Sci Fi Blasts "Battlestar" to a New Night

The crew of the Galactica is headed to a new destination: Sunday nights.

Sci Fi has announced that it is relocating the third season of critically acclaimed drama Battlestar Galactica to Sunday evenings at 10 pm, beginning January 21st, coinciding with the second half of Battlestar Galactica's third season and the launch of Sci Fi's newest drama, The Dresden Files. The latter series stars Paul Blackthorne (24) as Harry Dresden, a wizard turned private investigator.

It's the first time that Sci Fi has tried launching a night of original programming on Sundays, which traditionally have been a mix of low-budget movies and acquired programs. But the success of this past summer's Eureka, which aired on Tuesdays evening, showed the network that it could launch a night of originals on another night than Friday.

Not that Sundays are going to be a cake walk, either. Battlestar Galactica, which lost about .2 million viewers from last season, will now have to go head-to-head with dramas Without A Trace on CBS and Brothers & Sisters on ABC.

Comments

Anonymous said…

I'm so sad that "Battlestar" has been losing viewers. I think this season has been amazing and I hope that moving it to Sunday night will help, rather than hinder this fantastic show.

11/21/2006

Anonymous said…

The audiences that watch shows like "Without a Trace" and "Brothers and Sisters" probably wouldn't watch a show like "Battlestar Galactica." It's too different from everything else on TV for them, in my opinion.

11/22/2006

Anonymous said…

Coupled with reports of Ron Moore's lineup of other projects (i.e. the tv series remake of the Bionic Woman, the Caprica spinoff and the remake of The Thing), this is bad news. I love Battlestar Galactica, telling anyone who will listen to me about how great it is, but lately, I find myself doing the same for Brothers & Sisters. If I had to chose, I will go with Brothers & Sisters (and buy Galactica off iTunes or wait for DVD). That show is focused on character driven writing that improves with each episode. Galactica has moved to a more plot driven show that is getting a little contrived. The Cylon Virus episode pissed me off. Stupid Helo. There is too much of the Cylons and less of the human drama that made the show great. The family drama of people lost in space living, dying, loving, hating, screwing, and going crazy. Ever since Rosalyn got the miracle cure, I've been a little leery of the storytelling on BG. I DO love that show and will support it, but not over the (so far) infallible BROTHERS & SISTERS.

11/24/2006

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In Defense of Downton Abbey (Or, Don't Believe Everything You Read)

The proof of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating. Which means, if I can get on my soapbox for a minute, that in order to judge something, one ought to experience it first hand. One can't know how the pudding has turned out until one actually tastes it. I was asked last week--while I was on vacation with my wife--for an interview by a journalist from The Daily Mail, who got in touch to talk to me about PBS' upcoming launch of ITV's period drama Downton Abbey , which stars Hugh Bonneville, Dame Maggie Smith, Dan Stevens, Elizabeth McGovern, and a host of others. (It launches on Sunday evening as part of PBS' Masterpiece Classic ; my advance review of the first season can be read here , while my interview with Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes and stars Dan Stevens and Hugh Bonneville can be read here .) Normally, I would have refused, just based on the fact that I was traveling and wasn't working, but I love Downton Abbey and am so enchanted with the proj...

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