Battlestar Galactica

fleeing from a ruthless robotic tyranny, their entire civilisation destroyed, the last surviving humans take to the stars in search of their ancestral home: a planet called... earth

    Type of Series: Action-Adventure; Science Fiction;

    Similar Shows: Star Trek; Buck Rogers In The 25th Century; Space: 1999.

    The resemblance to Star Trek is slight. Both are shows set in space. That's about it.

    Buck Rogers, however, shares a distinct visual look with Battlestar Galactica, even if the subject matter of the two shows is very, very different.

    Space: 1999 is also about a group of humans searching for a new home.

    Typical Episode: Depends on where the episode comes from. Early episodes featured a lot of Cylons and tended to be self-contained and generic in terms of storytelling. Later episodes, de-emphasised the Cylons and increased the week-to-week continuity of the series with more ambitious stories being told, drawing more and more from the back story to the show.

    This means that early episodes could be shown to almost anyone, since they often involve one of the pilot heroes crash-landing on a planet somewhere, and having some form of adventure with the locals, before finding a way back to the fleet at story end.

    Later episodes require a knowledge of the series, since the tend to draw on things that have already happened, and the events in the story tend to have a bearing on what happens with the fleet. This is what gives the second half of the season such an epic feel and makes these later episodes so darn cool.

    The Inner Light: Slightly conflicting. In the world of Battlestar Galactica, you are better off to be mistrustful and cynical. Human "frailties" such as forgiveness and compassion are repeatedly scorned upon. While the right-wing military way of life is glorified (a recurring theme in the works of Donald Bellisario). In this way, the Colonial Warriors aren't that much different from the Cylons they strive to defeat. Something that wasn't really touched upon in the series' short run.

    Strengths: A dynamic hero (Starbuck); likeable characters; strong actors; good stories (particularly as the season wore on); great FX; exciting battle sequences; an epic feel.

    Weaknesses: Repetitive use of certain FX shots; a couple of silly episodes; some dull characters.

    Impressive Characters: Starbuck is not only the best thing about this show, he is also one of the all time best TV heroes.

    On paper, he's really nothing special: Thomas Magnum with a lazer gun. A fun-lovin' kid in grown up clothes. One of those guys who's very self-deprecating and doesn't attempt to come over all heroic. Yet, when the going gets tough, there's nobody tougher.

    A cliché.

    What makes it work is Dirk Benedict. He is a perfect leading man. Casting him is what made Starbuck impressive.

    The casting is also the key to the Apollo/Starbuck friendship. As written the guys are no different to Simon And Simon, Balki and Larry, or - even - Rio and Wiley from Air America. Heroes and best friends. One is sensible. The other is fun loving and (apparently) irresponsible. Except (of course) when he's needed. Then we see that he's really got a heart of gold, and courage to spare, and he'll do whatever is necessary to protect his buddy and save the day/girl/mission/whatever.

    Apollo and Starbuck are just like those other partnerships.

    Just like them.

    Except that Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict are as perfect for the roles as any actors have ever been for any roles. Ever.

    Apollo really does seem sensible and dull. You can't help but like the guy, even though you'd wish he'd lighten up. Starbuck is the guy you'd hang out with, even though the pace would probably kill you. Apollo is the guy you'd confide in.

    Most Impressive Actor: Dirk Benedict. No contest.

    The Other Impressive Actors: Many. Battlestar Galactica was blessed with a high calibre of performers who appeared regularly (or semi-regularly).

    Laurette Spang played the love of Starbuck's life. And she was wonderful. I've had such a crush on her for so many years. One of TV's best ever heroines. Gutsy, interesting and beautiful.

    Fred Astaire played Starbuck's father on one occasion, in what is possibly the best guest performance of the series. It's certainly my favourite. That the script in question is charming, helps but Astaire is such a classy guy and so perfect for the role that he makes a huge impression on the viewer. But them I'm biased. I've always loved those Fred and Ginger movies.

    Lorne Greene plays the leader of the fleet. He lends a dignity or the role that - I'm sure - few actors could. To his credit, it's hard to believe he's the same guy who wore a cowboy hat for years on end in Bonanaza. He seems totally natural, totally at ease, in command of that massive bridge.

    Lloyd Bridges is the other contender for "best guest performance of the series" for his two episode portrayal of Battlestar Commander Cain, a brilliant (but flawed) military commander who briefly throws in his lot with the Galacticans.

