[Dawg]

I’m going to lay it on the line. There’s been a lot of back-and-forth going on in this forum, a lot of it quite civil, some not. Some people want to keep the pot stirred, others simply don’t understand why there is still a lot of fuss and bother over a re-made TV show – why we can’t seem to let it go.

So, I’m going to explain it. Lay it out there for all to see. The gripes, the fears, the anger. If you get it, if you finally understand, great. I’m happy I can help. If, after this essay, you still don’t understand, then I seriously doubt you ever will. Regardless, I hope to be the last word on some of these issues, and we can move on from them.

Also, FYI, this essay – among others – will appear elsewhere, as well, hopefully soon.

Let me begin by addressing the issue of Ron Moore. A lot of discussion has been floating around lately about his motivations, his authority, his culpability as far as bringing the new “Battlestar Galactica” to life.

As I understand it, the events unrolled thusly:

Fox pulled out of the DeSanto production in late 2001, shortly after the events of 9/11, in part because the production delays that tragic day caused, in part because Brian Singer then had to leave to devote his attention to X-Men 2, in part because they had Firefly waiting in the wings. Universal then closeted with Bonnie Hammer, who brought in David Eick to “put a fresh spin on things”; he then called Moore.

At some point, perhaps even as the DeSanto sets were being destroyed, they told Tom for the first time that they were going a different direction, and he’d be welcome to sit in (they probably had to in order to avoid a breach of contract suit, I think), but he declined.

Bonnie Hammer is on record as disliking space-based science fiction, and the argument can be made she dislikes science fiction entirely; note the plethora of horror films, that truly awful “Big Brother” rip-off she did, and the repeated showing of “The Flintstones” and “Viva Rock Vegas” on the Sci-Fi Channel.

Given all that, I do not fully believe Mr. Moore when he says the responsibility for the direction of the new BSG is all his. I believe that his vision dovetailed nicely with the interests and ideals of Ms. Hammer and Mr. Eick. So, they gave him the green light.

Ron Moore is also well schooled in the Hollywood philosophy of “there’s no such thing as bad publicity”. So, he set himself up as a lighting rod. I would not be terribly surprised to learn that he himself leaked that “draft” script to the internet, going on three years ago now. He knew from the start that the existing fanbase would be incensed – and would create a whole lot of buzz around his show. His following actions lend credence to that; when Richard Hatch invited him to do a panel at the Oct. ’03 Galacticon, he walked into the room proclaiming he was the one who “killed Kirk”, knowing how controversial that was, knowing people would be angry with him and, therefore, create talk. He told TOS fans that their “popcorn was in another aisle”. Etc. Etc. Etc.

He wanted a lot of talk, a lot of buzz. We gave it to him, too, by the bucketful.

So no, I don’t believe Moore is single-handedly responsible for taking the direction he did with the show – but he’s set himself up as the scapegoat for it – or taking credit for it, however you want to look at it. It’s all PR. It’s all BS.

Do I think he set out to insult and degrade the existing BSG fans? No, he set out to make a television show and make a successful television show. He didn’t care about the wants of the existing BSG fans. He insulted and degraded the existing BSG fans to create publicity for his new show. He did a very good job. I believe it would not be garnering the ratings it is had it not been for our anger, and the actions of a couple of pinheads in the fan community that gave the PR machine priceless ammunition with which they were able to marginalize the rest of us. And they used it.

Ron Moore is neither the savior of science fiction (egads, no), nor is he the devil incarnate. He has simply offered himself up as the sacrificial lamb – or as a great hero. The continued ratings and longevity of the show will eventually tell that tale.

And let’s talk briefly about the various “homage’s” that have been paid TOS in the new show. The passing glance at the original Cylon Centurions. The few notes of Stu Phillips’ grand theme, played by a couple of trumpets through tinny speakers. “By Your Command”. Gaius Baltar in a swivel chair.

In a show so different yet meant to supplant another, is it any wonder many would feel that these minor points are more insult than tribute?

I do not include the designs of the rest of the fleet in that regard, though. Those ships were designed by people who love the original as much as anyone else, and wanted to provide a tangible tie to that universe. I cannot fault them for that. That constitutes tribute.

And, finally: over-writing history.

I hear the scoffing noise some of you just made – and I see the understanding nods from others. Allow me to explain this particular fear to those who do not understand it.

There are very few true links between the original BSG and the new one. This is another subject that’s gone back and forth; even the producers of the new show claim this new show is nothing like the old, but invite comparisons anyway.

The Viper design is clearly based on the original. The title of the show, obviously. Place names – Caprica, Caprica City, etc.

The character names are not a link. The original Adama was Adama – not William Adama. The original son was Apollo, not Lee Adama. The original series names have been used in this new version as assigned callsigns, ala Top Gun’s Maverick and Goose. Not the same thing.

There is no link whatsoever between the two when it comes to the depiction of faith. In the original, Adama was a warrior-priest, who gained strength from his faith in his battle with the soulless, godless Cylon enemy. These Colonials worshipped God, and called upon the saints and angels – here called the ‘Lords of Kobol”, to aid them. This was a fight between good and evil.

In the new, William Adama is ambivalent toward religion; it apparently has little or no place in his life, except as a tool to garner support (reference his final speech in the December ’03 miniseries). The faith of the Colonials is depicted not as a monotheistic, God-fearing faith, but as a polytheism – multiple gods, called the “Lords of Kobol”. It is the Cylons who worship a single God – and are quite fanatical about it. The genocide they wage against their human makers (another total departure from the original concept) is divine in origin.

And do I need to again address the effort – or lack thereof – to make the Colonials appear not of Earth?

I could go on, but, in short, I think we can all agree there is far more to separate the two shows than there is to link them.

And yet, both are called “Battlestar Galactica”.

For more than 25 years, there have been fans asking for a return to the universe of the original, to see what has happened to their heroes. To have Universal’s PR department get credit for that is pure, unadulterated bull poo-poo. Universal, until the late 1990’s, sat on their hands when it came to this property, which could have been as big as Star Trek.

They finally green-lit DeSanto’s TV movie/pilot, which was a continuation. Then when Fox backed out, Sci-Fi stepped in, but rather than simply fund what was already in place (which all of us could have supported), Universal went along with their plans to ‘re-imagine’ – the money was apparently there, and they didn’t want the copyright to lapse…

Anyway, they did it. And so we have two very different, mostly unrelated shows with the same name. So, what happens?

If the new completely overshadows the old, the chances of ever finding out how the original story continues are gone. We are left with an incomplete universe that we fell in love with, with incomplete characters; a universe that inspired many of us to nurse that first creative spark, to write that first serious story, draw that first serious picture; a universe being lost in the mists of the past.

We see it starting. We see it in the negative comments in the reviews of the new when comparing it to the old. We see complete dismissal of the premise of the original, and the promise it still has, in favor of this new, almost completely unrelated show.

And there is real pain in watching something you’ve wanted for so long go ‘pffffft’ before your very eyes – and that may be exactly what we’re seeing.

Don’t misunderstand – TOS BSG will never completely die, not as long as there are fans who continue to discuss it, create new stories for it, new art or video. And there is, still, a chance of convincing TPTB that there is merit in bringing back the original BSG universe.

But the time grows short – and that is added fuel to the frustration.