SciFi Stream » Virtuality

‘Virtuality’ Is Brilliantly Captivating Human Drama

Airlock Alpha — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:35:26 +0000

A 2-hour fully realized glimpse into what could have been one heck of a series

Virtuality crashes and burns on Fox, so don’t expect a series

Sci Fi Wire — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:05:50 +0000

If you watched Fox's TV movie Virtuality on Friday and want more, well, like the ill-fated Commander Pike, you shouldn't hold your breath.

The sci-fi pilot, from Battlestar Galactica producers Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor, crashed and burned in its only outing, drawing only 1.8 million viewers and scoring a wan 0.5 adult demo rating, The Hollywood Reporter's Live Feed column reported:

Low Ratings For ‘Virtuality’ Seal Its Fate

Sci Fi Scoop — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:12:24 +0000

This will probably be the last article I’ll need to write on Virtuality. The two-hour premiere of Ron Moore’s sci-fi pilot drew only 1.8 million viewers to rank it as the lowest-rated program on a major broadcast network on Friday night. With Virtuality completely dependent on high ratings to turn around Fox’s decision not to green-light the [...]

Will Virtuality have a future? Producer Michael Taylor looks ahead

Sci Fi Wire — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:50:24 +0000

If you've seen ads and heard descriptions for Fox's Virtuality and still aren't sure if it's a made-for-TV movie, the start of a new series or something else entirely, fret not: Creator and executive producer Michael Taylor is only too happy to classify the two-hour opus for you. "It's not a movie; it's not a single-serving film," Taylor said in an exclusive interview Thursday night in Los Angeles. "It is a two-hour backdoor pilot. That is what it is, and it makes no attempt to answer any of the questions it raises."

Taylor previously served as co-executive producer for Battlestar Galactica, a now-historic show that made few network concessions (save for a few re-imagined four-letter words) en route to critical and commercial success. Speaking exclusively to SCI FI Wire at the premiere of what he hopes will be the first episode of a series, Taylor said that he and fellow executive producer Ronald Moore held nothing back while developing Virtuality, including the potential for multiple seasons. "Ron and I made absolutely no concessions, nor for that matter were we asked to," Taylor insisted.

(Officially, Fox has not picked up Virtuality for a series, and it's not on the network's fall schedule. Virtuality airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT; you can read our review here.)

Preview: ‘Virtuality’ Probably Best Reality On Television

Airlock Alpha — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:11:18 +0000

Michael Hinman takes a spoiler-free look at Fox's Friday movie

Virtual Environments Worked Well For ‘Virtuality’ Actors

Airlock Alpha — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:28:21 +0000

Clea Duvall and Sienna Guillory talk green screens, gay characters and the environment

Watch a 12-minute preview of Fox’s Virtuality, from Battlestar’s Ron Moore

Sci Fi Wire — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:50:20 +0000

Fox has posted a 12-minute preview of Virtuality, its upcoming two-hour sci-fi movie, which you can view after the jump.

Fox moves Virtuality to June, releases new images

Sci Fi Wire — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:32:53 +0000

Fox has bumped up the air date and released a few gallery images of the cast for its upcoming Virtuality TV movie, which was originally a pilot for a sci-fi series, from Battlestar Galactica creator Ronald D. Moore. You can see more after the jump.

The movie will air on Fox at 8 p.m. on June 26 (not July 4, as originally scheduled), and will be available as an HD broadcast as well.

Good News For ‘Virtuality’? Pilot Airing Moves To June 26

SyFy Portal — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:24:00 +0000

First CG supervisor Doug Drexler shouted from the rooftops that "Virtuality" was alive (although he would later backpedal and say there was no word on a series) but now there seems to be even more life in a possible "Virtuality" series: Fox has moved the airing of the pilot away from a holiday to a Friday night. New press materials being released by Fox has "Virtuality" airing as its Fox Movie of the Week special airing June 26 at 8 p.m. ET. that's a huge change from the originally reported scheduled airing on July 4 -- a Saturday and a holiday which likely would mean almost no viewers. The pilot was developed by Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor, who both have roots in the Star Trek series as well as SciFi Channel's hit series "Battlestar Galactica." It stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, ...

Rising From The Dead: ‘Virtuality’ Is Back

SyFy Portal — Fri, 29 May 2009 08:40:09 +0000

When Fox scheduled the pilot for Ronald D. Moore's "Virtuality" series to air on July 4 -- not only a Saturday, but a holiday -- it was believed this show was as good as dead. But not so fast. Fox has apparently decided to spare the series, and it's believed that plans are made to put additional episodes into production. "We got the word that a show we through was dead is now on the fast track," said Doug Drexler, the CG supervisor for the pilot, wrote in his blog. "It's Ron Moore's 'Virtuality.' It just goes to show you how this business goes. It was dead, dead, dead ... now it's alive, alive, alive ... and they want it now, now now!" This is great news for Moore, who now will be heavily involved in two series that were originally left for dead. He's currently in production for ...

