Following the tremendous success of Star Wars and "Star Trek," ABC hired veteran television producer Glen A. Larson to write the pilot episode for "Battlestar Galactica," an ambitious science fiction series that debuted with a three-part, three-hour episode in September 1978. The show only lasted a year, thanks in part to its then-record $1 million per episode budget and extensive VFX from Star Wars effects lead John Dykstra. Colored by the ongoing Cold War and a general climate of distrust in government, "Battlestar Galactica" is very much a child of the 1970s. Ambitious to a fault and full of allusions to theology, religion and social change, the original series is entertaining, if dated, sci-fi.

The pilot, which saw a truncated theatrical release, sets the stage: The evil Cylons destroy the Twelve Colonies of Man after a deceptive plea for peace. One colonial protector - the Battlestar Galactica - escapes the genocide and heads toward Earth. Led by Commander Adama (Lorne Greene) and his son, Capt. Apollo (Richard Hatch), crewmembers Lt. Starbuck (Dirk Benedict), Col. Tigh (Terry Carter) and Lt. Boomer (Herbert Jefferson Jr.) battle the Cylons and their deceptive emissary Baltar (John Colicos) across the galaxy. A number of famous guest stars appear, too, including Jane Seymour and Fred Astaire. This Remastered Blu-ray Collection includes all 24 original episodes in reformatted 1.78:1 widescreen.

Science fiction fans love "Battlestar Galactica" - the 2004 version that aired on Sci-Fi. It may not be cool to like this original, but you cannot argue that it was not an ambitious show. The visual similarities to Star Wars resulted in a lawsuit and are striking, which is hardly a surprise since Dykstra jumped from that project straight to "BSG." The core narrative really is not all that similar to George Lucas's films save the deep-space setting. The dark side of the Force destroyed a world or two in the Star Wars universe, but "BSG" begins just as the Cylons destroy every single living human and habitable planet in that part of the galaxy save those on the Battlestar Galactica. The ship is a lifeboat into hell, which is pretty frightening to consider.

Crack wise at the robotic Cylons all day, but I want my 1978 robot villains to be clunky, deliberate and emotionless. Try arguing with a red chaser light about whether or not you deserve to live. Amid all the space battles and robots is enough '70s melodrama to fill a thousand disco balls. That is simultaneously the best and worst part about "BSG;" it's cheesy as hell, but you fall right in alongside the characters for the ride. This may not be the best sci-fi show of all time, but the creators managed to sculpt a weekly space adventure with family values and dramatic heft. The serialized plot means character arcs continue for hours, and viewers grow with the leads.

A lot of creative brainstorming went into the effects and quirks. There are futuristic sports, fantastical languages and a cute, gimmicky robot dog. Apollo, Starbuck and Boomer are a memorable trio, and Adama is a benevolent leader. The show tackles progressive issues like women in combat, and the overarching drama is cut with more intimate, episode-specific conflicts. This original "BSG" is more than a Star Wars imitator. It has a melodramatic, grandiose life all its own.

Fans cried foul when ABC cancelled the original series after a year, so NBC created another ten-episode run in 1980. The timeline moves ahead 30 years, as Adama and his crew reach Earth. This is a much different animal than its pricey predecessor. Apollo's child, Boxey, grows up to become Viper pilot Capt. Troy (Kent McCord), and he and Lt. Dillon (Barry Van Dyke) have a number of fish-out-of-water adventures on Earth. They are joined by TV journalist Jamie Hamilton (Robyn Douglass), and travel back to Nazi Germany to stop a rogue commander from altering history to increase Earth's technology.

Despite a grounded setting, "Galactica 1980" pumps up the sci-fi oddities. There is a super genius in a young boy's body, Dr. Zee (James Patrick Stewart), who aids Adama, and an extended plotline about increasing Earth's technology to ready for war against the Cylons. Amid the time travel and kids-with-powers nonsense are some hokey, gee-whiz lessons and family packs of virtues. There is also the question of why a race capable of time travel would not just turn back the clock and save everyone the Cylons killed in the 1978 series.

