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Bulldozing my childhood the *right* way

Typically, I get upset when bits of my childhood get repaved and built on. I’ve watched my old neighborhoods go from being nice little areas where poor people were quarantined to being big plastic SUV yuppie fests.

George Lucas has been guilty of this horrible, soulless repaving. I remember Star Wars as being something simple and pleasant, but with the DVD versions he turned the original trilogy into a CGI muppet nightmare, and don’t even get me started on the strange teen soap-opera trilogy about balancing the checkbook of the Intergalactic Trade Federation.

Someone got it right, though.

But first a little back story on how I came to know this…

This quarter, my team is running a contest on our DVD giveaway. I’m not sure how many grand prizes there are, but we’re giving away a bunch of Creative Zen Portable Media Centers.

To get the crowds more excited about the DVD and the contest, we (the presenters) have been equipped with Zen PMCs.

This put me in a weird spot. I found myself suddenly in the possession of a really cool piece of hardware, but nothing to do with it. I don’t watch much TV, I listen to CDs instead of MP3s/WMAs, and I’m not the type of person who takes 3,000 blurry snapshots and then makes slideshows out of them to watch later.

That covers most of the capabilities of the PMC: Movies/TV, music, and photos – none of which particularly interested me. I love the device, but didn’t know what to do with it.

It hurt. It’s like going into a Krispy Kreme knowing that you don’t eat donuts. Everybody around you seems to be having a great time, but something deep within your being is offended and recoils from the sight of lips wrapping around the moist and chewy frost-covered deep-fried bits of sugar being held together by fat and flour (although Chris made me eat one once, and it was pretty damn good – but once it enough, as I could tell it was a Gateway Food to the dark side).

I had to do something about it. I resolved to get something onto the PMC that I could watch. I didn’t even care that much what it was.

I decided to grab some episodes of the new Battlestar Galactica – the series I rolled my eyes at the first time awareness of it entered my little gray folds and wrinkles.

I expected to hate it. I grew up with Battlestar Galactica (and Buck Rogers), and fully expected to find it a weak and pointless makeover of one of the sunniest televisual experiences of my earliest years on this accursed planet.

What happened instead is I fell in love with the stupid bloody show. All the actors kick ass, the scripts are great, the effects are snazzy, I love that Starbuck is a woman, and the music is “different” in a good way.

I started reading the blog (no RSS feed, though – hello-o-o-ooo-oooo…), reading the actors’ bios, looking at screenshots, and craving more.

I feel like something is wrong with me. This isn’t the kind of show I like. I can’t put my finger on what’s different about it. I just don’t know.

Out of this newfound interest, I went and grabbed a few episodes of the classic series. I think the last time I had seen an episode of the original Battlestar Galactica, I hadn’t even been toilet-trained yet (although I did already know how to code :).

I couldn’t believe it. The new series kicks ass all over the old one. There isn’t even any comparison.

And I’m so bloody-stinking glad that, this time, when someone decided it was time to tear down part of my childhood and rebuild it, he did it right.

Published Thursday, February 24, 2005 12:15 AM by Rory

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Comments

 

Avonelle Lovhaug said:

Yes, the new Battlestar Galactica is good. Yeah!

RSS Feed for the blog: http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/atom.xml
February 24, 2005 12:25 AM
 

Phil Weber said:

Notably, Richard Hatch ("Apollo" on the original series, political prisoner "Tom Zarek" on the new series) was opposed to and campaigned against the "re-imagining" of the original series: http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/bts/hatch/
February 24, 2005 1:11 AM
 

George W. Clingerman said:

If you would have made it to the last Portland Nerd dinner you would have already been made aware how great the show is.

It's the first time I have EVER seen the cocktail effect happen to everyone in a room when no one's name had even been said.

One guy (sorry I never got your name) said, "Well, I feel like it's safe to admit this here, I really like the new Battlestar Galatica"

Instantly every conversation of everyone participating in the nerd dinner stopped (of which there were myriad and simultaneous throughout the food court) and everyone began talking about Battlstart Galatica with glee.

