XaiJu
Target Audience
Target Audience

patreon


PATREON EXCLUSIVE REACTION - Battlestar Galactica (1978) Episode 1 - Saga of a Star World Part 1

We are very excited to share our very first Patreon exclusive reaction series! 

As chosen by our Patrons, the first series we are reacting to is Battlestar Galactica (1978)

These exclusive reactions will all be FULL UNCUT meaning you will need the material to sync up. We are watching the series via purchasing the episodes on YouTube. They are also available on other streaming platforms for purchase such as Amazon in the US. If you're an international Patron and it is streaming for free somewhere please comment and let everyone know! Of course you can also use a home release. 

This was voted on by you guys so we hope that means you will all enjoy watching this along with us! We are hoping to get about 2-3 of these out per month.

As always any questions or feedback let us know by commenting or shooting us a message.

Thank you for being a Patron & enjoy!

PATREON EXCLUSIVE REACTION - Battlestar Galactica (1978) Episode 1 - Saga of a Star World Part 1

Comments

Watched this when I was 12 as a 3 hour movie/series premier. Episodes 4 and. Were a two parter and broadcast a week apart. Bought this on ITunes in 2008 time for rewatch as I wait for BSG s2. BY YOUR COMMAND!

Thicketdweller

I know I am very late to the party for this one. But one of the reasons I signed up as a Patron was to watch this series. The first "three" episodes originally aired as a made-for-TV movie. And then were later edited and split into the three episodes. Some time later in 1979 in an effort to recoup the very large expenses associated with the show (I remember hearing that each laser shot was something like $1000 - for 1970s TV, that was a lot of money) another edit was created and aired theatrically, with more than a half hour cut out. Seems like you watched the episode edit with more footage than the theatrical, but less than the original movie as aired. It was tough to keep in sync.

Stevtrek

Now that we have posted 15 of these, the sync issues our Patrons expressed including some of what you said have been fixed over the episodes. Sorry for any trouble you had with this one. If you continue, you should see these problems become less prominent.

Josh (Target Audience)

The sync didn't work for me. In the first place, you have your version split into three parts, while mine is a continuous 2 hour and 20 minute movie. Also, my version appears to contain footage yours doesn't. As the first episode goes on, you start commenting on things a minute or two before they happen.

MntrTodd

I would differ on the show. Well yes some of it is episodic there is definitely a continuation of story that happens. It has growth the characters and situations develop. One could even argue the actual overall theme is that of family and love.

Rory OToole

The SFX were supervised by the same guy who worked on Star Wars, John Dykstra, and several others from ILM who left the company in '78. This led to George Lucas taking legal action against them, as they used technology developed by ILM. To be fair, this was technology some of them developed! They had to return the equipment to Lucas, and some got their jobs back so the FX company changed midway through the season. More about this in the documentary about ILM on Disney+ - which I recommend highly. Battlestar Galactica is included in that series, as is work o n the Star Trek movies - so I suggest you save that until after you have finished TOS.

Paul Rymer

The show is episodic, with just the overall theme of their search for earth being continuous.

PFCoffey

Steaming for free on Tubi app in US

Davith (he they)

All of our videos run at 30 frames per second

Josh (Target Audience)

I have not. I broke down and ordered the bluray set from Amazon. I really enjoyed the show as a kid and it's an overdue addition honestly.

Tuomas Leone

For me Star Trek doesn't line up. I'm in Europe and there seem to be runtime differences. EIther it's a different cut or it's the framerate

Andreas Schmitt

Star Trek lines up perfectly with them but Battlestar has had numerous scenes cut, shortened, extended etc and mine is the full length movie version so it didn't cut off where the to be continued was on YouTube.

Brad Barter

Weird. Different editing on the box set maybe?

Andreas Schmitt

I have both series on DVD so for me it isn't a streaming service issue

Brad Barter

If you can find it anywhere for free, let me know. I can't find it streaming here in Poland either. If all fails I'll eventually buy the show on BluRay and watch this reaction later on. Might be something to binge eventually when I'm bored and can'T sleep :D

Andreas Schmitt

I noticed some sync issues with Star Trek as well. I wonder if there's actually a framerate issue between American and European Netflix. I've noticed this with a bunch of shows in full reactions from other people as well... maybe to recreate the PAL <->NTSC difference and maintain the original sound or something? It's certainly weird. I usually use the change of shots to re-sync it. The blurred out image is enough to see where there's a cut from one shot to the next. I use that to re-sync usually. I wish there was a better way of doing it. But I feel in Star Trek it's not a specific point where it runs out of sync, it's a different framerate so it adds up over time.

Andreas Schmitt

Cannot find it anywhere here in Poland unfortunately

Andreas Schmitt

Jane Seymour was also in Somewhere in Time w/ Christopher Reeve and Christopher Plummer.

BURKE Wells

Oh man, I'm going to have to find this on DVD or Bluray to watch along with you. It's not streaming where I am (Finland). On that note a site I've found helpful to find what's streaming where, globally is: https://www.justwatch.com/ Now off to find these discs!

Tuomas Leone

Thank you so much for watching this! I haven't seen it in years. I watched it when it first aired (I was twelve) and it's really a blast from the past, all that crazy 70's hair! I purchased it on Vudu and I'm so glad I did. I'm really going to enjoy watching it again with you guys. Thank you!

Gary Leyh

oh, the woman you recognize is Jane Seymour, who was Dr Quinn, MedicineWoman, a tarot card reading Bond Girl with Roger Moore, as well as just being an all around famous beauty.

Ken R

I am very much enjoying the watch-alongs with you guys. Did you recognize the Klingon from “Errand of Mercy”? May I suggest watching Doctor Who starting with the 2005 reboot? Or perhaps The Orville which has now ended (renewal is unknown at this time).

T’Pynyn of Vulcan

I remember seeing this when I was 12 or 13. I loved it(not as much as TOS) - - I used to draw pictures of Vipers and bought all the toys. It appears to stand up pretty well - I was not bored. NBC was trying to capitalize on the Star Wars mania going on at the time - - and made a pretty good show. If I remember correctly the stories were entertaining, effects were good, but as we saw in the first episode I remember the acting being pretty flat at times. It seems much more "old testament" - for lack of a better term - than I remembered. I do remember Lorne Green as Commander Adama being the best part of the show.

Ricky Johnson

What spoiler! They killed Baltar on Caprica. That scene already happened but the version they’re watching it just never happens.

BURKE Wells

Forgot to mention this earlier, the guy who sings the 80s classic Jessie's Girl (You know I with that I had Jessie's Girl 🎶) is Rick Springfield. Well he played Zack who died and played Apollo's and Athena's brother. Also Commander Adama played by late Canadian actor Lorne Green used to be the star of the hit western classic Bonanza. Dirk Benedict who plays Starbuck would later go on to co-star in the 80s action show The A-Team and late actor Richard Hatch who plays Apollo would come back in the 2000s reboot of BSG but as a completely different character.

Brad Barter

Dude, you’re getting into spoilers.

James H

The theatrical cut has Baltar’s throat being cut by a cylon. He was spared for the tv version.

BURKE Wells

A few people are having that issue so moving forward we will just have to add more re-sync moments throughout. Can’t remember if this episode has obvious “commercial” breaks but we will add one every 10-15 minutes or so

Josh (Target Audience)

Streaming for free on Tubi, but there are probably commercials

Ken R

It's a little difficult watching it on DVD as there are scenes shortened on the YouTube cut and it doesn't end with the to be continued but keeps going so lining up will be a bit of a challenge going forward at least with the first 3 episodes which were the initial movie after that it hopefully will be better. I was 7 years old when it premiered on TV and it was my favourite TV sci-fi show as Star Trek wasn't rerunning much then, I saw Star Wars at the drive-in the year before and became hooked on science fiction. I had a hand held electronic Battlestar Galactica game as well as a Cylon fighter with tiny Cylon action figure. Each colony represents a different sign of the Zodiac with slightly different names to sound alien but familiar. The initial quorum of 12 showed a representative of each planet but as you can see each planet is a separate race but they don't go to much into that. Initially Glen A. Larsen who was the creator and executive producer only wanted and intended to have a 3 part movie but the network during production decided at the last minute to turn it into a weekly series which blindsided him but he did what he could to make it work. Also the slow title crawl of the names will only be for the initial 3 episodes I believe after that it will switch to how the main series was weekly.

Brad Barter

Oh, also, wanted to mention that Zac, Apollo's doomed younger brother, was played by Rick Springfield who later had a string of hits in the 80s.

Lin Phillips

I would have been 12 or 13 when the show originally aired, and I haven't seen it since then. First impressions: the costumes look expensive, and I appreciate how the women aren't dressed differently from the men (miniskirts). Unfortunately the actor who plays Athena is fairly abysmal, yikes. I don't remember that so much, just thinking back then that she was really pretty. The acting of some of the extras was also jarring--that kind of thing takes me right out of it. Starbuck, in his scenes with Athena, didn't impress me either, and I don't remember if their acting improves at all. It's disappointing especially when compared with TOS, where the acting was overall pretty solid. I wonder what that Baltar dude thinks is going to happen to him, does he think he'll catch a break at the end of the day? Anywho, thanks for taking me on a trip down memory lane. Ah, the 70s (I don't miss them).

Lin Phillips

I actually saw this in theaters with Sensurround which vibrated your seat via bass speaker below your chair. Imagine watching Barry on your tv at home and then go to theaters see Barry episodes 1-3 turned into a movie. That’s pretty much what it felt like.

BURKE Wells

Thanks Collin, my Roku said it was only available for free on Peacock TV with ads but its no longer there when I clicked on it. I was gonna wait for the reboot but Tubi came to the rescue.

BURKE Wells

Baltar is played by Canadian actor John Colicos, who also played Kor the main Klingon in Star Trek "Errand of Mercy". Jane Seymour plays Serena, the former news reporter. She is most remembered as Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and as Solitaire in Live and Let Die. Love the Darth-Vader-esque cyclons. They had to come up with a non-living enemy so the Colonials could kill dozens of them without mercy every week on national television. Also Starbuck is a clear steal of Han Solo. Commander Adama was the most junior member of the Council but the most senior Battlestar commander. Glen Larson, the creator/producer, was brought up in the LDS Church. He was very interested in themes and mysticism in the LDS ideology, such as the Council of 12.

Collin Freeman

Thank you both! I saw it was a few places with ads and wasn’t sure how problematic that would be for syncing

Josh (Target Audience)

Thanks. I'm watching on Tubi for free with commercials. I just pause the guys when the commercials come up, then restart their video when the show kicks back in.

Collin Freeman

The original is available on Tubi and I didn’t have too much trouble pausing when it went to commercial and syncing back up for anyone who doesn’t want to buy the series

Jonathan

I’m watching this with you guys for the first time. I had caught a few random episodes on sci fi and Having watched the more realistic and serious remake watching this original version is even funnier. I do hope you watch the remake after this at least the mini series to see the difference and the Star Trek connection being made by Star Trek writers and the remake of this played a part in killing Star Trek because it was so much better than what Star Trek was doing at the time.

Jonathan

No, there just seems to be a few places where there are short additional bits in one of the versions. It’s not much and can be worked around. I’m in the UK so it might be how it got edited differently for UK broadcast and it made it onto the DVD. It doesn’t really spoil things greatly, anyway. 👍🏼

Silk

Do you know at what point it unmatched or is it off from the beginning?

Josh (Target Audience)

Without giving too much away, basically humans on their 12 worlds were at war with the Cylons for about 1000 years, and then out of the blue, the Cylons offered a peace treaty. Just bring the Fleet and the leadership out to neutral space and they'd sign a peace treaty. When the humans accepted it, the Cylons struck the fleet and the home worlds almost simultaneously.

tyranusfan

Okay, AHEM. "Well, actually...." John Dykstra, who had worked on developing motion control cameras with George Lucas for Star Wars, was brought on to do this show. (If you care to look deeper into it, there's also the infamous law suit, where Lucas sued Universal for making a show "so much like" Star Wars.) Anyway, this show was extremely expensive, about $1 million per week in 1978 dollars, and they had to pioneer a lot of ways to make a lot of spacecraft appear on screen *cheaply* which led to innovative tricks like painting spaceships on glass and putting them in the background, so they could be shot all in the same frame. As for the opening credits, mainly just animation cells on glass, just like Star Wars' opening crawl.

tyranusfan

Really enjoying this. They did blow the budget a bit, for sure. After the pilot there are still quite a few two part episodes to come along with some standalone ones. But also a story arc. On a technical note, my dvd home release doesn’t match the time code due to slightly different editing (for some reason 🤷🏻‍♂️). I don’t know if you can move the time code so it’s easier to sync with the silhouette. If not.. I’ll cope 😁. (DVD also merges all the parts of this pilot together so I’ll have to fast forward next time)

Silk

I grew up loving this show (usually rerunning in the afternoons, while Star Trek TOS reran at night. People point out the reused stock footage and the 70s aspects, but for a kid growing up, the space melodrama was an awesome spectacle.

tyranusfan

Awesome. Will watch this (again) with you shortly.

Silk


More Creators