RDM's Battlestar Galactica

[TopperHenly]

I am a great fan of the reimagined series of BattleStar Galactica. The series creator Ronald D Moore was heavily involved in Star Trek which got me into DS9 and now I'm a fan of the other Star Trek series.

From what I read, RDM got to do with BSG all he wanted to do but couldn't with ST. In a way it is a sort of anti Star Trek. Now after watching the other Star trek series, I've got an appreciation of more lighter single episode driven series in the ST franchise as my more preferred darker multi-story arc approaches of both DS9 and nuBSG. They are totally different but doesn't make them better or worse. A great example of the single episode approach is the TNG episode, the Inner light. It was a slow moving episode about one character but it was done so well that such such a moving revelation about a certain character could be done in a multi-arc story led series without seriously slowing down the pace.

Apologies if this has been asked before but I was just wondering what peoples views of nuBSG are?

 

[1001001]

Moving to SFF, as this is not about Star Trek.

Hold on!

 

[NaughtyTrekkie]

nuBSG could have been the best scifi series ever, had they kept the religion crap out of it and wrote a better cylon storyline

 

[Relayer1]

nuBSG could have been the best scifi series ever, had they kept the religion crap out of it and wrote a better cylon storyline

Whilst agreeing to some extent, it was still absolutely great !

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I've got an appreciation of more lighter single episode driven series in the ST franchise as my more preferred darker multi-story arc approaches of both DS9 and nuBSG.

Oh, another one of those threads.

 

[JD]

It wasn't a perfect show by any stretch, but it was one of my favorites during the earlier seasons. It did kind of drop in quality a bit by the end, but it was still at least watchable.

 

[Shawnster]

nuBSG could have been the best scifi series ever, had they kept the religion crap out of it and wrote a better cylon storyline

Can we compare and contrast the two series. I'd love to see a discussion about which series did what "better." The science was laughable in TOS but there were aspects of that series I liked alot.

 

[Colonel Midnight]

I would say that the music in nuBSG blows the air locks off of Trek music.

Cheers,
-CM-

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

The "religion crap" was fine. If RDM would've had a "plan" and stuck to it, it would have made more sense. This was discussed in another thread not too long ago that the OP might have just found and took part in.

 

[Qonundrum]

nuBSG could have been the best scifi series ever, had they kept the religion crap out of it and wrote a better cylon storyline

The original BSG was largely a retelling of a Bible story (Moses!) in sci-fi forms, changing names and places and Red Sea parting into a different epic moment/metaphor.

 

[Qonundrum]

Can we compare and contrast the two series. I'd love to see a discussion about which series did what "better." The science was laughable in TOS but there were aspects of that series I liked alot.

Their disaster-themed episode, which may have influenced TNG's "Disaster", had some of the worst science (and lack thereof) as example. "Fire in the landing bay!" and nobody thinks to raise the shields as if any existed when people were walking around in the open shuttle bay... :facepalm: The episode had potential but the handling was atrociously bad... TNG's version had its share of oopsies but wasn't quite as bad. DS9's take with "Starship Down" was the best bar none...

 

[Noname Given]

I would say that the music in nuBSG blows the air locks off of Trek music.

Cheers,
-CM-

TNG era music definitely...Berman's 'sonic wallpaper' edict sucked any life out of it.

TOS era music...no way, not even close.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Their disaster-themed episode, which may have influenced TNG's "Disaster", had some of the worst science (and lack thereof) as example. "Fire in the landing bay!" and nobody thinks to raise the shields as if any existed when people were walking around in the open shuttle bay... :facepalm: The episode had potential but the handling was atrociously bad... TNG's version had its share of oopsies but wasn't quite as bad. DS9's take with "Starship Down" was the best bar none...

I don't remember the original showing anybody ever walking around the bays, and the "nu" version had anybody out there wearing pressure suits (IIRC). But the idea of a fire in the airless landing bay could have been explained by saying it was a ruptured fuel line or something (maybe they did? Haven't watched either series in over a year).

 

[JirinPanthosa]

The show was incredible for the first two seasons + New Caprica arc. Then it kind of got weird and did not have a satisfying conclusion. It didn't really give the integration of crews enough time.

I didn't mind the Cylons having a religion which drives their behavior but I didn't like the ending being directly driven by deus ex machina.

When they end the series like that, make the outcome totally predestined through supernatural intervention, it takes away the agency of the characters for the entire show's run.

A few science oopsies don't bother me too much, considering it's the only scifi show I've ever seen with truly Newtonian space combat.

 

[Qonundrum]

I don't remember the original showing anybody ever walking around the bays, and the "nu" version had anybody out there wearing pressure suits (IIRC). But the idea of a fire in the airless landing bay could have been explained by saying it was a ruptured fuel line or something (maybe they did? Haven't watched either series in over a year).

My memory is woolly; I do remember the bay in flames and everybody acted as if they were impossible to put out - which, given the shape and open ending, only leads to so many possibilities. In other episodes people walk about in there, so obviously there must be an atmospheric shield or they'd all suffocate and relieve Cylons of all that tension and angst they're not programmed to feel.

The fuel line idea is a good one - I recall a Cylon did a dive into the bay directly... yet that act didn't konk out the shield control.

