'GALACTICA 1980': STRANGERS IN A STRANGE LAND!

It's a world that's surely stranger than anything they've ever encountered before. Nonetheless, Galactica's Earthbound recon team of Troy and Dillion must investigate with their arrival in the land called the United States, in these great images from the (still) mostly disappointing Galactica 1980.

The photo blow-up Colonial Viper is put into position on location.

'MISSION' AT 45: THE SPACE FIRE FIGHTERS!

With time running out, Apollo and Starbuck begin a desperate mission outside the Galactica.

With the fire raging out of control within the Galactica, and critical systems about to extinguish, a bold plan, from the mind of the injured Adama, sees Apollo and Starbuck in spacesuits line the hull of the Battlestar's hull with explosives at key points, so as to detonate and flood the shop with the vacuum of space. The plan, though hugely dangerous, proves a success and the fire is put out, but not before Starbuck makes a daring space leap to rescue his friend during the mission's final phase.

Loaded with explosives, the space suit wearing Apollo goes to worl.

Starbuck lays his own separate charges across the vessel.

Setting the Solenite charges.

Starbuck makes a rescue leap to the now out of control Apollo.

The explosions are a success and the fires inside are soon put out.

Our heroes, now in space, are soon rescued by shuttle, thanks to the observant Sheba in her Viper.

As Adama recovers from touch-and-go surgery in the Life Station, our heroes ponder with hope that Cain and the Pegasus might have survived their battle with the Cylon Basestars...

We hope you've enjoyed our coverage of Mission: Galactica - The Cylon Attack in it's 45th Anniversary...

'MISSION' AT 45: NO TURNING BACK...

International lobby card.

With the Galactica's Alpha Landing Bay incapacitated and most of the its Viper squadrons aboard the Pegasus, the loyal and bold Captain Apollo is not surprised to discover that Cain's original plan to lead the Cylon task force away from the Colonial Fleet was never actually going to happen, and that instead he'd be going after Baltar's hide, the human traitor currently protected by his three Cylon Basestars.

As an unbelievable wave of enemy shops begins its approach to the Pegasus, Apollo shares his concerns that many brave young pilots won't survive such a head-on punch through of the Cylon armada, but Cain, whom Apollo once admired for his supreme battle tactics and courage, remains resilient in his new strategy, which will ultimately succeed, but not before any non essential personnel and wounded (including Bojay) are evacuated by shuttles to the Galactica...

A memorable scene well played onscreen by Lloyd Bridges and Richard Hatch,

'MISSION' AT 45: WELCOMING THE IMPERIOUS LEADER!

The Imperious Leader (voiced agains by Patrick Macnee) addresses his robot minions.

It's an auspicious occasion for the Cylons of Gamoray as the latest version of their Imperious Leader (once more voiced by British icon Patrick Macnee) arrives on that world to officially dedicate and celebrate their newly created base and the planet's vital and significant position in the Cylon powerbase.

The Leader will soon be shocked by the destruction wrought to the city by Colonial Warriors!

In a deleted scene sequence, the two IL Series Cylons discuss the Cylons' destruction of the Delphinians but managed to keep their city buildings intact, notably the great hall they are currently in. They also discuss the Cylons ongoing war efforts across the universe (clearly, the Cylons have other enemies beyond the humans whom they wish to destroy), and the last attack by Cain and his warriors on the city, of which clear-up operations have only just been completed before the arrival of their Imperious Leader.

Cylon IL civilians discuss the event.

A Gold Command Centurion heralds their leader's arrival at the space dome.

The Imperious Leader walks to his podium, watched by his fellow Cylons.

'MISSION' AT 45: MORALE SUPPORT!

Relieved of his command by Adama, his superior officer, due to his willful destruction of the Cylon Tankers, Cain seeks solace with some vintage ambrosia in the Officer's Lounge of the Galactica, where he is soon supported by his two finest warriors, his daughter Sheba and Bojay. Both share his frustrations and sadness, pledging support to aid him in any possible way, despite the potential air of treason that the duo's actions could cause...

