Old vs. New: Battlestar Galactica

Zapranoth · November 30, 2006, 02:23:09 AM

Love the new BSG. It's about the only thing I watch on TV.

The old show is good, for its time, but comparing it to the new show is just comparing apples and oranges... they really aren't relevant to each other.

It's astonishing, though, that so much of what's on the SciFi channel is such drek -- such obligatorily T&A-chocked, hackneyed, churned-out drek -- and then *this* show is on. Blows me away. There's some serious heavyweight good acting on the show. (Olmos!)

BoyScoutKevin · November 30, 2006, 01:56:02 PM

As a faithful watch of the old "BG," I have no interest in seeing the new "BG."

Shadow · November 30, 2006, 07:35:03 PM

It's almost a pity that the show is a "re-imagining" as aside from some of the characters, ship designs and the basic premise, the new show is nothing like the old one whatsoever. Sometimes I think that Ron Moore should have instituted a few more changes and made the show completely original and unrelated to the old one. Either that or made it a continuation of the old one, which I believe was the course the Bryan Singer version was going to take.

What do people think about the proposed prequel/spinoff, "Caprica." Personally, I am somewhat dubious on the idea.

Andrew · November 30, 2006, 08:07:02 PM

The general setting for BSG gives you a great, desperate feeling. Suddenly, a multi-world civilization is destroyed and the survivors cast adrift, hoping to escape a powerful enemy and find somewhere to live, because starships need maintenance.

A series set in the BSG universe, during the original war between the cylons and humans, could be interesting.

Fearless Freep · November 30, 2006, 11:43:53 PM

I can't watch the new one for more than a few minutes without laughing (or gatting motion sick....good grief, what's with the cameras...that epilieptic-cam was annoying enough on those TV cop dramas but it's just old now). Plus it awlays reminds me of Liz's review of "Outland"

Quote"The company-issued space helmets are rather interestingly designed, too: they all have a row of small lights lining the inside of the face-plate! Pretty, but hardly practical. (Don't get what I mean? Try this trick: when you're driving one night, turn your headlights off, and your internal lights on.... Now you've got it!)"

Remember that next time you see someone in one of those space helmets with the interior lighting

Plus all the anachornisms stand out pretty glaring. I guess it's supposed to make it look more familar but it's just breaks the attention. "We blew all our budget on shaky-cg-cam so we bought our costumes of the rack and dressed the set from stuff in our garage"

Bah...a show full of cliches and bad ideas that thinks it's so clever and takes itself oh so seriously

trekgeezer · December 01, 2006, 07:53:32 AM

Andrew, they are working on a pilot for a new series called Caprica which takes place 50 years before the events in Galactica. It is supposed to be a planet bound drama that deals with the creation of the cylons. Interestingly one of the families in the new show will be the Adamas and I was wondering who they will get to play Eddie Olmos's character as a teenager.

Freep, as far as the inwardly lit space helmets, every modern space based program or movie has those. Actors like for their faces to be seen.

Famous Mortimer · January 12, 2007, 02:16:46 PM

I was bored to tears by the old version. Horses for courses, I suppose.

The camera isn't as bad as people have made it out to be, I think, and it's a proper adult, interesting drama with great characters and a fascinating storyline.

JaseSF · January 12, 2007, 04:17:02 PM

I greatly prefer the classic space opera BSG which indeed was a fun, light-hearted series. This new series, like most of today's TV is dreadfully serious and hard edge seemingly all the time. It's not so much that they do a bad job of it. It's just I'm tired of dark, gritty angst filled shows, comics, etc.. With BSG and all space opera really, I want that fun element.

When it comes to new series though. For me nothing beats the new "Doctor Who" and truthfully very little beats the old "Doctor Who" too.

