INSIDE THE KINGDOM OF THE OVIONS!

The discovery of the Ovion civilisation inside the Tylium mine caverns of Carillon sees Apollo and his recon party encounter the aliens' mysterious Queen leader, Lotay, in a reshot sequence from Saga of a Star World.

It's a shame that the series couldn't reveal more alien creatures during its singular season run.

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE ORIGINAL 'SAGA' VILLAINS!

A true image gathering of the terrifying creatures encountered by our Colonial Heroes from the original pilot episode, Saga of a Star World, where the Cylons (and their Imperious Leader) were genuinely scary in their intent to destroy humanity, and the Ovions strikingly creepy as they attempted to eat the Twelve Colonies survivors within the underground depths of their Carillon-based casino.

CLASSIC ART: DEATH TO THE OVIONS!

The classic Marvel Comics Galactica series had some very memorable action-orientated covers to win over readers, but here's one that sadly never made it, the original planned version for issue three, which was adapting Saga of a Star World, and sees our heroic Starbuck stealing the limelight as he fights the cannibal Ovions deep within their creepy lair on Carillon. 

Inking art by Jeff Aclin, who originally posted this piece on his Instagram page a while back.

MUSIC FOR A ROYAL AUDIENCE!

Seetol and her workers from the onscreen scene of Saga of a Star World.

A Queen loves nothing more than being entertained by her minions, especially the alien Ovion Queen known as Seetol (played by stuntwoman/actress Sandra Gimpel, best known in 1960's Star Trek as playing the first alien monster in The Man Trap), enjoying the adoration brought to her, and delighted to be in league with the Cylons in capturing the human race for their unique dinner menu. Fine alien monsters created for Saga of a Star World.

Images from the original, more eerie looking filming before the re-shoot on a revised set previously used for the underground lair corridor.

CLASSIC IMAGE: INTO THE REALM OF THE OVIONS!

Deep in the bowels of the mystery world of Carillon, an insectoid Ovion mine worker leads his Colonial visitors in a trek across the bridge entrance to the alien race's underground realm of power and nightmares in this unseen angle/moment from Saga of a Star World that ultimately made it to TOPPS card form in 1978.

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: CREEPY COVER STAR!

The hybrid Cylons made amazing cover stars promoting Galactica in the realms of science fiction magazines of the day, now it was time for one of the creepy insectoid Ovions to get in on some of the glory, in this great cover to the seminal Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine.

'GALACTICA' AT 40: STARBUCK AND BOXEY TO THE RESCUE!

Having rescued a now all-forgiving Cassiopeia from a grisly fate (though her demise was originally conceived in the first scripts), Starbuck (with Boxey in tow) takes on a Cylon (or more than one) in an action sequence set in the Ovion mines that never made it to the final cut, or was re-shot on a new set alongside Richard Hatch as Apollo, as part of material later directed by Alan J. Levi before he commenced directorial duties on Gun on Ice Planet Zero.

A shot taken in rehearsal- note the Cylon's red eye isn't on.

Numerous publicity photos were also taken of that day's scene filming (on a set barely seen in the finished film or pilot version), which would promo the alien Ovions, a Cylon Warrior, and Noah Hathaway as Boxey with Dirk Benedict as Starbuck. These images would become well known worldwide.

'GALACTICA' AT 40: THE NEXT TASTY DISH...

She deliberately chose to miss out on the celebrations of the three Colonial warriors, which included Starbuck, but being captured by Ovions and then made ready for consumption by their young wasn't what former Socialator Cassiopeia had on her mind that evening, either, in this scary photo used for the international promotion of the theatrical version of Saga of a Star World.

'GALACTICA' AT 40: COLONIALS ON THE MENU!

They've discovered the Cylons' presence on Carillon, and now our heroes discover the hideous truth about the many disappeared resort guests who never made it back to their homes and peoples to tell them of their gambling experiences. 'The Ovions have been living off them!'

A chilling moment from Saga of a Star World.

'GALACTICA' AT 40: 'DEATHTRAP!'

The secret Cylon garrison hiding in the lower levels of the Carillon mines have now been discovered, and young Boxey and Muffit have walked straight into them, in this memorable cover art by Dave Cockrum to issue three of the Marvel Comic adaptation of Saga of a Star World, in their monthly Battlestar Galactica comic.

'GALACTICA' AT 40: IN THE REALM OF THE OVIONS!

Another of the great conceptual paintings for the pilot episode from the late, great icon Ralph McQuarrie- this time showing us the major scale of the insectoid Ovions underground colony and its mining system.

'GALACTICA' AT 40: ENCOUNTERING THE OVIONS!

That darn daggit! 

Boxey gets an unpleasant surprise whilst looking for the wayward Muffey on the dark skied world of Carillon, in a tense moment with the Ovions, from Saga of a Star World.

'GALACTICA' AT 40: $14,000,000 WELL SPENT!

We've seen international variations, but here's the original American/Canadian poster release for the theatrical version of Saga of A Star World from 1978, and it's still a terrific poster too, capturing all the exciting elements of Glen A. Larson's galactic adventure, showcasing man's struggle to survive the might of the deadly Cylons.

BEHIND THS SCENES: OVION SCREEN TEST!

A rare shot of an Ovion without its coverings, presumably at the Apogee effects facility/warehouse in Van Nuys, for some kind of practical test, from Saga of a Star World.

CLASSIC IMAGE: PREPARING FOR SLAUGHTER!

Down in the lower, lower depths of the Ovion Casino resort, Queen Lotay consorts with the Cylon Commander in charge of the garrison there, counting the microns until all of the Galactica's human warriors are secured and ready to be killed... or eaten, in this unseen angle, likely a rehearsal image, from Saga of a Star World.

CLASSIC IMAGE: TO A MEETING WITH ROYALTY...

In the depths of Carillon, Serina, Jolly and Apollo are escorted to meet Queen Lotay in her private chamber, in a deleted scene moment from Saga of a Star World.

DELETED SCENE: NEW SURROUNDINGS!

Captured by the mysterious Ovions, young Boxey is brought to their underground lair, in this deleted scene, one of several linked to the alien creatures, from Saga of a Star World.

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.

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.