over a Johnny Walker Blue."
-Mel, BuddyTV Staff Columnist