Battlestar Galactica - Episode 138

70s Trek: Star Trek in the 1970s

It started as an ambitious theatrical film. After performing well in theaters, Battlestar Galactica became a weekly TV series on the ABC network.

But when people think of the original Battlestar Galactica, they think of it being a rip off of Star Wars, or being outdated and very stuck in the style of the 1970s.

But it’s actually a ground-breaking show. It brought cinematic special effects to TV and told a story that was very unique for the time.

In addition to being a unique TV experience, Battlestar Galactica also stoked the fires for more science fiction. When it was cancelled after the 1st season, there was a fan campaign to get it back on the air, which shows how loyal sci-fi fans had become.

So BG kept fans excited for more sci fi, which kept the audience yearning for more when Star Trek hit the big screen.

If it suffers, it’s only because it was ahead of its time. The TV production and story telling techniques of 1978 weren’t ready for a large scale show like Battlestar Galactica.

Look at Ronald D. Moore’s 2003 version. While he updated it, the core of the show remained the same and the 1978 version is very much alive and well in that 2003 version.

Of course, Ron Moore is a Star Trek alum from the 1990s. Another Trek alum on Battlestar Galactica was John Kolicos. In 1967, he played the first ever Klingon, Kor.

And if you’re talking ties, you have to mention Jonathon Harris. Even though he wasn’t in Trek, he did play Dr. Smith on Lost in Space. In BG he lent his voice to the Cylon character Lucifer.