Battlestar Galactica fandom will be split forever.

Well, The mini has come and gone and the ratings are in. Apparently, the Galactica mini has pulled in some very impressive ratings and there is a great deal of talk about an ongoing series. From now on, there will be two shows with the name Battlestar Galactica. This developement has split the fanbase for Galactica. While there may be some people who enjoyed both productions, I think the fans will fall into two camps. On the one hand, you have fans of the original show. These fans are probably people who were around when the original first aired, are in their 30s and 40s and are very loyal to the show. The opposite number for this faction are fans of the mini. These are people that probably either never saw the original or looked down on it as a Star Wars rip off. I sence that they are younger people who are drawn by certain elements of the remake. These two groups will forever sit on different sides of the fence because they will always disagree about which show was better. It will make the discussions by Star Trek fans on which show is better seem like polite artistic discourse. This will dilute Galactica as a "franchise" and harm the original show in the long run. I fear it will become, as a result of the success of the mini, a forgotton show with a marginalized fanbase. I hope that I am wrong.

[thomas7g]

No offense, but I think you are wrong.

Most of us are pretty solid adults and though we may not like one show or the other, I think this site at least tends to attract people who are pretty sane and rational about the subject. We have ahd craziness in the past, but this week has been alot calmer than I expected.

I'm relazing and enjoying the fandom discussion. (though there's soooo much to read!

[Darth Marley]

As an original fan of the original series when it was first run,I have to say that I liked the mini,and anyone old enough to have seen the show when it aired should not be a child. Maybe I am a child in some ways. Sometimes a good thing,sometimes not.
From my point of view,it would seem those locked in opposition to the retelling seem a bit young,though perhaps just young in heart.
The gist I get from the opponents of the mini come in a few shades of flavors:
I get that some have personal connections with individuals attempting to bring competing products of the franchise to commercial life.
Many more are the kind of fan that seems to perfer the "white hat vs black hat" kind of story.
Some others seem broken hearted that they cannot share this retell with their young children,as they thought they might, due to graphic depictions of sexual content.
Others might be continuity diehards that cannot accept any deviation from TOS cannon.
While I can understand these influences,none of these conditions apply to me.

I have yet to hear from anyone that is a fan of the new mini that has no exposure to the old. I cannot know what would appeal to them, or if TOS would be something they can enjoy.I know a few people that would most likely accept the new mini rather than TOS, but this is just an educated guess.

If there are any Star Trek fans that didn't enjoy DS9, then I pity them,from my point of view. As Obi-Wan said "many of the truths we cling to depend on our point of view."
Still, I can talk with any trekkie about Scottie saying "Laddie,don't you want to rephrase that?' or "Its green!" and get a laugh,and chug a drink on it.
So maybe now,new fans will be saying "Frak me" iso "oh,frak" but it really isn't that different at the end of it all.

I feel that I can hate the mini and still be an adult. My Wife liked the mini and I respect her opinion. (She is wrong but I respect her opinion.)If I met someone face to face and they said they loved the mini, I would support their right to feel that way. The point I was trying to make is that, from this point forward, if you refer to Battlestar Galactica you will have to clarify what you are talking about. It no longer deals with Tos anymore. Tos fans will have to deal with the harsh and depressing reality that the new show has marginalized them. The success of Moore's take on Galactica means that they do not matter in the greater scheme of things. (As far as television is concerned.)

[BST]

I almost don't know where to begin. So, here goes:

Bijou - I understand and empathize with what you are saying. I tend to agree that the fanbase is "on different sides of the fence" but, I disagree with the timing. It was not the "airing" of the mini that caused the split, the fanbase split after elements of Moore's script became public knowledge. The debates on the Skiffy board were furious and came to a head during the Clone Wars. You could not have splintered people any more than they were, at that point. During this time, the Skiffy board ceased to exist as a "free speech" public forum and became moderated. Synonym for moderated, in this case, is Censored. Skiffy didn't want to hear anything except glowing posts about the proposed mini-series. When people finally got fed up with the totalitarian methods being employed, the Great Migration began. Each side went to various sites in order to converse about their views for the show, unimpeded.

I agree that the fanbase has been "marginalized" but, only in the same sense that anything is marginalized when you have more than 1 choice. Now that the mini has aired, those folks that prefer a continuation are in the same place that they've always been while some of the folks that "gave it a chance" are not satisfied and feel let down. Others love the mini and want more. So, you're bound to hear a different story, no matter which way you look. What's important is how YOU feel and what YOU want!

"Conundrum" - You, sir, are a decorator extraordinaire! I love this little island getaway (and if my wife ever throws me out, I'll just live here forever )!!

Darth - Some thoughts:

• Many more are the kind of fan that seems to perfer the "white hat vs black hat" kind of story.
  
  Essentially, I fall into the category that believes in Good and Evil. I don't believe in "gray". If I can't do something in a way that I can be proud of, I won't do it. In other words, I don't believe that the "ends justify the means".
  
