Customer Reviews

Galactica 1980: The Final Season

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(26)

 

 

Basically, you should buy this entire box-set for a single episode. "The Return of Starbuck". Your original Battlestar Galactica collection isn't truly complete without it. No matter what is said of this series as a whole, this one episode truly captures the feel of the original series.

What about the other episodes? Well, let's just say that on many occasions, critics have selected Galactica 1980 as the worst sci-fi tv series of all time. How could it turn out so horrid? The budget was slashed to just a fraction of the amount spent on the original series. Also, many of the episodes were aired in an early time slot (I believe it was 7:00pm) which placed restrictions on the content of the series (writers had to avoid writing too many action scenes or even the most innocent adult themes). Galactica 1980 was basically a rushed effort, pushed forward and then severely hindered (by various network executives) on a mission to recoup from their mistake of canceling the original series.

This series may have been a train wreck, but the final episode (The Return of Starbuck) is a bittersweet tribute to the original series. A must have!

P.S.

This is being sold as "The Original Battlestar Galactica's Final Season". It must be noted that the original series was cancelled after the first season. While Galactica 1980 can indeed be considered a continuation of the first season, it is in fact a seperate TV series. Most fans of the original series pretend that Galactica 1980 never happened :)

JM

I've read many poor reviews of Galactica 1980 over the years, so I was expecting a pretty cruddy show. To my surprise, I actually enjoyed it! Sure, it's more like "Galactica on Earth" than a space show, but that doesn't mean I enjoyed it any less.

It's great to see Adama and Boomer again, and the last episode is really good too. Also, the pilot episode was excellent, as well. Are there some campy moments? Sure. But the original BSG had them too. I found many BSG episodes slow and hard to get through, surprisingly, I got through G:1980 rather quickly.

I say pick it up and add it to your collection!

Ever since I bought the Battlestar Galactica complete series I'd been thinking, "What happened to that episode with Starbuck stranded on a planet?? And what about those flying motorcycles on Earth??" I'd almost convinced myself that I'd imagined them, since I did own the "complete series." Well, here they are. I was 6 years old when this series came around and it didn't enjoy the reruns of the original Battlestar Galactica, so my memories of Troy and Dillon (the new Starbuck and Apollo) were sparse at best (it's like when Dukes of Hazzard had those other cousins show up or Airwolf had a whole new cast suddenly show up....crazy 80's TV clones).

Overall the episodes are pure low budget 80's sci-fi trash-- vaguely reminiscent of Star Trek IV in its disturbing blend of heavy handed environmentalism (the "Super Scouts" episodes) and high school theater quality time travel (the pilot episodes with a generic Nazi Germany romp).

It's worth the Starbuck episode though-- he's the best!

I'm a fan of the ORIGINAL series. But Galactica 1980 was doomed from the start. The biggest problem was Dr. Z. No offense to the kid that played the part, it's just that the character was not needed and even took away from the series. To see Adama go to Z for advice or even instruction was demeaning and degrading to the character of Adama. If I had the software to edit DVD's, I'd take out every scene with Z in it.

I'd heard for many years how awful this show was. Well, it is, kind of. But I liked it. I was very entertained by even the most (for that time) politically correct episode (there are many environmentalist issues at hand since "higher intelligence" deals with we "dumb modern day humans"). It's about the Galactica finding earth and then two guys making sure earth is safe from Cylons, that is, making sure that we could in fact battle Cylons if they happened to attack, and follows their adventures in a modern day society with their special space skills, and flying motorcycles, and bionic children. And a cylon actually lands on earth and kidnaps Wolfman Jack. Now if I were to have read this a month ago, I'd think there wouldn't be any way for it to be good... But every episode keeps you interested, somehow. Seeing Robbie "Cousin Oliver" Rist and Robert "Mr. Brady" Reed in the same episode (although never on screen together) was kind of funny. Kent McCord as the grown up "Boxey" is good; Barry Van Dyke (son of Dick) as his sidekick (McCord is the "Apollo" while Van Dyke is the "Starbuck", per say) isn't good at all. Van Dyke is about as wooden as a log cabin as far as acting goes, and his voice sounds like an FM dj. "Adama" played by Lorne Greene and "Boomer" (who has basically replaced "Col. Tigh" as second in command) are the only original cast members, and it's kind of relaxing to have them there even though they aren't involved much since they stay in space, and most of the show is on the ground. "Starbuck" (Dirk Benedict) is the center of the final episode. The entire series (including the original) ends with our hero "Starbuck" (the "Han Solo" of BG) stranded on a barren planet. A total cliffhanger, leaving me to realize the show was canned while trying to "tease" the studios into letting it stick around. And do we ever get to hear about what happened to "Appolo" and his sister, or "Cass"? Anyhow, this show had time travelling, space dog fights, and a very, very cool visual-scenerio of Cylons blowing up earth. Pretty neat. And as I've mentioned, the stories are involving. Kept me watching. While I wasn't on the edge of my seat, I was firmly planted on the middle of my couch, and enjoyed myself the entire time.

Yes, the extreme cost cutting shows in the re-used footage, and some of the scenes reek of late 70's - early 80's kid shows, but there are some bright spots in this short lived follow up.

The opening 3-parter features guest star Robert Reed, and a scene with Brion James and Mickey Jones. The 2-parter "The Night the Cylons Landed" features Wolfman Jack and William Daniels (the original voice of KITT from Knight Rider). That episode also features the first appearance of a Cylon in human form.

And there is the "Return of Starbuck" episode where in addition to getting Starbuck back for another hour, there is Cy voiced by Gary Owens (Adult Swim views know him) and Judith Chapman (Gloria on Young & The Restless) as Angela.

Dennis Haysbert is briefly in the "Space Croppers" episode.

The whole story line with the kids (half of them were related to Glen A. Larson) went on too long, but this was produced more as a kids show originally.

Kent McCord and Barry Van Dyke do a good enough job, their only crime is they weren't Apollo & Starbuck. Viewers will also get a laugh at the re-cycled footage. Every time Troy and Dillon fly off on their cycles, they show the same shot of them going over the same LA landscape.

If you can sufficiently suspend your dis-belief (and in some cases your common sense) you'll probably enjoy watching these episodes.

Like it or not, It's part of the original series which isn't complete without it. As with all series and sequels you can find fault in some parts and love others. I prefer the original series to the new but I still watch and collect both. I think the new series would have been better if they had kept those cool uniforms of old BG. and not turned them into Earthman suit and ties. They are supposed to be from a different world not present day Earth. And bullets in space, what happened to the laser guns? One addition I do like is the saying " So say we all".
Love it or not BG 1980 is part of Galactica and I have pre-ordered my copy.
The original is still the best! If you don't agree don't buy it.

T. Roe

When this came out I decided to watch it. Having gotten into the new Battlestar Galactica Series that ended last year on Sci-Fi, I figured I ought to watch the original series and this. 1980 is long, drawn out, and boring. It's storyline did not flow well and it is painfully obvious that this series was just slapped together. The only good episode is the last one of the series. I believe it's called The Return of Starbuck. Don't waste your money or time on this one.

Never was a classic show so trashed as with this follow up piece of you know what!
I had hoped to forget it ever existed.... too late.

I sure hate to write a review about a product not yet released but in this case, I don't think the product value it really matter. In the nutshell, Battlestar Galactica 1980 was probably one of the grossest mistakes ever conceived by network TV, a literal rape of the original show and concept. The script was bad, acting was pretty lame, production was cheap and entire premise is so unbelievable that it was with a sigh of relief when this show finally died. The show was really geared toward little kids since they introduced this genius child, Dr. Z or whatever. I guess he is running the Colonial Fleet now. I hope that interest in this show is dying as I write.

However, all wasn't a total loss here, Lorne Greene still managed to hold some dignity to the show even with his Santa Claus beard. He must really needed a paycheck. I guess all them Alpo commercials weren't paying off yet. Herb Jefferson who now played his second in command wasn't that bad although his role was rather a thankless one. And as one previous reviewer stated, there was one good episode in this series, "Return of Starbuck" that proves that if the collective minds do get together, even a totally lame TV show can produce at least one good showing.

As a vivid fan of the original Battlestar Galactica series, I watched this show until it got cancelled. Then I pretended that it never happened, almost like a trauma victim. However, if I see it in a bargain bin for next to nothing, I might get it just for that one episode so the entire thing won't be remembered as an bad dream.