BG-05: Gun On Ice Planet Zero

[Flamingo Girl]

Synopsis:
Baltar's Cylon forces herd the Colonial fleet towards an Cylon-controlled ice planet with an ultra-powerful laser pulse weapon, designed by a former Colonial scientist. A Colonial patrol is shot down and one of the pilots captured. As time runs out with the Cylons gaining on the fleet, ground assault teams are formed--with Warriors and knowledgeable Colonial convicts forced to work together to destroy the weapon. And the Colonials discover an entire colony of clones who may -- or may not--provide much-needed help in destroying their human creator's weapon.


Staring:
Richard Hatch as Apollo, Dirk Benedict as Starbuck, Herb Jefferson Jr. as Boomer, Lorne Greene as Adama, Terry Carter as Colonel Tigh, Maren Jensen as Athena, Tony Swartz as Jolly, Laurette Spang as Cassiopia, Noah Hathaway as Boxey, Sarah Rush as Rigel, David Greenan as Omega, and John Colicos as Baltar.

Guest starring:
Roy Thinnes as Croft, James Olson as Thane, Christine Belford as Leda, Richard Lynch as Wolfe, Denny Miller as Ser 5-9, Britt Ekland as Tenna, Dan O'Herlihy as Dr. Ravishol, Larry Manetti as Giles, Alan Stock as Cadet Cree, Curtis Credel as Haals, Jeff Mackay as Cpl. Komma, Larry Cedar as Cadet Shields, Alex Hyde-White as Cadet Bow, Patrick Milholland as Killian, and Walt Davis as Vickers.

Writers: Leslie Stevens, Michael Sloan and Don Bellisario.

Director: Alan J. Levi.


Original Airdate:
Part I - October 22, 1978
Part II - October 29, 1978



(Thanks to Michael Faries BattlestarGalactica.com (http://BattlestarGalactica.com))

[Senmut]

Can you say "Guns Of Navarone" in Space? Still, it was a very good ep, and I thought the way Lucifer acts just like Baltar would, to find a good cover-up, was both funny, and believable.

[Shatter]

I gotta agree with Senmut...this was definitely a retooling of a classic plot, but a fun ride just the same! This was one of my favorite Galactica episodes when I was a kid (still is, actually). :D

[amberstar]

Good episode, but my favorite would have to be The Living Ledgend.
Amberstar:cool:

[Charybdis]

Gun on Ice Planet was filmed after the series premiere. Notice that Cassieopea is not in it. She was brought back for the series in Lost Planet. Also, if I'm correct, this is also the only other episode that features the shots of the viper pilots being ferried down the corridor on those sleds of some sort. They only appeared in the pilot and in this episode never to be seen again...

Original name for the episode: Cylon Death Machine!

[Dawg]

"Gun on Ice Planet Zero" is, actually a pretty darn lame title, and I thought so at the time, too.

I did enjoy the episode, though, having had a minor thing for Christine Belford (and/or Britt Ekland) at the time.

I am
Dawg
:warrior:

[shiningstar]

I totally agree with you Senmut. This was one of my
favorite episodes. I totally enjoyed it :)

[Reaper63]

I always liked this one. It was definately full of action. We saw a concerned side of Starbuck, Worrying about the Cadet who got captured under his command.

IT also delivered the action with the Cylons, and as a kid, watching the Pulsar shooting at the Fleet as seconds ticked off the timers was exciting. :)

[amberstar]

Welcome Reaper 63, and thank you for that memory of Starbuck! That is a good storyline, we get to see the compasion that Starbuck did have for his fellow man. He may have also felt responsible for his cadet, but it does prove that Starbuck was more than a dringking card shark, that spends his whole time chasing women.

Amberstar

[Reaper63]

Thanks for the welcome, and I do hold this one out as one of the best Eps. It gave more substance to Starbuck, fleshed him out more.

[kingfish]

Originally posted by Dawg
"Gun on Ice Planet Zero" is, actually a pretty darn lame title, and I thought so at the time, too.

I did enjoy the episode, though, having had a minor thing for Christine Belford (and/or Britt Ekland) at the time.

I am
Dawg
:warrior:

I watched an episode of The Golden Girls and Christine Belford played Rose's daughter. I didn't recognize her at first with the blonde hair.

[originalsinner]

One of my favorite episodes, The show was alot better when all the main players where in it, I like the shot when the viper crashed landed in the snow, great F/X!

[shiningstar]

I think so Too Originalsinner!

[KJ]

Wolfe didn't have a death scene? Either he got to a Cylon raider like he planned or escaped later on when he had a better chance to. It was very possible he could have returned in the second season had the series continued to a second season.

And since Croft besides Wolfe was the other survivor of that mission, he too could have reappeared. Well he did in some of the extended Berkley Novels!