I still haven't seen it, but after hearing how excited everyone was that night I'm dying to.

So moral of the story, don't miss the nerd dinners Rory and question of the night are all nerds really wired that similarly?
February 24, 2005 2:06 AM
 

Phil Weber said:

George: I am that "one guy." ;-)
February 24, 2005 4:33 AM
 

Lisa Williams said:

Have you watched the pilot for the show? It's great. I think it's fantastic that they made a campy show into an eerie, kinda creepy one.

And the recent episodes sail straight into Philip K. Dick territory -- who's a robot? Am I a robot? Is the robot in my head? Are we having a group hallucination and does that qualify as reality?

February 24, 2005 6:13 AM
 

Matt Fortunka said:

It is astonishing how dated the original series became (this doesn't stop it being entertaining, it's just sad). The new series is one of those rare things, consistently good US scifi!

I am waiting for the re-imagining of Buck Rogers! (I can dream, can't I?)
February 24, 2005 8:24 AM
 

Ian said:

Yeah sorry, not with you on this one.
it jumped the shark, way early.

it consists mostly of baltizars (sp?) random hallucinations these days - and very little really action.

Maybe I'll have a better arguement when I sober up from the Tap House in bellevue this evening - the spelling might improve too.

I'm still watching the show, but I have a feeling its going downhill fast.
February 24, 2005 8:34 AM
 

Mark Miller said:

I like it too, especially the mini-series they showed in 2003 (what Rory got on DVD). I think in a strange way the reason it's compelling is it cleverly relates to current events in very subtle ways. The bombing of Caprica had an eerily 9/11 feel to it, especially people's reactions to hearing that their homeworld was being blown up, the chaos and confusion of different parts of their society making their own choices based on their own self-survival, and only realizing later that those choices come into conflict in what should be a united effort.

The scene where the FTL ships have to abandon the slow-poke ships because the Cylons are coming just rips you apart emotionally a little bit, knowing that the cute little girl in the "greenhouse" ship is unknowingly facing inevitable death, and there's nothing they can do about it without risking the lives of thousands more.

Occasionally they've dedicated parts of their episodes to mourning the deaths of their fallen heroes, which chokes me up a bit, as it relates to our own troop deaths in our military. They do it very well.

I was expecting to be disappointed a bit when I first watched the mini-series due to Starbuck being a woman now, half believing all the controversy, but I was impressed. I thought the actress captured the essence of what we all liked about Starbuck (as a male). Unfortunately I think the TV series episodes have taken her away from that essence a little bit. Hopefully they won't change it too much. Every episode I pray that they won't have Apollo and Starbuck falling in love or something like that. That would just ruin it for me.
February 24, 2005 12:01 PM
 

blameMike said:

The new BSG is frakking awesome!
February 24, 2005 3:23 PM
 

Rory said:

Phil -

"Richard Hatch...was opposed to and campaigned against the "re-imagining" of the original series"

Thanks for the link, Phil.

I now know that Richard Hatch is a frontrunning whiner :)

My summary:

"I hate the show! Don't do it! Wait - you want me on it? I guess the show's OK! It's so hard being an artist."
February 24, 2005 3:43 PM
 

Rory said:

George -

"If you would have made it to the last Portland Nerd dinner-"

I was in Redmond, you bastard!

"question of the night are all nerds really wired that similarly?"

Maybe. When I wrote this post, it felt like I was confessing something among a group that would understand.

I've been wanting to tell *somebody* that I like the show. It's a great burden I carry each day.
February 24, 2005 3:48 PM
 

Rory said:

Lisa -

"Have you watched the pilot for the show? It's great."

Yeah, but I watched it *after* watching some of the recent episodes.

Things make a bit more sense now...
February 24, 2005 3:51 PM
 

Rory said:

Matt -

"It is astonishing how dated the original series became (this doesn't stop it being entertaining, it's just sad)."

