In June 2011, while looking at eBay listings centered around all-things Galactica, I came across a number of listings for storyboards from a Battlestar project that was neither the classic, original series, the newest one, the Bryan Singer/Tom DeSanto project, Richard Hatch’s “The Second Coming”, or even the Glen A. Larson/Todd Moyer movie proposal.
A battalion of Cylons attack Colonial Warriors on the surface of an asteroid, during a funeral ceremony for Commander Adama. In the proposed pilot, Adama was to be buried in an Egyptian-inspired tomb on an asteroid, which had become part of the rag-tag fleet – a floating mausoleum. At this point in the story, Adama had almost reached the point of mythic figure to his people. In this storyboard, the Cylons and Colonial Warriors have exhausted their firepower and resort to sword fighting. The colonial viper helmets were to have drop-down lenses that permitted the warriors to endure the harshness of space.
With each auction item, it was stated:
In 1998, actor Richard Hatch attempted to produce a sequel television series to the cult classic program “Battlestar Galactica” in which he starred. Hatch wrote a pilot screenplay and produced a short teaser film related to the project.
Enthused about the potential of a Battlestar Galactica sequel series, a group of special effects artisans, licensing and merchandising experts and a Battlestar Galactica licensee pitched Universal Television’s Executive Vice President of Television Production Bill Hamm and Universal Licensing in 1998 a concept for the series. Hatch’s concept for the sequel series differed in some ways from the SPFX and Licensing groups version yet both would have starred the original cast and picked-up where the original show left-off. Note: This was five years before the successful re-boot of Galactica in 2003 under the guidance of Star Trek franchise producer Ronald D. Moore.
This unseen artwork was rendered 13 years ago and was shown in the studio pitch meeting mentioned above.
Starbuck in a Viper helmet, drawing a ceremonial sword, after the colonial warrior’s blasters have been exhausted during a firefight with a battalion of Cylons who have interrupted the funeral of the legendary Commander Adama on an asteroid.
So, let me reiterate, Hatch’s pitch was in 1998, BUT also in the same year a SEPARATE group also proposed a TV series CONTINUING the original series from 1978!
The proposed sequel series:
…would have starred the original actors from the cult-classic TV series and picked up 20 years after the original show ended in real time. The actors older ages an important part of the script.
In the story, the Battlestar Galactica has been severely damaged (as has much of the rag-tag fleet) through countless Cylon Raider attacks [see the completely missing Viper Landing Bay in the illustration below].
The fleet has suffered from limited rations of food and water, a space plague and broken morale. A longhaired Starbuck is leading a faction of Viper pilots on raids on various planets to steal food and medical supplies that creates a rift between him and Apollo as the rag tag fleet struggles to continue to find Earth.
Adama has died and Apollo has become the leader of the fleet.
A Cylon battalion rips through a hull wall, blowing away a Colonial Warrior.
In the listings it stated that Tony ‘Tone’ Rodriguez, a versatile and talented commercial illustrator, drew the storyboards for this pitch.
Mr. Rodriguez has illustrated a number of comic books through the years featuring such luminaries as KISS, ShadowHawk, Lady Robotika, Mayhem!, John Carpenter’s Snake Plissken Chronicles, Masters of the Universe, Violent Messiah and characters from The Simpsons and Futurama for Bongo Comics.
Astounded that as an original series BG fan, I had never heard about this continuation pitch and amazed by Tone’s artwork (Dynamite should have hired him to draw their two TOS comic book mini-series, instead of the artist they did choose!), I contacted the artist at his website: http://www.tonerod.com/.
Mr. Rodriguez was both friendly and forthcoming about his work on the storyboards for the TV series pitch, stating:
I was working at Icons Authentic Replicas when I drew all that stuff. The company had a line of upcoming replicas that we were doing and at some point the company decided (or was asked) to become involved in a potential new BSG series.
Our take was to take off ten years after the end of the original show and ignoring BSG 1980… I think the first episode was to celebrate ten ‘yahrens’ of the last Cylon hostilities (I guess they were outrunning the Cylons, or whatever) and on this anniversary, the Cylons return, different than before.
We designed new Cylons, drew up designs that eventually turned up in that Richard Hatch fan film. At some point we/Icons, were working with Hatch on the developing of a pitch to Universal to revamp BSG. Icons were also doing signed replicas with Hatch, and I guess that’s what opened the door with him and his fan film.
A Cylon infantry soldier brandishing two, two-barreled laser rifles.
I wanna say Icons got a resounding “not interested” from higher-ups at Universal and abandoned any continued work with the project. But by this point, Hatch had received copies of all of the work we/I had produced.
That’s a really short version of what happened. Not really sure of what I still have, I’m sure I have the Cylon redesigns; I have an unfinished new Cylon helmet [pictured below].
The only thing I can say is that at the time of this production, I was the only artist involved, so anything that came out of Icons on this project is my artwork.
[Author’s note: Icons has long since ceased trading.]
So, there you have it, the BG continuation pitch that never was. Maybe some day, more information and fantastic art will come to light.
Thanks to Tone Rodriguez for his help, which without, this article would not exist, and Jim Chlubna.
Drop by his website linked above, for more examples of his art. He also does commissions and has been known to draw the odd Cylon!
