languatron
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Life could be this beautiful without NBC-TV in it.
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One important piece of information overlooked by William J. Adams in his "Who Killed Galactica?" article, was that there was a change in management at ABC-TV in the summer of 1978 which led to the tragic demise of "Battlestar Galactica" a year later. The "Galactica" deal was put together by Fred Silverman at ABC-TV in late summer 1977. This was the initial deal of having "Battlestar Galactica" presented as a 7 hour mini series. Although it was rumored that Fred Silverman didn't much care for Science Fiction on television, the fact that he inked the contracts for "Battlestar Galactica" (with his signatures) would seem to indicate otherwise. While pre-production moved forward on the pilot episode of "Battlestar Galactica" with Fred Silverman still firmly in place as head of entertainment programming at ABC-TV, logic would dictate that a network chief who supposedly hated all forms of Science Fiction programming, would somehow be interfering with every aspect of the production full force. This was not the case, as the Glen Larson-Leslie Stevens script got shot without any interference from Silverman; Jean-Pierre Dorleac's costumes, John Dykstra's visual effects, Stu Phillips music, and John Chilberg's art direction were also elements that Silverman DID NOT interfere with. In short, it is fairly obvious that Fred Silverman was QUITE PLEASED with every aspect of "Battlestar Galactica." No wonder, in 1977-1978; Fred Silverman was overseeing the #1 Network on television that additionally hit the jackpot with his very own "Star Wars-esque" production. A production that was looking DAMN GOOD!!
"Battlestar Galactica's" problems began however, with a regime change at ABC-TV. Fred Silverman left ABC in the summer of 1978 to head NBC-TV that fall. Out went Silverman, and in came TONY THOUMOPOLIS and BRANDON STODDARD. The pilot episode of "Galactica" began shooting in February 1978 and completed shooting around May. I'm guessing post production wrapped up on the pilot around July 1978 when it was delivered to ABC-TV around this time for its first screening for ABC-TV execs. Remember, Silverman had left by this time; so the pilot was delivered to TONY THOUMOPOLIS and BRANDON STODDARD for its first screening. In short, Thoumopolis and Stoddard were viewing Silverman's baby when Silverman was no longer there to defend it. What was the result of this initial viewing? Thoumopolis and Stoddard offered a series of SUGGESTIONS which resulted in the pilot episode of "Battlestar Galactica" being the BADLY EDITED MESS it still is today, even on the "Galactica" DVD set. TONY THOUMOPOLIS and BRANDON STODDARD ordered two sub-plots cut from the pilot: Serina's illness, and Adama resigning from the council. THOUMOPOLIS and STODDARD also ordered scenes rearranged for no logical reason. A rearrangement that made the pilot a SCATTERBRAINED, EDITED MESS even more!! THOUMOPOLIS and STODDARD then ordered entire chunks of dialogue to be cut from certain scenes which caused scenes to suddenly begin with conversations ALREADY GOING ON. Case in point: Adama and the Council discussing going through the "Nova of Madagon." This scene actually begins long before the discussion of "Madagon." It begins with Adama's resignation.
TONY THOUMOPOLIS and BRANDON STODDARD'S hostility towards "Battlestar Galactica" didn't end there. The two ordered production to begin on a regular series RIGHT AWAY knowing damn well that this would effect the quality of the series. It was also under the watch of THOUMOPOLIS and STODDARD that the infamous 70% PRE-EMPTION RATE kicked into HIGH GEAR during the 1978-79 tv season. THOUMOPOLIS and STODDARD pre-empted "Battlestar Galactica" for everything, even a "Honeymooner's" rerun in February 1979.
Universal Studios is as much to blame for this MIS-MANAGEMENT at ABC-TV as anyone, as Universal COULD HAVE pulled "Galactica" from ABC-TV in light of the network's MIS-MANAGEMENT, and shop the series around to another network instead. Universal Studios, being the LAME DUCK CORPORATION the public has AWAYS KNOWN THEM TO BE, DID NOTHING to counteract the MIS-MANAGEMENT at ABC-TV. It is OBVIOUS that TONY THOUMOPOLIS and BRANDON STODDARD were the ones who HATED Science Fiction programming in all of its forms, and not Fred Silverman.
This type of CHAOS is not unheard of in the television industry. Actor Gil Gerard developed a television series called "E.A.R.T.H Force" with CBS-TV executives in 1990, only to have his series CANCELLED when a NEW REGIME came into power at CBS-TV who HATED the series. While developing "Greatest American Hero" with ABC-TV executives, Stephen J. Cannell found the tone of his series fundamentally changed when yet another REGIME came into power at ABC-TV who wanted more fantasy stories, as opposed to the more realistic stories the former REGIME at ABC-TV wanted.
The names TONY THOUMOPOLIS and BRANDON STODDARD should be remembered along side the names of Bonnie Hammer and Ronald D. Moore as the EVER GROWING LIST of television execs who HATE "Battlestar Galactica" continues to get BIGGER & BIGGER!! 
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