New Battlestar V Old Battlestar

[tfallon]

The new show is Adult Sci-Fi and much better than the original. The original was a product of the narrow thinking of US programers who could not concieve of an SF show that did not appeal primarily to kids.

 

 

[Cypha01]

The new one has excellent production, its very realistic, the scripts are fine, but there are things that put me off it completely, that blonde woman that keeps appearing in that guys head, the sheer amount of boring political soap opera drama that I don't personally care about and the lack of robotic cylons which are really the only reason I watched the old series anyway. The new look cylons DO look very good and I tend to hate CGI too, but they are very well done, just want more of them dammit! I will have to see how the new show evolves really, I hope it gets more interesting, it has alot of potential, but I really can't stand soap-opera drama in any form :(

[Ulysses]

i would tend to disagree....because its more like a sci-fi opera then it makes it more appealing as its not really been done to much extent, look at DS9, season 5 onwards could of been classed as a opera as well but with alot of space battles. \

 

I would agree with tfallon that it seems to be more aimed at the adult viewers which i welcome as the old format of one or two sci fi episodes in a story kinda started getting boring not to mention its more intelligent and nothing like a-la star wars that mostly relys on its effects to power it along. Lets remember this is not some series about some kick ass starship...its about human survival and alot more human that say star trek as it portrays alot of the human weakness...greed, power, jealousy and alot more

[Potato]

Don't forget lust. Lots and lots of lust. Can't make ADULT drama without lust. More lust, more lust. Show me more.....On second thought, don't. The problem with most shows today sci-fi or otherwise is an overemphasis on the base instincts. Give me a good story without all the Lust. You can use the time spent on T&A to flesh out the story and characters rather than show off the characters flesh.

 

Also, I don't think anyone expected the new show to be like the old one. In fact my first thought was "if they are relaunching I hope they at least have good writers who know how to tell a story." What we got isn't what I would call stellar writing. I've only seen a few episodes, mind you, but what I have seen looks like All My Children in Space. I hope it evolves but it doesn't look like it will. This is my judgement on the new show on what I've seen without comparing it to the past. As I said comparing apples to oranges, or in this case family oriented sc-fi to ADULT oriented sci-fi, is an exercise in futility.

[frodoxxx]

Times change and tastes change with them. What was new and fresh in the 70s just seems dated and corny now. It's like comparing apples and oranges, just accept them for what the are, great shows that are in the right time and the right place.

[theaveng]

The original was a product of the narrow thinking of US programers who could not concieve of an SF show that did not appeal primarily to kids.

The original was actually quite adult (including a prostitute as a recurring character). I rank the first 5 episodes of the Old Galactica as some of the best science fiction.

 

But when they decided to show it at 8pm, the network insisted it be dumbed-down to be kid-friendly. So bye-bye prostitute, and bye-bye smart stories.

 

 

 

As for age, a *good* show will stand the test of time. The original Star Trek is still good. Ditto Twilight Zone/Outer Limits. Their effects date back to the 1960's, but their stories are still strong, and they are still enjoyable to watch.

 

Sadly the Old Galactica, after episode 5, does not have good stories.

 

troy

[Centurion]

I'm a fan of the old BSG, but I like the new one better since it'll have the chance (I hope...) to develop the characters and the storyline as the original couldn't.

 

The special effects are also much better for obvious reasons... :)

[Potato]

I don't know. It is on Sci-Fi which has a history of cancelling shows after only 2 or 3 years. It may not survive to awfully long.

[Ulysses]

The original was a product of the narrow thinking of US programers who could not concieve of an SF show that did not appeal primarily to kids.

The original was actually quite adult (including a prostitute as a recurring character). I rank the first 5 episodes of the Old Galactica as some of the best science fiction.

 

But when they decided to show it at 8pm, the network insisted it be dumbed-down to be kid-friendly. So bye-bye prostitute, and bye-bye smart stories.

 

 

 

As for age, a *good* show will stand the test of time. The original Star Trek is still good. Ditto Twilight Zone/Outer Limits. Their effects date back to the 1960's, but their stories are still strong, and they are still enjoyable to watch.

 

Sadly the Old Galactica, after episode 5, does not have good stories.

 

troy

 

I would tend to disagree about the first 5 episodes being the best of the Original BSG, if you look at them "saga of a star world part 1 2 and 3 (the actual pilot openning)" was intresting then followed "the lost planet of the gods part 1 and 2" which was ok.

 

the best ones are episode 15 & 16 war of the gods as that was when the count tried to deceive the coucil of the 12 and adama, and where we see the light space ship (who you dont actually get to know who they really where). For me this was the orginal's finest moment and i think the episode "the living legend" which i think is where we see the pegeus battlestar join adama.

