Battlestar Galactica - Pantheon series
The end of the world as we know it

// The skinny: When the human race is obliterated by the Cylons, the survivors flee in hopes of escaping complete genocide and to find the mythical world called Earth.

// Review: When I heard that this show was being re-made, all I could imagine was the campy 80's sci fi show with the creepy Cylons and their KITT-like red light on their visors. But then I hear that Time and Rolling Stone labeled it as the best show on television, and then it wins a Peabody award. Okay now I'm intrigued. It only took one random episode for me to be totally and utterly obssessed with this show.

/ Basically the humans created the Cylons to serve mankind. The Cylons rebelled resulting in decades of war and bloodshed. After a truce is called the Cylons vanish. 40 years later they re-appear and exact a sneak attack on every colonized planet killing 99% of the human race. A decommissioned battlestar and a few civilian ships that survived the initial attack make up the remnant of the human race. Led by a grizzled old commander and the secretary of education who is sworn is as president, they run from being hunted to extinction and embark on a quest to find the fabled Earth.

/ It's easy to write BSG off if you're not a fan of science fiction or you just imagine its first incarnation, but you would be doing yourself a great disservice. Yes there are robots, spaceships and it does air on the SciFi Channel, but this is essentially a character driven drama that takes place in a sci fi context. The actual ship is archaic that was being retired, full of outdated technology. There are hardly even computers so you don't have to be concerned about drowning in technobabble.

/ Impressively BSG takes a lot of chances. It delves deeply into religion, politics, war, and prejudice. Central to its themes are the meaning of humanity, identity, love, hope and family. While Edward James Olmost is the most recognizably, it has a superb cast. Each one of them have critical flaws, and while you want them to always do the right thing, many times their actions fall in the grey.

/ Like the characters, BSG isn't a perfect show. There are some plot continuity issues that have been well scrutinized on different forums. But week to week this show never fails to surprise or be controversial. It's extremely well written, well acted, thought provoking with top notch production values.

// Wrap up: Coming from someone who easily watches about 70 hours of tv a week, I can confidently say that this is the best show you are or aren't watching. Maybe unless you also tune into The Wire.

Entertainment rating: 5