The Story of the Twice Failed Battlestar Galactica (1978): Lawsuits, Deaths & Controversies

[@leebirdwell7783]

I always got a kick out of the Cylon walking past Face Man in the A-Team intro, and Face's reaction.

[@MrChristopoop]

Blew my mind as a kid. I loved how they had Dirk Benedict react to it. I liked the A Team that much more just because they had Starbuck in it.

[@BlokeOnAMotorbike]

that was included in an episode set on the Universal Studios lot (2x10 "Steel"). The Cylon walking past with the Larson scanner going was Dirk's idea.

[@dar7578]

That scene always brings a smile any time I see it

[@TheMacKosh]

@@MrChristopoop funny enough I was watching the Family Guy homage of The A Team the other night and they did that scene doing the opening credits

[@laurent214]

Same here!

[@sosaix3545]

I had all those Battlestar Galactica toys as a kid. Every. Single. One. And my favorite, by far, was the one with the two foam-rubber Vipers that you could launch off Galactica's landing bay. Problem was, they had too much lift and would smash into the top of the deck before clearing it. And so, as a young kid, began my tinkering with the wings and learning about lift, drag, etc. Turned me into a fairly good pilot early on!

[@rom65536]

I had a friend as a kid that had the Colonial Viper toy. When he heard about the kid choking on the missile after firing it into his mouth, my idiot friend promptly fired the missile into his mouth and started choking on it. If it weren't for the fact that Batman taught me the Heimlich maneuver on a Superfirends PSA, he'd be a dead idiot friend.

[@lutherheggs451]

Any kid who had the urge to place something in their mouth and then fire the missile is surely the type of child who ate paint chips. I had plenty of toys that fired things as a child and never once thought to myself, I think I wanna stick that thing in my mouth and fire the missiles

[@bryanbird1266]

Just out of curiosity, is your friend still among the living in 2021 or did he earn his own Darwin Award in some other way?

[@antonycharnock2993]

@@lutherheggs451 I'm from the UK and had Britains diecast toy artilllery that shot plastic shells en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britains. Never did I consider doing that. I even had the original batman car that had the rocket launcher, the UFO interceptor with the huge rocket on the front & various others. Oh. And the Colonial Viper.

[@rom65536]

@@bryanbird1266 I think he's still around. Haven't talked to him in 30 years though

[@Fungib1e]

THIS! This is why we can't have nice things.

[@NonyaDamnbusiness]

Growing up I watched the original BSG when it was airing on TV. Also watched Airwolf, A-Team, and Knight Rider when they aired. The 80s were the bomb.

[@shepwillner7507]

Loved all three shows. Did you notice that of all the actors on the A-Team, only two were chosen to appear on ST TNG: Dwight Shultz as Reg Barclay, and Melinda Culea as Soren, a member of her androgenous (sp?) race?

[@brentwalker3300]

Was the original BSG a failure? Not to those of us who grew up watching it.

[@robertr9188]

Yes, the 80s. You just had to be there!

[@shepwillner7507]

@@UToobUsername01 And I pity any fool who thinks he can walk around town with all that gold bling on him or her and not get mugged. IMHO, Mr. T is asking for trouble with all that gold bling draped on his neck and shoulders.

[@airporttrucker8529]

Yeah being a kid in the 80s was awesome.

[@dio3693]

I don't think BSG ripped off Star Wars. On the surface it looks fairly similar, but it isn't the same story at all. Spaceships and robots have been a part of sci fi ever since the beginning.

[@shepwillner7507]

I don't think so either. Each of them is distinguished by their plots and settings. Only the legal eagles at ABC and Universal thought so. Have they ever considered doing a focus group to ask the members whether they were confused between the two series? How about interviewing people on sidewalks: were they confused between the two series? I'm sure that either method would have told the C-suite execs the answer: No, we don't confuse the distinction between the two series.

[@bobross1829]

As this video explained, Star Wars basically tried to act like they owned ALL sci-fi that was visual that was even remotely like Star Wars. It was a bonkers position.

[@quigonkenny]

The only way in which BSG could maybe be said to have "ripped off" SW is in the technology they used for the space battles. But the limits of technology at the time made it so that was the only way they could really pull anything like that off. That's why BSG ended up looking like something between SW and ESB (taking into account the limitations of TV budget), because that's how the technology advanced.

[@STSWB5SG1FAN]

@@quigonkenny In that way it was only similar to studio execs, the people behind the purse strings who only saw the profits to be made.

[@lelandframe1029]

It's been my experience that non-science fiction people cannot tell the difference between franchises! My cousin, for example, is a highly intelligent God-fearing lady whom I love dearly--but she just can NOT grasp the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek!

[@robertstanley5555]

As someone who did see the original movie in the UK in my youth, there is one thing folks really HAVE missed; it was one of the few movies released in something called Sensurround. That was basically the addition of very low frequency bass that was felt rather than actually heard. Even forty-plus years on I can remember the (literal) feeling as the Galactica drifted serenely across the screen... it was just awesome!

[@ronnellsykes5648]

Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers in the 25th century were my Sci fi fix as a kid in between the Star Wars movies.

[@MrChristopoop]

Damn right! Great times to be a kid who loved space ships and laser guns.

[@longhairscorpio3976]

me three

[@brandonb1681]

Even though it was before Star Wars, Space 1999 is what got me hooked on Sci-Fi as a young one.

