I had a friend recommend that I watch Battlestar Galactica last month. He simply said that it was the best show on TV. I’m sure many could argue whether it is the “Best” or not, but I don’t think anyone can say it is less than a top notch show. I give this series 5/5 stars.
First of all, you need to keep in mind that this series is only based on the classic 1978 series, and is not a continuation or a remake. Several things are radically different in both main plot lines and characters. The Cylon race was created by Humans not lizard-like aliens. The Cylons and rebelled and tried to kill their masters, eventually the fighting ended and the Cylons disappeared. Several leading characters that were once male, Starbuck & Boomer, for example are now female. This opens up opportunities for lots of sexual tension with other characters. Speaking of sexual, this is not a show for young kids. The DVD releases are Not Rated, but the original TV broadcasts are TV-14. There’s cursing (in their own little vocabulary), sex, drinking, fighting and more. All of these are used to create an intense emotional drama.
I would definitely describe this show as a drama that is Sci-Fi, not a Sci-Fi drama. As many viewers have pointed out, some episodes have no space battles whatsoever, and are spent on character development and internal conflict. The cinematography is quite unique, especially in the space action sequences. The camera moves around like you are really involved in the action. There are lots of snap zooms to whoever is talking, and there is no such thing as a “steadycam” in this series. There’s a nice DVD bonus feature where the directors talk about this style.
I would find it hard to believe anyone could watch the miniseries (which by the way is included on Disk1 of Season 1) and walk away without wanting to see more. Luckily I had the advantage of having these on DVD and watched the miniseries in one sitting, only 183 minutes. I usually watched at least 2 or 3 of the approximately 45 minute episodes at a time. Nothing beats not having to watch commercials or wait another week or 2 for the next episode. Season 2.5 (episodes 11-20 of Season 2) has just been released on DVD, so grab a copy if you aren’t caught up yet. Season 3 just started in October 2006 on Sci-Fi. For more information, visit Sci-Fi’s official website for Battlestar Galactica.