'GALACTICA 1980': COLONIAL ROADSTER...

Strangers in a strange land, indeed, as Troy prepares to join his long time friend and fellow Colonial Warrior Dillion in exploring the mysterious realms of America, in a scene from the original launch adventure, Galactica Discovers Earth.

CLASSIC ART: TROUBLE ON THE FLIGHT DECK!

A rampaging animal is on the loose within the environs of the Galactica, but all is not what it seems after a prior Colonial expedition to an alien world. Memorable cover art, in the best action-packed Marvel tradition, by Bill Sienkiewicz and Klaus Janson, for the series' all-too brief US comic run - issue 17, from 1980.

'GALACTICA:1980': INTRODUCING THE NEW SERIES...

Despite the huge loss of Apollo and Starbuck, Galactica fans must surely have been excited for the then upcoming new series that was Galactica 1980, of which this US TV Guide magazine publicity looked intriguing enough to get viewers watching its opening installments. But such potential promise wasn't to last, as the series became too restricted and noticeably too budget strapped in its soon family audience format.

WEARING 'GALACTICA'!

I don't know if this terrific item of clothing was actually available beyond the UK, but I was a proud owner of one of these terrific Galactica jackets during 1980/81, which was a birthday present from my mum back in the day, ordered from this actual advert that was in Look-In magazine (in fact, I looked a lot like the kid in the advert!). The back of the jacket showed the terrific movie poster art, and I even remember wearing it when the family went to Los Angeles and saw The Battle of Galactica theme park adventure at Universal Studios, in early April 1980. Such great nostalgic days they were...

CLASSIC ART: EXPLORING CALIFORNIA!

Finally, the Colonial fleet has located that mythical planet of Earth, but they'll get a shock when they discover just what its populace and technology are like, as Galactican scouts Troy and Dillon soon discover in this great cover art by David Schleinkofer for the 1980 Berkley Books' Battlestar Galactica novel 5: Galactica Discovers Earth, adapted and expanded by Glen A. Larson and Michael Resnick. Whether one likes Galactica 1980 or not, the cover art is better than most of the actual onscreen adventures of that short-lived season.

CLASSIC IMAGE: BEWARE THE IMPERIOUS LEADER!

The adjusted visage of one of the villainous leaders and schemers of the Cylon Race - the Imperious Leader, used for series marketing purposes, primarily as seen in a classic TV commercial and photo shoot promoting Universal Studios' then super-fun adventure ride The Battle of Galactica, back in 1980/81.

CLASSIC ART: IN A REALM OF FANTASY AND COMBAT!

Fantasy adventure meets intergalactic battle for Apollo in this great cover to the fourth book in the original Battlestar Galactica book series from Berkley Books, expanding the charming 1978/79 tale by Donald Bellisario, Frank Lupo and Paul Playdon of The Young Warriors, by Glen A. Larson and Robert Thurston. 

Another stunning art piece by David Schleinkofer, even though it should be Starbuck firing away as the stranded hero of the story rather than Apollo.

GALACTICA 1980: VALUED ADVICE!

Truly the elder statesman leader of the Colonial Fleet, Commander Adama has thankfully survived to see humanity reach the long lost world of Earth. His help and advice on how to interact with the people of that world, now revealed as not being of high technological advance, is needed more than ever, as he confers with the grown up Troy in an episodic moment from Galactica 1980.

CLASSIC IMAGE: STARBUCK THE DESTRUCTOR!

Starbuck loves nothing better than wiping out Cylons, and now he gets the chance to wipe out hundreds of them, and within one of their greatest cities on Gamoray, in this scene from part two of The Living Legend. 

A great image used for the French promotion of Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack in cinemas during1979/80

CLASSIC ART: UNDER ATTACK!

It may have had the briefest of runs, but it was always a great thrill when a new Marvel Comics issue of Galactica was released via my London-based comic shops during 1979. The excellent covers promising all the thrills, action and adventure we wanted. This was one of my particular favourite covers - I can't resist a good series space battle - and another splendid piece of work from Walt Simonson during that era.

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,

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'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.

'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.