[@AlphanPeter]

space:1999 another show i enjoy

[@timandshannon03]

Same!!!

[@brooklynbulma]

If GALACTICA:1980 had shown “The Return of Starbuck” as its first episode and gone on from there, it would have been a great show.

[@philiphatfield5666]

Yes.

[@notmyrealname6150]

That was definitely the best episode of that series.

[@MrRobarino]

..for one episode, yes. The rest of the episodes were still terrible and would not have sustained the show.

[@ABoyNamedArt]

About a decade or so ago a friend and I interviewed Richard Hatch for our podcast, which was admittedly small-time. Despite that Richard couldn't have been more generous with his time and his love for the show.

[@gateauxq4604]

Damn that’s cool! RIP he was great

[@merlin9943]

I have always that Richard Hatch was quite generous with his time.

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

@@merlin9943 yeh fun fact Richard I think evenbdonted hugh chunk of scfi vcinvdnt Spence resulduaks to I bdlive xhrties against domestic violence

[@commentfreely5443]

bring the damn cylons to earth. bad mistake

[@machupikachu1085]

@@zacharyjochumsen9677 You ok? Should I call an ambulance?

[@SchrodingersTransCat]

A quote from science fiction writer Brian Aldiss about the lawsuits: "Lucasfilm and Fox brought an action for plagiarism [of Star Wars] against Universal, the studio which made Battlestar Galactica. Early in 1979 I was in California, advising a legal firm hired by Universal to defend the suit (which was never brought to court). It seemed to me at the time, and I have not changed my mind since, that both films derived from earlier models, to wit, from stories in the SF magazines of the forties and fifties. The films shared common ancestors. ... "The lawyers' first formal question to me was this: 'What was your initial response to Star Wars?' I replied, 'I experienced the delights of recognition.' They thought about it. Then they smiled." -Aldiss, 1986, Trillion Year Spree, pp. 273-4

[@wstine79]

My favorite episode is "The Living Legend." Where the Galactica runs into the Battlestar Pegasus with Lloyd Bridges as Commander Kane.

[@dannyr2976]

Mine too. I did like their two part episodes like 'Gun on Ice Planet Zero'

[@b.thomas8926]

He picked a bad day to stop sniffing glue. (Airplane joke)

[@dendostar5436]

The OTHER Battlestar...?

[@Dorelaxen]

Hell yes. Bridges was awesome as Kane.

[@dendostar5436]

@@Dorelaxen I loved him. Kane was out of his FREAKING MIND and I LOVE him. And yes, him and the Pegasus are still out there.

[@IceManLikeGervin]

Battlestar Galactica (1978) and Buck Rogers In The 25th Century were two of my favorites shows growing up as a kid but they were gone almost as soon as they appeared on tv...

[@jkincaid582]

I always wondered why Battlestar Galactica only lasted the one season when it seemed to be something that was generally well remembered and popular at the time. That show had way too much working against it.

[@jasonblalock4429]

The other big issue is that the writing was just all over the place. Like Dan said, they were pumping out scripts as fast as they could, so there was no QC, and not even agreement on who the audience for the show was. So you'd have a serious adult storyline one week, and a ridiculous kids' show story about cowboy Cylons the next. It was incredibly uneven.

[@cameronward9443]

We saw that all the time from network TV. Big budget shows that are fairly popular that get canned because even if they make money... it's not enough return on investment. Thankfully networks like HBO really broke that cycle with developing and airing shows at a loss but then making it back on VHS/DVD/BluRay sales and syndication down the road. First airing time slots and ratings don't really mean a whole lot when your entire plan is to make back the money with years and years of exclusive syndication deals and dvd sales.... Traditional TV Networks were never that forward thinking.

[@travisfoster1071]

They actually ran out of money before the first season was over.

[@jimmyboy131]

As usual everything comes down to corporate and/or banking interests. Art and entertainment can't exist for their own sakes or for the human element that creates and thrives on them.

[@pferreira1983]

​@@jasonblalock4429 Nothing to do with the writing. That was fine. The problem was it cost too much to continue making with lower than expected ratings.

[@Liquidcadmus]

Crazy lawsuits, I never thought Battlestar Galactica was similar to Star Wars in any way. George Lucas must have thought that anything Sci Fi or taking place in Space was a direct copy of Star Wars

[@Riceball01]

I've read that the lawsuits were the reason why the hand blasters and balster rifles never had visible shots, just flashes of light from the barrels. On the other, hand that could have been used as an argument against being a copy of Star Wars. Not sure which it is, but I definitely recall that particular point of difference.

[@Statsy10]

That’s rich considering how heavily Star Wars borrows from other properties.

[@yoda908]

Star wars took from Flash Gordon

[@lukestrawwalker]

About like Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin now, and their suits against SpaceX and complaint against NASA... OL J R :)

[@alexhenderson1312]

@@yoda908 And Dune and Akira Kurosawa too!

[@mr.g354]

There was, in the distant past, a magical time when mom said I could stay up late to watch 2 shows back to back!! BJ and the Bear followed by battlestar galactica. Unbelievable they were on the same night. This also included chips and coke and a wide eyed me oblivious to anything but the tv.

[@ilovethe80s74]

Oh god! I loved Battlestar Galactica and BJ and the Bear!

[@bccooper2418]

I loved watching both of those shows! Speaking of chips… I also loved C.H.i.P.s Plus I loved watching the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman.

[@equals-kl9hm]

And we went outside to play.

[@sirandrelefaedelinoge]

Your mum was very easy going, allowing you to do coke...

[@shepwillner7507]

Ah, BJ and the Bear, starring Greg Evigan, a Chimpanzee or Orangutan, plus Claude Atkins as the resentful schmuck who chases after him for some reason.That's all I remember about that drama series.

[@bhikku23]

"I asked my parents if we were related" was possibly the funniest joke I've seen on this channel!

[@Wis_Dom]

I never knew all this drama surrounded Battlestar Galactica, and "George (always suing) Lucas" never fails. As an artist myself, I never knew Frank Frazetta turned down promotional Star Wars work. But I don't blame him for not wanting to sign over his rights to Lucas. Also the kid who committed suicide reminded me of the controversy that surrounded Dungeons and Dragons. The reason why my christian mother wouldn't let me to play with the game.

[@RandomNPC001]

@PODCAST - SørenCast Z it hasn’t changed much, a lot of people worried about a piece of cloth on their face!

[@voltijuice8576]

@PODCAST - SørenCast Z Are you related to Dr. Z?

[@kforcer]

That kid, Dallas Egbert, was actually in one of my Dad's English classes when he was at MSU. Which is sort of funny and ironic, because I loved Dungeons and Dragons, as did my brother and to some extent, my twin sister. And my Mom of course, was horrified by it. Egbert's experience, as you might know, actually had very little to do with Dungeons and Dragons, though he did start some long-lasting rumors about MSU's steam tunnels.

[@Trekmaster47]

My Satanist parents were disappointed that D&D was nothing but math and improvisation. 😏

[@ralfmaximus4295]

Frazetta's requirement to retain control of his work was standard in his contracts by the early 1970s, since so much of his work in the 60s had been reused by publishers without his receiving a dime in compensation. It wasn't any kind of particular FY to Lucas & co., just business. His wife & business manager, Eleanor Frazetta, implemented the policy.

[@Loto76]

Seeing the Cylons in person at Universal Studios was surreal as a kid.

[@paulb4241]

The Cylons were great bad guys

[@martijnspruit]

@@paulb4241 At your command!

[@shepwillner7507]

So was seeing Kitt the Knight Rider car with that roving eye. That said, Kitt should have been doing something besides sitting on a road like he was on the Great Movie Ride at Universal Studios (CA). For example, Kitt could have been part of the stunt show with all those other cars, bikes, dynamite, fires, etc. But nope, Kitt had to sit all by himself like a lonely guy waiting for a dance on prom night.

[@drozwalker9]

Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rodgers both satisfied my sci-fi taste buds in between Star Wars movies. I think it is still that way at least on a Sunday evening. I definitely wish the toys for Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers would get a proper reissue.

[@mothafraker]

I enjoyed the fact that when they both hit The SciFi channel the aired back to back.

[@jimenycricket8431]

Did they ever do toys like Star wars? I had the Viper ship, but I desperately wanted one of the laser pistols the Colonial Warriors used...

[@johnmullholand2044]

@@jimenycricket8431 There are resin replica props of the Colonial laser pistols available online from numerous sources. As well as tons of other replica props from DOZENS of old sci-fi shows.

[@jimenycricket8431]

@@johnmullholand2044 Awesome! Definitely have to look it up... they'll have to ship Down Under though. Thanks!

[@johnmullholand2044]

@@jimenycricket8431 Don't bother ordering from Doopydoos, though. I ordered a blaster from them about a year ago, and still no blaster, no response to emails, and I'm out $100.😠

[@jasonblalock4429]

Also, the original BSG had the greatest orchestral TV show theme of all time, and I'll die on that hill.

[@h1ghju1ce]

I was humming it whilst watching this video ❤️

[@lukestrawwalker]

Absolutely... loved Stu Phillip's work on Buck Rogers as well! OL J R :)

[@HLR4th]

One of the highlights of the reimagined BSG was when the original theme was brought back as the Colonial Anthem; still sends chills down my spine

[@jasonblalock4429]

@@HLR4th Totally agreed. I like that they held back using the old theme until they had a really good use for it, and then absolutely nailed it.

[@JohnFourtyTwo]

@@jasonblalock4429 They used it during the reboot miniseries as the theme for the TV talk show that Baltar was on also.

[@anthonystrocks247]

I was a 10 years old STAR WARS fanatic, and I LOVED BSG '78!

[@randymoyan7871]

Me too bro. I had just turned 10 in September '78 when it premiered. I was gutted when it was canceled. Great memories of my youth.

[@stendec-dd3he]

Another excellent homage, Dan, to an underrated and to some, forgotten series. It will always be a beloved series, with good memories attached to it, for me. Hard to believe it's been over four decades, seems like yesterday. Regardless, you did a great service to its memory. Thank you.

[@brocknokli7145]

Everyone always forgets the stand out actor. RICK SPRINGFIELD as.... Adama's son RIP.

[@intercommerce]

Well, he was only in the pilot movie...

[@tempest411]

He'd be alive today if he hadn't been obsessing so much over a girl at the time. Bros before hoes, my brothers...

[@Forcemaster2000]

I cried when they turned Battlestar Galactica into Galactica 1980!

[@chriswright6245]

It's an abomination isn't it!

[@Corn_Pone_Flicks]

I was ten or eleven, and I don't think I watched the whole thing. Going from interstellar combat to space kids playing Little League with superpowers and planting crops whilst singing about it was enough to ruin anyone's interest. I really only remember the final episode that dealt with the fate of Starbuck.

