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{{shortcut|TNS}}
{{disline|This article refers to the 2003 re-imagined version of ''Battlestar Galactica''. For information on the 1978 Original Series, see [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)]].}}
{{shortcut|TRS}}


[[Image:Image lg bgcast.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Some of the central cast of the new "Battlestar Galactica" series.<br>(c) Universal]]
{{shortcut|TRS<br/>TNS}}
 
{{Series Data
| image= TRS Title.jpg
| title= Battlestar Galactica
| creator= [[Ronald D. Moore]]
| starring= [[Edward James Olmos]]<br/>[[Mary McDonnell]]<br/>[[Katee Sackhoff]]<br/>[[Jamie Bamber]]<br/>[[James Callis]]<br/>[[Tricia Helfer]]<br/>[[Grace Park]]
| composer= [[Bear McCreary]]
| company= [[w:NBC Universal|NBC Universal]]
| seasons= 4
| episodes= 74
| episodelistid=The Re-imagined Series
| channel= [[Sci Fi Channel]] and [[Sky One]]
| US airdate= 2003-12-08
| UK airdate= 2004-02-17
| dvd= 2005-03-28
| exec producer= [[Ronald D. Moore]]<br/>[[David Eick]]
| producer=
| supervising producer=
| associate producer=
| co-producer= [[Jane Espenson]]<br/>[[Toni Graphia]]
| story editor=
| prev=
| next=
| itunes=
}}


==Summary==
==Summary==
Considered a "[[Wikipedia:Reboot (continuity)|re-imagining]]," this series is a version of [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|the 1970s ''Battlestar Galactica'']] made [[Naturalistic science fiction|more suitable]] to the sensibilities of the 21st Century.  Tackling issues of civil rights, survival, terrorism, and religion, ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an epic following the survivors of the human race&mdash;which number under 50,000. The ''[[Galactica]]'' finds herself leading a rag-tag refugee fleet on a lonely (and, quite possibly, fictitious) quest for [[Earth]], with turmoil from within and danger from without.
The 2003 [[Miniseries]] debut of '''''Battlestar Galactica''''' was a "[[Wikipedia:Reboot (continuity)|re-imagining]]," or updated version of the [[Original Series]] made [[Naturalistic science fiction|more suitable]] to the modern sensibilities of the 21st Century.  Aiming to tackle issues of civil rights, survival, terrorism, and religion, ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an drama following the survivors of a race of humanity&mdash;which number under 50,000. The new ''Battlestar'' was spearheaded by former ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' writer/producer [[Ron D. Moore]] and co-produced by [[David Eick]].


It's most common abbreviation is "BSG." It is often distinguished from its forebear as "RDM," for the executive producer, [[Ronald D. Moore]] (as "Star Trek: The Next Generation" is often referred to as "TNG").  It was also initially disambiguated as "TNS" (for "The New Series"), but this has become rarer over time as it distinguished itself more from the original series.
A familiar but different [[Galactica type battlestar|battlestar]] ''{{RDM|Galactica}}'' finds herself leading a refugee [[The Fleet (RDM)|fleet]] away from the destroyed [[The Twelve Colonies of Kobol|Twelve Colonies of Kobol]] and on a (and [[Home, Part II|initially fictitious]]) quest for [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]], with turmoil from within and danger from without.


==Cast==
''Battlestar Galactica'' began as a four-hour miniseries pilot on the [[Sci Fi Channel]] in late 2003. As with the Original Series, the show begins with the destruction of the [[The Twelve Colonies of Kobol|Twelve Colonies]], but in a style more familiar and disturbing to today's viewers, making its events eerily reminiscent of feelings felt by many viewers to the sporadic and inconsistent news and chaos shown during the [[w:September 11, 2001|September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks]] in the United States.
===Stars===
* [[Edward James Olmos]] as [[William Adama]]
* [[Mary McDonnell]] as [[Laura Roslin]]
* [[Katee Sackhoff]] as [[Kara Thrace|Kara "Starbuck" Thrace]]
* [[Jamie Bamber]] as [[Lee Adama|Lee "Apollo" Adama]]
* [[James Callis]] as [[Gaius Baltar]]
* [[Tricia Helfer]] as [[Number Six]]
* [[Grace Park]] as [[Sharon Valerii|Sharon "Boomer" Valerii/Number Eight]]


===Co-stars===
While the design of the battlestar ''Galactica'' was probably the most familiar element derived from the Original Series, many elements of the new show were altered. The commander, [[William Adama]], is a battle-hardened, secularly-minded commander on the eve of retirement for himself and his [[Cylon War|combat-decorated]] old battlestar. The names of Original Series characters are now the pilot call signs for his son, {{callsign|Apollo}} and the crack pilot, [[Kara Thrace|Kara "Starbuck" Thrace]]. Starbuck's change into a female character initially became a torrid issue to Original Series fans who feared this and other changes would render an inferior series.
* [[Michael Hogan]] as [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Aaron Douglas]] as [[Galen Tyrol]]
* [[Tahmoh Penikett]] as [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
* [[Kandyse McClure]] as [[Anastasia Dualla]]
* [[Paul Campbell]] as [[Billy Keikeya]] (2003-2006)
* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as [[Felix Gaeta]]  


==Production Crew==
However, some fans became pleasantly surprised of the quality of the miniseries and the regular series. Unlike its Original Series counterpart, the new series has not only survived to prepare for a [[Season 4|fourth and final season]] in 2008, but has received many awards and nominations, including several Emmy nominations, a Peabody Award, a Saturn Award, and a Hugo Award. Its popularity has even given the show its own spin-off series, [[Caprica (series)| Caprica]]. In addition, the series has been sold to many other countries across the world.
===Producers===
* [[Ronald D. Moore]] - Developer / Executive Producer / Writer
* [[David Eick]] - Executive Producer
* [[Toni Graphia]] - Co-Executive Producer / Writer
* [[Harvey Frand]] - Producer
* [[Glen A. Larson]] - Consulting Producer


===Directors & Writing Staff===
== Series development ==
: ''To view the list of all the directors and staff, go to the [[Portal:Battlestar Galactica (RDM)/Crew#Directors|Battlestar Galactica Crew Guide]] page.''


==Episodes==
After the miniseries, the regular series itself was not immediately approved due to financial considerations. Initially, Universal Studios and Sci Fi Channel both deemed that the series was unaffordable, despite [[David Eick]]'s and David Kissinger's attempts to secure funding for the series. Fortuitously, the UK network [[Sky One]] was looking to fund "high-profile American shows," "ultimately making up the difference between what Universal felt it could afford and what we needed to make the show," according to Eick.<ref name="pg 41">{{cite_book|last=Bassom|first=David|authorlink=|authorlinkurl=|coauthors=|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|pages=41|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|location=|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref>
: ''To view the list of episodes, go to the [[Portal:Battlestar Galactica (RDM)/Episode Guide|Battlestar Galactica Episode Guide]] page.''


