iwNEWS: Battlestar Galactica will live to fight another day

Sci Fi Channel ordered up at least 13 new one-hour episodes of Battlestar Galactica, assigning it a January 2008 return date and saying nice things about what the grim space drama has done with its new Sunday-night time slot.

After returning from hiatus last month to air on Sundays at 10 p.m., moving from Fridays, the show is said to have added 8% to its total viewer numbers and increased the size of its female audience by double-digits in each demographic category. In the target demo categories, the show is up 19% among adults 18-49 and up 14% among adults 25-54, the network said.

On Jan. 28, the third-season episode entitled Taking a Break from All Your Worries drew 2.5 million viewers and 1.6 million adults 18-49, the biggest audience for any Battlestar episode since the second-season premiere in July 2005, Sci Fi said.

When the show returned Jan. 21, it was up against a hugely popular National Football League playoff contest and had just 1.8 million total viewers (a 1.4 household rating) from 10 p.m.-11 p.m.

Six more episodes are scheduled to air in this season, with a two-part finale ending March 25.