[@jamescain867]

@@Corn_Pone_Flicks Galactica 1980 should be sent into a black hole

[@RR_1138]

I grew up in Los Angeles, Universal Studios had the tram ride. You can actually see the space ship from afar. As a kid it was awesome, Cylons troops LOL , just split in half when shot

[@persona83]

Love both versions, 1978 and 2003, but the old series has a special place in my heart.

[@ericheckenkamp6091]

The first BSG series represents a style of television that will never return. The writers these days couldn't do it, for starters, but the whole notion of "event television" is long gone. Now we live in a deluge of mediocrity.

[@davidlawrence8711]

Interesting take. Only a few short years ago everyone was describing this as being the “golden age” of TV - actors were actually leaving Hollywood movies for tv shows, they had really engaged the prime entertainment space. I wonder if the deluge of streaming services needing to create content ruined that somewhat.

[@dennywordkiller4253]

Some trivia for you: When I worked at Sci Fi someone left a message for me that he had acquired the original Galactica shooting model legally (uh huh) and was willing to provide it for the announced reboot back in 2003. All well and good but the model at that time (and still to this day) was listed as stolen property. I never heard from him again but, as you might imagine, there were a number of people who were very interested in speaking with him. Within the year it seemed as if nearly every interview or image of that model and its owner had been scrubbed from the internet. That model is still out there and Universal still wants it back.

[@LastBattlestar]

That is interesting. I've been researching the Galactica model herself for over 20 years while building my own replica and know (via Web communities) most of the stories and people involved with the miniatures. Thier acquisition has always been a bit murky but seemed to be legitimate. The models were sold a few years back in a highly publicised auction by Profiles in History for 1.8 million dollars. Our best intel suggests they were shipped to Japan where the trail runs cold. Surely Universal would have stepped in to claim the miniatures back if they were still considered stolen?

[@majorgear1021]

I heard it was buried with Atari’s ET game

[@bensaret]

I got to experience the Universal Studios Battle of Galactica part of the studio tour back in '84! I was amazed that they somehow pulled off the laser-shooting effect in real life during the big live-action fight scene between Apollo and the Cylons. I even have some horribly-blurry photos I took of the whole thing somewhere in the garage...

[@davidconway6874]

I saw it in 1980. My dad caught it all on our super 8 but when it was developed all we saw after entering the spaceship was blackness and a couple of red flashes.😢

[@tarn1135]

I actually remember the universal studios thing. I didn’t until you mentioned it but now it’s a vague memory.

[@insideoutsideupsidedown2218]

If i win Powerball, I’m building the bridge of Galactica in the room off my man cave. Maybe even the the launch tube and landing bay…

[@ajclements4627]

I wished I could have been to the Battle of Galactica, and I *still* wish I had a viper helmet and colonial warrior uniform.

[@JetEngine787]

That attraction was awesome. The "Rise of the Resistance" thing at Di$ney is a modern ripoff of it.

[@Treachery93]

My favorite episode is "The Living Legend" with Lloyd Bridges as Commander Caine. When Baltar said to Lucifer, "nooo! He's coming after me!!!!"

[@shepwillner7507]

Serves him right! Another comeuppance for Baltar. At least Jonathan Harris plays somebody good--Lucifer--rather than the evil nutcase Dr. Zachary Smith from "Lost in Space".

[@brandonb1681]

"The time has come for the final annihilation of the lifeform known a Man. Let the attack begin." That line has always stuck with me.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

I still consider the Cylon Raider ship as one of the coolest looking spaceships of all time, in film or TV. It has aged extremely well if you ask me.

[@spartanx9293]

Honestly I'm more of a fan of the raider Mark 1 from deadlock they took the ship and gave it some better lines

[@philiphatfield5666]

Yes. I loved the Cylon spacecraft, but I loved to watch the Vipers mop up the floor with the Cylon raiders!

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

@@philiphatfield5666 Of course I always rooted for the good guys, but the Viper is a somewhat ordinary looking spaceship if you ask me. Many fond memories of this show though. Didn't much care for the "reboot" in 1980 *EXCEPT* for the one episode "The Return of Starbuck", which I consider to be the best episode of them all (not counting the 2003 reboot).

[@OsoBlanco17]

Ugh another case of creative minds producing a masterpiece that is only to get destroyed by greedy executives in charge who think they know better. We can only imagine how amazing those Galactica TV movies would have been…

[@DJ_Force]

Well, not really. While many of the hour-long episodes are forgettable, the two part episodes about Commander Cain, the ship of lights and Lost Planet of the Gods were essentially TV movies, and were all great.

[@kennedymcgovern5413]

It's all a circle of money. The people who make the money all fight each other for their size of their slice of the pie. I can't blame them. They have a right to fight that fight. They are the ones who invested the money to create this stuff in the first place. Then there are the fans. We are the ones who, collectively, repay the creators for their original investments and provide the profits which motivate the creators to create in the first place, and we want what we want. And everyone involved dances to the beat of the music we have all created. From a pure entertainment perspective, hell, my answer is "yes" to all of it. YES, I loves Star Wars as a seven year old kid seeing in in the theater (several times). YES, I loves Battlestar Galactica, watched every episode, own a copy of the series and had a Colonial Viper (WITH the missile). YES, being born in 1970, I loved my Star Trek Reruns after school and came down with a lifelong case of "the fever" because of Lt. Uhura. If only it were JUST about the entertainment, then we could live in a world where all of this could coexist peacefully. BUT...if it were JUST about the entertainment, no one would make any of it in the first place, as no one OWES me entertainment. If creators were somehow forced to create this stuff without the money...well...that would be slavery. And slavery is worse that the money dance that caused us all to land on "Galactica 1980." It's not worse by much...but it's a little worse.

