The Sci Fi Channel has greenlighted production on Caprica, the prequel series to Battlestar Galactica, with a view to a release in 2010.
“We want people to come to this who have never heard of Battlestar Galactica,” said Sci Fi president Dave Howe. “I think, because its backdrop was space and spaceships, there was a barrier to entry for some viewers. Caprica has none of that. It’s an intense family drama set on an Earth-like planet, in the near future, speaking to a lot of the ethical dilemmas that we as a human race are going to have to face very shortly.”
The future of Caprica has been uncertain for a long time. Originally floated a few years ago, it took the paucity of scripted content available during the writers’ strike to finally push production forward in the form of a two-hour backdoor pilot. Lately there has been speculation in the press over whether it will air at all, to the dismay of Galactica fans. The parent series is finishing its run early next year, with the second half of its fourth season. A telemovie will follow, and Caprica is likely slated for 2010 in order to provide consistency in programming, rather than Variety’s assertion that it’s to reunite Battlestar writing staff.
Caprica will be executive produced by Ronald D Moore and Remi Aubuchon, who co-wrote the pilot, as well as David Eick. Aubuchon will serve as the showrunner.
