Teaser and clip from Caprica 1x06 Know Thy Enemy

SyFy has released the teaser for the next episode, "Know Thy Enemy," and also a clip introducing Tomas Vergis, the other tech mogul on the show.

Vergis is played by John Pyper-Ferguson, another familiar face from Battlestar. (He appeared as Pegasus CAG Cole Taylor in season two.)

The teaser:



The clip, with John Pyper-Ferguson and Eric Stoltz:

Madrid event: Ron Moore and Alessandra Torresani

This blog reports that Ron Moore and Alessandra Torresani will appear at an event in Madrid on March 11. They will do a Q & A session and the pilot will be screened in HD.

Interviews: Alessandra Torresani, Sasha Roiz, Patton Oswalt, James Marsters

A bunch of new interviews with the cast appeared in the last couple of days.

Alessandra Torresani appeared on Joel McHale's The Soup.


She and Sasha Roiz talked to Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan.



Patton Oswalt told MTV that we haven't seen the last of him on the show. The article is here.

"Well I kind of pop up throughout [the season], you know on televisions and stuff. People are clearly watching the show that I host," he said. "And then, I have a bit of involvement later that I’d like to just sort of leave up in the air."

Fair enough. It's good to know at least that we haven't seen the last of Baxter Sarno. But where does the character come from? Oswalt is no stranger to television, but he's never hosted a talk show. Rick also made a point of asking where he draws his inspiration from.

"I tried to... keep other people out of mind because I didn’t want to be aping them. I was like, how would I do a show if I did a show," he explained. "How would I do it, but then, you know, it’s clear [in my performance] the influence... that people like Jon Stewart and David Letterman have had on me. So there’s still that, that’s stuff is still in there. But that wasn’t intentional."

Finally, James Marsters did a podcast with Sci-Fi Talk and revealed that he'll be appearing in four episodes this season. Link: http://scifitalk.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/james-marsters-on-sci-fi-talk/

And he also briefly talked about working on the show at a recent event (part 1 embedded):

Art direction on Caprica - new video

There is a new clip on SyFy's video blog in which the cast and crew talk about the different styles on the show.

In the clip (embedded below): David Eick, Brian Markinson, Doug McLean (art director), Eric Stoltz, Peter Wingfield, Santino Barile (assistant props master), Glenne Campbell (costume designer), Jonas Pate (producer/director), Alessandra Torresani

Promotional stills for Caprica 1x06 Know Thy Enemy

NBC Universal has released the pictures for episode 1x06, "Know Thy Enemy," which airs on March 5. Click to enlarge.

 

 

New interview with Sasha Roiz (Edge Boston)

Edge Boston has a great three-page interview with Sasha Roiz. Snippets and link below.

EDGE: The role of Sam was expanded to series regular after the pilot was shot but before that happened did you have a feeling your character could be more important to the show and overall story?

Sasha Roiz: I did. I felt that there was potential for the character. While we were shooting the pilot, I thought I personally would enjoy seeing where this character goes and the world that he exists in because it would introduce this entire sub-world that we only hint at a little bit in the pilot. I thought it would be a very interesting place to go.

EDGE: When you found out that Sam was going to be gay, how did you approach it as an actor?

SR: Well, I was very surprised at first because I didn’t perceive him as gay when I played him in the pilot but then it was explained to me that it wouldn’t effect it all that much because it’s a world without any kind of discrimination in regards to sexuality so I realized there was not a need to alter the performance at least in regards to that. It was just going to be an interesting statement and another layer to this character and an interesting statement about this society at large. To be honest, I really don’t dwell too much on him being straight or gay. I just am more excited by the fact that he’s a more stable, monogamous individual in a loving relationship. That affects the character much more than his sexual orientation. It doesn’t inform me all that much but I do love the statement it makes and I love the effect it casts on the viewers.

EDGE: We kind of see two different sides of Sam - one gentle side with his nephew and his partner but then he’s also a killer and mobster. Is it safe to guess that these two sides are going to cross and make things more complicated?

SR: Yes, I think everyone’s life is going to get more complicated. It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch. You’re going to see a lot of characters being put in very compromising situations and having to make very difficult decisions for themselves and others. Things get a lot more complex for Sam, certainly with his loyalties. There seems to be a disconnect at one point between his loyalties to the mob and his loyalties to his home life and it’s going to put him in very precarious situations. It will be very interesting. -- Edge Boston

Scott Porter on the short list for Captain America

Looks like Sister Clarice might lose one of her husbands to the Avengers. From Deadline Hollywood earlier today:

I've learned that Marvel Studios and director Joe Johnston are ready to test candidates for Captain America, and I’ve got their wish list. I’m told that the contenders include Chace Crawford, John Krasinski, Scott Porter, Mike Vogel and Michael Cassidy (...) And whoever gets the role will have to sign for another nine options for future films that include sequels, Avengers movies, or anything else Marvel decides.

Next stop: New Cap City

The Caprican has an article that sheds some light on New Cap City, the game Graystone mentioned as part of the reason why his daughter had joined a religious cult. We'll see New Cap City this Friday in episode 1x05, "There Is Another Sky."

From the article:

The game that's all the rage with the kids these days is, of course, New Cap City. And we do mean "rage." New Cap allows players to live in a film noir world of gangsters, gun molls, sleazy politicians, drug-addicted starlets, flunkies, thugs, you name it. It's a fantastical fever dream of corruption, glamour, excess, sex and violence. And there's really only one rule: Don't Die. Because if you die, you're out of the game. Forever.

Anyone who plays New Cap City knows that the person to see if you need anything - anything at all - is Vesta. The self-appointed "queen bee" of New Cap has seen it all and done even more - she knows the ins and outs of the game's sprawling, dangerous world, the nooks and crannies, the cheats and shortcuts.