[@davidlawrence8711]

Focus on the upside: this got us the absolutely incredible reboot, and Ron Moore being constrained by executives on Star Trek tng (“no permanent damage”) was part of his drive to do make it as realistic and grounded. Plus Richard Hatch finally got to come back!

[@DJ_Force]

@@davidlawrence8711 Well, that's debatable. I hated the reboot. It was potentially a good show, that's a matter of opinion. However, it wasn't "Battlestar Galactica". BSG was about a family of lovable Mormons in space going on adventures and saving the day. BSG reboot was a very different show, and should have been called something else. Just like Star Trek Picard is no true successor to TNG, irrespective of how good the show may or may not be.

[@shepwillner7507]

Even worse were the studios' legal eagles, suing each other for copyright infringement, and then along came the suit by the parents against Mattel for making a hazardous toy that killed their kid.

[@AaronEdwards]

That story about the kid who killed himself is so sad. I’m guessing he might have been on the spectra, but we didn’t know much about that kind of thing in 1980.

[@davidlawrence8711]

I thought the same thing - the quote from his parents definitely seemed to suggest he could have been autistic.

[@brianmacdougall9200]

I would ride my bike for 30 minutes to get to the only shop that sold the “Starlog” magazine... The death of the young boy was page 2 ( Editorial page) .. I still remember how sad that was, and the Editor stating at the end saying despite how much we love the show, it is... just a tv show.

[@themobseat]

People have always been crazy, the labels just change over time.

[@dalethelander3781]

Eddie Sidell. Larson named the character of Col. Sydell in Galactica 1980 after him.

[@mccallosone4903]

When i was a kid, i loved this show. Then Galactica 1980 came along and i thought, "what is this sh*t?" It was the second time i felt betrayed by tv. The first? Star Wars Holiday Special

[@mccallosone4903]

Oh yeah, my first school lunch box was BSG. It was awesome, wish i still had that thing

[@JonTripp115]

"See? Crushing disappointment is ANOTHER similarity!" -George Lucas

[@lukestrawwalker]

Yeah, same with the second season of "Buck Rogers"... just too jarring of a transition and really screwed up, basically totally unrelated to the original show from the previous season! Later! OL J R :)

[@Ensign_Cthulhu]

Heh. I was too young to be critical of Galactica 1980. I just wanted more Galactica. Cheesy plots? Discontinuous story arcs? Who cares about that shit when you're nine?

[@brandonb1681]

As a kid, I really enjoyed the Cylon attack on Los Angeles. I watched Earthquake years later, and I remember thinking, "I have seen this footage before."

[@georgehgordy1690]

Back in the late 70's - early 80's I had a Cylon Centurion, Battlestar Galactica Colonial Viper and a Cylon Raider... The Colonial Viper at the time looked like the coolest ship compared to everything else...

[@seancallaway5204]

The "Are we related?" gag was hilarious. Hat's off to you, sir.

[@russellharrell2747]

I saw it coming but I still laughed like an idiot

[@corydeceased]

I was just going to comment the same

[@brettoneal229]

Same here!

[@WiiNV]

L🤫L

[@pickeljarsforhillary102]

I asked my parents the same thing. They said *NO!* I know my real billionaire parents accidentally left me in front of an orphanage in a rush to spend money.

[@alexfletcher5192]

I used to draw entire Viper/Raider battle sequences on the paper my dad used to bring home from the office. They sort of nailed that combination of things that every kid was responding to in the genre at the time. Although my ardour cooled when David Sharp from the other end of the street attacked me with his handheld Viper Launcher. It was never the same after that...

[@Mikey48ish]

Great video! As much as I enjoyed Ronald Moore's 2004 re-imagined version of BSG, the original series still holds a special nostalgic place in my heart and I still occasionally load up my DVD of the original series to watch an episode or two.

[@spartanx9293]

Well that makes sense the new version is not the same as the old one they each appeal to a different market

[@UncleFeedle]

As kids in the late 70's, things like Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, The Black Hole and Flash Gordon kept us occupied until the next Star Wars appeared. As soon as Empire Strikes Back came out, that was it. We all reverted back to Star Wars.

[@bladerunner1b]

When It got cancelled it was the most disappointing thing to happen up to that point in my 6year old life. I can relate to the boy who jumped. What a magical time for television thinking back to all those shows on our 19" green and orange tinted fuzzy Zenith screens. And then the 80's did it all over again. This episode was great, thank you.

[@starman1222]

IIRC, Larson eventually connected BSG to Knight Rider, insisting that Kit was made up of tech recovered by the Knight organization, pulled from the wreck of a downed Cylon ship. I read this somewhere long ago and it could totally be bullshit.

[@willmfrank]

Even if it is total BS, it's still a great fan theory,

[@sylvarogre5469]

That would explain Garth...

[@shannonlaurberg6465]

I always said KITT was a Cylon.

[@WonHungLoNHard]

Explains the eye lol!

