zkonedog When most TV shows hit the airwaves, they struggle to make it an entire season and hope to find themselves along the way. Battlestar Galactica, however, began with this shiny miniseries, clearly establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with in the sci-fi TV ranks.For a basic plot summary, the BSG miniseries sees the Galactica spaceship set to be decommissioned after many years of service in the Cylon wars. Deemed too "outdated" for the modern era, the creaky ship is pressed into duty when the mysterious Cylons (a rebelling race of machines created by humans) suddenly return to wreak havoc on the galaxy.This is a clear example of a show that knew it would be good from the get-go. The acting is spot-on, the plot is intriguing, and the production values rival the pilot episode of LOST. It might come across as a bit egotistical, but BSG takes itself very seriously. Luckily, it has the gravitas to back it up.As far as the comparisons to the original BSG series, I can't make any, as I haven't watched a single second of it. Suffice it to say, though, that you don't have to have ANY prior knowledge to get sucked into the plot.Overall, this 3-hour miniseries sets the stage for the Sci-Fi Channel TV series, proving that shows ending in "Trek" or beginning with "Star" don't necessarily corner the market on sci-fi fare.

A_Different_Drummer Yes, indeedy, this is one of those IMDb "re-reviews" written, as it were, "from the future" in that the reviewer already knows how the aforesaid mini-series begat a regular TV series; which begat several TV movies; which begat several webisodes; which begat great viewer joy. Did not mean to go all Biblical on you but, kindly note, (a) the storyline in BSG (both the original, and the reboot) is itself biblical, in that the characters follow an arc dictated by "prophecy"; and (b) this is generally believed to be the second-most addictive series in TV history, Joss Whedon's Buffy, of course, being the first. Other reviewers (100s here on the miniseries' page, 100s on the TV series' IMDb page) have already talked about the finer points, so let's get to the meat, the addiction. I have a theory. Buffy was addictive because somewhere in the early first season viewers went, OMG, this innocent teenage girl is hooking up with the hunky 1000 year old vampire and, OMG, they spent one night together and now he is trying to kill her. Literally. And over in BSG, aside from the super writing, the super acting, the wonderful blend of action and melodrama, you have (TA-DUH! ... my hypothesis) something just as visceral and unexpected happening; just as with Buffy, something that hooks you and keeps you hooked before you even realize you have been caught like a flounder. OMG, you say to yourself, that whiny, wingey, sciencey guy has hooked up with a babe who looks like she is "out of his league" by several big-city franchises at least; and, OMG, to stay hooked up with her it seems HE IS WILLING TO BETRAY THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE. I mean, we have seen guys do foolish things to "get the girl" before, things they regret the next day, but we have never seen a guy betray HIS ENTIRE SPECIES ...? And (my favourite, the twist of the knife) just in case there were, maybe, 4 viewers left on the planet who did not "get" this -- in case it was just too subtle for them -- by the time the series cranks up, WE HAVE A REPEAT OF THE VERY SAME THEME ON THE BSG itself -- the Master Chief (the ship's mechanic) is having an affair with a junior officer who (once again!) is "out of his league," and EVEN THOUGH HE SUSPECTS THERE IS SOMETHING ODD ABOUT HER, that she may actually be a Cylon, he is generally willing to look the other way just to keep the relationship going. (Yes, yes, I know, the fact that these two key roles were portrayed by Tricia Helfer and Grace Park only makes these themes carry that much more impact). So there you have it. Two addictive shows. Two story arcs that, from the getgo, grab your attention with the issue of just how far we humans will go to pursue a relationship, whether it's healthy or not. Is that the real reason for the staying power of these shows? I really don't know, but I imagine this review will be here long after this reviewer has gone, so I will leave it to viewers of the "further future" to decide...

MartinHafer I know it might ruffle a few feathers, but I have always thought that the original "Battlestar Galactica" was a terrible series. That's because it seemed to be geared mostly to small kids and was far from a thinking person's sci-fi series. This mini-series (intended as an introduction to the series that followed) is quite the opposite--with most of the kiddie writing absent and a much, much slower and darker pace--and a lot of sexual situations. Not surprisingly, this mini-series a zillion times better--and it's a series that can be enjoyed with someone older than 8 but isn't great for younger kids. However, it is not perfect and with a few changes it could have been a lot better. As I mentioned already, the pace is almost glacially slow--and could have stood an injection of energy. Also, the use of the 'unsteady-cam' really annoyed me--and practically made me motion sick watching the scenes of individuals interacting. Additionally, a few of the characters were downright annoying--with Apollo being too annoying to be at all realistic. But it is still entertaining and worth a look--but I can't see quite why so many are REALLY enthusiastic about this series. It's good but could have been a lot better with just a few tweaks.

MisterWhiplash What a way to start off a reboot! Well, technically, this is what the 21st century Battlestar Galactica show was, taking off from the original series/movie from the 1970s, and this time it's got a lot more money, better actors, and less of the stigma of what the original had (a rip-off of Star Wars to a large extent). With this series, the writers Ronald Moore and Glen Larson start a-new, with the focus on what it's like when, basically, humanity can be almost wiped out in a matter of hours, and what the humans will do when up against their own creation- the Cylons- who are robots that have been able to become human in form. Well, twelve of them at any rate.While I can't speak for the actual television series that followed, with this mini-series, which could be viewed possibly as its own epic feature with more than a few things left open for continuation, there's no time for anything very amusing. It's a very dark kind of story, where hope appears to be lost in the face of not just the massive loss of life on the humans' planet, Caprica, but how one person, a so-called 'Genius' Gaius Baltar (well-played in conflict by James Callis) can have his mind overrun but one of these Cylons (a for all intents and purposes Goddess in stature, Tricia Helfer). What's most frightening is the simplicity of how everything is wiped out so quickly, how it sort of captures everyone- i.e. the military personnel on the Galactica- off guard, not least of which the Commander Adama (Edward James Olmos) who is on his way to retire and is put back in the leaders' seat. Funny how that works out in these stories.This is writing that is dedicated to conflict and character, making sure due time is given to the personalities, such as Starbuck's anti-authoritarian kick-ass pilot or the problems that arise early on for Adama's son, who is a Captain and a hell of a pilot as well (also a deceased brother, but I digress). It helps too that we are never sure where the Cylons are coming from, how they're able to knock out all of the transmissions and such, excel for the Baltar part of the equation. They're a threat that can come from anywhere at any time, unrelenting and without any call to reason (a little like the aliens in Independence Day, only here not given a shred of anything to see as what they are except as steel-robots or the alluring #6). And all the while other issues come up - survival versus military might, religious preoccupations, the place for love in all of this, and trust.For some who are hardcore into science fiction stories and media, this might not all be news. What's remarkable is the execution of the action and details. Here and there one almost feels like it could be a cold mood, or just so dark and grim that there's so little room for any warmth. At least, at this point in the story. Where other science fiction or space tales wait for the middle act to get really dark (i.e. Empire Strikes Back), this plunges head in, so that by the end, when things are just at best stable, we know things will get even more interesting. On its own terms its thrilling and shocking, heart-rending and moving, and on occasion amusing (mostly in the warped interactions between the Englishman and the Cylon), and that it also leaves the viewer shouting "ENCORE!" is a big plus. Not to mention above average special effects (compared to something like old Joss Whedon shows, or even Star Trek Generations, the space scenes are nearly cinema quality with the CGI), and a peculiar but awesome musical score with drums in battle and melody in the somber moments.After this, you'll either go on or you don't to the rest of the series. At the least, and forgive the analogy, you'd have to be Cylon to not get something out of the three hours of entertainment and drama.