"I've seen all types in New Cap," says Vesta, communicating with The Caprican via encoded online chat. "People coming to me, wanting this or that. And questions - so many questions. But yes, I meet all types. Some people just want to get as many points as possible, build a reputation, no matter what it takes. It's that kind of ruthlessness...I admire that. And this city rewards that."

But not everyone in New Cap is a wannabe gangster. "Some players are here to do little more than just enjoy the scenery. Hear some music at the clubs, have a good meal, sleep with a beautiful stranger. Tourists. Hey, if they don't get in my way, they're free to do what they please. They just better keep their heads up - this can be a town without pity." -- The Caprican

Extended Sarno scene from Gravedancing & new Caprica promo

SyFy has released an extended scene with Patton Oswalt from last Friday's episode, Gravedancing, and a new Caprica teaser, The End of Everything.

First clip from Caprica 1x05

Spoilers.



In the first clip from the next episode, Daniel Graystone pimps his robot daughter as a slave to appease the board of directors and unwittingly gives Gaius Baltar a run for his money in the bizarre department.

Caprica 1x05 There Is Another Sky - synopsis and pics

Here is the synopsis for this Friday's episode, "There Is Another Sky:"

The avatar of Tamara Adama wanders V-World, scared, lost, and unaware that she died nearly a month ago in the MagLev bombing. Falling in with a group of gamers, Tamara discovers a new side to V-World -- New Cap City, a place where people live random lives of violence and crime in search of the game’s elusive meaning. Forced into aiding a digital crime spree, Tamara befriends a young gamer, until she discovers a devastating secret that threatens everything she knows.

And a shorter one:

Tamara befriends gamers while haunting the virtual world; Joseph and Will go on an emotionally revealing fishing trip; Daniel feels compelled to fight for his professional life.

And some promotional stills from NBC Universal (click to enlarge):

Battlestar Galactica: The Plan and Razor soundtrack is out today

From Bear McCreary:

This Tuesday, February 23rd, La-La Land Records will release the final “canon” Battlestar Galactica soundtrack: Battlestar Galactica: The Plan and Razor. This unique compilation, representing the two straight-to-DVD scores that were left off the Season 4 soundtrack album, will complete any BSG fan’s collection.

To celebrate this, and the recent release of Dark Void’s original video game soundtrack, I’m doing a CD signing of both records this Saturday at Dark Delicacies!

DARK DELICACIES
4213 W. Burbank Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505
Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at 2pm
www.darkdel.com

If you can’t make it to Burbank, fear not. You can order personalized signed copies directly from the Dark Delicacies website. International orders are accepted, too! So, get your signed CDs of my two most recent albums and crank up the jamz! -- Bear's blog

The frakking ratings report: Key demo holds

From TVbytheNumbers:

Caprica dipped under a million average viewers on Friday night against the Olympics (after taking the week off against the opening ceremonies in Vancouver on 2/12), averaging .976 million. But while total viewers dropped, the 18-49 rating has been flat, at least when rounded to one decimal place.

Cast interviews: Aleks Paunovic and Scott Porter

Two new interviews today. Aleks Paunovic, who will appear as William Adama (Joseph and Sam's dad) later in the season, talked to Vancouver Observer about working on Battlestar, the short film he has done with Tahmoh Penikett, and Caprica.

WD: What do you have coming out that we can look for?
AP: Guido Superstar, which is a Silvio Pollio film. John Cassini is one of the producers. Michael Eklund and I popped in for some funny cameos which we had a great time doing. Caprica, which is a spin off series from Battlestar Galactica, where I got a fantastic role of the grandfather, the leader of the resistance of the Adama family.

I have so much respect for that franchise. Tahmoh was one of the leads in the Battlestar franchise. To be a part of that family and to hang out with them, Mary McDonnell, and Edward James Olmos the academy award winning actor, and to fit into it within Caprica with Esai Morales. I'm grateful, very grateful for it.-- Vancouver Observer

And Cinema Spy has a nice, long interview with Scott Porter.

CinemaSpy: Let’s talk about Caprica. Although ostensibly about the invention of a race of robots, Caprica is really a drama about a booming civilization on the brink of crisis. What attracted you to the role of Nestor?

Scott Porter: It was the general and overall mythology of Battlestar Galactica. How I got that role was very unique and serendipitous. I was presenting an award at the Saturn Awards and I saw the creative team and a lot of the actors from Battlestar Galactica, and I don’t usually do it but I walked up to them and I said "I am the biggest fan of your show, in what you are able to do in space but making it a comment on our world today. What do we do when we have nothing left but each other and we are on the run? How closely does humanity work together then? It is so amazing." And two of them said "Jason Street? We are fans of Friday Night Lights." It was so odd to know that people who are in such a high concept science fiction show like Battlestar Galactica watch Friday Night Lights. Maybe for them, it was visa versa. At the heart of both shows, is people and how they interact with each other, whether it is in a small town or in outer space. We got that in each other.

A week later I got a call and they said "Look, we don’t have anything written for this character. We could tell you his basic arc but we would like to offer it to you." And I said "Of course!" So there was never an audition. It was weird. It wasn’t that I was drawn to the character specifically because we didn’t really know what he was yet. He was kind of nebulous. But the opportunity to work with the pedigree of people that created Battlestar Galactica was what drew me to it.

CinemaSpy: But then when did you realize that you would be the youngest husband in a group marriage with Polly Walker’s character, who also seems to be hooked on smoking something that looks a bit stronger than tobacco?

Scott Porter: Only when I got the script. I had no idea. I knew was going to be part of an organization that is responsible for the Cylons having consciousness and we are kind of the beginning of the end for humanity as we knew it. We are a bit of religious zealots. It is crazy to put yourself in those shoes but it was something I have never been afforded the luxury of playing before. He is definitely a character that has beliefs in something so deep and he is affected by it so much that he is willing to do great deeds of evil to get [things] done. It is a very cool character to play. I don’t want to spoil the plot too much but I think you kind of see the seeds of who the good guys are and who the bad guys are right off the bat. It is not about keeping secrets from the fans. It is more about describing how they got on a [space] ship 60 years from now, and that is a very cool reverse storytelling opportunity. I just want to tell good stories and this is one of the best. -- Cinema Spy

Preview for Caprica 1x05 There Is Another Sky

The teaser for the next episode:



"There Is Another Sky" airs on Friday, Feb. 26 at 9/8c.