== Official Statements ==
Once funding was secured, the official announcement for the series' launch was given on 10 February 2004.<ref name="pg 41"/> Moore, a majority of the production staff, as well as every principal cast member from the miniseries returned to work on the series. Moore also hired the show's writing staff, including [[Toni Graphia]], [[David Weddle]], [[Bradley Thompson]], and [[Carla Robinson]]. <ref>{{cite_book|last=Bassom|first=David|authorlink=|authorlinkurl=|coauthors=|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|pages=41-43|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|location=|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref>


* ''"Apart from the fleet, is there any chance that there are other survivors? Clearly ''[[Colonial One]]'' would not have gotten to every ship that was in transit and those that had [[FTL]] could have escaped as well."''
Principal shooting on the [[Season 1 (2004-05)|first season]] was from 19 April to 15 September 2004, with each episode taking eight days to shoot. In an interesting twist, the series was first broadcast on a European network, Sky One, between 18 October 2004 to 24 January 2005.<ref>{{cite_book|last=Bassom|first=David|authorlink=|authorlinkurl=|coauthors=|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|pages=43|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|location=|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref> As part of the funding agreement, Sky One was given the opportunity to play the new series first, leaving Americans to wait several months before the series would debut in the Americas.


:We are talking about shows that deal with other survivors right now. Don't ask about the [[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]] -- I [still] haven't made up my mind yet.
== Noted changes from the [[Original Series]] ==
The basic story is still present: robotic [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] conduct a [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|surprise attack on the Colonies]], thus forcing several stranded spaceships to coalesce around the last surviving [[Galactica type battlestar|battlestar]], ''{{RDM|Galactica}}'', to seek a mythical [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]] where the survivors hope to find shelter from the Cylons.


* ''"Will we see any of the [[:Category:Cast (TOS)|original cast]] [sic] apart from [[Richard Hatch]]? "''
Many of the fine details changed from the Original Series.


: It's possible, but not yet on the board. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}
* The Cylons were created by humanity itself and not by a {{TOS|Cylons|separate alien race}}.<ref>This shift in antagonists mirror similar dystopian man/machine stories found in such popular films as the ''[[Wikipedia:The Terminator|Terminator]]'' and ''[[Wikipedia:The Matrix|The Matrix]]'' movie series.</ref>
* ''Galactica'' is a 50 year old relic on the verge of decommission.
* The names of "Apollo," "Boomer," and "Starbuck" are changed to call signs.  Most characters have standard first and last names; some first names were not given until later in the series, such as [[Felix Gaeta|Felix Gaeta's]] or [[Anastasia Dualla|Anastasia Dualla's]].
* The alien (and often confusing) terminology used to denote units of measurement, such as distance and time, in the Original Series has been replaced with understandable terminology, such as "year" and not "[[yahren]]".
* The ship designs, save for some revisions to the [[Viper Mark II]] and ''{{RDM|Galactica}}'' and a few noteworthy background ships (such as the ''[[Astral Queen]]'' and the [[Botanical Cruiser]]), have been redone.
* The government of the Colonies resembles the United States' democratic republic, with a president, vice president, and secretaries. The [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum of Twelve]] appears later, revised as a senatorial body, in the episode  "[[Colonial Day]]".
* Instead of the other-worldly, Egyptian-esque clothing and city designs (i.e. pyramids) seen in the Original Series, objects are more contemporary in design and function. Indeed, many aspects of contemporary society are very common throughout the new series.
* The [[Religion in the Twelve Colonies (RDM)|religion]] for the Colonials revises the Lords of Kobol to be analogous in name to many of [[w:Greek mythology|the gods in real-world Greek mythology]], making the Colonial religion of the Re-imagined Series truly polytheistic (the Original Series' religion was more monotheistic as [[God (RDM)|God]] is referenced in tandem with the Lords of Kobol, who were more akin to [[w:saint|saints]].)
* The Cylons themselves [[Cylon Religion|celebrate a monotheistic religion]] with a deity similar to the God of the [[w:Abrahamic religion|Abrahamic religions]]. The Cylons and Colonials consider each other's religions to be false, reflecting the current Islam/Christianity/Judaism strife between the Western world and the Middle East, or clashes between colonizing forces and many indigenous or native populations throughout the age of exploration and modernity.


* ''"Why [[frak|"frack"]] [sic]? Where did the idea come from to make this the new F-word? Not that I don't like it, I find it amusing."''
Characters are altered significantly from the Original Series.  


: It's straight out of the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|original series]]. I dropped many other terms from the old show like "[[centon]]" (a unit of measurement) and "[[yahren]]" (year) because I felt they distracted from the mood I was trying to create and they sounded a bit silly to my ear. There was something elegantly lovely about "[[frak]]," however. There's nothing like being able to say my favorite four letter word on TV over and over again and I salute [[Glen Larson]] for giving the joys of frakking up, frakking off, not giving a frak, and frakking-A to the masses. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}
* {{TOS|Boomer}}, played by [[Herb Jefferson Jr.]], is now the callsign of a female, Lieutenant [[Sharon Valerii]] ([[Grace Park]]).
* {{TOS|Starbuck}}, played as a male character by [[Dirk Benedict]], is now the call-sign of a female lieutenant named [[Kara Thrace]] ([[Katee Sackhoff]]).
* "Adama," "Tigh," and "Baltar" are now surnames.
* The character of {{TOS|Adama}}, portrayed by [[Lorne Greene]] in the Original Series, becomes [[William Adama]] ([[Edward James Olmos]]). Adama's beliefs are far more secular than his Original Series counterpart.
* {{TOS|Apollo}}, portrayed by [[Richard Hatch]] in the Original Series, becomes the call sign of [[Lee Adama]] ([[Jamie Bamber]]).
* {{TOS|Baltar}}, who was willingly complicit in the destruction of the Colonies due to his thirst for power, became [[Gaius Baltar]], an arrogant scientific genius that is tricked into working with the Cylons.  
* Colonel {{TOS|Tigh}}, portrayed by [[Terry Carter]] in the original series, becomes Colonel [[Saul Tigh]] ([[Michael Hogan]]), a grumpy alcoholic plagued by marital and psychological problems.


* ''"Why does the doctor smoke?"''
The show has taken a more realistic turn, scientifically. [[Science in the Re-imagined Series|Realistic science]], which was absent in the Original Series, is applied in this series as best as cinematic and storyline requirements permit.


:Because smoking is cool. Don't let anyone tell you different, kid.
Certain models of Cylons [[Humanoid Cylon|appear human, right down to the blood]], which generates some very disturbing problems in distinguishing friend from foe. This mirrors terrorist methods of infiltration and delivering destructive results to heavy population centers (akin to suicide bombers).


