It looks like the war between Cylon and human will be resurrected by NBC in the near future. The new NBC streaming channel, recently named Peacock, will carry a new Battlestar series when the channel launches in the near future.
Esmail To Exec Produce
Sam Esmail, the creator behind the series Mr Robot, will executive produce the new series for the streaming service. Esmail says the new series follows the 2004, Ron Moore, series not the original 1978 television series that ran for one season. Esmail said the following to say:
“BSG fans, this will NOT be a remake of the amazing series @RonDMoore launched because … why mess with perfection? Instead, we’ll explore a new story within the mythology while staying true to the spirit of Battlestar. So say we all!”
Sam Esmail via twitter
The Hollywood Reporter claims the series will be updated, more modern version of the 2004 series. This usually bodes well for shows, but one thing the 2004 series did not lack was the ability for it to slide its fingers into modern day issues and address them without being heavy handed and preachy. No writers have been announced to cover the project, so its actual release for the new Peacock streaming service remains unclear.
Galactica By Any Other Name
So it sounds as if this new Battlestar series will reside in the same time line as the 2004 version, but take a different route to tell the story. This will not be unheard of. In the 2004 series the Battlestar Pegasus joined Galactica on her journey for a few episodes before all hell broke loose.
While the show preaches Galactica as the final Battlestar and group of humans, nothing says a different Battlestar split from the Colonial fleet. Perhaps it underwent repairs with inactive computers during the attack, or she simply flew a mission in another quadrant during the attack . The trick remains how does one copy a bar setting show like the 2004 series without feeling like a direct copy?
Is the New Battlestar Series Set To Fail?
The thought of more Battlestar Galactica at the quality of the 2004 Moore series makes the mouth water. Many consider that show amongst the greatest Sci-fi television ever created. Can this new Battlestar series hold a candle to 2004? That remains a very high bar to achieve, especially when you cannot use Galactica or its stand out crew. It can be done, but the going will not be easy. Also, how do you name the show if Galactica does not take part? Creators tried with Caprica, but that show lasted only one season.
The other problem with the new Battlestar series belongs to its home. It airs on the NBC STREAMING SERVICE! For those not keeping track, by the time Peacock releases, we will have Hulu, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, CBS All Access, DC, HBO Max, Apple and I am sure I’m missing a couple. Will veiwers pay for yet ANOTHER streaming service?
Life After Death?
Currently 12 shows make up the Peacock line up. The most notable names are Punky Brewster, Battlestar and Saved By the Bell. Battlestar will draw attention, but as of right now, I’m not sure Peacock exudes much prime viewing. You can look here for the full list of Peacock shows.
Several of the 2004 Moore series character arcs dealt with death and life after. Should the show fail because the streaming service did not draw viewers yet the series receives praise, could life after cancellation still happen?
You bet! The main network channels notoriously order sci-fi and fantasy shows, but they rarely hang onto them past their first season. Ratings may be decent, but they remain too low for the snobbish networks. Cable channels often rush in and grab these shows because they garner enough attention that ratings look very good when placed in the cable field. SyFy, CW, USA, among others, rescue these shows and enjoy the popularity that comes with them.
