Battlestar Galactica Reboot Coming From Mr. Robot Creator – Will Debut On NBC/Universal’s Streaming Platform Peacock

If you’re a Battlestar Galactica fan, today is an intriguing day. NBC/Universal has announced a BSG reboot.

The show will be part of the programming lineup for its new streaming service, called Peacock.

The new show will be executive produced by Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail. Chad Hamilton, who is Esmail’s manager, will also executive produce. The show is being produced under Universal Content Productions, who also produced the original series.

Details on the production are being kept tightly under wraps for now. However, it appears the show will be based on the 2004 re-imagined series by Ronald D. Moore. It seems there was consideration to base the show on the 1978 original series by Glen A. Larson, but a modern take won out.

Esmail did confirm that show will not be a remake of Ronald Moore’s 2004 show. However, he did state, “we’ll explore a new story within the mythology while staying true to the spirit of Battlestar.”

The original Battlestar Galactica ran for one season in 1978, and was canceled. It starred Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict. A revival called Galactica 1980 briefly ran in 1980, but was a critical failure.

The most successful iteration of the BSG franchise began in 2003 with a re-imagined miniseries on SyFy. Producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick managed to weave the trials of a post 9/11 world into a dramatic and gritty science fiction universe. The 2003 miniseries was a hit, and the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica was ordered into production as a full series.

The re-imagined series would debut in 2004 and run for 4 years. It would include two companion DVD movies, Razor and The Plan, and tie into the brief 2010 spinoff series, Caprica. Another spinoff DVD movie called Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome would be the last entry into the BSG world until now.

The 2003 – 2008 run of BSG is fondly remembered by fans as the best drama on TV at the time. It cemented Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonell as acting icons, and established Tricia Helfer, Katee Sackhoff, and Grace Park as stars. BSG was special because it was the perfect storm. Great music, great casting, and great writing all came together.

It’s going to be difficult to recapture the magic of Battlestar Galactica. While starting in the re-imagined universe is a good idea, it will be hard to go on from where the previous show left off. Time will tell if this Battlestar Galactica can live up to the name.

The show will debut in April of 2020, when the Peacock streaming service goes live.

What do you think BSG fans? Share your thoughts below.

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