'MERRY CHRISTMAS!' - 2018

And so the Fortieth Anniversary year for Galactica comes to a close, but there's lots still to celebrate of the entire classic series, coming to this site in 2019!

SAGA OF A STAR WORLD wishes its worldwide readership A VERY MERRY XMAS, AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!

'GALACTICA' AT 40: THE ORIGINAL FINALE

Having just escaped with their lives from the trap at Carillon, but thankfully with the fuel needed to continue their search for Earth, the Galactican's (including a survived Sire Uri) meet for a subdued celebration anthem singalong of their second deliverance from Cylon fury.

This original unused ending was soon deemed slow and unsuccessful, to be abandoned in the editing, especially along with the rather miserable idea of Serina literally running away from Apollo and Boxey, knowing she has scant little time left to live from her radiation poisoning. Soon enough, as filming was underway on the subsequent originally planned TV movie, Gun on Ice Planet Zero, attempts were successfully made by Glen A. Larson to bring a disgruntled Jane Seymour back for a better demise in The Tombs of Kobol (aka Lost Planet of the Gods), by then being specifically designed as a two-part primer for ABC's weekly series demands. 

We hope you've enjoyed our year-long coverage of the pilot episode/feature-film of Saga of A Star World!

'GALACTICA' AT 40: GOING, GOING...

Too late to make escape velocity after having been tricked by Apollo and Starbuck's Vipers, the Imperious Leader's Cylon Basestar is caught in the Tylium energy vapours of the planet and is soon part of Carillon's devastating explosion!

Listen carefully to the audio effects of the impending explosion of the Basestar- there's lots of old reused Universal Studios horror film sounds of electrodes and power channeling going back to Frankenstein. The varying explosions for the basestar were all shot separately and added together for this shot. The separate explosions would also be seen throughout the course of the weekly series, whenever a sequence involved massive destruction. The far left explosion was even desaturated and used as part of the series opening narration visual sequence.

'GALACTICA' AT 40: THE ENEMY 'DECEPTION' REVEALED!

Classic Topps card.

In one of the main control areas of the Cylon Basestar, Centurions monitoring Colonial communications soon discover the truth about Apollo and Starbuck's 'squadrons' gambit, and open fire on them, as Saga of a Star World nears its explosive conclusion.

Not wanting to spend money on an all-new set for a brief sequence, the Cylons were filmed in an alcove on the Galactica bridge that would be bathed in blue light (which comes across as purple onscreen) to make it look alien, with the bridge monitors given different streaming pattern graphics. (These graphics also appeared on the Cylon tech for the subsequently filmed Gun on Ice Planet Zero).

The alcove can be seen here:
https://galacticasagaofastarworld.blogspot.com/2018/06/galactica-at-40-colonel-tighs-bridge.html

'GALACTICA' AT 40: DESCENDING FOR PROTECTION!

Despite dangerous escalating fires building on the Tylium crusted surface of Carillon, the Imperious Leader's Basestar descends further to the planet, what with the news of Colonial Viper 'squadrons' heading their way to attack them, in this great angle from Saga of a Star World.

'GALACTICA' AT 40: "PURPLE AND ORANGE?"

The sneak attack by Adama's Colonial Forces has worked and the enemy has fled. Though he's denied them the chance to pursue the nearby Cylon basestar, Adama is soon told that Apollo and Starbuck's Vipers have gone after it on their own, pretending to be a mass number of ships via intercepted communications that the Cylons will also hear.

A fun little moment that I recall got some good laughs from the evening audience when seeing the film version of Saga of a Star World a second time at my local cinema.

'GALACTICA' AT 40: SPEEDY DEPARTURE!

"Boy, are they in for a surprise!", declares Starbuck, as the combined Viper squadrons of the Galactica depart Carillon and soon engage the Cylon armada attacking their home vessel. This time, however, the surprise factor has been turned directly to Humanity's advantage...

'GALACTICA' AT 40: UNDER THE CARILLON SKY

The secretly sent planet-side Blue Squadron vipers await their newly arrived piloting masters on Carillon, in this lovely matte painting art from ILM/Apogee (note the fuel tanker vessel in the background - in the official novelisation Starbuck was to perilously pilot it to the fleet amidst Cylon attack).

Whoever did the painting is unknown, though it was also used as a photo blow up for Carillon exterior scenes filmed at Universal, behind the close-ups scenes needed of the main pilots racing to their ships - primarily the full-scale build Viper prop and several cut-out dummies behind that, and a visual trick that had also been used with the Rebel hangar scenes of the original Star Wars during its London filming in 1976.

'GALACTICA' AT 40: SUICIDE RUN!

The second sneak attack by the Cylons on the Galactica has begun - soon enough Cylon Raiders are attacking key areas of its defence and its fighter launch bays in particular are compromised, as seen here in this great effects shot image.

'GALACTICA' AT 40: SURFACE TRAVELLERS!

In quick second unit filming, costumed background extras (possibly including members of the original ILM/Apogee), including one playing Boomer, travel the singularly-built Galactica Landram across the deserts outside California, for an insert scene for Saga of a Star World.

The location filming took place at Ridgecrest Trona Pinnacles. Its epic expanse was also used in several Buck Rogers in the 25th Century episodes (likely stock footage from what was shot for Galactica) and also for a lot of the action of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.