Sometimes it’s easy to forget that the Battlestar Galactica series that aired on the then-Sci-Fi network from 2003 to 2009 (counting the opening miniseries) was a reboot of the original that aired for just one season on ABC in the late ‘70s. And like was frequently said in the 2000s series, which was created by Ronald D. Moore, “All of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again.” Meaning, there will come a day when Battlestar Galactica is rebooted again, and apparently Moore has a “stipulation” for the new version that, if you think about it, makes a lot of sense.

Granted, a Battlestar Galactica reboot is a long ways off, as last summer, Peacock scrapped the one it was putting together. However, while appearing on a “Hindsight” episode of The Sackhoff Show looking at Katee Sackhoff’s recent interview with Ronald D. Moore, Tricia Helfer, who played the various versions of Six on Battlestar, recalled her own conversation with Moore years back when the streaming series was still in development. She told the Starbuck actress and The Sackhoff Show producer Jeff Porter:

Moore told Helfer this off the record when he was done recording an appearance on Battlestar Galacticast, the rewatch podcast which she hosted with Marc Bernardin and concluded in 2020. At that time, Moore had already spoken with Sam Esmail, who was producing Peacock’s Battlestar Galactica reboot, and given his blessing. The only thing he stayed firm on what that Esmail’s take on the source material couldn’t include the human-looking Cylons, a concept he introduced in the 2000s Battlestar.

Within the mythology of Ronald D. Moore’s Battlestar Galactica, the robotic Cylons were led by a group of synthetic humanoid Cylons that had infiltrated human society in the Twelve Colonies. There were seven biological models (originally eight) initially introduced of which there were multiple copies, and then the existence of the Final Five was revealed, with these biological Cylons being the descendants of the Thirteenth Tribe of Kobol that has resided on the first Earth. This concept was one of the many ways that the 2000s Battlestar Galactica stood out from its predecessor, but it would have been off limits had the Peacock series moved forward, leading Katee Sackhoff to say:

To be fair, I get it. At its core, Battlestar Galactica requires the robotic Cylons to work, otherwise it strays too far from its roots. But the human-looking Cylons are a distinct feature of the 2000s series, and Ronald D. Moore undoubtedly feels like using them again in a reboot treads over too much of the same territory that his team covered. Like Sackhoff said, if you take them away, the reboot looks a lot different, but that’s for the better. It requires whomever is crafting the new version to get extra creative, just like Moore did over two decades ago.

Peacock’s Battlestar Galactica may have been shelved, but again, that doesn’t mean the franchise will never be rebooted. For a while, there was also a Battlestar movie in development, but there’s been no update on its status for several years. For now, remember that the 2000s series can be streamed with a Prime Video subscription.

When Battlestar Galactica ended in 2009, there was a major question lingering: what was Kara “Starbuck” Thrace? At the start of the dark TV reboot, which can be streamed with a Prime Video subscription, that was an easy enough answer: Katee Sackhoff’s character was a human pilot for the Colonial fleet. But Battlestar’s final season made it abundantly clear she’d become something more, yet never provided a definitive answer for this mystery. Show creator Ronald D. Moore finally opened up about why he left this ending so open ended, while speaking with Sackhoff herself.

It was clear something was amiss in the final moments of the Battlestar Galactica Season 3 finale when Kara, who was thought to have died in “Maelstrom,” suddenly reemerged in a brand-new Viper and knew the location of Earth (the first one). But then in Season 4’s “Sometimes a Great Notion,” Kara discovered her own corpse on the planet where the Thirteenth Tribe once resided. During his visit to The Sackhoff Show, Moore talked about how they’d planted the seeds for Kara to have a greater destiny through her interactions with Leoben, as well as how the “concept of God” was baked into the show stretching back to when it launched with the miniseries. He then explained:

While Head Six and Head Baltar were eventually revealed to be angels sent by God, the Starbuck we followed along with in Season 4 was apparently something else entirely, yet undefinable. Somehow she was a corporeal being, and yet there was her body in the Viper wreckage on that radioactive landscape. Things got even weirder when Kara learned how to play “All Along the Watchtower,” the same song that Tory, Anders, Tigh and Tyrol heard in their heads when they discovered they were four of the Final Five. Oh, and let’s not forget how she just disappeared while talking with Lee Adama on our Earth.

And yet, whatever explanation Ronald D. Moore and the writers came up with just wasn’t good enough in their minds. So instead, they decided to just leave it unresolved, which made him think of one of HBO’s most popular shows while he was talking with Katie Sackhoff. In his words:

When Sackhoff further questioned Moore on if it’s the ambiguity that’s been unsatisfying for these people more than a decade and a half after the three-part “Daybreak” aired, he acknowledged that’s probably the case, which is why the actress is asked by Battlestar fans so frequently about this topic. As he put it:

Moore added that ultimately, he still feels “glad” that he didn’t provide a definitive answer, noting that he likes the moment when Kara disappears on Lee. So while Battlestar Galactica will continue to collect fans and draw old ones back to rewatch the series, don’t ever expect an answer to the mystery of Kara Thrace’s existence in Season 4. That’s something you’ll just have to craft your own head canon for or leave it alone.

As of last July, Peacock axed its plans to launch a new Battlestar Galactica series set in the same continuity as the 2004 series. There’s also been a Battlestar Galactica movie in development that, as of 2020, was being written by Simon Kinberg, but there’s been no update on its status for a long time. As for Ronald D. Moore, you can see his writing skills being put to good use on Outlander and For All Mankind, which can be respectively streamed on Starz and with an Apple TV+ subscription.

Few names are as synonymous with the success of Star Trek as Ronald D. Moore. His writing across the science fiction genre is legendary, going from the space travel series to his acclaimed remake of Battlestar Galactica, to the Apple TV+ series For All Mankind. His name will forever be etched in sci-fi history, but that doesn't mean he isn't haunted by the occasional bad line from his days as a writer on The Next Generation.

As we await upcoming Star Trek shows and Moore's For All Mankind spinoff Star City, the icon recently talked about one of the more embarrassing lines he ever wrote for Trek. Speaking on The Sackhoff Show with his BSG collaborator Katee Sackhoff, he admitted the embarrassing moment came from a popular --and one of my favorite episodes-- of The Next Generation:

Michael Dorn obviously wasn't a fan of the line, but he's stated many times over the years he is a big lover of Worf. Fortunately, he remained (mostly) professional during the filming of the episode. Ronald D. Moore didn't even scare him away from playing a Klingon, even if the line was terrible.

Dorn went on to reprise his role as the Klingon in Deep Space Nine, which Moore played a heavy hand in helping develop. Given that, it's safe to say the actor didn't have a longstanding problem with the writer's work, and went on to be the most prolific actor in Star Trek.

To be clear, it seems that Ronald D. Moore agreed with Michael Dorn's analysis of the line. While the actor has struggled to get his own Klingon-centric show he wrote a green light, Moore said that in the moment he knew that it was indeed a cheesy line:

Not every line is a winner, even for someone as beloved in the science fiction world as Moore. Still, sometimes the shortcomings lead to better things, like when his ideas were shutdown for Star Trek: Voyager. Had that not happened, he wouldn't have gone on to make Battlestar Galactica, in which he utilized a number of those ideas that Trek didn't embrace.

While he has shown interest in returning to Star Trek, fans of Moore's work have found a way to enjoy his stories in the Apple TV+ series For All Mankind. The writer even hinted to CinemaBlend there's a chance future seasons of the series will embrace hyperspace travel in the same way that Trek has, which would be trippy considering the series exists in the FAM universe. It's a great series to check out for readers who still have yet to do so, at least until Moore is back to working on Trek once more.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is available to stream on Paramount+. Tune in to see that cheesy line in "Sins of the Father," and some other wtf moments from TNG that even diehard fans might've forgotten.

Ronald D. Moore was one of the major voices in the creative direction of Star Trek during The Next Generation era. His writing and creative vision for Deep Space Nine brought him much acclaim in the sci-fi world, but he departed the franchise after his ideas for serialization in Voyager weren't embraced. Moore has had a massively successful run in television since, but CinemaBlend had to ask the creative if he'd ever consider a return to Trek after all these years.

While I already learned from Moore that there's a chance his series For All Mankind adapts Star Trek technology, I asked him if he had any interest in returning to the franchise to work on an upcoming Star Trek show or some original idea. Much to my surprise, he didn't dance around the question and noted an interest in returning to Trek at some point down the line:

Ronald D. Moore confirmed to me during our conversation at San Diego Comic-Con that a return to Star Trek is something he wants to do, but I would think it's a matter of when he'll have the time for it. After all, he's currently still working on For All Mankind, as well as the spinoff with a major key difference, Star City. Additionally, there's his work on the current production of Outlander's final season, as well as its upcoming prequel series, Outlander: Blood of My Blood. In short, it could be quite a while before he returns to Star Trek, but this is only speculation.

Much to my surprise, Moore added that he's been trying his best to keep up with the franchise in spite of his busy schedule. He did mention the fact that Trek is going more into serialization and noted a particular interest in one series available with a Paramount+ subscription that he's "enamored" with because of how it handles such an approach:

Moore is impressed with how Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has managed to keep the episodic core nature of previous franchise entries while allowing characters to have serialized arcs as well. It's a formula necessitated by modern television, as many had grown weary of the story largely resetting for the crew each and every week as it did in TOS and other shows.

The news of Ronald D. Moore being interested in returning to Trek surely excites some Deep Space Nine fans, who have hoped for a proper follow-up series to reference the beloved show. I asked Moore about his thoughts on DS9 getting a follow-up in this new era, even if he wasn't involved, and he said the following:

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine could certainly use a little more attention in this modern era. I loved the crossover with Lower Decks, but I also want to see more of what those legacy characters are up to now in a series at some point, even if the show is not strictly centered around DS9.

As Ronald D. Moore noted earlier, the franchise has some great people working for it. Still, I think many would love to see him return and bring the same energy that made episodes like "Yesterday's Enterprise" instant classics and keeps First Contact near the top of best Star Trek movies. It'd be great to see him do another episode or work on another series.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is currently available to stream on Paramount+. Check it out and re-live one of the most acclaimed shows the franchise ever aired, and get ready for more adventures on the horizon.

Star Trek: Voyager remains one of the most fascinating series of the franchise for me. It features a good deal of actors who I genuinely believe play the best Trek characters, and it has some truly WTF moments that make you question how a script got approved. It also ended up being the series that convinced Ronald D. Moore to move on to pursue other projects, and after he shared with CinemaBlend some of the pitches he had before leaving, I wish he would've stuck around.

