A Few Of My Favorite Things: Battlestar Galactica

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In honor of the holidays, I’d like to list a few of my favorite things.

The first being BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. To say that I love this show would be a resounding underestimation. The idea that many people do not watch this show because it is “sci-fi” is tragic. Magazines like Rolling Stone have described BSG as “the smartest and toughest show on television”–and they would be right.

Looking past the backdrop of space; ignoring the space battles and instead focusing on the human drama, BSG is nothing short of brilliant, a fact I thought impossible a decade ago.

A friend and I once had a conversation about successful updates of shows, noting that Star Trek had done such a wonderful job with Star Trek: The Next Generation. The original Battlestar Galactica, a favorite of mine as a child craving anything remotely Star Wars like, starred Richard Hatch as Apollo, Dirk Benedict as Starbuck and the late Lorne Greene as Commander Adama. It was a poorly disguised rip-off that tried to capitalize on the space craze of the 70’s. It didn’t last long, but still managed to cultivate a strong and loyal following.

When the topic of remaking old favorites came up, I claimed like an expert that it would be impossible to update or make Galactica legit. My friend didn’t agree, saying a good writer could legitmize anything. I laughed.

Years after that conversation, word spread that a new Galactica was coming. First Richard Hatch, the star of the original show not the “Survivor” winner, wanted to update the show ala The Next Generation, then director Bryan Singer was onboard to produce a new version. Neither of those panned out, backing my original claim.

Then Ron Moore, a writer and producer that cut his teeth on Star Trek re-imagined BSG–first as a mini-series, then as the jewel in Sci-Fi Channel’s crown. I never told my friend I was wrong and he was right until now.

As an aspiring writer, I look to certain shows to keep me on my toes. “Six Feet Under” still tops the list. “The Sopranos” is up there too, but Battlestar Galactica just keeps wowing me with each episode.

Edward James Olmos stars as Adama, the steely battlestar admiral leading what remains of humanity to salvation after an attack by the robotic Cylons. The series also stars Jamie Bamber as Apollo, Katie Sackoff as Starbuck and James Callis as Baltar. There are many more that I could talk about as this is truly an ensemble show.

If you have never watched an episode please, please, please give it a try. You don’t have to be a geek, or into this “genre” to enjoy this show. It is gritty, riveting and just damn well put together.

Battlestar Galactica is one of my very favorite things!

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