When it was first announced that, after years of speculation, there would be a new Battlestar Galactica series, sci-fi and genre TV fans weren’t sure whether or not it would be worth the effort. After all, as beloved as the original TV series was, it wasn’t all that great. With likably questionable production values, an uneven cast and some erratic writing, it was little more than a fun diversion for those fans drawn to SF by Star Wars. The first short stint in 1978 was followed by the startlingly bad Galactica 80, which is best left in limbo. If you had told us at the outset that a remake of this SF thread would become the greatest sci-fi TV franchise, many of us would have laughed in your face.
But here we are. After the miniseries showed so much promise, the new era of Battlestar Galactica became a huge hit, and then a worldwide phenomenon as each successive season brought in new fans, eager to catch up on the drama. How the hell did this happen? Aside from the extremely high production values in this remake of Galactica, that was due to a great cast, great scripts, and a very nice twist on the classic formula. Things turned on its head somewhat, but it worked and worked out beautifully.
DVD sales of the new Battlestar Galactica series have proven the show’s popularity with contemporary audiences, and original concepts from the first Galactica show have been retooled with enough modern sheen that fans will become hooked. Congratulations to the writers and stars of Ronald D. Moore’s new Battlestar Galactica – they’ve brought us the definitive sci-fi TV event of the decade, as well as a new generation of TV stars like Tricia Helfer and Katie Sackhoff, who have won the hearts of sci-fi fans around the world.
There’s talk of a feature film based on the original incarnation of Battlestar Galactica, but that seems horribly counterproductive, considering how popular the remake of the series is. Why not leave the franchise to wrap up with the end of the new era? Let it finish right. New fans don’t want the classic series to come back again – they are more than happy with the amazing new model.
Despite the Cylons being redesigned, the story changed slightly, and the complexity ramped up a thousandfold, the new Battlestar Galactica has won over legions of new fans to a series many long thought was dead, and through additions like the spin-off project Razor (plus other upcoming films) and the upcoming prequel series Caprica, Battlestar Galactica’s long saga continues the sci-fi series.