    John Colicos is wonderfully over the top as the leader of the bad guys. At times his performance elicits hearty laughter (as is intended) but it never, ever, fails to be threatening. That's incredible.

    Rick Springfield (a longtime favourite of mine) makes a brief but memorable appearance in the opening story as Apollo's ill-fated brother.

    Patrick Macnee is present throughout the series as a manifestation of evil. It's been remarked a few times, I think, the irony of having Macnee playing so many baddies when he is forever identified with the character of John Steed one of TV's most revered heroes. No matter. Macnee gets the job done. And his onscreen appearances (as Count Iblis) are terrific. He really does exude all the charm that they say he does. When Apollo (or someone) asks a direct question, and Iblis evades then, you aren't sitting there in disbelief. Not for a second. With Macnee in the role, you totally understand how they are being so beguiled.

    Lloyd Bochner appears in one story arc as a bad guy commander on a planet that may (or may not) be Earth. Bochner is as smooth and sinister as ever. His character appears at a time when Battlestar Galactica was truly hitting it's stride.

    Impressive Episodes: Many. Battlestar Galactica is succession of high points.

    "The Lost Warrior", even though it's barely connected to the show's premise and doesn't centre around Starbuck is the show's first stand-out story. No matter how you try to be critical of the story's simplistic and unlikely premise, you can't escape the fact that it's a genuinely charming hour of TV.

    "The Long Patrol" follows hard on it's heels as another dopey hero-gets-separated-from-the-show's-premise outing. However, this one does centre around Starbuck and the adventure he has is kinda cool.

    Finally, after a block of episodes that were nothing more than rewrites/reshoots of "The Lost Warrior" and "The Long Patrol", Battlestar Galactica begins to take it's backstory seriously with "The Living Legend", a truly top-notch character drama using the theatre of war for a backdrop. Unlike my first two choices which impress me because I'm fond of them, this two-hour story is genuinely without flaw. The epic nature of the show's premise is brought home perfectly, when we get another perspective on the events of the war. The character conflict between Adama and Cain is engrossing to watch, particularly because Cain is so self-aware when it comes to his flaws. A quality that makes him completely endearing to the audience. Again, kudos to Lloyd Bridges for his performance.

    Having treated the backstory of Battlestar Galactica with the kind of respect it truly warrants, the writers then went and gave us "War Of The Gods", a two-parter that expands the show's universe in an exciting manner, by introducing fantastic beings engaged in a fantastic struggle. Best of all, the story contains some shocking premise altering developments: the capture of the show's recurring bad-guy, and information about the location of Earth. Wow.

    Change of pace, then, for another wonderful Starbuck story. "Man With Nine Lives" intruduces us (and Starbuck) to his father. Cool story. Cool ending.

    "Greetings From Earth", "Baltar's Escape" and "Experiment In Terra" form what is probably the pinnacle of Galactica story telling. The level of story continuity contained in these four hours is far ahead of it's time. These day's we expect sci-fi shows to pay this much attention to detail and tell stories this tightly woven into the ongoing structure. Some do, some don't. In the 1970's this kind of thing was unprecedented.

    If Battlestar Galactica had to end so soon, then "The Hand of God" was the way to do it. The Cylons make their return as the Galacticans go on the offensive and Planet Earth makes a wonderful guest appearance in a most surprising manner. Class.

    Impressive Writers: Battlestar Galactica was created by Glen Larson, who has a writing credit on 15 of the show's 24 hours: Saga Of A Star World, Lost Planet Of The Gods, Gun On Ice Planet Zero, The Magnificent Warriors, The Living Legend, War Of The Gods, Greetings From Earth and Experiment In Terra.

    Without doubt this is the best thing Larson ever did. In fact, considering the juvenile nature of his usual product, it's amazing to think he was responsilbe for the show at all. Don't get me wrong. I like a lot of what Larson has produced, but I won't try to kid anyone and tell them it's all mature, grown-up TV. It's not. He may have had a hand in Quincy M.E., but he is best known for Buck Rogers, Automan, Manimal, The Highwayman, The Fall Guy, Knight Rider and on and on and on. Battlestar Galactica is his best show. Seeing his name in the credits is a bit amazing.

    Much more expected is the name of Donald Bellisario. Bellisario, who is credited variously as writer, director and supervising producer, has a list of distinguised credits behind him, all tending towards more mature adult fare. On BG's 24 hours, he is credited with 11: The Lost Warrior, The Long Patrol, Gun On Ice Planet Zero, The Young Lords, Man With 9 Lives, Murder On The Rising Star, Greetings From Earth, Baltar's Escape and The Hand Of God. A most distinguished bunch of episodes, from the man behind Airwolf, Quantum Leap, Tales of the Gold Monkey and Magnum P.I.

