WTF!! A new Battlestar Galactica film is in the works??!&

[Gubaba]

Y'know...this thread inspired me.

I liked the original series when I was a wee little tyke (I even had the daggit stuffed toy where you pulled the string and it barked), but it's one of those things I never really wanted to revisit because I figured that the older, wiser (?) me would think that it sucked (see also: Tron, The Last Starfighter, and Unidentified Flying Oddballs). So I opted out when the new series started and I never got around to watching it.

Finally, thanks to this thread, I decided to check it out. However, at the DVD shop, something caught my eye. Now, I've heard rumblings here and there about how the original series was a true classic, and the new series pissed all over it, as well as cannibalized its storylines. And there, at the store, for rental, was the Original Series box set.

So I rented it, figuring I'd watch as much of it as I could stomach before moving on to the new series.

So far, I've watched the debut movie ("Saga of a Star World") and I just finished Part 1 of Lost Planet of the Gods, and...

Um...

Why do people still like this show?

It's watchable, but it doesn't strike me as being very good so far. Sure, the theme music pressed my nostalgia buttons (as did the opeing and closing narrations). The special effects are nice, but it rivals Macross 7 in recycled footage. Likewise, the mechanical designs aren't bad, just a little silly. But...man, the acting is terrible, that characters are flimsier than balsa wood, and the stories are pure '70s TV melodrama.

Really, I think the loveliness of Jane Seymour is really the best thing about the show.

Is there something I'm missing...?

[eugimon]

nope.

Well, unless you have a fetish for velour.

[Gubaba]

nope.

Well, unless you have a fetish for velour.

Yep. Nothing says "seventies" like the brown jackets...except for the disco trio with the double faces on that casino world...and Richard Hatch's hair.

And the young Jane Seymour. But, as I said before, I'm fine with THAT aspect of the seventies.

[anime52k8]

nope.

Well, unless you have a fetish for velour.

and chrome, don't forget the chrome.

[Mog]

. . .And all Vipers had just three buttons on the control stick: FIRE, TURBO, and REVERSE.

[eugimon]

. . .And all Vipers had just three buttons on the control stick: FIRE, TURBO, and REVERSE.

That's all you needed back then, it was just that way.

But you know, you try to tell that to kids these days...

[electric indigo]

and chrome, don't forget the chrome.

Chrome? What chrome?

I agree that the old episodes are only watchable if you remember how you watched them as a child, but all the spaceship designs are still standing strong as they were back in the days. Like the Buck Rogers starfighter, the Galactica, Basestars, Vipers and Raiders are icons of SF.

Ralph McQuarrie molded my taste for good.

As for the remake - why not go full 70s-retro:

[taksraven]

Y'know...this thread inspired me.

I liked the original series when I was a wee little tyke (I even had the daggit stuffed toy where you pulled the string and it barked), but it's one of those things I never really wanted to revisit because I figured that the older, wiser (?) me would think that it sucked (see also: Tron, The Last Starfighter, and Unidentified Flying Oddballs). So I opted out when the new series started and I never got around to watching it.

Finally, thanks to this thread, I decided to check it out. However, at the DVD shop, something caught my eye. Now, I've heard rumblings here and there about how the original series was a true classic, and the new series pissed all over it, as well as cannibalized its storylines. And there, at the store, for rental, was the Original Series box set.

So I rented it, figuring I'd watch as much of it as I could stomach before moving on to the new series.

So far, I've watched the debut movie ("Saga of a Star World") and I just finished Part 1 of Lost Planet of the Gods, and...

Um...

Why do people still like this show?

It's watchable, but it doesn't strike me as being very good so far. Sure, the theme music pressed my nostalgia buttons (as did the opeing and closing narrations). The special effects are nice, but it rivals Macross 7 in recycled footage. Likewise, the mechanical designs aren't bad, just a little silly. But...man, the acting is terrible, that characters are flimsier than balsa wood, and the stories are pure '70s TV melodrama.

Really, I think the loveliness of Jane Seymour is really the best thing about the show.

Is there something I'm missing...?

I find its the same with a lot of shows from that era. Great at the time, but unwatchable as the years progress. I had a very similar experience with Buck Rogers. Last year I purchased season one of this show cheap and I expected that I would enjoy watching it again. I was surprised to find out that it was not watchable or enjoyable. And in a similar fashion to your original BSG experience, the best thing about the old Buck Rogers was Erin Gray. Most of the rest of it was not good, especially that padded scripts and poor acting.

Its funny though, I can watch other shows from the same era and older (normally different nationalities) and enjoy them, however. Space 1999 is still fun to watch, as is Gatchaman, Star Blazers, Doctor Who, original Trek, UFO, original Gundam, etc and the list goes on.

Dunno why its the case, but I have a few factors that stop series from aging well and it usually involves poor scripting and acting.

I think that the "re-imagined" BSG might age better than the original series. Time will tell......

Taksraven

[Ghost Train]

How about make it a 70's styled Space-ploitation film/spoof - guest starring "Black Dynamite" as Apollo, and Shaft as Starbuck. Samuel L. Jackson as Admiral Adama....

