As a recent
Associated Press article pointed out,
Battlestar Galactica is not considered a ratings success by normal standards. The series averaged about 2.8 million viewers during its first season, and by the mid-season finale of season 4 that number had fallen to 1.8 million. Despite the falling ratings, the Sci Fi Channel had enough faith in the loyal fan base to green light both an upcoming
BSG TV movie and a spin-off entitled
Caprica. Both will likely air within the next year, and their very existence proves that Nielsen ratings aren't the only way to gauge a show's success.
Though it's not set to air until 2009, a trailer for
Caprica has already hit the web. Can the show live up to the expectations of rabid
Battlestar Galactica fans?
Caprica is set 51 years before the start of
Battlestar Galactica, and follows the lives of the Graystone family and the Adama family. When Daniel Graystone's daughter is martyred in a violent act of religious fanaticism, he decides to create a robotic replica of her. Though he successfully creates the first Cylon, Graystone's experiment forces him to clash with friend Joseph Adama, who questions the moral implications of replicating human beings.
The trailer for
Caprica gives us a glimpse at a series that looks a lot different than
Battlestar Galactica. The show seems to have just as much heavy drama and powerful acting as its predecessor, not to mention plenty of creepy sci-fi elements, but there are no spaceships or Centurions in sight. Of course, the thing that really makes
BSG great is the way it explores what makes us human, and
Caprica looks to be no different. As Joseph Adama points out in the clip, "It's still a machine. You can't copy a soul." This is definitely a show that's going to wrestle with some deep, complicated issues.
Caprica stars Eric Stoltz, Esai Morales and Polly Walker. It'll kick off with a two-hour movie, and then the Sci Fi Channel will decide whether to turn it into an ongoing series. Even if the ratings aren't through the roof, I'll be crossing my fingers that
Caprica gets picked up for a full season.
- Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Writer
Source: Associated Press, YouTube
(Image courtesy of the Sci Fi Channel)