Caprica

[shapinglight]

No, I haven't seen it yet. :sigh: As usual, I'll be drumming my fingers on the table top and waiting for the DVDs.

Very funny article here by the Guardian's Lucy Mangan, about her and husband's very differing views on Caprica.

Must say, this seems to agree with what I've been told is the general reaction to the show out in the mad, bad world of fanforums, ie. that a lot of male BSG fans don't like it because there aren't any battle scenes or spaceships. In other words, they've taken BSG away and turned it into a gurl's program.

and yes, I know this is horrible stereotyping, but at least Lucy Mangan makes it funny.

Comments

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

...so it's the male viewership that is doing the damage? :(

I'm really glad I don't know these people personally, all the male BSG fans among my die hard roleplaying geeksquad love it, a lot of them even more than the BSG towards the end. But then I tend to stay away from guys who only appreciate military and space ships.
Unfortunately non of us is counted in the official viewership so far, though I'll buy the dvds for certain.

[shapinglight]

...so it's the male viewership that is doing the damage? :(

I'm sure Lucy Mangan is exaggerating for comic effect, but I have heard that a lot of BSG fans are bored with Caprica. Whether they're mostly male, I couldn't say, and I'm equally sure there are plenty of male fans who love it.

TV sci-fi is a tricky beast. Traditionally, it's been seen as a male preserve, I think, so when you get a program like BtVS or the revamped Doctor Who or this, which has elements that might appeal more to women (those who aren't fannish and so haven't learned to subsume themselves into the sci-fi mainstream) , I suppose there are bound to be ructions?

Or - equally likely - I don't know what I'm talking about.

:needs a Caprica icon:

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

It's easy to imagine I think. I'm not into hardcore fandom on BSG, so I haven't the first idea, I mostly dicuss it with RL friends, who seem to like it. it really seems to be easier pitchable to women than Galactica was, but I wonder if on a declared scifi network it'll be able to find the viewers who were not interested in Galactica.

hehe, *packs out Caprica Icons* :)

(there are some great communities)

[shapinglight]

I'm not into hardcore fandom on BSG, so I haven't the first idea,

Me neither. I've only seen bits and pieces of it here on LJ, where most of the posters are women.

(there are some great communities)

Links? So I'm ready when I do see it, you understand?

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

There's capricaicons, which seems to have the most and some old BSG coms that have caprica icons now, but most people put them to capricaicons too.

http://community.livejournal.com/capricaicons/

Did you have a look at the preview scene with JM? He looks nasty (in a good way of course).

[shapinglight]

Did you have a look at the preview scene with JM? He looks nasty (in a good way of course).

Yes, I saw it. God, he looks rough! And thanks for the link.

[kathyh]

I've been enjoying it so far in a like but not love way. My big problem with it is the flashing lights, which are really hard on my aging eyes. My husband has the same problem so we're not divided by that!

[shapinglight]

My big problem with it is the flashing lights, which are really hard on my aging eyes

Yes, mine too. Plus, wobby camera work. It may be all cutting edge but it does my head in.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

Personally, I think both of them miss the point entirely. Yes, it's soap opera, but then again so are both Buffy and War And Peace... What's interesting about it (not earth-shattering, not GREAT, but interesting) is exactly the same issues as the ones brought up in BSG; morality, free will, social programming, vilification of the Other, blind faith, identity, etc.

For everyone else, there's always going to be some series about stuff blowin' up.

[shapinglight]

Personally, I think both of them miss the point entirely.

Absolutely. In fact, I keep thinking that Lucy Mangan must have invented this husband of hers, because she seems to loathe him.

What's interesting about it (not earth-shattering, not GREAT, but interesting) is exactly the same issues as the ones brought up in BSG; morality, free will, social programming, vilification of the Other, blind faith, identity, etc.

Sounds good to me. At least it has some substance. Plus JM, looking absolutely rough as s**t, which is a bonus in my book. :)

For everyone else, there's always going to be some series about stuff blowin' up.

