Fri 27 Nov 2020
A TV Pilot Review by Jonathan Lewis: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA “Saga of a Star World” (1978).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV Science Fiction & Fantasy[7] Comments
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. “Saga of a Star World.” ABC, 17 September 1978. Pilot episode; three hours. Richard Hatch (Captain Apollo), Dirk Benedict (Lieutenant Starbuck), Lorne Greene (Commander Adama), Herbert Jefferson Jr. (Lieutenant Boomer), Tony Swartz (Flight Sergeant Jolly), Maren Jensen (Lieutenant Athena). Others: John Colicos, Ray Milland, Lew Ayres. Writer: Glen A. Larson. Director: Richard A. Colla.
If you asked a random person about Battlestar Galactica, they likely would either think of the late 1970s television series or the highly successful reboot from the early 2000s. That is, of course, if they had ever heard of the show at all. But few probably remember that Battlestar Galactica started neither as a tv show, nor as a franchise. Rather, the saga began as a lengthy made for television movie meant to capitalize on the Star Wars craze.
Aired on ABC on September 17, 1978, the production was interrupted mid-broadcast with news of the signing of the Israeli-Egyptian peace accords. Later released both as a theatrical film and as a three-part TV series entitled “Saga of a Star World,” the movie piggybacked on the success of George Lucas’s Star Wars (1977) and likewise combined mystical fantasy with hard science fiction.
For those unfamiliar with the basic plot, it suffices to say that it’s a story about a group of humans living in distant space who must outrun a hostile robotic enemy (the Cylons) on their way to Earth. Commanded by the stern but fair Adama (Lorne Greene), the Battlestar Galactica is itself a ship (a battle starship). Among its best fighter pilots are Adama’s son Captain Apollo (Richard Hatch) and the maverick Starbuck (Dirk Benedict). Their chief enemies, at least in the pilot, are two human traitors. The scheming and sleazy Count Baltar (John Colicos) and the decadent Sire Uri (Ray Milland). Lew Ayres also appears as the president.
I am not sure if I ever watched the three-part pilot before. Some of it seemed deeply familiar to me. Other parts less so. As much as I enjoyed the nostalgia value of the show, I couldn’t help but notice how slow-moving a lot of the pilot was. While there was certainly some excitement at the beginning, the movie bogs down into a rather talky meandering affair. That said, it certainly perks up again in the last forty minutes or so with a fun and exciting tale of wicked aliens seducing humanity into a gambling den slumber. The special effects, for the time, were quite good. And the music, conducted by Stu Phillips of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is iconic. I’m just fairly sure no one who watched it in 1978 would have thought it would be rebooted two decades later for a new generation.
November 27th, 2020 at 11:32 pm
What inpressed me most at the time were the original Frank Frazetta illustrations done to advertise the mini series. Beyond that it never jelled for me though I liked the later 21rst Century series.
Despite decent Fx the vibe just wasn’t there.
November 27th, 2020 at 11:37 pm
I wasn’t a big fan of the first series, but then again, I wasn’t much interested in STAR TREK at the time either. SPACE 1999 caught my attention a bit more, in spite of the lousy science, but maybe that was because Barbara Bain was in it.
November 28th, 2020 at 9:40 am
I always remember that Livia and I had driven up to Oklahoma on the day this aired the first time, and we hurried to get home in time to see it. No recording anything in those days. I thought it was great at the time and we watched the entire series, although I’ll admit that the reboot was considerably better.
November 28th, 2020 at 9:46 am
The reboot was something special. I didn’t watch it “live,” but once I bought the DVD sets for the first two seasons, it’s one of the few TV series I ever binge watched. I may have overdone it, because I day I stopped and I had no interest in ever seeing it again. Give me a few yeas more and I may start over.
November 28th, 2020 at 11:37 am
First off, History Time:
Battlestar Galatica, the XXL TV-movie, was a pilot film for a series that started its one-hour run on ABC the following Sunday.
It was seen at the time as one of the all-time great pieces of early-season hype in TV history.
Glen Larson never did anything for TV that wasn’t intended to be a weekly moneymaker for himself and his network partner du jour.
Galatica was no exception.
That particular Sunday night was a very special case:
CBS had that year’s Emmy Awards, emceed by Alan Alda, with a special award to be given to Bill Paley at the show’s climax (see benediction).
NBC was countering with the network premiere of the recent King Kong feature, which had been a box-office smash – and which NBC was hyping by adding “extra scenes” (OK, scenes that had been cut for time from the theatrical release) to make the movie a “full-evening” experience.
ABC had the Galactica debut, which under ordinary circumstances would have aired as a multi-parter over however many weeks would be needed – but this season, hype was called for, so the well-publicized Galatica grew into its own “full-evening” experience.
The last-minute added starter was the Middle East Peace Program, with Sadat and Begin embracing on world-wide TV, and Jimmy Carter’s re-election being guaranteed (except …).
And there you have it.
All America knew that this was SuperSpectacular Night.
Early in the Emmycast, Norman Lear (who’d just entered the Papacy phase of his career) made a point of loudly criticizing the three-way network battle of the giants, tsk-tsking over everybody rolling out the big guns (but really, what did he – or anybody else – expect? That one net was going to purposely tank the night?).
All of this was a lifetime ago (my lifetime – and the fact that I remember this much of it says more about me than I’d like).
Still, I felt the need to set this whole thing straight for those who weren’t around, and don’t remember the simpler (?) times of the ’70s …
November 28th, 2020 at 11:57 am
A lesson in TV history from someone who was there. Thanks, Mike. At the time, it was obviously quite a night, all but forgotten now.
Except on this blog.
November 28th, 2020 at 7:36 pm
I recall seeing the theatrical version in ersatz Sensurround. They had removed a section of seats in the back of the theater and installed the giant subwoofers. It was most effective when the star fighters launched and of course during all the explosions.
I was around 12 or 13 when this premiered on TV and it fired my imagination and was a lot of fun. I knew it wasn’t great Sci-Fi but at that age it was a nice way to pass an evening. Plus before we had a VCR I would also read the tie-in paperbacks to relive the experiences.