I spoke with Moore at San Diego Comic-Con and asked about his short stint on Star Trek: Voyager, which ultimately ended due to a falling out with EP Brannon Braga. I'd heard that the creator pitched serialized storylines for the series much like ones he'd contributed to on Deep Space Nine, but that they weren't embraced in the same way by writers. I asked Moore about some of the pitches he made in those months, and learned some of them came to be on his acclaimed reboot of Battlestar Galactica:

The idea of Voyager leading a fleet of ships through the Delta Quadrant is intriguing and something I would've loved to see. Unfortunately, I feel some of the most advanced civilizations the crew came across that had decent ships also happened to be villains on Star Trek: Voyager. So, I can see how the idea might've fallen apart. Still, imagine a fleet of Voyager, Hirogen, and Kazon uniting under one banner to take on a Borg faction? That would be pretty awesome.

That was an ambitious idea by Ronald D. Moore, but not as ambitious as his other proposal that could've upended the series entirely. The sci-fi television creator, who also teased that Star Trek tech could be coming to his Apple TV+ series For All Mankind, had a pitch for an idea that had the potential to remove Kathryn Janeway as Captain of the Voyager:

Keep in mind that Ronald D. Moore joined the Star Trek: Voyager staff following the end of Deep Space Nine. The series was preparing for Season 6 at the time, and Moore was suggesting it introduce a storyline in which Janeway potentially got voted out of captaincy. It was a bold proposition, especially for a series that had not embraced serialization in the same ways that DS9 had.

As we stated previously, Ronald D. Moore's stint on Star Trek: Voyager didn't last long. He departed without his above pitches being used, and was granted writing credits in the episodes "Survival Instinct" and "Barge Of The Dead." Then he went on to make the much-acclaimed remake of Battlestar Galactica.

Moore has not returned to work on Star Trek since his departure, but he is a fixture at conventions, and with upcoming Trek shows on the way, the opportunity is always there for him to return. I know there are a number of fans who would love to see him work on another series, but with all his current projects he's already involved in, I'm not sure what his willingness would be to dive back into the franchise.

Those looking to enjoy Ronald D. Moore's past Star Trek contributions need only use a Paramount+ subscription to enjoy his many episodes. Who knows? Maybe there will be more contributions to add in the future, but for now, readers have a good body of work to stream.

I see a lot of Star Trek fans on the internet who praise For All Mankind, which isn't too surprising, given their shared link. Ronald D. Moore is the co-creator of the streaming series, having previously contributed heavily as a writer to projects like The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and even one of the best Trek movies of all time, First Contact. Given his deep ties to the franchise and For All Mankind's narrative of telling an alternative history of man's journey through space, CinemaBlend thought it would be great to ask if there'd ever be a point where the show looks like a Trek series.

After all, For All Mankind has not been shy about including Star Trek actors in the series and even makes deliberate mention of the franchise throughout. With For All Mankind's crew currently working on Season 5 to release to those with an Apple TV+ subscription, I dared ask the question. Now that humanity has reached Mars on the show by the 1990s, is there ever a point where the series jumps ahead to Warp-capable vehicles like in Star Trek? Ronald D. Moore gave an intriguing response:

Moore was careful not to specify that For All Mankind is indeed plotting things in this direction for Season 5. In fairness, the show just reached the 21st century in Season 4 with all new sets. Still, the comment that discussions are happening about jumping into the far future is exciting, especially with the fan-fave rapidly approaching our present day.

For Star Trek fans, the idea of starships in For All Mankind must bring added excitement. There are plenty of upcoming Trek shows on the way to be excited about, but Ronald D. Moore unfortunately hasn't been a part of this new era. Seeing the way he'd bring starships into For All Mankind's universe may be the closest fans get to a modern Trek from Moore, assuming he isn't in any secret conversations about being involved in an upcoming show or movie.

It'll be a while before we see exactly what Ronald D. Moore has in store for For All Mankind Season 5, too, as filming on the new season only just kicked off in mid-July. In addition, there's work being put in on a spinoff, Star City, which will retell the story of For All Mankind from the Soviet perspective with key changes. I would wager it will take a while before we see the series "boldly go" in a direction that's more similar to Star Trek, but no matter how much waiting is involved, I'm excited for the possibility to see how Moore would handle it in his universe.

While we wait for more of For All Mankind, readers might enjoy revisiting Ronald D. Moore's various contributions to Star Trek by streaming them with a Paramount+ subscription. Personally, I would suggest any episode he'd written for The Next Generation, but you really can't go wrong with any selection.

The end of the latest Outlander drought is coming to an end before the end of the 2024 TV schedule, with Starz confirming the second half of Outlander Season 7 will premiere in November. The Season 7 midseason finale ended all the way back in August 23 with Jamie, Claire, and Young Ian arriving back in Scotland, and some sneak peek images show what they'll encounter there. Still, with months left to go, it's worth considering the upcoming Outlander: Blood of My Blood prequel series and what executive producer Ronald D. Moore told us about how it could provide what Outlander fans have been missing.

Ronald D. Moore has been an executive producer on Outlander from the start and is credited as such for Outlander: Blood of My Blood with its focus on the parallel love stories of Claire's parents and Jamie's parents. Given that the prequel was announced in 2022 following the end of Outlander Season 6, when did Moore realize there's was an audience for a spinoff set a generation before Claire and Jamie? CinemaBlend's Mick Joest posed that very question in an interview at San Diego Comic-Con, and the executive producer shared:

As with any adaptation from page to screen, a lot of what happens in Diana Gabaldon's novel saga had to be cut for the TV show. While Moore and Co. keep the author in the loop on changes and Gabaldon openly appreciated the show's approach in Season 7, a lot of background has been missing... and a lot of time in Scotland, which Moore acknowledged has been a sticky issue for many fans. The Frasers returning to Scotlander for the second half of Season 7 also might not stick for the rest of the series, which will end after Season 8. Moore went on:

There are still a lot of questions about Outlander: Blood of My Blood, even though Starz has confirmed that the spinoff is expected to premiere in 2025. Even whether or not Outlander time travel has a part to play remains to be seen, as well as whether Claire's parents will end up anywhere near the iconic standing stones at some point. The ability to time travel that passed to Brianna does run on Claire's side of the family, so it seems unlikely that any time hijinks will be happening with Jamie's parents.

The castings for the four key characters have been announced. Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser – a.k.a. Jamie's parents – will be played by Harriet Slater and Jamie Roy, respectively. As for Claire's parents, Julia Moriston will be played by Hermione Corfield and Henry Beauchamp will be played by Jeremy Irvine. Luckily, the wait to see Blood of My Blood might not be too painfully much longer, as the planned premiere date is in 2025, which could mean early in the new year.

Then again, a premiere in 2025 could also mean December 31, so I'm going to focus my optimism on looking forward to the arrival of Outlander Season 7B on Friday, November 22. The first six seasons of are always available streaming now with a Netflix subscription.

While I'm always on board for more of For All Mankind, my most anticipated upcoming Apple TV+ show is its spinoff, Star City. The new series is being helmed by Ronald D. Moore and is currently being developed in the writers' room. Given that latter point, it'll be a little while before the project sees the light of day. With that said, Moore was gracious enough to share some details about the show with CinemaBlend at San Diego Comic-Con. One topic he discussed was the major way the series will differ from its predecessor and the odds that fans will see Ed Baldwin and other popular characters from the parent show in cameos.

For those unaware, Star City is a retelling of the events of For All Mankind, but with the focus shifting to the perspective of the Soviets. I asked Moore how the show would operate, given that so much of its parent program relies on an understanding of American history and how the fictionalized events in the show have altered it. I know I'm not nearly as knowledgeable about Soviet Russian but, fortunately, the EP's comments put my mind at ease:

In short, it doesn't seem like Star City intends to operate in the manner that For All Mankind has, which is ok. This is a show about the Soviet Union, Cosmonauts and other elements that are present within the show's continuity. Anyone who's watched FAM already knows what has happened throughout this time so, now, the spinoff will fill in some blanks.

Given that perspective, I also wondered what this could mean for prospective cameos for established character. For example, will Joel Kinnamen's Ed Baldwin appear in Season 1? Ronald D. Moore couldn't give a clear answer to that, but there's a reason why:

Ronald D. Moore has a track record that proves he knows how to make good TV, so I don't have any reason to doubt him now. Between that and being a major creative force on one of the best Star Trek movies of all time, he's practically on the Mount Rushmore of science fiction. Far be it from me to have any concerns about Star City and how frequently it might feature stars from For All Mankind.

It's also worth noting that Star City won't be the only spinoff of a successful show that Ronald D. Moore will help produce soon. He's also part of the team working on the upcoming Outlander: Blood of My Blood while also wrapping up the final season of the flagship series. As for the latter, Moore told CinemaBlend a bit about the ending and keeping author Diana Gabaldon "in the loop" regarding creative changes.

Mr. Moore is definitely busy these days, and I haven't even mentioned that For All Mankind will return for Season 5. The show built 100% new sets for Season 4, and it's reached the point at which the show's timeline is primed to jump ahead of the 21st century as it continues . The only detail I'm disappointed about is that none of these shows will be on the 2024 TV schedule, but I can be patient if it means more quality sci-fi offerings to watch in the future. Here's hoping Star City manages to be unique while maintaining clear continuity with its parent show.

For All Mankind, Seasons 1 through 4 are available to stream with an Apple TV+ subscription.

The wait continues for the second half of Outlander Season 7 to arrive on Starz, with the good news that the premiere finally has a spot in the 2024 TV schedule. Meanwhile, the cast and crew have already been hard at work on the eighth and final season, with Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan even confirming some returning characters who have been gone for a while. Now, executive producer Ronald D. Moore has opened up to CinemaBlend about the show ending before author Diana Gabaldon has published the final novel in her Outlander book saga.

Ronald D. Moore, who developed Outlander for television and has remained on board as an executive producer, spoke with CinemaBlend's Mick Joest at San Diego Comic-Con about his various projects. When asked whether planning Season 8 was affected by Diana Gabaldon's tenth and final planned Outlander book not yet being published, Moore shared:

Moore, who has spoken about changes from book to screen during past seasons of Outlander, clarified how the series continues to work with Diana Gabaldon. Changes always have to made when adapting any written work to television or film, and apparently, the author has been kept "in the loop" to provide feedback.

