Batttlestar Gallactica - The Original Series (1 Viewer)

[Jack P]

"Galactica 1980" wasn't included in any syndication packages so any package would have just been regular Galactica and Buck. "Galactica 1980" didn't resurface at all until the late 90s on Sci-Fi Channel.

 

[ScottRE]

Because we're in the south and they thought "more rural" type programs would get better ratings. It didn't help that the person in charge didn't like SF at all but *did* like those two programs.

Also depends on who gets the rights to which show. In New York, Star Trek was on WPIX and Lost in Space - when it appeared - was on WNEW.

 

[BobO'Link]

Also depends on who gets the rights to which show. In New York, Star Trek was on WPIX and Lost in Space - when it appeared - was on WNEW.

Single station market. No worries about rights as the next closest market was far enough away (70 miles) the distributors didn't worry about it. There were several syndicated programs we aired that also aired on those "remote" stations (and you could pick them up locally quite easily). Even if they had, those stations didn't air any SF programs either - unless they happened to be on one of the networks.

 

[ScottRE]

I guess they just give the viewers what they want. Or think they want...

 

[Blimpoy06]

My local independent station ran the two hour movie versions of Galactica on Saturday's in the early 80's. I got so used to them I forgot the hour versions were different until I started getting the VHS tapes. I made an off air recording of "The Gun On Ice Planet Zero" and watched it a lot. I wish Universal had included these versions on home video. The Six Million Dollar Man and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. have their alternate edits available on video. I think I read somewhere that they were released on VHS in Germany with the complete series.

 

[Jack P]

Universal at least made all the cut scenes available in their DVD releases including even scenes that weren't part of the telemovies (notably all the "Serina is dying" footage from the pilot). But oddly one telemovie scene from "Lost Planet Of The Gods" was missing in the supplements, where Adama describes the last days of Kobol.

 

[Jasper70]

All this talk made me pop a Blu-ray in and watch Gun on Ice Planet Zero tonight. I love the colors on these discs. Never get tired of this show. I was 9 when it first aired and totally in love with it. Obviously nostalgia plays a big role here but I just can’t help but enjoy it whenever I watch it.

 

[Scott511]

But oddly one telemovie scene from "Lost Planet Of The Gods" was missing in the supplements, where Adama describes the last days of Kobol.

Here's a clip that includes that scene

 

[Jack P]

The scene not only should have been in the supplements it should have been in the original episode since it gave fantastic back story for the series as a whole. Similar to the Patrick Macnee-John Colicos scene in "War Of The Gods" that gives us the back story of the Cylons and how Count Iblis's voice can be the same as the Imperious Leader's. (For Galactica to capitalize on the fact that they cast Macnee for that part when he'd already been doing the voice part and then come up with that backstory moment may be one of the best examples of on-the-fly creative thinking there's ever been).

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

Brad here. I could talk on this until everyone’s ears went pointed Vulcan. I was all of 18-19 years hen BSG premiered and I was captivated by the story, the gorgeous women, the technology (downright laughable by today’s standards), the women, the laser battles, the women.....

Let’s just say that I wanted to have Maren Jensen & Laurette Spang fighting over me.

Anybody here remember the 5 minute or so “Battlestar Galactica, The Second Coming” trailer put together in the late 90s when Richard Hatch was trying to put together a continuation of the original series? Of course we know how all turned out.

 

[ScottRE]

Anybody here remember the 5 minute or so “Battlestar Galactica, The Second Coming” trailer put together in the late 90s when Richard Hatch was trying to put together a continuation of the original series? Of course we know how all turned out.

I saw that trailer at a convention when he started making the rounds. It was thrilling and he got a standing ovation when it ran. He ran it a second time for us. It was shortly after John Colocos had passed and he said they filmed enough footage to include Baltar and tie up his story.

I was really bummed he never got it off the ground and was also disappointed his Great War of Magellan film concept didn't come to pass either.

 

[Jack P]

I have to admit I was always a bit leery of Hatch as the would-be head of a revival project. The thing that made me suspicious were all his ghostwritten Galactica novels that in all candor were simply awful. They showed not the slightest bit of understanding of what actually unfolded in the episodes and seemed to have been thrown on the fly based on viewing the cut version of the pilot and going from Hatch's imperfect memory of events. That was why the idea of him writing a revival project never got me too enthused. It's always been frustrating to me that whenever Galactica has been done in official novels or comic books, the writers really have no sense of how the show unfolded or how important certain episodes were in shaping the characters (the early comics of Max Press in 1995 got it right until they went afield with too big epic storylines and didn't get a handle on where they were going; Realm Press did a few good issues before they folded prematurely; I have no comment on what Dynamite has done)

 

[Jasper70]

Ahh, what might have been. First time seeing that trailer. I think it might have been great.
Possibly might Universal continue the original story in a later reboot of the original? Hollywood seems to live off of remakes it seems.
I enjoyed the newer series as well as the old but they are night and day. Worlds apart

 

[Jack P]

Unless you have Dirk Benedict and Anne Lockhart (the only two left I can still see doing it) in cameos for a "Next Generation" that continues the original series storyline, there isn't anything left that could interest me as far as what they can do with the property now. I'm not interested in reboots even if done properly and told the right way.

Fan creativity has usually done a much better job of coming up with inspiring ways to explore what might have happened next.

 

[ScottRE]

I would totally be fine with a recast version picking up exactly where the original series left off, following up "The Hand of God." It would never, ever happen, but I'd love to see it.

 

[Jack P]

A plug for the best Galactica fanfic site on the net! (25 years old now)

http://galacticafanfic.com/bsg-page.html

 

[Worth]

A new film version has been in development for years:

https://filmschoolrejects.com/new-battlestar-galactica-movie-space-fatigue/

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

I actually had this issue back then.
Wish I could find these today.

 

[The Drifter]

As a huge fan of both the original BG series & the "re-imagined" version from the 200X's, I also have 0 interest in a revival of the original show.

I don't count the re-imagined version as a revival - since that show had no connection(s) to the original as far as continuity was concerned.

I knew about the late Richard Hatch (Apollo) trying to get a revival of the original series off the ground back in the '90's (and possibly beyond), but obviously finances had a lot to do with this and/or lack of interest by anyone. I did not read his Galactica novels so can't speak about them. He was definitely passionate about the potential project, but without the financing and/or the interest - obviously this never had the chance to go anywhere.

I did feel Hatch was a good sport in playing a major guest star in the re-imagined version - despite not liking the direction the new show had gone. This was a nice "homage" to the original series.

 

[Brian Himes]

I have watched and own both versions of Galactica. The original is still one of my all time favorite shows and I have lost count of the number of times that I've watched it. I had it taped off TV in the late 80s and wore those tapes out. I tried to buy all of the officially released VHS tapes but couldn't find each and every one. I gladly bought the first DVD set with the huge Cylon head box (still have it) and then the smaller Cylon head box. Then the single sided set and finally the Blu-ray set. So, in short the original holds a very special place in my heart and mind (and I guess my wallet).

I liked the re-imagined version to a point. The end was dreadful. It didn't really tie everything together and the whole resolution was lame. In the end I feel that the new version was a failure.

That being said, I would welcome a revival of the original. I think that done correctly and with a closer eye on continuity it could be a great thing. The original had such potential to be a great series but got cut short. Galactica 1980 is best forgotten. I can watch it but it is a painful experience. Such a let down. I would like to see a new version of the original as it was done and continue into a second or third season just to see where it could have gone. Sadly, I don't think that will happen. The chance for that has passed.