KJ

[Doctor Salik]

This is one of my favorite episodes and I like it very much. But I cannot help but wonder... why did the fleet bother to take prisoners with them? Especially dangerous ones? I see the need for a prison ship once the fleet is on its way, but while food and space is precious it was very merciful to take these criminals along.
(But of course, if they had not taken the prisoners along, there could not have been an episode.)

[Muffit]

I too love this episode. It was a good idea to do a take off on Navarone, move it to an ice planet, and put in the excitement of the threat of baseships closing in forcing them to face the gun. This ep shows large groups of Cylons, which I think is really the best way to show off those cool outfits. Like the other best eps, there are a bunch of sub-themes going on at the same time, like a well written novel.

Gotta say though, two guest actors in this really made it a fav for me. First, Roy Thinnes, star of The Invaders, gets a big part. THAT was a GREAT show! I loved the cerebral hemmorhage thing, that's just what someone would do to cover up an invasion, make it look natural (hey! when's somebody gonna air a rerun of that?). And the other guest star was Dan O'Herlihy. If memory serves me correctly, he played the friendly alien Grig in The Last Starfighter.

This ep was very exciting. Can't believe the ratings were dropping. People with Nielsen boxes must all live in convalescent homes. :)

:muffit:

[Doctor Salik]

Muffit's correct. Dan was Grig in Starfighter and gave his best performance as "Old Man" (CEO of OCP) in Robocop I and II.

[dru]

I rewatched this last night. It's always been one of my favorites. And it remains so. :)

I think a Daggit should've been SOP with any ground missions. Say what you will but he was kept them alive and did likewise in Fire and Space. Even now we know there are times for remotes, droids or robotics from military operations to suspicious package containment or Egyptian pyramid exploration.

Ok, I was pretty surprised to understand the "Father Creator" made the clones as slave labour for the Cylons. Whoa! Where did that come from? Again, it's another bit of TOS that might support a cyborgification of human survivors left under Cylon rule as DeSanto proposed.

I couldn't figure why Galactica couldn't simply go around the other side of the planet, opposite the pulsar? There has to be an explanation.

Boxey was annoying anytime he disobeyed. We never see him get punished for stowing away that I can really although maybe this was the only time he was a genuine stow away. The spirit of the annoying child character is back in the form of that spoiled child in ER who invades everyone's privacy as he gawks from patient to patient. Grrr. Will Hollywood never stop?

I wonder if George Lucas was pulling his hair out since he hadn't done the Hoth ice planet in his Star Wars films yet. :D

[Domiano]

"Nitpickers heaven". I loved the episode when I was 9 and now that I am older I can sit back and watched on my DVD player and nitpick it.

1. Starbuck's hair length changing back and forth.
2. When Starbuck blows up the Cylon Raider on the planet. Watch the explosion closely and you will notice the shot is from Saga of A Star World when the cylon base star explodes on the planet surface.
3. Starbuck is suppose to be on the planet surface. When the Galactica launches fighters you can clearly see Starbuck launching in his viper.
4. The stock footage of the same battle scenes. I will give them a break on that one...due to budget. I guess when you are spending 1 Million per episode you have to cut corners.

Overall I rate the episode :warrior: :warrior: :warrior: out of :warrior: :warrior: :warrior: :warrior: :warrior:

[shiningstar]

I found my self Nit picking the episode too when I watched
it on DVD ....... I still liked it .......I think your rating system is
RIGHT ON!

[ViperTech]

Another of my favorites. It beat STAR WARS to the punch with a snowy world. Remember, The Empire Strikes Back featuring the rebels on Hoth was not to come out for 2 more years! The whole snow thing was great.

Great action. I loved the shots of the Cylon Raiders flying through the snow. And the Cylon foot patrol was cool, too.
The previously-mentioned Cree crash landing was awesome.

Britt's presence on the show is a nice touch. It truly gives the show a '70's feel. (Did she ever do anything in the '80's?)

The Sci-Fi relpays cut scenes out, like cadet Cree actually getting captured by the foot patrol, but not before a gun fight. I look forward to the arrival of my DVD Epic set in a few days!

[shiningstar]

LOL Do you think Larson and Desanto should SUE for that? ;)

[WARDAGGIT73]

***1/2

[GalacticanCajun]

I just read the novilazation of this episode. It was great. I loved the additional scenes with the Imperious Leader inderacting with the Starbuck simulation. Great stuff.

[shiningstar]

Wolfe didn't have a death scene? Either he got to a Cylon raider like he planned or escaped later on when he had a better chance to. It was very possible he could have returned in the second season had the series continued to a second season.

And since Croft besides Wolfe was the other survivor of that mission, he too could have reappeared. Well he did in some of the extended Berkley Novels!

