HAPPY CHRISTMAS 2020!

Having survived the manipulations of the demonic Count Iblis, our Galactican family celebrate a toast to a new phase of their future, during the finale to War of the Gods.

Saga of a Star World wishes all its worldwide readers a very MERRY CHRISTMAS, and a safe, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

BEHIND THE SCENES: THE CYLON ATTACK!

Having revitalized the modern Hollywood special effects industry with their spectacular work on the first Star Wars movie, Glen A. Larson was lucky to secure John Dykstra's Apogee effects team to work on what was then known as Galactica. Here, Dennis Muren, Grant McCune and Don Dow supervise the filming of the Cylon sneak attack squadrons in mid-1978.

CLASSIC MERCHANDISE: THE 'T's OF 'GALACTICA'!

Back to the classic merchandise days, and a great advert from the US Marvel comics of the time promoting the series memorable T-shirt line,with some very cool images adorned. Somebody out there should resurrect those T's as all-new nostalgia greats.

CLASSIC IMAGE: STAR SEARCH!

Apollo leads Starbuck and Sheba out on the search for a mysterious signal in a diverse planet sector, but they soon unluckily run into old enemies, in this memorable scene from the series finale, The Hand of God.

CLASSIC IMAGE: CYLON FURY!

Their secret garrison located under the Ovion casino now called out, the Cylons continue their attack against the soon ascendant escape party led by Apollo and Starbuck, in this memorable moment from Saga of a Star World.

CLASSIC IMAGE: EXCUSED DUTIES!

With the excuse of a delicate stomach thankfully received by Captain Apollo. Starbuck is now a free spirit ready to win big against the Gemon viper pilots at the ultimate Armistice big game taking place on Galactica, in this great moment from Saga of a Star World that was filmed during additional scenes/ reshoots held just before or going in to the next filmed adventure, Gun on Ice Planet Zero.

CLASSIC IMAGE: BLAST-OFF!

Colonial ships tear away from the surface of Carillon to aid the attacked Galactica, in this great effects shot that looked very effective when seen on the big screen back in 1978/79.

CLASSIC IMAGE: IT WAS REALLY HIS IDEA!

The best laid plans of the traitorous Baltar have been foiled once more by Adama's faithful warriors, most notably Apollo and Starbuck, as well as through the incompetence of Cylon Centurion reconstruction, in this memorable moment from Baltar's Escape.

CLASSIC ART: GRUESOME ALLIANCE!

Another terrific piece of poster art from the colour MARVEL Super Special of 1978, for the original pilot/movie of Saga of a Star World, capturing the creepy menace of the Ovion miners of Carillon, counterbalanced with the technological might and firepower of a Cylon raider vehicle. Superb art from Bruce Patterson.

CLASSIC IMAGE: DUTY IN A TIME OF CRISIS!

With a rag-tag fleet of 220 ships needing inspection, all of them filled to the brim with starving, angry, ill holocaust survivors, work as a Colonial Warrior is not currently as easy as shooting tin-plated Cylons, as Lt. Boomer discovers during a tense sequence in Saga of a Star World.

CLASSIC IMAGE: PULSAR POWER!

The Cylon Raiders and their powerful heavy weaponry en masse prove a lethal attack force for the surprised Colonial Fleet and later their human homeworlds, as seen in this great image from Saga of a Star World.

CLASSIC IMAGE: DESPERATE TIMES!

The situation is grimmer than ever for our heroes trying hard to put out the raging fires within the Cylon kamikaze-bombed Galactica. And the emotional and physical strain is showing too, as the critically injured Adama's condition soon worsens, despite being capably tended to by both Med Tech Cassiopeia and Dr. Salik, in this scene from Fire in Space.

CLASSIC MERCHANDISE: MODEL MAGIC!

Surely one of the best selling aspects of Classic Galactica merchandise (and Buck Rogers too) back in the day- the superb space vehicles created by ILM/ Universal Heartland available in model kit form via Monogram, as compiled for this great comic advert. In the UK, I had the Cylon Basestar, and it looked awesome.

CLASSIC ART: THE CONTINUING JOURNEY...

Art by Luis Royo.

Our Colonial heroes in Apollo, Starbuck and Athena must boldly lead a new generation of Galacticans in the next phase of their search for the mysterious Thirteenth Tribe of Earth, in this great cover art for the start of Richard Hatch's (with Christopher Golden) hugely enjoyable series of all-new original adventures for Glen A. Larson's saga, which started their publishing cycle from 1998 onwards. The opening two books (Armageddon and Warhawk), in particular, were certainly great reads.

CLASSIC IMAGE: PEACE-MAKER, DEATH-BRINGER!

