In late February we reported on the speculation that if television sci-fi drama "Battlestar Galactica", which had been renewed for a fourth season, but only given a 13 episode order, to the distress of many fans, actually were to be given a subsequent order for a full 22 episodes, that would actually be a bad sign, as it would signal the end of the series, with the final batch of episodes to be used to tie up the loose threads.

Well, they did. And it was.

Edward James Olmos, who plays Admiral Adama on the show, spoke to If Magazine at Thursday night's Saturn Awards, and revealed that the fourth season, which is set to air on the SciFi Channel early next year, will be the last.

"This is the final season as we speak. All of us are very saddened by that, but we always knew there was going to be a conclusion and we would find Earth, so we will be finding Earth this season. I wish it would [keep going]. I could do 10 years like this season. I think that this is some of finest usages of television that I have been a part of in my life. Bar nun. I’ve been doing this for 42 years. I’ve done some really good work in television and motion pictures but there really is nothing like this show. I can honestly tell you that this is one of the finest dramatic pieces work on humanity I’ve ever seen in my life."

At least that leaves them ample grace time to wrap up the storylines in an organic way, and probably ensures that the show doesn't end in the ignominious manner that so many others have done ("The X-Files" being a case in point), running out of creative steam and outstaying their welcome.

A two hour movie, focusing on the fate of the Battlestar Pegasus in the aftermath of the Cylon attack on the human colonies is set to be released before the start of the fourth season.