AirLockAlpha.com

UPDATE: Doug Drexler updated his post to say that "there is no word on a series," so it's not clear what exactly has prompted his comments that the show was "alive," unless he was unaware of the July 4 pilot airing, and the need to likely finish some effects because of it.

We'll keep you posted.

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 "Caprica," the "Battlestar Galactica" prequel spinoff, that sat collecting dust on a shelf before the writer's strike and the large-scale mainstream buzz of "Battlestar" convinced SciFi Channel to put it into production.

"So on top of the BSG direct-to-DVD movie, and 'Caprica,' we are racing to finish a few additional shots for 'Virtuality's' July airing."

"Virtuality" did not appear on Fox's upfront schedule, and the scheduled airing for the series was more or less in a pilot burn-off slot -- a way for the network to make back some of its investment in a broken pilot.

Fox had commissioned "Virtuality" last summer from Moore and co-creator Michael Taylor about a ship called the Phaeton, which is on a 10-year mission, and opens the door for the crew to use virtual reality modules. Those modules seem to be similar to the ones used in the series finale of "Life On Mars."

The bad part is, something happens to the virtuality system, and all hell breaks loose.

The show was said to have a wide range of characters, including a married gay couple, and had popular actors like Clea DuVall from "Carnivale," Nikolaj Coster-Waldau from "New Amsterdam" and Erik Jensen from "CSI."

Last December, Moore was asked to retool the series in an effort to make it more "mainstream," which some believed included the downplay or outright elimination of the gay married couple. The potential series earned more trouble last September when author Joe Haldeman claimed "Virtuality" resembled his 2005 novel "Old Twentieth" rather closely. Haldeman's novel centered on a ship called the Aspera, which is on a 1,000-year voyage to Beta Hydril. In order for the ship's crew to stay sane, they use a virtual reality system that develops a flaw.

Haldeman said at the time he would likely not seek legal action against Fox over "Virtuality," but it most likely remains a possible legal liability for the network.

It's not clear when Fox could schedule the series, but a sudden move to production could possibly indicate a later fall inclusion, although it's most likely being prepped for mid-season.

Fox has yet to make any official announcement on the series.

Thanks to Ole for the tip!