KJ

I think he would have been a great character to contend with in season two.

[shiningstar]

This is one of my favorite episodes and I like it very much. But I cannot help but wonder... why did the fleet bother to take prisoners with them? Especially dangerous ones? I see the need for a prison ship once the fleet is on its way, but while food and space is precious it was very merciful to take these criminals along.
(But of course, if they had not taken the prisoners along, there could not have been an episode.)

I saw that too especially with all the colonists they kept saying they were
forced to leave behind. I was especially bothered by this after seeing the
deleted scenes with athena and adama from saga of a starworld when he
kept on talking about passing out priorities and a woman who was knocked
to the ground with a baby in her arms.

Even so though the ep still made for a great story.

[Antelope]

Cloned humans serving the cylons and ultimately rebelling! Someone should send that idea to Ron Moore (sarcastic). Between this episode and the BSG1980 episode where the human-cylon and a centurion roam New York on Halloween we see that Glen Larson is the father of the human-cylon concept.

Great episode! I liked it even better than it's inspirations, "The Guns of Navarone" and "The Dirty Dozen".

Reading that it was the second episode made (although not aired) is interesting. Starbuck's loss of the cadet being an episode after his loss of Zak, another new pilot under his wing when viewed as back to back episodes is very interesting. It helps bring Starbuck full circle in any feelings he may have had about losing Zak. By rescuing the cadet Starbuck could excise the demon of guilt he would still hold in his subconscience mind over the loss of Zak. This is a psychiatrist dream episode. It is brillant whether or not Larson intentionally designed it this way.

[shiningstar]

well written Antelope .....:thumbsup:

[launchcruiser7]

best two partter of show see baltar limping proves this was after lost planet of gods allso no cassie not wanted in show no space hookers after jane left she took her place wonder want tricks dr r had for those gallmongeling tin headssecond best choice for new show after cain this is fleet leader mayhem launch cruiser hawkeye where did you comefrom

[shiningstar]

best two partter of show see baltar limping proves this was after lost planet of gods allso no cassie not wanted in show no space hookers after jane left she took her place wonder want tricks dr r had for those gallmongeling tin headssecond best choice for new show after cain this is fleet leader mayhem launch cruiser hawkeye where did you comefrom

While I liked the episode I was Saddened to see NO Cassie in the show.

[Bombadil]

This episode solidified my impression that BG was basically a comic book. Don't misunderstand--I LIKE comic books. I LOVED Men In Black! But the idea that the fleet HAD to go right past that gun was totally silly. Why couldn't they just go way around the back side of the planet? Answer: there is no reason, except in a fantasy universe where the rules are whatever the writers say the rules are. But, given the comic book rules of reality, it was a fun episode to watch.
;)

[shiningstar]

This episode solidified my impression that BG was basically a comic book. Don't misunderstand--I LIKE comic books. I LOVED Men In Black! But the idea that the fleet HAD to go right past that gun was totally silly. Why couldn't they just go way around the back side of the planet? Answer: there is no reason, except in a fantasy universe where the rules are whatever the writers say the rules are. But, given the comic book rules of reality, it was a fun episode to watch.
;)

Actually that wasn't the 'impression' I got from watching that episode at all.
I liked the episode. It made for a good story. :thumbsup:

[gmd3d]

GOIPZ is one of my favorites episodes I loved the sence of atmosphere while on the planet...the snow, the shuttle crashing and the Viper too watching the landram make it way across the snow covered landscape having march across the mountains, Starbuck sarching for Cree leaving poor Boomer to carry the on the mission. Apollo's attemps to show Ravashol the the clones are not just clones but have evolved in to child baring beings.

simply put great entertainment what TV is all about
:salute:

[Omega]

Also, if I'm correct, this is also the only other episode that features the shots of the viper pilots being ferried down the corridor on those sleds of some sort. They only appeared in the pilot and in this episode never to be seen again...

They also used the shot in Fire in Space- found that out when I watched last night.

[Captain Morgan]

Finally watched GUN and it was great!Action,adverture,snow and plenty of the CYLONS!The GUN had me worried for awhile I figured one of the other ships
might get it.also I think that Wolf guy was a bad guy in alot of 70's shows
wish I could remember what?Maybe Starsky and Hutch?

[kitty]

I recently watched that episode with my 10 year old daughter, which made it even more enjoyable, as she got so in to it, she was telling them to hurry up and kept getting frustrated when ever they stopped on the way to blow the gun up. There was alot of arm waving and fist shaking. She has never been like that b4 while watching tv, and never since.

[Captain Morgan]

I hope your daughter stays a fan!

[BRG]

4 out of 5!

