TV: Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica

Leading a fleet of ships in search of Earth, Battlestar Galactica fends off the Cylons who are out to destroy the remnants of humanity.

Battlestar Galactica arrived in the wake of Star Wars, the TV channels quickly capitalising on the renewed appetite for all things science fiction by greenlighting Glen A Larson's creation (confidence was so high the pilot even had a theatrical release in Europe).

After humans in the rest of the galaxy have been wiped out by the robotic Cylons, the crew of the titular ship lead a fleet in search of the legendary Earth. Just in case viewers missed the Western-in-space theme, Bonanza’s Lorne Greene was cast as the ship commander, although the series also took the lead from works such as Chariots of the Gods with its occasional use of Egyptian and even Mormon iconography.

Unfortunately, the series proved expensive to make and was cancelled at the end of the 1978-79 season, though a poorly received follow up - Galactica 1980 - briefly attempted to re-orientate the series by moving the action to Earth itself.

The series gained a large cult following in Britain, thanks in no small part to regular repeats on the BBC. Original cast member Richard Hatch (who played Apollo and has written novelisations of the series) has kept the flame alive throughout the last 20 years with persistent attempts to encourage a revival. Indeed, many fans' wishes came true when it was revived for TV in 2004. Though the new series - acclaimed by many - has a quite different flavour from the original...