Fox Likely Won’t Pick Up Ron Moore’s ‘Virtuality’

SyFy Portal — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:55:57 +0000

As a strong network followup to "Battlestar Galactica," Ronald D. Moore had pinned his hopes on a Fox series that would take science-fiction fans to the stars. But now, it looks like "Virtuality" will be nothing more than a standalone movie, and a look of what could've been. Fox, according to The Futon Critic, plans to air the pilot July 4, a Saturday night and on a holiday ... not exactly the timeslot one would think a tease for a new show would go. It's not a surprise, however, as reports last December said Fox had ordered a number of changes to "Virtuality" in an effort to make it more "mainstream." Airing "broken pilots" during non-peak seasons are a way for a network to make some of its investment back during pilot season. It had commissioned "Virtuality" last summer from ...

Ron Moore’s ‘Virtuality’ In Trouble

SyFy Portal — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 10:39:59 +0000

Fox apparently isn't happy with how its proposed science-fiction series "Virtuality" is turning out, and it could face either death or a complete reworking. The series from "Battlestar Galactica's" Ronald D. Moore set on a long-range starship isn't turning too many heads at the network, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and is looking to either air the backdoor pilot Moore recently filmed in May, or hold the series long enough to allow some retooling to make it more "mainstream." But what does that mean? io9 writer Charlie Jane Anders speculates that could mean the removal of the show's gay married couple, played by Jose Pablo Cantillo and Gene Farber. "Apart from that, what do you do?" Anders asked. "The current fad seems to be for shows that appear to be realistic dramas at ...

Where Did ‘Virtuality’ Idea Come From?

SyFy Portal — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 09:21:59 +0000

Ronald D. Moore, the man behind the critically acclaimed "Battlestar Galactica," is trying to catch that bolt of lightning in his bottle twice with a potentially new Fox series known as "Virtuality," but questions are popping up more and more about where the story idea may have originated. An alert SyFy Portal reader in Finland, described as a "Battlestar" fan, did some research on "Virtuality," a show set aboard a long-duration starship known as the Phaeton, making a 10-year journey to a star, and entertaining its crew through a virtual reality system and keep them sane, which works great until a flaw is discovered in the system. That concept, however, bears a striking resemblance to a 2005 novel written by Joe Haldeman known as "Old Twentieth," a story that takes place on a starship ...

A Closer Look At RDM’s ‘Virtuality’

SyFy Portal — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:18:13 +0000

Ronald D. Moore is keeping "Virtuality," his new series planned for Fox, under such wraps, you would almost think the recipe to Coca-Cola and the identity of the last Cylon were tucked away in script pages. SciFi Wire recently had a chance to visit the set of Moore's backdoor pilot at Bridge Studios in Vancouver, B.C., the home of the Stargate series as well as "Dead Like Me." While overall story details were kept under wraps, the site -- which is associated with the SciFi Channel, which airs Moore's other popular series, "Battlestar Galactica" -- had a chance to learn more about some of the characters. The show, of course, is centered around what is described as the first interstellar space ship from Earth. Its 12-member crew is on a voyage twice as long as Capt. Kirk's first venture ...

Virtuality Characters Unveiled

Sci Fi Wire — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:00:00 +0000

SCI FI Wire visited the Vancouver, Canada, set of Virtuality, the SF pilot for Fox from Battlestar Galactica's Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor, and saw more--and less--of the show than we thought. But we learned a great deal about the show's central characters.

SciFi Sunday: Transformers 2, Harry Potter & Lots ‘O Comic Book Movies + Virtuality, Heroes, Terminator TV + more

TrekMovie.com — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:25:22 +0000

The two biggest movies are Iron Man and The Dark Knight, so it should be no surprise that both Marvel and DC are thinking about even more comic book movies. Plus we have some new images and video for 2009 movies (some are even not based on comic books!). In TV news there is an [...]

Fox: No ‘Battlestar’ Faces On ‘Virtuality’

SyFy Portal — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:28:07 +0000

Although a lot of attention in the entertainment industry is still focused on "Battlestar Galactica," showrunner Ronald D. Moore already has moved on to future projects including his "Virtuality" pilot for Fox. But fans expecting Moore to follow the path of executive producer partner David Eick in bringing in familiar faces from his critically acclaimed SciFi Channel series needs to think again. Sources have told SyFy Portal that "Virtuality" won't have any cameo appearances from cast members of "Battlestar Galactica," and in fact will work to distance itself as much as possible from the ragtag fleet series. That includes stunt casting or crossover casting that took place quite liberally in NBC's failed "Bionic Woman" last season that included appearances by Katee Sackhoff, Aaron ...

