RICHARD'S LATEST
9 November 2001
Special greetings to one and all,
Even though I just posted my November newsletter,
I felt it necessary to immediately address the most
recent, dramatic and confusing turn of events that seem
to have thrown the new Battlestar Galactica production
into a tailspin.
First of all, my personal feeling not withstanding,
I still believe in Battlestar Galactica with
all my heart, mind and soul. I will always believe in
this heroic story and it's epic journey to the stars,
irrespective of whether I, or any of the other original
stars, are onboard. I believe in Tom DeSanto, whom I
have come to know both as an extraordinary human being
and a very courageous producer. He is, in fact, the
only high profiled producer I know who has not only
recognized the inherent potential of Galactica,
but more importantly, has had the guts to take on the
extremely challenging powers that be; to accomplish
what most in his field believe to be an impossible and
fruitless task. That monumental task is his heartfelt
goal and passion of bringing back this wonderful show
in the best way he knows how. I can only take off my
hat and applaud his efforts.
Unknown to many people both inside and out of the industry, Tom is the one who truly initiated this project and deserves the lions' share of the credit for getting this production on the fast track to realization. As a result of his efforts I have chosen to give my full support to helping him bring back this show and am asking all of you to do the same.
We obviously all have our personal vision and ideas about where we think the show should go but the most important issue at hand is first just getting the show back on the air in what ever way is most feasible. That doesn't mean we don't express our opinions or points of view, it just means that we don't let our personal viewpoints get in the way of accomplishing the larger vision.
I'm sure you all know that but if you are as passionate
as me than you know how carried away we can get with
what we believe in. That aside I'm sure most of you
know by now that Bryan Singer has had to drop out as
the director of the pilot. He had a prior commitment
to direct X-Men 2, and as a result of the unfortunate
timing and scheduling of the Battlestar Galactica
pilot, he has had to turn his attentions to his prior
commitment. As a result of his departure and the delays
it may cost the production, Fox has decided to move
on for the time being to prepare for their next fall's
schedule. Nothing is certain, but Fox's deal with Tom
and Galactica could be restructured in the near
future and put back on the fast track. Keep your fingers
crossed! If not, then I believe all things happen for
a reason and maybe there is a more viable and supportive
place for Battlestar Galactica where it has a
real chance to succeed.
Please remember that these things happen all the time
with many new shows -- and that Tom is still working
overtime to forge a new deal that may be even better
than the last one. The point is thank God we have a
producer like Tom who doesn't give up and is willing
to go to the mat to achieve his goals regardless of
the obstacles. I know he's fighting hard for all of
us and truly wants this new production of Galactica
to reflect what we all believe in. Unfortunately, due
to many egos and points of view on the subject, it may
take time for Tom to unfold his own unique vision for
the show -- and I know this can be very difficult for
those of us who have our own unique vision for the story.
However, I believe that if we can all be patient and
supportive while continuing to give honest and constructive
feedback to the production staff we will ultimately
triumph and CO-create together the show that we have
been waiting twenty-three years for.
Please continue to write your e-mails
and letters, and sign
the petitions to let Fox and the rest of the industry
know we are still out there en masse, passionate, dedicated
and steadfast and that we will not go away until they
give us what we all want and deserve.
Keep the faith -- and Tom, we're all behind you!
Go out there and kick some ass! Talk to all of you soon.
Richard Hatch
