TV Show Review: Battlestar Galactica – The Complete Epic Series

So I’ll admit I’m a closet Sci-Fi and Fantasy person. Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Dungeons & Dragons, Final Fantasy, etc. I definitely know more than my share about all these and more. I don’t claim to be an elite all knowing guru in any of these, ok maybe the D&D fantasy world of the Forgotten Realms I know much more than a engaged fantasy geek, but I’ve definitely spent a considerable amount of time learning all about each and trying to understand what is the cult following that keeps people addicted to each.

For as long as it has been around I had never really spent any time with the Battlestar Galactica series even with the Sci-Fi channel bringing back the old series with a good bit of success. Going through the NetFlix “instant watch” queue a few weeks ago I ran across the “Battlestar Galactica: Complete Epic Series” set.  This is the complete run of the original 1978 TV show that lasted all of 24 episodes consisting of 21 stories.

Immediately it was obvious that the show was a gigantic knockoff of Star Wars. Dirk Benedict, of the A-Team fame, is one of the main characters and his name is Lt. Starbuck… sound a little like Skywalker anyone, although his character is portrayed more like a Han Solo type? The bad guys, a robotic race known as the Cylons, sure look a lot like Darth Vader except a shiny Silver instead of Black. Also the Vipers look a lot like X-Wing fighters, the Cylon attack ships look similar to Tie Fighters and the main ship is called a Battlestar… sound a little like a Deathstar anyone? Even all the male characters having the long shaggy hair, or maybe this simply was the hair style of the late 70’s?

With all that said I really enjoyed the series. Maybe it was the similarities of Star Wars that brought back the nostalgia of a long lost cousin, but the show definitely had some enjoyable feel good moments. Each of the 50 minute episodes had some nice charm and if you want a good comparison I would say it’s very much like watching Star Trek: The Next Generation reruns. So pick up the old series and a find a month where you can watch a new episode after work each night and lock and load. Enjoy!