New Caprica event at Paley Center in NYC in March

From the Paley Center:

Preview Screening and Discussion
Syfy's Caprica

Wednesday, March 17, 2010
6:30 pm ET
New York
In Person

Ronald D. Moore, Cocreator and Executive Producer
David Eick, Executive Producer
Paula Malcomson, "Amanda Graystone"
Polly Walker, "Sister Clarice Willow"
Alessandra Torresani, "Zoe Graystone"
Magda Apanowicz, "Lacy Rand"
Sasha Roiz, "Sam Adama"

Syfy’s new Battlestar Galactica prequel—more futuristic family saga than space opera—is a provocative, superbly crafted drama that, like its predecessor, tackles complex, highly resonant themes, such as religion, race, terrorism, technology, love, and the very nature of humanity. Like all quality drama, Caprica is not just emotionally and intellectually gripping, but also compels viewers to confront their own reality, even as they are swept up in this visually arresting, preapocalyptic world of sentient robots, avatars, and interplanetary travel.

The Paley Center will preview an upcoming episode from Caprica’s first season, followed by a discussion with members of the cast and creative team.

Paley Center Members: $15, tickets on sale now.
General Public: $25, tickets on sale Wednesday, February 24 at noon.

Caprica podcast and cast interviews: Alessandra Torresani, Sasha Roiz, Magda Apanowicz

More interviews today.

Sci-Fi Talk did a podcast with Magda Apanowicz and they also have a couple of pics of Lacy meeting Barnabus (James Marsters). They'll have a podcast with Marsters on Friday, Feb. 26. Link: Sci-Fi Talk

The official Caprica podcast for "Gravedancing," with David Eick, Jonas Pate, Paula Malcomson and Sasha Roiz, is up on SyFy's site.

And Chicago Now talked to Alessandra Torresani and Sasha Roiz.

Even though the original Zoe is dead, we'll still see her this season. "She's not completely gone. You see flashbacks of a young version of Zoe at like seven years old. You'll get to see how she came up in the mindset of the STO."

The actors said that none of the Zoes will cause the chaos coming in Season 1 of the series. That will come from the humans.

"The whole world's got this ominous feeling that you know something is approaching," Roiz said. "There's this foreboding sense that it's going to spin out of control. The ecology of the planet, the religious fervor--all of these elements are going to come together to just unravel this world. And you can see it happening.

"I think that's one of the most exciting things about watching the show because you're literally watching people tear apart this world as you know it." -- Chicago Now

Two new Caprica teasers and a behind the scenes clip

SyFy has released several new clips: two new teasers - The Next Chapter and Spark of Life - and a behind the scenes clip in which the cast and crew discuss Caprica's visual styles and the way the show is is filmed. All three clips include some pretty interesting looking footage from unaired episodes.

Teasers:





Behind the scenes clip:

SyFy's Mark Stern: Caprica isn't going anywhere

SyFy exec Mark Stern has addressed the rumours about the show's future being uncertain in an interview with Airlock Alpha yesterday. He talked about the ratings, the show's pace, James Marsters' character, and SyFy's plans to use Caprica as a launch point for a new series after the mid-season break among other things. For the complete article, head over to Airlock Alpha.

Snippets: 

"We're definitely with 'Caprica' for the long haul," Syfy's EVP of original programming Mark Stern told Airlock Alpha Thursday. "There's no question about it. We knew exactly what it was not going to be, that is an easily adopted show. It's not 'Battlestar Galactica,' it's its own animal. And we definitely recognize that it's going to find its audience and it's going to grow its audience." (...)

Syfy just received the first batch of numbers this week for "Caprica" tracking viewers who recorded the second episode of the series and watched it within a week, known as Live+7. Those numbers were better than the network anticipated, Stern said, and actually propelled "Caprica" into the top 10 for cable that night.

"We're certainly not sharpening the axe by any stretch of the imagination," Stern said. "We all really believe in the show, and it has a lot of potential." (...)

The audience does have to grow, but Syfy doesn't have immediate plans to boost its marketing of "Caprica." The network does believe, however, that the series will start to sell itself beginning March 5 when "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Torchwood" alum James Marsters joins the cast as Barnabus Greeley.

"That suddenly throws that whole dynamic with Clarice in a whole new light and gives her a foil to play against," Stern said of the character played by Polly Walker that is the head of a monotheistic terror cell while at the same time running a private school. (...)

"The pace picks up," Stern said. "It was something we were talking with [executive producer Jane Espenson] and those guys about. It's not really mid-season switch, but more something we decided to do as we were getting on with the show and realizing that we need to amp this up a little more and tighten up the plotting."

That won't necessarily mean gun fights, but it could feature at least one Viper battle. Well, we're not sure if it's a "battle," but there will be Vipers. And very soon.

"There is actually a Viper sequence in the show that is coming up in the next couple of episodes," Stern said. "This isn't the kind of show where everyone is going to jump into Vipers and fight the Cylon base ship, but we are going to get out more. We're going to go to Gemenon. We're going to go to Tauron. But I think these guys [the writing staff] are basically taking their time and making sure what they do is organic."

How to build your own Serge in 2010

From Domestic Robots:

Serge seems to have been inspired by the Ballbot which is able to balance itself on a single spherical wheel while traveling about but what makes Serge interesting is the effortless ability to interact with humans and their home while providing a soothing human language response to commands. (...)