    Less-Than-Impressive Characters: Jolly is a major non-entity. He's in the up-front credits, and Starbuck considers him a "kinsman" and the other guys seem to like him.

    All of which begs the question: Why?

    Then there's Athena. Obviously she was intended to be Cassiopeia's rival. But she never stood a chance and she kinda faded away to nothing.

    Finally, Bojay from the Pegasus also failed to set the screen alight.

    Less-Than-Impressive Actors: When I was younger, I would have placed Richard Hatch in this category, since Apollo was so dull and sensible next to super cool Starbuck. In later years, however, I've come to appreciate that Hatch brings to the role exactly what was required: a counterbalance to Dirk Benedict. If Starbuck is Magnum P.I. then Apollo is Spenser: For Hire. Carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. It's not very exciting, but Hatch conveys this to perfection. And deserves to be praised for his work.

    Less-Than-Impressive Episodes: "Fire In Space", which I saw a few nights ago, is probably the weakest episode of the run. The only episode to focus on Boomer, it sees him totally overshadowed by the "cute robot animal"! It also features the pointless artificial threats of Adama being felled by shrapnel and facing surgery, while Starbuck and Apollo risk floating off into space. Nonsense. At it's best Battlestar Galactica hooks us by making us wonder things like: "Who is that guy? Can he be trusted? Is this really a clue to Earth? How can they defeat these odds?" And so forth. Engaging questions.

    Going from that to: "Gee, I wonder will everybody die in the fire?" is a bit of a come down.

    Nobody above the age of six is going to find any of "Fire In Space" the least bit interesting.

    Not quite as bad, but still weak, are "The Magnificent Warriors" and "The Young Lords". By the time "The Young Lords" rolled around, you were starting to wonder how many times these guys were going to crash onto (and get stranded on) backward planets. About the only saving grace of the episode is the presence of Audrey Landers.

    Less-Than-Impressive Writers: Terrence McDonnell and Jim Carlson are the duo responsible for "Fire In Space". They also had a hand in "Take The Celestra" and "Murder On The Rising Star", two passable enough episodes.

    Maybe it's unfair to come down hard on them over "Fire In Space". Who knows what happened? Maybe they were given the assignment? Maybe they didn't want to rip off The Towering Inferno. Maybe. I don't know that.

    I do know, however, that the episode is weak in all the worst possible ways.

    Continuity: Strong. Particularly in the second half of the season, where you need to see the episodes in the correct order to appreciate them, and the ongoing story.

    Rewatchability: High. I've seen this series many, many times. Even now it still holds the interest and enthrals. It's a genuine classic.

    Episode Guide: EpGuides.Com is the best place to go for Episode Guides.

    Reviews:

    Other Info: For information on the show, go to Kobol.

Three Four Things I Really Like About This Series:

    Starbuck.

    The theme tune.

    Cassiopeia.

    All the strong actors who repeatedly appear in minor roles: David Greenan, Sarah Rush, George Murdock, Ed Begley Jr (of St. Elsewhere); Janet Louise Johnson (of The Hardy Boys Mysteries); Jeff Macay (of Tales Of The Gold Monkey); Larry Manetti (of Magnum P.I.);

Three Things I Really Don't Like About This Series:

    That fact that the best Starbuck adventure didn't air on the show at all. "Return Of Starbuck" a Starbuck solo-adventure, aired on Galactica 1980 instead. Annoying. Had it aired here, then it would be listed up there as one of the best episodes and Judith Chapman would be listed as one of the outstanding guest artists.

    

    

    Miscellaneous Comments:    8 January, 2000

    A great show. And one of my firm favourites.

    I originally saw the series on Sunday nights on (what was then called) RTE2. It next turned up, years later, over the Christmas/New Year break with episodes appearing every morning for a few weeks while I was on break from school. Then the BBC aired it for a spell, mid-week evenings. And, finally, a few years back, I was able to see the full run on The Sci-Fi Channel.

    Throughout all those viewings, my love for the show has grown and grown. Starbuck is still the pefect TV hero. The space ship battles still captivate me. The later episodes still blow me away, and the final scene of the conclusion still leaves me in awe.

GRADE: A

Review by Michael Leddy

Comments are welcome: rikerdonegal@hotmail.com

 

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