Ronald D. Moore
Encyclopedia
Ronald Dowl Moore is an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his work on Star Trek
and the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica
miniseries and television series
, for which he won a Peabody Award
for creative excellence in 2005 and an Emmy Award
in 2008.
, the son of a teacher and school superintendent who moonlighted as a football coach; he dabbled in writing and drama in high school. He went on to study Government
at Cornell University
, where he was Literary Secretary of The Kappa Alpha Society
, originally on a Navy ROTC
scholarship, but failed his senior year after losing interest in his studies. He served for one summer on the frigate USS W. S. Sims
. He describes himself as a 'recovering Catholic' and is agnostic.
sets during the filming of the episode "Time Squared." While there, he passed a script he had written to one of Gene Roddenberry
's assistants, who helped him get an agent who submitted the script through proper channels. About seven months later, executive producer Michael Piller
read the script and bought it; it became the third season episode "The Bonding." Based on that script he was offered the opportunity to write a second script and that led to a staff position as a script editor
. Two years later, he was promoted to co-producer, then producer for the series' final year (1994).
Moore wrote a number of episodes that developed the Klingon race and culture, starting with "Sins of the Father
" which introduced the Klingon home world, the Klingon High Council and the Klingon Chancellor and continuing with "Reunion
," "Redemption, Part 1 and 2
," "Ethics
" and "Rightful Heir." He is credited with writing or co-writing 27 Next Generation episodes.
He co-wrote several episodes with Brannon Braga
, developing a successful working relationship that led to them being offered the chance to write the series television finale, "All Good Things..." (which won the 1995 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation
). The series also received an Emmy Award
nomination in its final year for Outstanding Drama Series
, losing to Picket Fences
. The pair also wrote the screenplay for the Next Generation crew's first two big screen appearances, Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: First Contact
.
for its third season as a supervising producer
, being promoted to a co-executive producer position for the series' final two years. During this time he also worked again with Braga on the script for the second Next Generation motion picture, Star Trek: First Contact
and on a draft of the Mission: Impossible II
script that was re-written by Robert Towne
for which they received a "story by" credit.
During his time on Deep Space Nine, he continued to write episodes that expanded on Klingon culture such as "The House of Quark," "Sons of Mogh," "Rules of Engagement
," "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places," "Soldiers of the Empire, "You Are Cordially Invited..." and "Once More Unto the Breach." He also wrote episodes that dealt with controversial subjects such as genetic engineering
("Doctor Bashir, I Presume?"), co-wrote the episode that featured Star Trek's first same-sex kiss ("Rejoined
") and killed off another popular character, Vedek Bareil Antos ("Life Support
").
During his time on Deep Space Nine, he also made an effort to engage with fans; frequently posting on AOL
forums where he would answer fan questions or address their concerns about the show, a practice he has continued with Battlestar Galactica through his weblog and in his podcast
s.
at the start of its sixth season, where his writing partner Braga was executive producer. However, Moore left Voyager only a matter of weeks later, with "Survival Instinct" and "Barge of the Dead" as his only credits. In a January 2000 interview for Cinescape magazine, Moore cited problems in his working relationship with Brannon Braga
for his short stay:
Moore and Braga can be heard talking together on the commentary tracks for the DVD release of Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: First Contact.
before joining Roswell
as a co-executive producer and staff writer at the start of its second season in 2000. Moore and series creator Jason Katims
jointly ran Roswell until the show ended in 2002. Moore wrote some of the show's most popular episodes, including "Ask Not" and the series finale "Graduation," which he co-wrote with Katims. He also wrote the episode "Cry Your Name."
During this time, Moore also developed a pilot based on Anne McCaffrey
's Dragonriders of Pern
for The WB, but production on the project was halted due to 'creative differences' between Moore and the network. The network tried changing the story (without Moore's approval) until it didn't resemble the original book series. Moore was an original fan of the books, and refused to continue working on the pilot with the changes being made.
In 2002, David Eick
(whom Moore worked with on Good vs Evil) approached Moore about a new four-hour Battlestar Galactica mini-series for Universal. Moore developed the mini-series with Eick, writing the scripts and updating the old series, also developing a back-story
that could work for a regular weekly series should the mini-series be successful. At the same time, Moore was approached by HBO
about running a new television series called Carnivàle
, however they decided to offer the position to Henry Bromell
instead and offered Moore a consultant position on the writing staff. He accepted, but then Bromell left soon after production started and Moore became show runner
. While Moore worked on the first year of Carnivàle, Eick ran the day-to-day production of the Galactica mini-series in Canada. Galactica aired in 2003 and became the highest-rated miniseries on cable that year and the best ratings that year for any show on Sci-Fi. After Carnivàle reached the end of its first season and the Sci-Fi Channel ordered a thirteen episode weekly series of Galactica, Moore left Carnivàle to assume a full-time executive producer role on Galactica.
" winning the 2005 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form, the second that Moore has received during his career. In 2007, Moore was nominated once again for an Emmy Award
for writing the episodes "Occupation
" and "Precipice
," which aired together as the third season opener.
In April 2006, Battlestar Galactica was among the winners of the 65th Annual Peabody Awards; Moore was among the writers and producers cited for "plotlines that are deeply personal and relatable, while never compromising their affinity and passion for science fiction."
Moore was quite vocal about the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike, as his Battlestar Galactica series was one of the major flashpoints leading to the strike. Starting in August 2006, the Writers Guild ordered production to cease on the Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance
series of webisodes which had been produced as a link between the show's second and third seasons. Tension over this would last throughout the third season. Battlestar Galactica was, along with other popular series such as Lost and Heroes, one of the shows at the forefront of the debate over "new media" revenues, as the series is extensively downloaded from iTunes
and recoups much of its production costs from high DVD sales as opposed to direct ratings. It was also among the most heavily time-shifted
series on television, which the Nielsen ratings system
does not count.
Moore's directorial debut was scheduled to be the first episode of Battlestar Galactica following the final season's mid-season cliffhanger, which he would also have written. Though the writers' strike did halt production on the fourth season of Battlestar Galactica, work did resume and the show concluded on March 20, 2009. When the Writers Guild began their strike, Moore felt it was inappropriate to continue to communicate to fans using the "official" blog he maintained on the Scifi Channel website. As a result, he chose to start a personal website and blog, rondmoore.com, so that he could continue to freely comment on the situation without violating the terms of his membership in the Writers Guild. When the strike ended, Moore continued his commentary via his personal web site and blog.
With the success of Battlestar Galactica, the Sci Fi Channel announced in April 2006 that Moore and Eick would be producing a spin-off called Caprica
with 24
scriptwriter Remi Aubuchon
and NBC Universal Television Studio. Moore later said in interviews that he and Eick had begun toying with the idea of a spinoff series as early as the beginning of the second season, however. The show is set 58 years before the events of Battlestar Galactica and depicts the creation of the Cylon
race and the emergence of a terrorist group which apparently worships the same monotheistic god later worshipped by the Cylons.
. After one season, Syfy canceled the show mid-run on October 27, 2010, citing low ratings.
In April 2009, Moore, along with several other Battlestar Galactica alumni, made a cameo appearance in the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
episode "A Space Oddity
." The episode was directed by Michael Nankin
(who directed a number of Galactica episodes), written by Bradley Thompson
and David Weddle
(who both started their TV writing careers on Deep Space Nine, and worked as writer/producers on Galactica) and based on a story by Naren Shankar
(who went to school with Moore and started his writing career on Star Trek: The Next Generation). In the episode, Moore has one line of dialogue as he portrays an irate audience member at a science fiction convention, yelling at the (fictional) producer of a dark-and-gritty remake of a beloved cult series. Several of his Battlestar Galactica colleagues including Grace Park
and Rekha Sharma
appear in non-speaking cameos, while Kate Vernon
is a major guest star in the episode.
Moore also developed a pilot for Fox called Virtuality
. It aired on June 26, 2009, and was not picked up.
Moore worked on the script for the companion/prequel film of the 1982 John Carpenter
film, The Thing, which itself was a remake of the 1951 film The Thing From Another World
(based on John W. Campbell
's short story "Who Goes There?
"). His screenplay was scrapped late in 2009 and rewritten by Eric Heisserer
, writer of the 2010 A Nightmare on Elm Street
. The Thing began production in March 2010 and was released in October 2011.
In March 2010, following the mixed reception of the first half of Capricas first season, SyFy channel approached Moore to produce another Battlestar Galactica spin-off. The show is entitled Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome
, and will feature a young William Adama
's experiences in the First Cylon War. The series was originally designed as a series of webisodes, but with the cancellation of Caprica the show is now being produced as a full television series without any direct involvement from Moore.