:Seriously, we're showing people doing what people really do and not all of their choices are smart ones. We smoke, we drink, we have sex with the wrong partners -- we make lots of bad choices and some of them we do knowingly and in full cognizance of the risks and consequences. Dr. [[Cottle]] obviously knows the risks associated with smoking and he elects to do it anyway -- that's his choice.
== Official Statements ==


:I'm also frankly tired of all the anti-smoking p.c. crap that we're bombarded with these days and I decided that this was a world without all that. Call it my one sop to the idea of an idealized society, the notion that adults can make informed choices and not be nagged to death or run out of public spaces for making choices that others may not like or agree with.  -- {{from_RDM_blog}}
* ''[[Edward James Olmos]] to fans of the [[Original Series]]:''


* ''"What is the rank structure? It doesn't seem consistent with the Navy."''
: If you are a real, real staunch ''{{TOS|Battlestar Galactica|Battlestar Galactica}}'' person, please don't watch it. [N]ot only because of [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] but because we really don't stand true to the kind of characters that were built around the original.


:The rank structure is derived from the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|original series]]. I didn't want to change Commander [[William Adama|Adama]] to Captain Adama or Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] to Commander Tigh, so I elected to simply embrace the co-mingled nature of the original rank structure. For our internal purposes, we've decided that the ranks are indeed a mixture of naval and army nomenclature and are basically as follows:
: I've gotten some really strong mail [from Original Series fans]. They're very angry. And I know [[Sci Fi Channel]] wants to say that everybody's going to enjoy it. They're not. They're not going to like this program.<ref>{{cite_web|url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-2003-12-08-0312081262-story.html|title=TO `GALACTICA' FANS: DON'T WATCH THIS|date=8 December 2003|accessdate=19 September 2019|last=Catlin|first=Roger}}</ref>


:'''Officers''' --
* ''[[Ron D. Moore]] discusses using the {{TOS|Battlestar Galactica|Original Series}} as a template:''
:Admiral
:Commander
:Colonel
:Major
:Captain
:Lieutenant
:Lieutenant (junior grade)
:Ensign


:'''Enlisted''' --
: I approached the original show and looked at what worked and what didn't work. I tried to keep as much of the original show as possible. I kept all the essential elements of ''Battlestar Galactica'': the aircraft-carrier-in-space; the rag-tag fleet; the Cylon attack, the escape and the search for Earth; Commander Adama; Adama's son "Apollo," who's ''Galactica'''s lead fighter pilot; the rogue pilot, "Starbuck"; their friend, "Boomer"; and Baltar, the traitor. Those were the main things I knew I had to keep – it wouldn't have been ''Battlestar Galactica'' without them.
:Master Chief Petty Officer
: I changed the things I knew didn't work. The original {{TOS|Baltar}} didn't have a motivation for betraying his race<ref>Moore's statement is subjective. Some readers may feel that Baltar's motivations were power-based. By deliberately making a deal with the Cylons, he believed that the Cylons would spare his colony and subjugate the human species under him {{OS|Saga of a Star World}}.</ref>, so I knew I'd have to change that character. I also never understood why the Cylons were so intent on pursuing these humans across the galaxy<ref>For detail on the Original Series Cylons and their motivations, see [[Cylons (TOS)]].</ref>, so I changed the background of the Cylons and their relationship with the human beings. Making the Cylons the creation of humanity enabled the Cylons to have a much more complicated love/hate relationship with humans, and also provided us with a way to use humanoid Cylons in the series, which was something we knew we wanted to do because there would be limits on how much we could use CGI Cylons.
:Chief Petty Officer
: {{TOS|Athena}} didn't seem to serve any function in the original show other than look beautiful and be a love interest for Starbuck, so I just got rid of that character.<ref>The series would transfer the daughter-figure aspects of the Original Series Athena to [[Kara Thrace]] and {{callsign|Athena}}, who [[Torn|later]] receives the callsign of "Athena."</ref> And while I thought {{TOS|Boxey}} was part of the family and decided it would be nice to [[Boxey (RDM)|include him in some peripheral way]],<ref>The character of Boxey in the Re-imagined Series was intended to be part of a family unit with [[Galen Tyrol]] and [[Sharon Valerii]], but a place for the character within story arcs were eventually dropped, and the character has essentially been dropped from the series.</ref> I never considered keeping [[Muffit|Boxey's dog]] for a second. The dog was just absurd! it was right out from the moment I took the show.<ref>{{cite_book|last=Bassom|first=David|authorlink=|authorlinkurl=|coauthors=|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|pages=13-14|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|location=|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref>
:Petty Officer (1st, 2nd Class)
:Specialist
:Deck Hand
:Recruit


:Just to complicate matters further, there are also [[Marines]] aboard ''[[Galactica]]'' which conform more closely to the traditional enlisted Marine ranks, with Sergeants, Sergeant-Majors, etc. Unresolved is the question of whether the Marine officers would also adhere to the mixed rank structure (which sounds odd) or if they are strictly army equivalents (which makes no sense given that the "Navy" ranks seem oblivious to there being any such distinction). Aren't you glad you asked? -- {{from_RDM_blog}}
* ''Moore discusses the religious aspects of the series:''
: The religious aspects of the show developed naturally out of my intention to reflect every aspect of the human experience. I was delighted because I'm fascinated with this notion of monotheism versus polytheism, and I felt its addition to the show enriched it and helped make it unique.<ref>{{cite_book|last=Bassom|first=David|authorlink=|authorlinkurl=|coauthors=|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|pages=18-19|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|location=|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref>


* ''"Will we see the mess hall and other parts of the ship such as the main Kitchen where all the meals are prepared?"''
* ''Moore discusses using the series as allegory to current events:''


:I'd like to. It's a question of budget; there has to be a story point or scene so cool that we just have to build this set. The Head (bathroom to you lubbers) was built in the [[33|pilot]] specifically so we'd have it around during the series. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}
: The original "[[MemoryAlpha:Star Trek: The Original Series|[Star] Trek]]" series ... dealt with a lot of hot-button issues at the time: It dealt with racism, and it dealt with war, and it dealt with a lot of ideas that were very, very timely and very important. And this was a chance to make a science fiction show that wasn't purely escapist, but actually dealt with the world that we live in.<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.thestreet.com/_tsclsii/funds/goodlife/10276628.html|title=Delve Into 'Battlestar Galactica'|date=5 April 2006|accessdate=9 Feburary 2007|last=Wolverton|first=Troy|format=|language=}}</ref>


* ''"Was this the first show to ever show a bathroom on a space ship?"''
* ''[[Jamie Bamber]] talks about the discussions that the cast and crew have regarding the show's content:''


:It's ground-breaking TV, baby. Talk about reinventing the genre. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}
: We discuss everything. We even do try to discuss the sci-fi techie stuff, but we're just not very good at it. When [[A Day in the Life|the script]] throws out something like [[Cally Tyrol|Callie]] [''sic''] and [[Galen Tyrol|the Chief]] in space without any protection, lots [of us discuss] around the set if that was really possible. In the end, we all bow down to the experts who tell us it is. That shuts us up very quick. The political stuff, that's the juice of the show with the cast. That's pretty much what we like to inhabit, those social-political dilemmas and what they mean morally and legally, and how they pertain to the world that we're in now. The interesting thing about this show is that a lot of people come up to me and say, "Is it really liberal, or something?" but everyone across the political spectrum can find a view that they can side with. We don't cast moral judgment on any of them. It is all shades of gray that are out there to be interpreted, and that's the beauty of the writing, I think.<ref name="TV Guide">{{cite_web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/News-Views/Interviews-Features/Article/default.aspx?posting=%7BAC4FC1D4-115F-457C-8E4A-01A539D77D39%7D|title=''Galactica'''s Jamie Bamber Visits a Heavenly ''Ghost''|date=23 February 2007|accessdate=23 February 2007|last=Cohn|first=Angel|format=|language=}}</ref>