A really good action episode, with Apollo, Starbuck & Boomer all on top form. :cool: There were great, tense moments all through the episode. Some brilliant action- Cree's Viper being brought down(strangly simmilar to Luke Skywaker's Snowspeeder crash in Empire! ;) ), Starbuck fighting to land the crippled shuttle, Starbuck on the Snow Ram's cannon vs the Cylon Raider, and the whole last sequence, with Apollo leading the assault on the pulsar, Starbuck leading the attack on the Cylon garrison, and the Galactica charging down the corridor while all 3 were on a simultanious countdown was gripping, endge of your seat entertainment. I LOVED IT! :salute:

The only negitive points. Why did Boxey have to be there? :mad: he last thing a commando team needs on a suicide mission is an annoying brat tagging allong.
Brit Ekland! :drool: But why did she have to wear that outfit? Loose fitting boiler suit and an Andy Capp bunnet. :thumbdown If your going to have someone that hot on the show, at least give us a hint of cleavage and a bit of leg! :cry:
BRG

PS- Richard Lynch, who played Wolfe, has indeed been a regular guest star in many famous shows since the mid 70's. He was the villian in the pilot episode of Starsky & Hutch, and he was in 2 other episode of that show. Other apperances include 'The Streets of San Francisco'(opposite Richard Hatch!), 'Charlies Angels', 'Buck Rogers', 'TJ Hooker' & 'The A Team'.
Star Trek fans may remember him from the TNG two parter 'Gambit', where he played pirate leader Baran in that classic episode. :cool:

[peter noble]

Gun On Ice Planet Zero

http://img83.exs.cx/img83/6954/GIPZSTART.jpg

Original Airdate Part 1: October 22, 1978

Writers: Leslie Stevens, Michael Sloan and Don Bellisario.

Director: Alan J. Levi.

Guest Cast: Roy Thinnes (Croft), James Olson (Thane), Dan O'Herlihy (Dr. Ravashol), Christine Bedford (Leda), Britt Ekland (Tenna)

http://img74.exs.cx/img74/9060/GOIPZ1.jpg

A Viper patrol discovers a massive cannon on a nearby planet capable of destroying the Galactica in a single pulse. Trapped by approaching Basestars, Adama sends a team down to the planet to destroy the weapon before time runs out.

http://img74.exs.cx/img74/4513/GOIPZ2.jpg

“We did talk about Guns of Navarrone and I think that’s how the genesis of that came about,’ recalls writer/producer Michael Sloan. “You don’t so much rip them off as say, lets take that idea and give it the spin of this particular show.”

http://img74.exs.cx/img74/8862/GIPZEND.jpg

[thomas7g]

Excellent Peter! Thanks for the reminder. I think we should bring more attention to the fact that we are passing through the enniverary dates of the original airing

:D

[jewels]

There were so many fun things about this episode, as I look at it now--the humans reactions to the clones being one. (Ser9 and the other Ser that were in the 1st of the clones' hideways when the landing party awoke). Baltar and Lucifer got some good jabs in too.

Also we saw both the Snow Ram and the Shuttle in this. The pulsar was pretty impressive too. Good Hardware episode. Good contrast in good vs. evil and how "evil" (the convicts) could choose to contribute to the common good of the fleet.

I remember the 1st time seeing it that it actually had some nice suspense (for that day's TV) with the split episode making you extra hungry for more.

[kingfish]

This one was one of the best. We see a two brained Cylon in charge Vulpa. The Baltar/Lucifer interaction was excellently done. I can't wait for the anniversary of one of the greatest BG episodes ever made, The Living Legend.

[Eric Paddon]

This was the episode that I think cemented my status as a long term Galactica fan at age nine, because the non-stop action was what was so great about the story and made me anxious to see every episode from then on.

There was one interesting technical change that took place between part one and part two. If you listen carefully in part one, all of the Cylons, including command centurion Vulpa talk in the same mechanical tone of voice, but only in part two do we finally get the different pitched voices that lends some greater distinctiveness to the centurion ranks with a higher pitched tone for higher ranked silver centurions and the lower pitched tone for gold command centurions like Vulpa.

[kingfish]

4 out of 5!