Moore developed a series for NBC in 2011 which had been described as "Harry Potter for grown-ups," and it was confirmed on March 3, 2011 that the new show would be called 17th Precinct. Tricia Helfer, Jamie Bamber, and James Callis had signed up for the new series which will center around cops at the local 17th Precinct in the fictional city of Excelsior, with Moore writing the pilot. On May 13, 2011 it was confirmed that NBC had decided not to pick up the series, and to date the pilot episode has never been aired publicly.
Hugo Awards
Peabody Awards
Streamy Awards
Interview
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
and the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica TV series in 1978, and was followed by a brief sequel TV series in 1980, a line of book adaptations, original novels, comic books, a board game, and video games...
miniseries and television series
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
, for which he won a Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
for creative excellence in 2005 and an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in 2008.
Early life and education
Moore was raised in Chowchilla, CaliforniaChowchilla, California
Chowchilla is a city in Madera County, California, United States. Chowchilla is located northwest of Madera, at an elevation of 240 feet . It is a principal city of the Madera–Chowchilla Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 18,720 at the 2010 census, up from 11,127 at the 2000...
, the son of a teacher and school superintendent who moonlighted as a football coach; he dabbled in writing and drama in high school. He went on to study Government
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, where he was Literary Secretary of The Kappa Alpha Society
Kappa Alpha Society
The Kappa Alpha Society , founded in 1825, was the progenitor of the modern fraternity system in North America. It was the first of the fraternities which would eventually become known as the Union Triad...
, originally on a Navy ROTC
Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.-Origins:...
scholarship, but failed his senior year after losing interest in his studies. He served for one summer on the frigate USS W. S. Sims
USS W. S. Sims (FF-1059)
The USS W. S. Sims was a of the United States Navy in commission from 1970 to 1991. She was named for William Sims.-Construction and commissioning:...
. He describes himself as a 'recovering Catholic' and is agnostic.
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988–94)
In 1988, he toured the Star Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
sets during the filming of the episode "Time Squared." While there, he passed a script he had written to one of Gene Roddenberry
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...
's assistants, who helped him get an agent who submitted the script through proper channels. About seven months later, executive producer Michael Piller
Michael Piller
Michael Piller was an American television scriptwriter and producer, who was most famous for his contributions to the Star Trek franchise.-Early life and career:Piller was born in Port Chester, New York...
read the script and bought it; it became the third season episode "The Bonding." Based on that script he was offered the opportunity to write a second script and that led to a staff position as a script editor
Script editor
A script editor is a member of the production team of scripted television programmes, usually dramas and comedies. The script editor has many responsibilities including finding new script writers, developing storyline and series ideas with writers, ensuring that scripts are suitable for production...
. Two years later, he was promoted to co-producer, then producer for the series' final year (1994).
Moore wrote a number of episodes that developed the Klingon race and culture, starting with "Sins of the Father
Sins of the Father (TNG episode)
"Sins of the Father" is the 65th episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation.-Overview:In this episode, the Federation Starfleet Starship USS Enterprise-D's Klingon Chief of Security, Lt...
" which introduced the Klingon home world, the Klingon High Council and the Klingon Chancellor and continuing with "Reunion
Reunion (TNG episode)
"Reunion" an episode of the fourth season of the science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation.-Overview:In this installment of the series, the Captain of the Federation Starfleet starship USS Enterprise Jean-Luc Picard is called on to arbitrate a power struggle over the...
," "Redemption, Part 1 and 2
Redemption (TNG episode)
"Redemption" is the name of a two-part episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Parts I and II of "Redemption" comprise the 100th and 101st episodes of the series, also being the fourth season finale and the fifth season premiere...
," "Ethics
Ethics (TNG episode)
"Ethics" is a fifth season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The episode has an average rating of 4.2/5 on the official Star Trek website .-Plot:...
" and "Rightful Heir." He is credited with writing or co-writing 27 Next Generation episodes.
He co-wrote several episodes with Brannon Braga
Brannon Braga
Brannon Braga is an American television producer and screenwriter, currently working as showrunner and executive producer on Terra Nova...
, developing a successful working relationship that led to them being offered the chance to write the series television finale, "All Good Things..." (which won the 1995 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation
Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
). The series also received an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nomination in its final year for Outstanding Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series
This page lists the winners and nominees for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, since its institution in 1951. The award is often cited as one of the "main awards" at the Emmys ceremonies, and has changed names many times in its history. It was first called Best Dramatic Show...
, losing to Picket Fences
Picket Fences
Picket Fences is a 60-minute American television drama about the residents of the fictional town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show initially ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on the CBS television network in the United States...