:'''Note:''' While we are uncertain as to what show was the "first" to show a bathroom on a space ship, we know that this series was not the first to do so. One of the few shows prior to ''Battlestar'' to show a bathroom was, in fact, a second season episode of ''[[Wikipedia:Babylon 5|Babylon 5]]'', not to mention the fold-out toilets in ''[[Wikipedia:Firefly (television series)|Firefly]]''.
* ''Bamber discusses being sympathetic to the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]]:''
: The Cylons do garner your empathy gradually, as you see more and more from their point of view. That's a bold move. There is a lot about them that should be sympathetic to a Western American audience. They are monotheists, they kind of believe in redemption and rebirth and all these things that a lot of us believe in. The humans are polytheists and are a bit more anachronistic.<ref name="TV Guide"/>


* ''"Minor question: was [[Galactica]] ever re-commissioned? As I recall, the ship was decommissioned right before the [[Cylon attack]]. It'd be nice to show the ceremony if they ever get a free moment."''
* ''[[Edward James Olmos]] discusses what the series is to him, referencing {{callsign|Athena}}'s birth of [[Hera Agathon|Hera]]:''
: No, I think it was [<nowiki></nowiki>{{callsign|Athena}}'s] [[Hera Agathon|baby]] that really pushed her to the point of being more human than android. The love of a child is really the premise of this story. [[William Adama|My [character's]]] love of my children, [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]]'s love of humanity — all of us are her children. I have my son [Major [[Lee Adama|Lee ''Apollo'' Adama]]], and of course I just [[Maelstrom|lost]] my [surrogate] daughter [Captain [[Kara Thrace|Kara ''Starbuck'' Thrace]]], which was brutal. <ref name="ew ejo">{{cite_web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20036782_20037403_20015932_2,00.html|title=Four-ward, Cylons: EDWARD JAMES OLMOS|date=|accessdate=31 May 2007|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>


:It's an interesting point. Might be something to play at some point, but more really as an "Oh, I haven't thought about it, but..." kind of thing. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}
* ''Moore discusses mapping out the series:''
: Each season, we mapped out where we wanted to go by the end of that season.  That’s how I like to approach things.  At the beginning of [[Season 1 (2004-05)|season one]], we talked about where the end of the first year would be.  And then, into the [[Season 2 (2005-06)|second year]], we broke it up into groups of the first 10 and the second 10, and kept that style of planning, all through the show. I would say, somewhere mid-way through the second season, I started thinking seriously about what the end of the series itself might be.  Ideas for where we were headed and what it all meant started to coalesce over the course of the third season.  In season three, we started talking in earnest about, “Well, okay, if we do end it next year, what would it really be?,” and it just felt like, “Yeah, this is the right time to do it.”  In terms of whether we’ve had enough time, I feel like we have. We’re really taking our cues from the story itself, and it just feels like the story has moved forward aggressively. What I’m proud of about the series is that it’s been unafraid to take risks and it’s been unafraid to move strongly forward, instead of trying to tread water.  It just feels like the momentum of the series is now moving towards a conclusion. <ref name="crave">{{cite_web|url=http://www.craveonline.com/filmtv/articles/04648062/battlestar_galactica_ronald_moore_talks_about_earth.html|title=Battlestar Galactica: Ronald Moore talks about Earth|date=13 June 2007|accessdate=15 June 2007|last=Topel|first=Fred|format=|language=}}</ref>


* ''"The question I would really like to see addressed is how to reconcile the underlying quest of ''Battlestar Galactica'' with actual scientific plausibility. The quest of Battlestar Galactica is to find [[Earth]], the 13th Colony. However, it is a basic and well-substantiated tenet of science that human life here on Earth evolved slowly from a primate ancestor. Attempts to deny evolution based on the notion that human kind deserves a far more worthy origin than what evolution details are a disservice to the pursuit of scientific truth and endeavors in our own world. There was always that reactionary sense to the original series, which drove it away from a secure standing as *science* fiction. How will the new series avoid this pitfall?"''
==Notes==
* In the finale of ''Battlestar Galactica'', it was revealed that the series took place more than 150,000 years before the present day. Therefore, unlike most space opera series, the reimagined ''Battlestar Galactica'' was a saga of ancient history rather than future history.


:I don't have a direct answer for this question yet. There are a couple of notions rolling around in my head as to how we reconcile the very real fact of evolution with the ''Galactica'' mythos, but I haven't decided which approach to take. However, it was a fundamental element of the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|original (sic) ''Galactica'']] mythos that "Life here began out there..." and I decided early on that it was crucial to maintain it. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}
* 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]].


*''"How did you come to decide upon [[Edward James Olmos]] and [[Mary McDonnell]] for their roles? This kind of project seems somewhat out of their typical genre - did either have second thoughts about taking on the project?"''
== See Also ==
* [[Themes in Battlestar Galactica (RDM)]]
* [[Philosophy in Battlestar Galactica]]
* [[Sexuality in Battlestar Galactica (RDM)]]
* [[Music of Battlestar Galactica (RDM)]]
* [[Opening credits]]


:Eddie and Mary were actually the archetypes for the characters when we were developing the series. [[David Eick]] and I used to sit around and talk about what kind of actors would play [[William Adama|Adama]] and [[Laura Roslin|Laura]] and we always talked about these two Oscar level actors as our dream duo for the series, but we never really thought we'd get them. They've told the story themselves of why they decided to do the project, but in essence, they really responded to the [[Miniseries|pilot script]] and saw a lot of potential in the characters so they went for it, to our everlasting gratitude. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}
==Cast==
[[File:Image lg bgcast.jpg|thumb|Season One cast photo.]]
===Stars===
* [[Edward James Olmos]] as [[William Adama]]
* [[Mary McDonnell]] as [[Laura Roslin]]
* [[Katee Sackhoff]] as [[Kara Thrace|Kara "Starbuck" Thrace]]  
* [[Jamie Bamber]] as {{callsign|Apollo}}
* [[James Callis]] as [[Gaius Baltar]]
* [[Tricia Helfer]] as [[Number Six]]
* [[Grace Park]] as [[Number Eight]]


* "Are you using military advisors and if so, from what branch?"
===Co-stars===
* [[Michael Hogan]] as [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Aaron Douglas]] as [[Galen Tyrol]]
* [[Tahmoh Penikett]] as [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
* [[Kandyse McClure]] as [[Anastasia Dualla]]
* [[Paul Campbell]] as [[Billy Keikeya]] (2003-2006)
* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as [[Felix Gaeta]]
* [[Nicki Clyne]] as [[Cally Tyrol|Cally]] (2003-2008)
* [[Samuel Witwer]] as [[Alex Quartararo|Alex "Crashdown" Quartararo]] (2004-2005)
* [[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]] (2008-)


:We don't have a full time military advisor on staff. However, we did have [[Ron Blecker|an advisor]] on set during the miniseries, who also put the principal actors through a "boot camp" before shooting. I can't honestly remember his name or service branch (sorry if you're reading this!) As far as the scripts go, [[Bradley Thompson]], [[David Weddle]], and I provide a lot of the military technical details based on our own knowledge base. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}
==Production Crew==
===Producers===
* [[Ronald D. Moore]] - Developer / Executive Producer / Writer
* [[David Eick]] - Executive Producer
* [[Toni Graphia]] - Co-Executive Producer / Writer
* [[Harvey Frand]] - Producer
* [[Glen A. Larson]] - Consulting Producer


* ''"I'll second the question - why is it that the paper in the Galactica universe has the corners cut off, even the tractor fed printer sheets! I just want to know."''
===Directors & Writing Staff===
 
: ''To view the list of all the directors and staff, see the [[Portal:Battlestar Galactica (RDM)/Crew#Directors|Crew Portal]].
:This is a closely guarded secret of the show and certainly not a wacky design element that someone came up with during the [[Miniseries|miniseries]].  -- {{from_RDM_blog}}
 
:'''Note:''' It has been admitted by some of the production staff that this is, more or less, a joke that went overboard -- namely one derived from the fact that corners had to be cut in order to keep within the budget for the mini. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}
 
* ''"You mentioned that the reason that the ''[[Galactica]]'' was so low-tech was that it was designed to fight the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]], who could possibly infiltrate it's systems, and that this was one of the reasons it survived. If that is so, then who were the other ships designed to fight? The 120 ships alluded to are a big force just for border patrol. Are there aliens we should know about? "''
 
:The first [[Cylon War]] came very close to wiping out the [[Colonies]], and so when the [[Cimtar Peace Accord|Armistice]] was declared, the government maintained a large standing military force for quite some time, just in case. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}
 
*''"Mythos. Every science fiction show that stands the test of time needs to develop its own Mythos. By this I mean, its own unique cultural identity. For instance ''Star Wars'' has its Jedi, its Force; ''Star Trek'' has its Prime directive, beaming, and warps (sic) speed. As a writer you are aware of this and having worked in the ''Star Trek'' franchise are rather qualified in it. What will are your thoughts and insights into the development of Mythos in this new BSG child that you are tending to and caring for?  Especially, since there seems to be heavy pressure to incorporate the original mythos themes of the show, will this be a guiding blueprint for thought, or just a framework to create? "''
 
:The mythology of the new ''Galactica'' is heavily influenced by that established in the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|original]]. I've always approached this project with an eye toward taking the original material and making it work in a new context. I still try to do this whenever possible. Does it make sense that there would be a star system with [[Twelve Colonies|12 inhabitable planets]]? Not really, but that was in the original and at some point I decided to run with that as another nod to the old show. The mythology of the old show centered around [[Kobol]] and the thirteen "tribes of man," so I've kept it as the centerpiece of ours. Not every single element is the same and not every element is even intact, but the roots are there. The point was to make another version of ''Battlestar Galactica'', not just use the name. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}
 
* ''"I was watching ''Wing Commander'' last night with my wife and she made a comment that the Kilrathi fighter looked pretty similar to the Cylon Raider. I know that some of the production staff from Wing Commander went on to begin production on the [[Tom DeSanto|DeSanto]] continuation, but is there in fact any sort of link here? I mean I first thought Droid Fighter from ''Star Wars: Episode One'', but that seems to be some kind of common design going on. "''
 
:"Wing Commander" is frequently mentioned to me as a possible influence on the show, but I've never actually seen it. While it's possible that other members of the production team were influenced by it, it wasn't something that figured into my thinking. My own design influences were things like "Das Boot", "Blade Runner", "Alien/Aliens" and a stack of documentaries on the modern and history US and Royal Navies.
 
*''"My questions: Can the show explain a little more about their technology, for example how fast are the [[FTL]] jumps. It seems the fleet barely moves when not jumping, if the jumps are only light speed and not multiples of, some of the sublight ships could conceivably catch up (the ones not destroyed by Cylons)"''
 
:An [[FTL]] Jump is nearly instantaneous, essentially moving a ship from point A to point B without traveling through the normal space-time continuum, presumably by bending space around the ship in some way. The analogy I used during production was to imagine three dimensional space as a flat piece of two dimensional paper. To get from one side to the other, you can travel in a straight line across the page, or you can gently bend the sheet in half and cross from edge to edge virtually instantly. How this is accomplished and what is the basis of this technology outstrips my technical brainpower.
 
:In fact, I feel faint just coming up with that explanation... -- {{from_RDM_blog}}
 
* ''"Did the [[Twelve Colonies|colonies]] have outposts, bases, or trade partners outside of the 12 colonies. Did they even explore other systems. The colonies could have had observatories, listening posts, or even scientific research teams exploring other planets beyond the colonial system(s). They could encounter any of these which could lead to supplies, raw materials, food, fuel etc. "''
 
:I think that's probably true, but part of our premise is that the fleet has Jumped far out into unexplored space in an effort to elude the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]], so we won't be encountered any other outposts or colonies. -- {{from_RDM_blog}}
 
*''"Are there any similarities between your reconception of the BG universe and where you might have gone if you'd been given the reigns of ''Voyager''?"''
 
:There are similarities in the premise of the two shows, so yes, there are things I'm applying here that I would've like to have done in [Star Trek:] ''Voyager'', i.e., lack of resources, the development of unique cultural and civil institutions, and internal strife among people trapped aboard ship(s) without any reasonable hope of finding sanctuary anytime soon.  -- {{from_RDM_blog}}
 
*''"I have a friend who has a son and they both enjoy watching the new ''Battlestar Galactica''. But it is a very frustrating thing when he cannot allow his son watch the show when there are sex scenes and constant sexual innuendo scattered throughout the episodes.
 
:"The standard of the stories are superb and I would have to say it is one of the finest sci-fi series I have seen in a long time. BUT IT DOESNT NEED SEX TO GET THE VIEWERS. Call me a little old fashioned but I nor others that I know really appreciate having to endure sex scenes that really do not further the story in any significant way. In fact I think they are rather pointless."''
 