Here are some basic "ingredients" to create Serge in 2010:

• Robotics: Use similar technology as used by the Ballbot or Anybot's Monty
• A.I.: A mix of speech recognition/feedback system as created by Tellme Networks and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN)
• Energy Source: Fuel cell technology
• Home Navigation: A mix of laser SLAM technology as used by the Neato XV-11, visual SLAM technology as seen on Samsung Tango and NorthStar as used on WowWee's Rovio.
• Home Automation: Medina's Home Automation System.

The cars on Caprica: Interview with Richard Hudolin (NY Times)

The New York Times has a great article about the cars used on the show. They talked to Caprica's production designer, Richard Hudolin. You can find the article here.

The show is filmed in a trippy computer graphic-enhanced version of Vancouver, where the show is filmed. It’s part Gotham and part Cloud City. The cars, however, are a blend of current models, like Smart cars, and classics. The Jaguar serves as the limousine for one of the main characters, a wealthy technology magnate played by Eric Stoltz. The Citroën DS belongs to a lawyer for a crime family on a neighboring planet (called colonies). (...)

Richard Hudolin, the production designer on “Caprica,” said the cars help define the characters and balance the overall modern look of the show. “They’re a good counterpoint to the glass and chrome of the sets,” he said recently in a phone interview. “I wanted to balance that out, soften the look. So we started looking at older cars.” (...)

In adopting a noirish feel for the overall look for “Caprica,” Mr. Hudolin said it freed him from certain periodic constraints in selecting the prop vehicles. “One police vehicle is a Japanese van that’s been decked out and has one cherry on top,” he said. “We also use a contemporary Chrysler 300 because it has that 1940s look.”

Caprica 1x04 Gravedancing: Promotional stills, new clip

A new clip from "Gravedancing:" 



And a few stills from the episode:

 

  

  

  

 

"Gravedancing" airs tonight at 9/8c.

Interviews: Paula Malcomson, Sasha Roiz, Jane Espenson, Scott Porter

Okay, three new interviews today. Paula Malcomson talked to TV Star, Sasha Roiz was interviewed by Chicago Now, Jane Espenson explained the history behind Sam Adama's tattoos in the same article, and Scott Porter briefly discussed his role in Caprica while promoting his new film, The Good Guy, which opens this weekend. Links below.

Paula Malcomson:

What makes Amanda interesting to play and, in your opinion, to watch?
I'm not sure what makes her interesting to watch, other than that she's got the same problems as everybody else. Maybe it's just a little bit more exaggerated. She's watching these rich people kind of fall from grace in some ways, and that might be interesting for people to watch. For me, she's just enormously interesting to play because of all the complications that she's going through. That's always interesting to me. It's always interesting to me about playing anyone. What are their problems? What's their pain? Where is their pain? How does it affect them? And then, how do they deal with it? How do they conquer it? How do they arm themselves in the world?

In the upcoming weeks and months, what are you eager to discover about Amanda and about the story in general?
I think that what we're trying to do is make these characters really real and easy to empathize with, the loss in Amanda's life being easily identifiable to everyone. But the thing I love the most is wondering if, eventually, she'll get to see Zoe in whatever form it takes. I think the idea of being able to see your loved ones after you've lost them is pretty appealing. People would literally kill to do that. They'd give anything to be able to spend two minutes with someone they don't see anymore. I think that's the most beautiful plot part of playing this role, but there are 100 other reasons why I love playing Amanda.

You've said in other interviews that you're unpredictable as an actor playing Amanda, that you like to mix things up, change things around. How open are the show's powers that be to your unpredictability?
Well, let's just put it like this: they're in L.A. and I'm in Vancouver, so what are they going to do? It takes them at least six hours to get there with security these days. -- TV Star

Sasha Roiz & Jane Espenson:

The actor who plays the Tauron assassin, awesome uncle and gay family man has to spend hours getting the make-up applied.

"Well, 2 ½ hours and like three or four makeup artists. So, I've got like six to eight sets of hands on me," he said, sometimes standing with his arms spread out. "It's a bit of an ordeal, but ... I just stand there and take it all."

Tattoo-prep for scenes when he's full clothed, which would be the art on his hands and neck, is about a half hour.

Roiz also told me that writer/producer Jane Espenson came up with an entire history of Sam's tattoos, which he said tell Sam's story as a Tauron and a member of the Ha'la'tha gang. (...)

RIGHT HAND
These tatts indicate accomplishments, points of pride and skills.

• The "Tauron sun" on the back of his hand represents years in service. Each protruding line represents two years in the Ha'La'Tha--these seven lines means Sam's been in for 14 years. Obviously, a new line is added every two years.
• The two squares on Sam's right index finger indicate Tamara and Willie--children he has dedicated himself to. Ruth (Joseph's mother-in-law) would have many marks like this--for children and grandchildren and godchildren etc. She happens to wear these marks higher on her right arm, not on her hand--it doesn't make a difference.
• The "Tauron Bull" glyph on the middle finger says that Sam is an earner. This is bestowed on younger ha'la's by their immediate superior. A salesman or businessman would also have this mark.
• The star on the little finger represents skill with knives. Cooks and butchers bear the same mark somewhere on their right hand or arm. Keep reading

Scott Porter:

Q: What's going on with Caprica?
Scott: I did 10 out of the 18 episodes in the first season. I play this terrorist. It was a great turn for me to have, to move into a different realm. I've played a number of different roles, but never something that was so out there. I play the smart computer nerd/terrorist on Caprica. I was so excited. I'm a huge Battlestar Galactica fan, and how I got that show was such serendipity that it was amazing. I presented the Best Horror category at the Saturn Awards last year, because I was in Prom Night. I saw the Battlestar people there and I walked up and said, "I'm a huge fan of the show," and they said they were huge fans of Friday Night Lights.

