battlestar galactica

Battlestar Galactica is a franchise of American science fiction films and television series, the first of which was produced in 1978. There are also a series of book adaptations, original novels, new comic books from Dynamite Entertainment, and video games that have been based on the concept.

All of the Battlestar Galactica productions share the same general premise. In a distant part of the universe, there exists a civilization of humans who live on planets known as the Twelve Colonies. The Colonies are in an uneasy armistice with a cybernetic race known as the Cylons, but with the cooperation of a human collaborator named Baltar, the Cylons launch a sudden, coordinated, and unprovoked attack on the Colonies, laying waste to the planets and devastating their populations. The last few thousands of the human survivors flee into space aboard any spacecraft they can reach. Of all the Colonial Fleet, the Battlestar Galactica appears to be the only military ship that survived the attack. Under the leadership of the famed military leader Commander Adama, the Battlestar Galactica and her crew take up the task of leading the ragtag fleet of survivors into space in search of a fabled refuge known as Earth.

Battlestar Galactica (1978)

Main article: Battlestar Galactica (1978)

Glen A. Larson, the Executive Producer of Battlestar Galactica, has stated in interviews that he originally conceived of the Galactica premise in the late 1960's, which he originally called Adam's Ark. However, he was unable to get the project greenlit for many years.

Battlestar Galactica was finally produced in the wake of the success of the 1977 film Star Wars. In fact, 20th Century Fox sued Universal Studios (the studio behind Battlestar Galactica) for copyright infringement, claiming that it had stolen 34 distinct ideas from Star Wars. Universal promptly countersued, claiming Star Wars had stolen ideas from the 1972 film Silent Running (notably the robot "drones") and the Buck Rogers serials of the 1940s. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed in 1980.

Initially, Battlestar Galactica was envisioned by Larson as a series of made-for-TV movies (a three-hour pilot and two two-hour episodes) for the ABC television network. The three-hour pilot was released in theaters, and instead of two additional movies, a weekly television series followed.

As this press photo shows, Tektronix, Inc., manufacturer of test and measurement equipment (especially known for their oscilloscope product line) and computer equipment, supplied their 7000-series of oscilloscopes, TM500-series of test and measurement equipment and their 4000-series of computer graphic equipment and associated software for the show's Galactica props. The "radar" style images of Cylons attacking the battle group were Tektronix graphics displays. In the photo, a Tektronix 4051 graphics computer system is shown.

The original film

Main article: Battlestar Galactica (film)

The two-hour-long film starred Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict. To defray costs, the film was recut from the pilot episode. It played in Canada, Europe and Japan. Airing on July 7, 1978, the episode brought in many viewers considering the modest expectations.

The original series

Main article: Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)

During the eight months after the movie was released, 17 original episodes of the series were aired (five of them two-parters), totaling 24 hours of broadcasting. Citing declining ratings and cost overruns, ABC cancelled Battlestar Galactica in April, its last episode "The Hand of God" premiering on April 29, 1979.

see also List of Battlestar Galactica (1978-1980) episodes

Galactica 1980

Main article: Galactica 1980

During the autumn of 1979, ABC executives met with Galactica's creator Glen A. Larson to consider a relaunch of the series. A suitable concept would be needed to draw viewers, and it was decided that the arrival of the Colonial Fleet at contemporary Earth would be the storyline. A new television movie entitled Galactica 1980 was rushed into production. Again, it was decided this new version of Galactica would be made into a weekly series. Despite the early success of the premiere, this new weekly series was unceremoniously cancelled after only ten episodes.

In this 1980 sequel series, the fleet finds Earth and covertly protects it from the Cylons. This series was a quick failure due to its low budget (in fact, recycling footage from the 1974 Universal Studios film Earthquake, during a Cylon attack sequence), widely-panned writing, and ill-placed time slot (Sundays at 7:00 PM, a time slot generally reserved for family-oriented programming and, more specifically, 60 Minutes). The show also included obviously recycled space battle sequences from the original program, to the great dismay of fans. Some syndication packages for Battlestar Galactica incorporate the episodes of this series.

Revival attempt

The original series maintained a cult fandom, which has supported efforts by Glen A. Larson, Richard Hatch and Bryan Singer (independent of each other) to revive the premise. Hatch even went so far as to produce a demonstration video in 1998-1999 which featured several actors from the original series combined with state-of-the-art special effects. This video, titled "Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming," was displayed at science fiction conventions but did not lead to a new series.