:First of all, I'm sorry your friend can't watch the show with his son, but I always intended this series to be for adults. I have two small children, and I wouldn't dream of letting them watch the show -- mostly because of the violent content. Second of all, I disagree that the sexuality is intended to be exploitative or that it's somehow not integral to the story. We're presenting adult human beings as adults, and their sexuality is a key part of their lives. [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar's]] sexual weaknesses, [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Sharon]] and [[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol's]] forbidden love affair, and [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck's]] promiscuity are part of who and what they are. I think the only reason this gets the kind of attention is does is that we're not used to seeing sex treated maturely in science fiction -- nine times out of ten, any sex is either something to snigger at or to make fun of. Somehow it's okay to fetishize sex by putting women in S&M leather "space" outfits or have Carrie Fisher run around in harem clothes (not that there's anything wrong with that), but to portray two mature adults simply having sex is somehow controversial in sci-fi circles.
 
:I'd also point out, as I have many times before, the strange standards of American audiences, who can become red-faced with indignation over nudity, but find no problem with slasher films or chains-saw massacres. I mean, ''Galactica'''s premised on a massive genocide, and [[Miniseries|the pilot]] deals with violent, shocking deaths over and over again, but people get upset about the sex? Weird.... -- {{from_RDM_blog}}
 
* Regarding the financial cost per episode of ''Battlestar'': "I can tell you that it’s well over one-and-a-half million dollars US per episode. It’s a substantial budget, especially when you convert it into Canadian dollars—and what we’re able to get up there—it’s a lot of money." <ref>http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude3.htm</ref>
 
* ''Regarding a typical day as an executive producer on ''Battlestar'':''
 
: The job changes as the year goes on. Right now, before we start shooting, my time is spent almost exclusively here with the writing staff. I’m writing an episode at the moment. I wrote the first episode and I’m writing the second one. The writers meet by themselves…they break some stories…I come in and give notes…and we talk about directions for other episodes. Then, as time goes on, they’ll start generating scripts and stories, and I give notes on those. I’m also taking notes from the network and the studio on previous existing material.
 
: There’ll also be more of me going back and forth between LA and Vancouver. And as we get closer to production, then there’ll be more looking at production designs, dealing with budgetary issues, having meetings with directors and actors, looking at casting tapes for guest-star roles. Once we get into production and start generating film, there’s dailies to watch…post moves forward and there’s cuts of episodes to watch…and there’s visual effects sequences to give notes on.
 
: There’s not really a typical day, per say. You have to be nimble and on your feet and able to keep changing direction. You have to cover all these different bases, and sometimes you can’t run to first. Sometimes you have to run to third, and then run back home, and then run to second. It’s never a complete pattern.


: I believe very much in delegating authority to the department heads, in empowering people and having them take responsibility for the work. My principal job is to maintain the overall vision of the piece. [http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude3.htm]
== Episodes ==


* From the "Fashioning Verisimilitude" article / interview on <ref>http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com Hollywood North Report (HNR)</ref>:
:''For a complete list of all episodes, see the [[Portal:Battlestar Galactica (RDM)/Episode Guide - Season 1 Guide|Episode Guide]]''.
 
: '''Robert Falconer:''' And I guess the whole concept of the show, by definition, is that of a bottle show.
 
: '''Ron Moore:''' Yeah. And it was designed that way from the get-go. When [[David Eick]] and I went in and pitched it initially—knowing how expensive space opera can be—we designed it to be affordable on what we could get on a SCI-FI Channel budget. <ref>http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude3.htm</ref>
 
* ''Regarding the use of bullets versus lasers on the [[Viper (RDM)|Vipers]], as explained by [[Ronald D. Moore|Ron Moore]]:''
 
: [The bullets] are some sort of caseless ammunition. We had long technical discussions about some of this. What mattered to us was that they weren’t laser blasts. We just felt that had been done to death, it wasn’t as interesting, and it wasn’t realistic. From our research we discovered that such weapons would take huge amounts of energy, and that fighters would probably be better served by using actual bullets. But presumably they’re more advanced than what we’re using today, although we haven’t actually sat down and defined them as such. <ref>http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude5.htm</ref>
 
* ''Regarding the reconciliation between [[William Adama]] and his son [[Lee Adama]] at the end of the [[Miniseries]], as explained by [[Ronald D. Moore|Ron Moore]]:''
 
: I think it will go up and it will go down, like any father-son dynamic does. I think they bridged a gap in the miniseries that certainly had held them apart for a couple of years. I don’t think that issue has been completely resolved, but they’ve moved past it to a certain point. Now they’re in a new relationship and a new dynamic…they’re father and son and they’re also serving on the same ship, and the stresses and pressures of that will affect the relationship. I think it’s interesting that Lee Adama has a strong relationship with [[Laura Roslin|Laura]], and that he in some respects is a bridge between her and his father. <ref>http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/pages/galactica/fashioningverisimilitude5.htm</ref>
 
* '''Edward James Olmos''': The stories are just, really, stunning. I have wept reading this thing, I have been left amazed and I've been left totally in awe. {{ref|BSG_2.0_DVD}}
 
* ''[[Grace Park]] on the differences between [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|the original series]] and the re-imagined series:''
 
: The original is so different from what we've done, but I think it's really of the time. I know in the '70s it was a popular show, but TV is so different now -- cutting edge visual effects, with computer and CGI that have to be top-of-the-line, because everyone is looking to see if it's CGI or not. There has to be so much put in to it on that level.
 
: But I also think the audiences then were much more innocent and accepting. I don't think we could get away with copying just the same thing. Instead, our version has much more emphasis on having the good guys with flaws, and the villains with good parts. It's meant to challenge the audience that's used to black and white. <ref>http://scifi.about.com/od/bgsonscifi/a/parkinter1.htm</ref>
 
* ''Ron D. Moore discusses the story arc:''
 
: The broad story arc is only vaguely sketched in at the moment. I've thought over a variety of endings for the series, and each time I've gone down those roads, I've been dissatisfied with the answers, so I've opted to put it off for now.  I know there's a school of thought advocating working out everything in advance, but I prefer to let the show and the characters evolve more naturally and discover their stories along the way.  {{ref|inside_bsg_p50}}
 
== See Also ==
 
*[[Naturalistic science fiction]]


== References ==
== References ==


* {{note|BSG_2.0_DVD}} [[Season 2.0 DVD|Battlestar Galactica: Season 2.0]], the Region 1 DVD
{{reflist}}
* {{note|inside_bsg_p50}} "Inside Battlestar Galactica", <u>Sci-Fi Magazine</u> February 2006: [http://bsgmedia.org/gallery/albums/userpics/10017/0008a1hf.jpg 50]
 
==Related Topics==
* [[List of Season 1 Guest Actors (RDM)]]
* [[List of Season 2 Guest Actors (RDM)]]
* [[List of Recurring Characters (RDM)]]
* [[List of Recurring Character Appearances (RDM)]]
* [[List of Emmy Nominations and Wins]]


[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Behind the Scenes]]
[[Category:Behind the Scenes]]
[[Category:RDM]]
[[Category:Series in the Re-Imagined Continuity]]
[[Category: Series in the Re-Imagined Continuity]]]
[[Category:RDM| ]]
 
[[de:Battlestar Galactica (RDM)]]
[[fr:Battlestar Galactica (LSR)]]