[mtnboy]

After watching the new series, I was very interested to go back and re watch the original series. Although the original series put more effort to try to imagine futuristic vocabulary, clothing, dance moves, the plots tended to be very weak and simplistic. Most television back then was pretty much the same.

 

The new series definately reflects the more sophisticated tastes of modern day audiences. The interesting swing point will come when the script writers tire of the societal introspective perpective and start looking outward as mankind begins to explore other galaxies and races. Maybe this harkens back to "Enterprise", but at some point the new series needs to start looking to the road ahead.

[freyacat]

I tingled with anticipation when the Battlestar Galactica miniseries was announced. The night it was broadcast, I turned it off because it was different from the original series. I later re-visited the original series and found myself embarrassed at how juvenile some of the plots were. At that time, television writing was almost always limited to stories contained within a single episode, and very driven by guest stars. I still love the pilot movie, but most of the series is no longer compelling ot me.

 

But I still thought the initial concept of a human race that survived a devastating attack and is searching through space for a legendary planet called "earth." That setup carries so much potential that was never developed in the original series becasue relationships couldn't be allowed to develop, the background society was only hinted at, death carried little weight and wasn't a possibility for the major characters, and the only motivation for the cylons was "just because they're evil."

 

I caught the last two episodes of the last season of the new series in a hotel room in february, figuring, "oh, well, it's sci-fi, so it will at least be better that all the rest of the garbage on television."

 

I was blown away. Middle-Eastern, Ambient, and Tribal Drum music for a soundtrack. Humanoid cylons on the verge of suicide because they didn't know they were cylons. A conflict between the military and the civilian government. Having to go BACK to their original point of departure to retrieve an essential object. Religious Cylons who are monotheists preaching to polytheistic humans. Cylons wanting love and to reproduce. Wow, I said to myself, they're doing something truly new here.

 

I have since revisited the entire new series of Battlestar Galactica over the last few days. I am breathtaken by the scope and depth of the writing, the artsy direction, the more-than-competent acting and casting, and by the daring sci0fi concepts being worked out in the series. This baby has the best of Dune and Babylon 5 all rolled up together. And it looks gorgeous!

 

I went back and took a look at the opening episode of "Galactica 1980" and just laughed. You can't go home, but there are brave new worlds yet undiscovered.

 

So, Cheers, the new series. I'm following this one to the end.

 

-freyacat

[Lukeyson]

Well, I had to balance equally, because while I think the new series is better, TOS was pretty good for it's time. Factor in Sci-Fi-Quality-Inflation and a healthy error-margin and they come out about the same.

 

The one line I remember from TOS was when Galactica finds another Battlestar run by Kirk Douglas, who comes in to attack a fleet of Cylon Fighters who are already attacking Galactica. One of the cylon pilots looks out it's side window and says in typical Cylon monotone 'What about the other Battlestar' to which the reply 'What other Battlestar' had me in stitches.

 

Ahh, it's always the simple things.......

 

Could you imagine the new series also finding another Battlestar? That would make for some fun!

 

 

Lukeyson

[Freehansje]

So whaddaya think of season 2 sofar? I am disappointed. Season 1 was breathtaking, very good story, very good camerawork, special effects not just supporting the movies. But season 2, I dunno, I miss the thrill of S1.

[Ulysses]

actually freehansie, i do like season 2 alot. As it shows the humans weakness that can destroy each other by there own conflicts so it does relate to humans today, not to mention its talking sci-fi in a new concept in sci-fi

[Freehansje]

But it is a story,Neo, a fairytale even. It is more everyday bussiness, ppl striving, everybody having their reasons to do what they do, and-so-on. Mind you, i am disappointed,but I am still watching it, for ofcourse I am curious. And Olmos is a brilliant actor, reason enough to watch BSG. i like it, but as I said, i am disappointed, had expected more and can't explain what that should be.

[Ulysses]

I think this current story arc is near to the end, I think the only main thing to happen is for Adama and co to possibly rescue the few people fighting on caprica.

[quig69]

I like them both but for different reasons. I like the old version for the space battles. I like the new one for the up dated special effects and different spin on the story itself. I wish they would show the enemy more. I mean on the Basestars and/or alittle more battles. But not too much more.

[mcant]

I like them both for different reasons, they are so dissimilar as to be hardly the same story

 

its a bit like comparimg Mel Gibsons "The Passion" with "The last Temptation of Christ", both technically story's based on part of the same crucifiction story but with totatally different takes

[S0V13T]

I hope that they bring the disco dancing and the capes back.

[glensl]

It's not really possible to compare the old with the new.

They're from different times with different social attitudes.

I loved the old BSG when it aired and enjoy the new but in my opinion the new series places way too much emphasis on the psychological ineptitude of Baltar and the religious subplot which always seems to fall short of true depth and believability (even for scence fiction). One more recommendation, ditch that boring blonde.