Opening credits

Both the Original Series and Re-imagined Series use a detailed opening credits sequence that also serves to give the viewer a sense of what Battlestar Galactica is about.

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 battlestars near Cimtar for the expected Cylon peace conference.
The Cylon attack on Caprica, battlestars, and their 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's new 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.

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 rebelled. They evolved. There are many copies. And they have a plan."
- In Season 1 this also includes one card saying "Some are programmed to look and feel human" because of the emphasis on Boomer as a sleeper agent.
The series title appears, with a voice over by one of the series' actors: "Previously on Battlestar Galactica...". This voice changes from episode to episode.
A brief series of past episode scenes appear from previous episodes
- On occasions these flashbacks have been edited or deleted scene (such as Kara Thrace's initially-failing argument to William Adama and Laura 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 swearing-in of Laura Roslin on board Colonial One. During this sequence, the main actors' names are shown.
The civilian 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 seconds) sequence of flashes of scenes from the upcoming episode, this is overlayed with fast-paced music, culminating at a crescendo with Galactica's Colonial seal displayed.
- This part is missing at the beginning of Season 2, but returns in "The Farm".
After the commercial, the episode begins, with the names of guest stars appears as the scene continues.

Notes

The USS Enterprise from 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 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".
In the last two episodes of Season 3, "Crossroads, Part I" and Part II, the "Previously on..." voice over and the main credits were cut due to time constraints.