BSG Mini-Series Script Commentary

[rayruz]

So I managed to get my hands on the mini-series script, what's clearly a draft of what we eventually got, and felt compelled to write commentary. I mean it confirms my opinion that RDM writes some truly crappy dialogue at times there is some serious "Well, as you know, Bob" going on, a few interesting scene changes, some major character differences

Comments

[coffeesuperhero]

I haven't even read more than like, the first tiny bit of this, but ALL OF THE COLONIES ON ONE PLANET = SO MUCH MORE LIKELY than finding TWELVE HABITABLE PLANETS in ONE FRAKKING SYSTEM.

Suck it, Kevin Grazier!

Okay, I'm done. I'ma let you finish ;)

[rayruz]

On the other hand, it makes a space based military pretty pointless.

[coffeesuperhero]

Not if they're concerned about a Cylon attack-- presuming (as I've not finished reading yet) that they still left the planet for another homeworld.

[rayruz]

But that's just it, no one is really concerned about a cylon attack. They haven't heard from them in 40 years. Also why have a weapons storage so far out if there's nothing remotely in that area, that it's so far away they have to jump out there? It would make more sense if some planet passed by it in passing.

And if you're gonna harp on multiple habitable planets? Harp on Firefly too. :)

[callmeonetrack]

I've read this before (a few times, heh) but I also re-read it this morning. It's really striking how much better (I think) the finished miniseries is versus this script, even though it's mostly smaller changes. There definitely is a lot of telling rather than showing here

[rayruz]

The Telling not Showing bothers the crap out of me, really.

I'm looking forward to reading Part 2. That's... a really weird thing to copyright.

[callmeonetrack]

Yeah, copyright is the wrong word (I was just being lazy and didn't feel like fixing. You can't copyright a name.). More the infringement issue as I guess there was already a Paul Tigh happening somewhere.

Part two has some interesting and distinct changes. (Far less Leoben I think, which is one thing I heartily approve of. ;) Denys Illic just took some new photos of him by the way and they're on his facebook page.

[rayruz]

Heh.. I will let Aria know.

Like every time she's seen me since I started the commentary she's been all "Did you get to Leoben yet!?"

[mlsky]

ohhhh...thanks for sharing this. I thoroughly enjoyed the commentary. :D

[dgcatanisiri]

This is very interesting. I love getting a look at the original drafts and such of scripts. It's just nice to see what is different between script and screen.

[lorrainemarker]

Thanks for posting this. It's great to see what did and didn't change.

I will say that since I'm in civil service - Billy and Roslin's first meeting rang very true for me. In government service, particularly at the cabinet level the cabinet member will have a chief of staff (who generally doesn't travel with them) who make selections of aides (or staffers). They'll also have an administrative assistant who manages scheduling things and remembering things. So, it's actually quite likely that Roslin's chief of staff did the hiring, told her she had a new aide, and assigned him to the Galactica museum refit project. And her administrative assistant told her - Dr's appointment at 9:00, get to the plane by 10:30, you have a speech at the decommissioning ceremony, don't worry your new aide has it, and the first time they meet was on the plane heading for the decommissioning ceremony.

When Billy and she survived she ended up as president and he ended up as a de facto principal aide/chief of staff/administrative assistant.