Battlestar Galactica - Season One

The pilot of BSG is the episode entitled "33"; however, what everyone that has bitched and rated this show down is looking for is "Battlestar Galactica: The Mini Series" which is a 3hr long prelude to this season and is also on AmazonPrime. You're welcome.Anyways, my favorite TV show. Nicely re-imagined and very well done.

I liked the writing and special effects. The writers purposely avoided description of the technology, so they would avoid pitfalls like Star Trek's "particle of the week" solutions. I think that helps with suspension of disbelief.This reboot of Battlestar Galactica pays homage to the original series with some parallels in the story, and shots that include original props. There is a new Viper fighter, but the old ones are there, because reasons....But the writers also went off on some different tangents to try and make the show more believable, and relevant.Spoiler alert: OF COURSE the machines complex enough to be self-aware are master hackers. It plays into why Galactica... Nope! Not gonna spoil that! :D And if you haven't seen it before, the machines have a few surprises for you.A lot of the shots in space remind me of the images when NASA is filming a launch or landing.There were nautical references I didn't get when I watched it in 2003, such as the crew identifying parts of the ship by numbered frames. Also, the announcement about personnel on EVA sounds familiar now that I work for the US Navy, and hear announcements about personnel working aloft or divers working over the side. :)

I was a fan of the first the original BSG, even though it was typical Glenn Larson Sci-Fi fare for the late late 70s-early 80s. Going dark for the re-boot is the way to go. Once you got over the shock that a few characters have been re-worked , you should enjoy it. And if you do, go for the series 1,2, and 3 are fairly strong, but series 4 is a bit muddlesome. Stll very watchable and enjoyable.In short, if you liked Star Trek Deep Space 9, you can't go wrong with this.

Initially I was hesitant to watch Battlestar Galactica because of the heavy science fiction setting that seemed to make up a good part of the show. I was sort of expecting something along the lines of a cheesy syfy original. I finally decided, at the ugrging of many friends, to give it a shot. Boy, am I glad I did. Imagine my surprise when, despite being pretty sure I was watching a scifi epic, it turned out that I was watching a very emotionally tense character driven drama that just happened to take place in space. I found myself caring about the characters and compelled by their (many) struggles. They have strengths, flaws, ups and downs, even the Cylons (the robotic race, don't worry, not a spoiler, it's literally one of the first things they tell you in the show) are complex and well developed characters. Now I can't say for sure whether or not BSG will be up your alley, but I can say that you should watch the first couple of episodes and give it a chance because it definitely didn't fit my expectations in a very good way.

One of the best sci-fi series EVER! Ron Moore took the painfully cheesy original series and turned it into this slick modern masterpiece that is more than just a pretty face. The stories have real depth and are thought provoking. The acting is top notch. The special effects and design are mind blowing. This is a series that I love to watch again and again and I always see something new. Fantastic!

If you're a fan of the original BG series, as I am, then you should love this one also. It's BG, but with it's own twists and plots. It goes it's own way from the original BG series and is very entertaining. This is the "mimi-series" or "pilot" to the 2004 series. Givie it a view, make up your own mind, I think you'll like it.

I do wish the website was clearer about downloads, I only downloaded it thinking I could then watch it on my PC, but it seems you can only download to a Kindle Fire, that Idon't want of have. So I watched it on my PC but on streaming with a less than perfect download speed (the streaming was not hung up at my house, so the bandwidth issues had to be elsewhere.)Still I love this series.

BAM! Unflinching in its portrayal of paranoid violence (with its miniseries a great prelude) this 21st Century retelling of BSG is an analogic amalgam of the Book of Exodus and the War on Terror in our 9/11 new normal. Absent are the robodog from 1978 and any sign of Star Wars rip-off aliens. It is driven by moral ambiguity that puts it in the company of the best of recent cable material. Season One is easily the best of the four.

If you are hesitating from investing in this DVD because you are not sure it will be any good believe me it is fabulous.A fantastic reimagining of the original but much more adult, much more thought provoking and much more enjoyable.I bought mine for one penny to replace my lost copy and I intend to watch the whole saga once again.So a word of warning.If you get this mini series you will be hooked and end up buying the whole fabulous saga.At times my support actually wavered from humanity to the Cylons and back and forth.It keeps you guessing throughout as themes are explored and I never saw THAT ending coming for once.And believe me, I really envy your ride through this top rate series.Enjoy.

