Battlestar Galactica Final Episodes to Start 1/16/09

The final fate of the survivors of the 12 Colonies is a little bit closer. According to Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello, the final ten episodes of Battlestar Galactica will begin airing on Sci Fi on January 16th at 10pm, which, if the episodes are being shown weekly, will put the series final on March 20th. Timing and scheduling, of course, is a little unclear, as Executive Producer Ron Moore has said that the final 10 episodes will run 11 hours in length – or longer, with the series finale running three or more hours. According to the Chicago Tribune’s Maureen Ryan, there will be websiodes in the lead-up to the final episodes.

What to do until then? Last week, NBC/Universal confirmed that Battlestar Galactica Season 4.0 will be released on DVD January 6th, 2009. The four-disc box set will contain the first ten episodes of Season Four, as well as the broadcast and DVD release versions of Battlestar Galactica: Razor

The Season 4.0 set specs read:

Episodes:
• He That Believeth In Me
• Six Of One
• The Ties That Bind
• Escape Velocity
• The Road Less Traveled
• Faith
• Guess What's Coming to Dinner
• Sine Qua Non
• The Hub
• Revelations

Extras
• Disc 1:
o Deleted Scenes
o The Look of Battlestar Galactica
o My Favorite Episode So Far
o Season 4 Sneak Peek
o Season 4 Trailer
o Razor Flashback Minisodes
1. Day 4,571
2. The Hangar
3. Operation Raptor Talon
4. Free Fall
5. The Lab
6. Survivors
7. Escape
o Commentary to the Razor Unrated Extended Edition with Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore and Writer Michael Taylor

• Disc 2:
o Deleted Scenes
o Ronald Moore’s Podcast Commentaries

• Disc 3:
o Deleted Scenes
o David Eick’s Video Blogs
o “Faith" Commentary with Executive Producer Ronald. D. Moore and Supervising Producers Bradley Thompson and David Weddle
o “Guess What’s Coming to Dinner Commentary” with Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore and Writer Michael Angeli
o Ronald Moore’s Podcast Commentaries

• Disc 4:
o Deleted Scenes
o The Journey
o Cylons: The Twelve
o Season 4.5: The Untold Story - Untold
o The Music of Battlestar Galactica
o “Sine Qua Non” Commentary with Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore and Writer Michael Taylor
o Ronald Moore’s Podcast Commentaries

Currently, Season 4.0 will be available only in standard DVD format, with a Blu-Ray version possibly, according to rumors, coming later in 2009.

Season 4 episodes of course, are available on iTunes, and selected episodes are available at hulu.com.

Currently, Sci Fi has not announced a date for the airing of Caprica, a prequel movie set 51 years before Battlestar Galactica, and will not be making a decision on whether or not the movie will be picked up as a spinoff series until early 2009. Availability of financing has been noted as the reason for the delayed decision.

That said, in the “no news is good news” category, it looks as if the 2-hour movie written by Jane Espenson and directed by Edward James Olmos is still on, and will debut after the series finale. The movie, reportedly titled “The Plan” is set during Season 4, and will fit in as a side story, much like Razor did.

Related:

David Eick on Battlestar Galactica: Past, Present and Future

Battlestar Galactica Franchise Steams Ahead

Brandon Jerwa on Battlestar Galactica: Ghosts

NYCC '08: The Battlestar Galactica Panel