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[non-spoiler] By MICHAEL HINMANSource: SyFy PortalFeb-12-2007The decision has been made, and "Battlestar Galactica" will once again make its way to the airwaves of SciFi Channel. But it appears the network has a new decision: Will Season 4 be as few as 13 episodes like the show had in the first season, or could it be the longest season yet, getting an almost broadcast network order of 22 episodes?
"It has not been decided whether it will be 13 episodes or 22," Producer David Weddle told SyFy Portal soon after word was released that the series had been renewed. "We should have a decision on that soon."
SciFi Channel is expected to make an official announcement about the series' renewal on Tuesday, adding more life to the critically-acclaimed yet ratings-challenged series. However, fans will have to wait for a new season once again as network officials are expected to announce a January 2008 launch for the fourth season, some nine months after the current season is expected to end.
If the series were to go 13 episodes, that would bring the overall number of episodes to 66 plus the miniseries, which would be broken up into 70 episodes. However, if the order is 22 instead, that would bring the total to 79, which would be almost enough for a viable syndication package.
Of course, 22 episodes brings up other possibilities that have been bantied about in the past. That number is more in-line with a standard broadcast season, which can range from between 22 and 26 episodes each season. January also is a time when mid-season replacements by networks are considered. SciFi Channel is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns the NBC broadcast network.
However, making a move to NBC would be frought with problems, especially since the highly serialized nature of the series almost definitely requires viewers to have seen a majority of the more than 50 episodes that will have already been produced by that point.
Weddle isn't worried about that. Executive producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick spent last weekend in Las Vegas hashing out main story arcs for Season 4, according to the Los Angeles Times, and Weddle plans to concentrate on that.
"It is great news either way, and we are all very excited about Season 4," Weddle said. "We have begun to map out the broad strokes and think it will be our most exciting season yet."
"Battlestar Galactica" airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on SciFi Channel.