T-shirt #73: Battlestar GalacticaYesterday, I shared my fifth Star Trek post and a variety of thoughts that add up to one incontrovertible conclusion: Star Trek makes me happy.
And though Star Trek wins out in my heart as my favorite SF TV show, this is simply due its longevity, its origins in my childhood, and the sheer volume of its stories.
And yet, I would argue that the revised version of Battlestar Galactica is better. And though I acknowledge the excellence of many SF TV shows, such as The Prisoner, Space 1999, Babylon Five, Firefly, and Stargate, (Sorry, I am not a Doctor Who fan), I would argue that the updated Battlestar Galactica is better than all of them.
In fact, I think I could make a compelling argument that Battlestar Galactica (BSG) is one of the best action/drama TV shows of all time....yes, OF THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF TELEVISION.
Battlestar Galactica aired on the Sci-Fi Channel from 2003-2009. A remake of the original 1978 television series, the new BSG saga comprised 75 episodes over four seasons. Battlestar Galactica earned great critical acclaim and awards and inclusion in the Time Magazine Best 100 TV shows of all time. The Time Magazine list is not ranked and includes all TV shows, which seems an unfair comparison to put Battlestar Galactica in the same list as The Abbott and Costello Show or ABC's Wide World of Sports.
Battlestar Galactica would surely make my top five favorite all-time TV shows, though I hesitate to make a top five list that is not separated by genre. Certainly, Star Trek, Lost, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer would make this list. Though I love A Charlie Brown Christmas, (which is in Time's list), I would not include one-shot programs in a favorite all time list. Comedies and reality TV shows (I do love Survivor) would be relegated to separate lists for their respective genres. And, really, I would not rate a show like Battlestar Galactica next to shows like Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, or Felicity, which really fall into another category entirely.
Why was Battlestar Galactica so good? Pathos. The show featured razor's edge tension and cathartic pathos unlike any other SF or "fantastic" TV show of its kind. The acting was superb. The writing was superb. The visual and sound effects won Emmys. Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell rocked the park. It's full of surprises and mysteries and intricacies of plot, character, and long term story building (as certain elements of the show's finale are set up in the show's original mini-series).
But at first? If you know the 1970s program, there are adjustments to make. Starbuck is a woman?? WHAT?? Cylons are human-looking??? HUH? Stick with it. Because the punch it packs is unlike anything I have ever experienced in episodic TV. In the end, for its overall excellence, I would rank it above both Lost, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which I loved dearly, but which had flaws that BSG lacked.
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| A promotional image for BSG modeled on the Last Supper painting. |
Battlestar Galactica: Battlestar Galactica.com, Richard Hatch inspired site dedicated to showcasing the BSG Universe and Promoting Battlestar Galactica.
Galacticon Three was held earlier this year (2013).
A prequel episode aired online in 2012: Blood and Chrome.
More Battlestar Galactica fandom:
Battlestar Fan Club
There's fan fiction, fan gear, and more that's just a Google click away.
But, really, if you have not watched this TV show, get started. Even non-SF fans should love it.
In closing, an image of the DRADIS (the defense system, like "radar," for the Battlestars) created by my friend Ryan Walters for my birthday a few years back.
ENJOY!
- chris tower - 1306.02 - 11:53
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