Caprica season 1.5 to air in October after all (preview & spoilers)

Some great news today: Syfy has announced that the second half of season one will start airing in October, as originally planned. Episode 1x10, "Unvanquished," will air on Tuesday, October 5, at 10 PM, right after Stargate Universe. Sanctuary, on the other hand, got shifted back to Fridays, but at least we'll see their resident werewolf Ryan Robbins in four episodes of Caprica (starting with 1x11, "Retribution") when the show returns. In October.

No word yet on whether the show will get picked up for a second season, but Deadline writes that a reduced season 2 order is still a possibility.

Here is the first preview for "Unvanquished," with Deadwalker Zoe kicking some virtual ass:



The episode was directed by Eric Stoltz. David Eick said on one of the podcasts that he calls it the "Taxi Driver" episode (reasons to be determined in about a month). Also, I'm pretty sure that this will be the first episode with Meg Tilly guest starring, but can't for the life of me find the source on that.

Also of note: Earlier today, Nice Girls TV posted a really great report from Comic Con with a bunch of spoilers for the rest of the season, some of them completely new. You can check it out here: Inside the World of Caprica: A Look at What's to Come.

Finally, here is the press release for Caprica season 1.5:

NEW YORK - September 9, 2010 - The highly anticipated return of Syfy's critically-acclaimed series Caprica will come even sooner than anticipated. The second half of season one will now premiere on Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 10:00PM ET/PT, the channel announced today. Fans will no longer have to wait until January to watch the series exciting kick-off, as the citizens of Caprica deal with the chaotic aftermath of the mid-season finale's harrowing events.
The second half of season one will transport us from stunningly vivid, twisted Virtual realities to the fascinating outer worlds of the 12 Colonies. Along the way, revolutionary tensions rise, family power shifts and our characters grapple with the physical and emotional consequences of their questionable decisions. As the season races towards its stunning conclusion, each episode lays the groundwork for the inevitable (and brutal) clash between the new Cylon race and its human creators.

"Though we initially announced the January return of Caprica, we still had hopes of finding a way to get the series back on the air sooner," said Mark Stern, Executive Vice President of Original Programming, Syfy and Co-Head of Content for Universal Cable Productions. "We've been able to successfully re-work our schedule, and are thrilled to bring the show back during what is traditionally Syfy's most-watched time of the year. The outcome should also please fans who expressed their wishes for a shorter mid-season hiatus."

Caprica stars Eric Stoltz (Daniel Graystone), Paula Malcomson (Amanda Graystone), Esai Morales (Joseph Adama), Polly Walker (Sister Clarice Willow), Alessandra Torresani (Zoe Graystone), Magda Apanowicz (Lacy) and Sasha Roiz (Sam Adama).

Caprica will immediately follow new episodes of Stargate Universe (Tuesdays @ 9PM).

The third season premiere of Sanctuary will now launch in its former timeslot on Friday, October 15 at 10:00PM ET/PT immediately following Friday Night Smackdown on Syfy at 8:00PM ET/PT.

Produced by Universal Cable Productions, Caprica is a prequel to the award-winning series Battlestar Galactica, and is executive produced by Ronald D. Moore and David Eick. Jonas Pate serves as co-executive producer and director.