. The pair also wrote the screenplay for the Next Generation crew's first two big screen appearances, Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact is the eighth feature film in the Star Trek science fiction franchise, released in November 1996, by Paramount Pictures. First Contact is the first film in the franchise to feature no cast members from the original Star Trek television series of the 1960s...
.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1994–99)
Moore then joined the production staff of Star Trek: Deep Space NineStar Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
for its third season as a supervising producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
, being promoted to a co-executive producer position for the series' final two years. During this time he also worked again with Braga on the script for the second Next Generation motion picture, Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact is the eighth feature film in the Star Trek science fiction franchise, released in November 1996, by Paramount Pictures. First Contact is the first film in the franchise to feature no cast members from the original Star Trek television series of the 1960s...
and on a draft of the Mission: Impossible II
Mission: Impossible II
Mission: Impossible II is a 2000 action film directed by John Woo, and starring Tom Cruise, who also served as the film's producer...
script that was re-written by Robert Towne
Robert Towne
Robert Towne is an American screenwriter and director. His most notable work may be his Academy Award-winning original screenplay for Roman Polanski's Chinatown .-Film:...
for which they received a "story by" credit.
During his time on Deep Space Nine, he continued to write episodes that expanded on Klingon culture such as "The House of Quark," "Sons of Mogh," "Rules of Engagement
Rules of Engagement (DS9 episode)
"Rules of Engagement" is an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the seventeenth episode of the fourth season.-Plot:Worf is put on trial after the Defiant destroys a Klingon civilian transport. One by one, Worf's friends are forced to testify, either bolstering Worf's defense or damaging it...
," "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places," "Soldiers of the Empire, "You Are Cordially Invited..." and "Once More Unto the Breach." He also wrote episodes that dealt with controversial subjects such as genetic engineering
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
("Doctor Bashir, I Presume?"), co-wrote the episode that featured Star Trek's first same-sex kiss ("Rejoined
Rejoined (DS9 episode)
"Rejoined" is an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the sixth episode of the fourth season.Quick Overview: Jadzia Dax is reunited with the mate of a former host and the two struggle with their feelings for one another.-Plot:...
") and killed off another popular character, Vedek Bareil Antos ("Life Support
Life Support (DS9 episode)
"Life Support " is an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 13th episode of the third season.Quick Overview: During pivotal negotiations with the Cardassians, Vedek Bareil Antos is fatally injured.-Plot:...
").
During his time on Deep Space Nine, he also made an effort to engage with fans; frequently posting on AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
forums where he would answer fan questions or address their concerns about the show, a practice he has continued with Battlestar Galactica through his weblog and in his podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
s.
Star Trek: Voyager (1999)
With the end of Deep Space Nine in 1999, Moore transferred over to the production staff of Star Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
at the start of its sixth season, where his writing partner Braga was executive producer. However, Moore left Voyager only a matter of weeks later, with "Survival Instinct" and "Barge of the Dead" as his only credits. In a January 2000 interview for Cinescape magazine, Moore cited problems in his working relationship with Brannon Braga
Brannon Braga
Brannon Braga is an American television producer and screenwriter, currently working as showrunner and executive producer on Terra Nova...
for his short stay:
- "I have very hurt feelings about Brannon. What happened between he and I is just between he and I. It was a breakdown of trust. I would have quit any show where I was not allowed to participate in the process like that. I wasn’t allowed to participate in the process, and I wasn’t part of the show. I felt like I was freelancing my own show. ... I was very disappointed that my long-time friend and writing partner acted in that manner, that crossed lines to the point where I felt like I had to walk away from Star Trek, which was something that meant a lot to me for a very long time, from my childhood right through my entire professional career."
Moore and Braga can be heard talking together on the commentary tracks for the DVD release of Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: First Contact.
Post-Star Trek career (2000–03)
After leaving Voyager, Moore briefly worked as a consulting producer on Good vs EvilG vs E
G vs. E is an American fantasy-based television action series that had its first season air on USA Network during the summer and autumn of 1999. For the second season the series switched to Sci Fi Channel in early 2000. The series stars Clayton Rohner, Richard Brooks, and Marshall Bell.G vs...
before joining Roswell
Roswell (TV series)
Roswell is an American science fiction television series developed, produced, and co-written by Jason Katims. The series debuted on October 6, 1999 on The WB and moved to UPN for the third season. The last episode aired May 14, 2002...
as a co-executive producer and staff writer at the start of its second season in 2000. Moore and series creator Jason Katims
Jason Katims
Jason Katims is an American television writer, producer, and playwright. He is best known for Relativity, which he created and wrote for; Roswell, which he developed, produced, and wrote for; Boston Public, which he co-wrote; Pepper Dennis, a short-lived dramedy starring Rebecca Romijn on The WB;...
jointly ran Roswell until the show ended in 2002. Moore wrote some of the show's most popular episodes, including "Ask Not" and the series finale "Graduation," which he co-wrote with Katims. He also wrote the episode "Cry Your Name."
