File this one under "Damn you, NetFlix!" If not
for the push button ease of availability of this series I would not be doing
this.
I'll start from the beginning.
For no good reason I have decided to re-read the entire run
of Marvel BattleStar Galactica comic books from the late 1970's. As a child of
that decade I have fond remembrances of the show, the novels that were created
as off-shoots and the comics books too. In fact if memory serves they usually
managed to tell better tales than the often dull and repetitive TV show on
which they were based. So I have gathered most of the 23 issue run in front of
me (gallery post to follow) and thought it would be neat - in a completist sort
of way - to also push play on NetFlix and revisit the original show for the
first time in years. Oh my.
My dim memories of the show as dull and labored turn out to
be very accurate with the added slight of being much more silly than I
recalled. Clearly this show was written to appeal mainly to children under
twelve. It is insultingly simplistic in its plotting, cartoonishly broad in its
characterizations and incredibly slipshod in its production. With all those
detriments it still somehow manages to also wedge far too many complications
into its story - a least in the three episode long pilot film. Motivations are
often ill defined to the point that I twice backed the show up to make sure I
hadn't missed some important point. After the pilot I proceeded to the first
regular episode which is a two part tale that sets up the search for Earth that
is to drive the series. I remembered the Egyptian sets but it was very amusing
to see that they sent some second unit folks to the site of the Great Pyramids
to shoot some long distance shots of extras that are supposed to be Loren
Greene, Richard Hatch and Jane Seymour. The doubling is laughably bad with the
bright white wig on Mr. Greene's stand-in being especially fun. And once again,
this story is needlessly overcomplicated and drawn out as if they were hurting
for running time. I hope the rest of the show is less padded or I'm going to
have trouble getting through the whole run.
At this point there is no way the comics can be anything
other than an improvement! I'll report back.
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