  Some others seem broken hearted that they cannot share this retell with their young children,as they thought they might, due to graphic depictions of sexual content.
  
  For some, this item is a very important issue but, it was not really a problem for me since I made up my mind, months ago, that I was not watching it. You see, I learned, from reading the script and the interviews with Ron Moore, that I did not like the CONTENT of what he had written. I had no need to see the visual depiction. His telling of the story was what bothered me. However, I do believe in his right to tell his story and would fight for him and anyone else to have that right.
  
  Others might be continuity diehards that cannot accept any deviation from TOS cannon.
  
  Your wording of this is a slightly more emphatic than I would use but, I agree with it nonetheless. Once you have a storyline established, whether it is 1 year or 25 years old, you need to keep to that storyline. Then, build from it. I'm glad you brought up ST. I'll use that as an example. Imagine, if you will, that ST:TOS was re-imagined for their first movie, ST:TMP. You still have Kirk, Spock, and McCoy but, now "Bones" is Dr. Leona McCoy and her Head Nurse is "Chris" Chapel. In addition, you change the heritage of Klingons to be that of a human experiment that had gone wrong and now you have a new species that, flees to a remote area, discovers a religion, improves their military to the point that they are a very real threat to the Federation and then, begins to take the offensive, to exterminate the humans.
  
  These are just a few thoughts but, would it fly? In two words, probably not. What ST did, that guaranteed them success, is that they paid homage to continuity. Whatever had happened in TOS was their history and they built out from there.

I guess when you get right down to it, I don't think that the re-imagining was a very good use of SciFi's funds. I don't buy the argument that TOS is out of reach for newcomers (folks that didn't see the original series and come into this absolutely fresh), the shows have been televised, over and over, by SciFi, in part as advertisement for the mini. It's all a matter of willingness to learn.

BST

[Dean Martin]

My Wife liked the mini and I respect her opinion.

Although I was entertained by the mini, my wife who was a fan of the original got up and left the room 10 minutes into it and said "What an insult".

She normally wouldn't even comment on stuff like that.

Dean, you Wife is a very perceptive Woman with highly refined tastes. The heart of the matter is this: At one time, Battlestar Galactica was about TOS and only TOS. If you liked Galactica, you liked TOS. They were one and the same. The mini complicates matters. There are people out there who prefer the mini over the original. Battlestar Galactica is now about two shows. The mini, a current ratings hit and TOS a relic from the past. These are not my views but a reflection of media coverage and attitudes expressed in many different areas of the web. When I say TOS fans are marginalized, I mean that they may become a footnote in the greater story of Battlestar Galactica. Imagine if the mini becomes a series. Now imagine that the show lasts 4 or 5 seasons. There will be 100 episodes of Moore's version as opposed to the 24 episodes of Tos. The remake will overwhelm the original by sheer numbers. For a show to survive there must be new product in the pipeline. Let me give you an example. In the 1950s, science fiction shows boomed on TV. "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet" and "Space Patrol" were really popular with both kids and adults. After the mid 1950s the shows went off the air and left only memories for the fans. Today, they are obscure shows remembered only by a few people. There wasn't any product coming in to attract new fans. Subsequently, fandom for these shows faded away. I fear this will happen to the original Battlestar Galactica. The mini will be the version that people remember and TOS will die out. This is why I feel Galactica fans will be split forever. I fear the results of this schism.

[Dean Martin]

Dean, you Wife is a very perceptive Woman with highly refined tastes.

I wouldn't go that far. She watches every awards show, The Bachelor, that horrible Trista's Wedding and likes Country Music which I can't stand.
But she did pick me....

[GreggAllinson]

I'm 26, and became a Galactica fan with the Richard Hatch novels. I did think the miniseries had some very good and inventive elements...but it wasn't Battlestar Galactica. If you use the name, you have to stick true to the spirit of the series. If you can't or don't want to, then call it something else.

[Yminale]

This was bound to happen even with a continuation. Look at Star Wars. I think alot fans believe that the magic of TOS can be recaptured if the right people (Like Larson or Hatch) were working on it. Experience states that it won't happen. TV has changed and so have you so you're not going to look at the new material the same way. The best you can hope for is there is some cross over appeal with the new fans rediscovering and apreciating the source. This doesn't happen much. Look at Star Trek. There is no fan community. It's just a bunch of armed camps clustered around their favorite series. I'm afraid is BG is destined for the same fate if the new series takes off.

[Starbuck]

Originally posted by Yminale
Look at Star Trek. There is no fan community. It's just a bunch of armed camps clustered around their favorite series.

Precisely why I've given up on the ST fanbase. I hope the same doesn't happen with the BSG fanbase.