Shortly after the game-changing Season 7 midseason finale, Gabaldon shared what she "really appreciated" about how the show's team was approaching the need to condense the source material. She is also credited as a consulting producer for the Blood of My Blood prequel, although she wasn't entirely clear on what the would entail earlier in the process.

As for whether the second half of the seventh season or any episode of the eighth season will give any more definitive answers about Outlander time travel or the ghostly figure of young Jamie that appeared to Frank way back in the series premiere, only time will tell.

News broke that Outlander was ending back in early 2023, with confirmation of the Outlander: Blood of My Blood prequel to soften the blow. A few months later, Sam Heughan revealed what the vibe was like on set in the wake of the news. It'll be the end of an era of a show that endured the COVID-19 pandemic and has spanned decades of romance, heartbreak, and history with its time travel.

That end is still a ways off, though, as the second half of Season 7 won't premiere until November 22 and Season 8 presumably won't premiere until 2025 at the earliest. In the meantime, Ronald Moore's comments about getting feedback from Diana Gabaldon are worth thinking on, and you can always revisit the first six seasons of Outlander streaming with a Netflix subscription.

For All Mankind is going strong on Apple TV+ in the current third season, which just continues to prove that co-creator Ronald D. Moore has a knack for space travel series. Fans still have three episodes left before the end of Season 3, but now there’s some great news as the finale approaches. Apple TV+ has officially renewed For All Mankind for Season 4, and CinemaBlend has the scoop from the show’s bosses about the plans for the end of the season and the “long term.”

The co-creators and executive producers of For All Mankind spoke with CinemaBlend’s Katie Hughes at San Diego Comic-Con to share some details about what fans can expect now that a fourth season is guaranteed. Ronald D. Moore, who co-created, executive produces, and writes for one of the best Apple TV shows, previewed how the end of Season 3 is going to set up the beginning of Season 4:

The seven episodes of Season 3 so far have delivered plenty for fans to consider and question, particularly in light of the time jump ahead to the ‘90s and the Mars mission. According to Ronald D. Moore, fans may not be able to guess about what the finale is going to deliver. Whether that’s something to be totally excited or a little bit nervous about remains to be seen, but at least we don’t have to be nervous that the show is going to be done for good with the upcoming finale. 

Maril Davis, another executive producer (who has also collaborated with Moore on Outlander), elaborated on the plan for the show beyond the game-changing events of the rest of Season 3. She shared: 

It’s a little early to say if For All Mankind has another seven seasons on the way to Apple TV+, but Season 4 is guaranteed, and a “ten-year plan” indicates that the pieces are already in place for what comes next. The bosses weren’t going to spoil all of the details about what’s to come, but Moore dropped an interesting detail when asked if the show is preparing to catch up to present day:

If For All Mankind keeps up with the decade time jumps, then Season 4 should be set in the early-to-mid 2000s, and it’s not too much further to hit the 2020s. The series obviously is telling an alternate version of history, but it would definitely be interesting to see how it handled not only catching up to modern day, but then surpassing it and truly having a completely blank slate. 

Creator/writer/executive producer Ben Nedivi confirmed that the time jumps from season to season have always been the plan, and that plan hasn’t changed. He said:

For All Mankind is officially one giant leap closer to the present thanks to the renewal for Season 4, which is especially reassuring now with only a few episodes left before the final credits roll on Season 3. The future is presumably still a few seasons away, but if the bosses’ comments are any indication, the ride for Apple TV+ subscribers is going to be an exciting one.

New episodes of For All Mankind Season 3 release on Fridays on Apple TV+. For some more viewing options now and in the not-too-distant future, be sure to check out our 2022 TV premiere schedule and our list of sci-fi shows that fans might enjoy. 

New Adult fantasy is hot right now, and we’re seeing plenty of book to screen adaptations come out of the genre. Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses is pretty much leading the pack of faerie fantasy right now, so it only makes sense that the ongoing series would be up for an adaptation. Fans should be pretty thrilled, especially since the Hulu TV show, which was reported by Deadline to be in development with a script commitment in March 2021, will be headed by Outlander showrunner Ron D. Moore. 

Not much is yet known about the TV adaptation in the works, as its existence was actually accidentally leaked by Sarah J. Maas’ husband when he posted a sandwich photo to his social media with the info in the background. While we wait for more updates on the status of the adaptation, we’ve got a whole list of best moments from the book that we definitely hope to see happen on screen.

Be warned, though, there are some serious spoilers for those of you who have not read the first two ACOTAR books: A Court of Thorns and Roses and A Court of Mist and Fury. Of course, there’s (hopefully) some spoilers for the TV adaptation as well, if the series follows closely to the books.

Fire Night

Sarah J. Maas includes a number of solstice holidays throughout the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, and Fire Night is our first experience with this. Typically, the celebrations are lighthearted and fun. Fire Night, also called Calanmai, signifies the first night of Spring and acts as the restoration of magic throughout the land, aiding in the growth of crops. The idea is to, um, bring forth new life. Okay, it’s basically a big orgy. 

The High Lords basically lose their mind to the magic and go buck wild and zone in on the mate that best suits them, and the protagonist Feyre is totally not invited and is locked away in her room because her precious human body will not be able to handle such savagery. Of course, she goes anyway, and has her first real interactions with fae other than those in the Spring Court.

Thankfully, the only untoward thing to happen to Feyre is after the celebration is over. Tamlin, The Spring Highlord and Feyre’s love interest, crosses paths with her while still under the spell of Fire Night and bites her neck, leaving a mark. While this is a huge red flag, it’s a leap in their unspoken attraction to one another. The next day it’s seen by Lucien, Tamlin’s right hand man, and his reaction is one of the first times he shows a distaste for how Tamlin has treated Feyre and furthers his friendship with Feyre for the reader.

The Suriel

I love a nasty, vicious creature with a mind of its own, and The Suriel is described as a beastly thing that is steeped in mythology. While we get a first meeting with The Suriel in A Court of Thorns and Roses, the creature becomes more of an actual character with its own growth and story arc later. 

The Suriel is integral in the series as a whole, but also to Feyre coming into her own in the faerie land. Feyre is a huntress, and she proves that she is still capable of taking care of herself, even though she has quite literally shifted worlds, and tackling what should be impossible for a human when she traps the creature. It would be a shame if her first encounter with The Suriel was stripped of the first season of the TV adaptation even if that were the only reason.

Plus, I'm more interested in the casting of The Suriel than I am of any other ACOTAR character. I can't wait to see what the creature looks like on screen.

The Maze

Feyre is forced to tackle three trials (again with that mythology reference) in order to free her beloved and the whole of the Prythian from the vile Amarantha. One such trial is The Maze, made up of dirt and containing a huge man eating worm. Feyre uses some serious speed and wit to get the better of the beast, and it’s probably the scene in which the most action would take place in a series adaptation based on the first ACOTAR book. Don’t spare me the action, Ron Moore!

Feyre And Rhysand’s Deal

Feyre kicked that worm’s ass, but got severely injured. Like, she was basically dying. Rhysand, Amarantha’s arm candy, visits Feyre in her cell that she resided in in between trials and offered a deal: he would save her life, so that she could in turn save her beloved, in exchange for her spending a chunk of her time with him in the Night Court. 

Feyre has no choice but to accept, and while this seems like a super evil deal, it also brings into question whose side Rhysand is really on. The deal sure does insinuate that Rhysand believes Feyre will succeed in the trials and break the curse, pretty much making him the only person who really has faith in her. Maybe he’s not such a bad guy at all, huh?

Feyre Breaks The Curse

There’s nothing that gets me quite like a bittersweet moment. Feyre’s last trial is a daunting one, full of heart wrenching sacrifice and a clever twist. She, of course, succeeds and becomes the human who frees the faeries, but she also loses her mortal life. That moment of mortality has so many key elements packed into it that get revealed later on in the series, that the TV adaptation practically needs to get it just right. Also, I really want to see how they portray the magic of making a human into a faerie, because Ron Moore is probably going to make it pretty cool.

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

Okay, so this line technically happens during Fire Night when Feyre sneaks out to see the festivities, Rhysand saving Feyre from a group of rowdy fae males. It is presented as such a minor moment in A Court of Thorns and Roses and comes back full force in A Court of Mist and Fury. This is Rhysand’s introduction into the series, and if it doesn’t make it into Hulu’s TV series, we’ll really miss out on having his perspective of the moment later on in the series and my heart just won’t be able to take that. Full send, if this moment isn’t in the TV adaptation, I don’t want it.

While I would be heartbroken if any of these moments don’t make it into Ron Moore’s planned series adaptation, honestly the man is good at what he does and I have full faith in him to do Sarah J. Maas’ best selling series justice on the screen. Unfortunately, there’s no way to even guess when A Court of Thorns and Roses will arrive, because a cast list hasn’t even been announced yet. Here’s to hoping it’ll be a banger and one of the best Hulu series to date if and when it happens, which would be a feat in itself. 

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Any show that lasts for more than a couple of seasons is really going to have a good chance to dig into the lives of its characters, whether main, secondary, or even smaller than that, if the producers so choose. This was certainly the case with much of what happened on Star Trek: The Next Generation across seven seasons, but it turns out that one of the big Worf storylines of the series almost didn't get a spotlight at all, and now we know why.

The Next Generation was only the second in what would become a very long line of live-action Star Trek series to follow members of Starfleet as they explored new worlds and, often, found themselves embroiled in conflicts with a diverse population of non-Earth-based races. It was also the first Trek show to give fans a new, slightly softer view of the Klingons, with the previously villain-only race now having a member among Starfleet and serving on the Enterprise: Worf.

The character ended up being very important to Trek for many years beyond TNG, but as writer / supervising producer Ronald D. Moore recently told The Hollywood Reporter, one of Worf's biggest stories almost never saw the light of day. Worf and the Klingon civil war were the focus of the Season 4 finale and Season 5 premiere, "Redemption, Parts I and II," but as Moore just revealed, Star Trek mastermind Gene Roddenberry was not cool with that idea, at all. As he tells it:

Well, it would be hard to fight against the man who created Star Trek, but I think we're probably all glad that Ronald D. Moore (with a mighty assist from The Next Generation's executive producer Rick Berman and showrunner Michael Piller, as Moore explained) managed it, otherwise we might not have had the story which truly helped the Klingons become way more than just another humanoid race of Star Trek villains down the road.

While I'm certainly glad we got this big, fat, intensely wonderful Worf / Klingon story, I can sorta see where Gene Roddenberry was coming from. If you envision your series in a certain way, it's probably difficult to see beyond that. Star Trek: The Original Series was Kirk's story, and he saw TNG as Picard's story, so it's understandable that Roddenberry wouldn't mind Worf getting the spotlight here and there, but not in an all-important season finale / season opener, and certainly not for what would be the show's landmark 100th episode.

A major, two-part episode needed to focus on Picard. Why wouldn't the captain of the Enterprise be at the center of a war story?

Luckily, those around Ronald D. Moore, who wrote the dual Worf-centric episodes, saw the benefit in what he wanted to do, and made sure it came to fruition. It's hard to imagine the character's story without the reveals about his family and the intricacies of Klingon politics that were made in "Redemption, Parts I and II," and I'm sure most fans feel the same.

You can relive the glory of Star Trek: The Next Generation on a host of streamers, including Paramount+, but for more to watch, check out our 2021 summer TV premiere guide!

Spoilers ahead for For All Mankind's Season 2 finale, "The Grey."

The Season 2 finale of Apple TV+'s drama, For All Mankind, left one astronaut living on borrowed time. And while Molly Cobb is well on her way to going blind thanks to being exposed to a lethal dose of radiation after a "moonwalk from hell," it might not be all bad news, at least according to executive producer Ronald D. Moore.

With two major characters already killed off ahead of Season 3, fans may not have to worry about Molly’s future. Ronald D. Moore was careful to tell TVLine that although it’s not a death sentence, there are still a few question marks when it comes to two key aspects of Molly's situation -- the radiation and technology:

As far as what fans can expect in Season 3 of For All Mankind, Ronald D. Moore confirmed Molly’s status but didn’t explain what else could happen. How Sonya Walger, who portrays Molly, will move forward in the series and how she will go about this new change will be interesting to see, and a definite challenge for her as an actor:

When For All Mankind returns for Season 3 next year, the series will be jumping ahead another decade, which means that a lot can take place between then. With Molly already going blind by the time Season 2 ends and Season 3 taking place a full 10 years after those events, this raises the question of whether or not Molly will be fully blind by then. However, since it will be the '90s and technology was ever-advancing back then, it’s highly possible she will still have some sight, even if it is deteriorating.

There's no telling what will happen with Molly in Season 3 and whether her going blind will play a big part in the season. Anything can happen in a decade, a lot can change, but it may not be all bad. Even though For All Mankind won’t be coming back until sometime next year, that gives fans plenty of time to theorize what could happen to Molly and the rest of the crew, especially after losing two of their own in the finale. Many shows that include time jumps prove successful, and it gives the actors room to do more things with their characters and dive deeper into their backgrounds. Whatever happens to Molly, fans will just have to find out in Season 3.

Ronald D. Moore might not be immediately recognizable to you by name, but if you're a lover of science fiction television, you've probably watched his work in the 30 plus years that he's been active as a producer and writer. Moore has helped to bring fans the Star Trek series The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager, plus the still beloved (except for that wild ending) Battlestar Galactica reboot on SyFy, as well as the time traveling romance Outlander, and the Apple TV+ show For All Mankind. Now, Moore is opening up about possibly working on a Star Wars TV show, nearly a decade after a failed project with George Lucas.

While Ron Moore clearly has an undeniable connection with some of the most beloved sci-fi / fantasy shows to ever air on the small screen, one big genre nut he was unable to crack was Star Wars. Moore had worked on a project with George Lucas in the years leading up to Disney's eventual purchase of Lucasfilm, which happened in 2012, to try and bring a television show to ABC. Moore recently spoke with The Hollywood Reporter, and when asked if he still wanted to work on a Star Wars project, especially now that several live action shows are on the air or in the works, Moore said:

If you loved watching any of Ron Moore's shows in the past, and are also a lover of Star Wars, how could this idea not thrill you? It's obvious that Moore is still very much interested in being able to sink his writer's teeth into the wide variety of stories still possible in the world of Star Wars, but he feels like right now, with The Mandalorian already a huge hit and another 10 shows in development, it's just not the right time to try and dive into whatever idea he may have.

However, it does sound like Moore had a lot of fun working on the previously planned ABC series, and considering that he got to write for Darth Vader, it's no wonder. Details on that failed project were always very secretive, but, it was said to have been set between the prequels and the original trilogy, and dealt with "rival families struggling over the control of the seedy underside of the Star Wars universe and the people who live within the subterranean level and air shafts of the metropolis planet Coruscant."

Apparently, the reason why we're not still watching this fantastic idea unfold on TV right now has a lot to do with the overwhelming cost of the potential series, along with Disney not wanting to stretch the franchise too thin prior to the release of the Rey / Finn / Poe sequel trilogy and other films like Rogue One.

For his part, Ron Moore might not be willing to try his Star Wars pitch right now, but he's still very enthusiastic about where the franchise is going, and added:

Neither can we, Ron Moore. Neither. Can. WE. You can watch two seasons of The Mandalorian on Disney+ right now, with shows like Andor starring Diego Luna, a possibly Donald Glover-filled Lando, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka (and many more) coming along in the near-ish future.

I would say that there are few Trekkies in the world who don't appreciate Star Trek: The Next Generation at all. The show not only gave us many great moments during its seven seasons, but also helped bring the franchise back to television after almost two decades of being something fans could only experience during an occasional trip to the movie theater. TNG has a special place in the hearts of many fans, who also have a selection of episodes which are considered essential viewing. Now, though, Ronald D. Moore, who wrote for the show, is talking about the fan-favorite episode that Gene Roddenberry, apparently, hated.

Writer and executive producer Ronald D. Moore has become known more recently for his work on shows like the sci-fi hit Battlestar Galactica and time-traveling romance Outlander, but he got his start as a writer on Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1989. It's now been a little over 30 years since the classic Season 4 episode "Family," which Moore wrote, aired, and he spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about not only how it came about, but how much Star Trek's creative mastermind Gene Roddenberry absolutely hated his idea for the episode.

The second episode of Season 4, "Family" was tasked with showing how the crew of the Enterprise got back to normal after its fight with the Borg (and after Captain Picard was briefly assimilated by the powerful and feared collective), and the episode went on to become beloved by viewers. It focused on three characters, Picard, Worf, and Wesley Crusher, all dealing with some family issues as their ship is undergoing repairs after the attack. But, Roddenberry had several big problems with the action of the episode, which doesn't even feature any time at all on the bridge of the ship.

Ronald D. Moore had a story meeting with Roddenberry after writing his first draft, with TNG showrunner Michael Piller and executive producer Rick Berman in tow, and according to him:

So, what could have been the problem with an episode which is remembered so fondly by fans of TNG? Well, one of Gene Roddenberry's big complaints was the relationship between Picard and his older brother, Robert. In "Family," Picard takes leave after his ordeal with the Borg, and goes home to France, where is brother, sister-in-law and young nephew are looking after the family vineyard.

But, Robert and Jean-Luc clearly do not get along in the slightest. Robert is quite jealous of how his little brother broke all of the rules when they were kids and still had the favor of their parents (especially as be began to excel in school and once he joined Starfleet), as he tried to be responsible and hold on to their family's traditions. In Moore's story, this conflict leads to an actual, physical fight between the siblings, which Roddenberry felt was a no-go because of his ideal vision of life in the 24th century, where such interpersonal conflicts simply don't exist.

Moore's proposed episode also had some other oddities that made it quite unique for TNG. Aside from featuring nothing on the bridge of the Enterprise, Data wasn't in the episode, either. "Family" was also the first real serialized episode of the series, where it wasn't the end of a two-part episode but also wasn't completely stand-alone, and it has no actual science fiction plot, even though Berman had originally thought of one (which would go on to become its own episode, "Remember Me").

This was a completely character-driven installment in the show, which sought to do a lot of new things, and I can see where it would make Roddenberry and others nervous. Luckily, as Moore noted, Michael Pillar saved the day after that messy meeting:

Obviously, not only was Ronald D. Moore on the right page with his idea, but Michael Pillar and Rick Berman did right by the young writer in eventually convincing Gene Roddenberry that "Family" was a solid move for TNG.

You can revisit "Family" and all of Star Trek: The Next Generation right now on CBS All Access or Netflix, but if you're looking for more to watch in the coming weeks, check out our guide to fall TV!

While the late, (mostly) great Syfy hit Battlestar Galactica is gearing up for a revival of sorts, which will eventually air on Peacock, people are still very much in love with what was the second iteration of the concept. Airing for four seasons from 2004 through 2009, Battlestar Galactica got wonderful attention from critics with its gritty, space-faring survival story, and viewers eventually jumped on the bandwagon and helped the drama become a modern classic that fans just can't stop thinking about. But, the show might have been very different if executive producer Ronald D. Moore hadn't decided to work on the series, and now we know why he almost didn't, as well as what changed his mind.

Ronald D. Moore, who's currently one of the masterminds behind the Starz romance / time travel hit Outlander, recently spoke with Collider about his long career, and revealed that he had some reservations about stepping up to help bring a new Battlestar Galactica to the screen when he was approached about it in the early 2000s. And, it was his career history at that point which was actually holding him back. Here's what he had to say:

Oh, I think this makes total sense, if you know anything about what Ronald D. Moore was up to prior to helping to develop Battlestar Galactica. By the time Moore got the call to figure out how to develop the show (which had two seasons on ABC, and was even briefly cancelled between those seasons, from 1978-1980) for a new era, he had already become well-known as someone who could help make a show set in outer space connect with sci-fi fans, and do it with an established property.

From 1988 through 1999, Ronald D. Moore had written and produced on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. It sounds like Moore had been so deeply entrenched in stories of space exploration for so long that he still felt like he needed a break from that specific area of science fiction by the time 2002 rolled around. Plus, he hadn't even watched the original series for quite a while, and likely didn't remember enough about it to make a firm decision.

So, what did Ronald D. Moore do? Lucky for us, he didn't just make a snap decision and say "no thanks" to the opportunity. Instead, he did some research, and that was the turning point that convinced him to take on Battlestar Galactica. As he told it:

Well, there is a lot to be said for timing with regards to trying to get a TV project off the ground, and it looks like Ronald D. Moore was able to merge some horrible real world events to his ideas for Battlestar Galactica in a way that worked in the show's favor. Didn't think I'd be saying this in 2020, but, thank goodness for Blockbuster. So say we all!

You can stream Ronald D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica on Syfy for free until it's time to check out the new series on Peacock. In the meantime, be sure to look into what's coming to TV this summer!