A respected leader beloved by his people but whose weariness of war and desire for peace ultimately left him vulnerable and blind-sided to what would be the near devastation of Humanity- President Adar, as played by the amiable seasoned Hollywood actor Lew Ayres, for Saga of a Star World.

CLASSIC IMAGE: LIFELINE FOR THE FLEET!

Another great Classic Galactica model comes under the spotlight via the Profiles in History auction of a few years back: the multi-tasking shuttle that was also used several times as varied Earth and alien craft, for effects cost-cutting reasons, in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

HAPPY 40TH UK TV ANNIVERSARY FOR 'GALACTICA'!

Our Colonial heroes pose for a publicity image for the US magazines of 1978, all of whom were heralding the eagerly-awaited arrival of Battlestar Galactica on TV screens - what a busy, fun and exciting time it must have been for everyone behind the scenes as the series neared airdates. In the UK, we had to wait a little longer to see BG, but today, 6th September, forty years ago back in 1980, London's Thames Television regional channel finally started screening the series with a three-part version of Saga of a Star World, on Thursday nights around 7pm-ish,

https://kooltvblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/star-searching-forty-uk-tv-years-of.html

'GALACTICA 1980' AT 40: JAMIE GOES FOR A RIDE!

There's flying, and then there's flying, as soon Earth heroine Jamie Hamilton gets her first journey with Captain Troy in a two-seater Colonial Viper, as seen in the mostly enjoyable Galactica 1980 pilot episode, Galactica Discovers Earth.

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE MYSTERIOUS ARRIVAL!

Their search for the Galactica's missing Viper patrol has led Apollo, Sheba and Starbuck to a strange world and the wreck of a mysterious space ship. But before they can go down to investigate a debris-strewn crash-landing site, they are stopped by a mysterious voice, emanating from the enigmatic Count Iblis, in this memorable US TV commercial cliff-hanger to War of the Gods, Part One.

CLASSIC IMAGE: UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL!

Somewhere beyond the heavens, the mighty Battlestar's journey to Earth continues. Another of the great and detailed Galactica establishing shots used regularly in the series.

CLASSIC IMAGE: FIGHTING BLIND!

As the cockpit shielding around him gets dangerously hot from the flares of the Nova Madagon, Starbuck's shooting skills continue against the Cylon minefield, in this great image from Saga of a Star World.

CLASSIC IMAGE: COLONIAL DELIGHTS!

We may be watching a life or death struggle for survival every week in Battlestar Galactica, but that doesn't mean we can't appreciate the beauty of the show's main heroines either, as seen with the gorgeous all-smiles Laurette Spang and Anne Lockhart, in another one of those lovely character promo shots for the series during its filming mid-point.

CLASSIC IMAGE: CYLON CHAOS!

It only takes a few slipped-through-the-defence-net Cylon fighters to cause maximum damage to the vulnerable Rag-Tag Fleet, as seen here with their attack on the Agro vessels in The Magnificent Warriors, of which footage from Universal's prior seventies sci-fi classic Silent Running was cleverly re-used (though probably not to the liking of its director Doug Trumbull!) with new optical overlays

'MISSION GALACTICA' AT 41: THE HUMAN CYLON!

It was never explained to generic UK film audiences of Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack, who'd not yet get the weekly series on TV screens until late 1980/81, how Count Baltar miraculously survived having his head cut off in the previous theatrical movie. But you can never kill off a great villain, especially when played by an actor with the calibre, and relish for evil-doing, personified by Canadian stage and screen veteran, John Colicos.

'MISSION GALACTICA' AT 41: IMPERIOUS LEADERSHIP!

The Cylon city of Gamoray's special status within the Empire is given an additional worthy boost by the presence of an impressed Imperious Leader. Impressed, that is, until the explosions start!

It was nice to hear Patrick Macnee once more voice the Imperious Leader, and see the important enemy villain in the reptilian flesh (and walking no less!), in both The Living Legend and Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack.

'MISSION GALACTICA' AT 41: THE CYLON ATTACK!

The cost-effective re-use of special effects in both the movies and TV series of the original Battlestar Galactica was well known, nay infamous, yet Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack's big screen outing did contain newly shot model footage and/or recomposited opticals that looked like new shots, like this great one above, showing the Cylons beginning their fateful kamikaze-esque attack on Galactica.

'MISSION GALACTICA' AT 41: A CLASH OF HEROES...

When it comes to incredible, nay near suicidal attack plans that always miraculously seem to pull themselves off, Commander Cain's reputation is secure and legendary. But try telling that to a worried Captain Apollo, conferring with 'The Living Legend' on his latest attempt to divert a Cylon Killer Force away from the Colonial Fleet, in this memorable scene presented in Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack.

'MISSION GALACTICA' AT 41: FOR UK FANS ONLY...

