View source for Battlestar Galactica (TOS)

{{shortcut|TOS}}{{disline|For information on the 2003 "Re-imagined" miniseries and regular series of the same name, see [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)]].}}{{disline|For information on the short-lived Original Series spin-off, see ''[[Galactica 1980]]''.}}{{Series Data
| image = Bgpromo1.jpg
| title=Battlestar Galactica
| creator=[[Glen A. Larson]]
| starring=[[Richard Hatch]]<br/>[[Dirk Benedict]]<br/>[[Lorne Greene]]
| composer=[[Stu Phillips]]
| company=[[Glen Larson Productions]]<br/>[[Universal Studios]]
| seasons=1
| episodes=21
| episodelistid=The Original Series
| channel= [[w:ABC|ABC]]
| US airdate=1978-09-17—1979-04-29
| UK airdate=
| dvd=2004-02-10
| exec producer=[[Glen A. Larson]]
| producer=[[John Dykstra]]<br/>[[David J. O'Connell]]
| supervising producer=[[Don Bellisario]]<br/>[[Leslie Stevens]]
| associate producer=[[David G. Phinney]]<br/>[[Gary B. Winter]]
| co-producer=
| story editor=[[Jim Carlson]]<br/>[[Terrence McDonnell]]
| prev=
| next=''[[Galactica 1980]]''
}}

The original 1978 premiere of '''''Battlestar Galactica''''' was the show that began the saga of humanity's survival against the {{TOS|Cylons}}.

==Introduction and Concept==

The original ''Battlestar Galactica'' television series premiered on the ABC television network on September 17, 1978. One of the most spectacular television programs ever produced, ''Battlestar Galactica'' ran only a single season but has retained an active fandom to this day.

''Battlestar Galactica'' (also known as the Original Series on this wiki to differentiate it from its [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]] counterpart) was created by [[Glen A. Larson]]. The show concept gradually evolved from an earlier project titled ''Adam's Ark''. Although Larson had first proposed ''Ark'' in the late 1960's, it was not until 1978, after the success of [[Wikipedia:Star Wars (film)|''Star Wars'']], that interest in the show developed.

==Production History==

Initially envisioned as a series of TV movies for ABC, consisting of a three hour premiere and two additional movies of two hours in length<ref group="production" name="meyers_starlog_battlestar_galactica_august_1978">{{cite magazine|author=Richard Meyers|title=Get Ready For... BATTLE STAR "GALACTICA"|magazine=Starlog|issue=19|pages=52-53|date=August 1978}}</ref>, ''Battlestar Galactica'' was ultimately developed into a regular television series. The "first seven hours" of the series, consisting of "[[Saga of a Star World]]," "[[Lost Planet of the Gods]]," and "[[The Gun on Ice Planet Zero]]," was reported to have cost–"at over one million dollars an hour," according to ''Galactica'''s publicist, Joe Santley–over $7 million dollars<ref group="production" name="meyers_starlog_battlestar_galactica_august_1978"/>. However, this figure is contradicted by [[Richard Colla]], who revealed that the budgets for the three-hour pilot were nine million dollars alone, despite the fact that it was sold to ABC for 1.8 million.<ref group="commentary" name="colla_galactica_tv_interview_2008">{{cite_web|url=http://www.galactica.tv/battlestar-galactica-1978---interviews/richard-colla-galactica.tv-interview.html|title=Richard Colla GALACTICA.TV Interview|date=29 April 2008|accessdate=30 April 2008|last=Egnor|first=Mike|archive=Y}}</ref>

Academy Award-winning special effects supervisor [[John Dykstra]] served as both the show's visual effects director and line producer.<ref group="production" name="meyers_starlog_battlestar_galactica_august_1978"/> Dykstra, working with his Industrial Light & Magic crew, oversaw the series' extensive special effects sequences. The initial seven hours of programming were structured as three television movies—one three-hour premiere followed by two two-hour productions. Each installment was designed as a self-contained story written and directed by Larson, whose previous television work included creating ''The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew'' series.<ref group="production" name="meyers_starlog_battlestar_galactica_august_1978"/>

[[Maren Jensen]], who portrays [[Athena]] in the series, discussed the challenges of her role as the only daughter of Commander [[Adama]] ([[Lorne Greene]]). In a contemporary interview, Jensen noted that "Athena has her work cut out for her, stressing her feminine persona aboard a starshipful of blatantly macho types."<ref group="commentary" name="naha_starlog_maren_jensen_athena_interview">{{cite magazine|author=Ed Naha|title=Adama's Daughter Grows Up|magazine=Starlog|issue=19|date=February 1979|pages=28}}</ref> Jensen also revealed insights into her character development process: "The show is still establishing itself," she stresses. "But I think that the series is going to have to appeal to viewers because of both its special effects ''and'' its characterizations. It's right now that it's the special effects that dominate it and people are watching primarily for that great look. Eventually, I feel that the accent will have to be put on human relationships... and viewers will start identifying with the regular characters."<ref group="commentary" name="naha_starlog_maren_jensen_athena_interview"/>

To defray costs, the three hour premiere was re-cut as a theatrical release. Several weeks before the TV series premiered in America, the series pilot appeared as a two hour film in Canada, Europe and Japan. Opening on July 7, 1978, the theatrical release did quite well, given modest expectations.

The three hour ''Galactica'' pilot first broadcast on ABC on September 17, 1978. For the next eight months, 17 original episodes of the series were aired, totalling 24 hours of broadcasting.

==Episodes of ''Battlestar Galactica''==
{{Mainarticle|Season 1 (1978-79)}}[[File:B00018LTDI.01.jpg|thumb|The artwork for the Complete Epic Series DVD package]]
During its single season, the series went through a few phases, as the Fleet got farther away from the Colonies, and closer to Earth.
After the initial series pilot, where the Fleet visited [[Carillon]], the next stop was the mythic planet {{TOS|Kobol}} where the ancient birthplace of humanity was found.    Together, these two stories established the mythos of the series.

Next, there were a series of episodes where the Colonials visited lost colonies such as [[Equellus]], [[Proteus]] and [[Attila]].

In the middle of the season were some two part episodes that established foils for Commander Adama with the introduction of [[Commander Cain]] and [[Count Iblis]].

Then, there were some episodes that focused on the life of the Fleet, focusing on characters such as [[Chameleon]].  This was followed by a series of episodes based around the [[Terra]] arc.

Lastly, the Cylons, who had been absent for awhile, were reintroduced in the {{TOS|The Hand of God|final episode}} of the series.

==Narration==

=== Opening narration ===

There are two different [[opening credits|opening narrations]], both narrated by [[Patrick Macnee]], who portrayed Count [[Iblis]] and was the voice for the [[Imperious Leader]] during the series' run.

The opening narration to "[[Saga of a Star World]]":

{{#widget:Video|id=CC1G1vivg}}

: ''"There are those who believe that life here began out there, far across the universe, with {{TOS|The Twelve Colonies|tribes of humans}} who may have been the forefathers of the [[w:Ancient Egypt|Egyptians]], or the [[w:Toltec|Toltecs]], or the [[w:Maya civilization|Mayans]]. They may have been the architects of the great pyramids, or the lost civilizations of [[w:Lemuria (continent)|Lemuria]] or [[w:Atlantis|Atlantis]]. Some believe that there may yet be brothers of man who even now fight to survive far, far away, amongst the stars.''"

The opening narration used starting from "[[Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I]]":

: ''"There are those who believe that life here began out there, far across the universe, with {{TOS|The Twelve Colonies|tribes of humans}} who may have been the forefathers of the [[w:Ancient Egypt|Egyptians]], or the [[w:Toltec|Toltecs]], or the [[Wikipedia:Maya civilization|Mayans]]. Some believe that there may yet be brothers of man who even now fight to survive, somewhere beyond the heavens.''" &mdash; {{audio|Battlestar Galactica Opening Narration (TOS).mp3|listen}}

=== Closing narration ===

The closing narration was voiced by [[Lorne Greene]] and began in the episode "[[Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II]]":

: ''"Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny, the last Battlestar, ''Galactica'', leads a ragtag, fugitive fleet, on a lonely quest—for a shining planet known as Earth."''

== Year Two ==
{{mainarticle|Battlestar Galactica: Year Two proposal}}

In recent years, Glen Larson's son, Chris, discovered various memorabilia from his father's personal collection. In addition to packets for the official Battlestar Galactica Fan Club, he also came across [[Battlestar Galactica: Year Two proposal|a treatment]] for the second season of ''Battlestar Galactica''. In the treatment, many changes were proposed, including the reduction of the cast size, the addition of [[w:Issac Asimov|Issac Asimov]] as a story and science consultant, and massive character changes.

While it is uncertain as to whether this document ever made it to Universal Studios, the document does shed light on the origin of various concepts introduced in ''[[Galactica 1980]]''. These concepts included the human android Cylons, the concept of Boomer being ''Galactica''{{'|s}} executive officer, and the character of "Troy."

==Cancellation and Rebirths (of a sort)==
Citing declining ratings and cost overruns, ABC canceled ''Battlestar Galactica'' in April 1979. Its last episode, "{{TOS|The Hand of God|The Hand of God}}," was broadcast on April 29. The cancellation was a shock to fans, as viewership was robust and the series was, by many metrics, a major success.

An in-depth analysis of the cancellation published in [[Imadb:Fantastic Films Issue 29|''Fantastic Films'' magazine argued]] that the network's official reasons were misleading. According to the article, ''Galactica'' was one of the top 25 series on television, with an average rating of 20.4 and an audience share of 32, both well above the average for a successful new show. Demographically, it was highly popular with adults, teenagers, and men, refuting the claim that it was merely a "kiddy show." The central argument of the article is that ABC deliberately "killed" the series for financial reasons. Because of its high production costs, ''Galactica'' could not generate the same profit margins as cheaper programs, even with its strong ratings. The network allegedly engaged in "manipulation," frequently preempting the show for specials or reruns, which artificially drove its ratings down and created a public justification for its cancellation.<ref group="external" name="adams_fantastic_films_who_killed_galactica_1982">{{Cite magazine|author=William J. Adams|date=June 1982|title=Who Killed Galactica?|magazine=Fantastic Films|issue=[[imadb:Fantastic Films Issue 29|29]]|pages=66-69, 45|publisher=Fantastic Films, Inc.|issn=0273-7043|quote=In the face of manipulation that should have driven the ratings down a minimum of 10 points, Battlestar's dropped only three. It held among the top 25 programs in the nation... In other words, in spite of everything, Battlestar refused to fail. ABC canceled it anyway.}}</ref>

After the series's cancellation, the pilot was edited together into a new theatrical release, with certain scenes trimmed or edited out completely. This release is notable for the incorporation of the [[w:Sensurround|Sensurround]] enhancement system first introduced in the film [[Wikipedia:Earthquake (film)|''Earthquake'']] in 1974, and is considered by most critics as perhaps the only film where the technology was used properly. It was, in fact, the last of only four films ever released in the US to feature Sensurround.

Special effects shots from the series were reused in the low-budget 1988 film ''Space Mutiny'', which later had the dubious honor of being mocked on ''[[w:Mystery Science Theater 3000|Mystery Science Theater 3000]]''.

A news story in fandom was reported on the suicide of a 15-year-old boy named Eddie Seidel, Jr., who jumped 200 feet from a bridge out of despair of the series' cancellation.<ref group="external" name="associated_press_tv_death_kobol_1979">{{cite_web|url=http://www.kobol.com/archives/suicide.html|title="TV Death"|publisher=Associated Press|date=August 25, 1979|accessdate=|archive=Y}}</ref>

A series [[spin-off]] did appear some months later in the form of ''[[Galactica 1980]]''. Despite initially promising ratings, the show became victim to questionable writing that was heavily influenced by science fiction clichés. The show was generally panned by critics and fans alike (with the exception of its [[The Return of Starbuck|last episode]]). ''Galactica 1980'' was canceled after only 10 episodes.

