Good Idea or Bad? Looking at various sci fi and fantasy television projects currently in the works and pondering whether they will fly or crash.
What It It? A new Battlestar: Galactica series is in the works which will run on NBC’s upcoming Peacock streaming service. Mr. Robot‘s Sam Esmail is developing the project and originally insisted that it would not be a reboot, though recent developments may suggest otherwise:
BSG fans, this will NOT be a remake of the amazing series @RonDMoore launched because… why mess with perfection? Instead, we’ll explore a new story within the mythology while staying true to the spirit of Battlestar.
What Is in the Works? No details for the series have been made available apart from the few comments from Esmail so far. No premiere date has been given either. Michael Lesslie has been hired as the lead writer for the show, and his recent comments suggest that the new show could in fact be a reboot:
I am beyond excited to be taking on this iconic and inspirational show. As a lifelong devotee, I know that the possibilities of Battlestar Galactica’s world are infinite and that each iteration has raised the bar for epic and intelligent sci-fi storytelling. The teams at Esmail Corp, UCP and Peacock are second to none, and I already know that we are going to honour Glen A Larson and Ronald D Moore’s landmark series and break new boundaries with our own vision. It’s a dream come true – one I just can’t wait to share with fans, new and old alike. So say we all.
Good Idea or Bad? As long as Esmail sticks to his promise that this will not be a reboot, it could be a very good idea. Ronald D. Moore’s Battlestar: Galactica developed a rich universe with extensive mythology that offers plenty of potential story ideas. It could go the prequel route and maybe pick up on some of the unfinished storylines from the cancelled Caprica or the failed pilot Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome (more on that one at this link). It could also take place in a future time after the colonists settled on Earth, or it could be concurrent with the series and track a different group of survivors.
However, the fact that a new BSG is on the way sounds a lot like something cooked up by network executives trying to find properties with name-recognition to draw subscribers to their new streaming service. So if this is driven more by a corporate decree with intents of milking an existing franchise and creating something that appeals to a broad audience, it could be a very bad idea. And the comments by writer Lesslie (who has no significant genre credits beyond the Assassin’s Creed screenplay) suggest the show could go the reboot route which this franchise does not need. Esmail’s involvement has me optimistic at this point, I just hope he can carry on the project in the same spirit of Moore’s BSG (minus the angels) and that corporate politics and/or reboot fever do not derail the series.
Notable Facts: Battlestar: Galactica began as a 1978 sci fi series that rode the Star Wars popularity wave to television. It was originally planned as a mini-series that would have comprised three movies, but ABC decided to make it an ongoing series. The original show was somewhat campy and appealed to a broader audience with its preponderance for cute kids and cuddly robots. It was cancelled after one season (more on that at this link) but then quickly revived the next year as Galactia: 1980. That cheaper, more kid-friendly version did not sit well with fans of the show and disappeared after ten episodes. Series star Richard Hatch later attempted to get a sequel series going in the 1990’s titled Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming, but nothing came out of that except a proof-of-concept trailer.
Ronald D. Moore’s dark reimagining of the series debuted in 2003 on the Sci Fi Channel as a mini-series and was then carried into an ongoing series. It ran for four seasons beyond the mini-series plus the movies Razor and The Plan. It also spawned the short-lived prequel series Caprica which followed the origins of the Cylons. You can read more about the original series at this link and about the reboot at this link.
Do you think that a new Battlestar: Galactica series would be a good idea or bad? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments.
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I never understood appeal of and the accolades given to Moore’s NuBSG. Outside of Olmos’ Adama the characters were all off putting, the situations were more soap opera and legal drama than science fiction, and the story as a whole meandered as if there was no ultimate point to anything and no actual “Plan” ( a fact denied during production but ultimately confirmed years later). It really was the precursor to alot of what some people call the ‘prestige genre television’ shows like Game of Thrones, Westworld, and Walking Dead – all of which I consider ‘misery porn’ and checked out of early.
The effect the original had on me as a child was encourage a sense of wonder and mystery about the universe – what’s out there, what might we be dealing with? It is unlikely they will continue the original but I would hope that this new iteration do something that captures that sense of mystery and wonder – something I can watch with my child to stimulate his imagination.
Corvius i pretty much agree with you ,though i did like the reboot it did not come close to the wonder of the orginal series.I would love to see the new show to be set in the orginal univerese either with a recasting of the iconic characters or set perhaps a century after the last episode of the orginal,and have a generation of survivors who have never lived on a planet continue their quest for Earth while still being pursued by the Cylons …or recast Commander Cain from the orginal series and have it be set on the Pegasus ,they would know Galactica is out there and of the goal to find Earth and they could be trying to find the Galactica and Earth while also evading the Cylons(Cain of course would not even have to recast as his character could have died in the attack on Cylons)
Andrew, I’d certainly watch a show based on your idea!
Can’t wait. Ron D Moore’s style is the blueprint I hope they follow. Ground breaking, dark, gritty and sometimes just plain MEAN! Expand upon the that adaptation and it will be a fun return to a truly scary sci fi tale. Be fearless like RDM and bring it!
As long it’s something more like the original 1978 series. Not interested in another Moore universe series with unlikeable characters.
JR
I think it’s a great idea if stays true to the Ron Moore vision and style