The Worst Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows: Ongoing series looking at sci fi and fantasy entries that can be considered among of the biggest misfires and losers of the genre.
What Is It?
Continuing the story of the original Battlestar Galactica, the Galactica and its fleet of survivors finally reach Earth after decades of searching, only to discover that the planet’s technology is far too primitive to defend against a potential Cylon attack. Colonial warriors Troy and Dillon are sent to Earth to secretly help advance humanity’s technology while protecting the planet from outside threats. Assisted by television reporter Jamie Hamilton, the two encounter various adventures while attempting to keep their extraterrestrial origins secret.
Aired: ABC, 1980, 1 Season Totaling 10 Episodes
Starring: Lorne Greene, Kent McCord, Barry Van Dyke, Herb Jefferson Jr., Robyn Douglass
Created By: Glen A. Larson
Where Did It Go Wrong?
While BSG could be campy and melodramatic at times, and even smarmy with its cute kids and cuddly robots, the follow-up Galactica 1980 slipped immediately into bad camp with its poor writing, stiff acting, and bubblegum violence. It lacked the budget of the original, so it focused on Earth-bound episodes, but the stories felt hackneyed and poorly conceived and, more often than not, just plain bad. And while the original series definitely went for a family-friendly approach, Galactica 1980 had much more of the feel of a kids’ show, dispensing with much of the mythology previously introduced as it focused more on a high-predicament adventure approach.
A Closer Look:
When Battlestar Galactica arrived on ABC’s schedule in Fall 1978, it became a huge hit, largely spurred by the popular interest in sci fi that followed the massive success of Star Wars in theaters in 1977. But due to counter-programming by CBS and ABC’s pressure to rush BSG to series after it had been planned as three movies, the ratings took a notable drop by the end of the season. Network execs decided that they could not keep such an expensive series on the air if it was not drawing top numbers and cancelled it after one year (you can read more about that at this link).
A massive letter-writing campaign followed, similar to the one that helped Star Trek survive to a third season. But ABC execs were already reconsidering their cancellation decision by that point, likely realizing that it would be hard to recoup the costs of the series because it had too few episodes for syndication. They worked with Glen A. Larson to come up with a continuation, but with the stipulation that the new show would be less expensive to produce. Larson had already been tinkering with a movie in which the Galactica and the fleet would reach Earth, and the new series worked around that. But the changes were massive, and it ended up delivering a very different show.
Much of the original cast was ejected, some because of scheduling conflicts, some for cost-cutting reasons, and some because they chose not to participate, with only Lorne Greene and Herb Jefferson Jr. returning as aged versions of their characters from BSG. Kent McCord and Barry Van Dyke had the thankless task of taking on roles analogous to Apollo and Starbuck, but who were not the real thing (Coy and Vance Duke all over again). In addition, the show put the focus much more on younger actors as it went heavy on the kid-friendly approach, and it even tried to work in some educational points from time to time. This led to the introduction of the “Super Scouts” as well as the incredibly annoying kid-prodigy Dr. Zee (bringing the curse of Cousin Oliver, with Robbie Rist playing the character for the first three episodes), and the new series pretty much dispensed with the space-adventure focus of the original.
And while Battlestar: Galactica may not count as one of the greatest sci fi TV shows of all time (some will argue that point), it was enjoyable and had plenty of potential to explore if it could have continued for a second season. The basic concept of the follow-up series also had potential, with the crew of the Galactica trying to help Earth along in its technological advancements to prepare for a possible attack from the Cylons. But that was mostly dispensed with early on, and Galactica: 1980 turned into more of a kiddie show, producing episodes that did little to advance the basic storyline.
Not surprisingly, the new show was poorly received, and the ratings were low right from the beginning, in part because it was not very good and in part because it was scheduled against ratings powerhouse 60 Minutes. The one episode that brought back Starbuck was a highlight (though it did have some pretty big plot holes) and even suggested some interesting storylines that could follow. But the network was done with Galactica by that point and pulled the plug on the revival. The show has since been tacked on as a second season to the original, but it is not well-liked, and BSG fans usually ignore it.
Would a Reboot Help?
Galactica: 1980 did get a reboot of sorts when Dynamite put out a four-issue comic book series that offered a Ronald D. Moore-style reimagining of the premise. And that is probably as much as it deserves since it is considered by many to be a throwaway show. It might have been interesting if the 2003 reboot had ended with the Galactica arriving at Earth and finding a similar situation where the planet was not ready to face the threat of the Cylons. That could have potentially continued into a sequel series, or at least a few movies, offering a better exploration of the premise (but please, no Dr. Zee and no time travel). But that’s a What If? that will not happen (unless they do it in comic book form?), and this show is best left as a misguided relic from the past.
Where Can You Watch It?
Galactica: 1980 has been included in the DVD and Blu-ray releases of the original series, and you can also purchase it VOD. Neither that nor BSG are currently streaming on any of the major services.
Do you consider Galactica: 1980 to be one of the worst sci fi/fantasy TV shows of all time, or does it have a hidden charm that others have missed? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments below.
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