SCI FI RENEWS 'BATTLESTAR GALACTICA' FOR SECOND SEASON

'BATTLESTAR GALACTICA' MAKES A FASTER-THAN-LIGHT JUMP TO SEASON 2

SCI FI Channel Renews Critically-Acclaimed Series

NEW YORK -- February 23, 2005 -- SCI FI Channel has renewed 'Battlestar Galactica' -- cable's Friday night phenomenon -- for a second season. The critically-acclaimed show has been a ratings juggernaut, catapulting SCI FI to the top spot in cable among P25-54 for five consecutive Fridays. With an order for 20 episodes, 'Battlestar' will begin production in Vancouver in March for a summer premiere, returning as the anchor of the Channel's 'SCI FI Friday' block of primetime original series.

The entire ensemble cast will return for season 2, including Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer and Grace Park. Also resuming their roles are executive producer and writer Ronald D. Moore and executive producer David Eick.

'Battlestar Galactica' is the gripping drama of the last remnants of the human race and their struggle for survival. Desperately attempting to regain some semblance of normalcy after a devastating nuclear attack, humanity's few survivors are on the run from a sinister enemy and searching for a new planet to call home. Redefining the space opera with its gritty realism, 'Battlestar Galactica' has distinguished itself by the intensity and present day relevance of its stories and the command performances of its ensemble cast.

The series, which premiered on January 14, has been averaging over 3 million viewers per episode and has quickly become SCI FI's highest-rated original series and has received unprecedented critical acclaim. Airing Fridays at 10pm, 'Battlestar' is part of the Channel's successful 'SCI FI Friday' lineup, which also includes the ever popular 'Stargate SG-1' and 'Stargate Atlantis.'

'Battlestar Galactica' is from NBC Universal Television Studio, in association with SKY One.

SCI FI Channel is a television network where "what if" is what's on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 84 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.