"All this has happened before, and all this will happen again."

A look at the influence and genius of Battlestar Galactica:

Battlestar Galactica may be the most criminally underrated television show of recent time. Everybody I speak to about how great the show is, scoffs and looks down their noses at me. I distinctly get the impression that their opinion of me has lowered slightly. And yet, everybody I know who has seen the show, rightly recognises it as one of the most addictive, intelligent, challenging and provocative TV shows of all time. So why are so many people watching this band wagon pass them by. The short answer is twofold. On the one hand, they have seen the original; an ill concieved, reactionary tv show which tried to cash in on the cinematic success of Star Wars and the inevitable peek in interest in all things space opera. Secondly, its very nature as a science fiction show. It seems that Star Trek, and to a lesser extent, Babylon 5, Andromeda et al have so hindered the wide appeal of science fiction, and the space opera sub genre of science fiction that most people shy away from such shows, even when there is so much overwhelming evidence and support that Battlestar Galactica is nothing like these shows. In fact its kind of like The Wire in Space, but not quite.

So what makes BSG so unique and brilliant. Well its difficult to say. The simple answer is just watch it. The show deals with notions of identity, humanity, class, love, morality, the greater good, genocide, suicide bombings, terrorism, revolutions and religion to name but a few of the orverarching themes explored across its four seasons.

It contains an array of fantastic actors, with characters which you both hate and love, in fact, for me, one of the characters I loathed the most in the beginning somehow became one of the most endearing by the shows climax. BSG also expands and diverts away from the original. Starbuck, played by Dirk "Faceman" Benedict in the original is now a woman, played by Katee Sackhoff who became one of the most complex female characters on TV in recent years. Mary McDonnell played President Laura Roslin bringing empathy and vulnerability, but a strength of character and willingness to commit acts of treason to maintain power, a contrast of character unlike anything I've ever seen, and commenting in more ways than one on modern society. Edward James Olmos, from Blade Runner, played Adama, gives a career defining performance as the Commander of the Galactica.

The premise of the show is simple enough. After a ceasefire between man and the cylons of over 40 years, Mankind, across its twelve colonies, is attacked and all but obliterated by a Cylon strike. Galactica and a band of civilian vessels somehow escape and chart a course to the fabled 13th colony Earth. Over 4 seasons, a miniseries, and a special you grow to know and love the characters, feeling their ups and downs and seeing yourself reflected in the lives of the crew of the Battlestar Galactica.

So why wouldn't a show like this appeal to the masses, those people who swear by 24, Lost, The Wire, Dexter, The West Wing, Sopranos, Six Feet Under. I think its because these people have the perception that this Star Wars on TV, or simply for geeks and fanboys. Yet the show is decidedly unlike any other science fiction show. There are very few space battles, and those that there are feel brutal, tragic and dangerous, accompanied by Bear McCreary excellent unique score. Most of the episodes focus not on issues of science fiction, but on issues of humanity, what it means to be human, and at what cost survival and existence, and the consequences of those decisions.

Each character has their moral and ethical stand point and often, as a result, friendships are tested and often destroyed. By the end some of the most admirable and courageous characters are suddenly facing execution and your thoughts of right and wrong, good and bad are completely distorted. For the first time perhaps ever in TV you are on the side of the guilty, even though you know they are guilty. What BSG does better maybe than any TV show ever created is show you that there are no easy answers to the problems at hand. When the most moral character is condoning assassination you begin to realise that for survival, humans will compromise all beliefs and still maintain they are in the right.

By the end of the first series we have seen the true face of the enemy, and realise that "enemy" is no longer as easy to define as it once was, even for a relentless force who seemingly will not rest until mankind is wiped out. The second series quickly highlights the vulnerability and brittleness of the survivors, that often the needs of the few conflict with the needs of the many and decisions to save or sacrifice can be made on instinct . The show demonstrates with a simple number, how valuable human life is, and how badly each lose is felt. Each episode title sequence carries the number of survivors, each week the number seeming to drop perilously, it becoming something of a need to check how many have gone since the start of the previous episode.

What makes the show so addictive is also that the creators, Ronald D. Moore and David Eick. knew where the show was going. The final ten episodes which were released earlier this year tie up the lose ends and delivers a conclusion few could have anticipated and some even felt let down by. Ultimately in time, the ending and its hefty weight will reveal itself to all as the inevitable conclusion the show needed. Humanity's fate and destiny predetermined to reach this moment. The end of series 1 sets up a prophecy which isn't fully revealed or understood, both for the audiences, the characters and their role within the prophecy, by the very end of the show.

Season 3 refocuses the show and begins to reveal more about the enemy, it also repositions our heroes and explored notions of terrorism, freedom fighters and suicide bombers, but with the audience rooting for the so called terrorists. In fact BSG so effectively explored these ideas of modern warfare the creators were invited to a special conference at the UN. No other TV show can boast that fact.

Season 4 delivered in a way very few final season do, with bitter revelations and the sense that those you thought were heroes, were perhaps not. The concept of good vs evil is again flipped on its head as the enemy becomes the saviour. This in turn leads to greater strive amongst the survivors and the show somehow manages to find time to seemingly tie up every loose end the show has left dangling. Big revelations are gazumped by bigger revelations and the show climaxes in the most ambitious and unexpected way imaginable. It's an ending so audacious that shows like Lost, who are will attempt something similar may fail simply because their scope is not as universal as BSG.

Ronald D. Moore and David Eick set out to redefine science fiction TV and no science fiction show set in space will be the same again. After watching BSG shows such as Star Trek seem trite and simplistic, with a view of the future and humanity which just doesn't seem to stand up. BSG presents mankind as failing, arogant, unworthy of their existence in the universe, and yet willing to fight for it, prove their worth and sacrifice that which they held most dear in order to do so.

The simple truth of Battlestar Galactica is this. Watch the TV show and it will not only change you for the better, but will change your view of science fiction television, change your view of humanity and the world and with its final images it will throw into sharp relief the road mankind is on and its potential destination. Very few shows can ever make claim to one of these statements, so it says something about the reimagining of a bad 70's science fiction show that it can boast all three and this glorified loveblog of BSG offers just some of the reasons why so much has been written about Battlestar Galactica since it finished.

On a final note, it's not over, Battlestar Galactica The Plan will reposition some of major events of the show from the point of view of the Cylons and may force fans to once again reassess what it thought the entire enterprise was all about.