Battlestar Data : A Whole New Audience

Battestar Galactica-
a whole new audience

Battlestar Galactica is still a powerful science fiction story which is being discovered by new fans.

When Battlestar Galactica first appeared, I wasn't born. I can't even tell you my first glipse of it because I'm sure I saw it when I was much younger. Let me recap a little. A few years ago, William Shatner hosted a special presentation on Science Fiction series. It featured some series I knew, and some I didn't. One of those was Battlestar Galactica. It was brief, but it was the high point of the broadcast.

I'm glad I taped it. I ended up watching it over and over trying to get as much information about it as I could. It also looked familiar in a way, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Unfortunately, I could not find any episodes at the local video store and after a few months, I eventually gave up the search...

There's a saying: you can never leave the past behind. I'll put a little twist to that: the past wont leave you alone. And Galactica did just that. One day, I was spending a night at a cousin's house and of course, we went out during the day. We stopped by an book store where older books were sold. I really didn't expect to find anything there, but it never hurt to check. I stopped by the science fiction section and started to skim through titles. Then one title grabbed my attention, "Battlestar Galactica #6: The Living Legend." The title sounded familiar, but couldn't quite place where I heard it from. Nevertheless, I purchased it. I began reading it as it started with two Vipers locking onto some bogies. They exchanged some fire until they realised they were fighting two other humans! And, thus, I was propelled back into the Galactica universe, and not knowing it. I ended spending that entire day lying on my cousin's sofa, reading! I would not get up, I would not move, I would not eat. I just read from afternoon to evening to night... non-stop. I read that book because it was something refreshing. Something not done in sci-fi. Something that sparked my imagination. As soon as I put two and two together and realised it was based on the show I once endeavoured to find... I decided I must find those episodes!

After a few more months, I was able to track down two more books, but still no episodes. Finally, one day in the video store, something caught my eye. You guessed it, Battlestar Galactica! I finally got to watch the first episode! The episode started, "Many people believe that life here, started out there..." and with that, I knew that I was being drawn into an amazing journey. I was not disappointed. The end of the human race on those twelve colonies, instigated by Count Baltar, grabbed my attention and never let go. Although the episodes I've seen are too few and far between, every single one was a treasure! Then I laid eyes on the episode I had originally read. The one that started me on my Second Coming search for Battlestar Galactica. The one with the legendary Commander Cain! Again, enthrawled by the episode I could not have enough! I eventually exhausted all avenues for Battlestar Galactica material.

I always thought it should be brought back. But everyone I knew had never heard of it. Of course that was due to the fact that neither my friends nor I were born at the time. And every adult I knew did not dabble in science fiction. So I thought, perhaps the show was forgotten. I promiseed I would not forget it. A small contribution to the series that I believed everyone forgot, or never knew. But, again, the past will not leave you alone. And it did not leave me alone. Suddenly, Richard Hatch's "Battlestar Galactica: Armageddon" is released and took me by storm. I was beginning to be taken up in this whirlwind of Galactica and everyone knew what it was! It wasn't as if everyone did not know about it, it was as if it was sleeping and waiting to be resurrected! That time is now. I have discussed Galactica to my friends and shown some of the few episodes I was able to find. They really enjoyed it but picked out that all the battles were reused. I pointed out that it was the late 1970's. They understood. We all decided that with the stories and characters, this was an extraordinary series, worthy of a second try.

This leads to one very important conclusion, there is a whole new audience for the series on top of the old fans. There is a whole new generation who have never heard of the series. Who have never seen Apollo or Starbuck battle in their Vipers against Cylon Raiders. Who have never watched the Galactica leading a rag-tag fleet to a lost colony called Earth. If only they knew what adventure awaits out there...