While the science-fiction genre has stepped up its game with plenty of quality additions in recent years, Ronald D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica still remains one of the best when it comes to television shows. That may be why there were a lot of mixed reactions when it was announced Sam Esmail would be "rebooting" the franchise, though recent word on the project is saying it won't actually be a traditional reboot after all.

Moore, whose Outlander just premiered Season 5 over at Starz, spoke to press in passing about Esmail's Battlestar Galactica and a conversation he had with the Mr. Robot creator about the project. The two creators didn't get into specific story details during their talk, but Moore did confirm to press that the Battlestar Galactica reboot is not actually a reboot.

Ronald D. Moore signaled to press he has complete faith in the abilities of Sam Esmail, and was a fan of Mr. Robot. He also told Variety this new Battlestar Galactica is going to exist in the same universe and not be a straight up reboot of his acclaimed series, which was a reboot of the original, late 1970s show. This may be comforting to some fans of the franchise, who could have felt it was too soon for a straight reboot, especially with that show's polarizing ending still being talked about.

Ronald D. Moore's quote echoes a previous interview with Sam Esmail, who talked to THR about a conversation he had with Moore (possibly the same one) when the project was first discussed. Esmail admitted that he cringed when the word "reboot" was used in their meeting, as it was never in line with what he wanted to do with the series. Esmail explained he wanted to touch on a concept that draws on the franchise's deep mythology, though, like Moore, he didn't just start throwing story ideas out to the press.

Esmail has said that one of the things he liked about Ronald D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica was how grounded it felt compared to other sci-fi. Chances are Esmail's developing something that draws on that element for NBC's Peacock, and will try to tie current events to the future to create meaningful stories. It still remains to be seen if franchise fans will respond to it with the same praise as Moore's entry, but some may be at least a little more excited for knowing that this project is not a straight lift which will try to mimic prior success.

Sam Esmail's contribution to the world of Battlestar Galactica will premiere on NBC's streaming service Peacock. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more details on the upcoming series, and for the latest news on all television and movies coming in 2020 and beyond.

Droughtlander is over folks, which means there are some minor spoilers coming your way based on quotes from show creator Ronald D. Moore.

It’s fitting that Outlander is coming back for Season 5 on Valentine’s Day weekend. In fact, it’s so fitting I’m a little shocked that Starz didn’t think to do this with any previous seasons. Tonight’s big episode is going to be all about love as well, and ahead of the big premiere show creator Ronald D. Moore talked a lot about what he feels is the big “highlight” moment of the Season 5 premiere.

In the first episode of the new season, the series will flash back to the original wedding ceremony between Caitriona Balfe’s Claire and Sam Heughan’s Jamie. That will be juxtaposed against the present in the series, in which Richard Rankin’s Roger and Sophie Skelton’s Bri are finally getting married! Of the portion of the episode, Ronald D. Moore said:

Speaking at an event ahead of the official Outlander Season 5 premiere (via Variety), Ronald D. Moore also mentioned that “revolution, heartbreak and tragedy” will be key to Season 5, so I guess it’s nice to hear that the show will be giving us a bit of a reprieve before getting into the tough stuff.

Time is often played with on Outlander, so bringing the past and present together for a lovely scene all about love and family should also simply be a great way to kick off Season 5. Instead of simply doing a similar scene to Claire and Jamie’s wedding, the show wanted to do something different and it sounds like they accomplished the goal.

Previously, we knew that Season 5 of Outlander would feature a big wedding sequence for Brianna and Roger. Sophie Skelton spoke out about filming the notable scene earlier this year, noting they were spared the mud in Season 5 but that it was really cold while they were filming.

We already know the clan is settling into Fraser’s Ridge and dealing with having to choose sides for the impending American Revolutionary War thanks to a lot of footage released by Starz during the long and cold droughtlander, but we’ll have to wait and see exactly how the story unfolds and how it may differ from Diana Gabaldon’s book series when Outlander makes its return.

New episodes of Outlander air on Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET, only on Starz. To see what other winter shows have yet to premiere, check out our full schedule.

The first trailer for Battlestar Galactica creator Ronald D. Moore's Apple TV+ series has arrived, and this new series marks a return to space for the famed television writer. Take a look at the first trailer for For All Mankind, which recalls a very important bit in world history with a tweaked premise that should make for a riveting series.

As seen in the trailer, For All Mankind takes place in an alternate reality where it was the Soviet Union, and not the United States, that landed on the moon first. This sets the stage for America to attempt to one-up the Communist nation almost immediately, with one official looking character declaring the start of a mission to Mars well before the idea was seriously considered in actual world history.

It doesn't stop there either, as there's talk about heading to Saturn and other planets as well. It's all based on an alternate reality in which the space race never ended. Early descriptions of the series stated For All Mankind will explore how that would affect the world. One thing evident is that a lot of Americans are pissed off at the U.S.S.R's success, as evidenced by the anger of the man holding America's plate intended to be placed on the moon.

Things really go from zero to a hundred after that, as successive shots show that America does eventually make it to the moon and intends to go well beyond it. There's talk of a moon base, lunar water, and how the race is "far from over." For All Mankind's trailer seems to be primarily told from an American perspective, although the global space race continuing would imply the U.S.S.R. and possibly others will continue to be players in the series.

One other interesting bit that may have slid past casual observers are the multiple shots of women astronauts. Assuming that For All Mankind takes place around the same time as the actual moon landing, those women astronauts are about a decade too early by traditional history standards. Either women worked their way into space travel a lot faster in this alternate reality, or Season 1 may cover a longer stretch of time beyond the late '60s and early '70s.

It all feels like a grounded start to what could be a fantastic science-fiction series. Most series like Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek skip past these baby steps and go into the deep future where traveling at warp speed and other things have already been worked out. Is that where For All Mankind will eventually head, or will it stick to this grounded alternate reality take on history?

What's Happening With The Battlestar Galactica Movie, According To The Director

We can only wait for more details as For All Mankind takes "one giant leap" onto Apple TV+ sometime this fall before the end of 2019. Stick with CinemaBlend for more details on the upcoming streaming service, and other things that are happening in television and movies.

Outlander may be based on an epic novel saga by Diana Gabaldon, but the show has not always been 100% faithful to the books. That's true of any adaptation from page to screen, as what is possible on one doesn't necessarily work on the other. Well, Outlander showrunner Ronald D. Moore came up against a key plot point from the Drums of Autumn novel that might not have translated well. In the book, Stephen Bonnet stole Claire's wedding ring from Frank. On the show, Bonnet stole the ring from Jaime.

Viewers who haven't read the books wouldn't have noticed anything particularly odd about Bonnet making off with Jamie's ring, although it still would have been tragic considering Jamie and Claire had just had a conversation about the ring. For folks who are familiar with Drums of Autumn and the role one of Claire's stolen rings plays in a pivotal arc, the ring switcheroo came as a surprise.

Book spoilers ahead. When Brianna travels back in time in the book, she spots Claire's ring from Frank on Stephen Bonnet. Understandably, Bree doesn't want to leave Bonnet with the ring that the man who raised her gave to her mom, so she tries to get it back. After the show switched the rings, viewers had to wonder if it was the first of multiple changes to Brianna's story in the past. Well, Ronald Moore recently revealed the very simple reason why Claire lost Jamie's ring to Bonnet:

Honestly, the reason for the ring switcheroo is so straightforward that I'm almost disappointed! Ronald Moore's comments at the recent Savannah College of Art and Design Film Festival (via EW) reveal that Stephen Bonnet stole Jamie's ring because Jamie's ring stands out more than the plain gold band from Frank. Although the gold ring held great sentimental value to Claire despite how her marriage to Frank fell apart, it's not so remarkable that Brianna would see it and immediately connect it to the parents who raised her.

Jamie's ring was made out of the key to Lallybroch, and it certainly wasn't crafted by anybody or with any materials from the 20th century, so Brianna would have noticed it on her mom's finger. If she spies that distinctive ring on Stephen Bonnet, of course she's going to have questions for him and want it back!

Alas for Brianna, her discovery of Jamie's ring on Bonnet will lead her into the same awful circumstances that Frank's ring lead her to in Drums of Autumn. Ronald Moore confirmed earlier this year that the scene in which Bonnet rapes Bree when she comes for the ring will be included in the show. Given what happens to Bree after the rape, it wasn't really a twist that could be omitted from the show unless the show was to diverge from the books in a huge way.

While viewers may be especially sad that Claire was parted with Jamie's ring by the dastardly Stephen Bonnet (who could turn out to be the series' most terrifying villain), book readers can take heart that the twist was changed so that the ring discovery would be believable on the small screen. Other book changes with this arc may be minor.

Outlander's stars recently chatted about how Bonnet differs from the dastardly Black Jack Randall, and Sam Heughan shared his regrets about not wearing a kilt for Season 4. To see what's in store next for the Frasers in America and Brianna in the 20th century (so far), tune in to Starz on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET for new episodes.

Warning: major spoilers ahead for Outlander Season 4 and the fourth novel in the Outlander book saga, called Drums of Autumn.

For a show largely known for its love story, gorgeous actors, and breathtaking landscapes, Outlander has never shied away from exploring the ugly sides of life in the 18th century, and a number of characters have found themselves the victims of traumatizing sexual assault. Male and female characters alike have been raped in the story, usually because the rapes happened in Diana Gabaldon's book saga on which the series is based. A heartbreaking sexual assault happens in the fourth book, Drums of Autumn, when Brianna is raped after traveling back in time to reunite with her mother. Outlander showrunner Ronald D. Moore has spoken out about how much of the rape will or will not be featured in the show, saying this:

Outlander has never followed the events of the books exactly as they're written, and the show actually changed a rape scene from the third book to be entirely consensual because the rape was not deemed necessary for the story they were trying to tell. Other horrifying rape scenes were included, and they were awful enough that viewers would have been justifiable in averting their eyes, but they were relevant to the narrative. Certain pivotal plot points couldn't happen without the sexual assaults, and so Outlander adapted them. As Ronald D. Moore explained in his chat with THR, the rape of Brianna is one such assault.

In Drums of Autumn, Brianna travels back in time to reunite with Claire and meet Jamie. Very unfortunately, she crosses paths with new Season 4 villain Stephen Bonnet -- who has already been established as worse than Black Jack Randall -- who rapes her. The assault doesn't happen as just another excuse to establish how psychopathic Bonnet is. Bree ends up pregnant with a child, although it's not clear in the book if Bonnet is the father. The pregnancy makes for a significant storyline for Brianna, and it's hard to imagine the show leaving it out.

Of course, it will undoubtedly be horrifying and heartbreaking to watch the rape happen. Outlander executive producer Maril Davis explained how Outlander will depict the assault:

Outlander will evidently show restraint with the depiction of Brianna's rape, as it did with Jamie's back in Season 1 and other rapes in the following seasons. It sounds like the episode in which the terrible act happens will show as much as needs to be shown for the sake of the story, and no more. Outlander may be somewhat gratuitous with the steamy sex scenes, but that won't be the case for the rape. The series will apparently be as sensitive as possible with a distinctly horrifying plot twist.

We'll have to wait and see exactly how the rape scene is ultimately portrayed on screen. Outlander will return for Season 4 later this year on Starz. For the details that have been released as of now, be sure to swing by our breakdown of what we know so far about Outlander Season 4. For viewing options while we wait for more Outlander, take a look at our midseason TV premiere guide and our 2018 Netflix premiere schedule.

When it comes to epic sci-fi TV, any project from Ronald D. Moore is definitely worth a watch. The famed television writer and producer has won the hearts of many with his rebooted Battlestar Galactica, and just recently won more hearts with the Season 3 conclusion of Starz's Outlander, and he'll undoubtedly win more as EP and installment-writer of Amazon's upcoming series Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams. Moore now has yet another genre drama heading to television, as Apple has given a straight-to-series order for an untitled space drama that envisions a world where the space race never ended.

The project, which was written and created by Moore, also comes from Fargo co-executive producers Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi. The series will be the third original scripted series that Apple has ordered under its recently formed worldwide video programming division. The division, which is currently run by former Sony TV presidents Jamie Erlicht & Zack Van Amburg, are two people whom Moore is familiar with as he worked on Outlander and several other projects with the two when they were at Sony.

Outside of a base-level description that comes via Deadline, it's hard to say exactly what Ronald D. Moore's new sci-fi drama will entail. Having said that, a world still heavily invested in space travel certainly sounds like an interesting backdrop for any series, let alone one from a guy like Moore. The real-world space race officially began in 1955, but its hard to say exactly when it ended. While some would say the race concluded in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union, others would note that things definitively cooled down around the mid-70s between the United States and U.S.S.R.

In Ronald D. Moore's world where the space race never ended, it seems as though the United States and the former Soviet Union could still be in competition for the next great advancements in spacefaring, likely with other countries like China joining the fray. And hopefully showcasing privatized space-based organizations as well. Had NASA been able to continue driving forward human-led missions beyond the moon, there's no telling where space travel would be at today, or the technological impact it would have on modern society. For example, the Space Race brought about the development of memory foam, frozen dinners, and satellite television. It'll be cool to see how realistic this new drama will be; will there be some alt-history flair where future-tech evolution is concerned, or will all the societal impacts be the same?

With an early career that spanned across the Star Trek universe, Ronald D. Moore has a good track record for riveting fiction, so this new drama should get sci-fi lovers pumped whenever it lands on Apple in the distant-ish future. For a look at other upcoming programs on their way television new or returning, check out both our fall premiere guide and midseason premiere guide. Those wishing to see which shows were canceled in 2017 and get an explanation as to how or why it happened should visit our cancellation guide.

The replicator was truly a miracle piece of technology in the scope of explaining away a lot of small questions in Star Trek: The Next Generation. The tech was capable of providing food, air, space parts, and just about anything anyone living on the U.S.S. Enterprise could ever want. While handy for the fictional crew, this turned out to be a big problem for the real-life writers of the series. Former writer and co-producer Ronald D. Moore shares the big reason the writers didn't use replicators more often in the series in the quote below:

So, while introducing replicators to the Star Trek franchise helped stifle a some of the potentially annoying questions a Star Trek: The Next Generation writer might be asked at a fan convention, it also opened up the floodgate for some much more annoying ones. As Ronald D. Moore tells Bleeding Cool, it's very hard to heighten the drama of an episode when the audience is fully aware there's a device on the ship capable of making whatever is needed, with few limitations beyond that thing can't be a living organism. Just thinking back to the series, one will realize there are a lot of instances where the problem of the day could've been solved by any one of the crew just saying "let's use the replicator," and the rest of the episode could've been spent brow-beating Wesley into being less of a know-it-all.

At the same time, there are definitely instances where using a replicator could've been the wrong move in Star Trek: The Next Generation, so it's not as though it was always the obvious answer. For example, if Picard had okayed the replication of the Brekkians' cargo owed to the Ornarans to prevent further conflict in the episode "Symbiosis," Dr. Crusher might have never realized that the "medicine" the Brekkians were selling them was actually an elicit drug they hooked the Ornarans on to preserve their economy. Fans who may be upset that their view of the series is tainted knowing Ronald D. Moore and others knowingly ignored the "easy button" of the Enterprise may instead think to this and other examples, and instead view the Enterprise crew as simply being cautious in using such a powerful technology, rather than stupid for not using it more often.

Fans can continue to debate the nuances of Star Trek: The Next Generation or they can prepare for the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery (which recently added a TNG vet to direct) as it premieres September 24th at 8:30 p.m. on CBS with successive episodes to air on its streaming service CBS All Access. For a list of other shows making their debut this fall, be sure to visit our fall premiere guide.

Fans of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine never got movies to help continue the series like fans of original Trek or The Next Generation did, but, now, they can get a glimpse at how the story would have continued for everyone's favorite space station residents. The makers of a new DS9 documentary actually reassembled the old writer's room to have them come up with a theoretical episode for what would have been the show's eighth season. All they need now is some help in getting the film completed, and we'll all be treated to a brief continuation of the adventures of Captain Sisko, Kira, Odo, Worf and the rest of the team.

The documentary, What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek Deep Space Nine, is being produced, in part, by Ira Steven Behr, who worked as the showrunner on DS9 from 1995-1999. According to The Hollywood Reporter, as part of the documentary, which will also include interviews with cast and crew members, he brought together DS9 writers Ronald D. Moore, Rene Echevarria and Hans Beimler to craft a story that could take the original characters into Season 8 with the creation of a first episode for that season. His goal was to make sure that the documentary wasn't just filled with the typical talking heads, and that the film would give fans something they've never seen from another Trek documentary before. Everyone was told to prep before hand by either watching the last episode of Season 7, or reading the Wikipedia entry for the episode.

Unlike the other Trek series, DS9 focused on those living aboard a space station, as opposed to a starship, that was manned by mostly Starfleet crew. The show was known for being a bit darker than other Trek series and having a focus on serialized storytelling, religion, interpersonal conflicts between the crew and morally ambiguous characters. DS9 ended after seven seasons, with the crew splitting up after finally helping to win the war against the Dominion, and Captain Sisko leaving his part of the galaxy to join the Prophets in the Celestial Temple after fulfilling his destiny.

Your guess is as good as mine as to what would have been next for the characters of DS9. Sisko appeared to his pregnant second wife Kasidy and told her that he would return to her at some point, so, the first episode of Season 8 better see him coming back to her without too much time passing. Odo joined the Founders to help heal them and teach them to trust solid life forms, but there really is no DS9 without Odo, so it's a solid bet that he'd be back on board somehow, too. All in all, I bet the writers found a reasonable way to get everyone that fans love from the show back together in some way for Season 8.

If you want to hear what Ira Steven Behr and the rest of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine writers have in store for the show's beloved characters, you can help them complete the documentary by heading to the film's Indiegogo page.

Outlander's second season was engaging from start to finish, but the Starz drama did make a lot of changes from Diana Gabaldon's popular series of novels. Now that Season 2 is ended and Outlander is looking toward Season 3, executive producer Ronald D. Moore recently revealed why the series has made many changes from the books. Mainly it has to do with wanting to cater to two very different audiences: those who already know the character's backstories and those who do not. Here's what Ron Moore had to say in a recent interview about why changes are made for the TV series:

Ron Moore went on to connect his own experiences while watching HBO's popular drama Game of Thrones with his experiences working on Outlander. As a fan of the HBO show but not the books, he told Deadline he sometimes has trouble following the plots and has to ask his wife questions about background information he either missed or may not have understood just from watching the show. Thus, he's conscious of the fact that his own book bias may influence tidbits the creative team might want to throw in there that might confuse the heck out of the average watcher.

One of the biggest changes that Outlander made in Season 2 had nothing to do with small details or tidbits, but did relate to the story structure. Diana Gabaldon's second book picks up in the 1960s, which is even confusing the first time you read the book, although I quickly got into it, at least. For show watchers only, the move would have been extremely jarring, and the show opted to tell the sequence of events in the story in a different way. Although Season 2's starting point kicked off with Claire returning to the 1940s, the premise worked to tell a story that was different but still ended up in the same place.

During the Season 2 finale, Claire learned in the 1960s that Jamie had seemingly, against all odds, survived the Battle of Culloden, which means that more time hopping seems imminent in Outlander's future. The Starz series has already been renewed for two more seasons on the network, which is huge. While those episodes are not expected to air until sometime in 2017, you can find out what shows will be back this fall, here.

In anticipation of the premiere of Starz's Outlander series, we had the opportunity to sit down with series creator Ronald D. Moore, author Diana Gabaldon and the cast at Comic-Con to talk about what's ahead.

For those who haven't read the book or are unfamiliar with the plans for the series, check out the trailer and get more information on Outlander here.

We already told you why Diana Gabaldon chose World War II as the setting for Claire Randall's backstory. And yesterday, we shared Tobias' Menzies' reveal about how much Frank we should expect to see in the series. Here are four more interesting things we learned about Outlander.

It was always going to be on cable.

Fans of the book know that there are some violent and some racy scenes in the book, which might not be suitable for network television. We were curious to know if there was ever a chance Outlander might have landed at network TV or basic cable, rather than Starz -- a premium cable channel. According to Ronald D. Moore, it sounds like they always intended to get the series made on cable, either basic or premium, it was just a matter of getting the rights, finding a producer and then finding a home for the series.

"After I'd read the books, pursued the rights for a few years and then the rights holder was willing to go to TV, at that point, I took it to Sony," Moore explained, "Because I had a deal with Sony Television, and then we took it out and pitched it to the different networks. Starz was one of the first ones we pitched it to and they grabbed it right away. But there was a possibility. We were willing to go to other networks. We kind of felt that that was going to be the best fit, because it was premium cable. We never thought about going to a broadcast network, but there were other cable networks we considered."

It was always going to be filmed in Scotland.

