'Battlestar' Actors Not Holding Breath For Emmy

Feel show has already won the awards it needs to win

By MICHAEL HINMAN Jul-1-2007
Source: Airlock Alpha

"Battlestar Galactica" has won every award short of the Nobel Peace Prize, so what does it take to get the attention of members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences?

Well, in reality, it might take a change of venue from space to the modern-day United States, and a change of name from "Battlestar Galactica" to "24." And since that's not happening in the show's fourth and final season (at least as far as we know) the Academy shouldn't hold its breath.

Even if Emmy looks over "Battlestar Galactica" once again when it announces its nominees July 19, there might be some scattered disappointment from the show's cast and crew, but not from the ship's resident Boomer/Athena Cylon Grace Park.

"I'd rather have a Peabody," Park told reporters attending last week's SciFi Channel Digital Media Tour in Vancouver, B.C., highlighting the series' previous win of the coveted award.

Awards might pile up, but talk about "Battlestar Galactica" usually turns back to the Emmy, but Jamie Bamber (Apollo) says it's more about the craft and less about the chunks of sculptured metal that grace bookshelves and fireplace mantles.

"That is for other people to decide," Bamber said. "We come to work and do the work. Would we like more people to watch the show? Sure. That would enable us to do things really on our own terms."

There are some critics who think that "Battlestar Galactica" continues to struggle with the fact that it has not been mainstream, and that its limited audience could be hindering the show's chances at winning mainstream awards. Bamber, however, says he doesn't agree.

"I think our viewership is much more diverse than people make out," he said.

Talk has continued that ratings played a key part in the demise of "Battlestar Galactica" and the decision by both the network and the showrunners to end the series after its upcoming fourth season. However, ratings from Nielsen Media Research aren't everything, and even the world's most popular measurement of viewers can't count everyone.

"One thing that is most interesting is that one of out every fourth viewer actually DVRs and watches 'Battlestar Galactica'" at a later time, said SciFi Channel head Bonnie Hammer. "They don't get quantified. We truly believe -- and this is not spin -- that the viewership is immense, but they choose to watch it on their own time. It's really hard for people to see how fast the audience is growing."

That audience, of course, includes some of the biggest names in Hollywood. While many of the actors on the show see "Battlestar Galactica" as their first big break, some fellow big-name actors the BSG cast had idolized from time to time practically idolize them now.

Aaron Douglas, who plays Chief Tyrol in the series, said he realized that once when he happened to see actor and comedian Robin Williams on the street.

"I'm in the middle of the intersection when there is a tug on my shoulder," Douglas said. "It's Robin Williams. 'That's the best show on TV,' he said. 'You tell Eddie [Edward James Olmos], you tell everybody that this is my favorite show."

Some of the love for the show has come from sister programs on SciFi Channel, including one that is filmed just across the road from the "Battlestar Galactica" soundstages.

"Ed Quinn, one of the leads in 'Eureka,' is really a nice guy," said Tahmoh Penikett, who plays Helo on BSG. "I remember the first time we met him. He came to town and tracked down some of our phone numbers. He invited me and a few others from his show to come over. It was so funny. The guy could not shut up about the show for like 50 minutes. He's ask us, 'What do you think is going to happen?'"

"Battlestar Galactica" returns in November with a telemovie "Razor" before returning early 2008 with its fourth season on SciFi Channel.

Keep reading Airlock Alpha for all the latest on SciFi Channel's press tour in Vancouver, B.C., highlighting shows such as "Battlestar Galactica," "Stargate: Atlantis," "Eureka," "Flash Gordon" and more.

About the Author: Michael Hinman is the founder and site coordinator for Airlock Alpha and the entire BlipNetwork. He owns Quantum Global Media Inc., the parent corporation of the BlipNetwork. He's a print journalist by day, and lives in Tampa, Fla.
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