Let's Talk About TV

Ever heard of Battlestar Galactica?
Now, ever heard of the new one?
If not, ("No" to either or both counts,) let me explain.
BSG, the original, was a very, very bad (and therefore, perversely, enormously popular) space opera about human colony planets which were destroyed by a horrible alien race known as the Cylons. The survivors then began a trek across the galaxy, led and defended by the titular Battlestar Galactica, a huge "carrier" - style spaceship.
Trust me. Although it was often fun, more often FUNNY, the original was not as good as the many other space shows that have come out, then or since. What it was, was consistently fairly creative. Lots of rabid fans will curse me; I don't care. It wasn't a good show. It was an enjoyable show, but that's not always the same thing, now is it?

Heresy, I know.
Just wait, it gets worse.
Now, the Sci-Fi channel has recreated the show; I use the term "recreated" honestly, because in fact there's very, very little in common with the original show.

Let me explain.

The new BSG is now, with the premiere of Season Two tomorrow night at 10 Eastern, the highest-rated original series in the history of the Sci-Fi Channel.

This is not an accident.

Oddly enough, even a show that was as violently cheesy as the original series has its purists, and reactions from fans of the original have been *ahem* fairly spirited. I just wish they'd watch the new one, even once; it's HUGELY superior to the original, and in my opinion, the best, and most original show on television.
In the new version, the Cylons were originally created by humans as sort of cybernetic servants. The problem was, the Cylons could think, and promptly found God, decided that the humans were sinners, and exterminated all but about 50,000 of them. Now, notionally, the human fleet is moving towards Earth - and just as in the original series, no-one really knows where that is, exactly - but the series is much more devoted to the DRAMA than it is to finding Earth. For example: the Cylons have created "duplicate humans" which are effectively undetectable - and which are often programmed to think they ARE humans, until some crucial moment where their programming takes over and they shoot someone, or blow something up.

Add to this mix the fact that the Cylons have a plan - it has, obviously, not yet been revealed, but it includes at least some element of breeding with humans; one of the duplicates is pregnant by a human, and the season one finale indicated that she's not the only one. Add also the fact that the fleet is governed by two very different leaders - the military commander, Adama, (played excellently by Edward James Olmos,) who heads all the remaining military forces in the fleet, and the civilian president, Laura Roslin, (played just as well by Mary McDonnell,) who leads the civilian refugees.

Add in a traitor no-one suspects, because his Cylon accomplices accused him of treason openly, and provided evidence that was found to be fake - along with revealing a Cylon fifth columnist, all of which places Dr. Gaius Baltar (played with wonderful creepy twitchiness by James Callis) in a position of basically unassailable trustworthiness.

Add in a duplicate who is basically one of the most popular pilots on Galactica - Lt. Sharon "Boomer" Valeri, played by Grace Park: Boomer has been terrified that she might be a Cylon and not know it throughout Season One, while unbeknownst to her, a duplicate of herself is on a planet far behind the fleet, pregnant by a human; in the Season One finale, she runs face to face into a horde of (maybe 2 or 3 hundred) duplicates of herself, and responds by returning to Galactica and shooting Commander Adama in the chest twice.

Add in the fact that the Commander and President have very different views on what the humans' plan ought to be; the Commander is trying desperately to preserve the fleet, while the President, dying of terminal cancer and hallucinating from the treatment drugs, is convinced she's having prophetic dreams. Currently, Adama is down for the count; the word from the producers is that he will definitely survive into Season Two, but will be "a changed man." The President is in jail, having been arrested for inciting what Adama called a mutiny.

Add in the, according to the producers, EIGHT as yet unmasked Cylon duplicates aboard the Galactica itself, not even counting the ones in the rest of the fleet.

And top off this mess with the enigmatic plans and scheming of Number Six, who is the closest thing the Cylons have revealed to a leader, and what you have is a show of consistent maneuvering, drama, intrigue, and paranoia; a show in which even characters you have followed and grown to like can turn out to be deadly enemies, and even the main characters are not safe from death (this, also, straight from the producers; they said outright "you should not be comfortable watching Galactica.")
In my book, and apparently in that of a lot of other people, this is the best show on television - or at least damn close.


Take my word for it. Watch this show. You will not regret it.


*(A little note: the quotes and information from the producers are taken from the interview in this week's TV Guide magazine; it's one issue actually worth picking up, because there's a lot more information about the show in there.)