From what Ronald D. Moore says, it sounds like they toyed with the idea of other locations, but never really seriously considered filming anywhere but Scotland. "In the very early discussions, we talked about the possibilities. Ok, where do you want to shoot this? Scotland was always number one," Moore said. "We thought, well maybe New Zealand or somewhere in Eastern Europe, South Africa because those are on the list of places with an existing film community, tax credits and labor costs are low. But, there was never any real serious consideration. It was always going to be Scotland, unless we got there and we couldn't do it."

Ronald D. Moore's pitch to Diana Gabaldon took two days.

Diana Gabaldon wasn't going to support just any adaptation of her book, and Moore's wasn't the only pitch she's heard to bring her story to the screen. The author told us they came out to her house and spent two days pitching the series to her. All previous attempts to adapt the book wanted to wedge the story into two hours and as Gabaldon put it, "it can't be done."

"I have read accounts by very reputable screenwriters," Gabaldon told us. "All of which have made me turn white or burst into flames." But then she looked at the pilot script and a rough outline for a ten-episode season. "I recognize good storytelling when I see it, and Ron is a good storyteller."

Battlestar Galactica fans would likely agree!

The Gaelic Matters... Even If You Can't Understand It.

You're going to hear quite a bit of Gaelic spoken in Outlander, and there are no subtitles. Rest assured, you'll get the gist of what's going on and won't need to know exactly what's being said to follow the scene. Sam Heughan thinks viewers will eventually begin to pick up on the language. He goes on to say that the Gaelic represents a big part of his character. "For me, it's a huge part of Jamie," Heughan explained. "It's a way that he expresses himself. It's his first language. I think it's a wonderful part of the show. It adds a color."

Playing the role of Dougal MacKenzie, Graham McTavish has three extensive speeches in Gaelic during the rent collecting part of the story. "That was amazing to just do uninterrupted Gaelic with no subtitles, and hopefully get the meaning across at the same time was wonderful," McTavish told us. "And it was wonderful having Adhamh around. Because there is a man who lives and breathes that language. He's almost in tears, truly, when he hears the Gaelic. He came up to me after one of those speeches, he said, 'This is historical, what you're doing. People will not have seen this before - Gaelic speakers will not have seen this before.' You could see tears in his eyes."

Appreciate the gaelic!

Also appreciate Caitriona Balfe's skirts. From what she says, they're always getting in the way!

Outlander premieres Saturday, August 9 on Starz. But you can expect the first episode to be available online earlier than that! Read our Outlander review here.

Helix is gearing up for an epic season finale this evening. To celebrate the Season 1 milestone, Syfy decided there was no better way to entice viewers to tune in than to preempt the airing by making a big announcement. If you have been watching the drama, now would a great time to breathe a sigh of relief. Ronald D. Moore’s disease-centric program has just been renewed by the cable station for a second season.

Syfy announced the news on Friday, noting that the show’s ratings were key in the decision to renew Helix for a second season. While Syfy doesn’t have any shows that crush across demographics quite as hard as something like The Walking Dead, the show has helped the channel to find a niche, becoming the #2 cable network among adults 18-49. Helix is a big part of that, averaging more than 2 million viewers each week. The new season will be similar to Season 1 in format, consisting of 13 episodes that are set to hit the network in the winter of 2015.

The Season 2 renewal overall isn’t much of a surprise. As noted prior, ratings are good at the network, and the show has been pretty high profile since it was first announced, thanks to its interesting science fiction premise and the list of talent involved, most notably Ronald D. Moore. He’s best known to science fiction fans as the creator of Battlestar Galactica, which gives him a ton of credibility inside geek culture, enough that a majority would willingly give any of his projects a shot. So, famous names plus good ratings plus a network that isn’t exactly CBS were all working in Helix’s favor here when it came to getting the green light.

Helix premiered in January of 2014 and has aired on the network on Fridays for the last several months, leading to tonight’s very hairy finale. Syfy has already made the first five minutes of the episode available, which can be previewed, below.

Helix centers around some scientists working for the Centers For Disease Control. They head down to the Arctic to investigate some irregularities, and well, as you see in the above preview, everything doesn’t exactly go according to plan. In short, it’s the type of show you really should watch from the beginning. So, get your act together and find it. It’s absolutely worth your time.

Those who've been keeping up with the Outlander Instagram know that author Diana Gabaldon has taken over the Starz drama's feed during her trip to Scotland to visit the set of the series. So it's not entirely surprising to learn that she's landed herself a speaking role in the adaptation of her beloved book series. It's not a major role, but it sounds like it'll be a bit bigger than a background spot.

Here's one of the recently posted Instagram photos, which shows us Gabaldon walking behind series creator/developer Ronald D. Moore looking all kilted up and ready for work...

From the visible equipment in the photo, it looks like they might be filming Gabaldon's tour of the set, which makes me wonder/hope we'll see a new production featurette sometime in the near future...

Based on Diana Gabaldon's series of novels, Outlander is set (mostly) in 18th century Scotland and centers on Claire (Caitriona Balfe), a World War II combat nurse who's on vacation with her husband when she visits a mysterious rock formation and is thrown back through time. She's eventually forced to marry the gallant young warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). Starz has no official premiere date set for the drama, but they do confirm that it's expected to debut this summer.

(Via EW) Gabaldon posted a lengthy description of her recent visit to the set on her Facebook page. She says she was originally asked to be an extra on the show, but doing that would've meant standing in the same spot for three days, so instead, they're giving her a small speaking role. She says writer Matt Roberts is penning a "tiny scenelet" for her. It'll be just a couple of lines of dialogue that can be filmed pretty quickly.

So fans will have to be on the lookout for when Gabaldon makes her appearance. Given that we know four episodes are already done, it's probably fair to assume it'll be Episode 5 or after. In the meantime, at least we know she'll be featured a bit more prominently than originally planned.

Gabaldon's post goes on to describe some of the production and how incredibly hot it was on set, between the lights on everything and the heavy costumes they were wearing. It sounds like her discomfort in her costume, which involved high heals and a lot of confining wool and velvet, was enough to help her forget to be nervous about saying her lines.

Here's one of the photos she posted along with the entry:

Post by Diana Gabaldon.

As mentioned, Starz hasn't given us a premiere date yet, but they have been teasing the series after Black Sails each Saturday night with this trailer, to remind us that it's on the way...

Keep up with our Outlander coverage here!

Just days ahead of the planned Outlander fan event in Los Angeles, a new still from Starz’s adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s novel has made its way online, showing us a glimpse of the picturesque 1940s-era portion of the story. Series developer Ronald D. Moore also answered some questions about what’s in store for this drama, including how much sex and violence fans should expect, and the pacing of the story as it relates to the books.

Outlander centers on a 1940s combat nurse who finds herself whisked back through time to 18th century Scotland. She’s eventually forced to marry the gallant young warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). Complicating matters further — as though that’s necessary — Claire’s already married to a man in her time. EW shared the photo above, which shows lead character Claire (Caitriona Balfe) having what looks like a fun picnic in the grass outside of a large stone building with her husband — presumably, the photo’s not labeled — Frank (Tobias Menzies). You can actually see an alternate view of this scene with an even better look at that incredible castle over at Starz’s Outlander website. It’s the fourth slide currently included in the top slide show…

Ronald D. Moore checked in with EW to talk about the series. According to what he told the site, the first season, which is set for 16 episodes, will cover the length of the first book. “The general scheme is one season, one book,” he says. But who knows if they’ll be able to stick to that beyond the first season? Assuming there is a second season, of course.

As for the sex, of which there are plenty in Gabaldon’s novel, Moore says, “It’s an intimate show in an epic setting. There is a fair amount. We don’t really have to add very much; there’s a lot of sex in the book. There’s a fair amount of violence, too, but it’s not a battle show — we’re not getting into the big slo-mo spurts of blood.”

And don’t expecta shiny, modernized view of 18th century Scotland either, Moore says they’re trying to deliver an authentic period piece. “We’re not trying to reinvent the 18th century and make it cool for modern audiences,” he told EW. “There’s a temptation to make period pieces look like a costume drama, where everything is very clean and beautiful. We’re going for a rougher, grittier feeling to what life was like back then.”

Rough and gritty seems like the right approach, considering the tough and brave Scottish warriors involved in this story.

This new photo and Moore’s comments may not be the only updates we see from Outlander in the coming days. There’s an Outlander fan event set up for this Saturday (January 11) in Los Angeles at the Orpheum Theater. Hopefully that event yields some new details and updates on the series, which has been filming in Scotland since last fall. As for the when the series will premiere on Starz, still no word but I doubt I’m alone in saying I canna wait to find out!

Check out our other Outlander coverage here, including a language lesson from Heughan on how to say "Sassenach" properly, and the the previously released photo of Claire and Jamie together:

There are some exciting updates for Ronald D. Moore's Outlander series this week, including some casting news, as well as the full panel video for Starz's exclusive Outlander fan event, which took place during New York Comic Con this month. The video ahead not only features author Diana Gabaldon and series creator Ronald D. Moore as they discuss the development of the cable series, but also shows a behind-the-scenes featurette...

It looks like it's too soon in the series' development to see any finished footage from the drama, however the first few minutes of the above video do show us series stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan, who play Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser respectively for the drama. The featurette is followed by a panel featuring Moore and Gabaldon, as they answer fan questions about the series, tackling a myriad of topics, including how Gabaldon felt about the casting, what prompted Moore to develop the series, and why he's so determined not to mess it up. In a nutshell, because his wife won't be happy. That's reason enough to get it right, and I'm sure the many fans of the novels will appreciate it too.

If you haven't read the book, here's the description for the series:

Starz announced today that Laura Donnelly of The Fall has joined the cast of the series. She'll play the role of Jenny Fraser, Jamie's sister and in some ways, his surrogate mother.

In addition to playing Sarah Kay in the excellent U.K. murder mystery series The Fall, Donnelly had a role in ABC's Missing and recurred as Freya in Merlin.

Outlander is expected to debut on Starz in Spring of 2014.

Along with the news that the TV adaptation of Diana Gabaldon's international bestselling Outlander series has begun production comes this photo from the set. The down side is, it doesn't feature any of the stars, so we'll just have to wait to see how Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan look together as Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser for Starz and Sony's TV series. But the good news is, the photo from the set does give us a look at executive producer Ronald D. Moore, along with a mighty sword and a glimpse of what appear to be shields in the background.

Moore's probably best known for developing the reboot of Battlestar Galactica to great success for Syfy. These days, he's got two highly anticipated series on his plate, as he's executive producing Helix for Syfy, and Outlander for Starz, the latter of which has started filming on location in Scotland, and is set to air on Starz in 2014.

Based on Gabaldon's book, Outlander stars Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who's on vacation with her husband when she finds herself whisked back to 1743, in war torn Scotland. She's then forced to marry a chivalrous and romantic Scottish warrior named Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan), who she eventually falls for, despite having a husband she loves back in the future. The story is said to be a mixture of genres, from romance to historical and of course, science fiction when we factor in the time travel. Both past and "present" in this novel put the story into the period genre for TV. And considering that's worked out well for Starz in the past, I'm thinking -- or hoping -- that Outlander will be a good fit for the premium cable network, which also gave us Spartacus, Da Vinci's Demons and Magic City. Ron Moore's involvement certainly doesn't hurt. Battlestar Galactica's emphasis on human drama, which included romance, family struggles and a fight for survival, are surely what made the series such a success, reaching beyond the sci-fi fan base to an even broader audience. With that in mind, Moore has set the bar high for himself, but I'm truly hopeful that Outlander will be another must-watch series.

Moore sounds determined to deliver a good adaptation with this series, stating, "Day One and the battle is joined. We fight to do justice to the material and the fans. We'll return with our targes or on them.”

Yeah, I had to look up the word "targe," which my spellcheck keeps trying to change to target. Merriam-Webster says a targe is a light shield used especially by the Scots. Is that what we're looking at behind Moore's head? Looks like they come with matching bags. (Check out a bigger version of the above photo by clicking the thumbnail below).

With production started, we can hope that Starz and/or Sony will be generous with the promotional content going forward, and that it won't be long before we get our first glimpse of Jamie and Claire in costume.

We've seen quite a few men added to the cast of Ronald D. Moore's anticipated TV adaptation of Diana Gabaldon's best-selling Outlander books, including the male lead for the series, but the question of who would play the lead role of Claire Randall remained unanswered until today. Starz has announced that Irish actor Caitriona Balfe has been cast to star in the novel, playing the "quick-witted, stubborn but lovely, English 'sassenach' Claire Randall," who finds herself sent back in time during a vacation with her husband. Balfe joins previously cast Sam Heughan, who will play Claire's love interest Jamie Fraser.

Gabaldon's novel begins in 1945 and introduces us to former combat nurse Claire Randall, who's on her second honeymoon with her husband when she touches a boulder and is promptly and mysteriously thrown back in time and dropped in war torn Scotland in 1743. She ends up being forced to marry Jamie Fraser, "a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior." Of course, Claire's a married woman in her past (or rather, future) life, which complicates matters, as her relationship with Jamie evolves into a passionate affair. The story merges genres with elements that are historical, romantic and a bit sci-fi.

While we've known for a couple of months that Heughan will play Jamie, we've been waiting to hear word about the female lead, and today comes confirmation that Balfe will play the part. Her credits include Super 8, Now You See Me and the upcoming Schwarzenegger/Stallone flick Escape Plan. If Outlander takes off for Starz, this role could really put her on the map. And from what Moore says, it sounds like she's perfect for the part:

Given that the series is set to start filming this month, it sounds like they found their Claire in the nick of time. In addition to Heughan, Balfe joins previously cast (Frank Randall/Jonathan “Black Jack” Randall), Graham McTavish (Dougal MacKenzie), Gary Lewis (Colum MacKenzie), Duncan Lacroix (Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser), Annette Badland (Mrs. Fitzgibbons) and Stephen Walters (Angus Mhor). Ronald D. Moore's penning the first two episodes of the series, with John Dahl on board to direct.

Ronald D. Moore's Outlander series has found its Jamie Fraser. Set to play the male lead in the upcoming Starz adaptation is Scottish actor Sam Heughan. He'll play the role of the Scottish warrior who begins a passionate affair with the lead female character Claire Randall, a combat nurse from 1945 who finds herself whisked back in time to 1743 Scotland. As Claire is a married woman in the present day - at least, in the book she is - the relationship she develops with Fraser is all the more complicated. Is it still cheating if it's not in the same century?

Late last month, we learned that Starz was moving forward on Moore's adaptation of Diana Gabaldon's beloved series. Fans of the book were left to wonder who would play the roles of Jamie and Claire. The first question is answered, as it's Heughan who will take on the part of Jamie.

"From the very beginning, I knew the part of Jamie Fraser would be difficult to cast,” said Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore. “I had no one in mind for the part. I knew that someone would just come into the audition and be Jamie Fraser. And that's what Sam did."

From what Gabaldon says, it sounds like Heughan is perfect for the part. “Oh. My. God. That man is a Scot to the bone and Jamie Fraser to the heart," Gabaldon said. "Having seen Sam Heughan not just act, but be Jamie, I feel immensely grateful to the production team for their painstaking attention to the soul of the story and characters."

Heaghan's credits include a recent TV movie A Princess for Christmas and overseas, BBC's Doctors and River City. Here's some additional information on his background as an actor:

He certainly has plenty of acting experience, but he's still a bit too new on this side of the pond to be a familiar face, but given the popularity of the series on which Outlander is based, that may not be the case for long.

I've only just begun to read Outlander, and I haven't even gotten to the part where Claire goes back through time, so I've yet to "meet" Jamie, however Starz describes him as:

It doesn't sound like he's all that difficult to fall in love with. Then again, Claire's married in her future-life, which as I said, presents an issue - assuming that aspect of the story remains the same for the series adaptation.

With the role of Jamie cast, we're now left to wonder who will play Claire in the story.

Battlestar Galactica's Ronald D. Moore is writing the adaptation, and he'll executive producer with Jim Kohlberg. The series is set to begin production in Scotland this fall, and Starz is looking to get the show on the air sometime in 2014. Outlander follows Spartacus and joins Magic City and Da VInci's Demons among Starz's original programming, all of which also happen to be period dramas.

For those of you who haven't read the book, you still have plenty of time to do it before the series premieres, but be sure to give yourself plenty of time. The paperback is more than 600 pages long.

Nearly a year ago, we learned that Battlestar Galactica showrunner Ronald D. Moore was working on a small screen adaptation of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series for Starz Today comes word that the premium cable channel has ordered the pilot to series, and Starz subscribers can expect Season 1 to premiere sometime in 2014. The series will begin filming in Scotland this fall.

Gabaldon's novel blends romance, sci-fi and history as it centers on Claire Randall, a married combat nurse in 1945, who touches a boulder and is whisked back to 1743 in war torn Scotland. She's eventually forced to marry Jamie Fraser, a chivalrous Scottish warrior, which ignites a passionate affair, and a complicated one, considering she has a husband in the future.

Great sci-fi is all about human drama, and it sounds like there's going to be plenty of that in this story. While the romance element sounds like a bit further away from Battlestar Galactica - though the series did feature some great romantic arcs - Moore did prove his ability to tell compelling human stories in a sci-fi setting. From the premise, it sounds like Outlander will give him the opportunity to that in a period setting, with a very different kind of war being waged.

Sex and warfare on Starz? There's something kind of very familiar about that blend. Starz's announcement of the series order indicates that they're teaming up with Sony Pictures TV for the drama, and that the first season, which is expected to debut in 2014, will consist of 16 episodes. That's a pretty hefty episode order for a Starz series. By comparison, both Boss and Magic City debuted with eight episodes. Spartacus began with thirteen episodes for Blood and Sand, but its later seasons consisted of ten episodes. So 16 is noticeably big for the pay-cable channel, especially for a first season.

It's exciting to see Starz moving forward with another interesting-sounding concept - and one that gives me a reason to bump Out up on my Kindle to-do list - and it's also incredibly exciting to hear that Ron Moore's heading up another series. Since Battlestar Galactica wrapped up, he served as an executive producer on the prequel series Caprica and developed a pilot called 17th Precinct, which didn't go to series. Not only do we have Outlander to look forward to next year, but he also has Helix set for Syfy. Watch the trailer for that below:

Ronald D. Moore has another series in the works, and unlike 17th Precinct, which didn't make it past the pilot stage at NBC, this one is headed straight to series at Syfy, the network that played host to Moore's remake of Battlestar Galactica and Caprica, the spin-off series that followed. This one isn't about humanoid robots with a plan. Helix is a dark thriller about a possible disease outbreak.

According to Deadline, Syfy has locked in a 13-episode straight-to-series order for Ronald D. Moore's Helix. While the dark thriller comes from Moore through his production company, Lost's Steven Maeda will serve as the showrunner for the project, with Cameron Porsandeh set to write. The series follows a team of scientists who are investigating a possible disease outbreak at an Arctic research facility and end up trying to protect the world from annihilation.

The threat of a deadly disease that could wipe out the planet is not so far a stretch from reality, at least by comparison to BSG, which should make it an exciting concept to explore in a TV series. Factoring in Moore's name and production company Tall Ship Productions, added to Steven Maeda, whose writing credits include The X-Files, Lost, Day Break and Lie To Me, there's already a lot going for this project. Syfy's plan is to start production "early in 2013," which would be about now or very soon, with an aim to get the show on the air later this year. So we should hopefully be hearing some casting news for Helix very soon. With that in mind, I'd like to nominate Lucy Lawless for any role.

It looks like Fox has really taken notice of the talent behind the SciFi channel’s Battlestar Galactica these days. Last week it was reported that the network signed a deal with BSG star Tricia Helfer for a yet-to-be-determined project and now it looks as though they’ve greenlit a two-hour backdoor pilot for Ronald D. Moore to head up.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Fox was shopping around for a writer for a back-door pilot called Virtuality. The premise of the series would focus on a crew of astronauts on a decade-long journey through space. In order to help them pass the time, NASA installed “advanced virtual-reality modules” which would allow the crew members to basically live in a make-believe world and mentally travel wherever they want. Everything goes according to plan until a “bug” is found in the system and things get pretty messed up.

Fox approached a number of writers about the project and were happy with what Ronald D. Moore was able to come up with. Moore, who is the mastermind behind the remake of Battlestar Galactica, put a script together with fellow BSG writer-producer, Michael Taylor.

The Reporter didn’t say just how involved Moore would be with the project or the series (assuming the back-door pilot does go to series). Moore is also currently working on a backdoor pilot for the Battlestar Galactica prequel series, Caprica.

I do think it was interesting to note that NBC passed on Virtuality because they thought it sounded too scifi for network TV. As much as I love Battelstar Galactica, I’m inclined to agree with NBC on this in that I don’t know how well a scifi series would do on network television. I’m not sure how well network TV audiences would embrace a show about astronauts living in a virtual reality. Plus I have my doubts that Fox of all networks would be willing to give the series enough time to develop an audience.