Pilot (18 May 1979)

After the destruction of the human colonies, the last major fighter carrier leads a makeshift refugee fleet in a search for Earth.

Director:

Richard A. Colla

Writer:

Glen A. Larson

Stars:

Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict, Lorne Greene

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Hatch	...	Capt. Apollo
Dirk Benedict	...	Lt. Starbuck
Lorne Greene	...	Cmdr. Adama
Herbert Jefferson Jr.	...	Lt. Boomer
Maren Jensen	...	Athena
Tony Swartz	...	Sgt. Jolly
Noah Hathaway	...	Boxey
Terry Carter	...	Colonel Tigh
Lew Ayres	...	President Adar
Wilfrid Hyde-White	...	Sire Anton
John Colicos	...	Baltar
Laurette Spang	...	Cassiopeia
John Fink	...	Dr. Paye
Jane Seymour	...	Serina
Ray Milland	...	Sire Uri

Storyline

(Information provided from episode summaries created by the Battlestar Galactica mailing list) The story of how the 12 colonies of man are destroyed after a 1000 year war with the evil Cylon Empire. Through deceit, the Cylons are able to destroy the Colonies' entire fleet, except for the Battlestar Galactica, captained by Commander Adama. Adama gathers up the few remaining humans left on all the twelve worlds and embarks on a journey to find the mythical planet Earth, the supposed thirteenth colony of Mankind, lost millennia ago when humans first left the motherworld, Kobol. With food and fuel running out, the fleet heads for an ore planet, Carillon, hoping to get what it needs. The Ovions, who populate the planet, are being controlled by the Cylons, who set a trap for the Galactica. The fleet gets food and fuel, and escapes, destroying Carillon and a Cylon Base Star.

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Plot Keywords:

refugee | escape | diaspora | robot as menace | tv series pilot | 

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Taglines:

The super-reality of SENSURROUND takes you into an intergalactic war...Experience the sensation of laser beams, space explosions and battlestar attacks...all in Academy Award winning SENSURROUND.

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Action | Adventure

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 May 1979 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Long Beach City Hall - 333 W. Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Glen A. Larson Productions, Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

148 min 122 min (Ontario) 125 min (Québec) 125 min (theatrical)

Sound Mix:

Mono Sensurround (theatrical print)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

None of the writers had a scientific background.

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Goofs

Near the beginning, right after Apollo and Zack launch, one of them is veering off to the right of the screen. Right about this moment, for a second or less, a Cylon fighter is visible behind the other, in the lower left-hand side of the screen. This is, of course, before any Cylons were supposed to be around.

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Quotes

Starbuck: You certainly have a way of cutting through the felgercarb.

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Connections

Featured in Saturday Night Live: Dwayne Johnson/Ray LaMontagne (2009)

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Soundtracks

"It's Love, Love, Love"
John Andrew Tartaglia, Sue Collins, Glen Larson
Performed by the Space Angels

User Reviews

One of a kind...

That's right, one of a kind. When I first watched this show back a couple of years ago, it just caught me like no other had ever done before. The characters, the settings, the stories, all just magnificent.

One thing a lot of people pick on is the writing. I, myself, do not have a problem with it at all. In fact, I find that the stories make this show one of the most unique sci-fi's ever done. The 12 Colonies of Man all decimated by the Cylon Empire and the struggle of the refugees to survive, all escaping in some 220 refugee ships all being protected by the Galactica herself in search of the planet earth. And let's not forget the other memorable stories, such as the discovery of Commander Cain & the Battlestar Pegasus and when the Galactica found Kobol and discovered some of the origins of men. There's also the stories involving the Ship of Lights, Terra, and other ships from within the rag-tag fleet.

Another highlight of the show is the characters, especially Adama, Apollo, and Starbuck. One could say that Adama was the father figure, the wisest of the group. Then there's Apollo, just one of them good ole boys. And then we have Starbuck, probably the most memorable character from the entire series. And let's not forget the others: Boomer, Jolly, Athena, Cassiopeia, Boxey, Muffit, and last, but definitely not least, Baltar. Yes, this menacing figure is probably the 2nd most memorable face in the series.

And let's not forget the Cylons. These guys were probably one of the biggest money makers of the series back then. Menacing and powerful, they will stop at nothing until the destruction of the human race is complete.

One of the biggest highlights of this production is the music. Who can forget the opening theme? No doubt one of the greatest in all of sci-fi. We also have the Cylon music, very dark and menacing. In this production, Stu Phillips was a genius and he should definitely be commended.

Now, the special effects are something to be admired as well. Created by Star Wars' own John Dykstra, the effects in Battlestar Galactica greatly outshined the rest at that time. Though, the biggest drawback is the constant reuse of special effects footage over and over and over and over again. But it was done to save money, so it's understandable.

Another memorable aspect of the show are the ships themselves. The Galactica, herself, is a huge and powerful vessel, while retaining a charm that few other ships can keep. Probably the most popular ship was the Colonial Viper. While they may resemble the X-Wing Starfighters of Star Wars, the Vipers are unique and special in their own way. Probably the most unique ship in the show was the Cylon Raider. Bat-like in appearance, it was a fierce competitor for the Viper. Then there's the Cylon Basestar, just plain menacing is all that can be said about it. Then there are the other ships: The Rising Star, The Colonial Movers ship, The Celestra, The Prison Barge, The Livery ship, The Gemini Freighter, etc. They all were memorable in their own way.

This show is VERY underrated. A work of art, in my very honest opinion. I give it a 10/10. Extremely brilliant.