Maybe I'm a Neanderthal, but I just don't see it. Critics and fans are praising the new
Battlestar Galactica, which it's plain to see is one of the best shows on television. It has been many years since a science fiction show has come along that is so compelling. But amidst the steady stream of critical praise comes the constant statements that the original
Galactica was so
obviously a "'Star Wars' rip-off" when it aired in 1979.
I just don't see it.
This is the same logic that says that "Star Wars" and
Star Trek are pretty much the same, or that
Babylon 5 and
Deep Space Nine were copying one another because they both took place on space stations. It's painting the entire genre with such a broad brush as to be embarrassing. Might as well call
Lost a rip-off of
NYPD Blue because they are both dramas.
Take, for example, a recent review at
Blogcritics.org:
"I speak as one who remembers the original 1978 cheesefest quite well. It goes without saying that the show was a slavish Star Wars knockoff, with only a fleeting trace of originality -- the idea that the characters were searching for the mythic cradle of their race, Planet Earth. ... But as a worthwile show in its own right -- oy, it was yet another demonstration of why people who've never read anything from the genre should be legally barred from ever writing SF."
Well, let's see: Both "Star Wars" (which, in 1979, had only seen the release of the original film) and the original
Galactica had space ships in outer space. Both had single-pilot fighter craft with pointy noses (the X-Wing and the Viper). Both had sweeping, orchestral scores. Both had brash, handsome, hot-shot pilots with long hair (hey, it was the 70s). Both had bad guys with big, outer space bases (the Imperial Death Star and the Cylon Base Star).
And that Muffit thing? Obviously a low-budget Chewbacca rip-off. Those Cylon robots? Just R2-D2 and C3PO gone bad.
Really, the similarities between the two shows are common to the genre, and in some cases virtually archetypal (the handsome young space hero with a ray gun). The real question is: What are these two stories
about?
One is about a misfit kid learning that he has a destiny as part of the greater universe; the other is about a genocidal attack on all of humankind by an old enemy. One is about new friendships forged through adversity, rescuing a princess and destroying a new weapon that threatens the galaxy. The other is about surviving a decimating attack and fleeing into deep space in the hope of saving the human race -- and finding its roots.
The new
Battlestar Galactica is terrific television -- and the original series was, too, for what it was (something very different than its grown-up sister). But "Star Wars" they ain't. Please, reviews writers, get your heads out of the 1979 press archives and go look for yourself.
And no,
Lost isn't a cheap
Gilligan's Island knock-off, either.
Born to be a Stargate fan, Darren started GateWorld in 1999. In addition to personal and freelance
Web work he is also a writer, a graduate student in theology, a husband and a father of two. He is a big fan
of genre hits like Star Trek, Babylon 5, Farscape, LOST, and Battlestar Galactica.
LOL @ the Lost/Gilligans Island comparison! You know there is merit in that one *eg*
For me, as a kid watching Battlestar Galactica the first time around, it was mind blowing. It wasn't the story lines as such. It was seeing something on TV, in your living room, EVERY WEEK that previously you'd only got to see on a big screen, if you were lucky enough to get your parents to take you. On that score it was like having Star Wars in your living room, but only in terms of the special effects. Which I know seem really outdated now, but they were fantastic for the time. You just didn't get that sort of thing on the small screen.
I saw Star Wars when it first came out and I watched Battlestar Galactica in it's first incarnation. I thought both were great, but never once did it occur to me that BSG was a copy of Star Wars. Imagine my surprise, when the second incarnation of BSG came out, and I started reading that the original was a Star Wars ripoff.
It's amazing the lengths some people will go to in order to complain that something is a rip off of something else. "OMG! They both have ROBOTS! WHAT A RIP OFF!!" Or "Look! this guy and that guy both have DIMPLES! THE THIEVES!"
Anything can be stolen if you try hard enough. In fact, Darren, I accuse you of stealing someone's thread from the forum and posting it here as your own. I mean, they're both about BSG! You plagiarist! ;)
So if Lost were a Gilligan's Island rip off would Kate be more of a Mary Ann or a Ginger? Hurley would be the Mr. Howe sans the Mrs. Charlie would make a good Gilligan, well Gilligan as a junkie. I guess Jack would be the professor. But who would be the skipper? ;)
I've noticed a complete and total lack of originallity in critiques. Which is a bit ironic but we will dismiss that for the moment. I sometimes wonder if reviewers and I are watching the same show. So, I decided to start reviewing things for my blog. My first review being on the crapfest of a movie they call The Fog. No, BSG is not Star Wars because I KNOW Star Wars. I think that critics are just stupid and assume "Oh its a Scifi project it must be Star Wars or Star Trek."
If Lost is Gilligan's Island...
Skipper- Jack and/or Locke (both think they know what's best for everyone)
Gilligan- Charlie (although more first season than second)
Mr. Howell- Boone (rich and kinda clueless)
Mrs. Howell- Shannon (snooty, rich and likewise clueless)
Ginger- Kate (it's all about her)
Mary Ann- Claire (sweet girl next door)
Professor- Sayid (good with gadgets)
Gads I think I am one of the few Sci-Fi fans that was actually NOT ga-ga over Star Wars...I know weird... But Put Star Trek on the screen and you can't pull me away :-)
Although having seen all of Star Wars twice, once on Big screen and then on my own DVDs I do enjoy it but NEVER did it ever cross my mind that BSG TOS was even remotely like it....^_^ do these reviewers actually watch the shows or do they send out an assistant who then comes back and says...."Well You remember how Star Wars had those space ships that held only one pilot and they had that HUGE Death star ....well its sortof like that.... 'cause BSG TOS has these vipers and this big Base Star...yadda yadda yadda"
The new BSG..is exceptional Sci-Fi television! But since Sharon is having a baby...I wonder when same said Critic asst...will come in saying..."Well you remember that show *Friends* and you had this group of dysfunctional people that seemed to interact in really strange ways...Well you know how there was Joey who always seemed a bit off and was oversexed...Baltar is kidof that way and you know how Ross had issues with his Dad well its kind of the same with Lee and his Dad and the girls well....yadda yadda yadda"
I think it has to do with the fact that BSG was obviously cashing in on the sucess of Star Wars. Don't look so much at the writing side of things, but the presentation of the show. Scenes of Starbuck running down coridoors firing back over his shoulder with a laser gun at the cylons stumbling through doors - Han Solo running through the Death Star doing the same thing but against Stormies. Vipers and Raiders furbulling - very similiar to X-Wings and TiE fighters duking it out.
In fact, I believe one of their artists actually worked on Star Wars? Or had something to do with how the space battles were done? I remember reading something about how Lucasfilm even tried to take legal action against them due to the similiarities.
It's easy to draw comparisons between them on the surface, even more so with the fact that they both happened around the same time.
Ultimately, who cares. SciFI is the only genre that has real stories and plots and character development. Also, the only genre that has dignified, full-fledged on-going roles for Black Actors. Thankgod our cable provider discoverd SCi-FI a few years ago. As to BSG, I find the exposition a big murky. Or maybe crucial scenes end up on the cutting room floor or these days the delete button. I much prefer the two Stargates.
Amen brother!
(And what do you mean "Lost" isn't a cheap "Gilligan's Isle" ripoff!? What the heck am I watching it for then?)
Happy Birthday, Darren! Blessings to you for the big 3-0 and thanks for all you do to make GateWorld a fun place to hang out!
OregonJen :-)