Opening credits

2011-12-14T06:39:08Z

Kayeseth: /* Re-imagined Series */

All four series in both the [[Original Series]] and [[Re-imagined Series]] continuities use detailed '''opening credits''' sequences that serve to give the viewer a sense of the characters and plot.

== Original Series ==

The title sequence of the Original Series does not change in its 24-episode run. Each episode begins with:

*A brief start of the episode that often ends with a pending crisis, commonly known as a "teaser."
*The gathering of [[battlestar (TOS)|battlestars]] near [[Cimtar (TOS)|Cimtar]] for the expected [[Cylon (TOS)|Cylon]] peace conference.
*The Cylon attack on [[Caprica (TOS)|Caprica]], battlestars, and their [[Viper (TOS)|Vipers]],
*A series of main and supporting character close-ups with the actors' names, such as [[Lorne Greene]] and [[Richard Hatch]].
*The gathering of the civilian ships to form ''[[Galactica (TOS)|Galactica's]]'' new [[The Fleet (TOS)|charges]].

After the commercial break, the Original Series would show additional credits of secondary and supporting characters such as [[Noah Hathaway]] and [[Tony Swartz]] before the episode began.

== Galactica 1980 ==
*The opening sequence is almost like the Original Series with the exception that characters' close-up don't appear.
*The opening narration was read by Lorne Greene:
:''The great ship [[Galactica (1980)|Galactica]], our home for these many years. We have endured the wilderness of space. And now we are near the end of our journey. We have at last found [[Earth (1980)|Earth]].''

== Re-imagined Series ==

The Re-imagined Series opening credits are similar in form to its predecessor:

*A prologue is shown with title cards saying "The Cylons were created by man. They evolved. They rebelled. There are many copies. And they have a plan."
**The font used for the title cards is Bank Gothic Medium which can be freely downloaded here.[http://www.font-zone.com/download.php?fid=111]
**In Season 1 this also includes several cards saying "They look and feel human. Some are programmed to think they are human." because of the emphasis on Boomer as a sleeper agent. It also said "They rebelled. They evolved." instead of "They Evolved. They Rebelled". " The episodes [[33]] has no prologue.
**The first half of Season 4, from "[[He That Believeth in Me]]" through "[[Revelations]]," is different with the title cards saying "Twelve Cylon models. Seven are known. Four live in secret. One will be revealed." In "[[Sometimes a Great Notion]]", the line is modified to read, "Twelve Cylon models. Seven are known. Four live in the fleet. One will be revealed." A prologue did not appear in "[[A Disquiet Follows My Soul]]," "[[The Oath]]," or "[[Blood on the Scales]]."
**In "[[No Exit]]," a completely new prologue appears, stating: "This has all happened before, and it will happen again. The Cylons were created by man. [[Cylon War|They rebelled]]. Then they vanished. Forty years later [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|they came back]]. They evolved. [[Survivor count|50,298 human survivors]] hunted by the Cylons. Eleven models are known. [[Ellen Tigh|One]] was sacrificed." A prologue did not appear in "[[Deadlock]]," "[[Someone to Watch Over Me]]," "[[Islanded in a Stream of Stars]]," or "[[Daybreak]]."
*The series title appears, with a voice over by one of the series' actors: "[[Previously on Battlestar Galactica|Previously on ''Battlestar Galactica''...]]". This voice changes from episode to episode.
*A brief series of past scenes appear from previous episodes to impart important past events to new viewers
**On occasions these flashbacks have been edited, or [[List of Deleted Scenes (RDM)|deleted scenes]] (such as [[Kara Thrace]]'s initially-failing argument to [[William Adama|Adama]] and [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]] to rescue [[Samuel Anders]] and the [[Caprica Resistance]] in "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]") are included, for additional context.
*The episode begins with a teaser prologue often showing a pending crisis.
*The credits quickly show [[Caprica City]], ''[[Galactica]]'' and the start of the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]] with the nuclear bombing of Caprica, and the [[Case Orange|swearing-in]] of Laura Roslin on board ''[[Colonial One]]''. During this sequence, the main actors' names are shown.
*The civilian [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] is shown with ''Galactica'' within it.
*The [[survivor count]] is typically shown from Season 2 onwards with the words "... survivors in search for a home. Called Earth."
*The credits conclude with a short (approximately 10-15 seconds) sequence of flashes of scenes from the upcoming episode. This is overlayed with fast-paced music, culminating at a crescendo. At the end the [[Colonial seal]] is displayed in Season 1 and the normal ''Battlestar Galactica'' logo from Season 2 on.
**This part is missing at the beginning of Season 2, but returns in "[[The Farm]]". It's also missing from "[[Daybreak]]".
*After the commercial, the episode begins, with the names of guest stars being shown.

