Beware of Metal Mickey he has some very nasty cousins! (Battlestar Galactica (1978))

Member Name: Judgee

Product:	Battlestar Galactica (1978)
Date:	02/11/01 (256 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great story, Great Sci fi

Disadvantages: The attempted second series

Battlestar Galactica was first shown on American television in 1978 and was axed a year later. Costing $1 million an episode, it's budget made British sci-fi classics such as Blakes 7 look like a bargain. The cost of making the series was a major contributing factor in it's demise. The ABC network thought that replacing the show with a cheaper series would be more financially rewarding. So they made "Mork and Mindy", shoved it in the old Battlestar Galactica time slot and watched it's viewing figures disappear off the bottom of the charts!


Two years later it hit the British screens and was an instant hit with Sci-fi fans across the country, in particular, me! Every time it was shown, myself and my best friend Jim would run around the block, firing imaginary laser guns and flying in our invisible fighters. Making silly noises as we ran, we were probably lucky that no one sent us to a psychiatrist. However, we were children, living in a world created for us by American television, revelling in the glory of space travel. Our imaginations took us to worlds far away and as we battled imaginary enemies, we were the heros and not, as we may have appeared, just demented children!


Unfortunately, if I were to run around the block making stupid noises now, I would almost certainly be tranquillised, given a nice padded room and be fitted with my own personal "huggy" jacket. So, I guess all I can do is reminisce and share my thoughts with you, about one of the best Sci-fi series that there has ever been and one that could have overtaken "Star Trek" in popularity, had it been allowed to continue.


The Beginning
*************

There are twelve colonies, living on twelve planets in a distant solar system in a far away the Galaxy. Ruled by the council of twelve and led by president Adar, the Colonies send their entire military fleet off to sign a peace treaty with the dreaded Cylons. The C
ylons are a Robotic race who have been in conflict with the colonies for a thousand years (basically they sound like metal mickey and look like his much tougher brothers with one strobe light for an eye!).


The Colonies fleet consist of many battle ships, the most powerful of which are the Battlestars. Only one person is dubious about going on the peace mission, leaving the Colonies totally undefended. Commander Adama, commander of the Battlestar Galactica. He has little faith in the Cylons new found good intentions and even less faith in the man that set up the peace treaty, Baltar.


The peace treaty is indeed just a reuse, the Cylons ambush the fleet and conquer the undefended colonies. Only the Battlestar Galactica manages to survive. Left with only the Galactica and a few old cargo ships, Adama gathers the few remaining survivors from the Colonies and heads off into space. They have only one hope, to find the mythical 13th Colony, living on a planet called "Earth".


The Cylons Imperious Leader orders the evil Baltar to finish off the Colonies once and for all. Given sufficient forces to finish the job, Baltar heads off in hot pursuit.


The series continues based on the hapless colonies fight for survival against starvation, battles against the Cylons and other nasty creatures that want to wipe them out of existence.


The Cast/Characters
*******************

Lorne Greene plays Commander Adama a wise and battle weary leader. Often the only member on the council of twelve that realises just how dire and desperate the situation really is. Without his wisdom the colonies would have been completely destroyed and without his guidance, their future survival, unlikely. Lorne Greene is good, his on screen presence allows you to really believe in his character. Probably best known for his role in "Bonanza"!


Richard Hatch plays Apollo, Adamas sensible son and
an expert fighter pilot. A lot of the action scenes involve this man. Ever loyal to his father he takes great risks to ensure the safety of the colonies. Hatch is an established American television actor with appearances in virtually all the American television series that you can think of, from "Baywacth" and "McGuyver" to "The Streets of San Fransisco". He is also the main force behind an attempt to resurrect a new series of Battlestar Galactica (More about that later!)


Long before playing the babe magnet "face" in the "A-Team", Dirk Benedict was playing a similar role in Battlestar Galactica, as "Starbuck". Starbuck is a ducker and diver and Apollos right hand man. Forever chasing the ladies, he always ends up being volunteered for missions by his good friend Apollo. As I have already have mentioned, he is probably best known for starring in the "A-Team".


As for the rest of the cast and characters, well this op would go on forever, so I will list them briefly, the above three are by far the most dominant in the series though!


Herb Jefferson, Jr - Boomer
Maren Jensen - Athena
Laurette Spang - Cassiopeia
Anne Lockhart - Sheba
George Murdock - Dr. Salik
John Fink - Dr. Wilker
John Colicos - Baltar
Patrick Macnee - narrator; voice of the Cylon Imperious Leader


There were a few notable guest appearances too,

Lloyd Bridges - Commander Cain
Patrick Macnee (again) Count Iblis
Fred Astaire – Chameleon


There was another series created after the first, called "Battlestar Galactica 1980". It contained very few of the original cast and was based on the fleet reaching earth. It was a much lower budget affair than the original series. It was panned by the critics, hated by the fans and axed after 6 episodes (Thank god!)


Now some news. Richard Hatch who play
ed Apollo in the original series has written and produced a trailer. The trailer is just one of many attempts by the actor to bring a new series back to the screens. But nothing like the second series shambles. The new series is intended to continue where the the original finished, in space. It is intended to be a big budget affair and contain a lot of the original cast. The trailer is apparently awesome, but is not allowed to be shown on the internet or to the public (this was a restriction imposed on the project and had to be agreed to in order to gain the funds to make it!) Hopefully we will one day see a return of this series that made many children (and grown ups!)happy!. Perhaps I will not view it in such awe this time round but I can't wait for it, never the less!


The original series is available on video, there is even a box set available for about £50, which I will be purchasing very soon!

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