The geniuses at ABC who cancelled the Battlestar series after only one season (I think most fans would not consider Galactica 1980 as anything but an attempt to scatter the throngs of followers of the original show) had no idea what a gaffe they made.
The network had the strongest primetime schedule of all the major studios that year. The television series was completely original and could have rocketed ABC into the stratosphere for a few years. Instead of foresight, the moguls decided that greed was a factor. The show was costing too much to produce despite the very high ratings. Consequently, they abruptly canceled it. They could have charged advertisers more money for commercial spots, but apparently that kind of obvious solution wasn't part of their agenda.
It's a shame that Glen Larson, the producer of the series, couldn't convince the short sighted executives to think of the bigger picture over the long term. Dedicated viewers are much more valuable to advertisers who have targeted products to sell.
In their fervor to destroy a hugely popular science fiction series, ABC rearranged their primetime schedule. It resulted in an implosion from which to this day, they have never fully recovered.
Now, over two decades later, zealots realized that the passing years didn't diminish the following for the original series. Hence, the latest attempt to deconstruct the mass following: BattleStar Galactica 2003.
Totally revamped to fit politically correct ways of thinking, the whole premise of the show has been altered. Cylons are no longer descended from an alien race. Instead, they were made by "man". Lasers are replaced by bullets and nuclear missiles. Starbuck and Commander Cain are women instead of men. Sound effects are deadened, monotonous or non-existent. The theme music for the show is gone. Scripts are focused on everyday human foibles instead of imaginative offerings. Humor is replaced by stoic, stark naked dialogue. All the necessary elements for an interesting and entrancing series are eliminated in an attempt to unravel the implied morals behind the original series.
Acting oblivious to the masses of Battlestar fans, including Richard Hatch (one of the original actors who had attempted to resurrect the
series with scripts of his own that were ignored), the producers of the new series chose to follow their own politically correct views. I must admit that they have somewhat succeeded in driving wedges between original series fans and "new" followers. However, they will never realize their ultimate goal to obfuscate the message behind the story.
At some point in the future, perhaps a true Battlestar follower will obtain the rights to the series. Only then can the original epic continue. The 2003 drivel version can be explained away as a bizarre dream.
