We have not covered anything from the Disco Era yet in these daily science fiction reviews, so why not start at the top? This is the top, folks. No matter how big a crush you had on Lindsey Wagner,
The Bionic Woman is no where near as good as you remember. Neither is
Battlestar Galactica, but we will deal with that one episode at a time.
A couple personal points before we begin. One, this is the first time I have watched the series since it used to flip flop the eight o’clock hour with
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century in the early days of the Sci Fi Channel eighteen or so years ago. The show was a childhood favorite back when it used to rerun on, I think, WGN out of Chicago. But do not hold me to that. We are talking twenty-five years ago in that regard. The point is, I think I remember
Battlestar Galactica as far better than it actually is. Two, I doubt I can resist comparing the original series to the 2004-2009 version. I will not hold anything against the original, as that would not be fair, but the subject is bound to come up considering how much the latter series followed the original in its story arc. Fans have strong feelings towards one or the other, so bear with me through it.
The show had a rough beginning. Originally conceived by Glen A. Larsen in the late ’60’s as
Adama’s Ark--I will let that sink in--no network would provide financial backing. The success of
Star Wars compelled ABC, a young network still struggling to find a big hit, to finance a three hour premiere movie with an option for two addition two hour movies. The three hour pilot was enough of a hit for ABC to take the show to full series instead. This season order in spite of the pilot being interrupted by the announcement of the Camp David Accords signing, which delayed the final part for an hour, and a lawsuit filed by 20th Century Fox charging 34 counts of copyright infringement on
Star Wars concepts. I cannot say much about the peace in the Middle east interruption, but the similarities between
Battlestar Galactica and
Star Wars are glaring.
(Universal, which owned
Battlestar Galactica, counterclaimed
Star Wars had lifted elements from its properties like the 1972 movie
Silent Running and the 1930’s
Buck Rogers movie serials. 20th Century Fox’s original suit was dismissed, but remanded for trial by the Ninth Circuit Court of appeals in 1983. I cannot find a trace of further proceedings, so I assume there was a financial settlement between the parties.)
All that is fine, but what about the pilot itself? I can tell you that I had planned to split the pilot into the three episodes it runs as in syndication to review on separate days, but I had forgotten a major point--it is two hours worth of story stretched gruel thin into three. I suspect Americans got the raw end of the deal. There was a 125 minute cut released to theaters in Canada, Europe, and Japan that cut out much of the filler from the 148 minute pilot which aired on ABC. I am reviewing said 148 minute behemoth. When it comes down to it, the first hour and the final thirty minutes make a good movie. The interim drags a lot in between some nifty special effects shots for the time period.
When the pilot begins, Apollo and his younger brother Zack, played by maybe you remember him teen idol Rick Springfield, are going out on a more routine than usual patrol in their Vipers. Their home, the Twelve Colonies, are on the verge of signing a peace treaty after a thousand year long war with the Cylons, a race of xenophobic robots the peace conference is a ruse. Count Baltar, a wealthy mining magnate, has secretly colluded with the cylons to pretend peace is at hand, then allow the Cylons to destroy the colonies in exchange for setting up baltar as a fly by night dictator.
Apollo and Zack stumble across Cylon fuel tankers hidden in preparation for the assault. They are ambushed on their way back to warn the fleet. Zack sacrifices himself in order to allow Apollo a chance to escape. Their father, Commander Adama is aware something is up, but his request to send fighters out for a look is rebuffed by Ray Milland at the urging of Balter, who warns such an act might jeopardize the peace. Then Baltar slinks away. (Wait…Rick Springfield and Ray Milland? Weird, but true.) Because of Baltar’s meddling, the fleet is unable to defend the colonies.
What ensues is quite impressive on a television budget with ’70’s era special effects. Vipers are destroyed, Battlestars are destroyed, and the attack on Caprica’s capitol city are depicted in all its glory. It is a lot of the old fashioned matte paintings and fake star fields, but surprisingly enough, scenes hold up well. It is even more impressive when you consider the attack lasts 35 minutes of screen time. I think the way the attack is presented is even more intense than the 2004 miniseries. I am curious why that is--budget reasons, I assume--because several scenes from the 2004 miniseries are directly lifted from the original.
The pilot begins to drag in the second hour. After adama has gathered together a fleet with as many survivors as could be saved, he announces the plan to seek out Earth. It is not as dramatic as when 2004 Adama does so, because Earth is not considered a myth in the original series as in the 2004 version. I cannot help but feel something lacking. The remainder of the hour involves an exploration of the survivors’ suffering while the cluless leadership, who do not appear stung by baltar’s betrayal in the slightest, whoop it up in luxury. This stuff drags on far too long. It is interrupted periodically by Apollo bonding with Serena, played by in her prime Jane Seymour, and her son, Boxey, while Starbuck hooks up with a former high priestess, go go dancer or hooker, I never quite figured out what Cassiopeia, is supposed to be. Either way, she has a heart of gold, doncha know.
There is only one easy to reach planet the fleet can reach in order to resupply, but Adama thinks that is a trap. He wants to take a longer journey to another, though that will mean some of the weakest of the survivors may starve to death. There is another rout rough a minefield which would also lead to salvation. Apollo, thinking adama is eaten up by guilt over Zack’s death and Baltar;s betrayal, is unwisely avoiding better options, so he colunteers himself and a couple other pilots to undetake the dangerous mission to clear the minefield so the fleet can take that route.
Now we get some boring, but expensive special effects shots of shooting mines. Woo hoo! When it is all said and done, the planet to which they first arrive is a mining colony underneath the surface--owned by baltar, of course--and a swinging disco on the surface. In case you did not realize this was 1978, of course. The story picks back up again here. This set up is a Cylon trap, of course. Adama knows it even in his brooding over being overruled about not wanting to go there. Everyone is having a royally good time and wants to stay on disco world. The Council of Twelve want to give up all the fleet’s weapons as a sign of good faith to the Cylons, whom they assume will leave them alone once they are no longer a threat. But that is exactly what the Cylons want. They plan to disarm the humans, then hand them over to the carnivorous aliens who live in the mines below.
There are laser fights and space battles galore as everyone comes to realize they should follow Adama’s wisdom in the future--or about fourteen episodes, whichever comes first. Imperious leader, so named for obvious copyright reasons, spares Baltar’s life for his failure and gives him another chance--take a Cylon fleet and hunt down the
Galactica.
The most apt thing I can say is “Saga of a Star World” would have been much better if the second hour had been cut altogether. The purpose of displaying all the misery of the survivors versus the selfish decadence and foolish decisions of the leadership is to show us why the people would be so willing to settle on disco world, but I think less is more in that regard. I am sorry, but pretty Hollywood extras cannot play guant starvation as well as my imagination can. Otherwise, the pilot is a top notch mix of human drama and special effects. There are already hints of characterizations to come. Adama, burdened by guilt, is overly cautious about every move. Apollo is not a reluctant warrior who feels obligated to fight. Starbuck uses a flippant, rebellious attitude to mask his emmotions about the devastation so overwhelming, he cannot handle it. Not to beat a dead horse, but if those elements had been the focus of a two hour pilot, “Sagas of a Star World.” what it is, though, is a fine start to the series.
Rating: *** (out of 5)
