Battlestar Galactica (2004)

Watchseries; When I heard that the Science Fiction Channel (I refuse to acknowledge their new name), I was less than thrilled. The original series was, to put it bluntly, crap. They took a great idea, the near genocide of a species and let it rot. Rather than keeping it within the boundaries they set, Glen Larson and company made it basically, the fugitive in space. I won't go into how there was no science in this at all, no jump engines, no warp, no FTL of any kind. Of how they knew nothing about any astronomy, or the stupid measurements that meant nothing. The writing was horrible, many episodes were just rip offs of movies, the acting barely tolerable. So I was less than thrilled. However, when I heard that Ron Moore, one of the geniuses behind Deep Space Nine, the best of all the Star Trek spin-offs, was doing it. I was interested. Then, when I saw the miniseries, I was hooked. Galactica is a brilliant show that brought humanity back to Science Fiction. As the show went on and more and more plot threads were revealed, the show was shown to be complex, the kind of TV that's been lacking and can only be held up with excellent shows like Dexter and Breaking Bad. Brilliant in every aspect, Galactica is the kind of show that cannot be understood in one viewing, it has to be watched again and again. Galactica led the way for a resurgence of intelligent Science Fiction, with shows like Fringe and Flash Forward following it's example. Four seasons was for some, too short, but for me a perfect length. I eagerly await THE PLAN.

When I heard that the Science Fiction Channel (I refuse to acknowledge their new name), I was less than thrilled. The original series was, to put it bluntly, crap. They took a great idea, the near genocide of a species and let it rot. Rather than keeping it within the boundaries they set, Glen Larson and company made it basically, the fugitive in space. I won't go into how there was no science in this at all, no jump engines, no warp, no FTL of any kind. Of how they knew nothing about any astronomy, or the stupid measurements that meant nothing. The writing was horrible, many episodes were just rip offs of movies, the acting barely tolerable. So I was less than thrilled. However, when I heard that Ron Moore, one of the geniuses behind Deep Space Nine, the best of all the Star Trek spin-offs, was doing it. I was interested. Then, when I saw the miniseries, I was hooked. Galactica is a brilliant show that brought humanity back to Science Fiction. As the show went on and more and more plot threads were revealed, the show was shown to be complex, the kind of TV that's been lacking and can only be held up with excellent shows like Dexter and Breaking Bad. Brilliant in every aspect, Galactica is the kind of show that cannot be understood in one viewing, it has to be watched again and again. Galactica led the way for a resurgence of intelligent Science Fiction, with shows like Fringe and Flash Forward following it's example. Four seasons was for some, too short, but for me a perfect length. I eagerly await THE PLAN.

Battlestar Galactica watchseries. If you are a sci-fi fan, it a must watch. The writing and casting is fantastic. Great ensemble, great plot.

As a child of the 70's I can say that I loved the original BSG and always wanted a proper return to the story, not that lame attempt called "Gallactica" with the guy from "Adam 12". However, I was skeptical about this new show because of the core changes, like making Starbuck and Boomer female, for example. It didn't matter. This is one of the best TV shows ever made. It's dramatic, funny, sad, extremely dark and immensely engrossing. By changing the character of Baltar from a ruthless power hungry madman in the original to the witless and sympathetic patsy that he is at the beginning of this show creates a whole new dynamic to this character and his development. Adding the president to be a counter balance to Adama instead of the commander automatically ruling over everyone was far more believable than the council full of wusses that were supposed to be in charge in the '78 version.

Bottom line, the stories are more intense, the characters are stronger, the suspense can drive you mad. This show is addictive to say the least. The creators have brought a realism to this idea that just wasn't there in the original. In '78, the show was a campy attempt to capitalize on the Star Wars phenomenon that was definitely entertaining, but was also a little too convenient in its "everything works out by the end of the episode" theme. Life isn't like that. This new version completely escapes from the happy family sweetness of a '70's TV series. Battlestar Gallactica(2004) is a more believable life and death struggle because people actually die in this series. The only noteworthy death in the original was that of Serena, and that was in the first 3 to 5 hours of the series. These people are fighting for their lives. They're not all going to make it. The last scene of season 1 had me and all my friends jumping out of our seats yelling "NOOOOO! They didn't just do that!!! They can't leave it like that!! When does the next season start?!?!?!?!" Not many shows have had that kind of effect on me in my life, and I watch way too much TV.