The 'new' BSG passed me by on its original release and I wasn't a huge fan of the original. But, the two couldn't be more different. The original was much more of a TV take on Star Wars: a cowboys in space, shoot 'em up space opera. Whereas, the new version is a grittier, grown-up sci-fi show. Both versions are entertaining in their way and I prefer the new version. I have started watching season 1 on the strength of this mini series. Avoid if you like constant action sci-fi, but I heartily recommend this to those who want to watch a dramatic sci-fi series. Do note that you will need to devote a few hours to this DVD if you want to watch the thing in one go.A few points on the production values and the DVD quality, as opposed from the show:1) In these days of HD the DVD picture quality is already starting to be a bit wanting - I suppose the answer may be get an HD format if this is really likely to bother you very much;2) Why do all modern epics swamp the actor's dialogue with very loud background music and effects, especially as the on-screen conversations are often delivered quietly and in mumbles? Although, I accept that some of this might be due to my hearing deteriorating; and3) The menu options could have been a bit better: the two parts not broken down. You have to play the whole thing as one feature; making it difficult to find a natural stopping point, if you want to which the mini series as it was originally shown in two episodes.However, these are minor quibbles, this is really a very good show.

It is more than 40 years since the first Cylon war ended with an armistice and the Cylons left to find their own world.The last of the great Battlestars from those wars, the Galactica, is about to be taken out of service and turned into a floating museum and tourist attraction, and its commanding officer about to retire.Every year, on a given date, on a designated satellite station, representatives from both species were to meet; except the Cylon's never turned up - until now. This date coincides with the ceremony for the mothballing of the Galactica.Now, humanities children are returning home.I avoided this programme as remakes, particularly of well loved programmes, do have a tendency not to live up to the memory of their predecessors. This one, however, was different in more ways than one.It does not try to remake the original series (something which I wasn't a fan of) though it does contain characters with similar names. We still have Commander Adama - except now he is William Adama (Edward James Olmos), and he no longer has the glowing father-son relationship of the first series with his son Apollo (now Lee Adama - Jamie Bamber). In fact relationship between father and son is strained.There is still "Starbuck", except now he is female Lieutenant Kara Thrace (Katee Sackhoff) - this appears to have caused a great deal of debate amongst fans. However, this is not the only character which has suffered a gender alteration - Boomer is now Lieutenant Sharon Valerii (Grace Park) - but this change seems to have caused less controversy.Returning with this series is Baltar, now scientist Gaius Baltar (James Callis). Gone is the robotic dog (which is no loss from the little I can remember of it).New characters include President Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell), number six (Tracia Helfer) and Leoben Conoy (Callum Keith Rennie); as well as the return of some lesser remembered characters.Unlike the previous series this version sticks too familiar military (mainly naval aircraft carrier) terminology, and the characters contained within are flawed rather than the perfect members of the human race as in the 1970s/80s versions.I enjoyed watching the inserted acknowledgements of the older programme - for example, at the beginning of this pilot film one character is looking at the sketches of the old Cylon models as featured in the old TV show, the type that is referred to as a metallic toaster.There are extras on the disc:"The Lowdown"- which is a 20 minute featurette - this appears to be a number of interviews with the main characters justifying the changes that the makers have made, especially with the character of Starbuck. Interviews included were on London Bridge, in busy traffic (Jamie Bamber), in a park (Edward James Olmos) and while driving a car in traffic (Katee Sackhoff) - my question is why interview the stars of the show in such difficult places, did someone in production not realise that at times it is very difficult to hear what is being said.English subtitles are also available on this disc.Overall, and to my surprise, I found this escapism thoroughly enjoyable.