I don't know. I kind of think it *does* stop it from being entertaining. I keep comparing the two series in my head, and it ruins the old one.

"I am waiting for the re-imagining of Buck Rogers! (I can dream, can't I?)"

Um.

*No* :)
February 24, 2005 3:58 PM
 

Rory said:

"Yeah sorry, not with you on this one."

Well, fuck you, Ian!

You're entitled to your own opinion, of course.

Fuckwad!

We're still friends, though.

Fuckface.
February 24, 2005 4:00 PM
 

Rory said:

Mark -

"I was expecting to be disappointed a bit when I first watched the mini-series due to Starbuck being a woman now, half believing all the controversy, but I was impressed."

I was surprised when I learned that Starbuck was going to be vaginally-enhanced, but I'm happy about it now. I like the actress *much* better than the weenie who was playing Starbuck before.

Isn't he also the same guy who went on to play Face on the A-Team?

He's such a hoser.

"Every episode I pray that they won't have Apollo and Starbuck falling in love or something like that."

I think it'd be cool if they *did* fall in love, and that it turns out that she's actually still a man, but Apollo doesn't find out until the bubbly's been poured, sipped, and done its work on the brain.

Shades of Spartacus (the extended version, of course, with the saucy hot tub scene).

But, even if that doesn't happen, I still like the new Starbuck much better.
February 24, 2005 4:08 PM
 

Rory said:

blameMike -

"The new BSG is frakking awesome!"

That's one thing I don't really care for - this "frack" business doesn't work with me.

It just sounds so silly. "Frack you! Frack this! Frack that! What the frack?"

I think it's cool that it's basically a way of getting to say "fuck" on TV, but I think it's lame that we have to go to these measures.

One of my favorite sitcoms ever is Absolutely Fabulous, and they said "fuck" all the time. The humor (or "humour" since it was all British 'n shit) wouldn't have worked if it had been "cleaned up" the way BSG has been.

And I don't want to hear anybody argue that civilization as we know it would fall if they said "fuck" on BSG - If you think that keeping people from swearing on TV is going to do any good for this country, just remember that *I* grew up watching our sanitized shows :)

Not that this has anything at all to do with your appreciation of the show, Mike. I just saw a chance to get up on a soap box and bitch...
February 24, 2005 4:14 PM
 

George W. Clingerman said:

Rory,

"I was in Redmond, you bastard!"

So they don't have cars in Redmond? Or roads that connect Redmond to Portland? And Bill wouldn't lend you his private helicopter for a Lloyd Center rooftop landing?

Excuses, excuses my friend.

Of course I use the word friend loosely. I mean what is this. I only rate "bastard" but Ian get's "fuckwad" AND "fuckface"? What's up with that?

February 24, 2005 4:26 PM
 

Rory said:

"I mean what is this. I only rate 'bastard' but Ian get's 'fuckwad' AND 'fuckface'? What's up with that?"

Sorry, George.

You're an ass-munching shit-eating shitbox.

Buds for life, man.

Buds for life.
February 24, 2005 4:49 PM
 

George said:

Now I'm feeling the love, Rory, now I'm feeling it.

Thanks for taking the time man. I know your busy and all, but if we don't have time to call each other ass-munching shit-eating shitboxes then we got our priorities messed up!

We got to work at this to keep the love flowing, you know what I'm saying you fuckcrazy asshound s
hitbitch?
February 24, 2005 5:19 PM
 

T-Bone said:

I belive that this post has segwayed from BSG to southpark in 3 easy posts..

February 24, 2005 5:43 PM
 

Scott said:

I love the new series too. I was all ready to be unimpressed too. Been practicing my sniffing and snorting and even my eye-rolling, didn't get to do any of them when I watched the mini-series.

Some of my favorite parts

- The ships are actually Cylons instead of just things the Cylons ride around in. That never made any sense to me when I was a kid "If they are robots, why can't they just build a Cylon shaped like a ship?"