In closing, BSG(04) is a fantastic show. If you were a fan of the original, savor it for what it was, but give this reincarnation a chance, I think you'll love it.

1. If you want mindless techno-babble, then this show isn't for you. 2. If you don't manage to appreciate what good... no, let me rephrase that for you: exquisite acting is, then you definitely shouldn't watch it. 3. If you expect to have a crew of four, including a science doctor, an alien, a military and some random Indiana Jones guy, all of them solving new let's-save-the-Earth-before-lunch problems, then skip BSG, is not for you. 4. If you're afraid of seeing real human stories put into a SF shell, perhaps you should go back to Star Trek (and I'm a trekkie too, but...) 5. If you crave to hear 'shields up' or 'engage' or other classic one- liners, then you should rather settle for "frak". Or is it "frakk"? 6. If you're unable to follow a 4 season-long story arc with every episode adding something precious to it without having withdrawal symptoms, then you should really don't give it a try. 7. If all that you want is see people in tight suits flashing laser pistols and teleporting from harms' way, then change the channel. 8. If your interest for spiritual quests, tough sexy girls and people really dying and not returning is something like zero. Oh well, you might skip that 'dying and not returning part' :P 9. If you don't like space battles rendered so real (and with as most care for real physics as a TV SF show can take) that you feel you ARE there. 10. Finally, if you have a mind so closed that you cannot appreciate what the best SF show ever made is all about.

In my opinion, any problem that somebody would have with this show would be his/her problem, not the shows. For the rest of us, BSG raised the bar so high, we almost cannot enjoy other SF shows anymore.

But then... we can always re-watch it, and hope others will learn from it, too.

I've just finished Season one on Amazon Prime and I must say this is the best sci-fi show I've seen in years. And I've seen all the SyFy channel shows and new SciFi movies of the last few years. I cannot wait to watch the remaining shows. Better by far than the original Star Trek series or movies... it makes Expanse, Dark Matter and other new shows look inept (and I'd resigned myself to fact that those were about as good as we were going to get)... if you haven't seen this series, let me tell you the writing and acting is first class. It's even a little sexy, something you rarely see in SciFi. I'm loving it!!!!

Before I proceed, I'll just add a quick comment for those slating the series without seeing it: please, stop it. Instead, wait and see what the new show is about and give it a chance. Unless of course, you want to miss one of the best dramas currently airing...

BSG is a very human story. Yet unlike Star Trek, they're not resolved by the end of the episode. Here the characters are real people who make mistakes, grow and learn from their errors. Or maybe they don't...

The point is that in the new BSG, the impact of the loss of the Colonies is something everybody must deal with, be it on a resource-management level to dealing with the loss of their families. The impact of the Cylon attack - never explored in the original series - is a major emphasis in the show and the viewer genuinely does get the feeling of the "rag tag fleet."

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the original series as much as anybody, but it was a product of its time and audience-slot. The new BSG is a much more adult production, both in terms of the writing and performances and the intended audience.

Additionally, the show is very non-sci-fi, but in a good way. Whenever any "science" turns up, it's integrated in such a way as to have minimal impact on the plot and, unlike Star Trek, it isn't used as a Deus Ex Machina to simply resolve the "crisis of the week." In fact, I'd go as far as to say the show is closer to 24 or The West Wing than it is Star Trek or Babylon 5, with the focus being much more on the people and their individual actions, rather than a wide-scale "space opera."

Performances are all strong, with James Callis being the real star. His tortured performance as the guilt-stricken Baltar are a joy to watch as he flips from near-hysterical lunatic to scheming toad to smooth womaniser. Olmos has the presence to give Adama the air of authority required. Sackhoff's performance as Starbuck is "subtly obvious" - she plays the brash, cocky pilot a little too well, something that's explained in later episodes. And Bamber's Apollo is a mix of heroic action and self-doubt which balances well. Mention must also go to McDonnell's President Roslin who, over the course of the series, has grown in stature and presence in a very subtle manner.

Quite simply, Battlestar Galactica is one of the most consistently strong shows I've ever seen. Considering this is only the first of (hopefully) many seasons, it's amazing to see how the show has "hit the ground running," with each episode being an improvement on the last. And considering the high standard of the first one, that's quite the achievement.

Watch it. You won't be disappointed.