Edited August 21, 2009 by Ghost Train

[eugimon]

How about make it a 70's styled Space-ploitation film/spoof - guest starring "Black Dynamite" as Apollo, and Shaft as Starbuck. Samuel L. Jackson as Admiral Adama....

Get those mutherfrakin' cylons off my mutherfrakin' ship!

Sam Jackson as Adama actually sounds cool, and good for sam too, since he's not getting enough work lately.

And I'm sure it will be great fun, I can only imagine the type of fan that sent death threats over women being cast as Starbuck and Boomer will only be too thrilled over a black man being cast as Adama...

I think that the "re-imagined" BSG might age better than the original series. Time will tell......

I think it's very likely moore's BSG will still be regarded as a great show 20 years from now. The writing is fantastic and the story and themes of the show revolve around human and character drama. And the way the technology is depicted, realistic and retro helps to insulate it from ravages of time.

Ultimately, shows like the original BSG are all about the gimmick.. moore's BSG was just great human drama that happened to be set in outer space. The relationships, the human failings, the resonance of people struggling against their own base nature is something that audiences will be able to relate to for decades to come.

Edited August 21, 2009 by eugimon

[Uxi]

Hopefully they'll have Dirk Benedict as the REAL Starbuck again.

[Gubaba]

...and I just watched "Lost Planet of the Gods Part II" (episode 3 of the original series) and Jane Seymour just died.

I'll watch the next episode or two and see how they are, but I'm not optimistic.

...Why do people like this show, again?

[Gaijin]

...and I just watched "Lost Planet of the Gods Part II" (episode 3 of the original series) and Jane Seymour just died.

I'll watch the next episode or two and see how they are, but I'm not optimistic.

...Why do people like this show, again?

In the 70's it was cool. It has not stood up well. I cringe watching the original now.

RDM's BSG for the win.

[Gubaba]

In the 70's it was cool. It has not stood up well. I cringe watching the original now.

RDM's BSG for the win.

It's not as cringe-worthy as I had feared it would be...but it's certainly bad (and dull).

But I've definitely heard people here and elsewhere say that the new one completely desecrates the "classic" original series. Powerful nostalgia goggles are the only rationale I can think of for why the original is apparently so beloved.

[electric indigo]

Back in the day the Cylon Centurions were the coolest SF villains (next to Darth Vader himself). It certainly did things to my brain.

"By.Your.Command." - vVRrrr - vVRrrr - vVRrrr

[Gubaba]

Back in the day the Cylon Centurions were the coolest SF villains (next to Darth Vader himself).

And how about now...?

I just watched the "wild west" episode last night. Lame.

[electric indigo]

I suppose you aren't 12 anymore?

[Gubaba]

I suppose you aren't 12 anymore?

Nope (fortunately).

Is that all it boils down to? Nostalgia?

At amazon.com, the original series has something like 160 five-star reviews. But it's really hard for me to imagine anyone watching this for pure pleasure, unless they were kids when it first came out (and hell, that's my situation, and even I'm not enjoying it much...).

[Vifam7]

Nope (fortunately).

Is that all it boils down to? Nostalgia?

At amazon.com, the original series has something like 160 five-star reviews. But it's really hard for me to imagine anyone watching this for pure pleasure, unless they were kids when it first came out (and hell, that's my situation, and even I'm not enjoying it much...).

There are fans who say the samething about the original SDF Macross TV series or Robotech.

[Gubaba]

There are fans who say the samething about the original SDF Macross TV series or Robotech.

True (and I for one can't watch Robotech any more).

But that's beside the point. I guess I was hoping that someone who liked the original series would explain why they liked it...and give it a little more reasoning beyond, "When I was five, this show was the best!"

[eugimon]

There are fans who say the samething about the original SDF Macross TV series or Robotech.

Difference is SDF Macross has believable characters in an extraordinary setting which helps it age more gracefully despite the uber collars and bell bottoms. The original Galactica really doesn't have that going for it. Its characters are really a collection of cliches wearing velour that doesn't try to go in a unique direction but tries desperately to recapture the magic of Star Wars and repackage it for TV consumption.

[EXO]

I for one wished that the Battlestar series lasted for a longer time than it did. It just seems like it would take generations to find earth and not as quickly as they did. Usually I want a show to end because the plots get too ridiculous but I would have been willing to make an exception for BSG... Only because now we don't have a series that brings us awesome space battles almost every week.

I'm not gonna say anything about this new movie, I talked a lot of crap before seeing the series. But I'm not a big Brian Singer fan.

[eugimon]

talking about Moore's BSG there EXO, right?

[Vifam7]

True (and I for one can't watch Robotech any more).

But that's beside the point. I guess I was hoping that someone who liked the original series would explain why they liked it...and give it a little more reasoning beyond, "When I was five, this show was the best!"

I think it's more of a comfort level thing. They grew up in that time period and they're used to and prefer what was the standard of the period. Kinda like how some guys love the old 60-70's cars and how they handle, than modern cars with traction control and all sorts of computer assistance.

