# Why is it a good idea to reprise Battlestar Galactica? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 20, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668 "2003-07-20T01:11:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/1 "2003-07-20T01:11:16Z")
According to the Sci-fi channel [Battlestar Galactica](http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/) is coming back as a new series. It was amusing at times, but overall it is the absolute archetype of silly 80’s cheeze fest sci-fi. Are we so bereft of new ideas we have to go digging in the creative trash barrel to retrieve old “B” quality sci-fi plots for series? What is the logic behind all this. I can’t seem to make sense of it. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/2 "2003-07-20T01:17:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > \*\* Are we so bereft of new ideas we have to go digging in the creative trash barrel to retrieve old “B” quality sci-fi plots for series? \*\* DING!! DING!!! DING!!! We have a winner! There’s plenty of sci-fi literature that COULD be adapted for TV or movies, but the Sci-Fi Channel (AKA “Killer of Shows”) decided to play it safe and go with a “sure thing.” _Battlestar Galactica_ is only supposed to be a mini-series, but they are hoping to make it into a new series. If it makes it, rest assured that Sci-Fi will manage to destroy it. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/3 "2003-07-20T01:25:13Z")
A new “Cattlecar Galaxative” series? My appalled-o-meter just fried again. ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/4 "2003-07-20T02:22:47Z")
Apparently the Sci Fi channel thought the anguished yells of “They dumped _Farscape_ and they’re keeping/buying/remaking/making a series of _what_?!” were dying down, and wanted to fuel the anger again. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/5 "2003-07-20T02:27:59Z")
They can’t really win with this one, can they? If you hated the 80s show, you’ll be turned off from the name and if you liked the old show you’ll be turned off by all the changes. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5ac83/32.png) [@The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mad_Hermit)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/6 "2003-07-20T02:30:02Z")
They have the rights, and the name has brand recognition, which means an automatic “market share” of ratings. SciFi doesn’t have to compete with the major letter networks for viewers, they are happy with a fraction of the viewers. Besides, as bad as it was, there’s a _chance_ this incarnation could be better… \*_shudders contemplating anything worse_ \* 😉 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/7 "2003-07-20T03:55:56Z")
The problem is, the fans will hate it - it’s not a continuation like _Star Trek: The Next Generation_ was, which keeps the canon of the original series (more or less) and follows on with more of the same only better. It’s a “re-imagining”. i.e. They have changed everything the fans liked about it, and made basically the same show with updated soap operatic teen-angsty storylines. If it wasn’t bad enough that Starbuck is now a woman, they’ve changed something so fundamentally cool about the original series so that **nobody** will like it: the Cylons aren’t robots anymore, they’re basically indistinguishable from humans! Argh! Or at least, I’m pretty sure that’s what they did. Maybe they wised up in-between-times and corrected that. Hope so. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/8 "2003-07-20T03:57:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Steelerphan \* > Besides, as bad as it was, there’s a _chance_ this incarnation could be better… > > \*_shudders contemplating anything worse_ \* 😉 \*\* **Galactica 1980** perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/9 "2003-07-20T04:04:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GuanoLad \* > If it wasn’t bad enough that Starbuck is now a woman, Well…that will certainly alleviate some of the sexual tension between Starbuck and Apollo that permiated the original sieries. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GuanoLad \* > they’ve changed something so fundamentally cool about the original series so that **nobody** will like it: the Cylons aren’t robots anymore, they’re basically indistinguishable from humans! Ahh…that takes me back to a simpler time before sophisticated killer cyborgs from the future and AI machines imprisoning humans in VR worlds to use as batteries. Back to the days of the stiff lurching shiny metal robot yelling **DESTROY… THE… HUMANOIDS!!!** ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/10 "2003-07-20T04:50:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > \*\*According to the Sci-fi channel [Battlestar Galactica](http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/) is coming back as a new series. > > It was amusing at times, but overall it is the absolute archetype of silly 80’s cheeze fest sci-fi. Are we so bereft of new ideas we have to go digging in the creative trash barrel to retrieve old “B” quality sci-fi plots for series? What is the logic behind all this. I can’t seem to make sense of it. \*\* Because with the likes of Babylon 5, the various treks , stargate sg1 there is a market for this type of series however niche it may be. Galactica was an established franchise ,and duplicating it would be no biggie, while I dont like the idea of starbuck being a call name now , especially when its a woman, I and probably a shit load more people are going to watch it anyways , good or bad. I may be pleasantly surprised,or I may cringe the entire time , but I shall be watching it ,lol. Declan ---
