I grew up as a fan of the old series “Battlestar Galactica.” As such, when I learned of a remake that was gearing up to be released on the Sci-Fi channel, I was amongst the first to jump on the bandwagon and cry, “Foul!” Generally, I’m not a big fan of remakes of any kind, because it is rare that they can ever recapture whatever it was that made the original so good, or at least popular. Again and again, big screen versions come out of old TV series and I can count the good ones on one hand (minus my thumb). What didn’t help in the case of “Battlestar Galactica”, was that Richard Hatch (who played Apollo in the original series) had been trying to bring it back ever since it was cancelled. When news started getting out about Hatch not being involved with the remake at all, he along with fans of the series started their own little ‘war of words.’ Most of the fans swore they wouldn’t bother watching it. But then… things got worse. It was learned that one of the beloved characters from the original series, Starbuck (who was played by Dirk Benedict), was going to be changed to a female.

Fans called it a travesty, Sci-Fi’s press reps claimed it would make the series edgier. Even the old tin can Cylon Warriors were being ‘upgraded’ to newer human-looking antagonists.

Before I go any further, I’m going to consider that you might never have heard of, or seen the original “Battlestar Galactica.” Just to give you a quick clue-in, the series itself revolved around a group of spaceships that housed the last remaining members of a very human-like race. Led by General Adama (Lorne Green), these refugees were on the run from the villainous Cylons, whose robotic warrior henchmen were relentless in their pursuit. The refugee’s main goal, aside from simply staying alive, was to find a far-off planet where they might find more of their people. A planet called… Earth.

The series itself was very short-lived, lasting only 24 episodes. But it made a strong enough impact on sci-fi fans as to elicit fan clubs, fanzines, conventions and the like. There was even a follow-up series that fortunately did not last long. I watched the series when it original aired way back in 1978, (which I’m sure dates me), and in spite of some of the lower budget effects I was hooked in just like the rest. And even though the Cylon Warriors looked a bit like tin man rejects from “The Wizard of Oz”, they still cut an imposing enough figure that left a lasting impression on my young mind. This was why I originally jumped on the bandwagon that was against this remake.

However, bandwagon or not, I was determined to watch the new Mini-Series remake when it aired. I figured there was no way I could really talk bad about it, unless I saw it firsthand. That’s when the trouble began. I watched the first part and quickly found myself getting sucked into it totally. Within the first few minutes, I got the feeling that it might be better than I expected, so I needed to give it a chance. As I watched, I started to disassociate it from the original series (something I’ve had to do a lot lately with DVD releases), and found myself enjoying it quite a bit.

This new “Battlestar Galactica” is by no means perfect, but over the course of the Mini-Series, it painted a much darker picture of the original storyline. I mentioned the ‘new’ Cylon Warriors, who now looked more like humans (and in some cases… very hot looking humans), and they were actually quite disturbing. It also made sense that they would find infiltration easier if they looked like those they wished to infiltrate. Think of them in terms of “Terminators.” They weren’t that robotic in nature, but were as cold and calculated as they were required to be in order to get the job done. When the main one we are introduced to shows her true face, figuratively speaking, to her human lover it is extremely chilling.

I would like to add that I was rather disturbed by a scene prior to this, where we see the Cylon out in public. She is apparently going on about her ‘normal’ activities and comes across a baby crying in a stroller. After holding him for a minute, she leans in to speak to the baby, and while the parents aren’t looking… stops his crying. While that scene did worked in terms of making the viewer hate this Cylon in particular, I think it went a bit too far. I have my own little girl who just turned 2, and it’s bad enough that I have to watch the news and hear about some of the atrocities that some parents subject their children to, I don’t think I need to see it in my entertainment. That little scene sticks out in mind more than the rest of the Mini-Series. Aside from that one little personal nitpick, the new “Battlestar Galactica” was terrific and left me wanting more.

I was also greatly impressed by the dynamics of the cast. The relationships and how hard-edged everyone was made for great drama. Plus, it wasn’t just the threat of the Cylons that our heroes had to face, but the threat of political upheaval. With the death of the President, the next person in line was elevated to the position, and her views were in direct conflict with those of Adama’s. This of course, sets of a separation of sorts between the people escaping and adds greatly to the intrigue of the series.