In 1999 Wing Commander producer Todd Moyer and original series producer Glen A. Larson revealed plans to produce a motion picture based on the television series.^[1]

In 2000, the director and an executive producer of the X-Men film, Bryan Singer and Tom DeSanto, began developing a Galactica television miniseries with Studios USA for FOX. Intended to air as a backdoor pilot in May 2002, filming was scheduled to begin in November 2001.^[2] However production delays caused by the September 11, 2001 attacks meant Bryan Singer had to drop out due to his directing commitments on X-Men 2. This led Fox to lose interest and redirect their attention to Joss Whedon's Firefly television series.

2003 re-imagining

Main article: Battlestar Galactica (2003)

Despite attempts to revive the series over the years, none came to fruition until it was reimagined in 2003 by the Sci-Fi Channel with Ronald D. Moore as the creative force behind it. Edward James Olmos stepped into the role of Commander Adama. A weekly new Galactica series on Sci-Fi followed in October 2004.

Miniseries

Main article: Battlestar Galactica (TV miniseries)

In December 2003, the American Sci Fi channel broadcast a three-hour miniseries that reimagined Battlestar Galactica. This miniseries was so successful that Sci-Fi opted to develop this new, reimagined version of Galactica into a television series.

Television series (2004-)

Main article: Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)

Featuring critically acclaimed veteran actors such as Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell, the new series began in earnest in October 2004.

Unusually, it was aired first in the UK & Ireland on Sky One, and then later aired in North America in January 2005. The reason for this was that Sky gave the finance required to shoot the first season and because of this Ronald D. Moore agreed to give Sky the first showing. Unlike NBC, who were very uncertain, Sky had faith in the success of the show, mainly due to the mini-series having been a hit in the UK & Ireland. However, due to massive downloading from bit-torrent sites by North American broadband users, any further seasons would be aired in North America first.

A highly edited version of the miniseries aired on NBC—a corporate sibling of the U.S. Sci Fi Channel—on January 9, 2005, five days before the American debut of the series. NBC additionally aired three selected first season episodes as a sampler, to entice new American viewers in advance of the second season premiere in July 2005. The sampler strategy was similar to past efforts at NBC to assist other cable siblings' shows, such as a counter-programming block of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy opposite the Super Bowl airing on a competing broadcast network.

In January 2006, the second half of the second season began broadcasting in the United States, while the full season premiere ("Scattered") aired on Sky One in the UK on 10th January 2006. The second season ended on 10th March 2006 with the two-part season finale episode "Lay Down Your Burdens".

Renewed for a third season, production began in April, 2006 in Vancouver, with a season premiere set for October 6, 2006.

see also List of Battlestar Galactica (2004 television series) episodes

Webisodes

Main article: Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance

Featuring the cast of Battlestar Galactica, a series of shorts was made to promote the series through releases on the SciFi website. This shows the events on New Caprica between the second and third seasons.

Caprica

Main article: Caprica (TV series)

Caprica is an upcoming television series described as "television's first science fiction family saga," based on the fictional universe of Battlestar Galactica and set on the fictional planet Caprica, around fifty years before the events depicted in the 2004 re-imagined series. It will tell the story of how the Cylons are researched and built, ultimately leading to the Cylon War. It will revolve around two families, the Adamas and the Graystones.

Comics and games

Dynamite Entertainment will be publishing comic books featuring both the Classic and Re-Imagined Battlestar Galactica series

A number of Battlestar novels based upon the series have been published over the years, including a mixture of novelizations based upon televised episodes (including the pilot episodes of both the original series and Galactica 1980) and original stories. In the 1990s and on into the 2000s, original series star Richard Hatch co-wrote several new novels based upon the series as part of his efforts to spark a revival. That series is still ongoing

Comics Marvel Comics published a 23-issue comic book series based upon the show between 1978 and 1981. Other comics have since been published by Maximum Press, Grandreams, Look-in Magazine, Realm Press and, currently, Dynamite Comics.

A Battlestar Galactica video game has been published on the Sony PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Xbox platforms.

Wiz Kids, Inc. (a collectible game manufacturer) produces a collectible card game based on the 2003 mini-series and 2004 TV show. The premier set of this game was released in May 2006.

The original series inspired a Battlestar Galactica board game. The game is set during a training mission, where two to four players manuver pieces representing Colonial Vipers in order to capture a damaged Cylon Raider. Skillful play includes using terrain elements and a number of special-ability cards to the players' advantage.

Religious and mythological references

The twelve colonies are named after the astrological signs of the Greek zodiac; for example, Scorpia (Scorpio), Caprica (Capricornus), and Aquaria (Aquarius). Several of the characters in the series have names corresponding to significant characters in Greek mythology, including Apollo and Cassiopeia. The word "Adama" in Hebrew (though pronounced differently) means "Earth."