**Author:** ![TeaRoses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@TeaRoses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaRoses)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/11 "2003-07-20T05:05:00Z")
I was about to say that I am probably one of the only intended audience for this thing, having rather liked the first season of the original. (and being interested to see what better actors could do with it). But… Starbuck is a woman??? To heck with THAT. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/12 "2003-07-20T05:34:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TeaRoses \* > \*\*I was about to say that I am probably one of the only intended audience for this thing, having rather liked the first season of the original. (and being interested to see what better actors could do with it). > > But… Starbuck is a woman??? To heck with THAT. \*\* I think that when they were looking at the series to do a reprise of it , they were probably horrified at what social evils the original series. Smoking cigars Manly colonial warriors Women that with the exception of serina and athena , were pretty much limited to the exploited bimbo or distressed woman role. Very few persons of color , colonel tigh and boomer, no others that i can remember Frequent use of swearing , Frack and Flegercarb, hmm, what were they anagoulous too. So time to revamp and bring it up to acceptable social norms as ascribed by minpax. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Alzarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@Alzarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alzarian)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/13 "2003-07-20T05:44:09Z")
I can imagine one reason they are restarting the series, is that the original one was all about reaching Earth. Since they apparently got to Earth in 1980, a true continuation would have been less about crossing the vast expanse of space, and more about the Battlestar near Earth. (Wonder if anyone has ever wondered if they ever made themselves known to humans in the past 23 years? And surely the Cylons would have made themselves known to Earth by then!) But guessing that Sci-Fi wanted to return to the original concept, rather than attempting V, it all makes sense to restart. The alternative would be stories taking place before Galactica 1980, and knowing who makes it to Earth, would take some of the excitement out of it. (Part of the reason Enterprise isn’t quite as exciting, being set in the past of the franchise.) ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/14 "2003-07-20T08:05:24Z")
“Listen, Starbitch! I’m not gonna take any lip from you!” “Shut up, Ass-pollo! I can do anything I want!” (they embrace, much kissing ensues) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/15 "2003-07-20T08:12:19Z")
Battlestar Galactica was a show I always wanted to be cool. But it never was. Now, it has a second chance. I’ll watch. ---
**Author:** ![Optihut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/edb3f5/32.png) [@Optihut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Optihut)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/16 "2003-07-20T11:51:13Z")
Ah, piffle, Miller, Galactica was cool 😉 Although nobody can replace Dirk Benedict, imho, ymmv… Oh and I hope they use the old cylons, they looked great back then and I still think they’d look good today. Plus, the colonial uniforms looked better than the Startrek uniforms, again imho. I for one am looking forward to a remake 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/17 "2003-07-20T12:18:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by msmith537 \* > \*\*Ahh…that takes me back to a simpler time before sophisticated killer cyborgs from the future and AI machines imprisoning humans in VR worlds to use as batteries. Back to the days of the stiff lurching shiny metal robot yelling **DESTROY… THE… HUMANOIDS!!!** \*\* **EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!** ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/18 "2003-07-20T13:41:10Z")
(Insert obligatory “but if they want to revive a dead TV series, why not _Firefly_?” quote here) Well, I’ll watch the _BG_ remake. When I saw the promo with one of the fighters being unveiled, I couldn’t help but giggle. But of course, I’m a bit brain-damaged. I’m also waiting impatiently for the big-screen, live-action version of _Thunderbirds_ that’s been promised. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/19 "2003-07-20T15:08:09Z")
Hey , they could have decided to redo buck rogers in the 25 century. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668/20 "2003-07-20T15:09:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Declan \* > \*\*Hey , they could have decided to redo buck rogers in the 25 century. > > Declan \*\* …or _Space: 1999_. [shudder] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-a-good-idea-to-reprise-battlestar-galactica/189668.md?page=2)