=== Notes ===
[[Image:Enterprise in fleet.jpg|right|thumb|The [[MemoryAlpha:USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS ''Enterprise'' (NCC-1701)]] tucked away in the background behind the ''[[Space Park]]''. Lower Right: Magnified and enhanced.]]
*The [[MemoryAlpha:USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS Enterprise]] from ''[[MemoryAlpha:Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' can be seen as part of the Fleet in the opening credits, comically inserted by [[Zoic]] in the Miniseries.
*Each season's credits includes some different scenes to reflect the ongoing story line.
*The curtailed opening sequences that run from "[[Scattered]]" through "[[The Farm]]" were part of an attempt by the SciFi Channel to generate more advertising revenue by allotting more time for commercials during the 2005-2006 seasons of its three flagship series, ''Battlestar Galactica'', ''[[w:Stargate SG-1|Stargate SG-1]]'', and ''[[w:Stargate Atlantis|Stargate Atlantis]]'' <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.gateworld.net/news/2005/07/sci_fi_cuts_opening_credits_to_1.shtml|title=GateWorld - SCI FI cuts opening credits to 10 seconds|date=9 July 2005|accessdate=22 April 2009|last=|first=|format=|language=English}}</ref>. The marketing strategy recieved an overwhelmingly negative response from fans of all three series and SciFi later restored the full versions of all three openings, with ''Battlestar''’s full opening returning well in advance of either ''Stargate'' series's <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.gateworld.net/news/2005/09/sci_fi_to_reinstate_full-length_.shtml|title=GateWorld - SCI FI to reinstate full-length openings|date=1 September 2005|accessdate=22 April 2009|last=|first=|format=|language=English}}</ref>.
*The first four [[Season 3]] episodes are markedly different. Changes include an alternative sequence of scenes involving the captives on [[New Caprica]], the remains of the spaceborne Fleet that escapes with ''Galactica'', and a missing survivor count. Instead of the survivor count, the words "The human race. Far from home. Fighting for survival." are displayed. The opening credits return to their previous conventions (albeit with changed scenes) by the episode "[[Collaborators]]".
*Because [[Kara Thrace]] "died" in "[[Maelstrom]]", [[Katee Sackhoff]]'s name is omitted from the title credits for the remainder of the season.
*In the last two episodes of Season 3, "[[Crossroads, Part I]]" and [[Crossroads, Part II|Part II]], the "[[Previously on Battlestar Galactica|Previously on...]]" voice over and the main credits were cut due to time constraints.

== Caprica ==

Unlike the previous series, ''[[Caprica_(series)|Caprica]]'''s opening features no voiceovers and almost no on-screen credits. It also uses no scenes filmed for the series, instead relying entirely on a montage of stylized images of the characters and settings, along with the series main theme:

*On a cloudy day, the camera flies over [[Caprica City]] and pans down toward and into the [[Graystone Industries]] building.
*[[Daniel Graystone]] stands in a robotics factory, watching the [[U-87]] step down and walk. The U-87 is revealed as [[Zoe-A]].
*U-87 body parts fade into tree branches and a cemetery in the rain. [[Joseph Adama]] kneels behind an Adama tombstone, watched by [[Ruth]], [[William_Adama|Willie Adama]], and [[Sam Adama]]. Sam puts a protective hand on Willie's shoulder and pushes back his jacket, revealing a knife.
*The hand of a cemetery statue which appears to have a cut on it fades into the hand of [[Clarice Willow]] who also has a cut on her hand. Standing inside a church-like building, she clutches her cut hand to her chest, then hands an [[Soldiers_of_the_One|infinity symbol]] to [[Lacy Rand]] with her other hand.
*Daniel and [[Amanda Graystone]] walk hand-in-hand on a Caprica City rooftop at night, toward Zoe-A. The camera focuses close onto one of her eyes, until it becomes the red, humming Cylon eye.
*The redness fades into the [[New Cap City]] cityscape and the show title, CAPRICA.

== References ==

<div style="font-size:85%"><references/></div>

== See also ==
* [[End credits]]

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Behind the Scenes]]
[[Category:RDM]]
[[Category:TOS]]

[[fr:Crédits d'ouverture]]

Battlestar Wiki - User contributions [en]

Opening credits