British fans who loved Battlestar Galactica were happy to receive an official annual from publishers Grandreams for the first film back for 1979, which proved a big success, followed quickly by a worthy successor in Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack for1980, a terrific Christmas stocking filler of all-new colour strips and short story tales that made the most of the saga's filmic scope and great characters, alongside details of the exciting new theatrical release.

It remains a highly-prized and beloved item by BG fans.

'MISSION GALACTICA' AT 41: DEMOLITION MAN!

He may be hip deep in Cylon-ville - their outer capital world of Gamoray, but nothing's going to stop Starbuck from blowing the Pogees out of it, in this great image taken on location for The Living Legend/Mission Galactica.

'MISSION GALACTICA' AT 41: WELCOME ABOARD, SHEBA!

A welcome addition to the new compilation film, giving viewers a fresh character to interact with our existing heroes, the ever-delightful Anne Lockhart joins Battlestar Galactica's weekly series status and Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack as Commander Cain's equally bold and headstrong daughter, Sheba, group leader of the flying aces that are the Battlestar Pegasus's Silver Spar Squadron. At first locking heads and fighting attitudes with Captain Apollo, it isn't long, however, before the two show great affection and respect for each other...

'MISSION GALACTICA' AT 41: IN LOVE AND WAR!

Bringing him love, pleasure and beauty as a necessary counterpoint to the horrors and brutality of war of which his natural talents are such a part, Commander Cain finds and enjoys the warm solace of a returned Cassiopeia into his life, in this deleted kiss moment- a decision presumably ordered by the TV censor for the original two-parter The Living Legend, who may have deemed Cain to be too old to kiss her in front of younger prime time audiences!

'MISSION GALACTICA' AT 41: GALACTICA ATTACKED!

Briefly ignoring the direct retreat order of Baltar, the massive Cylon Assault squadron tasked with destroying the Galactica deals the Colonial vessel a mighty blow and 'A Fire in Space', thanks to two suicidal Raiders packed with explosives, one of which has hit the bridge area and seriously injured Commander Adama!

'MISSION GALACTICA' AT 41: CYLONS ATTACKED!

The Gamoray City command centre of Cylons and Cylon technicians takes a Colonial blaster beating from the now discovered presence of Starbuck and Boomer, in this great image used for promotional purposes with Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack.

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE REALITIES OF SURVIVAL!

Two great men with wildly contrasting leadership styles and viewpoints during a dark time for humanity. Nonetheless, the chemistry and friendship between Commanders Adama and Cain in their chalk and cheese relationship is another compelling ingredient to be enjoyed in The Living Legend.

'MISSION GALACTICA' AT FORTY-ONE!

Black and white advert for Mission.

The heroes of the Colonial Fleet (many of them looking unrecognisable - perhaps due to actors likeness payment issues, save for Lorne Greene, the major star of the series who had to be in the marketing) get ready for the Cylon threat ahead and above them, in this great poster art for the theatrical release of Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack, which celebrates its UK release Forty-First Anniversary this month.

German release trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXaeMuJBT-0

Great May 1980 colour back page advert for the London release, as seen in MARVEL's Star Wars Weekly comic no less!

In London, the film, deliberately released to box office cash-in on the arrival of the first Star Wars sequel in theatres- The Empire Strikes Back, debuted in spectacular style at the Empire Leicester Square theatre (and opposite to the Odeon Leicester Square, which was exclusively showing TESB). And like the original Battlestar Galactica released a year earlier, Mission had the memorable 'Sensurround' treatment added to it- your seat and ear drums certainly feeling the effects of a Colonial Viper blasting out of its launch tube!

With thanks to John Johnson for selected information and scans.

'GALACTICA 1980' AT 40: JAMIE'S WILD ADVENTURES!

Adding the necessary human point of view to our Galactica heroes secret arrival on Earth would be the lovely actress Robyn Douglass, playing investigative TV news reporter Jamie Hamilton, soon aiding their cause and helping/shielding the Colonial people's children where possible. Douglass would make an impressive debut in Galactica 1980's overall enjoyable three-part launch story, Galactica Discovers Earth, though her character was ill-served for the rest of the mostly disappointing short-lived series. Audio producer Daniel Earnshaw has since worked alongside the lively actress/model in putting together an audio memoir of her film/TV career, especially incorporating her work on Galactica 1980.

Released to co-incide with the Fortieth Anniversary of the love-it-or-hate-it series, Messages for the Future is available on CD and download.

Check out the details here:
http://www.colonialfleets.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18850

Preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=-xzgiWOTwnw&feature=emb_logo

'GALACTICA 1980' AT 40: PERILOUS ENCOUNTER!

In his prior Colonial Warrior life, he'd never worried about himself or others shooting down Cylon Centurions, but when it comes to his long time friend in 'adjusted' Cy the Cylon, Starbuck is concerned for it/his well-being, the robot having been the 'Friday' to his intergalactic 'Robinson Crusoe', in Galactica 1980's last but finest episode: The Return of Starbuck.

