My Take on Galactica 1980

Battlestar Galactica was a brilliant show!

It had all the classic elements of
proper sci-fi; i.e. strong characters with defining characteristics*, plots driven hard by the back story** and of course the sci-fi element of it being set in space with the bad guys being robots (cylons)!

Battlestar Galactica 1980 had none of this. In an ill conceived and budget driven attempt to maintain the success of the original series (which can still hold its own against many more recent series) BSG1980 showed us the Galactica and its rag tag fleet of refugees arriving at Earth only to have to send only two members of the crew and a bunch of aggravating children to Earth whilst the rest of the fleet arses about in space allegedly trying to draw the Cylons off.

The cylons - being the driving force behind the plot - actually only appear in three episodes, one being a two parter wher they appear to have advanced to the point where they can look human. By sheer chance in that episode, where the Cylons actually land on Hallowe'en, they are mistaken by some americans as people in fancy dress. In the other episode it is a flashback to a much earlier time and features Starbuck. That episode redeems the entire series only in as much as that none of its core cast is in it!

Worse still BSG1980 introduces us to Barry Van Dyke (son of Dick) and his hair.

Here's old Barry messing up another brilliant classic show (Airwolf) in the little known and unreleased on DVD final season where all the original cast have been replaced!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AscaDJ40tBU

It seems to me that Barry's version of a colonial warrior (BSG's military elite) is as convincing as his father's cockney accent in Mary Poppins!

Oh and let's not forget the flying motorbikes (cue a cameo appearance by some people who look like they were in CHiPs). Sadly I can't find a clip of this.

All of the "best" of Galactica 1980 can be seen here - and even then it is too long;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbweBDnViyA

In short - if you enjoyed the orginal BSG then you almost certainly won't like this. It sucks.

Heckler



* - for example Starbuck is driven by passions for gambling, women, fine cigars and flying by the seat of his pants, Apollo is trying to be the galaxy's most boring fighter pilot and Adama is basically Moses leading his people from tyranny to a promised land - a shining planet called Earth
** - the last surviving humans from numerous colony worlds being driven hard across the galaxy dfrom a race of machines bent on destroying them