Viewers expecting the production values of its predecessor likely were disappointed with "Galactica 1980." The studio slashed the budget, resulting in lackluster, oft-reused effects and pedestrian sets. The forecasted Cylon attack on Los Angeles uses outtake footage from Universal's own Earthquake, and nothing about these mattes is revolutionary. Where the original series spent time following the Colonials as they evaded the Cylons to good effect, "Galactica 1980" lets Troy and Dillon try some Looney Tunes slapstick comedy. The tangent with the Colonial children on earth is cringe-worthy, and "Galactica 1980" does its best to be a terrible, space-age "The Brady Bunch".

That is kind of harsh. There is at least some cheesy fun to be had with this reboot, but most of the memorable characters and effects from the original series are gone, and "Galactica 1980" is at times too goofy. The writing is not great, either, and the series loses steam in its short ten-episode run, leaving many plot threads dangling. Had this reboot carried over the same ambitions as the original, the new setting might have allowed for some creative episodes. As it stands, it is certainly inferior and not especially memorable. All ten episodes are included in widescreen here.

PICTURE:

OAR purists may object to Universal's reformatting of the full-frame series into 1.78:1/1080p/AVC-encoded widescreen transfers. If you want both the widescreen and full-frame versions in HD, you'll need to purchase The Definitive Blu-ray Collection, which costs roughly $25 more.

The reformatting seems to have been done carefully, and any information lost should be at the top and bottom of the frame. It's obvious Universal didn't just crop the episodes indiscriminately, as I noticed very few shots with obvious framing defects. You'll also notice some shots are expanded laterally as compared to the full-frame versions.

The HD transfers are decent, though they are plagued by a number of issues. Sourced from the original 35 mm broadcast reels, the transfers are relatively clean and free of major defects. Fine-object detail is often impressive, as is the texture of costumes and sets. Contrast is a bit high at times, and some shots appear dull and washed out.

Black levels are not especially inky, and there are some expected quibbles where the effects blending causes visual hiccups. Universal has been criticized for overusing noise reduction and edge enhancement on catalogue titles, but they are fairly restrained here. There are some waxy faces in "Galactica 1980," but the grain and grit is mostly un-scrubbed. I did notice an unmistakable blue tint here that is not present in earlier presentations. Ah, the future.

SOUND:

The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mixes are generally strong, with excellent clarity and little distortion. While the mixes are often front-loaded, dialogue is clear and balanced appropriately with effects and score. There is a nice weight to these mixes, and they lack the tinny quality sometimes found in '70s productions. The surrounds and LFE are used on occasion to support a firefight or action sequence. There are English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.

PACKAGING AND EXTRAS:

This eight-disc set includes six discs for the original series and two for the 1980 reboot. Each series is packed in its own Blu-ray case: the original series has a double-hinged case for the additional discs. A sturdy cardboard slipbox holds the Blu-ray cases.

You get a lively Commentary for the Pilot, with actors Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict and Herbert Jefferson Jr., on disc one. There are a ton of Deleted Scenes (3:30:00 total approximately/SD) for the episodes, and this extensive material supports the notion that these episodes were imagined as TV movies. Remembering "Battlestar Galactica" (44:58/SD) is a nice retrospective documentary with cast and crew interviews. Glen Larson on the Creation of "Battlestar Galactica" (5:37/SD) is a short piece with the creator about the origins of the project. Inside "Battlestar Galactica:" The Cylons (4:49/SD) highlights the villains, while Inside "Battlestar Galactica:" Working with the Daggit (5:11/SD) is about the chimpanzee used to animate the character. Finally, you get a piece about the music: Stu Phillips: Composing the Score (5:02/SD).

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Fans of "Battlestar Galactica - The Original Series" and "Galactica 1980" will be pleased to have both series on Blu-ray, though purists may opt for "The Definitive Collection" to this "Remastered Collection", as the latter only includes reformatted widescreen presentations and not the original full-frame broadcast versions. The original series was expensive, ambitious, charming and quickly cancelled, and the lower budget follow-up is not nearly as impressive. Even so, this is entertainingly dated science fiction cheese. Recommended.

"Battlestar Galactica:"

"Galactica 1980:"

William lives in Burlington, North Carolina, and looks forward to a Friday-afternoon matinee.