Galactica 1980, anyone?...Anyone? (1 Viewer)

[Rutgar]

If I had watched the mini-series of the new show, and I hadn't been told the name of it, when it was finished, I would have easily recognized the show as "Battlestar Galactica". It's not as if they took the name, and put it on a remake of "Gone with the Wind".

 

[Eric Paddon]

Since I am a proud member of that fanbase of the original Galactica that has loyally defended that show from 25 years worth of lies about its popularity, its ratings, and the lies about it being a "cheesy ripoff" (if Galactica is "cheesy" then so too is 80% of all episodes of Star Trek TOS), it does matter a big deal when the name is slapped on a work that goes out of its way to trash the values and philosophy of the original that gave it endearing appeal to its fanbase.

This show only has about 5% that is barely recognizable as Galactica. Just enough to justify the hijacking of the name (and enough to have forced Glen Larson to sue to get a proper creators and writers credit which Ron Moore in his egomania wanted to deny him at first) but with everything else purposefully trashed in arrogant fashion by Ron Moore.

 

[Gordon St Pierre]

So I guess by that statement then Glen Larson only deserves 5% of the total he would normally get as creator/writer.

I find these posts a little amusing,to say the least.I am a Huge fan of the original show ,saw it in its first run & own it on DVD .I also find myself loving the new series,great take on an old concept,great casting,great writing,great acting,great use of cgi-I could go on & on .
Hopefully ,the new series will last a lot longer than the original & by the looks of things & the ratings it will.

As for the purpose of this thread ..I'd probably Buy Galactica 80 just to own it even though it was pretty bad :0

 

[Eric Paddon]

No, it means that if Ron Moore has to appropriate another person's story idea even a tiny bit when constructing his own vision of a sci-fi series and then doesn't want to give proper credit for that portion (without which he'd be nowhere) then the operative word becomes plagiarism.

 

[Martin Rendall]

So he would be stealing from Universal?

Martin.

 

[Grant H]

Rutgar, you may want to spoilerize that one post for those who haven't watched the new BG mini-series yet.

I purposely didn't say that one point about the characters since it isn't revealed until the final minute of the mini-series.

 

[Deb Walsh]

I loved the original series, never missed it first run, even had costumes, toys, the barking Muffet, etc. Got my first VCR just so I could record BSG. I enjoyed Galactica 1980, and I'd buy it, but I probably wouldn't play it again and again as often as I'd do the original series. I'd love to have it to complete the collection, and I still feel that Return of Starbuck is an amazing piece of television.

As for the new series ... wow. I don't feel the need to express my loyalty to the original series by boycotting the new one. The new series is able to do things the original couldn't because of its time. But the underlying belief in humanity is still there at the core. Now, if they could just create roles for Anne Lockhart and Dirk Benedict, I'd be very happy indeed.

 

[Greg_S_H]

Things have changed so much in the last 30 years that the original concept would be completely fresh and original, while what they went with sounds like every other show in existence. Not to bash the new show, though, as I've never seen it and don't intend to. It is funny that the hacks currently on Enterprise have already ripped off the new version, though. They had Hoshi talk about assaulting her CO over a poker game--an action and history totally out of place given her established character, that felt like it came straight off the characterization version of the old plot wheel, and that sounds suspiciously like what I've read happened early in the BSG mini-series.

 

[DougFND]

Just one comments on "The Return of Starbuck". While it was certainly the best of the G80 episodes, check out the crashed Cylon raider when Starbuck first approaches it. It's really, really bad. Shows just how low-budget the show was.

As for buying the set, I don't know. I love Galactica and I was so excited at nine years old when it came back as Galactica 1980. But, it was just so bad. I watched them all during one of the Sci-Fi runs a couple of years ago as I was archiving them to VHS from the TiVo. During the most recent Sci-Fi run, I archived to DVD and I think that will suffice.

 

[TomJC]

To address the actual topic of this thread first, the novelty of Galactica 1980 would make it tempting for me to buy it. I always found it weird to see actors like Kent McCord and Barry Van Dyke in the Galactica uniforms and settings. Plus, as many have commented on, most episodes were laughably bad. Enough to enjoy rewatching for just how bad they were.

As far as the old series vs. the new series goes, I enjoyed the old series when I was a kid, but find it difficult to rewatch as an adult. The new series appeals more to my adult sensibilities. The same, yet different. I don't think it makes me closed-minded to enjoy it, as some people seem to be suggesting. (Funny that some people are ripping on people for "trashing" the old series while enjoying the new one, then go ahead and do essentially the same thing by trashing the new series.)