Latest revision as of 22:23, 20 February 2024

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This article refers to the 2003 re-imagined version of Battlestar Galactica. For information on the 1978 Original Series, see Battlestar Galactica (TOS).
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Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica
Created by Ronald D. Moore
Starring Edward James Olmos
Mary McDonnell
Katee Sackhoff
Jamie Bamber
James Callis
Tricia Helfer
Grace Park
Theme music by Bear McCreary
Statistics
Production company NBC Universal
Number of seasons 4
Number of episodes 74 (list)
Debut channel Sci Fi Channel and Sky One
US first-run airdates USA 2003-12-08
UK first-run airdates UK 2004-02-17
DVD release 2005-03-28
Production staff
Executive producer(s) Ronald D. Moore
David Eick
Producer(s)
Supervising producer(s)
Associate producer(s)
Co-producer(s) Jane Espenson
Toni Graphia
Story editor(s)
Online Purchasing
Available at iTunes – [ Purchase]
Related Media
@ BW Media

Summary

The 2003 Miniseries debut of Battlestar Galactica was a "re-imagining," or updated version of the Original Series made more suitable to the modern sensibilities of the 21st Century. Aiming to tackle issues of civil rights, survival, terrorism, and religion, Battlestar Galactica is an drama following the survivors of a race of humanity—which number under 50,000. The new Battlestar was spearheaded by former Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine writer/producer Ron D. Moore and co-produced by David Eick.

A familiar but different battlestar Galactica finds herself leading a refugee fleet away from the destroyed Twelve Colonies of Kobol and on a (and initially fictitious) quest for Earth, with turmoil from within and danger from without.

Battlestar Galactica began as a four-hour miniseries pilot on the Sci Fi Channel in late 2003. As with the Original Series, the show begins with the destruction of the Twelve Colonies, but in a style more familiar and disturbing to today's viewers, making its events eerily reminiscent of feelings felt by many viewers to the sporadic and inconsistent news and chaos shown during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.

While the design of the battlestar Galactica was probably the most familiar element derived from the Original Series, many elements of the new show were altered. The commander, William Adama, is a battle-hardened, secularly-minded commander on the eve of retirement for himself and his combat-decorated old battlestar. The names of Original Series characters are now the pilot call signs for his son, Lee "Apollo" Adama and the crack pilot, Kara "Starbuck" Thrace. Starbuck's change into a female character initially became a torrid issue to Original Series fans who feared this and other changes would render an inferior series.

However, some fans became pleasantly surprised of the quality of the miniseries and the regular series. Unlike its Original Series counterpart, the new series has not only survived to prepare for a fourth and final season in 2008, but has received many awards and nominations, including several Emmy nominations, a Peabody Award, a Saturn Award, and a Hugo Award. Its popularity has even given the show its own spin-off series, Caprica. In addition, the series has been sold to many other countries across the world.

Series development

After the miniseries, the regular series itself was not immediately approved due to financial considerations. Initially, Universal Studios and Sci Fi Channel both deemed that the series was unaffordable, despite David Eick's and David Kissinger's attempts to secure funding for the series. Fortuitously, the UK network Sky One was looking to fund "high-profile American shows," "ultimately making up the difference between what Universal felt it could afford and what we needed to make the show," according to Eick.[1]

Once funding was secured, the official announcement for the series' launch was given on 10 February 2004.[1] Moore, a majority of the production staff, as well as every principal cast member from the miniseries returned to work on the series. Moore also hired the show's writing staff, including Toni Graphia, David Weddle, Bradley Thompson, and Carla Robinson. [2]

Principal shooting on the first season was from 19 April to 15 September 2004, with each episode taking eight days to shoot. In an interesting twist, the series was first broadcast on a European network, Sky One, between 18 October 2004 to 24 January 2005.[3] As part of the funding agreement, Sky One was given the opportunity to play the new series first, leaving Americans to wait several months before the series would debut in the Americas.

Noted changes from the Original Series

The basic story is still present: robotic Cylons conduct a surprise attack on the Colonies, thus forcing several stranded spaceships to coalesce around the last surviving battlestar, Galactica, to seek a mythical Thirteenth Tribe where the survivors hope to find shelter from the Cylons.

Many of the fine details changed from the Original Series.

  • The Cylons were created by humanity itself and not by a separate alien race.[4]
  • Galactica is a 50 year old relic on the verge of decommission.
  • The names of "Apollo," "Boomer," and "Starbuck" are changed to call signs. Most characters have standard first and last names; some first names were not given until later in the series, such as Felix Gaeta's or Anastasia Dualla's.
  • The alien (and often confusing) terminology used to denote units of measurement, such as distance and time, in the Original Series has been replaced with understandable terminology, such as "year" and not "yahren".
  • The ship designs, save for some revisions to the Viper Mark II and Galactica and a few noteworthy background ships (such as the Astral Queen and the Botanical Cruiser), have been redone.
  • The government of the Colonies resembles the United States' democratic republic, with a president, vice president, and secretaries. The Quorum of Twelve appears later, revised as a senatorial body, in the episode "Colonial Day".
  • Instead of the other-worldly, Egyptian-esque clothing and city designs (i.e. pyramids) seen in the Original Series, objects are more contemporary in design and function. Indeed, many aspects of contemporary society are very common throughout the new series.
  • The religion for the Colonials revises the Lords of Kobol to be analogous in name to many of the gods in real-world Greek mythology, making the Colonial religion of the Re-imagined Series truly polytheistic (the Original Series' religion was more monotheistic as God is referenced in tandem with the Lords of Kobol, who were more akin to saints.)
  • The Cylons themselves celebrate a monotheistic religion with a deity similar to the God of the Abrahamic religions. The Cylons and Colonials consider each other's religions to be false, reflecting the current Islam/Christianity/Judaism strife between the Western world and the Middle East, or clashes between colonizing forces and many indigenous or native populations throughout the age of exploration and modernity.

Characters are altered significantly from the Original Series.

The show has taken a more realistic turn, scientifically. Realistic science, which was absent in the Original Series, is applied in this series as best as cinematic and storyline requirements permit.

Certain models of Cylons appear human, right down to the blood, which generates some very disturbing problems in distinguishing friend from foe. This mirrors terrorist methods of infiltration and delivering destructive results to heavy population centers (akin to suicide bombers).