A really good action episode, with Apollo, Starbuck & Boomer all on top form. :cool: There were great, tense moments all through the episode. Some brilliant action- Cree's Viper being brought down(strangly simmilar to Luke Skywaker's Snowspeeder crash in Empire! ;) ), Starbuck fighting to land the crippled shuttle, Starbuck on the Snow Ram's cannon vs the Cylon Raider, and the whole last sequence, with Apollo leading the assault on the pulsar, Starbuck leading the attack on the Cylon garrison, and the Galactica charging down the corridor while all 3 were on a simultanious countdown was gripping, endge of your seat entertainment. I LOVED IT! :salute:

The only negitive points. Why did Boxey have to be there? :mad: he last thing a commando team needs on a suicide mission is an annoying brat tagging allong.
Brit Ekland! :drool: But why did she have to wear that outfit? Loose fitting boiler suit and an Andy Capp bunnet. :thumbdown If your going to have someone that hot on the show, at least give us a hint of cleavage and a bit of leg! :cry:
BRG

PS- Richard Lynch, who played Wolfe, has indeed been a regular guest star in many famous shows since the mid 70's. He was the villian in the pilot episode of Starsky & Hutch, and he was in 2 other episode of that show. Other apperances include 'The Streets of San Francisco'(opposite Richard Hatch!), 'Charlies Angels', 'Buck Rogers', 'TJ Hooker' & 'The A Team'.
Star Trek fans may remember him from the TNG two parter 'Gambit', where he played pirate leader Baran in that classic episode. :cool:



:thumbsup:

Well said:

I remember the Starsky and Hutch episode with Lynch. Lynch is killing cab drivers because he was the victim of a hit and run which left him with a mechanical prosthetic arm.Well said. John Colicos appeared on Vega$ as a man who is seeking revenge for his son's death at the hands of Dan Tanna. Tanna was responsible for the son's imprisonment. Colicos' character poisons Tanna. Lorne Greene was also in a two hour Vega$ movie as a man who has Tanna brainwashed into believing that his best friend Roth needs to be killed.

[jewels]

This was the episode that I think cemented my status as a long term Galactica fan at age nine, because the non-stop action was what was so great about the story and made me anxious to see every episode from then on.

There was one interesting technical change that took place between part one and part two. If you listen carefully in part one, all of the Cylons, including command centurion Vulpa talk in the same mechanical tone of voice, but only in part two do we finally get the different pitched voices that lends some greater distinctiveness to the centurion ranks with a higher pitched tone for higher ranked silver centurions and the lower pitched tone for gold command centurions like Vulpa.
Peter Berkos, the sound designer (later an Oscar winner), would love that you noticed that. I wish I'd taken notes when he talked about what went into some of the classic key BG sound effects (back at Galacticon). Nothing was just one sound, there were all sorts of things layered together for how Muffit moved, the cylon movements, ship sounds, etc. The man is a pure artist with sound. I hope he was at one of the Cons you got to go to, he only spoke briefly but he so loved what he was able to add to the show. Brilliant and extremely nice man.

[justjackrandom]

There was one interesting technical change that took place between part one and part two. If you listen carefully in part one, all of the Cylons, including command centurion Vulpa talk in the same mechanical tone of voice, but only in part two do we finally get the different pitched voices that lends some greater distinctiveness to the centurion ranks with a higher pitched tone for higher ranked silver centurions and the lower pitched tone for gold command centurions like Vulpa.

I love this episode so much and have seen it so many times, I have noticed a number of other interesting continuity differences as well.

My understanding is that this was being shot at the same time as SSW, but halted when they went to series, and then picked up again with some re-shooting and re-editing. One thing that results from this that sticks out is Starbuck's hair, which changes length several times.

Additionally, the close-up hero shots of pilots in Vipers mark this as being made at or around the same time as SSW. It is only in these two episodes (and stock footage from these eps) that small LED lights (one green and one red) can be seen on the inside of the Viper canopy's vertical spar.

JJR

[julix]

I also loved this episode! Was a very good story. I loved the clone idea and them revolting.......It is hard to believe it was 26 years ago.....................................................Wow!!!

[gmd3d]

WOW 25 years, and still great to look at. I am going to watch it today :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[kingfish]

I love this episode so much and have seen it so many times, I have noticed a number of other interesting continuity differences as well.

My understanding is that this was being shot at the same time as SSW, but halted when they went to series, and then picked up again with some re-shooting and re-editing. One thing that results from this that sticks out is Starbuck's hair, which changes length several times.

Additionally, the close-up hero shots of pilots in Vipers mark this as being made at or around the same time as SSW. It is only in these two episodes (and stock footage from these eps) that small LED lights (one green and one red) can be seen on the inside of the Viper canopy's vertical spar.

JJR



It was shot the same time Saga was filmed. Gun was to be the second episode in the series. That is why there is no Cassi or Serina. Serina and Cassi were both slated to die in the pilot. BG was never meant to be a WEEKLY show. After Saga premiered, Larson wanted to wait a full year to develop BG but the suits woudn't let him.

[Eric Paddon]

You can also tell that all of the scenes with Baltar and Lucifer were shot after the fact as well, since the decision to keep him alive clearly hadn't been made at the time shooting began. The last scene of them in part two in fact is comprised entirely of random shots where you never see a close-up of Baltar speaking so that way they could just use some previously shot footage and dub the dialogue in later.