Two weeks later, I got a call and they offered it to me. I didn't even audition. It was very, very cool to know that my work in the past led me to be a part of a canon that I just love. Battlestar is amazing. It's a pretty great role. You're going to see Nestor pop up a lot. And, it was awesome to work with Polly Walker. She's phenomenal. -- IESB.net

Edward James Olmos talks about Caprica and the next Battlestar film

TV Squad interviewed Edward James Olmos this week. You can read the entire article here.

When I asked if he had any plans to return to the 'BSG' franchise in some capacity, Olmos said he wasn't sure and that being a part of the show was a "once in a lifetime experience." He also mentioned director Bryan Singer's upcoming 'Battlestar' film project, produced by original series creator Glen Larson.

"The next thing they're doing with it ['Battlestar'] is working with Glen Larson," Olmos said. "Glen, who created the original franchise, will do it his own way, and I don't think we'll participate in that. I'd love to help him, but I don't think we'll get to." (...)

When asked about Syfy's 'BSG' prequel series, 'Caprica', Olmos said he "liked the pilot very much," and he was looking forward to seeing the prequel's story progress.

Can 'Caprica' repeat 'BSG's success to become one of the boldest and most innovative series currently on TV?

"It's too early to tell," he said. "I haven't seen all of the episodes to air, but it'll be interesting to see."

Lucy Lawless denies Caprica rumours

Just a quick note to say that the admin of the Official Xena Fanclub has asked Lucy Lawless about the rumours that she was joining Caprica and, as it turns out, she has not been approached after all.

Source: The Official Xena Fanclub via LucyReneeHQ.com

Bonus scene from 1x03 Reins of a Waterfall

SyFy has posted a bonus scene from the last episode, with Esai Morales and Karen Austin.

More cast interviews: Magda Apanowicz and Esai Morales

Just a quick heads up: Magda Apanowicz did a Q & A with MSN TV (snippets below) and there are also two new interviews with Esai Morales online, one at About.com and the other at the Associated Press YouTube channel (embedded below).

MSN TV: Is the "Caprica" vision of the future one that you would want to live in?

Magda Apanowicz: I almost feel like we do live in a world like "Caprica." The fact that it's so close to home is why it appeals to me so much. You're making statements about what's going on right now. You take Facebook and Wii and add it together and that's what the virtual world in "Caprica" is. I like that in "Caprica" the virtual world is a new thing. The parents didn't have that growing up. And it's the same thing about the Internet and all the current technology. It didn't exist like it does now for our parents' generation. Kids aren't relating to their parents anymore and I just find that so honest. It's happening in real life and it's happening in "Caprica."

You shoot in Vancouver, British Columbia, which is your hometown. Do you like working at home or would you rather get out and shoot someplace new to you?

I always wanted to get a job and work in Los Angeles, but I've been doing this for like 10 years, and I can't seem to get any job outside of Vancouver. I do occasionally get outside of Vancouver, but it's like population 250 and still in British Columbia. But you realize you have a lot of luxury by working where you live. You get to go home. You get to go see your friends. When you're stressed or sad or have a bad day at work you have your lifelines there.

Does that mean that you're the tour guide for the rest of the cast who aren't Vancouver natives?

I try to show them things, but I'm not really a party animal so I don't really go out. I'm such a homebody.

Is that what the cast is looking to do, party?

[Laughs.] No, they're very mellow people. I just feel like I'm such a bad guide. I don't give enough of a credit to my city. I love to just sit home and eat popcorn and watch movies.

While you don't have to be a fan of "Battlestar Galactica" to enjoy "Caprica," did you feel that, as an actor on the series, you needed to be informed about all the "BSG" stuff before you started working on it?

I think the only thing about watching "BSG" is that I get the simple satisfaction of knowing little things. "Oh, this is cool," because it ties into the future. I wanted to make it a really strong point to not watch "Battlestar Galactica" before starting "Caprica" because I was afraid it was going to give me a lot of pressure and preconceived notions of what it was going to be like. We just kind of went in and threw ourselves into this world for a month and a half. We did the pilot, and, once that was in the can, we ended up having this bunch of time off where I went and saw "Battlestar Galactica" and was blown away. It was so amazing. I was really glad that I didn't watch it before I filmed it because, really, it's two different stories. -- Keep reading

The headline on a recent interview you did is "Give Caprica a Chance," which almost sounds like a plea. Is Caprica in trouble yet?

No, that's just me predicting that some folks won't get into it right away. Like some of my family members going, "Wait, what's the virtual thing?" There's some segments of our society that are not as technologically proficient, and if you stick with the show it will stick with you. That's been my mantra.

We have emotional storylines that are not just technical, and we have technical for those that are savvy. How should I say, I was being cynical in the sense that I prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

You've been in a few projects that weren't given a chance.

Right, well, that's partly the reason. Not only shows I've been involved with, but so many great shows out there come and go, and executives without knowledge of the history take away some of the best shows on TV without knowledge of where they're going.

I'm just trying to say that, before you think this show is one thing, stick with it and you may find it's a whole other thing.

What made you most want to play Joseph Adama?

I think Joe Adama is the ultimate everyman. He's a great character for me, he's well-rounded, and he's trying to be a good man in a corrupt world, which is where I think a lot of us find ourselves. You got to admit, we're the benefactors of a system that impoverishes people around the world. So even though I'm grateful to be in the greatest nation on earth, we all have to look at the part we're playing.

Caprica is pressing the "ethnicity" button a lot harder than we're used to seeing in a sci-fi series. How did you react to that?

Thank god! Or, thank the gods. The reality is, television always avoids this, and here's a show that actually confronts it and is rather frank about it. It's not specific, so it's not about Latinos or Asians or Blacks or Jews, it's about, "What planet are you from?" [laughs] You know what I mean? Which we could say in this world, because we do. What culture are you from? What kind of values are endemic to you? -- Keep reading

New Caprica preview and interview with Alessandra Torresani

SCI FI Wire has a couple of new clips up. The first one is a promo for the Caprica City Buccaneers that airs during Baxter Sarno's show and gets hacked. The second is a relatively recent interview with Alessandra Torresani.