Official Statements

If you are a real, real staunch Battlestar Galactica person, please don't watch it. [N]ot only because of Starbuck but because we really don't stand true to the kind of characters that were built around the original.
I've gotten some really strong mail [from Original Series fans]. They're very angry. And I know Sci Fi Channel wants to say that everybody's going to enjoy it. They're not. They're not going to like this program.[5]
I approached the original show and looked at what worked and what didn't work. I tried to keep as much of the original show as possible. I kept all the essential elements of Battlestar Galactica: the aircraft-carrier-in-space; the rag-tag fleet; the Cylon attack, the escape and the search for Earth; Commander Adama; Adama's son "Apollo," who's Galactica's lead fighter pilot; the rogue pilot, "Starbuck"; their friend, "Boomer"; and Baltar, the traitor. Those were the main things I knew I had to keep – it wouldn't have been Battlestar Galactica without them.
I changed the things I knew didn't work. The original Baltar didn't have a motivation for betraying his race[6], so I knew I'd have to change that character. I also never understood why the Cylons were so intent on pursuing these humans across the galaxy[7], so I changed the background of the Cylons and their relationship with the human beings. Making the Cylons the creation of humanity enabled the Cylons to have a much more complicated love/hate relationship with humans, and also provided us with a way to use humanoid Cylons in the series, which was something we knew we wanted to do because there would be limits on how much we could use CGI Cylons.
Athena didn't seem to serve any function in the original show other than look beautiful and be a love interest for Starbuck, so I just got rid of that character.[8] And while I thought Boxey was part of the family and decided it would be nice to include him in some peripheral way,[9] I never considered keeping Boxey's dog for a second. The dog was just absurd! it was right out from the moment I took the show.[10]
  • Moore discusses the religious aspects of the series:
The religious aspects of the show developed naturally out of my intention to reflect every aspect of the human experience. I was delighted because I'm fascinated with this notion of monotheism versus polytheism, and I felt its addition to the show enriched it and helped make it unique.[11]
  • Moore discusses using the series as allegory to current events:
The original "[Star] Trek" series ... dealt with a lot of hot-button issues at the time: It dealt with racism, and it dealt with war, and it dealt with a lot of ideas that were very, very timely and very important. And this was a chance to make a science fiction show that wasn't purely escapist, but actually dealt with the world that we live in.[12]
  • Jamie Bamber talks about the discussions that the cast and crew have regarding the show's content:
We discuss everything. We even do try to discuss the sci-fi techie stuff, but we're just not very good at it. When the script throws out something like Callie [sic] and the Chief in space without any protection, lots [of us discuss] around the set if that was really possible. In the end, we all bow down to the experts who tell us it is. That shuts us up very quick. The political stuff, that's the juice of the show with the cast. That's pretty much what we like to inhabit, those social-political dilemmas and what they mean morally and legally, and how they pertain to the world that we're in now. The interesting thing about this show is that a lot of people come up to me and say, "Is it really liberal, or something?" but everyone across the political spectrum can find a view that they can side with. We don't cast moral judgment on any of them. It is all shades of gray that are out there to be interpreted, and that's the beauty of the writing, I think.[13]
  • Bamber discusses being sympathetic to the Cylons:
The Cylons do garner your empathy gradually, as you see more and more from their point of view. That's a bold move. There is a lot about them that should be sympathetic to a Western American audience. They are monotheists, they kind of believe in redemption and rebirth and all these things that a lot of us believe in. The humans are polytheists and are a bit more anachronistic.[13]
No, I think it was [Sharon "Athena" Agathon's] baby that really pushed her to the point of being more human than android. The love of a child is really the premise of this story. My [character's] love of my children, Roslin's love of humanity — all of us are her children. I have my son [Major Lee Apollo Adama], and of course I just lost my [surrogate] daughter [Captain Kara Starbuck Thrace], which was brutal. [14]
  • Moore discusses mapping out the series:
Each season, we mapped out where we wanted to go by the end of that season. That’s how I like to approach things. At the beginning of season one, we talked about where the end of the first year would be. And then, into the second year, we broke it up into groups of the first 10 and the second 10, and kept that style of planning, all through the show. I would say, somewhere mid-way through the second season, I started thinking seriously about what the end of the series itself might be. Ideas for where we were headed and what it all meant started to coalesce over the course of the third season. In season three, we started talking in earnest about, “Well, okay, if we do end it next year, what would it really be?,” and it just felt like, “Yeah, this is the right time to do it.” In terms of whether we’ve had enough time, I feel like we have. We’re really taking our cues from the story itself, and it just feels like the story has moved forward aggressively. What I’m proud of about the series is that it’s been unafraid to take risks and it’s been unafraid to move strongly forward, instead of trying to tread water. It just feels like the momentum of the series is now moving towards a conclusion. [15]

Notes

  • In the finale of Battlestar Galactica, it was revealed that the series took place more than 150,000 years before the present day. Therefore, unlike most space opera series, the reimagined Battlestar Galactica was a saga of ancient history rather than future history.

See Also

Cast

Season One cast photo.

Stars

Co-stars

Production Crew

Producers

Directors & Writing Staff

To view the list of all the directors and staff, see the Crew Portal.

Episodes

For a complete list of all episodes, see the Episode Guide.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bassom, David (2005). ed. Adam "Adama" Newell Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion. Titan Books. ISBN 1-84576-0972, p. 41.
  2. ↑ Bassom, David (2005). ed. Adam "Adama" Newell Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion. Titan Books. ISBN 1-84576-0972, p. 41-43.
  3. ↑ Bassom, David (2005). ed. Adam "Adama" Newell Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion. Titan Books. ISBN 1-84576-0972, p. 43.
  4. ↑ This shift in antagonists mirror similar dystopian man/machine stories found in such popular films as the Terminator and The Matrix movie series.
  5. ↑ Catlin, Roger (8 December 2003). TO `GALACTICA' FANS: DON'T WATCH THIS (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). Retrieved on 19 September 2019.
  6. ↑ Moore's statement is subjective. Some readers may feel that Baltar's motivations were power-based. By deliberately making a deal with the Cylons, he believed that the Cylons would spare his colony and subjugate the human species under him (TOS: "Saga of a Star World").
  7. ↑ For detail on the Original Series Cylons and their motivations, see Cylons (TOS).
  8. ↑ The series would transfer the daughter-figure aspects of the Original Series Athena to Kara Thrace and Sharon "Athena" Agathon, who later receives the callsign of "Athena."
  9. ↑ The character of Boxey in the Re-imagined Series was intended to be part of a family unit with Galen Tyrol and Sharon Valerii, but a place for the character within story arcs were eventually dropped, and the character has essentially been dropped from the series.
  10. ↑ Bassom, David (2005). ed. Adam "Adama" Newell Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion. Titan Books. ISBN 1-84576-0972, p. 13-14.
  11. ↑ Bassom, David (2005). ed. Adam "Adama" Newell Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion. Titan Books. ISBN 1-84576-0972, p. 18-19.
  12. ↑ Wolverton, Troy (5 April 2006). Delve Into 'Battlestar Galactica' (backup available on Archive.org) (in ). Retrieved on 9 Feburary 2007.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Cohn, Angel (23 February 2007). Galactica's Jamie Bamber Visits a Heavenly Ghost (backup available on Archive.org) (in ). Retrieved on 23 February 2007.
  14. ↑ Four-ward, Cylons: EDWARD JAMES OLMOS (backup available on Archive.org) (in ). Retrieved on 31 May 2007.
  15. ↑ Topel, Fred (13 June 2007). Battlestar Galactica: Ronald Moore talks about Earth (backup available on Archive.org) (in ). Retrieved on 15 June 2007.
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