As far as I'm concerned, no TV show will ever beat Thunderbirds in the blowing stuff up department. The Thunderbirds world was horribly combustible (and not just because the characters were all made of wood).

[vampirefever.livejournal.com]

I'm really enoying Caprica. I don't really agree with the author of the piece as I do thing it has boy things. Its full of robots and bombs exploding and gangster-type hit men, which tend to be seen as male orientated. There are girls in it as well but they're rather interesting and they do spend a lot of their time in a virtual Playstation kind of world - which again feeds into the boy thing. I think the authors husband is just making excuses for turning over to watch football.

[shapinglight]

I think the authors husband is just making excuses for turning over to watch football.

Probably. And of course it is meant to be very tongue in cheek. If I believed everything Lucy Mangan says about her husband (she calls him Toryboy), I'd have to wonder at her for staying with him, since she appears to loathe him. :)

I can't wait to see Caprica - and not just for JM. He's just icing on the cake.

[ladypeyton.livejournal.com]

Huh. My husband is enjoying it immensely.

I love my husband for not fitting into the traditional male stereotype.

[shapinglight]

If my husband ever watches it (unlikely - sci-fi is not his thing) he will probably remain true to type and fall asleep. :)

[willowgreen.livejournal.com]

I think my husband is actually enjoying Caprica more than I am!

Also, despite having a number of significant female characters, Caprica passes the Bechdel test (there are multiple women, who talk to each other, about something other than a man) only if you count teenaged girls as women. By my count, there's yet to be a scene where two adult female characters have a conversation.

[shapinglight]

I think my husband is actually enjoying Caprica more than I am!

Ah. That's certainly different.

By my count, there's yet to be a scene where two adult female characters have a conversation.

Well, there's plenty of potential for it, as far as I can see.

[makd.livejournal.com]

It's a relationship/family drama with political (long-term) overtones. I LIKE it, and unlike BSG, there aren't so many characters that I can't remember their names!

I enjoyed BSG, but was not a regular viewer. I never miss an episode of Caprica.

[shapinglight]

I never miss an episode of Caprica.

:) I'm looking forward to seeing it.

[hello-spikey.livejournal.com]

heee. As usual, I'm the guy in my marriage - my hubby likes Caprica more than BSG. He never likes violence and said he liked all the BSG parts that weren't, you know, shoot-y.

Me, I'm like... yeah yeah this is great and all but when can people start shooting at each other???

[shapinglight]

yeah yeah this is great and all but when can people start shooting at each other???

:) So you liked the scene at the end of the pilot, I guess, when the centurion started shooting things?

[hello-spikey.livejournal.com]

heck yeah!!

uh... I mean... no, no I care about plot... and vague but frustratingly consistent religious references. :P

[shapinglight]

:)

[yourlibrarian]

Without going into specifics, I think that the themes of Caprica are a lot more offputting than those of BSG and the characters are (so far) less interesting to me. BSG was a more optimistic show in that it was a fight for survival, even as things got more complex as the seasons went along, it was all about the survival of the human race. I think that's an easy thing for people to identify with, and of course the action made it punchier.

By comparison, Caprica does not have a Starbuck, does not have a Roslin, or those other characters that grabbed you from their first moments on screen. It lacks liveliness. What it has is concept, a very intriguing one really. BSG was about post-9/11 America. Caprica is about America teetering on its collapse as a culture. Caprica is about The Great Recession America, and its inevitable decline and fall. This can make for wonderful commentary and drama but it is inherently a depressing subject.

And yes, apparently the SyFy network is after wealthy younger female viewers, so it cancelled SGA to come up with SGU and it has put this new spin on BSG -- the non sci-fi science fiction. Personally I think this is a pointless effort. It reminds me of how UPN destroyed Veronica Mars in search of more college-age viewers. You lose the audience you have, who really likes what you're doing, in favor of courting viewers who want nothing to do with you.

[shapinglight]

You lose the audience you have, who really likes what you're doing, in favor of courting viewers who want nothing to do with you.

But do you think the show, as you describe it, will appeal to younger female viewers? Have to say, it doesn't sound like the sort of material that is normally thought to.

