From the creators of the new re-imagined Battlestar Galactica comes this prequel, a pilot for a brand new series, set 58 years before the events shown in its parent show. Caprica takes a look at The Twelve Colonies Of Kobol long before The Fall that saw them all being destroyed by the Cybernetic race known as The Cylons....but don't worry because if you have never seen Battlestar Galactica and considered it to be too sci-fi or geeky then there is still plenty to enjoy here! Previous knowledge of the Battlestar universe is not a requirement by any means!!

Caprica is a world much like our own several years in the future with major breakthroughs being made in science and technology. But also much like our own world, there is division between the peoples created by differences in their religious faith. Whilst the majority of the population believe in The Twelve Gods Of Kobol, there is a small sect or cult that choose to believe in The One True God! Zoe Greystone, whose father Daniel is a highly successful Cybernetics Engineer and Scientist, falls in with some of this crowd not realising her best friend has been recruited by The Soldiers Of The One True God, a terrorist organisation determined to overthrow the goverment, and is killed when he launches a suicide attack on a crowded domestic train. Also killed in the attack is the wife and daughter of Joesph Adama, father of William Adama who will grow up to command the Battlestar Galactica. Joesph Adama is a lawyer with shady connections and meets Daniel Greystone by accident at a Public Hearing convened to discuss the terrorist attack. Slowly these two parents, united in their tragedy, begin to form a bond of sorts...

Daniel is working on a project to create Cybernetic Soldiers that he calls Cylon Centurions but is missing a vital piece of the puzzle that will give his creations intelligence. When he discovers a virtual version of his daughter that she created in Holographic Cyberspace, he starts to think that maybe he has discovered the answer to his problems. But then, he also begins to consider the fact that he might be able to bring his daughter back; not as she was but as a carbon copy of her former self. All he needs to secure this vision is one vital component and unfortunately that is held by one of his competitors. Which is when he enlists the help of Joesph Adama.....

Anyone expecting another BSG may be disappointed by this latest offering by Eick and Moore. There are no big space battles, no shots of the planet from the stars and little relation to their previous show. This is much more of a sci-fi drama than a battle-for-the-stars sci-fi show. But that is why it works! If it was just a re-hash of BSG, no-one would be interested. Instead this works on a number of different levels and does it very well!

There are a few subtle nods to BSG too though for those loyal fans who wish to see how events in that show all began. Daniel Greystone's Cylon is a version of the original Centurion from the seventies' Battlestar Galactica (complete with catchphrase, "By your Command") as seen in flashbacks in some episodes of the newer show and of course Joesph Adama, as previously mentioned, is depicted here both as a lawyer and as the father of son, William Adama who played such a vital role in BSG. But I like the way the show doesn't dwell on these things so that new fans can walk right in and swallow up this highly competent pilot that shows lots of excellent potential!

I was half expecting not to like this, and indeed found the first ten minutes or so of this a little confusing until I becan to piece together what was going on, but can honestly say I was very impressed. Alessandra Torresani puts in a sterling performance as Zoe Greystone and Eric Stolz equally as her father. Likewise Esai Morales is instantly believable as Joesph Adama; a man we have heard lots about in BSG but whom we meet for the first time here! The conflicts between these two parents, Daniel and Joesph, and how they deal with their grief seperately and in very different ways looks like it will provide the full show with plenty of intriguing angles and interesting story-lines that will take it far further than just being a Battlestar Prequel and more into the realms of being a successful show in its own right!

The pilot runs for 1 hr 28 minutes, is priced £9.99 from Amazon and gives a great taster of what is to come.... personally I cannot wait for the whole series to come out on DVD and love the way this first episode ends; setting the scene for all sorts of potential story-lines! As a BSG fanatic, this is one show that has me feeling very, very excited!!