Sci-Fi Storm

Chris Gardner writes “It looks like Galactica is a go. The suits are worried about the per episode cost but strong ratings last month seems to have convinced them for a six episode try.

Scoop reported by Cinescape.” This is an unconfirmed report at this stage.

Enterprise‘s lead out show, Jake 2.0, has been cancelled by UPN, and given previous changes and uncertainty about Enterprise, this doesn’t bode well for Captain Archer and crew. I think regardless it will make it through the season to get the target goal of 3 season of shows for syndication, but it may be the shortest Trek show since the original. Shorter, in fact. The original went 79 episodes – Enterprise is only scheduled for 76.

They’re still out there. Part two of the Doctor Who episode “The Dalek Master Plan”, subtitled “Day of Armageddon”, has been found and said to be in “very good quality,” probably as a 16mm B/W print. The original episode was 12 parts (the longest, and described as “an all-round masterpiece” in the book A Voyage Through 25 Years of Doctor Who), and this is only the third to be found. A BBC engineer at the time they were throwing out the prints from their vault (policy back in the early 70s for old prints not expected to see light again, to make room) “borrowed” it from the trash. There are still 108 missing episodes, so check your attic…

The SCI FI Channel continues to purchase established shows. They announced that they are picking up Andromeda for a fifth season, along with rerun rights to all of them, from Tribune Entertainment. Also mentioned in the deal is all 66 episodes of Beastmaster, but it doesn’t say anything about new production (I believe the show was cancelled in 2002). Both shows were in the syndicated market.