Remembering "Sciography" 11 Years Later. One Of The Most Disastrous Programming Decisions Of Bonnie Hammer's Career

On July 24th, 2000....Bonnie Hammer's "Sci-Fi Channel" aired one of the most disastrous and lame brained programming decisions of Bonnie Hammer's troubled career.

Lasting a mere two episodes..."Sciography" was supposed to be the "Sci-Fi Channel's" answer to all of those biography type programs always littering the airwaves. In better hands..."Sciography" could have tackled its premiere episode coverage of the "1978 Battlestar Galactica" a hell of alot better than it did. In the hands of Bonnie Hammer..."Sciography" became nothing more than a wasted hour of sensationalized trash, innuendo, and outright lies about the "1978 Battlestar Galactica" series. All set to the rhythmic beat of pornographic...sexual intercourse type background music. Bonnie Hammer really cut her neophyte, programming chops on "Sciography"...didn't she? Not surprisingly...11 years later...Bonnie Hammer still hasn't improved as a television programmer.

What did Bonnie Hammer and her "Sciography" disaster get wrong about the "1978 Battlestar Galactica" series? Where does one begin??

1. Glen A. Larson is not the creator of "Battlestar Galactica"...the late Leslie Stevens is. Leslie Stevens came up with the original (idea) script of...."a fleet of Battlestars rendezvousing in deep space to sign a peace treaty with the Cylon Empire." All of Glen A. Larson's self proclaimed Howard Hughes crap had nothing to do with this concept of Leslie Stevens...and what ultimately showed up on the television screen as "Battlestar Galactica" in 1978. Watch the entire "1978 Battlestar Galactica" series on DVD. Do you see a character named "Howard Hughes" anywhere in those episodes? If Glen A. Larson really did create "Battlestar Galactica"...we would have seen a revival of the series long...long before now. Funny how not actually creating something doesn't put you in the expeditious mood to bring it back. Right, Glen? Plus, you never did really understand Leslie Stevens creation, did you Glen?

2. The "1978 Battlestar Galactica" series was not cancelled due to low ratings...but due to political infighting between ABC-TV and Universal Studios...beginning with ABC-TV's objections to the casting of Dirk Benedict as Starbuck...and ending with ABC-TV being disgruntled over not receiving more profits from the merchandising (toys, books, apparel.)

3. 20th Century Fox did not win the copyright infringement lawsuit against Universal Studios and "Battlestar Galactica." The matter was ultimately settled out of court with 20th Century Fox getting an undisclosed amount from Universal Studios.

4. There was no animosity on the set pitting cast member against cast member. They all got along quite well.

5. Special effects god John Dykstra left "Battlestar Galactica" in 1978 due to the relentless intervention of ABC-TV into all matters of production. Dykstra's exact words were..."I refuse to work for a television network that doesn't understand even the most basic elements of production."

"Sciography" would ultimately prove to be the warning bell for what Bonnie Hammer had in store for "Battlestar Galactica" four years later...Ronald D. Moore's unprecedented misunderstanding of what "Battlestar Galactica" is about....and all of Ronald D. Moore's butt ugly frowning crap with Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell.

"GINO"..."Caprica"....and "Blood & Chrome" ultimately turned out to be worse than "Sciography!!"