SciFi’s running a marathon of Ron Moore’s Galactica and I’m finally able to take the time to watch. It is, as has been widely reported, pretty darn good. I have noted with amusement some clearly deliberate nods to Bungie’s beloved Marathon – as a small flight of ships drops out of jumpspace into a swarm of Cylon ships, a voice shrieks, “They’re everywhere!”
It’s a definite bonus to be able to see a bunch of this highly serialized show at once, too. The first one and a half were fairly dense even for me, but once I sorted out who was who and what was what and so forth, I started to really enjoy it.
I watched some of these too…and…I grudgingly admit you are right. they are good..and in a strange one in a thousand way, one of the few examples of a remake that is actually way better than the original…which was actually pretty pitiful. it seems like the show “24” set in space. very stylized and post “reality t.v.” actually though, the thing that gets me to watch it is that it’s actually good as SCIENCE FICTION…which alot of so-called “science fiction” movies and t.v. shows actually AREN’T.
the original “galactica” being a prime example. it actually wasn’t good as science fiction.
now, would someone please do a re-make of QUARK!?!?!
o.k. geek time here, but I had some time to kill and a marathon of the new version of “BATTLESTAR GALACTICA” was on sci-fi channel so I watched them.
and oddly, I thought that they are good..and in a strange one in a thousand way, one of the few examples of a remake that is actually way better than the original…
which is not too hard in this case, cause the original “galactica” actually a pretty pitiful excuse for a show. the remake seems like it’s a version of the show “24” set in space. lots of political intrigue mixed with liberal doses of violence and a little sex.
very stylized (e.g. the camera makes minor jump cuts ALOT—a-la “24”), but actually this is something I like about it…it’s not as “clean” (and “stodgey”) as the other science fiction shows of the last decade or so ( for example the modern star trek shows, which for some reason I cannot get into enough to watch a single episode of…)
there are complex characters, basically no-one on the show is perfect or even near to being perfect.
some of the characters are in fact cylons (bad-guys) programmed to be “sleeper” agents and this causes some identity issues….
actually though, the thing that gets me to watch it is that it’s actually fairly good as SCIENCE FICTION…meaning it’s got alot of great imaginative ideas and worlds and situations that are fantastic and well, imaginative. alot of so-called “science fiction” movies and t.v. shows actually just plain AREN’T good science fiction.
the original “galactica” being a prime example. you got the sense that the people that made the original knew nothing about science fiction and maybe had seen star wars once. I must admit, though, having watched the original way back when that it is kind of cool to remember that “yeah there was a guy named starbuck, and a guy named Adama on there…” and of course it’s cool that one of the original actors re-appears in a very different role…now, would someone please do a re-make of QUARK!?!?!
http://www.snowcrest.net/fox/quark/
you know what else is great about this? the producer/(re)-creator is Ronald D. Moore, who was responsible for many of the best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and was the producer in charge of Deep Space Nine. He was basically fired by the guys who just finished driving Trek into the ground, and Galactica is his revenge upon them. It’s totally personal, he writes the teleplays, and the political intrigue reflects his experience at the end of his time at Trek.
It was also entertaining for me to read each draft of Matt’s long comment!
well, I kinda wrote the first coupla drafts too fast…hehe…by the way a long time back I wrote a song called “truck stop galactica” which was supposed to be part of a COUNTRY SCIENCE FICTION SPACE/Rock OPERA about a truck driver in space…a very mutated version got recorded by Louie’s band the persuaders on the N.O.-fi cd….
Yeah, it’s probably the best SF on TeeVee today. It’s not quite as relentlessly original as Farscape was at its prime, but it’s pretty damn good. Can’t wait for season 2 to start up…