TV Show of the Week 19: Battlestar Galactica [2003] (Reprise)

Mr E

Frackity frack.

On paper, it was a big shake-up of the source material. They started with the campy 70s TV show as a base template, took out the camp and put in some grit, gave Starbuck a sex change, put Baltar on Galactica, replaced the shiny-suited cylons with CGI models and evolved human models, threw it all in Ronald D. Moore's blender, and this is what came out. It started with a mini-series in 2003, and that was successful enough to get approval for a first season in January 2005. After 5 seasons, 77 episodes (and less than 5 weeks from the end of the whole show), it has been a phenomenon, and arguably the best sci-fi show of all time (sorry Star Trek fans).

There are layers of complexity to this show that other shows can only dream of - a deep and detailed lore, well written three dimensional characters, and adult themes of guilt, remorse, death, redemption and hope. The best thing about this show is that you never know whats going to happen - it keeps you on your toes. Lots of "holy s**t" moments have happened up to this point, from the great season 1 cliffhanger that nobody saw coming, to the recent revelation of the identity of the 12th Cylon model, and lots of twists and turns in between (I won't spoil any in case you haven't seen the show).

There is a BSG forum here on boards, and I don't think any other show (with the possible exception of Lost) has such a passionate enthusiasm for the episodes as they air. For the days following a new episode, the forum regulars rip apart the episode and analyse every key scene and revelation ..... always fun to read.

Although this series is almost finished, the saga will spin off with a prequel called Caprica - a pilot movie + 18 regular episodes are on the way. The pilot should be airing shortly after this series ends (I believe its coming out on DVD first).

This part of the journey ends on March 20th.

And what a fracking journey it was.

Richard Dower

I'm not a fan of the remake, i started out watching season one, saw a few of season two and very few of season three....if nothing else is on i'll watch it but i'm not waiting with baited breath for the next ep. etc.

I don't like how they have re-invented the Cylons at all...they should have stuck to the original toaster design and electronic voices. The whole Cylon/human hybrid is just a money saving exercise....not enough action/fights and battle scenes.

The two part pilot impressed me hugely, the battle scene was awesome and i actually clapped!, but...the actual series just falls flat for me, we'll see what Caprica brings to the table...it's an interesting reimagining of the original series and some of the subject matter (like Boomer shooting Adama) shocked me....but overall i wish it had kept more of it's original roots.

tvnutz

Richard Dower wrote: »

I'm not a fan of the remake, i started out watching season one, saw a few of season two and very few of season three....if nothing else is on i'll watch it but i'm not waiting with baited breath for the next ep. etc.

I don't like how they have re-invented the Cylons at all...they should have stuck to the original toaster design and electronic voices. The whole Cylon/human hybrid is just a money saving exercise....not enough action/fights and battle scenes.

The two part pilot impressed me hugely, the battle scene was awesome and i actually clapped!, but...the actual series just falls flat for me, we'll see what Caprica brings to the table...it's an interesting reimagining of the original series and some of the subject matter (like Boomer shooting Adama) shocked me....but overall i wish it had kept more of it's original roots.

Personally I think its move away from the original is the reason the show has been so good. The original was shockingly bad.

The show is not just about action scenes,you want that go watch 24. (Which I enjoy because its fun but that's all it is). BSG works on so many other levels like Mr E mentioned.

New episodes of Lost and BSG are airing at the moment but it is BSG I look forward to every week more than Lost. And I feel like discussing BSG after watching the episode more than Lost.

Anyone who doesn't even like Sci-fi should give this show a chance because firstly,there are no aliens despite it being set on a spaceship,it is not that kind of sci-fi show. It deals with so many human situations...basically you jsut need to watch it!

J-blk

Mr E wrote: »

the best sci-fi show of all time

That kind of says it all. What's great about this show is that it works on many levels beyond the sci-fi and is enjoyed by many who would never watch an all-out sci-fi show, as I see with many friends who would not follow other "traditional" sci-fi shows but love BSG. It's about so much more than space battles and all out action, though it includes some of the best such sequences ever filmed for TV...

Mr E wrote: »

Although this series is almost finished, the saga will spin off with a prequel called Caprica - a pilot movie + 18 regular episodes are on the way. The pilot should be airing shortly after this series ends.

There is also another BSG movie going to be released, just like "Razor" - this one is called "The Plan" and will show events before the original attack on the 12 colonies (which takes place during the miniseries) from the Cylon perspective:

On August 7, 2008 Sci-Fi Channel officially announced the production of a two-hour TV movie which will air after the final episode of Season 4. Written by Jane Espenson and directed by Edward James Olmos, The Plan storyline begins before the attack on the 12 colonies and will show events mainly from the perspective of two Cylon agents.[18] Confirmed cast members include Olmos, Michael Trucco, Aaron Douglas and Dean Stockwell.[19] Tricia Helfer, Grace Park, Rick Worthy, Matthew Bennett, Callum Keith Rennie, Michael Hogan and Rekha Sharma will also feature.[20] The movie began production on September 8, 2008.[20]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlestar_Galactica#The_Plan_.28TV_Movie.29

Basq

The first two series were fantastic.. but I grew increasingly tired in season 3 and 'Unfinished Business' (or "that awful boxing episode") was the episode that just broke my will to keep watching. I hated everything about this episode.. so much so that I haven't tuned in since. I have heard from friends that it's improved.. and I'll probably finish the series over the Summer.

The first two seasons were absolutely fantastic viewing though.

constipatinator

Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.

Basq

constipatinator wrote: »

Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.

Indeed.. I think Jim explained BSG best here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbp_wCzBX6o

User45701

the new season has been amazing but ive been keeping away from the bsg forum - fearfull of spoilers only 5 episode sleft - why take the chance.

office has done a few bsg jokes havent they?

fugazied

It's one of favourite shows During the writers strike there were some really poor episodes coming out though, I'm sure the strike affected it. However this season is really going well so far.

Sherifu

Great show. My most anticipated show to get every week especially since it's almost over.

User45701 wrote: »

the new season has been amazing but ive been keeping away from the bsg forum - fearfull of spoilers only 5 episode sleft - why take the chance.

It hasn't been too bad for spoilers but every so often someone slips one in.

Mr E

Now that the finale has aired, whats the final verdict? Finest sci-fi of the decade, or overrated convoluted philosophical twaddle?

I'm believe its the former, in case you're wondering... The finale was jaw dropping, despite the lord of the rings-esque multiple endings.

I'm going to bump this back to TVSOTW for a few days to get people's final verdict.

ixoy

I'm a bit with Basquille on this one - great first 2.5 seasons and then the show started to drop in quality (including the aforementioned terrible "Unfinished Business").

There's some great concepts in there, such as the philosophical concept of what it is to be human - I think Philip K. Dick would greatly have enjoyed that. There was also, by a loonng way, the best SFX and space battle scenes ever committed to the small screen. Added to that there were some great characters among the older crowd, although I do think they kind of screwed around too much with Baltar.

But there was also a bit of a down side - in the later seasons I thought the direction the show was taking was a bit confused. The show didn't seem to carry the same energy and too much time was spent jumping between uninteresting plotlines - the worst of which was the almost teenage love triangles between the younger members. Indeed there's a niggling part of me that felt that the show's darkness was sometimes almost reminiscent of a moody emo and that it sometimes confused complexity as having characters growl at one another beneath flickering lights.

There was still a lot to enjoy (including some great acting from Olmos and Mary McDonnell) but I do think that there was a lot of weakness in some of the stories and that it could have done with tighter writing in places. It's not the show of the decade certainly ("The Wire" take a bow) and I don't believe it's the best sci-fi show ever ("Babylon 5", for all its own flaws, is a tighter-controlled show in its first four seasons). When it was on its top form it was excellent but it had too many nadirs too - a little bit over-rated then in summation.