Galactica Discovers Earth, Part I

"Galactica Discovers Earth, Part 1" An episode of the Galactica 1980 series
Episode No.	Season 1, Episode 1
Writer(s)	Glen A. Larson
Story by
Director	Sidney Hayers
Assistant Director
Special guest(s)	{{{guests}}}
Production No.	1.1
Nielsen Rating
US airdate	1980-01-27
CAN airdate	{{{CAN airdate}}}
UK airdate
DVD release
Population	survivors
Additional Info	Series Premiere
Episode Chronology
Previous		Next
The Original Series	Galactica Discovers Earth, Part 1	Galactica Discovers Earth, Part II
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Listing of props for this episode
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Overview

The battlestar Galactica and the Colonial fleet reach the planet Earth, but soon realize that the Cylon fleet, long thought to be gone, has trailed them to the fabled planet, and will stop at nothing to extinguish all human life.

Summary

• Thirty years after the destruction of the Colonies, the Fleet receives information from remote probes that they have at last found Earth.

• Adama and Doctor Zee, a child genius that advises the Commander, discover that they have arrived at Earth in 1980, but the planet's inhabitants, descendents of the Thirteenth Tribe, are at a low level of cultural and technological development in comparison to the remnants of the Twelve Colonies of Man.
• Dr. Zee informs Adama that the Fleet cannot land on Earth. When Adama objects, Zee notes that the Cylons have followed them to Earth. When Adama reminds him that the Cylons had not been seen in a "billion star miles", Zee notes that their enemies have chosen not to be seen to allow the Fleet to find Earth for them.

Dr. Zee's simulation of a Cylon Attack on Los Angeles.

• To make his point further, Zee shows the leaders of the Fleet a video simulating a Cylon attack on Los Angeles. The conclusion is clear: at its present level of technology, the Earth will be of no assistance to defending the Fleet against the approaching Cylons.
• Dismayed by his ignorance in leading the Cylons to Earth, Adama orders pairs of warriors to contact key scientists with the various nations on Earth, to help them speed up the planet's technological capabilities.
• Two of the Colonials to be dispatched are Adama's grandson Captain Troy and Lieutenant Dillon, who are tasked with contacting scientists in the United States. Dillion asks about Troy's nickname, and Troy tells more about his late father and mother as Troy shows Dillon a picture of his family when Troy was a child.
• Adama briefs a gathering of what appear to be senior representatives of the Fleet about Earth, its solar system and habitable surface, including Quorum member Xaviar, who looks dismayed. The presentation, later led by Dr. Zee, discusses the Earth's comparatively limited technology as well as environmental problems. Throughout the presentation, Troy and Dillion quip about the strange things they see, unaware of Earth's serious limits. Dr. Zee shows the group his simulated Cylon attack, which greatly agitates the gathering.
• Xavier challenges Doctor Zee's conclusions on avoiding habitation of Earth by moving the Fleet away and hopefully drawing the Cylon's full attention from Earth as well. Zee proposes a slow approach to encourage introduction of Colonial technology through Earth scientists willing to work surreptitiously.
• Doctor Zee provides a team of Colonial Warriors with some gadgets to assist their infiltration efforts. One of the gadgets is an invisibility cloak that can render the warriors and their vehicles unseen. The warriors will be able to use motorcycles to get around on the surface, which are also able to fly, as well as stun weapons to incapacitate Earth humans without killing them.
• It is also noted that, in the lighter gravity of Earth, the Colonials will have the ability to leap to great heights.
• Each team will be spread about Earth's world populations to begin their mission. Troy and Dillon are headed for the United States, specifically, the Los Angeles area. Dillon laments that they didn't get Kip's pick to visit the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as it sounded more enticing from a carousing perspective.
• Descending to the Earth in their Vipers, the U.S. Air Force detects the strange aircraft. Troy and Dillon are intercepted by Air Force fighters. As the fighters fire on the Vipers, they pull away easily and make a hasty landing in a field near Los Angeles.
• Hiding their ships with the invisibility screens, they take to their motorcycles, and shortly thereafter have a run in with a biker gang, which they escape through use of their motorcycle's flying capabilities.
• Changing into contemporary clothes, Troy and Dillon stop at a service station to make a call to the scientist they are to contact, Dr. Donald Mortinson at the Pacific Institute of Technology.
• While attempting to use the phone, they run into Jamie Hamilton, who's on her way to L.A. for a job interview with the UBC television network. Hamilton watches the two try to gain currency to use the pay phone when she catches them in the act.
• When she learns that the duo is on their way to see the controversial Dr. Mortinson, who has developed a new form of nuclear technology, Hamilton offers to give them a lift to the Pacific Institute of Technology.
• Doctor Mortinson questions himself with his aide on whether the angry mob is truly ready or willing to accept the advanced technology. When the mobs start to throw rocks, Mortinson leaves to get someone to clean the mess.
• Pushing past anti-nuclear protesters at the campus and stunning a guard, Troy and Dillon reach Dr. Mortinson's lab. Mortinson is not present. His aide is incredulous at their supposed ability to comprehend his formulas. The aide secretly instructs the security guards by phone to arrive and soon arrest the two intruders.
• Before being hauled away by security, Troy and Dillon leave a complex math equation on Dr. Mortinson's computer as a way of verifying they are visitors from an advanced culture.
• Troy and Dillon are hauled off to jail.
• When Dr. Mortinson returns to his computer, astonished by what Troy and Dillon left there, he realizes that the only people capable of producing the modified formula he finds on the screen must be as important to mankind as "the coming of the Messiah".
• Hamilton, with her career at first looking dim, is contacted by Dr. Mortinson, who asks her to help him find Troy and Dillon. Spurred on by a job offer from the network producer, Brooks, Hamilton heads off to find Mortinson, who dispises the media.
• During booking, the sheriffs cannot make fingerprint records for the Warriors as they have no fingerprints. Other people are interested in the two, who are returned to their cell.
• Using their invisibility devices, Troy and Dillon activate their invisibility shields, causing another in the cell, Moran, to think he's losing his mind. As the cell is opened by a guard, the two make their escape.
• Meanwhile, back in the field where they first arrived, the two Vipers suddenly shimmer back into view. A young boy, Willy Griffin is playing in the field with his dog, Skipper, when he stumbles upon the ships, which have run out of power to maintain their invisibility. He runs to inform his parents.