- They run out of stuff, important stuff. Like water.

- Thank god no annoying kids or monkeys in dog suits.

Less favorite parts:

- What? No black people on Caprica anymore? That's odd. Growing up in Suburbia Kansas some of my only contact with black people, outside of school when I got older, was with Florida, James, JJ, Boomer, and Col. Tigh.

- They can create bio-based robots but haven't figured out lasers? boooo, where's my big laser fights!

-Baltar(sp?) - I don't know why, I just think that he's going to end up convincing the Cylons that he IS god and they'll worship him. Either that or he already is god and he'll find out in a later season. boring.

- already ripping off Star Trek. 'nuff said.
http://scottkoon.org/archives/2005/02/12/battlestar-galactica-the-drumhead/
February 24, 2005 7:09 PM
 

Randy said:

On the Lucas thing, I still have the original VHS tapes of the original Trilogy... since they were looking old I dubbed them over to DVD. It's grainy (VHS after all) and main menu or 5.1 sounds, but it's better than hooking up the VCR.

Couldn't help myself.
February 24, 2005 11:25 PM
 

bliz said:

Russ came into the office this afternoon with his portable media center in tow. It looked pretty sweet. You're a lucky bastard.
February 25, 2005 1:35 AM
 

Mark Miller said:

Rory-

I thought it was alright that Starbuck (in flashbacks) was in love with Zach (and yes, getting it on with him too). It actually added some real drama to the show that the original series NEVER had. All that time Apollo blamed his dad for Zach's death, and then she spills the beans. Wow! The heart wrenching thing was when she had to tell Adama about it (I felt her pain...).

When the mini-series came out I was puzzled why Apollo was acting all pissy towards his dad about Zach's death. I thought, "Gee. The original Apollo never took it this hard. What's wrong with him?" Now I realize it was all a setup for what would come later.

It's funny. Even though they've showed an actor playing Zach on several occasions, I still associate the name with Rick Springfield, even though all he played was a cameo role in the original's premier movie. I guess the new guy who's played him didn't make much of an impression on me.

Scott-

I agree about Baltar. I think he was a better character in the original series. Now he's just a sniveling, conniving wimp. I also didn't particularly like what they did with Col. Tigh (sp?). Now he's an alcoholic white guy?? Come on! Yes, I have noticed that blacks have been "demoted" in this series. Both Col. Tigh and Boomer were prominent black characters in the original series. Now the only black in the series is the lady in the command room who relays messages. Lt. Uhura, anyone?? And Boomer, who seemingly escaped controversy in the lead up to the mini-series, is an Asian woman, rather than a black man, and is a Cylon sleeper agent to boot (yeah, I'm getting a bit ahead of the show here)! Yeesh!

All I can say is it's fortunate the series has good writing. Were it any less, I think the "character flaws" would become more odious for me.

Speaking of Boomer, any predictions (from anyone) on what will happen to her once her true allegiance is revealed? I kind of wonder, since she's been such an integral part of the crew, whether they'll get all upset at first, threaten to kill her and all that, but then "wise up" and pull what they did in Star Trek:TNG or Voyager, where they attempt to sever her link with the Cylons so she can just be "an android among humans" and no longer be a threat. I'd hate to see Boomer get killed off, especially by the Galactica crew.
February 25, 2005 9:39 AM
 

Anonymous said:

> I'd hate to see Boomer get killed off, especially by the Galactica crew.


No way. They should off her in a horrible fashion. This is meant to be a war - not just any war but a war with a bunch or robots who want to exterminate all humanity forever. In war Bad things happen to Good people. I hate Wussy trek crap - dont be afraid to kill major characters!

February 25, 2005 4:45 PM
 

Glen said:

Ahh... Cylons... http://www.maximonline.com/girls_of_maxim/html/girl_1022.html
March 4, 2005 4:50 PM
 

TrackBack said:

Where are all the black people?
February 27, 2005 10:50 PM
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