TVSquad

Here's more proof that Sci Fi Channel loves nerds – and their money. A limited edition "uncut and unrated" version of the Caprica pilot will be released on DVD April 21. That means fans can get an early look at the Battlestar Galactica prequel series starring Eric Stoltz and Esai Morales, which is slated to premiere on Sci Fi in 2010. The DVD list price is $26.98, according to Sci Fi. Great news, right? It gets better.

Because of the early DVD release, fans might get a chance to influence the development of the series. In a release, Mark Stern, Executive VP of Original Programming for Sci Fi, says the DVD release "affords the creative team an unprecedented chance to get viewers feedback before production on the Caprica series begins this summer."

(S05E13) "We're doctors, Grey. We're not executioners." - Bailey

Life wasn't easy for some of the Seattle Grace staff this week on Grey's Anatomy as they had to decide if they were doctors or executioners. For some, the choice was clear (Shepard is a doctor) while for others (Meredith and Bailey) they wondered if they should be executioners at least this one time. No matter what side they were on, one thing is sure: the Seattle Grace doctors offered us one hell (or heaven?) of an episode this week!

A new clip from the Caprica pilot hit the web today. The clip features Eric Stoltz's Daniel Graystone touring a "Cyber Club," where people go to dance, drink, and offer the occasional virgin sacrifice to the goddess of the underworld. There's also a fight club, group sex rooms, and fantasy killing rituals. Hmm, maybe humanity did deserve to get nuked after all.

SciFi's upcoming Battlestar Galactica prequel is slated to hit the air with a two-hour movie in 2010. Judging by this clip, Ron Moore and crew are ready to go to some very dark places with this series, but only time will tell if BSG fans are ready to follow them.

I know we've been hearing about Caprica for the last nineteen years or so (exaggeration, save your comments), but it's been one of those TBD projects, where network execs would say, "Someday we'll get to it depending on how the ratings go for Battlestar Galactica's final season, and if we need to make more room for wrestling or gimmicky game shows like Estate of Panic and Cha$e. See, those shows cost us about twenty-six bucks apiece to make and this show could be costly."

It makes sense to be cautious. Despite high critical praise, the parent series has slipping ratings and continues to be snubbed by major awards. But it looks like the powers that be at Sci Fi have finally decided to greenlight the Caprica series. Considering BSG isn't on the air at all right now, I'm not sure what helped them commit to this decision today. Maybe they looked and they just realized that their latest two major projects were Cha$e and Estate of Panic and it put them in ... well ... a state of panic. "This is Sci Fi," they may have declared. "How about we try that kind of programming?"

The official trailer for the Battlestar Galactica prequel Caprica has been out for a few weeks now. If you haven't seen it yet, it gives a fairly vague outline of what the show will be about. In the trailer you will see snippets of Joseph Adama (Esai Morales), Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz), a radical bomber on a subway, an early version of a Cylon, and some near full-frontal nudity.

So far, the reviews have been mixed on the content of the trailer. While there have many calls of "I can't wait" and "looking forward to it," others think that it will fall far behind the quality of the current BSG. For example, one commenter over at iFilm said the show should stand par with standard network or cable dramas but it could fail in the science fiction area. Another commenter stated that the trailer didn't look high tech enough. A third asked, "No dogfight?" Many others are upset because BSG hasn't even finished yet.

The wheels keep on turning for the Battlestar Galactica spin-off Caprica. Eric Stoltz is the latest addition to the cast. He'll be playing Daniel Graystone, wealthy computer engineer. Details are few and far between, of course, but so far we know that after a family tragedy he will use his knowledge of technology to forever change the future of Caprica. He's joined by Alessandra Toressani, who will play his daughter, Zoe. And if your mind just flashed to Stoltz in Killing Zoe, we're on the same page.

That news is given a bit more of a boost if you recall that Paula Malcomson has already been cast as Amanda Graystone, a surgeon described as "something of a double agent." Now, add that to the previously revealed bits that tell us the story takes place 50 years before Galactica and focuses on the creation of the Cylons. A picture starts to emerge.

(S03E15) The folks over at Medium are on something of a guest star roll. After a nice turn last week by Eric Stoltz, this week they treat us to Peri Gilpin (Frasier) as Allison's mother Diane Benoit. That wasn't the only piece of nice casting here. Given the ratings of their former shows, I'm sure that Kyle Gallner (Veronica Mars) isn't as recognizable as Gilpin, but it was nice to see him again.

For her part, Gilpin was terrific. Diane certainly had her issues, but considering what we know about Allison, I don't think anyone was expecting June Cleaver. The booze and the parenting with pills were a little disturbing, but in her own crazy way I got the feeling that she really was trying to do what she thought was best for Allison. While she seems to have avoided some of the mistakes Diane made, Allison does share that trait with her mother.

(S03E14) I was really looking forward to this week's episode for the simple fact that Eric Stoltz would be the guest star. In the world of TV, I think he counts as a pretty good get. And he didn't disappoint, although, I think the writers did a little bit.

Obviously, this is the Allison show. I get that and we know going in that this world revolves around her. My one complaint with the episode was that while they went out of their way to get someone like Eric Stoltz, they didn't really use him a whole lot.

I was pretty happy with the episode overall, but I think it could have been that much better if something had been lost to make room for a little more of the creepy Sonny Troye. The roommate murder would have been a good place for it. We spent an awful lot of time with the wrong roommate. I would have even gone for getting to see Sonny's end of those phone conversations with Allison.

That's the word from a retailer anyway (no word from Fox yet). The first season of the critically-acclaimed drama will be released on December 12.

Sometimes it's easy to forget how groundbreaking this show was. The topics they covered, the writing. And the cast! Denzel Washington, Howie Mandel, Mark Harmon, Ed Begley, Jr., David Morse, Eric Stoltz, and Tim Robbins were all regulars on the show at one point or another, along with many others.