Andrew · January 12, 2007, 05:14:14 PM

Quote from: JaseSF on January 12, 2007, 04:17:02 PM
I greatly prefer the classic space opera BSG which indeed was a fun, light-hearted series. This new series, like most of today's TV is dreadfully serious and hard edge seemingly all the time. It's not so much that they do a bad job of it. It's just I'm tired of dark, gritty angst filled shows, comics, etc.. With BSG and all space opera really, I want that fun element.

When it comes to new series though. For me nothing beats the new "Doctor Who" and truthfully very little beats the old "Doctor Who" too.

You must be talking about Tom Baker as the Doctor. He was always my favorite - animated, a bit eccentric in his dress and grooming, and always very calm. In fact, I remember that when he got agitated I was interested, because whatever it was had to be really important.

Um, jellybabies?

JaseSF · January 12, 2007, 07:19:26 PM

I've yet to see a version of "Doctor Who" I didn't like. But then I'm huge on classic British Sci-Fi like Quatermass, Trollenberg Terror, Village of the Damned, X the Unknown, etc.. I'll never get enough of that style of storytelling.

Dennis · January 13, 2007, 03:01:03 AM

I watched every episode of the original series and enjoyed each minute of them, liked the SFX, realized that the science was kind of weak but it's a sci-fi show so I didn't expect more, never did find the Cylons particularly menacing but overall I thought it was a good effort. I was a little put out when it was canceled.
The new version addresses all of this and is a good bit darker, which is as it should be, and the Cylons in this series are genuinely terrifying.

Shadow · January 13, 2007, 12:52:46 PM

I am really beginning to think that as a species, the Cylons are inherently insane. They don't know what the hell they want to do. First they wipe out the 12 colonies and pursue the fleet in hopes of annihilating it, then change their minds and cease their occupation of the colonies and say that the two races will just go their seperate ways. Then they're back to occupy New Caprica before contemplating nuking it as they abandon it. Now they want to find Earth and make it their new home? What do they plan on doing with any Humans they might find there? Enslave them? Obliterate them? These people/toasters are seriously unstable. If ever there was a case of a species' technological abilities being far in advance of their social development, it's the Cylons. Very scary.

Famous Mortimer · January 15, 2007, 12:00:48 PM

Quote from: Shadowfyre on January 13, 2007, 12:52:46 PM
I am really beginning to think that as a species, the Cylons are inherently insane. They don't know what the hell they want to do. First they wipe out the 12 colonies and pursue the fleet in hopes of annihilating it, then change their minds and cease their occupation of the colonies and say that the two races will just go their seperate ways. Then they're back to occupy New Caprica before contemplating nuking it as they abandon it. Now they want to find Earth and make it their new home? What do they plan on doing with any Humans they might find there? Enslave them? Obliterate them? These people/toasters are seriously unstable. If ever there was a case of a species' technological abilities being far in advance of their social development, it's the Cylons. Very scary.

I completely agree, and think that's a pretty interesting view of them. It's showing, for one of the very few times in literature / TV of this sort, that the invading "alien" race isn't a monolithic thing but has all sorts of debates and doubts running through it.

I'd say there are plenty of TV sci-fi that's not dark / bleak, the Star Treks and Stargates are pretty light in their tone, most of the time. And there's "Doctor Who" too (not so much of a fan of "Torchwood", don't know how many people in the US are into it yet).

JaseSF · January 15, 2007, 05:02:51 PM

For me personally, the New BSG was no fun so I lost interest and stopped watching it. That's probably not the case for others but it was for me.

Shadow · January 15, 2007, 07:05:21 PM

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on January 15, 2007, 12:00:48 PM
I'd say there are plenty of TV sci-fi that's not dark / bleak, the Star Treks and Stargates are pretty light in their tone, most of the time. And there's "Doctor Who" too (not so much of a fan of "Torchwood", don't know how many people in the US are into it yet).

I enjoyed Torchwood, but I would not place it in my all time favorites (like Doctor Who). It had its good moments and bad ones. Then there was that whacked out final episode that almost bordered on a Kaiju film. That really took me by surprise, which I suppose is a good thing.