How I Would Remake Battlestar:Galactica

Dayton3 · December 2nd, 2003, 05:53 PM

I've often wondered how I would remake Battlestar:Galactica if I had the chance.

I would keep most things as they were in the original overall except for one really major change:

I would begin the series a year (or yahren) earlier.

In other words, I wouldn't start the series with the ambush of the Colonial Fleet and the annihilation of the colonies.

I would begin it a year before showing life aboard the Galactica and its participation in the war. Show alot more about the characters and their interactions before the extreme stresses caused by the annihilation.

I would show Athena and Starbuck becoming closer and closer to the point that Athena began expecting marriage.

I would show Zacs assignment to the Galactica and his attempts to prove himself as a pilot worthy of flying from his Dads ship in his brothers squadron.

I would show Baltars final "bargain with the devil" as his years long collaboration with the Cylons ultimately leads him to the greatest betrayal in human history. And the road he took to get there.

I would show the political wrangling, and why the Quorum of the Twelve fell for such a ridiculously obvious trap as the Cylon Peace Proposal.

I would show Adamas skepticism of the peace proposal.......and how he inadvertently contributed to the destruction of the Colonial Fleet.

I would show how the Colonial Fleet retaliates when they learn that the Cylons have wiped out the Battlestar:Pegasus and the Fifth Fleet.

I would show the elaborate preparations and deceptions the Cylons use to prepare the devastating attack on the Colonials.

My Season One finale would be the attack on the Colonial Fleet, and it would be continued in the early part of the second season.

The remainder of the pilot story (evacuation of the Colonies, voyage to Carillon, and the events there) would be played out in the first two or three episodes of the Second Season.

Anyone have any thoughts on this idea?

dec5 · December 2nd, 2003, 06:32 PM

I would focus on the Adama family....Adama,Athena and Apollo. Their relationship with each other through the trying times of the war with the Cylons...with political opponents and personal relationships.

Drake113 · December 2nd, 2003, 10:49 PM

Crud... I had a big thing written on this, but somehow I lost it before I could post it. But here are the salient points:

I think the concept of a "prequel" season is a fantastic idea! I'd love to know more about the Colonies and what life was like before the apocolypse. Show people worn down by centuries of war- a war that has existed for 40 generations- who are so desperate for a way out that they'll accept any chance for peace. Show me the other Colonies; I've only seen Caprica for a couple minutes, and most of that was while it was getting blown to pieces. I think that having gotten aquainted with some of the colonies would have made their loss a lot more powerfull.
I want to know about the Caprician psychic institute, the Gemoni religous orders, and the stockpiles on Borallus, and not just because they're mentioned in passing during the actual series. How cool would, say, a murder mystery involving the crew and any of those locations be?
One of the weaknesses of the series is that the audiance isn't privy to information until it become essential to the plot-- we don't know that the Council of Twelve have nifty medallions until Adama mentions it in LPotG-- right before it becomes necessary, and we don't know that humans are able to move stuff with their minds until we see Adama do it in War of the Gods. Granted, the fact that these seem like cheap writer's plot devices probably is because they ARE cheap writer's devices, but how cool would it have been if they had an opportunity to set up a precident for these threads?
Furthermore, a prequel series could set up so much great stuff for the actual series- have a wealthy Sire mention off hand that this particular brand of Ambrosa comes from a long-lost penal colony, or have a young ensign reveal that she doesn't risk attachments because her former fiancee went to some little-known casino, won a ton of cubits, and she never heard from him again.
And Baltar's fall would be awesome- clearly, he's a opportunist, but he must have cared about his colony (or at least ONE person in it) if he stipulated it must be spared. I'd love to see his character evolve (devolve?) from being someone who only wants the best for his Colony being forced into a maze of compromises with the Cylons that ultimately leads to his downfall.

Dayton3 · December 4th, 2003, 09:37 AM

I especially like the part about the young ensign referring to her fiancee going to some distant casino on a distant planet and then taking off .

Ever wonder just how many people the residents of Corillon killed to feed to their young?

Trevor Angelus · December 4th, 2003, 10:47 AM

I like all of these ideas! What about Cassie and Cain's prior relationship. Itwould have been great to see how they met how they were together and what split them apart. also it would have been interesting to make Sheba and Zac rivals at the academy and almost get together before he died. It would have been a nice scene between him and Apollo, or Starbuck, having him get advice on how to ask her out right before he goes out on that fateful patrol.

peter noble · December 4th, 2003, 02:53 PM

1. Start with the original Glen A. Larson script and adapt it within reason (see point two).

2. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater and keep all the things that worked and jettison some the bad science and some of the made up technical terms.

3. Make a show that people aged eight-80 can enjoy, thus making the show appeal to as big a demographic as possible.

4. Hire a well-loved older star as Commander Adama, someone who will be the core of the show and who has a lot of charisma and warmth.

5. Don't go anywhere near the Sci-Fi Channel with the property!

Can anyone think of anymore?

Peter

dec5 · December 5th, 2003, 05:24 AM

DELETED

Sept17th · December 5th, 2003, 05:53 AM

Hey Dayton I'd watch your show...funny MooreRon the great Trek writer couldn't get it.

shiningstar · December 10th, 2003, 07:59 PM

I like all of those Ideas. Although I would definately make
sure that Cassiopia, athena, serena and ofcourse SHEBA were
all in the series. THose girls were truely strong characters.

shiningstar · December 10th, 2003, 08:01 PM

Sept17th ..........it's not that they 'didn't get it' .........
it's that they DIDN'T want it. They wanted to do their
own thing to hades with the fans and the show.

Dean Martin · December 11th, 2003, 11:16 AM

After rewatching the original the first thing I would do would be more of a build up.
The mini did this but not really the way I would. In the TOS, there was the whole attack with really minimal charcater development.
It would be better to get to know each one of them, including what would have been the mother in the Adama family.
Learn a bit more about the 12 colonies and their government.
In TOS it all happened so fast and then before we knew it they were laughing and checking for solium leaks.