Battlestar Galactica - Sci-Fi for the Masses

People generally cringe when they hear the words Battlestar Galactica.  I know my friends do.  The name has been engraved in the minds of those who have seen the 1970’s show as hokey, pointless, and generic.  When the Sci-Fi channel decided to attempt a remake most people, at least those with whom I spoke, were either against it completely or mostly hesitant.  When the mini-series aired, it left all doubt in the dust:  this was Sci-Fi’s definitive new series.

The main point that keeps Battlestar Galactica at the top of my personal viewing list is that it never relies to heavily on its science fiction aspect.  Sure, it’s a television show about a civilization destroyed by robots that evolved after a war, and the survivors have to constantly be on the run in space, but the surprising thing about the show is how they really only use the “sci-fi” story as a backdrop for a much deeper military drama.

Yes, the special effects are great.  This has to be, single-handedly, the best animated space show to ever grace television.  The dogfights are stunning, and every last bullet fired looks real.  The art direction is simply amazing, giving the fights and even routine flights a very gritty, realistic feel that is hard to find in most science fiction.

The characters are what really bring this show to life.  You don’t feel as though you are watching characters on a “battlestar” space cruiser; you feel as though you are watching a rough-neck military group go about their lives on a carrier.  That’s the charm of it all, really.  It’s a sci-fi show that doesn’t throw the science fiction in your face so hard that you will feel bad for watching it.