Variety reports that Ronald Moore and Michael Taylor from Battlestar Galactica are working on a new pilot for Fox entitled Virtuality.

Here’s the basics:

Universal Media Studios is behind the sci-fi drama, which follows 12 astronauts who are sent on a 10-year journey to find a distant solar system. The explorers pass the time by hooking up to advanced virtual reality modules to explore self-created worlds. But they discover someone has downloaded a computer bug into the system — and one of them may be the saboteur.

Moore, Taylor, Lloyd Braun and Gail Berman are on board to exec produce “Virtuality,” which originally came from an idea kicked around by Braun; both Braun and Berman shaped the idea and pitched it to writers around town. Moore and Taylor floated toward the idea.

“Virtuality” also comes with a hefty online component: As part of the plot, the space voyage is funded by a reality show that features the trip being streamed back to Earth. That “reality show” will be produced as webisodes, featuring the same cast members.

NBC passed on the concept, which insiders said was too sci-fi for Peacock tastes. Over at Fox, entertainment prexy Kevin Reilly bought the project almost immediately.

Okay, call me a skeptic, but I’m not sure a show set strictly within the confines of a space ship on a long journey can hold up. The hidden saboteur is both a throwback to some of the themes of both Battlestar Galactica and Lost in Space, so this is a road we’ve already walked several times before. Self-created virtual worlds designed to keep the crew amused over the long journey is a straight rip from Charles Stross’ bold, but strongly disappointing, post-human epic Accelerando. A significant chunk of that book takes place in virtual worlds aboard a ship. I know this will be a device used to get the crew off the ship from time to time, but my feeling is that virtual reality is a concept that’s had its day.

Will this be Ronald Moore’s Harsh Realm, or have I become too jaded? I have a feeling that this is a show we’ll be talking about in TVZ Episode 38.