Battlestar Galactica is done, but Caprica is just beginning. Sci-Fi Channel hopes fans acknowledge that transition and stick around because one is just like the other, right? Oh, and for the fact that the channel doesn’t have much else to offer.

Caprica is set 50 years before BSG on Caprica, which in only a few decades will be obliterated by Cylon nuclear weapons. The show, apparently, will focus on political, religious and moral issues through the eyes of two families – led by Daniel Graystone, a super-rich genius who is on the verge of recreating life (read: Cylons) and an outsider with a powerful past, Joseph Adama. Similar to today’s issues, the seemingly bright and shiny civilization of Caprica is cracked with questionable ethics, corporate greed and personal ambition that, as we all know, will eventually lead to their downfall. (more…)

Battlestar Galactica may be over, but Caprica is just beginning. The Sci-Fi Channel, soon to be called SyFy (who the hell thought of that stupid idea?), is releasing the pilot on April 21, 2009 – the show will officially premiere in 2010.
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Even though I am hesitant about how the new Sci-Fi Channel drama Caprica is going to be compared to Battlestar Galactica, I must say I’m starting to look forward to the new series. Luckily, we won’t have to wait long to find out if it’s any good, as Sci-Fi announced that the two-hour pilot will be released on DVD months before it is to premiere on television. Caprica isn’t scheduled to debut until 2010, but we’ll get to see what it’s like on April 21, 2009. It will also be available online through specific partners, for a fee.

This move makes sense in so many ways. While Caprica is already highly anticipated, releasing this movie so shortly after the end of Battlestar Galactica allows Sci-Fi to maximize the exposure to its new show, build hype and also make some money off it long before it was ever supposed to. Sci-Fi has done a wonderful job of taking advantage of its viewers’ wallets, as evidenced by their half-season releases of BSG (not to mention that they make advertising dollars off all the other crap they have on the station).

Battlestar Galactica comes to a triumphant end in early 2009, closing out what could be the best sci-fi television series ever made. And that coming from someone who thoroughly enjoyed many of the Star Trek TV series and who loves Firefly – all 12 episodes of it.

The show is a masterstroke of action, espionage, betrayal, alliances, love, relationships and, perhaps most importantly, social commentary. It took a great sci-fi premise and turned it into something more, a drama with complicated, interesting characters that just happens to be set in space. It’s a shame that some people still shrug Battlestar Galactica off as a sci-fi show, because even though it does feature an “alien” race, space battles and [admittedly, not-so-great] fate stuff, it is grounded in reality more than most shows.

So, when Sci-Fi Channel announces that they have ordered 20 hours of Caprica, the new original series spin-off of Battlestar Galactica, I should be thrilled, right? Wrong.

Sure, Caprica may be better than most shows on television, but:

1. It’s going to be set on a planet, before any wars. Dramas are all well and good, but without the Cylons, this sounds a little too far removed from the Battlestar Galactica we know and love.
2. It’s going to have different actors and characters. Can the writers strike magic twice?
3. It’s about two human families competing against one another. Didn’t Shakespeare already write a masterpiece with this concept?
4. The show will, eventually, lead to the first Cylon war, right? I sure as hell hope so. But how many seasons is it going to take to get there?
5. From the first minute, it is going to be compared to Battlestar Galactica. And it just can’t be as good.

Again, Battlestar Galactica: Caprica could be very good. Still, it’s not going to be as good, so it’s setting itself up for poor comparisons. Beyond that, there is going to be so few similarities in terms of characters, plot and so forth that those wanting more BSG may be disappointed.

I love the drama and social dilemmas that are raised in BSG, but I love the balance it has with some kick-ass Cylon action. Without that balance, will I be that interested in watching a space drama that’s not set in space?

Of course, I’m still going to watch it. What do you think?