Well, they better realize that continuing the old show is never gonna happen, and even Hatch himself has joined The New BG bandwagon:
From
SciFi.Com:
Hatch To Appear on Galactica Richard Hatch, who played Capt. Apollo on the original
Battlestar Galactica series, confirmed to SCI FI Wire that he is in final negotiations to make a guest appearance as a different character in at least one episode of SCI FI Channel's upcoming
Battlestar Galactica series. The news may surprise some fans, as Hatch had publicly taken SCI FI and the new show's producers to task for re-imagining the concept rather than continuing the old show.
"There are very talented, gifted people involved in this version of
Battlestar," Hatch said in an interview. "I guess for five years I'd carried on a campaign to bring back the show, because I thought it had legs. I thought it had a huge fan support and following all over the world, having traveled the world with the
Battlestar novels and comic books. Basically, I've been involved in ways to bring the show back and, not only that, but to bring it back in a shape and a form and a way that fans would love and support and yet would also bring it into the future."
The actor added, "I do not see a competition between old show and new show. To me, the original show is a classic and it always will be. The new show is the decision that the network decided to make, and I've always told everybody I'd never do a cameo on any show. A cameo tells me that somebody just wants to use your name, but they're not interested in you as an actor. I've said, on any show, if they offered me a challenging, wonderful role to play, why would I not as an artist, as an actor, love to play it?"
Hatch went on to explain that he subsequently spoke with
Battlestar Galactica executive producer Ronald D. Moore at a
Battlestar Galactica 25th anniversary event. "I thought he was a very intelligent, very creative, very talented man, really down to earth," Hatch said of Moore. "I enjoyed my conversations with him. We discussed that if SCI FI did pick up the series he might be interested in talking to me about coming on and guest starring on the show. I said, 'Ron, if it was something that would really challenge me as an actor it would be a win-win circumstance, meaning something I'd love doing and would add value to the show, that I would be open to discussing.'"
The miniseries aired last December and was a major ratings success, and Moore then reached out to Hatch. According to Hatch, Moore has cast him in a "Nelson Mandela kind of role," a man who "challenges the powers that be." Hatch expects to shoot the episode, likely the third show of the season, beginning in May. Asked if he would appear on a recurring basis, Hatch responded, "I think the way they set it up is that it's a guest star role that could have a life depending on circumstances. There's been no determination made on that."
Battlestar Galactica will debut in early 2005 on SCI FI.