Picked up BSG miniseries last night.

Only after seeing this at the rental store did I even know it existed.

Was hoping for it about this time, but saw no TV or print or internet info on it.

Looks great and CAN'T WAIT for tonight.

Let the party begin.

Ya know,

Putting the special effects aside..........

After seeing the miniseries on the SCI Fi channel, I couldn't help but put
on my DVD for the first 3 hours of the old series. I have to say that I prefer the old show. The old show gave us more of a history that lead up to the current attack of the Battlestar fleet with the tie-ins to our various cultures. I felt the older show was "grander" in scope, history, etc. with a type of "coming together" of all of the survivors to help others and make an escape much like "some" of the world came together to help the Tsunami victims.

Mostly, the new series seemed to focus on petty differences or "needs' of single individuals such as Baltar's love life and the bickering between the Galactica commander and the "new" president's bickering on who's boss.
The new Starbuck is just a brat.:rolleyes:

The new Starbuck is just a brat.:rolleyes:
Well, I think that is sort of the point. I believe she is intended to a more "real" version of the character. She shows flashes of the original, but I think in reality such a person is likely to annoy as much as entertain.

In general, I thought the new show seemed much more "real" across the board. Had it been a continuation of what the old series was in approach and tone, I probably wouldn't watch it. And the effects are the least important factor, to me.

But hey, art is subjective. ;)

Qapla'

SSB

I have to say that I prefer the old show.
I could not disagree more. The old show is sci-fi-lite, written and acted for the Love Boat set. It's kitchy and fun in a nostaligic sort of way, but frankly CHIPS has held up better. As it was with Buck Rogers too, the human interaction on the old show was just silly.

In general, I thought the new show seemed much more "real" across the board. Had it been a continuation of what the old series was in approach and tone, I probably wouldn't watch it. And the effects are the least important factor, to me.

Could not agree more. Effects only go so far, storytelling is much more important. The old show had fine effects work for its time, but the rest of it... oy! I often wondered if John Dykstra knew what a schlocky piece of crap he was getting himself involved in. The design and effects seemed to be of a far more serious nature than the show they found themselves in and sometimes felt more like they were stock shots stollen from some other better show.

John O.

Had it been a continuation of what the old series was in approach and tone, I probably wouldn't watch it.

SSB
Yes, art is subjective and I just wanted to know what others thought of it.

I think now that the exodus has begun, the show will take on the same approach as in terms of "running from the cylons". Maybe we'll see more realistic action in the military ranks such as Starbuck punching out a senior officer.

I agree that the writing of the scripts and the acting of the actors has changed over the decades. The studio just couldn't afford the million dollar per episode that it cost back in those days which was a big factor in the show's demise. I mean to say that it cost a million per episode back when a million bought a lot more than it would today.

I believe the new show steals too much from other sci-fi sources. I keep seeing something and I go "whups, another stolen idea".

Stolen ideas:
1) the show - why can't the Sci-Fi do something original like the Forever War, Ringworld, Foundation, etc. for a mini-series?
2) Kirathi fighters for the cylons from the wing commander games.
3) Vipers - if they're gonna change the cylon ships, why not the vipers?
4) Retractable landing pods before going FTL is a tad too close to Voyager's moving warp nacelles for my taste.
5) Terminator style cylons with a fleshy outer covering over a metal skeleton.

This show just didn't have anything new from the old series to keep my interest.

Maybe we'll see more realistic action in the military ranks such as Starbuck punching out a senior officer.
I said it was more real, not 100 percent real.
The studio just couldn't afford the million dollar per episode that it cost back in those days which was a big factor in the show's demise.
I don't doubt that played a big part in it.
1) the show - why can't the Sci-Fi do something original like the Forever War, Ringworld, Foundation, etc. for a mini-series?
Using an old series as source material is no more "stealing" than using books as source material.
2) Kirathi fighters for the cylons from the wing commander games.
Actually, they made me think of Episode One's droid fighters.
5) Terminator style cylons with a fleshy outer covering over a metal skeleton.
We don't really know if that is how they are structured. They may be closer to the Ilia Probe from ST:TMP.

Qapla'

SSB

6) A bite taken out of a moon - a la the Coneheads movie - in the very first shot of the mini-series. That took a real sense of humor!

The list goes on and there are A LOT of homages, references, and blatantly lifted material from other sci-fi.

I don't have a problem with it because this is what artists really do. If you think all that stuff on the Sistine Chapel's ceiling is original, you need to think again. It's really a sort of honor to have your ideas lifted by an artist you respect who does a good job with your stuff. I've done it and had it done to me. It's like saying, "I really like your thing and want to make it part of my thing".

Is there any doubt these new BSG guys know TV and film sci-fi? They certainly flaunted their knowledge in even obscure ways. I dig it. Heck, the only thing missing might have been a London police box.

John O.

Wished they turn that talent into a sci-fi movie from a new source. I think Ringworld would make a great miniseries. Just about every show or movie from the 60s/early 70's has been reproduced. I say it's time for the Sci-fi channel to move on to some different ideas.

Wished they turn that talent into a sci-fi movie from a new source.Apparently the folks making the mini-series disagree with you or they wouldn't have bothered, don't cha think? There is something in the BSG saga that they dig. That's how art works.

There's one other thing this BSG does that other sci-fi often runs from, it explains why the badguys are chasing us in a way that makes complete sense to me. Its not because they're "blindly evil", want our resources, or that we stand between them and some "ultimate power". No. It's because they think we are the evil that has to be destroyed. Adama admits humankind was liable if not entirely culpable in bringing on the Cylons' response to their slavery and abuse. If you watched the MS to the very end, the Cylons have a conversation about it and agree the humans are too evil to risk not getting rid of. Sounds pretty topical to me, puts the shoe on the other foot. I think thats a significantly original take on who is really the bad guy.

John O.

Actually, that is an interesting twist on the original story where it was the Cylons who turned on their reptilian creators and began enslaving other races.

Also, I happened to remember this after I posted this, that at the time Battlestar Galactica TOS was noted i the media as also pushing new ground in SciFi as being the first show to show the humans as the "losers" of a war. Sci-Fi prior to this showed humans as prevailing over aliens.

For me, comparing these two shows is like comparing Tora Tora Tora with Pearl Harbor staring Ben Afleck. To me, one has better special effects, the other was a better told story.