Season 1 of the new BSG picks up where the mini-series left off: the Twelve Colonies have been destroyed in a surprise nuclear attack launched by their former creations, the Cylons. A ragtag fleet of about 80-90 ships has assembled under the protection and leadership of the last surviving battlestar, the Galactica, and have fled into deep space. Commander Adama and President Roslin have promised to guide the people to the long-lost thirteenth colony, Earth. However, contrary to public belief, they have no idea where it is. As the search for Earth unfolds, the crew of Galactica are also relying on Dr. Gaius Baltar's project to build a device to smoke out the Cylon infiltrators among the fleet. There is a great deal of dramatic tension to be mined by the fact that, as a result of the mini-series, the audience knows who one of the Cylon infiltrators is, but neither the crew nor the character know.An ongoing subplot takes us back to Caprica, now devastated by nuclear explosions and radioactive fall-out, where Lt. Karl Agathon, callsign 'Helo', is trying to find a way off the planet after being stranded there in the mini-series. However, the Cylons have their own plans for Helo...Season 1 of Battlestar Galactica is its most concise: 13 episodes compared to Season 2-4's 20 apiece. It's also its most consistent in quality, with no longeurs or unwatchably bad episodes. The pace of events is relentless, with the constant Cylon pursuit of the fleet and their hounding of Helo's attempts to flee from Caprica driving the narrative forwards. The emphasis here is less on the mystical elements that come to dominate the later seasons and more on the cold, hard realities of survival: finding or growing the vast amounts of supplies that 50,000 people need to survive on, finding water and fuel, and putting in place an administrative structure to govern the people more effectively. The clash between the military and political perspectives (espoused by Adama and Roslin) provides an underlying thematic structure to the season culminating in the events of the startling finale. Numerous subplots are established and expanded upon with confidence and verve.For the individual episodes, the award-winning "33" is an astonishing piece of work. The ticking clock element and the constant Cylon attacks on the fleet turning the crew into strung-out wrecks is handled superbly. "Water" deals with the supply problem effectively whilst increasing the paranoia quotient. "Bastille Day" introduces the recurring character of Tom Zarek (excellently portrayed by the original series' Richard Hatch) and a number of political subplots that culminate at the end of Season 2. "Act of Contrition" and "You Can't Go Home Again" mix together the problem of recruiting new soldiers and pilots from a very limited pool of recruits with a more dynamic storyline involving Starbuck crashed on an inhospitable planet. "Litmus" addresses the some of the apparent plot-holes of earlier episodes by having someone investigate the security lapses on board the ship. "Six Degrees of Separation" puts Baltar on the spot when he is accused of treason, with James Callis delivering a stand-out performance. "Flesh and Bone" is another excellent piece of work, with Starbuck having to torture a Cylon prisoner for information but ends up having her own soul stripped bare. "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down" is the first season's only misfire, an attempt at a 'comedy episode' that doesn't work too well, although it does introduce the magnificent, Lady MacBeth-esque character of Ellen Tigh. "The Hand of God" is a simple balls-to-the-wall action show, with Galactica and her Viper squadrons having to launch a massive assault on a Cylon base. The CGI is astonishingly good and the tactical nuances of the planned attack are portrayed well. "Colonial Day" is another political episode, showing how the fleet's new administration is going to work. The assassin subplot is muddled and confused, and the resolution to the episode hints at a subplot that is never again addressed. Nevertheless, it's entertaining enough. Events culminate in the two-part "Kobol's Last Gleaming", which mixes together the storylines from the entire season and delivers a succession of plot revelations and intriguing ideas culminating in a shocking cliffhanger twist ending that leaves the viewer eager to watch Season 2 immediately.Battlestar Galactica: Season 1 (****½) is an excellent piece of work, establishing the characters and storylines superbly. It is available on DVD in the UK and packaged with the mini-series in the USA.

A brilliant start to the new series, presenting the explanation of how the battlestar Galactica ended up heading the fleet escaping from the colonies attacked by the cylons, and the introduction of the major characters of the running show. This is where you have to start watching if you intend to see the rest of the series. The acting performances are great; the effects mind blowing; the story line more interesting than most science-fiction series out there.This mini series plays as if it were a movie. Just put it in, hit play and the whole thing runs without pause; no breaks for credits or replaying of the intro - just 174 minutes and 11 seconds of scenes woven together as elegantly as nobody's business.The bonus material, "the lowdown", starts out like a trailer, but carries on with commentaries from the makers and actors. For a little over 20 minutes, you get to hear about the challenges of remaking an old series with new technology and new ideas, as well as the actors' views on their characters and their relationships. This all mixed with clips from the actual film. Considered a must-have on new DVD releases, the bonus material is exactly what you expect it to be; a little extra taste of what is to come, but nothing exceptional.