Fans finally have a more certain date on when they can expect to see "Battlestar Galactica" return with its search to Earth, and it's coming directly from the horse's mouth.

Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore told the Los Angeles Times that SciFi Channel will premiere the final season beginning in early April, almost 10 months after the third season finale aired. That will mark one of the largest breaks for the show since between the miniseries in 2003 and the airing of the show's first season in 2005.

Even better, Moore said he'll be sitting in the director's chair for the first time, taking on an episode that will air after the midseason break.

"It's the perfect opportunity to try and do it here with my family -- the cast and crew of the show -- who have been working together for years now," Moore told the newspaper. "For all I know, I'll hate directing, but right now, I'm hungry for it."

When those episodes will air is still not known. SciFi Channel admitted earlier this year that they could split the final season in two, with the first half beginning in 2008 and the second half in 2009. The later than anticipated start time may help bolster the split-season theory, but a lot obviously will ride on whether or not members of the Writers Guild of America will actually strike on Nov. 1.

David Weddle, a co-producer with the show, told Airlock Alpha last week that only a dozen episodes will have been written by the time the strike hits, and that even production will be affected since writers who are under Guild rules will not be able to do rewrites on episodes in front of the cameras.

If it were up to Moore, however, he said he would like it all to be aired at once.

"I'd probably prefer to see the entire thing air next year to maintain the momentum, to build excitement as it pushes to the end," he said. "Not to mention, it means less chance of spoilers getting out."

"Battlestar Galactica" returns Nov. 24 with the telemovie "Razor" -- already getting strong early reviews (including from Airlock Alpha) -- with the fourth season expected to begin airing next April.

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