I found it, "Fire in Space" is the original BSG's ill-fated episode's teaser:

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Dayum, they make it look good and some scenes were rather excellent. Big budget or not to complement, they were still trying to go above and beyond and with a plot that almost worked. Admiral Hansen from TBOBW being in a big role (semi-typecast or otherwise) is nice to see. But the one with the fire in the landing bay... That one was a given, even by general knowledge of space in 1978. Especially as Trek TOS was mindful of it more than a decade earlier.

If they wanted a fire, do it in a bigger part of the ship where there's no opening to space and there's no way to turn off atmospheric controls to the ship. There's a lot more dramatic tension that could have been utilized. The episode was on the right track, no question... and proof the original BSG wasn't always campy either, but how the fire was brought in felt like a ... misfire. /punofnointent

And any show that takes arrays of oscilloscopes and make them look like authentic, legitimate ship controls is a plus in my book...

 

[Qonundrum]

The show was incredible for the first two seasons + New Caprica arc. Then it kind of got weird and did not have a satisfying conclusion. It didn't really give the integration of crews enough time.

I didn't mind the Cylons having a religion which drives their behavior but I didn't like the ending being directly driven by deus ex machina.

When they end the series like that, make the outcome totally predestined through supernatural intervention, it takes away the agency of the characters for the entire show's run.

^^this



The 2004 miniseries pilot had me screaming at it, but seasons 1 and 2 were phenomenally great and made up for the pilot's blunders but YMMV on those.

The Cylons created by their masters I didn't care for*, but their making an AI in their own image is not uninteresting, but how far they could really go with it...

The original had some supernatural involvement as well, but cheesy or not it still made more narrative sense. An AI created by a species it's wiping out also creating a religion that turns out to be the real deal? Seasons 1 and 2 aside, the original still has a stronger premise - even if it's a more traditional one, they sold it well enough. Especially the late-70s when most television was lighthearted and in comes this doom'n'gloom saga.

* there was nothing really wrong with the original BSG's premise and usage of Cylons, though on the flip side BSG80's "human cylon" was created and used as a throwaway lame joke they didn't even bother to try, as if they were trying to get people to stop watching the show, and BSG2004 took and ran with the premise (too far the other way but it worked this time.)

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

^^this



The 2004 miniseries pilot had me screaming at it, but seasons 1 and 2 were phenomenally great and made up for the pilot's blunders but YMMV on those.

The Cylons created by their masters I didn't care for*, but their making an AI in their own image is not uninteresting, but how far they could really go with it...

The original had some supernatural involvement as well, but cheesy or not it still made more narrative sense. An AI created by a species it's wiping out also creating a religion that turns out to be the real deal? Seasons 1 and 2 aside, the original still has a stronger premise - even if it's a more traditional one, they sold it well enough. Especially the late-70s when most television was lighthearted and in comes this doom'n'gloom saga.

* there was nothing really wrong with the original BSG's premise and usage of Cylons, though on the flip side BSG80's "human cylon" was created and used as a throwaway lame joke they didn't even bother to try, as if they were trying to get people to stop watching the show, and BSG2004 took and ran with the premise (too far the other way but it worked this time.)

Human Cylon mentioned in BSG1980? That I definitely don't remember. I know they were looking at the concept of skinjobs in Hatch's Second Coming.

Seems like a lot of stuff was lifted by RDN from Second Coming. The idea of flesh Cylons, the look of the new Raiders. I loved RDM-BSG, but the part of me that watched BSG 1977 & 1980 wishes we'd have gotten Hatch's show.

 

[Qonundrum]

The BSG1980 episode with the human cylon... It's the (hideously bad) Halloween episode with Wolfman Jack as special guest star, who also doesn't do much of his trademark things! If you seek it out and watch it, you'll never forget it. And not in a good way. It's bad. The episode meanders with a clown and quickly squanders what was almost a decent setup with the Cylon-in-human guise.I can see why the reimagining would take it and try to do something good with it.

And to think BSG80 came about because a fan of BSG78 committed suicide yet waves of people didn't commit suicide after watching any episode of BSG80...

Total agreement re: "Hatch's show". He was good in BSG2004 but, yeah, his version from 1998 might have been better. I should see if the pilot is even available, to my understanding they did film it.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I don't have to "seek" far. I have the DVD's and they're ripped to my computer. I may watch that episode in the next couple days.

The 4+ minute clip of Second Coming is all that's out there, likely due to copyrights. I'd love to see the entire 30 minute pilot, if only for nostalgia. It's great that Hatch didn't pout about not getting the nod from Universal, so we got to see him as a much different character (he was great in Prelude To Axanar too).

 

[Qonundrum]

I don't have to "seek" far. I have the DVD's and they're ripped to my computer. I may watch that episode in the next couple days.

Best of luck when you do get to it! May I recommend you call in advance either a big tasty pizza? Or ICU bed because it'll make you want something good or put you into a coma...

The 4+ minute clip of Second Coming is all that's out there, likely due to copyrights. I'd love to see the entire 30 minute pilot, if only for nostalgia. It's great that Hatch didn't pout about not getting the nod from Universal, so we got to see him as a much different character (he was great in Prelude To Axanar too).

A shame it's only the 4 minutes version available, but it does intrigue.

He probably did pout a little, but didn't obsess and, indeed, he saw something in the reboot worthy enough -- his inclusion in the reboot was a boon!