Notes

• Dr. Zee's video screens show a series of shots from unusual public domain sources and from other Universal properties. This is supposed to resemble a smattering of US television images, and is a decidedly strange sequence, complete with eerie sound effects, which sets an odd tone early in the program. Among the images seen is Rod Serling in an introduction to the series Night Gallery, in addition to Woody Woodpecker.
• In Adama's speech to the Quorum of Twelve, he notes that Earth is the third planet of a system of nine planets. At the time, it should be noted that the celestial body of Pluto was considered a full-fledged planet until 2007. This same mistake is made in "The Long Patrol" and in countless other science fiction series of the past and present. As of this writing, the solar system is comprised of eight planets, 166 moons, and three dwarf planets, which includes the reclassified Pluto.
• When Troy and Dillon first take their Vipers into the Earth's atmosphere at the beginning of the episode, stock footage is used from "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero, Part I". As the Vipers fly by, a mountain is seen and the glare reflection off of the Ravashol pulsar is visible.
• According to publications at the time, the original airing of "Galactica Discovers Earth" had some of the highest ratings in the history of the franchise. The premiere episode, which aired Sunday, January 27th, 1980, ranked 30th for the week. The second and third episodes (aired February 3rd and 10th) also did well. [1]. According to The "World Almanac and Book of Facts 1980", overall for the period that it was aired, Galactica 1980 ranked 20th out of 100 series in the Nielsen ratings.
• The song playing in Jamie Hamilton's car when pulling up to the gas station is Billy Joel's "My Life", which makes a brief reappearance in "The Night the Cylons Landed, Part II".
• This episode featured the last appearance of two robotic Muffit II-style daggits in the Original Series continuity, still apparently used as pets in the Fleet.

Analysis

• Apparently, neither Adama nor anyone else in the Fleet considered that they are essentially leading the Cylons to Earth.

Questions

• For all his intelligence, why didn't Doctor Zee forewarn Adama that he may be leading the Cylons to Earth before ever reaching it?
• What specifically happened to the characters of Apollo, Athena, and Sheba?

Guest Stars

• Richard Lynch as Xaviar
• Robbie Rist as Doctor Zee
• Robert Reed as Donald Mortinson
• Pamela Susan Shoop as Dorothy Carlyle
• Sharon Acker as Anne
• Fred Holliday as Mr. Brooks
• Richard Eastham as General Cushing
• Vernon Weddle as 1st Cop
• David Moses as 2nd Cop
• Brion James as Biker/Willy
• Mickey Jones as Biker/Donzo
• Duncan MacKenzie as 1st Pilot
• Douglas Bruce as 2nd Pilot
• Eddie Firestone as Derelict
• Frank Downing as 1st Guard
• Don Maxwell as 2nd Guard
• Adam Star as Willie Griffin (boy)
• Doug Hale as Air Force Major
• Ray Duke as Newspaper Boy