[@asyourgm]

Many of the BSG exterior space shots were recycled in a South African film called Space Mutiny, which ended up being the subject of both an MST3K episode and a Best of the Worst episode on the RLM channel. BSG was so popular with F-16 pilots that their particular fighter was unofficially nicknamed "Viper" and still use that as a callsign to this day.

[@nabguy]

"Roll Fizzlebeef!"

[@leemullen433]

@@nabguy “Butch Deadlift”

[@WaynePittenger]

Big McLargeHuge

[@MiddleAgedNerd]

Red Wheelvalve!

[@WaynePittenger]

Crush Rockgroin!

[@MoreMovies4u]

Face seeing a Cylon in the opening credits of The A-Team defines my childhood. 😆 Great video guys!

[@dinomonzon7493]

“Stole the Cantina idea?” Lol! When TV Guide ran its 10 Truly Stellar Episodes of Star Trek article, it noted that the episode “Journey to Babel”, which had the scene of Capt. James T. Kirk interacting with Vulcan Ambassador Sarek, Tellarite Ambassador Gav, and dignitaries of the Federation on the Enterprise, seemed the inspiration for Star Wars’ Cantina segment.

[@joek600]

and almost every italian western had a ''csntina'' scene

[@TENINCHLUVABOY]

RATINGS KILLED IT, NOT THE LAWSUIT.

[@dinomonzon7493]

Don’t forget the $1 Million + budget per episode.

[@thetruthchannel349]

@@joek600 *Yep was about to say it but you did. Absolutely, correct. Its just a bar scene from the old west with aliens*

[@shepwillner7507]

@IfWhiningAtProblemsWorks, WhyDoCorporationsLobby? The inept Storm Troopers also don't check where that made-up sound thrown by Obi-Wan as a diversion while Kenobi was on that machine that controlled the Death Star's shield in The New Hope. They don't double-check ID's, and how come there are no rank insignia on Storm Trooper's uniforms? Ditto for everybody on the Bridge of the Death Star: how does Tarkin know somebody is a commander?

[@2WheelsAs1]

Yeah, that intro on the A-Team when the Cylon walks past Dirk Benedict was so damn funny!

[@kildogery]

This channel has come so far. I love this series. Cheers guys!

[@johnbockelie3899]

The Viper was the same color as the X wings !!!, and the Cylon ships the same color as the Tie Fighters !!!. 😳

[@OnBendedKneeMusic]

Thanks so much for posting! I loved this series while growing up, and was also intrigued by the style of helmets the colonial pilots wore, which resembled ancient Egyptian headdress... more than a coincidence, I'm sure😉

[@AlphanPeter]

Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers in the 25th century also Space:1999 were my Sci fi fix as a kid.

[@shepwillner7507]

Buck Rogers had more women, and they were dressed sexier than either BSG's Jane Seymour's and Laurette Spang's combined costumes.

[@im1066]

1. Jane Seymour… 2. You didn’t mention the Mormon themes that ran through the series, which is more remarkable considering how rushed the scripts were.

[@sstrykert]

& now w/World economic forum, & neural link, getting dangerously closer...

[@superpaul79]

At first I thought, "didn't I just watch this?" Then I remembered about the Buck Rogers video.

[@carlosbright9615]

Battlestar Galactica and Galactica 1980 is currently playing on Tubi TV. I enjoyed both Kent McCord and Barry Van Dyke in Galactica 1980. RIP Richard Hatch....

[@grapeshot]

I remember that Simpsons episode when they went to a Star Wars convention and they had the wrestling match between the powerful robots of Battleship Galactic vs. the wimpy robots from Star Wars.

[@PelinalDidNothingWrong]

Wimpy? *General Grevious,IG-88 and Dark Troopers want to know your location*

[@lutherheggs451]

Except what nobody seems to think about is shows like Battlestar Glactica and Buck Rogers wouldn't even exist if it weren't for Lucas and Star Wars......Those shows would have probably never even gotten a whiff of green light had Star Wars not have exploded in popularity.

[@grapeshot]

@@PelinalDidNothingWrong no they want to know the makers of The Simpsons location.

[@grapeshot]

@@lutherheggs451 if you read the Star Wars comics there is an evil version of C-3PO and R2D2 who are straight murder bots.

[@pennygadget7328]

Creepio doesn't need big robot muscles to inflict suffering

[@jayprkr3336]

In one of Dave Hargrave's Arduin dungeons (an early competitor of D&D), a magic armor in the game was exactly depicted as a Cylon in the illustration. I think that was around 1979-80.

[@skeletor4062]

I'll always have fond memories of Bonanza in space.

[@cs292]

The episode when a lost cylon becomes a defender of a small town was pretty damn good.

[@thereisnosanctuary6184]

Predated Terminator 2

[@TheAbsoluteJay]

I always wondered why things seemed so drastically different between the Pilot, first season, and then second season. Great trivia.

[@Bill23799]

I love the original Battlestar Galactica. You forgot to mention that in the back of " Starlog " magazine you could order a genuine Colonial Warrior Battle Jacket with magnetic clasps.

[@GromMolotok]

This was the one piece of merchandise I desperately wanted. (I did have the model kits of the Colonial Viper and the Cylon Raider.) Sadly, it was ever out of my budget.

[@clydeferguson519]

My girlfriend at the time had one of the Colonial Warrior jackets, think she paid about 40 bucks for it.

[@Bill23799]

@@clydeferguson519 Oh wow, did she order it from the back of Starlog Magazine? Did it have magnetic clasps?