[peter noble]

Gun on Ice Planet Zero (Part 2)

http://img45.exs.cx/img45/7782/GOIPZMAIN.jpg

Original Airdate: October 29, 1978

Writers: Leslie Stevens, Michael Sloan and Don Bellisario.

Director: Alan J. Levi.

Guest Cast: Roy Thinnes (Croft), James Olson (Thane), Dan O'Herlihy (Dr. Ravashol), Christine Bedford (Leda), Britt Ekland (Tenna)

http://img45.exs.cx/img45/763/GOIPZ3.jpg

A Viper patrol discovers a massive cannon on a nearby planet capable of destroying the Galactica in a single pulse. Trapped by approaching Basestars, Adama sends a team down to the planet to destroy the weapon before time runs out.

http://img45.exs.cx/img45/3885/GOIPZ4.jpg

Gun on Ice Planet Zero is the final installment in the originally planned Galactica miniseries. Although broadcast later in the season, it was a return to the epic roots of the pilot and Lost Planet of the Gods. Alan J. Levi returned to direct the two-parter, which was set primarily on a barren arctic waste.

“We had to order extra Cylon uniforms because we had blown the felgercarb out of almost all of them on the pilot,” he recalls. “We had to design the sets and everything else from scratch.”

To simulate the frozen terrain, Levi used a double stage covered with synthetic snow.

Although the director requested two air conditioners to cool the stage, the studio initially – and unwisely – only provided one. “The first day was horrendous because all the cast was in parkas and masks. They’d be in those parkas 20 seconds and before I could say ‘action’ they’d be sweating. We were halfway done with the day and we had lost three hours due to makeup runs. So by the end of the week we had two air conditioners on stage. We kept the air at 54 degrees and the entire crew was wearing parkas.”

http://img45.exs.cx/img45/5404/GOIPZEND2.jpg

[jewels]

Gun on Ice Planet Zero (Part 2)
http://img45.exs.cx/img45/5404/GOIPZEND2.jpg
Mmmmm. Starbuck. This man should make more movies.
:drool: ;)

[kingfish]

If DeSanto had gotten his way we would have seen tons more of Starbuck, stogie and all.

[kingfish]

An excellent review of gun:


http://s4.invisionfree.com/Battlestar_Pacifica/index.php?showtopic=528&st=0&#last

[Fragmentary]

What a great episode! It’s so epic in scope and execution. So many sets, so many nice FXs. You can really see what made this show so expensive in this one. In fact, I bet most sci-fi wouldn’t even tackle an episode like this today. The cost of doing it well would mean cutting too many corners to even try. Not just one ship crash, but TWO! Sheesh.

Again, the DVD has a great extra for this ep. In fact, the best scene in the episode, IMO, is only a bonus scene. When Apollo confronts Adama about why he wasn’t chosen for the mission is great conflict. A shame it didn’t make it into the episode, that’s the sort of thing is that makes memorable TV. Was it included in the movie version of this episode? Had to have been. Also in that same scene I noticed that you can see Adama’s old flight helmet on a shelf. I’m sure that’s in other episodes as well, but it looks like it might be different colors than the current Galactica ones. A nice touch. Anyone know if you can see the colors better in another ep?

[Eric Paddon]

The Apollo=Adama scene you mention was in the so-called "telemovie" version of the episode. These played in syndication in the early and mid-80s. Each of the two part episodes feature additional scenes not part of the original airings, and all of those scenes used for those telemovie editions (except for one scene from Lost Planet Of The Gods) are part of the DVD supplements. The giveaway to their use in the telemovies is that they're the only outtakes with a final sound and music mix.

[Centurion Draco]

I definately rate this as one of my favourite episodes.
I love Starbucks magic hairstyles, the 'clone' effects that range from actors of diferent heights in dodgy beards, to clever fx shots of Brit x3.
Vulpa is superb, and should have been the start of a trend for more 'character' Cylons (not the ropelight head IL's either) but the background story of his exile wasn't included.
And you've gotta love the robot dog that cant be quiet when there's a Cylon patrol walking past a few feet away, but can remain quiet for long enough to stow away on the mission!
Yeah, its a retelling of guns of navarone, but at least it doesn't use stock footage of exploding steam trains in nazi caves, and try to pretend its on the Galactica ;)

One of the highlights for me was seeing my childhood hero Roy Thinnes (The Invaders: David Vincent) Its just a shame he didn't become a regular cast member :cry:

:cylon:

[Lara]

One of our cable channels is playing BSG early on a Sat morning. Am I spoiled or what, getting up and having breakfast on a weekend with this stuff!! There is something special about a broadcast ep (and I don't mean the adverts..) vs a DVD.

We watched GOIPZ last week and week before. Its amazing how well the show has stood up in look and in watchability. My impartial barometer is my husband. I watch the DVDs regularly, but he hasn't seen these eps in years, yet he sat and actually watched it, making the effort the second week to be out of the shower on time.

While there are still the plot holes and some hokey stuff, I'll admit they bugged me years back and I am over them now.. I understand why they are there, and that they wouldn't be there if it was filmed today.

I actually don't have a problem with the clones being variable: its more credible than them all looking and dressing exactly alike. I have a 'clone' for a husband (identicle twin) and while he looks and sounds like his brother more than fraternal sibs, they certainly have variation in their hairstyles and body type..

The muffit and Boxey stow away subplot is unfortunate, but there for 70's kiddie interest. I could have swallowed it if they had needed to take Muffit for its abilities in a hostile environ (daggit sled anyone??) thus causing Boxey to stow away with it. This would have made a nice echo of Starbuck stowing away (via the computer) to save Cree.

The action is good, with moments of tension and danger. Pity the gun crew can shoot a Viper down in part one, but miss the Galactica on their doorstep in part two.

Baltar was channelling just the right degree of revengefulness. It is clear that he has hardened his resolve. It has become personal, and his hatred is a logical outcome whether you believe him mad or influenced by evil.

I love Apollo's passion in his scenes with the Doctor. It is consistent from what we see in Saga, and sets him apart from the cookie cutter hero the character is usually accused of being..

Starbuck and the Britt clones at the end was a good humourous counter to the serious side of his concern for Cree. Likewise with Apollo, Starbuck is often assumed to be a straight stereotype and that just wasn't so.

Good and evil and the consequences of the choices we make may be an old theme, but it makes for a cracking story.

Cheers,
Lara

[justjackrandom]

Pity the gun crew can shoot a Viper down in part one, but miss the Galactica on their doorstep in part two.

Its the difference between maximum range and maximum effective range. The vipers were close and within "range". The fleet wasn't in that range yet (that's what the countdown was to at the end). The Cylons were taking un-aimed harassing shots, since the limitation seemed to be with their targeting systems and not the actual range of the weapon.

-my 2p :)

-JJR

[Lara]

Its the difference between maximum range and maximum effective range. The vipers were close and within "range". The fleet wasn't in that range yet (that's what the countdown was to at the end). The Cylons were taking un-aimed harassing shots, since the limitation seemed to be with their targeting systems and not the actual range of the weapon.

-my 2p :)

-JJR

True, point taken..

Cheers,
Lara

[lommel]

my favorite

[Wildcard]

The Guns of Navaronne meet the Cylon Death Machine!. it was a great ep, though i could have done without the clones aspect. If you ever get the oppurtunity to get the novel BsG 2 The Cylon Death Machine grab it, the amount of addt info and back stories are worth it!

[Eric Paddon]

There is a line uttered by Lucifer at the end of Pt. 2 that has amusingly caused a lot of confusion over its actual meaning. As he reports the failure of the plan to Baltar, Lucifer mentions that they will have to come up with an explanation for the Imperious Leader.

Some people have come away with the impression that Lucifer is giving a name to the Imperious Leader in the line which they think he says they must explain this "to Barkol to the Imperious Leader." The writer of Dynamite's "Cylon Apocalypse" comics series thought so and has Imperious Leader addressed as "Lord Barkol."

But in fact, Lucifer's line is they must find a way to explain "this DEBACLE to the Imperious Leader."

Jonathan Harris was not enunciating clearly enough it seems!

[Senmut]

Funny. The first time I saw this one, I heard and understood it to be "debacle". I thought JH's enunciation was fine. After all, he was trained in classical theater.

[Eric Paddon]

I noticed a mistake in the script that never got fixed. During Apollo's first meeting with Ravashol he says that the pulsar has "fried two of my fighters"!

It was actually three fighters destroyed by the pulsar. Bow and Shields in the beginning and then later, Killian.

[Senmut]

But since Apollo and those on the shuttle were trying like mad to avoid being shot down, would Apollo have gotten certain word of Killian's destruction?

[Eric Paddon]

Killian was in communication with the shuttle and he was destroyed before the shuttle was hit, so I think Apollo and everyone else was aware that he was gone. They certainly would have expected him to help take out the Cylon that was making a pass on them after they crashed if they believed he was still alive.

[Senmut]

But he had no certain knowledge of this. Hence, the line is acceptable.
But good catch.

[Croft2018]

When this was first broadcast it was one of my favourites; being 11.

Now I'm 53: Over the last decade or two and screening the episodes on both DVD (2003) and BD (2014) I think that it's a seriously flawed tale. Boxey has no place in this commando raid concept and should NEVER have been written in as being on the mission; a concept that annoyed me even at age 11. This being a variation on Alistair MacLean's classic The Guns of Navarone (book 1957, film 1961) it does still manage to be a lot of fun even if science and logic go out the window.

We must remember that BG was being made and written by SCFI neophytes who tended to look to more Earthbound concepts like western, war and espionage plots. The only real SCIFI concepts here that go deeper than the surface (ethnic cleansing, cloning, outer space locations, spaceships, robots, aliens, futuristic technology) are the riffs on Erich Von Daniken and his (debunked) writings on humans being influenced by aliens.

The concept that the fleet could be hearded towards a specific planet in a 3D area like outer space is daft in the extreme, or at least it would require much more thinking than the writers have done here. The other daft idea is that a single laser cannon on the surface of the planet* would pose any kind of threat firing from one fixed position out into space. The fleet would just have to bypass the planet on the far side to the gun to avoid the danger. It would've been better if the whole planet had been conceived as having a planetwide weapons grid that could fire from a thousand different positions all over the surface that reach billions and billions of kilometres out into space in a fully 3D sphere expanding in all directions.

Then have Baltar heard the fleet towards the trap with the massed forces at his disposal.

That would've worked, but the folks writing this were more used to conventional dramas and cop shows. But, as we know this script was part of the mini series concept of the show originally planned and probably suffered when everything went to series in a rush half-way through production on Saga of a Star World.

Vulpa had much more depth in the novelisation. They should also never have called the Imperious Leader "imperious" because it's not a positive term**, and the Centurians "centurian" because each one needs to be in charge of 100 soldiers. They should've established the Gold cylons as Centurions and the silver ones as basic warriors. I'd also have made them cyborgs which them explains why the Cylon ships have atmospheres. The big problem with the Cylons as is that they're boring foes in themselves as depicted despite the iconic costumes and sound effects; the Imperious Leader, Lucifer and Balter are really where the interest is; it's like being interested in the Stormtroopers in Star Wars.

BG is about the characters and that's what makes it interesting and the criminal characters in this are fun but sadly not developed enough. They really should have s h i t-canned Boxey and developed them more. The Croft-Leda dynamic was good and they could've made much more of Croft-Colonial Warriors having been a former military man.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Out of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

* Arcta ... who the **** came up with that lame name; could thay have not thought of a better one?
** = arrogant and domineering.

[Eric Paddon]

I have to agree that of all the two-parters ("Greetings From Earth" doesn't count since it aired as a two hour special even though it's the worst episode to run that long), GOIPZ over time has shown more weaknesses compared to LL and WOTG. Yes, it is a fun action ride of a story, but the element of Boxey stowing away just doesn't belong and IMO only got worked into this *because* it was shot second production wise and they were being more mindful of the need to "work the kid into the story" thinking which over time they got away from. Boxey as a character works when placed in legitimate organic story needs like in LPOTG and FIS (and even "Lost Warrior" where Apollo being mindful of Boxey is why he knows he can't be tempted by the idea of staying with Vella) but not in something like this.

I am one of those people who not being science-oriented tends to be more charitable about the lack of true hard science knowledge in these kind of shows that are more a continuation of the kind of TV writing that went back to the days of "Twlight Zone" and continued in the 60s and 70s. Many episodes of "Twlight Zone" don't stand up to hard science scrutiny in the slightest. And the shows that Galactica followed on the heels of, "Space: 1999", "Logan's Run" were hardly brilliant in those areas too so I think given the times it was written in I can be more charitable but I'll concede that GOIPZ tests my patience for the same reasons you outline (the idea that they can't just change position. Even Thurston's attempts to provide an explanation for that can only work to a small degree) not to mention the fact that if the Cylon Fleet is coming up behind them, shouldn't they be acting more quickly to get out of there at the end? And Ravashol's "We'll be ready if the Cylons come back!" declaration which also gets echoed to worse effect by Megan at the end of "Young Lords" doesn't help either. If Ravashol has other things at his disposal, what are they and why doesn't the Fleet ask for *Them* in their help? (and why isn't Ravashol willing to share them?)

That GOIPZ can still work is a testament more to the actors, editing and pacing which is often needed to compensate for deficiencies in a script.

I do give them a pass on "Imperious" Leader, because I think they were warned not to use the term "Imperial" in the slightest.

[Charybdis]

For the record, when I was a kid and pretty much still to this day, my favorite costume/characters in Star Wars were the stormtroopers!! First ever real Star Wars costume? Stormtrooper! Joining the 501st was the coolest thing...

I was 10 back in 1978, I thought all BSG was awesome! In fact, I just brought one of my copies of the entire series to my office so on downtime, I can sneak a little episode in now and then!