 

[Eric Paddon]

"(Funny that some people are ripping on people for "trashing" the old series while enjoying the new one, then go ahead and do essentially the same thing by trashing the new series.)"

Maybe that's because the fans of the old series don't appreciate the fact that the name of a show they kept interest in for 25 years has now been appropriated for the use of people who reinvented it in the image of its detractors and to attract a fanbase that only wants to rip the original at every possibility with the kind of crap about how it was "cheesy" and "campy" and for the "kiddie" mindset that we've spent 25 years trying to rebut in an effort to get a continuation project that was yanked away from us only at the last minute.

 

[Rutgar]

Er, Eric. Have you watched the original show lately? It WAS "cheesy and campy".

 

[Eric Paddon]

I've watched it a good deal over the years, and if Galactica is to be hung with that epithet then so too should two-thirds to three quarters of all episodes of "Star Trek". Galactica may have had its share of "space western" shows but at least that didn't insult the intelligence the way planets with Nazi Germany, American Indian and 1920s Chicago parallel societies did on a recurring basis in the show that everyone always takes time to hail as the mark of TV at its finest (and I'm not trying to knock Star Trek, which I like, but it was a show that suffered from the limits of its times in the same way that Galactica did and just as Trek should be judged by what parts of it transcended the limitations of when it was made so too should Galactica)

The original series had its flaws, but it also produced some outstanding quality sci-fi entertainment at its best (the original pilot, Living Legend, War Of The Gods, Hand Of God), and I'm not about to see the flaws that were common to *all* forms of sci-fi TV of the 1960s and 1970s be used as a convenient tool to run down the things about the TOS that transcended those limitations because it's the senseless change of those things by Moore that produced the animosity that still exists today.

 

[Rutgar]

I agree. But were not talking about Star Trek, were talking about the original Galactica. And saying the original show wasn't cheesy or campy, is being in denial. The new Glactica is far more adult oriented, and is one of the chief reasons I like it.

 

[Jay Pennington]

May I suggest that discussion of the new BG is off-topic to this thread.

 

[Tony J Case]

Besides. . . . Doctor Who p0wns them both.

 

[Eric Paddon]

"But were not talking about Star Trek, were talking about the original Galactica."

And if original Galactica is going to get hung with the epithets the new series fans like to hang on it to justify their show, then it becomes time to bring in all other shows of Galactica's era that do not get hung with those epithets despite having just as many if not more examples of how that epithet can be so applied, which is why the Trek comparison is valid in that instance.

 

[Martin Rendall]

I dunno. It doesn't seem to me like there's that many people who need to deride the original in order to justify liking the new one.

I mean even labelling them all "detractors" makes the conspiracy theorist alarm bells ring ding ding ding!!

Sure, there will be people who like the new one but not the old one, but they are not "detractors". Just like there are people who won't like the new one but loved the old one. They are just "new show detractors" anyway.

Martin.

 

[Jimmy M]

Eric never responded to this question. I think he mentally blocks these things out.

Myself, I love both shows. I definately recognize the cheese factor in the original, but that doesn't make it a) a bad show or b) something to avoid.

Trying to steer this back on topic though, I'd probably watch G-80 at least once through in its entirety, but probably not more than that. Which translates to yes, I would buy it.

Jimmy!

 

[Jeff*H]

I've been observing the ongoing battle of words between the 2 camps, and have decided that one thing is inevitable that both sides could agree will definitely suck:

"Galactica 2010"...

My prediction: the new Sci-Fi "BG" will suffer a ratings drop in another season or 2, then be cancelled. Sci-Fi will realize it made a mistake, and bring a new re-imagined version of "Galactica 1980" back, with a smaller budget and smaller stars, and have them reach Earth, with the following plot points:

Instead of flying motorcycles, they will use flying motorized scooters (GOB from 'Arrested Development' will be in heaven)...

Instead of star-child Dr. Zee, they will have Dr. Tee (played by none other than Mr. T, who helps the Galacticans assimilate into Earth's culture, and who pities the Cylon fool who tries to get medevil on his ass!)...

Instead of Kent McCord and Barry Van Dyke, they will have Lorenzo Lamas and Kevin Sorbo in potential career-sinking roles; Alan Thicke will play Dr. Mortinson, filling Robert Reed's enormous shoes (ahem!) Jaimie Lynn Spears will play Jaimie (she'll be 20 by then and looking to move on from the Disney Channel)...

Edward James Olmos (with a fake beard) will discover that Earth's lighter gravity allows him to twist his lips upward, causing him to smile for the first time...