Moore Reveals Virtuality Details

Sci Fi Wire — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Ronald D. Moore, who co-created Fox's two-hour SF backdoor pilot film Virtuality, told SCI FI Wire that the film is gearing up to shoot at the end of this month, and he offered a few details about the unusual storyline.

Coster-Waldau Stars In ‘Virtuality’

Sci Fi Wire — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, star of Fox's canceled supernatural series New Amsterdam, has signed on to Fox's two-hour SF pilot Virtuality, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

More Casting News For ‘Virtuality’

SyFy Portal — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:01:37 +0000

Casting agents have been busy on Ronald D. Moore's upcoming backdoor pilot for Fox, "Virtuality." Five actors have been cast for the project that already includes James D'Arcy, Kerry Bishe and Jimmi Simpson. The new faces, according to The Hollywood Reporter are Joy Bryant, Sienna Guillory, Nelson Lee, Omar Metwally and Ritchie Coster. Bryant, who had a bit role in the 2004 film "Spider-Man 2" but has been very active in non-genre projects including "Bobby" in 2006, will place Alice Thibadeau. Guillory -- who played Jill Valentine in 2004's "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" and Arya in the 2006 film "Eragon" -- will play a character named Rika Goddard. Lee, who played Shen in the short lived television program "Blade: The Series," will bring to life the character of Keni Yamaguchi. ...

Moore Series ‘Virtuality’ Begins Casting

SyFy Portal — Wed, 28 May 2008 20:35:30 +0000

Ronald D. Moore now has two possible series casting. Reuters is reporting that James D'Arcy will take on the starring role in Moore's new Fox pilot "Virtuality." This is actually the second project D'Arcy is working on that involves the "Battlestar Galactica" creative team. The British actor is slated to play Cain Johnson in the telemovie "Them" written by John McNamara and BSG executive producer David Eick that also stars Tricia Helfer, who plays Number Six in the popular SciFi Channel series. The potential series is set on a starship called the Phaeton, which is on a 10-year journey to a distant solar system. Because the trip is so long, the crew can use virtual reality nodes that allow them to take on various identities and virtually go wherever they wish. D'Arcy will play the ...

D’Arcy Enters Fox’s Virtuality

Sci Fi Wire — Wed, 28 May 2008 05:00:00 +0000

James D'Arcy (An American Haunting) has been tapped as the lead in Virtuality, Fox's two-hour backdoor SF pilot from Ronald D. Moore, who rebooted Battlestar Galactica for SCI FI Channel, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

SFOTV: Shows Should Stand Up On Their Own

SyFy Portal — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:25:13 +0000

In the early 1960s, when Gene Roddenberry was selling "Star Trek" to the networks, he supposedly used the immortal words "Wagon Train to the stars" to describe it. Of course he didnÂt actually mean his creation was at all like the show "Wagon Train," he was just drawing a comparison for the network executives. He wanted to compare it to something they would understand, seeing as Westerns were all the rage on television in the '50s and '60s. We still make comparisons between the new and the familiar. Case in point, "Virtuality," the new pilot coming from Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor for Fox. The original Hollywood Reporter describes the show as:"The sci-fi project, from Universal Media Studios and producers Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun, is set aboard the Phaeton, Earth's first ...

‘Galactica’s’ Moore Launches ‘Virtuality’ For Fox

SyFy Portal — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 01:36:22 +0000

The mind that re-invented "Battlestar Galactica" is at it again. This time, Ronald D. Moore will be fleshing out a concept called "Virtuality" for the Fox Network, according to SciFi Wire. First will come a two-hour pilot, which is likely to give birth to an ongoing series. It could be that Moore is returning to familiar territory since some of the show's concept sounds something like the Star Trek franchise. The program follows the adventures of the Phaeton, a starship traveling 10 years to explore the far reaches of the galaxy. In order to keep the 12-member crew occupied and happy on their trek, NASA has installed cutting-edge virtual-reality technology that lets the cast role play in numerous identities in nearly any setting they want. All goes well until a mysterious flaw in the ...

‘Galactica’s’ Moore Launches ‘Virtuality’ For Fox

SyFy Portal — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:48:08 +0000

Ron Moore Developing New Sci-Fi Show For Fox

TrekMovie.com — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:45:50 +0000

Star Trek veteran writer/producer (and Battlestar Galactica co-creator) Ron Moore may be bringing space-based science fiction back to network TV. According to the trades Fox has greenlit Virtuality, a two hour ‘back-door pilot’ written by Ron Moore (and fellow Trek vet Michael Taylor). The show is set on a space ship equipped with a virtual [...]

Fox OKs Moore’s Virtuality

Sci Fi Wire — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Fox has given the green light to Virtuality, a two-hour backdoor SF pilot from the mastermind behind SCI FI Channel's Battlestar Galactica, Ronald D. Moore, according to The Hollywood Reporter.