'GALACTICA 1980' AT 40: SABOTAGE!

Trapped in deep space, Troy and Dillon have no choice but to perform some perilous outside space repairs on their two-man viper, resultant sabotage created by the evil colonial fugitive Commander Xavier, in one of the few memorable scenes from the Galactica 1980 episode, Spaceball.

'GALACTICA 1980' AT 40: THE 'NEXT' CYLON...

The evolution of the Cylons takes a new turn with a human-looking centurion commander, Andromus (played by Universal TV series favourite Roger Davis), crash-landed on Earth with a centurion, and searching for a way to contact their kind from the bizarre realms of New York City in order to launch an attack on this hidden human world, in the two-part Galactica 1980 story The Night the Cylons Landed, a great idea sadly not really realised for its full dramatic worth and a story too comedic by its climax, due to the nature of the programme now being geared towards a younger audience time slot.

The idea of human-looking Cylons was a potentially chilling one, and too good to not be used by writer/producer Ronald D. Moore, successfully integrating the concept into his gritty noughties, post-9/11 re-imagining of the series.

'GALACTICA 1980' AT 40: 'CONQUEST OF THE EARTH'!

Though my ten-year old self was disappointed that my favourite heroes in Apollo and Starbuck were not coming back to the new series of Battlestar Galactica airing on US TV in 1980, the idea of the Rag Tag fleet finally finding Earth, in Galactica 1980, still caught my interest. The Starlog magazine coverage for the new series at first seemed relatively encouraging, too. And when it was announced that a selection of episodes were being released as a theatrical compilation in Europe, as had been done with BG's Saga of a Star World and The Living Legend/ Fire in Space, my hopes and anticipation were higher spirited, especially as no indication had been given that the new series had actually been bought yet for UK screenings.

Then followed the above great art/photo composite poster, which, for the most part, actually ended up being better and more exciting to witness than the total onscreen edited mess, UK 1981 released, that was ultimately to be Conquest of the Earth!

The poster also made a terrific cover to the rare Japanese laserdisc release! With thanks to John Johnson.

CLASSIC IMAGE: A MAN FOR ALL PEOPLES!

He'll be forever celebrated for his role as 'Father of the Fleet' in Commander Adama, but fans of Canadian star Lorne Greene's impressive career before Galactica will be thrilled with this news sent in by audio producer Daniel Earnshaw of two rare plays featuring the much-loved actor that are now available, and will surely prove of great interest.

Full details here:

http://www.colonialfleets.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18784

Audio clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvLk6j9NC0s&feature=youtu.be

CLASSIC IMAGE: APOLLO BLASTS OUT!

Confident and ready to do his duty as a top Viper pilot, Captain Apollo prepares to launch his ship into space, in this great image from Saga of a Star World.

Audio producer Daniel Earnshaw has kindly let me know about his work linked to the much-missed Richard Hatch's two-disc memoirs audio book.

Available on double CD and iTunes from Explore Multimedia, check out the details:

http://www.colonialfleets.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18327

Preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUxMJtYVXCw&feature=emb_logo

FACETS OF SHEBA!

Her father's driven daughter indeed when it comes to fighting tin-plated Cylons. Nonetheless, through the course of the Galactica series, the lovely Sheba (as played by Anne Lockhart) would also show the caring and vulnerable sides to her nature alongside her new Colonial comrades. Regular contributor Wiilie T provides a fine image collation showcasing the character. in all her facets.

CLASSIC IMAGE: INTO THE NIGHT...

Truly the space version of a formidable modern day air carrier, the might Battlestar Galactica is seen here in another great angle showing the craft's detail and militaristic beauty whilst heading out into space, continuing its epic search for the Thirteenth Tribe.

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE MOMENT OF TRUTH!

He may soon be hip deep in battle with the Cylons, but Starbuck's viper piloting skills will surely prove as adept as ever, in this great shot from Saga of a Star World rarely seen beyond its TOPPS card appearance of 1978. The shot looks like it was taken in the Galactica's landing bay.

CLASSIC ART: LEADERS AND WARRIORS!

The original Galactica series couldn't have had better, or more inspiring heroes, for seventies audiences (and beyond) to enjoy than Commander Adama, Apollo and Starbuck, as presented in this great fan art. If anyone knows the name of the artist, please get in touch.

CLASSIC ART: BEHOLD THE BRIDGE!

One of the most expensive sets ever constructed for a TV series of that time - the Galactica's bridge - is as well realized in this highly detailed behind the tech art as in it was with its onscreen construction. This art is presumably work for that publishing project that never happened? If anyone knows the artist or has more info, please get in touch.