During this time, Moore also developed a pilot based on Anne McCaffrey
Anne McCaffrey
Anne Inez McCaffrey was an American-born Irish writer, best known for her Dragonriders of Pern series. Over the course of her 46 year career she won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award...
's Dragonriders of Pern
Dragonriders of Pern
Dragonriders of Pern is a science fiction series written primarily by the late American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey, who initiated it in 1967. Beginning 2003, her middle child Todd McCaffrey has written Pern novels, both solo and jointly with Anne. The series comprises 22 novels and several short...
for The WB, but production on the project was halted due to 'creative differences' between Moore and the network. The network tried changing the story (without Moore's approval) until it didn't resemble the original book series. Moore was an original fan of the books, and refused to continue working on the pilot with the changes being made.
In 2002, David Eick
David Eick
David Eick is an American producer and writer, best known as the Executive Producer of Battlestar Galactica, of which he also wrote several episodes with Ronald D. Moore, as well as the re-imagined version of Bionic Woman...
(whom Moore worked with on Good vs Evil) approached Moore about a new four-hour Battlestar Galactica mini-series for Universal. Moore developed the mini-series with Eick, writing the scripts and updating the old series, also developing a back-story
Back-story
A back-story, background story, or backstory is the literary device of a narrative chronologically earlier than, and related to, a narrative of primary interest. Generally, it is the history of characters or other elements that underlie the situation existing at the main narrative's start...
that could work for a regular weekly series should the mini-series be successful. At the same time, Moore was approached by HBO
Home Box Office
HBO, short for Home Box Office, is an American premium cable television network, owned by Time Warner. , HBO's programming reaches 28.2 million subscribers in the United States, making it the second largest premium network in America . In addition to its U.S...
about running a new television series called Carnivàle
Carnivàle
Carnivàle is an American television series set in the United States during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. In tracing the lives of two disparate groups of people, its overarching story depicts the battle between good and evil and the struggle between free will and destiny; the storyline mixes...
, however they decided to offer the position to Henry Bromell
Henry Bromell
Henry Bromell is an American author, screenwriter, and director.Bromell attended Eaglebrook School and the United World College of the Atlantic . He graduated from Amherst College in 1970. He won the Houghton Mifflin Literary Award for his first novel, The Slightest Distance...
instead and offered Moore a consultant position on the writing staff. He accepted, but then Bromell left soon after production started and Moore became show runner
Show runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
. While Moore worked on the first year of Carnivàle, Eick ran the day-to-day production of the Galactica mini-series in Canada. Galactica aired in 2003 and became the highest-rated miniseries on cable that year and the best ratings that year for any show on Sci-Fi. After Carnivàle reached the end of its first season and the Sci-Fi Channel ordered a thirteen episode weekly series of Galactica, Moore left Carnivàle to assume a full-time executive producer role on Galactica.
Battlestar Galactica (2004–09)
The weekly Galactica television series debuted in October 2004 in the United Kingdom and January 2005 in the United States and Canada. Moore wrote the first two episodes of the new series, with the first episode "3333 (Battlestar Galactica)
"33" is the first episode of the reimagined military science fiction television program Battlestar Galactica, immediately following the events of the 2003 miniseries. It was written by series creator Ronald D. Moore, and directed by Michael Rymer...
" winning the 2005 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form, the second that Moore has received during his career. In 2007, Moore was nominated once again for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for writing the episodes "Occupation
Occupation (Battlestar Galactica)
"Occupation" is the third season premiere and 34th episode of the re-imagined American science fiction drama television series Battlestar Galactica. The episode was written by re-imagined creator Ronald D. Moore, and directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan. It first aired on October 6, 2006 on the Sci-Fi...
" and "Precipice
Precipice (Battlestar Galactica)
"Precipice" is the second part of the third season premiere and 35th episode of the re-imagined American science fiction drama television series Battlestar Galactica. The episode was written by re-imagined creator Ronald D. Moore, and directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan. It first aired on October 6,...
," which aired together as the third season opener.