[Gubaba]

I think it's more of a comfort level thing. They grew up in that time period and they're used to and prefer what was the standard of the period. Kinda like how some guys love the old 60-70's cars and how they handle, than modern cars with traction control and all sorts of computer assistance.

Hmm. I guess that'll have to do, although I was hoping for something a little more intrinsic to the show itself.

For me, it's been more of a "Ye gads, I actually liked this??? What a stupid little kid I must've been!"

[EXO]

talking about Moore's BSG there EXO, right?

yes. Though I liked the ending I found it very abrupt. And I thought that the reveal of the final five was too soon and too much of a blow all your wad at once type thing, just to get to the ending. Believe or not I kinda like the anticipation between seasons.

[eugimon]

yes. Though I liked the ending I found it very abrupt. And I thought that the reveal of the final five was too soon and too much of a blow all your wad at once type thing, just to get to the ending. Believe or not I kinda like the anticipation between seasons.

Yeah.. I think 4.5 could have been stretched to a full season. I like that they're planning to do a movie set on earth... while I liked the ending I thought the final episode was a little too much like the ending of Return of the King with all the little mini endings.

[Penguin]

Hmm. I guess that'll have to do, although I was hoping for something a little more intrinsic to the show itself.

For me, it's been more of a "Ye gads, I actually liked this??? What a stupid little kid I must've been!"

Wow, you guys are really hard on the 70s sci-fi. Bet you'd even talk smack about "Battle Beyond the Stars" or "Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone".

I still enjoy watching the classic BSG. There is a charm and optimism about the original that I continue to find appealing. The re-use of footage became a fun touchpoint for the series. e.g. "Don't ever fly in the middle of a 3-raider formation"; "Look! Zack's viper! He's back from the dead!" Part of the acceptance of that was naturally based in the scarcity of that level of special effects in a TV show, so it was just cool to see something that even approximated "Star Wars" effects every week. The actors grew into their characters somewhat over time, although the writing remained thin, especially in comparison to the new series. Nostalgia does play a part, but many of us continue to enjoy it in spite of its faults, and not just through the lens of our 8-year-old selves.

[Gubaba]

Wow, you guys are really hard on the 70s sci-fi. Bet you'd even talk smack about "Battle Beyond the Stars" or "Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone".

Oh, I'm far more picky than that...I'll even attack Deathsport, Star Crash, Yor: The Hunter of the Future, and Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared Syn!

I still enjoy watching the classic BSG. There is a charm and optimism about the original that I continue to find appealing. The re-use of footage became a fun touchpoint for the series. e.g. "Don't ever fly in the middle of a 3-raider formation"; "Look! Zack's viper! He's back from the dead!" Part of the acceptance of that was naturally based in the scarcity of that level of special effects in a TV show, so it was just cool to see something that even approximated "Star Wars" effects every week. The actors grew into their characters somewhat over time, although the writing remained thin, especially in comparison to the new series. Nostalgia does play a part, but many of us continue to enjoy it in spite of its faults, and not just through the lens of our 8-year-old selves.

Fair enough.

And yes, the special effects are, for the most part, quite good. I really think the writing is the main culprit as to why the show is failing to grab me. But then, I guess genuine SF writers who were working for television were probably something of a scarcity in 1978.

[taksraven]

Wow, you guys are really hard on the 70s sci-fi. Bet you'd even talk smack about "Battle Beyond the Stars" or "Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone".

They'll probably even criticise Starcrash next.....

Taksraven

Edit: DAMN YOU GUBABA!! I read to the bottom of the thread and see that the classic Starcrash already has a mention. Oh well, the picture of Caroline Munro stays anyway.

Edited August 24, 2009 by taksraven

[Penguin]

Oh well, the picture of Caroline Munro stays anyway.

... I'd call that a win

[Mog]

Yeah.. I think 4.5 could have been stretched to a full season. I like that they're planning to do a movie set on earth... while I liked the ending I thought the final episode was a little too much like the ending of Return of the King with all the little mini endings.

I actually loved that "Return of the King"-like aspect of the finale.

As I was watching the second half of that last episode, I knew the ending was coming soon.

But I wanted that "good-bye" to be stretched out as long as possible.

It's sorta like that feeling where you know the party's gonna end soon, but you just want to hold on and hang out. . .just a little bit more.

[eugimon]

I wished they had devoted a full episode to it and spent some more time with the characters. Adama and Tigh deserved some screen time, for instance.

[azrael]

Let me ask a question. What are the chances that Singer will actually go through with this production? Could it be handed off to someone else if he decides to not go through with it. I read last week (maybe it was Superhero Hype or Dark Horizons) that Bryan Singer likes to start lots of projects but whether or not something will actually get green-lit normally is the $10M question. As I understand it, there's rumors that he's been approached for Wolverine 2.

[cobywan]

I heard he was interested in X-men first year or something like that. I think they should make a movie of the classic BSG totally tongue in cheek.