[larocque6689]

Don't you think it is strange - that in a forum that is dedicated to talking about the merits of the originial series, that we are still talking about the "war" between the differing camps within fandom, and then suggesting that TOS fans will be relics if RDM's take on Galactica becomes more popular.

A known liar and troublemaker has been echoing many of these charges for a year and I am very troubled when I see new handles bandying about the charge.

There are fans of the old series and there are fans of the new series and there is some crossover between the two. Let us leave it at that.

Please - for the love of Kobol - let this topic go so we can discuss the Battlestar Galactica, and not make judgmental statements about the statement of fandom.

[Trevor Angelus]

Originally posted by GreggAllinson
I'm 26, and became a Galactica fan with the Richard Hatch novels. I did think the miniseries had some very good and inventive elements...but it wasn't Battlestar Galactica. If you use the name, you have to stick true to the spirit of the series. If you can't or don't want to, then call it something else.

My sentiments EXACTLY! They should have darkened someone else's doorstep!

If they even tried to keep some of the elements from the original I would have gave it a shot, but since they repeatedly slapped us in the face and told us to deal with it and showed us no respect at all, I will never watch it!

They should have created their own series since it was so drasticly different!

[Stevew]

Who are these people?
S

[Dean Martin]

I'm not discussing the differences anymore. I have he feeling we are going to see a new series and we all need to look to that as well as a continuation series.

[Micheleh]

I'm not sure...

Peter Dashkewytch was the first assistant director on G03, according to his IMDB filmography. The same directory lists no current 'status' for the mini. However, it does have him listed as 1st AD for "Stargate:Atlantis", currently in preproduction.

http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0003855/

[Commander Cain]

Do you guys really think there will be a continuation? I think we are stuck with the mini whether it flies or not. If it does, the continuation won't happen. If it dies the miserable death it deserves, nobody will spend millions to try it again. We know if done correctly it would be successful, but those with the money obviously don't or it would have been done by now. Unfortunately I'm stuck between not wanting this version and hoping they change and improve this apparent new series enough to allow it to grow on me.

[BST]

We should know before the end of the month if SciFi will go through to series although, early indications are that they will not. Reason: $$

SciFi apparently has somewhat limited resources and seems to be leaning toward other projects. In addition, NBC is due to take over, officially, as owner of Universal with the coming new year and with that, they are probably reviewing the general direction for each of their new properties (Universal, SciFi, USA), as we speak.

My gut feeling is that with so much up in the air, they'll take some time deciding the direction before committing resources.

In addition, even though the "raw" rating numbers were seemingly impressive for the 2 nights, my understanding is that they were at the low end of the range promised to the advertisers.

Regarding whether or not we will have a continuation, I think that depends on how bad we want a continuation. It has been stated previously by, I believe, Tom DeSanto and Glen Larson, that the possibility of a continuation movie is NOT dependent on the performance of the mini. The deciding factor will be whether or not there is interest in Battlestar Galactica, as a whole. The ball's in our court.

If you are interested in the possibility of a continuation, please join us in the letter-writing campaign.

Check the following link for details:

http://www.battlestargalactica.com/home/letter.php



BST

[Starbuck]

Originally posted by BST
If you are interested in the possibility of a continuation, please join us in the letter-writing campaign.

Check the following link for details:

http://www.battlestargalactica.com/home/letter.php

Also if you haven't already, please seriously consider buying the BSG DVD box set. Money talks!

[BST]

Originally posted by Starbuck
Also if you haven't already, please seriously consider buying the BSG DVD box set. Money talks!

[Starbuck]

Hey! I just noticed my new title! :laugh:

[Westy]

I've never run across people in an online community that cared so much and had so much passion as the BSG one. There's umteen million sites for every scifi series and movie that ever happened, but NONE of them have done what the BSG ones have done. Even if the mini becomes a series I highly doubt the TOS fans or fandom will be marginalized. These are excelent sites with content galore and that alone make them all a cut about the rest. Each site is unique and there's not much duplication of effort. The cooperation is unparalelled and with all that going for it, I just don't see it going away, only becoming better. I think in time the mini will find its niche, and even be accepted in greater BSG fandom. You can already see it happening in fact. The mini-fandom can only help IMO. The best of all worlds would be for TOS fandom to take mini fandom under its wings and to set the shape of things to come from the start. It can be done and I hope it is done.

[LucianG]

As far as I'm concerned, Battlestar Galactica:TOS and RDM's Galactica are in two parallel, but very separated universes (yeah, I know, that's very ST, but then again, where were RDM's roots?). Hopefully, if enough people continue to call for the continuation and GL has the interest and drive he's expressed, that will allow TOS continuation movie (or hopefully even mini-series?) to go forward without being affected by the 2003 RDM mini-series.

[larocque6689]

The mini-fandom can only help IMO. The best of all worlds would be for TOS fandom to take mini fandom under its wings and to set the shape of things to come from the start. It can be done and I hope it is done. [/B]

Well said, Westy!