Fortunately it was so incredibly popular, that the Sci-Fi channel picked it up as a regular series, which is currently coming to the end of its 2nd season. My intent was to watch the series when it first aired, but time just wouldn’t allow it, so I was rather relieved when Universal announced it was releasing the entire 1st season on DVD. They had already released the Mini-series in its own set several months back, but have opted to include it in this full season set. I kind of have mixed feeling about the inclusion, in that most consumers who enjoyed the series had probably already picked up the mini-series on DVD. Now they have to pay a little extra for a full season set that includes something they already own. Of course, there are those who didn’t pick up the set previously, so they benefit by the inclusion. It’s really more of a ‘Catch-22’ situation than any real complaint.

Starting the with Mini-series, this new set offers up the entire 3 hour run, utilizing both sides of a single disc. There is also a commentary by director Michael Rymer and Executive Producers David Eick and Ron Moore. This commentary is very illuminating, and was included on the original DVD release.
As this was the first time I had the opportunity to watch the 1st season of the series, I have to say I was completely blown away. As good as the Mini-series was, the show itself was even better. Right from the start, the escapees are facing several days of attacks from the Cylons, coming in at 33 minute intervals. Because of this, no one sleeps the entire period, and exhaustion sets in on top of the crippling anticipation of each attack. This first episode is terrific start to finish, and was a great way to kick off the series.

Probably one of the most fascinating aspects of the new series, at least for fans of the original… was the appearance of Richard Hatch. He plays a political prisoner by the name of Tom Zarek, who was imprisoned 20 years prior for the terrorist bombing of a government building and the inciting of riots. He is a sort-of Nelson Mandela type character, who finds with freedom comes great power. Considering Hatch’s longtime efforts to revive the original series and his vocal attacks on the Mini-series (when it was in the works – which included his unwillingness to appear), it came as quite a surprise when he showed up. He plays a great role, and I’m glad that he got involved.

This new set also includes some lengthy extra features, most of which come in the form of commentaries (which are listed below). The creative team had the cool idea of doing Podcasts during the airing of some of the episodes and that is where most of these commentaries came from. They also included several behind the scenes featurettes of varying length (totaling a little over an hour), that were also available on the Sci Fi Channel website. They’re all very well-produced and add tremendous value to this set. You’ll also find a ton of deleted scenes scattered throughout the discs, along with a montage of conceptual artwork.

As if this wasn’t enough, I also caught a 20 minute featurette on the series as a whole, which catches you up on the mini-series and gives a little information on the general direction of the first season. Last, but not least, for you trading card enthusiasts… there is a trading card included in each set. (Mine was #6 – Tricia Helfer – who’d you get???)

Watching the 13 episodes that make up this 1st season I was so incredibly impressed that I’m now sorry I didn’t take the time to record the 2nd season. It only took my wife and me a couple of days to get through them and we’re already clamoring for the 2nd season set!! I’m totally sold on this new “Battlestar Galactica.” If you are a big fan of the original series, you really need to do as I did and simply disassociate it. Treat it as something new and enjoy it for what it is, not what you think it should have been.

Episodes:
33
Water
Bastille Day
Act of Contrition
You Can’t Go Home Again
Litmus
Six Degrees of Separation
Flesh and Bone
Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me down
The Hand of God
Colonial Day
Kobol’s Last Gleaming, Part 1
Kobol’s Last Gleaming, Part 2

Starring: Edwards James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber, Katee Sackhoff, James Callis, Tricia Helfer,. Tahmoh Penikett, Grace Park
Extras: Feature Commentary with Director Michael Rymer and Executive Producers David Eick and Ron Moore, Pilot Commentary with Director Michael Rymer and Executive Producers David Eick and Ronald D. Moore, "Bastille Day" Episode Commentary with Executive Producers David Eick and Ronald D. Moore, "Act of Contrition" Episode Commentary with Executive Producers David Eick and Ronald D. Moore, "You Can't Go Home Again" Episode Commentary with Executive Producers David Eick and Ronald D. Moore, "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down" Episode Commentary with Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore, "The Hand of God" Episode Commentary with Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore, "Colonial Day" Episode Commentary with Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore, "Kobol's Last Gleaming: Part 1" Episode Commentary with Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore, From Miniseries to Series, Change is Good, Now They're Babes, The Cyclon Centurion, The Doctor Is Out (Of His Mind), Future/Past Technology, Production, Visual Effects, Epilogue, Deleted Scenes, Battlestar Galactica Series Lowdown, Sketches and Art
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 EX
Studio: Universwal
Release Date: 9/20/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Battlestar Galactica: Season 1 an A.