[@clydeferguson519]

@@Bill23799 yes and yes. She was gonna give it to me but she didn't want me to wear it, so I told her to keep it.

[@jamesmoss3424]

Battlestar Galactica is an fantastic 70's sci fi show. 😀👍

[@megagene]

That Adam Sandler Wedding Singer reference was the highlight of my day. Or to look at it from another angle: my days aren't great.

[@jimdempsey767]

Dan, your writing really does take these stories beyond a simple history lesson. Really appreciate all that you bring to the subject. Thank you, Sir.

[@simbaking6338]

Loved the original BSG as a kid in the 80s...I was obsessed with the fighter ships toys..even used to draw them in my school books. The original is still more memorable to me than the 2003 reboot.

[@achtungbabyblog]

We Need a video that combines “but it gets worse” and “but is it Cannon?”

[@snukastyle]

So..Rob Liefeld's BSG comics and toys?

[@DMSProduktions]

It's NOT a gun!

[@pong86r]

Wow! I have a respect for Battlestar Galactica that i never had before. as a kid watching The Next Generation, i saw old reruns of Battlestar like old soaps operas that my parents watched, so i was bored with them. now hearing this, it sounds like a series worth a watch! Great research and presentation!!!

[@xxryan76xx]

I grew up watching battlestar in the 80’s and still love it today thanks for a great video

[@dylanlewis5113]

I'm very surprised that they didn't try to make an animated Galactica during the 80's. Seems like it would be a no-brainer.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

For a show that had as short a run as it did it's amazing just how consequential and influential it really was. Many shows had a short run and were completely forgotten decades later this one had reboots and is still remember to this very day that really tells you something.

[@MrJturner74]

You blow a million dollars an episode on something it BETTER be remembered for a while.

[@speedracer1945]

The original BSG was on barely a year when cancelled. I watched it first hand and enjoyed the episode where they go into a pyramid to seek out how to get to earth and the 2 parter with Pegasus. It sorta showed how the show would had rocked if you had a guy like Bridges in charge.

[@SpookMrsSpooky]

I got my first VCR for Christmas so I could record this show. It's in my pantheon of favorites!

[@suzannekirkwood6392]

Was my favourite TV show as a kid. Stumbled across the modern series years after it aired.

[@QuantaSolace]

I remember watching the reruns with my dad when it was on Sci-fi. Even as a kid, I thought the original series was pretty cheesy but I liked it. It's a shame it never got a proper ending.

[@unclepatrick2]

The Richard Hatch concepts became a series of books . They are not great but not bad and if you like the 70's series , you will like the books.

[@voltijuice8576]

Q: What do you hear, Starbuck? A: Nothing but the RAAAAAIIIIINNN!!!

[@kenworthNH]

I always thought the way the Vipers launched down that tube were cool as hell, and the Cylon ships were pretty awesome looking.

[@Journeyman.71]

I loved the original BSG! There are ways it could have been netter, but, so much of it was almost perfect! And yes, I am a SW and ST fan, also.

[@guymccloud6731]

Great video on one of my fave shows growing up. Now I know why it didn't survive. Damn shame, still a classic. 👍🏾

[@malikot63]

I legit forgot how awesome the cast's hair was on this show, but when I saw it on TV as a kid I was cursed with the Boxey bowl cut.

[@artcamp7]

I'm still mad at that overreaction to a freak death ruining the launchers on my big sized boba fet.

[@robhicks2117]

When I was a little kid in the 70's I couldn't wait to watch Buck Rogers, Battlestar Galactica and Space 1999 every week. When these shows quit coming on TV I didn't know anything about tv ratings or shows being canceled. I can remember knowing what night of the week, what time and what channels these shows came on. I remember turning the TV channels trying to find these shows and I kept wondering why they were no longer on tv.

[@shepwillner7507]

Oh yes, I remember "Space: 1999" with Barbara Bane and Martin Landau--Cinnamon Carter and Rollin Hand--fresh from their roles on the original "Mission: Impossible" series that also included Leonard Nimoy as Paris, Phil Morris as Barney Collier, Stephen Hill as Dan Briggs, (replaced by Peter Graves as Jim Phelps).

[@slchance8839]

i remember that childhood confusion. One Friday night....no Dukes of Hazard. One Saturday morning, no Pac Man. Probably the most surprising, was one Saturday morning in 1996, I was a 22 year old who decided on a throwback morning, poured myself a bowl of cereal (which I hadnt done in years) and couldnt UNDERSTAND why there wasnt a single Saturday Morning cartoon. I was like "when. the hell. did this happen?" Cartoon Network happened, while I was away at college. That's what happened.

[@michaeldaugette802]

My favorite show on tv in 1978 when I was 6 and I still love the show today !

[@lancebaylis3169]

The more time passes, the more I appreciate the original BSG over the reboot. I don't know why. There's something about it I keep going back to again and again in a way the reboot never quite does for me. And before anyone assumes my age I wasn't alive when the originals went out, I was a teenager when the reboot was on air, but I don't know, there's just something I like about the old one.

