Sci-fi saga "Virtuality" takes off at Fox

By Nellie Andreeva

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Fox has given the green light to "Virtuality," a two-hour back-door pilot from "Battlestar Galactica" mastermind Ronald D. Moore.

The sci-fi project is set aboard the Phaeton, Earth's first starship, on a 10-year journey to explore a distant solar system. To help the 12 crew members endure the long trip and keep their minds occupied, NASA equipped the ship with advanced virtual reality modules, allowing them to assume adventurous identities and go to any place they want. The plan works until a mysterious "bug" is found in the system.

"Virtuality" is a brainchild of producer Lloyd Braun, who shaped the idea with Berman, his business partner at BermanBraun. The two approached several writers, including Moore, who sparked to the premise and quickly developed it into what became the concept for "Virtuality." He co-wrote the script with "Battlestar" writer-producer Michael Taylor.

In addition to "Virtuality," Fox also recently greenlighted "Boldly Going Nowhere," a comedy pilot set on an intergalactic spaceship that chronicles the crew's daily routine.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter