SEASON'S GREETINGS!

The happiest of Xmas and New Year Greetings to all worldwide readers, from the SAGA OF A STAR WORLD website!

See you in '15!

COMING IN JANUARY 2015: 'DEATH OF APOLLO' PART TWO

DYNAMITE's new epic six-part GALACTICA mini-series- written by Dan Abnett, art by Dietrich Smith- focusing on the demise of our favourite Colonial Warrior continues: Dynamite® Battlestar Galactica: The Death Of Apollo #2 (Of 6) Exclusive Subscription Variant Cover

GALACTICA 1980: CY THE CARD SHARK?

No longer killing Humans, the adjusted and repaired "Cy" the Cylon Centurion has instead become a very good Pyramid player for his new companion, Starbuck, in the one and only classic episode of GALACTICA 1980 that was The Return of Starbuck.

CLASSIC ART: A UNIVERSE AT WAR!

A Yugoslavian poster found on Ebay for the original theatrical release of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA- I like the planet Earth targeted in the top left corner! If anyone has a better quality scan of this image, please get in touch.

And check out this fun HD remaster of the series original launch on ABC Television from 1978: Battlestar Galactica 1978 #1 Full HD Trailer SciFi English 1080p ReMastered By JDG - YouTube

BEHIND THE SCENES: A MAN AND HIS VIPERS!

Visual effects legend Richard Edlund checks the positioning of three Viper ships in readiness for blue screen filming at Van Nuys, California- for use in the opening episodes of GALACTICA's weekly debut in 1978.

CLASSIC IMAGE: GARRISON ATTACK!

Starbuck and Boomer boldly lead the charge in attacking Vulpa's Cylon Garrison, in a classic action scene from the finale of Gun on Ice Planet Zero - one of so many great moments from the original series.

Our sister site, KOOL TV, celebrating the recent UK release of GALACTICA on Blu-ray, has compiled twenty additional scenes which I'm sure readers will enjoy revisiting: "SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE HEAVENS!" CELEBRATING TWENTY CLASSIC MOMENTS FROM THE ORIGINAL 'BATTLESTAR GALACTICA' - OUT NOW ON BLU-RAY

Get hold of the Blu-ray here: Battlestar Galactica - Complete Original Series Blu-ray Region Free: Amazon.co.uk: Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict, Lorne Greene, Maren Jensen, Laurette Spang: DVD & Blu-ray

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE KILLING ZONE!

The Cylons cause chaos in another attack on the almost defenceless Rag-Tag fleet, in this rare effects work shot from the Classic Series that only appeared briefly in the pre-episode teaser for The Magnificent Warriors.

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE BEAMING WARRIOR!

1978: Happy and rewarding times ahead for Richard Hatch in winning the role of the heroic and likable warrior Captain Apollo for the original BATTLESTAR GALACTICA...

With the recent release of the series on Blu-ray from UNIVERSAL, check out this mostly positive review: Battlestar Galactica Blu-ray review | GamesRadar

CLASSIC ART: PENCIL INSECTOID!

A rare piece of Ralph McQuarrie conceptual character art for the series, showing us an early version of an Ovion warrior, in an idea that saw it covered in metal armour/plating not too dissimilar to that worn by the droid C-3PO in STAR WARS.

This was an image sold off in a UK auction back in the late noughties.

THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL SERIES - OUT THIS WEEK ON UK BLU-RAY!

The search for the lost Thirteenth Tribe continues, as our legendary fugitive heroes from the 1978 Glen A. Larson created series finally make their way onto HD remastered Blu-ray this week, for UK fans to savour. Get the eagerly anticipated new set here: Battlestar Galactica - Complete Original Series Blu-ray Region Free: Amazon.co.uk: Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict, Lorne Greene, Maren Jensen, Laurette Spang: DVD & Blu-ray

The cover to the upcoming US series Blu-ray: The Definitive Collection.

And of equally important news, the series will also be released on Blu-ray in the US from May 12th, 2015, within two unique sets- one featuring the original series and Galactica 1980 (plus the special features from the original DVD release), the other a special widescreen remastering of both series alongside the theatrical 125 minute version of the pilot.

space1970: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (1978) & GALACTICA 1980 Blu-rays Coming in May

With thanks to John Johnson for the heads-up on the US releases.

Battlestar Galactica Blu-ray review | GamesRadar
Battlestar Galactica fandom “has only grown” says star | SciFiNow - The World's Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Magazine

CLASSIC 'GALACTICA' GOES CGI!

STAR TREK: The Original Series got an effective CGI makeover on HD and Blu-ray a few years back that was mostly very successful, now here's a fun taster of what Classic GALACTICA could look like revamped, with this terrific clip reinterpretation of an exciting space battle scene from The Living Legend, courtesy of BABYLON 5's top effects man/senior animator Adam "mojo" Lebowitz.

Demo Reel - Remastering A Classic on Vimeo

Discovering the Cylon Tanker.

Silver Spar Vipers above the Cylon's cloud cover camouflage.

Its great stuff, I'm sure you'll agree. Here's hoping he gets to do some more...

With thanks to the Babylon 5 - Some behind the scenes stuff  FACEBOOK page for the heads-up.

More BD reviews, plus Longmire renewed & the classic Battlestar remaster that might have been (& could still be)

GOODBYE, GLEN A. LARSON...

The passing of producing legend Glen A. Larson this past weekend brought genuine sadness to the film and TV industry, and to the millions of fans worldwide who continue to enjoy his series. He will be much missed but his work, especially BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, will long be cherished. As modern GALACTICA series producer Ronald D. Moore so succinctly said on TWITTER:

The later in the month release on Blu-ray of the complete original series from UNIVERSAL will surely prove a timely tribute and reminder to UK fans of the great work that Larson, and his equally dedicated cast and crew, put into this now classic series.

KOOL TV tribute: GOODBYE, GLEN A. LARSON...
SPACE: 1970 tribute: space1970: Obit: Glen A. Larson, R.I.P.

CLASSIC ART: INSIDE ALPHA LANDING BAY...

I love this schematic image which I found online recently, showing some terrific interior details of the Galactica's Alpha landing bay. If anyone knows where it came from, when it was done and by whom, and can point me to any more like this, please get in touch...

CLASSIC IMAGE: DIRK's DESTINY!

Ladies man and slick Viper pilot, the legend that is Starbuck, as personified by the one and only Dirk Benedict, continues to shine, in this popular early promo image taken during the making of Saga of a Star World.

OUT NOW: 'THE DEATH OF APOLLO' COMIC SERIES

It was alluded to in the GALACTICA 1980 series that Apollo had perished or at least disappeared somewhere along the road to eventually finding Earth. But is this really it for our noble hero? The officially sanctioned demise of such a popular character? Find out in this surely intriguing, likely epic in scope new mini-series, out now from DYNAMITE.

Dynamite Announces Battlestar Galactica: The Death Of Apollo - Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movie, TV News

Dynamite - The Official Site | George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones, Solar: Man of The Atom, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, The Boys and More!

CLASSIC ART: BATTLING GALACTICANS!

One of my favourite film posters, from the German theatrical release of MISSION GALACTICA: THE CYLON ATTACK, though Commander Adama is the only hero I recognise in the explosive lineup of Colonial Warriors!

CLASSIC IMAGE: LINING UP A TARGET!

A sleek Colonial Viper, once known in early BG pre-production as a "Starhound fighter", prepares to launch a weapons salvo on a Cylon fighter, in this classic effects shot often reused in the series.

CLASSIC MERCHANDISE: PULP DELIGHTS!

I remember UNIVERSAL's SCI-FI Channel having a brief "pulp-sci-fi" label stint releasing VHS tapes in the UK in the late nineties, but not particularly GALACTICA. I'm assuming only a few episodes were chosen, possibly the syndicated three-part version of the pilot? If anyone has more info, please get in touch...

CLASSIC IMAGE: HERO FACT FILE!

Everything you wanted to know about Dirk Benedict and Richard Hatch but were afraid to ask- if you were reading one of the many teen magazines back in the day. If anyone knows which US title this nostalgic clipping originally appeared in, please get in touch...

CLASSIC ART: THE CYLON EMPIRE!

Alex Ross's superb final cover art for the 2013 anniversary DYNAMITE comics series, Memorial, shows us the expanding influence and danger of the robotic Cylon Empire across the universe beyond the events of the television series.

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE SPACE-FARING MOTHER HEN!

The mighty Galactica, the final hope for the survivors of the Twelve Colonies of Mankind, continues its protectorate journey into the deepest regions of space, in this classic effects shot for the series.

CLASSIC IMAGE: EN ROUTE TO BATTLE!

As klaxons sound within the mighty Galactica, a crack squadron of Colonial Warrior pilots speedily negate their way through the ship's corridors to their viper craft berthed in the landing bays, ready for battle, in this scene from Saga of a Star World.

CLASSIC IMAGE: FEEDING TIME!

In the feeding pods area deep in the Ovion mines, Cassiopeia is on the serving menu, in this tense scene from Saga of a Star World. Originally, the character was not supposed to have survived, but this was changed during filming, with the much-liked and attractive Laurette Spang returning to the series with the filming of Lost Planet of the Gods, shot after Gun on Ice Planet Zero.

CLASSIC IMAGE: A SENSE FOR TROUBLE...

A frosty looking Adama is prepared for trouble at the upcoming, so-called "peace conference" between Mankind and Cylon, in this bridge-set scene from Saga of a Star World.

CLASSIC ART: SQUADRON OF THE SPACEWAYS!

Always a terrific visual sight, a squadron of Colonial Vipers patrol space, ready for danger from lurking Cylon Raiders, in this lovely cover to the MAXIMUM PRESS comics compendium from the early 2000's. If anyone knows the artist, please get in touch.

CLASSIC IMAGE: A GIFTED WARRIOR!

We haven't posted a lovely shot of Maren Jensen as the capable and beautiful warrior's daughter Athena on this site in a while. Oversight corrected!

CLASSIC IMAGE: CONTINUING THE HUNT...

A trio of Cylon Raiders, having lost their Colonial pursuer in Captain Apollo, press on in their misdirected search for the human rag-tag fleet, in a scene from the opening of The Lost Warrior.

CLASSIC ART: MAN VERSUS MACHINE!

The unrelenting menace of the Cylons remains a constant in Captain Apollo's mind, in this great art by gravitydsn from the Deviant Art website: Classic Battlestar Galactica by gravitydsn on deviantART

CLASSIC ART: STRANGE NEW WORLD...

A Colonial Warrior surverys his new surroundings on Carillon, in a conceptual painting by Ralph McQuarrie for Star Worlds, later to be re-titled Battlestar Galactica, and ultimately used for the Goldmann Wilhelm GmbH cover of Book Four of the German novelisation edition of The Young Warriors.

GOODBYE, DENNY MILLER...

Sad to hear the news this weekend of the passing, at 80, of one of the undisputed kings of US TV guest star appearances: Denny Miller, who'd been in pretty much every major popular cult series you could think of, playing heroes and baddies, from Airwolf to V: the original mini-series. Classic GALACTICA fans will, of course, remember him the most for his playing a multitude of clone heroes helping Apollo and company destroy the Gun on Ice Planet Zero - one of the show's earliest and finest stories.

Our condolences go out to Mister Miller's family in this difficult time...

CLASSIC IMAGE: SMASH-DOWN!

Galactica's shuttle 356 had a bad time of it crashing onto the ice planet Atilla in the classic two-parter The Gun on Ice Planet Zero, now it endures a similar, and worse, fate on the desert planet of R-4, for an episode of GALACTICA's sister series from UNIVERSAL: BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY- in the extended-length second episode of Season Two: Journey to Oasis. (It was later presented as a two-parter in syndication). The shuttle, its model prop and the set mock-ups for studio filming, were primarily used for budget saving reasons in this and the previous season launcher, Time of the Hawk. By the third episode onwards, however, another less well-recognised model from the series would be used by the Universal Hartland effects facility for shuttle duties.

For more on this episode, check out the excellent BUCK ROGERS blogsite: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Guide: Ep 203 Journey to Oasis, Part 1 January 22, 1981

For more on the series: 'KOOL TV' FEATURE 1000: 25th CENTURY GUY! 'BUCK ROGERS' REMEMBERED...

NEW UK RELEASE DATE FOR CLASSIC 'GALACTICA' BLU-RAY SET

Great news to end the week! The UK arrival of UNIVERSAL's Classic BATTLESTAR GALACTICA on Blu-ray (Region Free) now has a release date of November 24th, 2014. Check it out here: Battlestar Galactica - Complete Original Series Blu-ray Region Free: Amazon.co.uk: Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict, Lorne Greene, Maren Jensen, Laurette Spang: DVD & Blu-ray

CLASSIC ART: GALACTICA's EXPANDED UNIVERSE!

Our Colonial heroes fight on against all kinds of nemeses beyond the Cylons, in Richard Hatch's continuingly enjoyable Galactica novel series. I'd never seen this paperback cover to Paradis before, so I thought it was worthy of posting. If anyone knows the artist here, please get in touch...

CLASSIC IMAGE: GALACTIC BUDDIES!

On the set of Adama's quarters, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict, in between constant episodic script changes and re-shoots, enjoy a fun moment between filming of the weekly series.

CLASSIC ART: THE ART OF WAR!

The last Colonial Battlestar takes more laser poundings from Cylon Raiders, as Vipers begin their fight back, in another great art card from the Big G Cereal company, circa 1978.

CLASSIC IMAGE: FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!

A trio of Cylon Centurions man their Raider vessel into battle against their human enemies, in this atmospherically lit scene from Saga of a Star World.

GALACTICA 1980: A TIME TO CELEBRATE...

An aged but vital Colonel Boomer and Commander Adama reflect on the many dangers and obstacles they've overcome, the personal losses they've endured, whilst also celebrating the news that their first attempts at seeding the Colonial population into Earth's culture has successfully begun. From the episode Space Croppers.

CLASSIC IMAGE: PATROLLING THE UNKNOWN!

Starbuck and Boomer take some raw Viper pilot cadets out on what will soon become a fateful probe mission, at the start of Gun on Ice Planet Zero.

CLASSIC IMAGE: A MISUNDERSTANDING BETWEEN FRIENDS...

Newly arrived on the Paradeen outpost, Apollo tries to convince fugitive mother Sarah (Kelly Harmon) that she's not really in love with him, in this intriguing character moment from the mid-season feature-length episode Greetings from Earth.

Image via Chris Pappas

CLASSIC IMAGE: 'SON OF STAR WARS'!

About to dominate the US TV airwaves that premiere week, the fantasy and excitement ahead in BATTLESTAR GALACTICA certainly pushed the rest of the world's torrid real-life headlines out of the way to make the influential cover of NEWSWEEK magazine for the issue date of September 11th, 1978.

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE WARRIOR AND THE COMMANDER's DAUGHTER!

They may have been squabbling on and off lovers during the events of the Cylon sneak attack on the Twelve Colonies, but Starbuck and Athena made for an attractive pairing, as this early publicity shot with Maren Jensen and Dirk Benedict shows.

'GALACTICA' THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL SERIES - COMING TO UK BLU-RAY

Good news for UK BG fans. UNIVERSAL have confirmed that the classic series will indeed be getting a deserved release on Blu-ray after last year's debut of the theatrical pilot in the format, and after the full series prior successful release earlier this year for German fans. No idea yet of an actual date, or of info on the special features, only that it will be out later this year. Thank you, UNIVERSAL!

More news as and when...

Nine discs in an all regions format: Battlestar Galactica - Complete Original Series Blu-ray Region Free: Amazon.co.uk: Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict, Lorne Greene, Maren Jensen, Laurette Spang: DVD & Blu-ray

CLASSIC IMAGE: CONVOY TARGET PRACTICE!

A Cylon attack squadron pushes forward in its attack on the near defenceless Rag-Tag fleet, in this scene from Saga of a Star World. A fuller version of the effects sequence would be shown in the theatrical compilation feature Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack.

CLASSIC MERCHANDISE: JAPANESE 'GALACTICA'

An intriguing look at some spreads from the hard to find 1978 Japanese movie souvenir magazine for the theatrical release of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, with some nice shots from Lost Planet of the Gods included in its pages!