Despite three attempts over the years to launch a [[continuation]] motion picture or series (the ''[[Battlestar Atlantis]]'' project from [[Glen Larson]], the ''[[Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming]]'' project by [[Richard Hatch]], and the studio-endorsed [[Battlestar Galactica (SDS)|Singer-DeSanto project]]), it would be approximately 23 years later before ''Battlestar'' fans would see a [[Re-imagined Series|new series]], but as a [[w:reboot (continuity)|reboot, or "re-imagined"]] version where the central theme remained, but a far darker storyline and significant character changes that would introduce a new facet in the ''Battlestar'' universe.

Original Series fans also enjoyed new stories (which generally ignored ''Galactica 1980'' plotlines) in several novels and comic books. As of 2007, [[Dynamite Comics]] publishes an [[List_of_Comics#Dynamite_Comics|Original Series comic]] as well as several comics based in the [[Re-imagined Series]] continuity.

The [[Battlestar Galactica (2003 game)]] was created to encompass elements of both the original series and the re-imagined series, but, as such, is in a [[Battlestar Wiki:Separate continuity|separate continuity]].

== Legacy and Retrospective ==
The Original Series has been described by [[Ronald D. Moore]], creator of the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]], as a "noble failure." Moore praised its ambitious visuals and dark premise, but noted that it was ultimately a "show of its time," created in the wake of ''Star Wars''. He elaborated: "It was made just after ''Star Wars'', which was the ultimate in escapist popcorn fun, so there was no way it was going to be a dark and brooding science fiction series. Ultimately, the show attempted to tell the story of these people after the destruction of their entire civilization and be escapist fun at the same time, and it just couldn't square that circle."<ref group="commentary" name="bassom_official_companion_moore_assessment">{{Cite book|author=David Bassom|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|year=2005|publisher=Titan Books|isbn=1845760972|page=12}}</ref>

[[Jamie Bamber]], who portrayed [[Lee Adama]] in the Re-imagined Series, shared a similar view, stating that while the original "still has a lot of charm today... it is a product of its time and it would be a naive piece of television if you made it now. The world has changed, and television has changed."<ref group="commentary" name="bassom_official_companion_bamber_perspective">{{Cite book|author=David Bassom|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|year=2005|publisher=Titan Books|isbn=1845760972|page=109}}</ref>

==References==

=== Production History ===
{{reflist|group=production}}

=== Commentary and Interviews ===
{{reflist|group=commentary}}

=== External Sources and Reviews ===
{{reflist|group=external}}

==External Links==

*{{archivelink
| url =http://galactica1981.tripod.com/BG.htm
| title =Battlestar Galactica Series Overview at Sheba's Galaxy
| live =No
}}
*{{archivelink
| url = http://galactica1981.tripod.com/Facts.htm
| title = Interesting Battlestar Galactica Facts at Sheba's Galaxy
| live = No
}}
*{{archivelink
| url = http://galactica1981.tripod.com/Critics.htm
| title = Various reviews of Battlestar Galactica
| live = No
}}
*{{archivelink
| url = http://www.starbacks.ca/sjpaxton/articles.html
| title = List of Battlestar Galactica magazine articles - Battlestar Zone
| live = No
}}
*{{archivelink
| url = http://galactica1981.tripod.com/StarWars.htm
| title = Article - Star Wars Made Many of the Same Mistakes as Galactica
| live = No
}}

{{Episode List (TOS)}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Behind the Scenes]]
{{indicator|TOS}}[[Category:TOS]]

[[de:Battlestar Galactica (TOS)]]
[[fr:Galactica (série télévisée)]]