The character Count Iblis in the 1978 series was inspired by the demon Iblis in Islamic mythology. He tries to convince members of the colonial fleet to follow him, as demons do in Christianity and Islam.

In the 1978 pilot episode, the president of the Colonies referenced that they were "approaching the seventh millennium of time." Some Bible scholars assert the seven days of creation described in the Book of Genesis occurred in the fourth millennium B.C. If the universe began then, the 21st century would have marked the seventh millennium.

Less apparent are references to the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (more commonly known as the Mormon church). Original series producer Glen Larson is a member of this church. Parallels include:

• Central to the plot of the series is a legendary thirteenth colony, somewhere far distant from the twelve that are known. In Mormonism, there is no doctrinal or cultural reference to a 'Thirteenth Tribe'. But there are some parallels that may have inspired this 'Thirteenth Tribe' idea:
  • In the Old Testament, Israel had twelve sons. As Israel's favorite son, Joseph received a double inheritance. Therefore, when Moses led them from Egypt back to their promised land, they are divided into thirteen tribes for purposes of inheritance.
  • In The Book of Mormon is the teaching that during the reign of king Zedekiah (about 600 BC), two separate groups left (Helaman 8:21, 22) Jerusalem and ended up in the Americas (Helaman 6:10); a remnant (or 'thirteenth tribe') of the twelve tribes of Israel.
• A Council of Twelve, headed by a president, governs the colonies. A president who is assisted by two counselors and a Quorum of the Twelve Apostles preside over the Mormon Church.
• Marriages in the Battlestar Galactica mythos as well as in the Mormon religion are sealed for eternity.
• The beings on the Ship of Light say, "as you are, we once were; as we are, you may one day be", a parallel to the Mormon belief that even God was once a human being.
• The system which is believed to be the original home of the human race is Kobol. In Mormon theology, the star closest to the Throne of God is called Kolob.
• The series often refers to the Gods. Mormon theology often refers to the Gods, referring to the Godhead, in reference to creation.
• In the 1980 series, a character says "The Glory of the Universe is knowledge." This mirrors a passage in the LDS Scriptures which says "The glory of God is intelligence", (Doctrine and Covenants 93:36), which is also one of the mottos of Brigham Young University.

Mythological references include:

• The gods predominantly worshipped by the people of the colonies, the twelve Lords of Kobol, appear to mirror the Twelve Olympians of Greek Mythology (the twelve principal gods in the Greek pantheon). This is drawn from references by the characters to worshipping such deities as Artemis and Apollo.
• An important plot point in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica is that the humans of the Twelve Colonies worship a pantheon of gods, similar or identical to the Greek pantheon, whereas the Cylons worship a single god.
• The show's concept, that of a group of refugees searching for a new homeland and led by a famed military commander, could arguably have its roots in Virgil's Aeneid, part of the mythology surrounding Rome's beginnings.
• Colonial Warriors (Galactica's Viper pilots) wear a patch on the right shoulder of their flight jacket of a Shri chakra, a yantra.
• The name of the Colonial President before the Cylon attack in both series - "Adar" in elvish language of quenya means "Father".

Political references

The show also seemed to reflect contemporary political anxieties, especially with regard to the Cold War and "nation malaise". More obliquely in the pilot, and more obviously when the fleet encounters the Terrans a subtle commentary is presented about the Eastern Bloc gaining prominence and unilateral disarmament as represented by the SALT II treaty. These sentiments are particularly prominent in the episode "Experiment in Terra". The current series continues this tradition, commenting on concerns about terrorism, religious fundamentalism and other current political topics.

See also

• Comparison of Battlestar Galactica (1978) and Battlestar Galactica (2003)
• Battlestar Galactica units
• Battlestar Galactica (ship), which appears in the above works of fiction
• Battlestar Galactica (video game), the 1978 and 2003 video games
• Battlestar Galactica Collectable Card Game
• Battlestar Galactica (comic book), the various comic book adaptations.

References

External links

• Battlestar Galactica (pilot movie) at the Internet Movie Database
• Battlestar Galactica (1978 series) at the Internet Movie Database
• Battlestar Galactica (1978 series) at TV.com
• Dynamite Entertainment -- publisher of Battlestar Galactica Comic Book Series
• Battlestar Galactica (1978) site on SCIFI.com
• Battlestar Galactica CCG - Official WizKids Battlestar Galactica CCG website
• BattlestarWiki - Battlestar Galactica Wiki
• Crossover: "Battlestar Galactica (2003)" and "Firefly" - Firefly ship cameo
• A complete listing of novels for all series
• Battlestar Galactica pictures
• BattlestarFanFilm.Org A fan made production based on the original Battlestar Galactica series
• Austrek A pan-SF fan club