Caprica, the prequel series to Battlestar Galactica has been canceled due to low ratings and will be removed from the Syfy schedule with the final episode airing this week and the remaining five to be burnt off at an unspecified date next year. Mark Stern, executive Vice President of original programming for Syfy said in a statement:
Unfortunately, despite its obvious quality, ‘Caprica’ has not been able to build the audience necessary to justify a second season.
Starring Eric Stlotz, Caprica was a distinctly unique and aesthetically well designed show, though it’s overall tone failed to connect with audiences. The story focused on the generation prior to those featured in the flagship show and traced the catalyst incidents which brought about the creation of the Cylons. Whilst the visual style worked in favor of the Battlestar re-imagining which featured incredible pseudo-documentary space battle sequences and a gritty depiction of life on board the claustrophobic ship, Caprica’s style which should have been compelling was instead somewhat alienating. That said Battlestar committed something of creative suicide itself towards the end of it’s reign with the story imploding and previously established characters becoming something else – ahem Cylons, and in some respects there was a point where the story ‘jumped the shark’.
Nico Cortez as William "Husker" Adama
Now with Caprica off to TV heaven, news broke earlier this week that a new series taking place in the BSG universe that was being developed for the web has instead been given a pilot development deal. That series is BSG: Blood & Chrome and is set in the times of the first Cylon war which was briefly depicted in the prequel tele-movie Razor. In the webisode flashbacks which were later integrated into Razor we were introduced to a young William “Husker” Adama played by Nico Cortez who may be reprising his role in the new pilot.
Synopsis from Syfy
Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome takes place in the 10th year of the first Cylon war. As the battle between humans and their creation, a sentient robotic race, rages across the 12 colonial worlds, a brash rookie viper pilot enters the fray. Ensign William Adama, barely in his 20’s and a recent Academy graduate, finds himself assigned to the newest battlestar in the Colonial fleet, the Galactica. The talented but hot-headed risk-taker soon finds himself leading a dangerous top secret mission that, if successful, will turn the tide of the decade long war in favor of the desperate fleet.
The design of Blood & Chrome which was originally going to make use of digital sets and shot in 3d for the web series will likely get a major upgrade for the new Pilot and is said to be utilizing cutting edge virtual technology and state of the art CGI.
BSG creators David Eick & Ronald D Moore
Hero Complex recently caught up with executive producer David Eick who talked about the featured characters in the new show:
…William Adama is in his 20s, fresh out of cadet school, on the precipice of experiencing his first taste of combat. The era — in our mythology – is the threatening, treacherous period known as the First Cylon War, which fans of “Battlestar Galactica” may remember took place over 40 years…
Blood & Chrome is loaded with new characters, but I’d say the most compelling and unusual is the woman with whom Adama connects most deeply in the pilot — Beka Kelly, an enigmatic, seemingly impenetrable software genius who gives Adama a run for his money in more ways than one.
The pilot episode is written by Michael Taylor from a story by Eick, Taylor and Bradley Thompson and is set to start production in 2011 with an air date set later that year.
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