Battlestar Galactica 2003: Encyclopedia II - Battlestar Galactica 2003 - Reimagining

Battlestar Galactica 2003 - Reimagining

Battlestar Galactica 2003 - History

Previous efforts to remake or continue the story of Battlestar Galactica by Tom DeSanto, Bryan Singer, and original series star Richard Hatch involved using either the original cast or the original characters and plot. None of these projects proceeded beyond the development stage.

Ronald D. Moore, executive producer and screenwriter of the new Battlestar Galactica, was noted for bringing darker story arcs to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the 1990s. Of Battlestar Galactica, he wrote in February 2003: "Here lies a slumbering giant, its name known to many, its voice remembered by but a few. For a brief moment, it strode the Earth, telling tall tales of things that never were, then stumbled over a rating point and fell into a deep sleep." He tackled the remake with realism in mind and portraying the show's heroes as being part of "flawed" humanity. Those flaws include Adama and his son harboring resentment toward each other, Colonel Tigh being an alcoholic with deep personal demons, and an outdated battlestar prone to problems and outside sabotage. The muted special effects are without the unscientific sounds commonplace in television and film science fiction. Comparatively realistic Newtonian physics and the use of bullets and missiles instead of energy weapons such as lasers make the programs unique.

Ronald D. Moore has also admitted that the miniseries and series drew inspiration from the tragic events of 9/11 and its aftermath. The shows feature elements such as "sleeper" agents, the threat of sneak terrorist attacks using civilian transports, Cylon suicide bombers, the torture of prisoners (alluding to the Abu Ghraib prison abuse), and a struggle motivated by intense religious differences. Season Two's episode thirteen also featured Useful Idiots, in the current polical parlance, as foolishly idealistic activists attempted to use sabotage against the fleet to force "peace talks" with the Cylons.

Battlestar Galactica 2003 - Comparison with the 1978 series

Among the most notable changes made from the older series are the inclusion of Cylon models which mimic humans, and numerous characters who are of a different race or gender. Human culture is made to more closely resemble contemporary 21st century Western culture, with names and costuming often indistinguishable from other television shows. Human technology is deliberately retro, which is explained as a military necessity given Cylon tactical advantages. The tone is also changed from a heroic fantasy to a more naturalistic survival narrative with many allusions, both subtle and obvious, to current events.

Battlestar Galactica 2003 - References to modern culture

The show references many modern cultural and many aspects of the military. The original Cylon attack is playing upon the fear that came about after the 9/11 attacks, and the frequent points in which fear and xenophobia that there are Cylon "sleeper agents" hiding in their midst, mirroring the fear of terrorist "sleeper cells" in Europe and the USA. The Blackbird stealth fighter is a direct reference to a sophisticated surveillance aircraft developed by the US Air Force, the Lockheed SR-71. Season Two's Episode Eleven, Resurrection Ship, Part 1, includes a part in which Starbuck, flying the Blackbird, is mistaken for an enemy and all the supposedly friendly fighters initially turn on her.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Reimagining", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki