New Battlestar Galactica series is very good

[Windurst]

Caught the miniseries and series premiere on the Space Channel.  It's more drama than sci-fi, and is very good

[schild]

As long as there's a thread about new tv shows, let me put my vote in for "Tilt." It's a show on ESPN set against the backdrop of the poker championship qualification/tournament. Starring Michael Madsen. It's a winnar!

[Rasix]

The commercials for that show make me want to drop kick terrier puppies.

[schild]

I'm assuming you mean Battlestar Galactica. There are no puppies in Tilt. Only losers.

[WayAbvPar]

I saw the last 15 minutes of Tilt. Wow. Clown shoes.

[Rasix]

I'm assuming you mean Battlestar Galactica. There are no puppies in Tilt. Only losers.

Yes, Tilt.  I'll supply the puppies.  That whole Matador/"young bulls" analogy must die.

[Ardent]

I have to concur that the "Battlestar Galactica" miniseries was surprisingly good. Then again, it could be that I was just surprised that it didn't match my bottom-of-the-bottom-of-the-barrel expectations.

Because it appeared on the SciFi channel, otherwise known as the Sewer of Basic Cable That Makes Even SpikeTV Look Like PBS, I had to be browbeaten into seeing it by a friend who swore it didn't suck walrus cock. (I had to wait until it came out on DVD, though, because those goatfuckers at SciFi plaster their stupid logo in the corner of the screen for THE ENTIRE FUCKING FOUR HOURS of the broadcast version.)

I had to admit, though, that my friend was right. Now I'll wait for season 1 to come out on DVD and check out the series itself.

[Abagadro]

Needs more Erin Grey.

[Evil Elvis]

It is good, and it only gets better.  Aside from the original Apollo's guest appearances, everything about the show has been terrific.  Best sci-fi since Firefly.

Edit: and to sidetrack the thread s'more, the first episode of Carnivale was incredible.  Almost makes me forget how much the first season dragged on.  Second episode wasn't too bad either.

[Otis]

Yeah, I'm enjoying the new Galactica, too. It has its flaws, but overall it's the best sci fi I've seen on television in a long time.

Sidetracking: can you elaborate on what sort of program Carnivale is? Can you compare it to anything else? I've read the series description on a few sites, but it doesn't especially aid me in deciding if it's worth a rental.

[Boogaleeboo]

It's a depression era story of a battle between an avatar of Good [nominally designated as Ben Hawkens, kind and ignorant southern trash with the proper amounts of pride and violence] and an avatar of Evil [Brother "Justin Crowe", priest troubled by conflicting desires and the dawning feeling that he might not actual be a good person, or any type of person, at all] that takes it's name from the traveling Carnivale that picks Ben Hawkens up in the first episode.

It's....not really like other shows in feel. You can say it has elements of this and that, but anyone that tries to sell you as "Oh, it's in blank in the thirties" or "It's like blahblahblah but darker" is crazy. It starts out simply enough, knowing our leads aren't exactly normal, and builds along the way as the true impact of what they are starts to take shape. But the first season was 13 episodes, and while you do get a better idea of what is going on there are still more questions than answers. The second season is starting to answer them, but to say more would be to ruin a great deal of the first season.

All of that though is secondary to what makes it a good show. All that good and evil crap is more the push that keeps the show going. What makes it a great show are the production values and the characters. Great actors playing well written parts in well designed stories is what makes good tv, and it has it in spades. The midget strongman that runs the show, the ex-pitcher with the bum leg who is his right hand man, the fortune teller who never moves and predicts the future for clients by telling her daughter through telepathy, the strip show girls who whore on the side run by their doting father/husband [which is to say he has girls with his wife that dance and whore, not that he's married to his daughters. The show isn't quite that wrong...yet], Justin's sister who feels more like Justin's wife and knows more than she lets on, the amoral reporter wanting to make a buck off Justin and his fame, Ben's father and one of the greatest mysteries of the show, and behind the scenes unseen by all lies Management, the owner of the traveling Carnivale. Stories start off fast paced and quiet both, and the only constant is they all turn dark eventually. It has moments of humor, but it never has a comic relief episode. This is not a happy bumpfuzzle show and it doesn't pretend to be.

There really isn't....hell there really hasn't been anything else like it on tv before. You should give it a shot if you can. It's worth it.

[Ironwood]

Fairly sure we already had a thread on Galactica.  Sky One in the UK is just finishing off the series (second to last episode last night) and I've enjoyed it.

However, the writing of the political episodes are waayy off - that, coupled with the fact that Hatch stars in those same episodes makes them the worst of the bunch.  That said, two slightly poor episodes in a season hasn't been enough to stop me enjoying it.

I particularly love the new Baltar.  He's a weak man at first and you wonder how the hell he's ever going to fit the classic series mould of 'cardboard truly evil villian'.  That all becomes clear as his character progresses;  in last nights episode he had quite clearly gone batshit insane.


The wife can't stand the series though.

[Ardent]

I finally checked out the Galactica series on the Tivo last night. I popped through it very briefly, and as I suspected, the shitheels at SciFi put their intrusive logo in the corner of the screen for every single second of the show.

I'll be waiting for DVD. Fuck the SciFi channel, fuck them in their rancid orifices.

[stray]

I finally checked out the Galactica series on the Tivo last night. I popped through it very briefly, and as I suspected, the shitheels at SciFi put their intrusive logo in the corner of the screen for every single second of the show.

I think any channel owned by Viacom does that logo thing (BET, VH1, CBS, MTV, Comedy Central, Showtime, etc., etc.).

Useless info, I know.

[Ardent]

Actually, SciFi is now owned by NBC/Universal.

So, they are not the regime of morons that replaced "Farscape" with "Scare Tactics", but their channel is still terrible. And I know other channels do the logo thing, but none of them are as stupidly intrusive and blatant as SciFi.

Yet another reason to love HBO.

[Reg]

I'm really enjoying the new Galactica as well. And now that Starbuck is a hot chick there's easily 300 percent less homoeroticism!

[sidereal]

Truly excellent series.  Best-written sci fi I've ever seen on television (disclaimer: didn't see Firefly on television), and easily the best acted.  The plot is complicated and 'plausible' in that perverse way that fantasy/sci fi has to be plausible.  The Steven Bochco-style camera work in the space combat shots is great, as are the combat special effects (note to 'there's no sound in space' geeks: die).

[Shockeye]

Needs more Erin Grey.

All Sci-Fi needs more Erin Grey. I think I have my old Wilma Deering action figure in a box somewhere.

[Righ]

Earl Grey? Wilma Darjeeling? What tea fuck?

[schild]

Earl Grey? Wilma Darjeeling? What tea fuck?

Wow. That was terrible.

A vain attempt at staying topical: 99% of the shit broadcast on the sci-fi channel makes me cringe. At one point I had hoped they would pick up Veritas: The Quest - but they let me down. Most of their shows involve muppets or muppet-like characters and the writers for all of their shows are still hung up on the idea that "campy sci-fi" is good sci-fi. Sorry SG-1, Farscape, and everything else - but you suck.

Edit: I may download the first episode of Battlestar Galactica just to see if it's like the rest or actually Good. Oh, and Earthsea. That sucked as well.

[Jealous Deva]

How much of this show is story arc vs episodic?  If I've seen the movie am I missing anything by having missed the premiere?  I thought for some reason it would be starting this week with the other season premieres.

[Ardent]

And now that Starbuck is a hot chick there's easily 300 percent less homoeroticism!

You say that like it's a good thing.

[Bunk]

Needs more Erin Grey.

I'm planning on popping disk one of Buck in the dvd tonight... Long live 80s cheeze and skintight jumpsuits.

As to Battlestar Galactica, I quite enjoyed the production dvds I have of the miniseries - its nice having a good friend who does craft services. I'm just waiting to see who picks up the series in Canada.

[stray]

I don't care how well done or how much of an improvement on the original it is. Anything called "Battlestar Galactica" will never be viewed by me. Just the name itself tells me all I need to know: For Geeks Only. I mean, "Star Trek" and "Stargate SG-1" are bad enough, but I gotta keep some self respect (what little I have at least).

[Reg]

Well you're missing out. I think Galactica is better than any of the Treks since DS9 and superior to SG1 as well.

[Furiously]

what Reg said.

[Ardent]

Anything called "Battlestar Galactica" will never be viewed by me. Just the name itself tells me all I need to know: For Geeks Only.

People with 791 posts on a video game website judging other people for being geeks is, truly, hilarious.

[schild]

Anything called "Battlestar Galactica" will never be viewed by me. Just the name itself tells me all I need to know: For Geeks Only.

People with 791 posts on a video game website judging other people for being geeks is, truly, hilarious.

More than that - this labeling people as too geeky has been happening a lot lately. I think I should just buy the domain "potmeetskettlegames.com" and forward it to here.

[Miguel]

I only stumbled across Galactica for a few minutes while browsing, but I liked what I saw.

<massive hijackage ensues>

I also stumbled across Star Trek: Enterprise.  What a cluster fuck that series has become:  it seems even returning Brent Spiner to the Star Trek realm cannot pull this farce from the abyss of UPN programming.

What is it with modern sci fi?  It seems that conflict is all that writers have to fall back on for plot lines these days:  cheesy fight scenes, bad acting, running gun fights, and CGI space scenes (mostly battles).

I yearn for a return of 'topical' sci fi, like what classic ST:TNG was doing.  It's ok to deal with issues like slavery, freedom, justice, capital punishment, etc, but it seems modern sci fi has shied away from this.

[schild]

Every issue worth being dealt with was dealt with by "Sliders" 8 years ago. Everything else is just rehashing old tv.

[Morfiend]

Stuff

*POSSIBLE MILD SPOILERS*

I totally agree. While the first seasion left me feeling like it was all build up, and then kind of skimped out on any answers or real "wow" factor that it felt like it was building to (this pissed off a bunch of my friends and they refuse to watch any more) but the second seasion has already answered a bunch more questions, and had a little more of the "wow" factor. Since Boog already stated that Brother Justin is the badguy (sorry to anyone who hasnt seen the first season) you dont really even find this out until the very end of the first seasion, and he does a GREAT job grappling with who he is, and what he is destined to do. Also, even though he is seeming to be a badguy, you can tell he still wants to do good.

If you missed the first seasion, the second will defenetly not have the impact it should, and well, suck to be you, cause the second seasion is great so far.

[Johny Cee]

Well.....

Watched it, thought it was pretty good.  It's character driven,  with some damn interesting characters,  and not a shred of modern trekieness about it.  

It's the first sci fi I've seen where the characters look like they have to do something,  and don't just spend their time walking around looking futuristic.

As to sci fi....

Their main problem is budget, it seems.  They have none,  so end up showing alot of straight to video movies and failed syndication runs.  The failed sydication runs are generally a lot more of their campy/shitty stuff.  

When they get something decent,  or at least novel/interesting,  they don't have the money to support it.  That's why you have the glut of pseudo-reality shows on the channel.  They cost nothing to make.

Meanwhile,  the bills for Farscape, if I remember correctly, were in the range of several million an episode.

Why hold a grudge?  It's not sci fi's fault they're dirt poor.  They still manage to showcase the occasional diamond in the rough,  as well (Dog Soldier's, for instance).  It's not like sci fi is cheap to produce....

Comedy Central, on the other hand,  is everything good and right in the world of cable television.  Even more so than HBO.  Comedy doesn't have the subscription revenues to support its business.

Daily Show and South Park are the big names,  but they pump out alot of decent entertainment that tends to run for a few years, than fade away.  Win Ben Stein's Money,  Politically Incorrect (cherry picked by ABC), Dr. Katz, Upright Citizens Brigade, Insomniac, etc.  These shows had a life span of 3-5 seasons,  and then faded away,  to be replaced by something equally as engaging for the same time period.

Still waiting to see if Chappelle Show will be a 3-5 year blip,  or one of the network's new anchors.

[Rasix]

Every issue worth being dealt with was dealt with by "Sliders" 8 years ago. Everything else is just rehashing old tv.

Your dedication to crappy TV is amazing.  

I have a feeling I'd probably like Battlestar: Galactica (almost as bad sounding as Babylon 5), but it's hard to get past the name.  There are some of us geekier individuals, that still have a hard time going the full 10 yards.  I still count ST:TNG as one of the best series I've ever watched.  I just couldn't get into any of the following Treks, and the first season of DS:9 was painful to watch.  But still, I'm hesitant to dive into a lot of the less socially acceptable sci-fi shows.

Then people talked up FarScape.  I was hesitant, but it's not bad at all and quite fucking good when it's not being hampered by having one of the worst acted protagonists in the history of TV. It does recycle just about every common sci-fi plot, but I guess that's what your comment was touching upon.  Hell, there really isn't anyone can do to really truly innovate in sci-fi or other TV otherwise. Every story in the history of the world has been told at some time.

Maybe I'll torrent this, if I can every find the energy to find new torrent sites since mine were mostly shitcanned.

[Evil Elvis]

Not much to say about ST:TNG; it started a new era of sci-fi.  And it had Picard.

ST:DS9 sucked for the first season or three.  It wasn't until they started to try to actually tell a story that it became any good.  And whoever greenlit having half the cast wear skin-tight leotartd-ish pants with little booties needs to be fucking shot.

Enterprise actually had a fairly decent 3rd season, until they ended it was alien space nazis.  Not that anyone was left watching it past the first two seasons.  Or the theme song, for that matter.

Farscape was great for the first two seasons.  Talk about going downhill fast.

Stargate sucks.

Firefly was great, but I have a hard time lumping it in with traditional sci-fi shows, like the ones listed above.

The new BSG is character driven, and more about the journey than the destination.  It's about how the characters cope with the situations they're put in.  That, along with very good acting, has made the story itself that much more interesting.  Aside from a few nitpicks, which I'm quick enough to get over, the series has been great.  If I block out the last episode with Richard Hatch, it's probably been the best single season of a sci-fi show I've ever seen.  Even better than Firefly.

And as for the poster who asked if he could get away without seeing the first episode: you probably could.  Of couse, I'd think that sci-fi would replay the hell out of it since it's the first good seriest they've had in the last however long.  And if you can't catch it there, you can probably snatch it off a bittorrent site.

[Ardent]

There are some of us geekier individuals, that still have a hard time going the full 10 yards ... But still, I'm hesitant to dive into a lot of the less socially acceptable sci-fi shows.

Socially acceptable? Dude, watch what you want to watch. Do you really base your TV watching decisions on what other people will think of you? Honestly ... nobody else in society gives a shit.

You're one of my favorite posters here, Rasix, so I'll just pretend you didn't make such a bizarre statement.