Here they are:

Two preview clips for 1x04 Gravedancing

SyFy has released two scenes from the next episode, which airs this Friday:

Two new interviews with Esai Morales

Esai Morales has done a Q & A with Uinterview and also talked to TV Guide. The TV Guide video includes a brief clip with him and Sasha Roiz from an upcoming episode.

Q: Eric Stoltz, who stars on Caprica with you, when he had first received the script for the show, had it stolen out of his hotel room and that was when he really realized how fanatical the fans of the Battlestar series are. When did it dawn on you how fanatical people are about this franchise? - Erik
A: Well, it’s interesting because I’d heard about it. When I mentioned that there was a prequel to Battlestar – a quarter to half the people I told, their ears were perked up. 'That’s a big show, you know.' And I thought, especially, when we went to [the comic convention] Comic Con, we were one of the biggest halls there with like 5,000 people, and it was filled up for the presentation of Caprica. The attention put on it was pretty heavy.
Q: Were you a fan of Galactica? - Erik
A: I wasn’t aware of it no, but I knew about the 70’s show. And then I asked if I should go out and study it, and they said, “No, no, no, it’s not necessary.” Subsequently, I’ve become much more familiar with it. But if you give me too much information, it loses its mystery.
Q: Did you prepare for the role in a certain way to try to get into the character? - Erik
A: Every role you do you approach in your own way and different roles require different preparation. What I realized about this is that the show’s very analogous to our lifestyle here, so I didn’t have to go out and study life in other worlds as much as it’s home as far as the arc is concerned. So emotionally every character I play, I’m doing parts of myself. Which parts precisely depend on the requirements of the role. I don’t really know how to answer that without giving too much away. Keep reading

Interview with James Marsters

ScFi.co.uk posted an interview they did with James Marsters last week at the SFX Weekender. He briefly talked about his first impression of Caprica and how he landed the part.

I know that you're working on Caprica right now. Can you tell us how that's going and how you got the role?
I got the role because Jane Espenson asked me to do it. Jane was one of the writers on Buffy. And basically if any of the wirters on Buffy call me I'll come. I want to get back on that mountain top, I feel like I've never really been on that high altitude since Buffy. So Jane called me up and said they needed someone to inject a little danger. I watched the pilot of Caprica and it was so dangerous I had to turn it off. It was too scary for me. I'm not easily scared, but I've got two kids and there were issues that were raised about adolescence that I found too uncomfortable. But at that point I became an addict. Basically, Caprica is a very mature rumination on why our culture is about to explode. It's an issue we don't want to talk about but if you examine where we're going it's not good. I think it's very brave. I wonder if the audience is tough enough to watch it. But I think it's a worthy risk.

The entire Q & A with him from the event is posted on YouTube.

Cast and creators talk about the Adama family

SyFy has released a new video. In it, Esai Morales, Sasha Roiz, Karen Austin, Jonas Pate, Mark Stern, and David Eick discuss the Adama family.

Casting rumour: Another BSG alum

A new casting rumour surfaced in TV Guide's weekly spoiler column and apparently there has also been some talk of a Final Five storyline on Caprica. Not sure how much sense this makes at this point, especially with everything that's been said so far, but here it is:

Will we ever see the world of Battlestar Galactica come crashing into Caprica? — Tally
MICKEY: I will bet you one meeellion cubits that we will. Caprica executive producer Jane Espenson tells us that the new show will address the overlap through the backstory of the Final Five, who, as you remember, started their "lives" on Caprica. "If you actually do the math, the [human-Cylon] war starts about five years from where our characters are in Caprica," Espenson says. And what's this? The producers have already contacted Spartacus' Lucy Lawless about reprising the role of D'Anna on Caprica. Watch your back, Eric Stoltz! -- TV Guide

Just for reference (regarding the Final Five, not D'Anna), here is what Michael Trucco said just the other week:

Do you think Anders could end up being on "Caprica?"
Well, there is certainly the possibility because Eric Stoltz plays the owner of the Caprica Buccaneers and as we all know that Anders was a Caprica Buccaneer. So if he was a sleeper agent Cylon the whole time wouldn't it make sense that he was this superstar athlete recruited to play for the Buccaneers to turn their season around?

And Eric Stoltz's character wanted to keep him forever?
Right. And then this guy keeps playing every season but he stays the same age. I'm like the Brett Farve of the Buccaneers. It'll be Season 22 and I'm still killing it. No, nothing has ever been discussed. I'd love to do a little cameo but I think they are going to keep the two entities separate. -- Chicago Now

New interview with Ron Moore (L.A. Times)

Los Angeles Times talked to Ron Moore about Caprica and has a lengthy article up here.

Some have called "Caprica" a science-fiction soap opera. Is that a fair description and was that the plan?

Well, the intention was to go in that direction. To just do a drama that wasn't set in space. It was kind of important to David [Eick] and I that the show not be about just another "Battlestar" or yet another war series, but to really be different on a fundamental level to what "Battlestar" was. We had always tried to pitch "Battlestar" to the audience as a character drama first, then a sci-fi drama second. There were segments of the audience that we could never convince -- the female audience for instance -- to try the show. They were held back by the hardware and the really sci-fi trappings of the show, but I always felt like science fiction could accommodate different kinds of storytelling that were character-oriented and more grounded, for lack of a better term. So we decided that this show would be very much based on a planet and character-oriented. And the shorthand for that would be primetime soap.

I asked David Eick what his fears were going into production, and he mentioned casting. What were yours?

Mostly it was the budget -- not having enough money to do what we wanted to do. Trying to get enough funds to really realize the world of Caprica and tell the stories that we wanted to tell in the scope that we wanted to do.

The religious aspects are certainly heightened in "Caprica." Did you research religion for the show?

Somewhat. Remi [Aubuchon] really had done more research into that because it was a particular interest of his. A lot of the conversations and initial research on that was done by Remi.


Scorpia will be mentioned more frequently, and Sagittaron we know will eventually become a hotbed of terrorist activity. ... Gemenon is also a very important planet, probably the most important besides Tauron and Caprica, because it's the homebase for the monotheism movement and is the most religiously-oriented of the colonies and a lot of the conflict in the colonies is coming out of Gemenon. Keep reading

Interview with Alessandra Torresani and Magda Apanowicz

IESB.net has a new interview with Alessandra Torresani and Magda Apanowicz. You can check it out here.

IESB: How did you get involved with Caprica? Did you just audition for it, or was there something specific about this show that appealed to you?

Alessandra: Mine was a regular audition. I actually didn't know if I wanted to do sci-fi. Once I decided, I read the script and fell in love with it. It was an audition process of me going through about seven times.

Magda: When I auditioned for it, I remember that I didn't want to go in for any auditions because I was getting my wisdom teeth pulled out, but I also ready it and was like, "I have to audition for this." And then, when they were doing the call-backs, after my surgery, I got dry socket and my one side got infected, so my whole face started to swell up. And then the other side of my mouth got dry socket, and I couldn't actually talk for about a month and I couldn't eat solid foods, so I couldn't go for the call-backs. I was very lucky that they trusted in me and they cast me.

IESB: Was there ever any hesitation for either of you, when it came to signing on to play a character that you could end up playing for a number of years?

Magda: I never did. I've had a lot of luck with a lot of TV series that I've done for two or three years in a row. It's an awesome thing to be able to see a character grow, and it doesn't have to stay the same, just because you're doing it for years.

Alessandra: I think it's every actor's dream to be on a show for many years and grow with that character because then you have opportunities to do film and play multiple people, but you always have your ground base and you have that family.

IESB: Can you talk about who your character is and how that character fits into the story of the show?

Alessandra: I play Zoe Graystone, and I play Zoe avatar, and I play Zoe robot, and then I play two other Zoes later on. The first Zoe is the richest girl in the world. Her dad is the Bill Gates of Caprica. She is a rebel. She's trying to fight for the Soldiers of the One. She creates the avatar of herself because she has a plan for the avatar to get to Gemenon, but that falls through when she gets bombed by her boyfriend. And then, the avatar gets put into a robot body by her father.

Magda: I play Lacy Rand, who is Zoe Graystone's best friend. In the pilot, we are trying to get to Gemenon and Lacy decides she can't go, and she loses her best friend on the train when she gets blown up. For a long time, it's Lacy trying to help Zoe fulfill the mission that she originally set out to do, to go to Gemenon, and she keeps failing her.

IESB: Alessandra, do you see all these different versions of Zoe as different facets of the same character, or do you see them all as separate people?

Alessandra: No, I see them as the same blank pallette, and they all have different colors to them. The original Zoe will always only be the original Zoe, the avatar will only be the avatar, and so forth. They're all the same basis, but they're all very different, in their own way. Keep reading

Teaser for episode 1x04, Gravedancing

Here is the teaser for episode 1x04, Gravedancing, which airs on February 19:

Second part of SCI FI Wire's video interview with Esai Morales

SCI FI Wire posted the second part of their video interview with Esai Morales:

New interview with Esai Morales (AOL TV)

AOL TV has posted a new interview with Esai Morales. You can read it here.

Funny – I just spoke with Lou Diamond Phillips [Morales' 'La Bamba' co-star] about a month ago for his sci-fi show, 'Stargate: Universe'...

You'd think SyFy would run a show called 'La Bamba in Space' or something. It's like they got the both of us. How ironic, how weird!

What made you want to be a part of 'Caprica'?

I think the legacy left behind by 'Battlestar' speaks for itself. I thought that these avid fans, most of whom were skeptical at first...to turn them into a fan of 'Caprica' as well is a daunting task, a big challenge. Based on the responses I've been getting, I'd say 75-80 percent of those skeptics have been won over. That's a huge number. Even if you find the show a little slow or confusing, if you stick with the show, it'll stick with you.

Not unlike a virus?

Well, what we're doing is slowly laying hooks into you, which we will later rip out.

It was a little slow at first, but once the teenager's voice came out of the Cylon body, I was sucked right back in.

The hair stood up on the back of my neck when I saw that scene. It was like 'Oooooooh!'

You're aware how rabid sci-fi fans are – are you ready for the dissecting and possible obsession that only sci-fi fans can provide?

I guess. You never know, unless people go truly rabid. Hopefully no foam will be coming out of their mouths. If I see that, I may have to run.

'Caprica' is not your typical sci-fi, and that's what makes it stand out.

That's the thing – with sci-fi, it's a thinking-person's genre in and of itself. Geeks are not known for their stupidity. It's an adult drama that appeals to young people as well. I call it a multi-generational, multi-genre family saga, that's set in the sci-fi world. I also really like that who you do is up to you on 'Caprica'. We've gotten past that whole "You sleep with people of the same sex? Ew" kind of mentality. You love who you love and you make a commitment.

Caprica video blog and new promo for 1x03 The Reins of a Waterfall

SyFy has put up a new video on the Caprica video blog. In it, the cast, crew and producers discuss Zoe's relationship with her robot body.



And this is a new preview clip from episode 1x03, The Reins of a Waterfall:

Video interview with Esai Morales

SCI FI Wire has posted the first part of an exclusive video interview with Esai Morales:

New interview with Sasha Roiz (After Elton)

AfterElton.com has a four page interview with Sasha Roiz, days after Sam Adama topped the favourite gay characters poll on their site. To read the whole thing, go here.

