'GALACTICA 1980': EARTH EXPLORATIONS!

The skies of Earth are now penetrated by a different kind of flying vehicle than the norm - the Colonial Vipers of the Battlestar Galactica, newly arrived to carefully check out the human civilisation and assess its technological strength, in a nice effects composite shot from Galactica 1980.

'GALACTICA 1980': INTRODUCING ROBYN DOUGLASS!

We all wanted Galactica 1980 to succeed back in the day, but it failed in so many ways to capture the spirit of the original series. Thankfully, at least, we had the lovely former model Robyn Douglass as some visual compensation, portraying Jamie Hamilton, the essential human aide and reporter to our Colonial heroes as they discovered Earth.

'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 MERCHANDISE: A VHS TOUCHDOWN IN OZ!

Outside the UK and US, we've not had the chance to cover the series popularity in other territories, so its great to see these Australian VHS releases from back in the day (circa early 2000's, as the format was starting to die out), released there by Universal Playback. Though it's sadly more than clear, however, that the company had no idea (or were that too bothered) about getting the right photography for the represented episodes, showcased by their using an image from Galactica: 1980 for the original series two-parter War of the Gods.

It would be great to hear back from any Australian fans about what has been fully released there over the years on VHS, Beta and other formats...

'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.

'GALACTICA 1980': THE FUTURE IS HERE!

That long lost shiny planet of Earth has been found and now the next generation of Galacticans must engage in its culture, as the Cylon menace returns to threaten all humanity. A nice promo card apparently used by ABC TV to promote the short lived Galactica 1980 series, promising much with its diverse mixture of old and new.

It's a shame that the exciting card was actually more interesting and intriguing than the actual show itself, in many ways!

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.

'GALACTICA 1980': THE CYLONS ARE BACK!

Having followed the Colonials for years, the Cylons once more begin their attacks on the rag-tag fleet, one of its superior advanced attack craft, and its wingmen, going in against the Gemini freighter holding many of the human fleet's children, in this tense scene, and recomposited optical work, from The Super Scouts.

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.

'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.

'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.

GALACTICA 1980: BIKE FLIGHT!

Bemused by an aggressive gang of bikers plaguing their exploration of Los Angeles, Troy and Dillion take to the skies in their advance flying bikes, in a scene shot with back projection from Galactica 1980. Intriguingly, these vehicles were devised for the original series but were never used until its kid-friendly successor.

GALACTICA 1980: THE NEXT HEROES...

They were never able to replace our original heroes in Apollo and Starbuck, but Troy and Dillon were adequate enough as series leads for the subsequent and short-lived GALACTICA 1980.

GALACTICA 1980: "OKAY, WHO BROUGHT THE ROBOT?"

It was The Night the Cylons Landed, of which one of its kind certainly survived crashing down to Earth, bearing a mission imperative to let the rest of the Cylon fleet know of humanity's existence on the planet.

Sadly, despite being not a bad story idea, the two-part episode (adapted into the feature movie Conquest of the Earth) was mostly played for laughs, especially as seen here, when the Centurion arrives at a Halloween party (attended by the likes of Wolfman Jack no less!) and is looked over by Val Bisoglio's character of Arnie.

GALACTICA 1980: CONQUEST OF THE EARTH (UK STYLE!)

It sure looks like Galactican warriors Troy and Dillion are on their own as the Cylon attack on Earth, 1980, begins, in the exciting UK movie poster art for CONQUEST OF THE EARTH eventually used for the CIC Video rental release back in the day. Great art- I just wish the cobbled together from three episodes "movie" had ultimately been better!

If anyone has a better quality scan of this image, please get in touch.

GALACTICA 1980: BACK, BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT...

Despite the always excellent STARLOG magazine's May 1980 issue importantly heralding a new series of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, and despite the welcome presence of sexy Robyn Douglass as human liaison Jamie, GALACTICA 1980 ultimately proved not to be the series we actually, really wanted- a rushed to conception format, which changed by its second story, that lacked most of its original stars.

STARLOGGED - GEEK MEDIA AGAIN: 1980: GALACTICA 1980 - ROBYN DOUGLASS INTERVIEW (Starlog Magazine)