The Syfy channel has announced that Caprica is returning for the second half of its freshman season. It’s been awhile since the end of the first half, airing back on Friday, March 26th.

Here’s the official press release…

CAPRICA RETURNS TO SYFY IN JANUARY 2011

New York, New York – July 21, 2010 – Syfy has announced the highly-anticipated return of critically-acclaimed series Caprica. The second half of season one premieres in January 2011 (date TBA), and kicks off with a thrilling pace as the citizens of Caprica deal with the chaotic aftermath of the mid-season finale’s harrowing events.

In season 1.5, the once idyllic world of Caprica – as well as life across the colonies – falls prey to an explosive chain reaction of consequences set off by the characters’ many questionable actions in the season’s first half. Tensions rise, power shifts and the line between reality and the virtual world becomes increasingly blurred as everyone struggles to learn – and conquer – the stakes in this volatile setting. As the season races towards its stunning conclusion, events of each episode lay the framework for the inevitable (and brutal) clash between the newly-created Cylon race and their human creators.

An all-new trailer for season 1.5 will premiere at Caprica’s Comic-Con panel on July 23, and before landing on Syfy.com, it will be available exclusively on Microsoft’s Zune Marketplace on Xbox LIVE and Windows PCs through the Zune PC software available for free at www.zune.net. (July 26).

Caprica stars Eric Stoltz (Daniel Graystone), Paula Malcomson (Amanda Graystone), Esai Morales (Joseph Adama), Polly Walker (Sister Clarice Willow), Alessandra Torresani (Zoe Graystone), Magda Apanowicz (Lacy) and Sasha Roiz (Sam Adama).

Caprica is a prequel to the award-winning series Battlestar Galactica. The series is from Universal Cable Productions, and is executive produced by Ronald D. Moore and David Eick. Jonas Pate serves as co-executive producer and director.

Universal Cable Productions creates quality content across multiple media platforms for USA, Syfy and other networks. A leader in innovative and critically acclaimed programming, UCP is the studio behind USA’s Royal Pains, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Psych, In Plain Sight, Covert Affairs and Facing Kate, as well as Syfy’s Eureka, Warehouse 13 and Caprica. The studio also produced the long-running series Monk and Battlestar Galactica. UCP is a division of NBC Universal.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in 96 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

UPDATE: Syfy later changed the return date to October 5, 2010.

What do you think? Are you looking forward to the return of Caprica?

Image courtesy Syfy.