AfterElton.com: The standard question actors playing gay roles used to get asked was are you concerned about taking on a gay role, but it's 2010 and I think we're past that. Nobody ever asks actors what they think about playing a character as morally complicated as is Sam. So what was your approach to that as an actor?
Sasha Roiz: You know what's great is that I think it's a wonderful addition to the character that he's gay. But the thing is, on Caprica, there's no discrimination as far as the sexes or sexual orientation. The discrimination is more cultural. We're more discriminated against as Taurons as anything else. As a matter of fact, the word gay wouldn't even be used on Caprica because it's not an issue. It's a completely normal way of life. You love who you love.

AE: Jane Espenson [Caprica’s executive producer] and I were talking about that. Frankly, I love that approach. And I love that we have enough gay characters these days that we can have some complexity in them. So playing a character who has already killed in the pilot, and in the third episode is asked to kill somebody rather shocking, basically you're a mobster hit man. Does playing a killer mess with your head in any way shape or form?
SR: No, because I think when you play any character, unless you have issues as the character about killing, I don't think you ever question what the character's motives are. You just embrace it. The way I approach it is that he truly believes in the organization he works for. He truly believes in the cause and the tasks that are asked of him. He doesn't question things.

There are moments later on in the series where he does question things, very much so. He's conflicted about things he's been asked to do or been forced to do, and those are really fun to tackle, but when it comes to the organization, the mob that he works for, he truly believes in his cause.

He has a real disdain for Capricans. This is a man who believes he's being treated as a second class citizen and the only thing he can do to survive and thrive in this world is remain loyal to the culture he's from and the people who look after him. That's the only people he cares about.

AE: With what we've seen so far of your home life with your husband Larry, it seems very typical. How would you describe your relationship with him? What's their home life like?
SR: Well, I can't say it's a conventional relationship by our standards.

AE: Why not?
SR: Because I'm in the criminal underworld. That is the only part of the relationship that is strained. He would obviously take exception to certain things. He's accepted me for who I am, but it's more my career and the people that I fraternize with, the responsibilities and duties that I have that would jeopardize our relationship in any way.

Otherwise we're a very healthy, monogamous couple, and ironically, in the show, I think I'm one of the only people who has a stable relationship, and has a very concrete sense of what family is and should be. Everyone else's seems to be falling apart.

AE: Describe your relationship with your brother Joseph. What's the dynamic there?
SR: With Joseph, it's a fascinating relationship as we continue in the series. You're going to see some really great flashbacks and back stories to these two men. They flash back to our time in Tauron, and what's shaped us, the tragedy that bonded us, and shaped us, and brought us to Caprica.

We reveal a lot of that. It's going to be a really interesting insight into what Taurons are, who these two men are, and some of the dark secrets that they've held all these years. It also feeds into the decision making, why I'm in the mob, why I'm as zealous as I am about our cause.

AE: What was the casting of the show like?
SR: I came in really late. I actually auditioned for the role of Tomas Vergis. They'd already done their primary casting, and I was auditioning for Vergis, and in the end, they offered me the role of Sam. It was sort of last minute. The pilot was about to get underway. I read it and I thought it was fantastic, far more interesting for me than Vergis. I came in simply as a guest star with the potential to be a reoccurring character.

AE: Really? Just a guest star?
SR: Yeah, with chances of a reoccurring storyline. By the end of the pilot I had the sense that this character had so much potential it would be a waste if they didn't use him. After the series got picked up, they offered me a contract as a regular, and it's been fantastic. As the show progressed, at first I was sort of supporting Esai's story, and then eventually, I guess the character really resonated with the writers and they started to develop fantastic storylines for Sam. It's been a lot of fun.

AE: How surprised were you when Jane said, "Oh by the way, he's going to be a gay character?"
SR: I was very surprised. But then at the same time, I realized it was going to be a really interesting layer to the character. He could have been a very cookie-cutter sort of mobster that would have been far more boring. We get to investigate this other side of him, but again, there's only so much investigation that's needed because of the world we've created.

I think for viewers it's going to be far more interesting. I think in the second episode I'm walking down Little Tauron telling Willie how Joseph used to hit on the girls and I would hit on their brothers. It's just so normal and casual, and just a wonderful thing to explore.

Stills from 1x03 The Reins of a Waterfall

Here are a few pictures from The Reins of a Waterfall, which airs this Friday:

Interview with Eric Stoltz (TCA press tour)

IESB.net posted an interview with Eric Stoltz from the TCA Winter Press Tour. You can read the complete article here. Mild spoilers ahead.

Q: What drew you to this project?

Eric: To be honest, I was not looking to do a series at all. I started directing more this year. But, the script was very rich and complex, and 90% better than the scripts I read, so I thought I'd meet with the creators. They seemed to have a great deal of integrity and, despite the fact that it's a little show without a lot of money, we're all deeply invested in the stories and the characters. It's kind of wonderful

Q: What do you like and what can you relate to about this character?

Eric: Not much. He's really a morally ambiguous, difficult man. He puts his entire soul into his work, so his personal relationships suffer, like so many men, and probably like myself.

Q: How aware were you of Battlestar Galactica?

Eric: Not that much, to be honest. I don't watch a lot of television or go to the movies a great deal. When you're working 16- or 17-hour days, you're not gonna go home and watch 50 hours of programming.

Q: What can viewers look forward to this season?

Eric: All kinds of stuff happens. Some people get killed that you don't expect. There's some death. And there's some sex. We go to another planet, in my episode. We take Polly Walker's character to Gemenon and reveal Gemenon for the first time.

Q: How has it been to move to Vancouver to work on it?

Eric: It's quite wonderful. It's a really fresh and clean place to live. The community is lovely and friendly, and the healthcare seems to work.

Q: And, you're directing an episode?

Eric: I just turned in my cut a few weeks ago. It's Episode 10. It opens up the second half of our season.

Previews for Caprica 1x03 The Reins of a Waterfall

From SyFy: