Battlestar Galactica 1978-1979 ABC television

[starsky]

yeah there definitely was a theatrical release.

[LonnieFisher]

I have the cylon head box set.

[HardyGirl]

To me, this is the real Battlestar Galatica. I have some eps on tape. Awesome show!

[Raydeen1]

AFTER the show was cancelled????? I KNOW I saw it before the show debuted. Alternate ending was changed FOR the show.

Just checked Wiki. Here it is: Initially, Larson envisioned Battlestar Galactica as a series of made-for-TV movies (a three-hour pilot and two two-hour episodes) for the ABC television network. A shortened version of the three-hour pilot, Saga of a Star World, was released in Canadian theaters (before the series aired) and American theaters (after the series aired), and instead of two additional movies, a weekly television series followed.

yes it was in Sensurround after the show was canceled in April 1979 it was in selected theaters around August or September 1979 I made a huge profit for Universal Studios especially in Canada and Japan it beat out films like Grease and Jaws 2 in those markets

[Captain]

I know I saw it in a theater the summer before it aired on tv. They did change a few things in the tv airing (when it did air...the first airing was delayed in the middle by some political update crapola...man was I mad!!!). Main thing I recall was they let Baltar live in the tv version...which was a wise choice.

Buck Rogers also aired in theaters first up here.

[starsky]

To me, this is the real Battlestar Galatica. I have some eps on tape. Awesome show!

i agree. i havent seen the new one at all. altho i've heard it's prettty good.

[david_b]

AFTER the show was cancelled????? I KNOW I saw it before the show debuted. Alternate ending was changed FOR the show.

Just checked Wiki. Here it is: Initially, Larson envisioned Battlestar Galactica as a series of made-for-TV movies (a three-hour pilot and two two-hour episodes) for the ABC television network. A shortened version of the three-hour pilot, Saga of a Star World, was released in Canadian theaters (before the series aired) and American theaters (after the series aired), and instead of two additional movies, a weekly television series followed.

Frankly, I never liked it as a theatrical release. The matting of the ships over the starscape were never done to the quality of other cinema-centric films like Star Wars and Alien, which is painfully obvious if you watch it closely on a big screen.

I understand the lucrative strategy of recouping the studio production costs and promoting it internationally by distributing it to theaters, even adding in the 'rumbling' sound effects, but to me, Galactica was primarily a 'made-for-television' production, where camera angles, ship proximities, etc, had television viewership in mind. Again, don't get me wrong, I LOVE the original Galactica.., and I love seeing the cut footage when it was expanded for it's TV premiere (like the extra scenes with Starbuck and Athena..).

The virtue of it being shown in theaters didn't really qualify it for me other than a TV movie on a big screen

david_b

[UnderdogDJLSW]

After the show had been canceled and they released the pilot as a movie here in the states, I couldn't wait to go see it. In 1979 there was no thing as a VCR. I got to see a favorite show of mine before it went away. (back then I thought forever). Now I own the DVD set.

I watched episodes of the new Galactica on SyFy, and they were not my cup of tea. I followed the story where I could (I don't have cable at home), but found it fell short on the fun. (I know, the argument was that the destruction of Mankind shouldn't be fun). The new show wasn't reality though, it was entertainment. Even West Side Story, a musical about gang violence has the comic "Officer Krupke" number in it to lighten the tension. I also am a child of the 70s and enjoy the "family hour" style episodes of TV shows rather than the adults only programming for cable. I guess I'm a prude

[kennermike]

Frankly, I never liked it as a theatrical release. The matting of the ships over the starscape were never done to the quality of other cinema-centric films like Star Wars and Alien, which is painfully obvious if you watch it closely on a big screen.

I understand the lucrative strategy of recouping the studio production costs and promoting it internationally by distributing it to theaters, even adding in the 'rumbling' sound effects, but to me, Galactica was primarily a 'made-for-television' production, where camera angles, ship proximities, etc, had television viewership in mind. Again, don't get me wrong, I LOVE the original Galactica.., and I love seeing the cut footage when it was expanded for it's TV premiere (like the extra scenes with Starbuck and Athena..).

The virtue of it being shown in theaters didn't really qualify it for me other than a TV movie on a big screen

david_b

I agree 100% percent on this statement

[jds1911a1]

I seem to recall the pilt minisereis aired in spring and was so well recieved it was released as a movie length film in the summer (with some recuts) and then the full series started in that september (all 1978) the film earnings helping to increase the pruduction budget for the 2nd half of the season (the ones with the bigger name guest stars)

[jds1911a1]

Wikipedia (for as reliable as that is ) seems to agree with my memory with a caveat the film was released in canada before the show piliot and in the US after
Battlestar Galactica - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[david_b]

Yes, Wikipedia is 100% accurate from my memory as well... I don't recall the European cinema release schedule, but I remember an article about Maren Jensen getting mobbed at a French public appearance over Sophia Loren around the time the show premiered here in the States, so I believe parts of Europe might have seen it around the same time it was shown in Canada.

It's sad that it was heading for failure, thanks to ABC's demand for the weekly schedule (well, greed). Prep time needed for such a large scale production was not geared up for an immediate weekly production schedule.., and it became evident after the initial two-part episodes.

Discussion I've heard on the 2nd part of the Count Iblis two-parter was that effects were still being completed as of the day before the Saturday evening presentation; it may have been brought up at the 20Yarhen LA convention back in '98, but I don't recall exactly where.

david_b

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

I love Daggit.

[Gen.Urko]

To me, this is the real Battlestar Galatica. I have some eps on tape. Awesome show!

Yeah,Ive always loved this show too.I seen a fan made trailer that does a cross over of Planet of the Apes and Battlestar Galactica.Its on Youtube.Really neat.I had that idea when I was a kid in the 70`s,but none of my friends liked it.I thought maybe the tv series Apes meet Galactica?Oh well........The General

[david_b]

Yeah,Ive always loved this show too.I seen a fan made trailer that does a cross over of Planet of the Apes and Battlestar Galactica.Its on Youtube.Really neat.I had that idea when I was a kid in the 70`s,but none of my friends liked it.I thought maybe the tv series Apes meet Galactica?Oh well........The General

It's on Youtube..?? I'd LOVE to see it.

What an awesome idea ~ Seeing fugitives like Galen, Pete, and Alan in Adama's briefing room once they arrived at Earth.. liberating the humans from Ape rule..?

Or would they interfere..?

And what of the Cylon Fleet approaching on their heels..?

Mind-boggling

david_b