Battlestar Galactica

Although admittedly I am a bit of a sci-fi fan, i think BSG crosses over into becoming a great TV show for everyone. As far as sci-fi goes, as I read somewhere else - can't remember where, BSG makes something like star trek look like it was written for 5 year olds. There is a gritty, adult edge to the show.

Put it this way, even my girlfriend who would never normally watch something sci-fi is utterly hooked on the DVDs, trust me that speaks volumes!

I have to admit when I first heard there was to be a re-make of Battlestar Galactica I was one of the "They'll never make it work" crowd.

How wrong I was.

Here we have a TV show that takes its roots from a classic and grows in a completey new direction. Most of the characters are based on their previous incarnations; we have the veteran and father figure in Commander Adama, the cylon collaborator (unwittingly this time) Gaius Baltar, heroic Viper pilot (and Adama's son) Apollo, and the cool yet rebellious cigar smoking Starbuck, only this time Starbuck is a lady, Lt Kara Thrace. Another character who has made the switch from male to female in this remake is Boomer, only I won't go into detail on this one, but there's a shock or two in store. There's also the fantastic character that is Number Six, a Cylon agent and tormentor of Dr Baltar.

The characters interact wonderfully and the sense of togetherness they portray as a crew and fleet really does come off well.

Hardware wise, Galactica and its fighters have had a slight facelift, as have the Cylons, mainly thanks to the wonders of CGI. Galactica herself keeps her basic shape from the original series, only now she's a little more streamlined and compact. The colonial Vipers stay pretty much the same, thanks to a clever sub-plot about most of the new style Vipers being lost and having to drag the old models out of retirement - a great excuse to keep the old style Vipers in a new style show!

Last but not least the Cylons. We still have the cyborg centurions, only now they are far more menacing, and we have the 'human Cylons', of which there are many copies, one of which is the delicious Number Six.

The Space battles are eerily quiet and extremely realistic, with each Viper/Cylon fighter manouvre complemented by small thrusters firing from the ships, and the weapons fire and thruster sounds are muted slightly, as though your listening to it from the cockpit.

Overall this is a new spin not only on an old classic, but in the way Science Fiction is usually done, and its fantastic, go and buy the DVD now!

The DVD box of Battlestar Galactica is brilliant! This was a great show with a great premise and I loved it as a child in the '70's. Although the tapes have not been remastered, showcasing the shoddy camera work as a result, it does mean that it retains the feel of the original show. Even though the UK box doesn't come with extras, it's still great for picking out mistakes and inconsistiencies! Plus, Starbuck & Apollo were always a great double act and the Cylons are ace baddies.