That said, young people often take a gloomy view of the world and want to change it, so they might like that aspect.

[yourlibrarian]

That said, young people often take a gloomy view of the world and want to change it, so they might like that aspect.

I imagine that's who Zoe is supposed to appeal to. But yeah, there's not much about this show that says "This should appeal to young people" even if a number of young people are in it.

[nmcil12.livejournal.com]

How can people not be interested in the themes being presented on Caprica. Our world is doing a Crash and Burn Explosion everyday from the ramifications of the religious wars, religious philosophy and religious doctrines. Religion and the power struggles have been one of the most creative and destructive forces in our social history.

It's perfect sense that young people and their parents would be the prime subject of the series - our social and cultural knowledge historically has been passed on from older generation to their progeny. That is at last changing with the huge influence of the digital and Internet global communication age.

I think Caprica is one of the best and even most important programs on television -

[lyr]

I tried Caprica and couldn't stomach it, I'm afraid. But to be fair, BSG wasn't my cup of tea either.

[shapinglight]

That's interesting. Would you care to elaborate on why?

[lyr]

You mean why didn't I like Caprica, or why didn't I like BSG?

[shapinglight]

Well, both I guess. If you have time, that is. If you don't please don't worry about it.

[lyr]

BSG always struck me as trying too hard to be "gritty"; I felt that it tipped over the edge into caricature. I wanted to like it, but never managed to.

Caprica, on the other hand, simply bored me silly. I thought it was rife with cliches, bad characterization, painful dialogue, sketchy worldbuilding, and wooden acting. Instead of trying too hard to be gritty, it's trying too hard to be stirringly emotional, and it ends up stalled out somewhere around terminally petulant. I couldn't like any of the characters, and frankly did not care what happened to any of them.

Your mileage may vary of course, and I hope that it does!

[shapinglight]

Um..I rather hope it does too. I loved large parts of BSG - not all of it, but a great deal of it, and hope to love Caprica too.

[coercion88.livejournal.com]

Is it on Sky anywhere? I just saw a very bizarre clip with JM having a tussle with a piece of barbed wire.

[shapinglight]

I think it's on Sky One. The JM episode will be shown over here in a week or two.

[timeofchange.livejournal.com]

The boychild and I (and my middle-aged male boss) adore Caprica. It's beyond awesome. People who wanted BSG Redux will be disappointed, I suppose.

[shapinglight]

People who wanted BSG Redux will be disappointed, I suppose.

Yes, it does seem very different indeed, which is quite brave, I think.

[nmcil12.livejournal.com]

I love Caprica and think that if they would have continued with another BSG it might have just become boring - this exploration of the people and the history of the BSGverse is perfect for me - We did not need another round of what we saw in BSG - that story was done, this new one is a new beginning.

It is such a huge pity that this outstanding series is already being talked of as another potential series that will face a much too early cancellation from the "numbers game." My hope is that SyFy has expended such a great effort and funds on this series - it is, as far as I can tell, their premiere project.

Please, if you have not watched the series, do catch-up on-line before this season finale - Comcast On Demand has it available - I plan on buying the series on itunes to help out the series.

[shapinglight]

I'll be buying the DVD as soon as it comes out, if that helps. I've pre-ordered it on Amazon, though if a Region 2 version comes out first I'll get that instead.

I would hate for it to be cancelled.

[nmcil12.livejournal.com]

How can people not be interested in the themes being presented on Caprica. Our world is doing a Crash and Burn Explosion everyday from the ramifications of the religious wars, religious philosophy and religious doctrines. Religion and the power struggles have been one of the most creative and destructive forces in our social history.

It's perfect sense that young people and their parents would be the prime subject of the series - our social and cultural knowledge historically has been passed on from older generation to their progeny. That is at last changing with the huge influence of the digital and Internet global communication age.

I think Caprica is one of the best and even most important programs on television -

[shapinglight]

I'm looking forward to seeing it very much myself. Not sure when I'll be able to, though.