Moore, Part 7: Recap.

Ronald D. Moore's work as a writer on Star Trek gained the attention of many producers in Hollywood. Because of this, he has built a very successful career as a television showrunner.

This week, Mike and Max recap their series on Moore's career, looking at all of the shows he ran, including Roswell, Carnivale, Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, and Virtuality. We also take a look at the future of Moore's career—with Helix and Outlander—as well as his unaired pilot, 17th Precinct.

Moore, Part 6: Virtuality.

After five and a half years of running the Sci-Fi Channel's most successful series, Ronald D. Moore began development on not one, but two new pilots. The first was Caprica, as discussed last week. The second was a science fiction show for Fox titled Virtuality.  

Co-created by Trek writer Michael Taylor, Virtuality follows the crew of a spacecraft on a ten-year mission to find an alternative to life on Earth, which only has 100 years left. The crew, which is being filmed for a reality television show, relaxes with the help of a virtual reality program. However, the program has turned dangerous, and it may not be the result of a simple glitch.

This week, Max and Mike take a look at the pilot. We discuss wether or not the answers to the questions asked would have been satisfying, why Moore chose to develop two virtual reality shows simultaneously, and how Moore assembled his crew, made up of past collaborators. We also wonder why Jamiroquai wasn't hired to perform the theme song.

Moore, Part 5: Caprica.

As the saying goes, "All of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again." While Ronald D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica was coming to a close, his new series, Caprica, was just beginning. 

The prequel takes a look at the world of BSG fifty years prior to its destruction. It focuses on two families, the Graystones and the Adamas, at a critical time in the history of the world, when artificial intelligence is on the brink of sentience. 

This week, Mike and Max are joined by their Commentary Track Stars: Off Topic co-host, Branden Myers, to look at the ill-fated spinoff. We discuss the problems with creating a prequel, how to make something different, and why the decision was made to change showrunners mid-season. We also debate whether or not the series should have been more like Desperate Housewives.

Moore, Part 4: Battlestar Galactica. 

In many ways the nine years that Ronald D. Moore spent working on Star Trek prepared him for the show that very well may be his masterpiece, Battlestar Galactica. 

With his 2003 reboot of Glen A. Larson's classic series, Moore pushed boundaries that he wasn't allowed anywhere near on Star Trek. The end result is a heavily continuity-driven show that takes a hard look at politics, religion, and the human condition. 

This week, Max and Mike are joined by their co-host on Commentary Track Stars: Off Topic, Branden Myers, to take a look at one of the most significant science fiction works of the new millennium. We discuss what makes BSG stand out from other shows, how it differs from the original series, and the debt it owes to Star Trek. We also try to figure out whether or not Branden's a Trekkie.