Starts Sky1, November
Bridging the oh-so-long gap before the final run of Battlestar Galactica begins, this prequel-of-sorts follows life on the planet Caprica 51 years before it was nuked by the Cylons. And, unlike Battlestar, rather than the action being in the skies about the planet, Caprica is firmly rooted to the ground as it aims to be TV’s “first science-fiction family drama“.
The pilot focuses on two very different clans – the Greystones and the Adamas.
While IT tycoon Daniel Greystone (Pulp Fiction’s Eric Stoltz) and his neurosurgeon wife Amanda (Deadwood’s Paula Malcolmson) are pillars of the 12 Colonies society, immigrant Joseph Adama (NYPD Blue’s Esai Morales) is a lawyer with links to the mob who is struggling to connect with son, who just happens to be future Battlestar Galactica commander Bill Adama (here played by newcomer Sina Najafi).
The two families collide when their daughters are killed in a terrorist attack, and when Daniel decides to use technology to bring the dead girls back to life he unwittingly creates the cybernetic race that will eventually blitz almost all of humankind. That’s right, his Cybernetic Life-form Node technology is the prototype for those darn-tooting Cylons.
Currently slated as just a TV movie, it seems inevitable Caprica will become a full series at some point. Produced by Battlestar’s genius showrunners Ronald D Moore and David Eick, the show’s pedigree is excellent. And if you like the idea of Battlestar’s tough political and religious themes mixed with the glitz and glamour of Dynasty, Caprica won’t disappoint. In fact, it might be a great entry point for anyone put-off by the sci-fi setting or weighty issues of the original series, and word is the two shows will be very different.
Here’s a taster for you…
• Click here to read more posts on Caprica
• Click here for more great new US shows coming to a screen near you this autumn
