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RICHARD'S LATEST
By Richard Hatch, Battlestar
Galactica's "Apollo"
April 10, 2002
"To be or not to be, that is the question. Whether
'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows
of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea
of troubles and by opposing, end them?"
Do
we lay down everything we believe in and allow the Sci-Fi
Channel to have their way with one of the most beloved
and underrated shows of all time? Or do we stand up
and collectively shout from the rooftops? NO! We will
not go quietly into the night. The answer is clear and
even now reverberating powerfully throughout the world:
we will never give up on what millions of fans from
around the world have been patiently waiting for twenty
four Yahren, and that is the re-emergence and long awaited
return of the original story, characters and themes
of the one and only Battlestar Galactica and
its rag tag fleet!
The big question is, "Why?" Why are we going through
this once again? How many times must we throw off the
shackles of fear, threat and intimidation and cast our
fate to the wind? How many times have we communicated
from our hearts what we most love about Battlestar
Galactica, why it touched us so profoundly some
twenty-four years ago and why we refuse to see one more
Sci-Fi Classic decimated by a few executives who seemingly
do not care about what the fans (who pay their bills
and provide them with a job) want to see?
For the past several years, fans have collectively made
their voices heard from one side of the world to the
other about the fact that they appreciate the Sci-Fi
Channel's interest and desire in finally bringing Battlestar
Galactica back to the screen, but are not interested
in watching a "re-imagined" story without the characters
that they have been aching to catch up with. They have
communicated this message over and over in the clearest
possible terms.
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Fans are able to communicate
their wishes and hopes for the new Battlestar
Galactica series to the Sci-Fi Channel directly
via BattlestarGalactica.com's contact
information section.
BattlestarGalactica.com and numerous other fan
sites/groups -- and individual fans -- remain
committed to seeing a new Battlestar Galactica
show which continues the adventures of the original
cast, characters, themes and concepts, plus adding
a new generation to the mix, too. Not a
"re-imagined" series, nor one
which merely honors the show in name only. (A
compelling April 5, 2002 article on the subject
is available here.)
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Is it too little to ask to give they what they're rooting
to see? Isn't success based on SERVING the marketplace?
Well, THE FANS are the market place. They are all ages,
from all generations and backgrounds and cultures, and
they were inspired by the Sci-Fi Channel's willingness
to create a channel that not only brought Battlestar
Galactica back to them, but also provided them with
the opportunity to share their passion with now succeeding
generations of dedicated fans. And now, these new young
fans, together with their parents and their parent's parents,
are patiently awaiting the return of the original Battlestar
Galactica characters and stories they have all fallen
in love with over the past twenty-four years. Does the
Sci-Fi Channel really want to disappoint them by giving
them something they don't recognize or care about?
A
Classic is not just another remake, it's a show that the
audience has taken to their heart. They care deeply about
the original characters and theme of the story and they
want to find out what has transpired since they last visited
the Battlestar Galactica universe. And now, they
are all finally standing together, mobilized by the Sci-Fi
Channel's apparent attempt to recreate their beloved show
into one of its own imagining without the elements that
they care most about. What must the fans do to get some
attention?!? Does the Sci-Fi Channel want to lose them?
The powers that be want their money, time and energy,
and yet they don't care to listen or pay attention to
what's most important to them. It seems that no one really
cares or values them - the customers... So, if the message
is "go away, you don't matter," maybe they will. How can
they support the Sci-Fi Channel when it has no desire
to support them?
The Sci-Fi Channel possibly thinks that the existing fans
don't really count and that it is going to discover and
access a whole new group of younger fans out there who
will make the reinvented enterprise successful. However,
the results of the polls taken all over the world speak
loud and clear: the majority of the marketplace and new
fans it wants to reach are already established! They are
also bonded to the original show, characters and themes,
and need to be pleased if it is to succeed. And I don't
need to tell the Sci-Fi Channel this, because their own
polls have confirmed it! They're professionals and it's
their business but unfortunately we sometimes get so wrapped
up in wanting to do something new that we end up destroying
the very thing worth saving. Battlestar Galactica
was about family and generations of Humans struggling
together to survive against all odds, just like its fans.
And that is why the many generations of fans today feel
such a common bond between them. They all share a common
vision - including their love of quality Science Fiction
- and want to preserve the integrity of their beloved
Sci-Fi classics and support the revival of their favorite
shows, including Battlestar Galactica. I do not
think they will not go quietly into the night and allow
someone to possibly ruin what could be the beginning of
a major Sci-Fi franchise that would rival all others.
They will shout from the mountain-tops! They will speak
to anyone who will listen. The message will go out to
the world that the Sci-Fi Channel really doesn't care
about those who are its bread and butter. If that is what
the powers that be desire, then so be it! Countless millions
of dollars of revenue, free advertising and mass fan support
that could have ignited a new Battlestar Galactica
series to great economic and artistic success will now
be lost. The Titanic was big and grand, but unfortunately,
they didn't listen either...
To be or not to be, that is the question - whether to
have the courage, insight, strength and heart to give
the core audience what they truly deserve and desire or
to risk losing what could have been the Sci-Fi Channel's
greatest success. The decision, as always, is theirs to
make. I hope they do remember that while they may still
own Battlestar Galactica, it truly belongs to the
fans, who have believed in and supported this wonderful
story for twenty four years.
Keep the faith!
Richard Hatch
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