In April 2006, Battlestar Galactica was among the winners of the 65th Annual Peabody Awards; Moore was among the writers and producers cited for "plotlines that are deeply personal and relatable, while never compromising their affinity and passion for science fiction."
Moore was quite vocal about the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike, as his Battlestar Galactica series was one of the major flashpoints leading to the strike. Starting in August 2006, the Writers Guild ordered production to cease on the Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance
Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance
Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance is the collective title of 10 two- to five-minute "webisodes" released exclusively on the world wide web through the Sci Fi Channel's website...
series of webisodes which had been produced as a link between the show's second and third seasons. Tension over this would last throughout the third season. Battlestar Galactica was, along with other popular series such as Lost and Heroes, one of the shows at the forefront of the debate over "new media" revenues, as the series is extensively downloaded from iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and recoups much of its production costs from high DVD sales as opposed to direct ratings. It was also among the most heavily time-shifted
Time shifting
Time shifting is the recording of programming to a storage medium to be viewed or listened to at a time more convenient to the consumer. Typically, this refers to TV programming but can also refer to radio shows via podcasts....
series on television, which the Nielsen ratings system
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
does not count.
Moore's directorial debut was scheduled to be the first episode of Battlestar Galactica following the final season's mid-season cliffhanger, which he would also have written. Though the writers' strike did halt production on the fourth season of Battlestar Galactica, work did resume and the show concluded on March 20, 2009. When the Writers Guild began their strike, Moore felt it was inappropriate to continue to communicate to fans using the "official" blog he maintained on the Scifi Channel website. As a result, he chose to start a personal website and blog, rondmoore.com, so that he could continue to freely comment on the situation without violating the terms of his membership in the Writers Guild. When the strike ended, Moore continued his commentary via his personal web site and blog.
With the success of Battlestar Galactica, the Sci Fi Channel announced in April 2006 that Moore and Eick would be producing a spin-off called Caprica
Caprica (TV series)
Caprica is a science fiction drama television series. It is a spin-off prequel of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, taking place about 58 years prior to the events of Battlestar Galactica. Caprica shows how humanity first created the robotic Cylons who would later plot to destroy humans in...
with 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
scriptwriter Remi Aubuchon
Remi Aubuchon
Remi Aubuchon is an American screenwriter. He is a respected theater director who trained under an American Film Institute Directors Fellowship, but found himself in demand as a screenwriter. He wrote segments for HBO's miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, in which he appeared playing a small...
and NBC Universal Television Studio. Moore later said in interviews that he and Eick had begun toying with the idea of a spinoff series as early as the beginning of the second season, however. The show is set 58 years before the events of Battlestar Galactica and depicts the creation of the Cylon
Cylon (Battlestar Galactica)
The Cylons are a cybernetic civilization at war with the Twelve Colonies of humanity in the Battlestar Galactica science fiction franchise, in the original 1978 and 1980 series, the 2004 reimagining, as well as the spin-off prequel series, Caprica...
race and the emergence of a terrorist group which apparently worships the same monotheistic god later worshipped by the Cylons.
2009–present
The Caprica series premiere was released on DVD in 2009; it began airing in January 2010. Moore contributed to the pilot made-for-TV movie, then handed off control to new head writer Jane EspensonJane Espenson
Jane Espenson is an American script writer and television producer who has worked on both situation comedies and serial dramas. She had a five-year stint as a writer and producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and shared a Hugo Award for her writing on the episode "Conversations with Dead People"...
. After one season, Syfy canceled the show mid-run on October 27, 2010, citing low ratings.
In April 2009, Moore, along with several other Battlestar Galactica alumni, made a cameo appearance in the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
episode "A Space Oddity
A Space Oddity (CSI)
"A Space Oddity" is the 20th episode of the ninth season of the CBS show, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. It first aired in May 2009.-Summary:The Lab rats solve a murder that takes place at a Science Fiction convention about Astro Quest...
." The episode was directed by Michael Nankin
Michael Nankin
Michael Nankin is an American film and television writer, director and producer. He has been nominated for the Humanitas Prize for his writing.-Career:...
(who directed a number of Galactica episodes), written by Bradley Thompson
Bradley Thompson
Bradley Thompson is an American television producer and writer, best known for episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , The Twilight Zone , Battlestar Galactica , and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation with writing partner David Weddle...
and David Weddle
David Weddle
David Weddle is an American television producer and writer, best known for episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , The Twilight Zone , Battlestar Galactica , and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation with writing partner Bradley Thompson...
(who both started their TV writing careers on Deep Space Nine, and worked as writer/producers on Galactica) and based on a story by Naren Shankar
Naren Shankar
Naren Shankar is a writer, producer and director of several television series. As a writer Shankar has contributed with works for Farscape, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Night Visions, The Outer Limits, The Chronicle, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, seaQuest 2032, and Star Trek: Voyager.After...
(who went to school with Moore and started his writing career on Star Trek: The Next Generation). In the episode, Moore has one line of dialogue as he portrays an irate audience member at a science fiction convention, yelling at the (fictional) producer of a dark-and-gritty remake of a beloved cult series. Several of his Battlestar Galactica colleagues including Grace Park
Grace Park (actress)
Grace Park is an American-born Canadian actress. She gained recognition as Sharon Valerii on Battlestar Galactica, as well as Shannon Ng in the Canadian television series teen soap Edgemont...
and Rekha Sharma
Rekha Sharma
Rekha Shanti Sharma is a Canadian actress best known for her portrayal of Tory Foster on Battlestar Galactica.Her ancestors are from the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, which they left during the British period. Her family resettled in the Fiji Islands and her parents moved to Canada...
appear in non-speaking cameos, while Kate Vernon
Kate Vernon
Kate Vernon is a Canadian-born film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Lorraine Prescott on the CBS soap opera Falcon Crest from , the stuck-up and popular Benny Hanson in the comedy film Pretty in Pink , Mary-John Lovejoy in The Lost Colony Feature of Lovejoy and...
is a major guest star in the episode.
Moore also developed a pilot for Fox called Virtuality
Virtuality (TV series)
Virtuality is a television pilot co-written by Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor and directed by Peter Berg that aired on the Fox network. Since the show was never picked up as a television series, the two-hour pilot episode aired as a movie on June 26, 2009.- Plot :The story is set aboard the...
. It aired on June 26, 2009, and was not picked up.
Moore worked on the script for the companion/prequel film of the 1982 John Carpenter
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
film, The Thing, which itself was a remake of the 1951 film The Thing From Another World
The Thing from Another World
The Thing from Another World , is a 1951 science fiction film based on the 1938 novella "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell . It tells the story of an Air Force crew and scientists at a remote Arctic research outpost who fight a malevolent plant-based alien being...
(based on John W. Campbell
John W. Campbell
John Wood Campbell, Jr. was an influential figure in American science fiction. As editor of Astounding Science Fiction , from late 1937 until his death, he is generally credited with shaping the so-called Golden Age of Science Fiction.Isaac Asimov called Campbell "the most powerful force in...
's short story "Who Goes There?
Who Goes There?
Who Goes There? is a science fiction novella by John W. Campbell, Jr. under the pen name Don A. Stuart, published August 1938 in Astounding Stories. In 1973, the story was voted by the Science Fiction Writers of America as one of the finest science fiction novellas ever written, and published with...
"). His screenplay was scrapped late in 2009 and rewritten by Eric Heisserer
Eric Heisserer
- Career :Heisserer's professional screenwriting career was launched with the sale of The Dionaea House to Warner Bros. in 2005, based on an online epistolary story of the same name that he wrote in October 2004. He then developed an original television pilot for Paramount Pictures and CBS, and...
, writer of the 2010 A Nightmare on Elm Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010 film)
A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 2010 American slasher film directed by Samuel Bayer, and written by Wesley Strick and Eric Heisserer. The film stars Jackie Earle Haley, Kyle Gallner, Rooney Mara, Katie Cassidy, Thomas Dekker and Kellan Lutz...
. The Thing began production in March 2010 and was released in October 2011.
In March 2010, following the mixed reception of the first half of Capricas first season, SyFy channel approached Moore to produce another Battlestar Galactica spin-off. The show is entitled Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome
Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome
Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome is an upcoming television pilot based on the television series Battlestar Galactica. It stars Luke Pasqualino, Ben Cotton, and Lili Bordán...
, and will feature a young William Adama
William Adama
William "Bill" Adama is a fictional character portrayed by Edward James Olmos in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series...
's experiences in the First Cylon War. The series was originally designed as a series of webisodes, but with the cancellation of Caprica the show is now being produced as a full television series without any direct involvement from Moore.
Moore developed a series for NBC in 2011 which had been described as "Harry Potter for grown-ups," and it was confirmed on March 3, 2011 that the new show would be called 17th Precinct. Tricia Helfer, Jamie Bamber, and James Callis had signed up for the new series which will center around cops at the local 17th Precinct in the fictional city of Excelsior, with Moore writing the pilot. On May 13, 2011 it was confirmed that NBC had decided not to pick up the series, and to date the pilot episode has never been aired publicly.
Awards
Emmy Awards- 1994 Outstanding Drama SeriesPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama SeriesThis page lists the winners and nominees for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, since its institution in 1951. The award is often cited as one of the "main awards" at the Emmys ceremonies, and has changed names many times in its history. It was first called Best Dramatic Show...
for Star Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
(nominated) - 2007 Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for Battlestar GalacticaBattlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
(episode: OccupationOccupation (Battlestar Galactica)"Occupation" is the third season premiere and 34th episode of the re-imagined American science fiction drama television series Battlestar Galactica. The episode was written by re-imagined creator Ronald D. Moore, and directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan. It first aired on October 6, 2006 on the Sci-Fi...
/PrecipicePrecipice (Battlestar Galactica)"Precipice" is the second part of the third season premiere and 35th episode of the re-imagined American science fiction drama television series Battlestar Galactica. The episode was written by re-imagined creator Ronald D. Moore, and directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan. It first aired on October 6,...
) (nominated) - 2008 Outstanding Special Class – Short-format Live-action Entertainment Programs60th Primetime Emmy AwardsThe 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards was held on Sunday, September 21, 2008, at the newly opened Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. They were hosted by Tom Bergeron, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, Jeff Probst, and Ryan Seacrest and televised in the United States on ABC.The Creative Arts Awards...
for Battlestar Galactica: Razor FlashbacksBattlestar Galactica: Razor FlashbacksBattlestar Galactica: Razor Flashbacks is a collective title given to a series of seven "webisodes" released in late 2007 in lead up to the television movie Battlestar Galactica: Razor via the world wide web and weekly airing. According to Ronald D...
(featurette #4: Free Fall) (won)
Hugo Awards
- 1995 Best Dramatic PresentationHugo Award for Best Dramatic PresentationThe Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
for Star Trek Generations (nominated) - 1995 Best Dramatic PresentationHugo Award for Best Dramatic PresentationThe Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
for Star Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
(episode: "All Good Things...") (won) - 1997 Best Dramatic PresentationHugo Award for Best Dramatic PresentationThe Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
for Star Trek: First ContactStar Trek: First ContactStar Trek: First Contact is the eighth feature film in the Star Trek science fiction franchise, released in November 1996, by Paramount Pictures. First Contact is the first film in the franchise to feature no cast members from the original Star Trek television series of the 1960s...
(nominated) - 1997 Best Dramatic PresentationHugo Award for Best Dramatic PresentationThe Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
for Star Trek: Deep Space NineStar Trek: Deep Space NineStar Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
(episode: "Trials and Tribble-ations") (nominated) - 2005 Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form for Battlestar GalacticaBattlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
(episode: "3333 (Battlestar Galactica)"33" is the first episode of the reimagined military science fiction television program Battlestar Galactica, immediately following the events of the 2003 miniseries. It was written by series creator Ronald D. Moore, and directed by Michael Rymer...
") (won)
Peabody Awards
- 2005 Peabody AwardPeabody AwardThe George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
for Battlestar GalacticaBattlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
Streamy Awards
Streamy Awards
The Streamy Awards, popularly known as the Streamys, are presented annually by the International Academy of Web Television to recognize excellence in the arts and science of web television production, including directing, acting, producing, and writing. The formal ceremony at which the awards are...
- 2009 Streamy Award for Best Writing for a Dramatic Web Series for Battlestar Galactica: The Face of the EnemyBattlestar Galactica: The Face of the EnemyBattlestar Galactica: The Face of the Enemy is a ten-part series of webisodes that was broadcast in the mid-season break of season 4 of Battlestar Galactica. The episodes are between 3 and 6 minutes in length, with two released per week...
(won)
External links
- Ronald D. Moore at Battlestar Wiki (a Battlestar GalacticaBattlestar GalacticaBattlestar Galactica is an American science fiction franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica TV series in 1978, and was followed by a brief sequel TV series in 1980, a line of book adaptations, original novels, comic books, a board game, and video games...
wiki) - Ronald D. Moore at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- Ronald D. Moore at www.startrek.com
- Ron Moore's Blog for Battlestar Galactica
- Ron Moore's personal website, with blog
- December 2003 IGN interview with Ronald D. Moore
Interview
- "Ron Moore's Deep Space Journey" (New York Times)