[@lukestrawwalker]

The old one is "classic" in a way that the newer stuff is not. It's like the difference between TOS Trek and TNG and newer Trek... the older series has a charm all its own. Not that the newer stuff isn't good, in its own way, at least most of it, but it's just DIFFERENT... That said I wasn't a huge fan of the reboot. I didn't watch it when it was first on, every time I tried I just got bored with it and turned it off. Too unlike the original BSG. IMHO they should have just labeled it something else, because it really bore virtually NO resemblance to the original BSG. I tried watching it several times and just never got into it. I had some people I knew who called it "Melrose Place" in space, and that's pretty much correct IMHO. I FINALLY sat down and watched the whole reboot over a couple months a couple three years back, and while it was "okay", I didn't feel like I had missed a thing. My opinion didn't really change much about it. There were a few episodes or ideas that were kinda neat in their own way, but overall it just left me cold. Later! OL J R :)

[@shepwillner7507]

I loved the music that was preceded by the narration of their origin story, voiced by the rich voice of Lorne Greene.

[@jeffvella9765]

The reboot, had baby woke intentions. I did not notice it the first time around, but something was really off with starbuck acting like a crazy character. Could not relate to it at all. Then after a few years I realized that in the originals she was a man, no wonder. The stupid writers thought it was better to change the sex of a main character, which clearly messed things up quite a lot. They also made a mess with the writing, eg: they killed off starbuck for no good reason, and then they revived her with no good reason. Today it seems to me that the writers where at war with each other. Some were actually thinking and some were woke wankers. I am amazed it did as well as it did, considering the woke that was forced on the show.

[@Fool3SufferingFools]

I'm starting to think it has a lot to do with the differences between serialized and episodic television. If your show is serialized, you rely on the gradual development of the long story to keep viewers tuning in, and if it's a good story, that's enough to keep them hooked. But with an episodic show, you have a new story every 1 or 2 weeks, so the way you keep the audience coming back for more is to get them invested in the characters. If you create characters that people like, viewers will tune in every week just to see what those characters are up to. And on top of that, it has rewatchability that the serialized show doesn't, because you're not there just to find out what happens next; you're there to hang out with old friends.

[@HLR4th]

First time here; Really good video! Brought back many pleasant memories from my childhood. The "you stole my robot & plotpoints" lawsuit was pretty silly... had The Robot and Doctor Smith rolling in their graves!

[@GaryCameron]

The voice of Lorne Greene was so distinctive.

[@SeiferA2001]

Dan Larson: My parents said Im not related to Glen A Larson Me: Sorry, my head canon says otherwise

[@derekkizzee7940]

I watched BSG in reruns as a kid in the eighties and I fell in love with the series, you can catch the oringinal series and the reboot on tubi tv

[@Corn_Pone_Flicks]

When this was on the air, a cereal company offered a big bunch of Galactica stuff in return for five proof-of-purchase seals, which included a booklet on the show, a cardboard headset, a stick-on Colonial badge, stickers of the Raiders and Vipers, and the highlight, a glossy cardboard mockup of the dashboard of a Viper, which was basically to scale for a kid and which I played with incessantly. I don't remember what happened to that, but I still have the booklet.

[@keithmaxon9510]

God I love BSG. I had over half the crap you showed on screen. I was a cylon for Halloween and everyone had to ask me what I was at the time. I think I put 1000 hours into playing with that Viper launch vehicle flying rubbery thing doohickey. Loved this 'sode!!!

[@PunkRockPundit]

I was 12 when Battlestar Galactica came out and I absolutely loved the show. I had the action figures, the ships, the books, the comics...anything I could get my hands on. I loved Star Wars and had seen it when it came out but, I really connected with BSG. It felt more grounded, more real and more possible than Star Wars. The reboot was really good too but nothing will ever replace the original BSG for me.

[@SHELTECH4]

My favorite series. Cancelled too soon!

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

Viper vs X-Wing? Well that is an interesting question.

[@Dariushellstrome]

I saw it in reruns in the early to mid 80's I wanted the toys but they weren't around anymore, I got some of the book's occasionally rather randomly

[@OfficialTonyD]

4:28 Inspired by *Mormon* stories (not Biblical). Glen Larson was a Mormon and there's been several articles and publications made about how he heavily infused the series with Mormonism.

[@JDSleeper]

This is the only show I can remember where there was a commercial break during the credits.

[@teedepefanio4974]

Loved 1980... loved the final Starbuck episode.. loved BSG, the A Team, Knight Rider.. all this was my boyhood. Good times..

[@wstine79]

Another great transmission from the BATTLESTAR TOY GALAXY

[@unclebadger597]

Battlestar Galacti-toy? Battlestar Toy-lactica!

[@SwiftTrooper5]

Major props to the editing crew you have. The “It’s like ra-ah-ain...” and “McCloud!” moments especially got me!

[@Sturmjaeger]

I remember going on that BG ride as a kid. Mostly I just remember laser lights cutting Cylons in half. So cool to my 9 year old brain.

[@shepwillner7507]

ST TNG phaser pistols on the cutting torch setting could do a better job at cutting Cylons in half. Lasers weren't powerful back then until more power was applied to the beams for cutting steel parts for cruise ships. Heck, even Jedi lightsabers do a better job of cutting Cylons in half.

[@hillbillyharper4008]

Man I loved that show. We even had the missles launching the viper and the Cylon ships. My parents took the missles away after the 1 child died

[@cadwallon1969]

Rapid fire and brilliant - loved the show when it came out! Was as obsessed with this show as star wars - to this day we call dogs "daggits".

[@raysmith1630]

Very cool video. I really appreciate your research and dedication to the entire BSG universe. I'm not really sure yet how things will come together for the new reboot but, here we go again. This has all happened before and will all happen again.