From the mid-70's towards the end of the '80's, most one-hour dramas on U.S. television opened with a "teaser" trailer showing a quick succession of highlights from the upcoming episode. Stand-alone shows (non-serial dramas) and even prime-time soaps like Dallas opened with "teasers". These "teasers" usually ranged in length from 30 seconds to 1 minute. When a show made it to syndication, it was always a bit of a letdown to see that the "teaser" had been removed, no doubt to make room for commercials. When television shows began being released on DVD in the early 2000's, it was great to see many long-gone "teasers" restored - often being seen again for the first time in decades. Also - sometimes inexplicably - shows that HAD "teasers" originally but they were not included on the subsequent DVD releases - I'm looking at youGreatest American Hero and Max Headroom - where did the "teaser" trailers for these great shows disappear to?
One of the better aspects of Ron Moore's "re-imagined" Battlestar Galactica (2004 - 2009) was the use of a "teaser" trailer at the **end** of the opening credits - a fast clip of upcoming scenes were shown without dialogue - very similar to the eclectric !This Episode! trailers that appeared during the opening title sequence of the first Season of Space: 1999.
Would it be too much of a throwback if a new sci-fi show premiered in the 21st Century - and each episode opened with a "teaser"? What do you think - too retro? Maybe so, but I would love it if opening "teaser" trailers made a comeback.
Below are 3 all-time great opening "teasers" that are well-worth viewing -
1) Buck Rogers in the 25th Century - "Space Vampire"
2) Battlestar Galactica - "Fire in Space"
3) Voyagers! - "Jack's Back"
All 3 of these great classic TV shows were produced by Universal Studios - either by coincidence or design, the most memorable opening "teasers" were produced by Universal! :-)
-
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
- "Space Vampire"
Battlestar Galactica - "Fire in Space"
Voyagers! - "Jack's Back"
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Battlestar Galactica and Voyagers! are copyright (c) and trademark NBC / Universal.
...the brilliant and unforgettable ending of Dark Star (1974); written by John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon; directed by John Carpenter. View it on YouTube HERE -
1987 newspaper ad for the premiere of Beauty and the Beast - "Once Upon a Time...in the City of New York"
One of my all time favorite television shows is Beauty and the Beast (1987 - 90). I loved it then, and I love it now (yes - even Season 3!). Beauty and the Beast is easily one of the best shows of the 1980's and was "the" cult show to watch at the time (for the first season at least).
TRIVIA:
Beauty and the Beast premiered on Friday, Sept. 25, 1987. Only one day later (in most markets), Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered on Saturday, Sept. 26, 1987.
Check out this great music video set to Celine Dion's cover of the famous Roy Orbison song "I Drove All Night". This is one of the few fan-made Beauty and the Beast music videos that emphasizes the fun and excitement of Catherine and Vincent's relationship. 5 Stars all the way for this one!
I wonder...is it just an incredible cosmic coincidence that the two GREATEST "chase" shows in TV history began exactly 15 years to the day from each other? On September 17, 1963, The Fugitive began a successful 4 year run on ABC-TV. Precisely 15 years later - on September 17, 1978, Battlestar Galactica began its (sadly, short-lived) run - also on ABC-TV. Also worth noting - every episode of Battlestar Galactica ended with a reference to The Fugitive with the famous, ("...Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny, the last Battlestar - Galactica, leads a rag-tag FUGITIVE fleet on a lonely quest...a shining planet known as Earth."). :-)
Tuesday, September 17, 1963 - The epic CHASE begins! - The Fugitive
Sunday, September 17, 1978 - The epic CHASE begins! - Battlestar Galactica
The Fugitive is copyright (c) CBS / Paramount. Battlestar Galactica is (c) copyright NBC / Universal.
January 27, 1980 was a landmark day in the history of televised science fiction. On that memorable Sunday evening, the premiere episode of GALACTICA: 1980 ("Galactica Discovers Earth", part 1) was unleashed on an unsuspecting public by ABC-TV. The script was by Glen A. Larson and directed by Sidney Hayers. Diehard BSG fans were forced to come to grips with the fact that their favorite show had been radically altered with an almost entirely new cast and a watered-down concept (time-traveling Vipers? Flying motorcycles? A smug, super-smart teenager with alien powers?). Hopefully most fans weren't **too** shell-shocked by all of these changes and stuck around throughout the night long enough to switch the channel to over to NBC...
Later, on that same evening(!!!), NBC-TV aired Part 1 of the absolutely brilliant THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES ("The Expeditions"), based on the novel by Ray Bradbury; with a script by the legendary Richard Matheson and directed by Michael Anderson.
Both of these productions are "epic" in scope to be sure, but THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES is superior in every conceivable way. This mini-series with an all-star cast - headlined by the always awesome Rock Hudson - is sci-fi at its core. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it - it's available on VHS, LaserDisc and DVD - and yes - all 3 parts can be seen in whole on YouTube (but do the DVD industry a favor and BUY the DVD!). :-)
Check out this nifty Martian Chronicles fan-made Trailer. View it onYouTube HERE:
This 90 second video is really neat...several fans teamed up awhile back and recreated the famous Battlestar Galactica ABC Movie of the Week Promo that opened the series on Sept. 17, 1978. They used the original audio track and recreated this Promo using the crystal clear footage from the DVD set.
It's interesting to note that this Promo uses sound effects from Pac-Man - nearly 2 years before the game was created!!! Pac-Man was released on May 22, 1980.
("I've got him on the left".) ("I've got him on the right.")
This 2 minute German Trailer for the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century feature film is really cool. Listen for music from Battlestar Galactica during the romantic scene between Buck and Princess Ardala! View this cool trailer HERE:
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is copyright (c) NBC / Universal.
My vote for the funniest episode of SLEDGE HAMMER is "Dori Day" afternoon - original airdate 10/24/86. This episode spoofs the Al Pacino movie Dog Day Afternoon...a true classic...24 minutes in comedy heaven can be seen on YouTube HERE -
As far as I know, besides Battlestar Galactica - Lorne Greene's only other science fiction project is the two-part 1977 ABC-TV Mini-Series The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald. This gripping "what if?" movie speculates what might have happened if Jack Ruby hadn't killed Lee Harvey Oswald. In this excellent film (written by Robert E. Thompson and directed by David Greene), Oswald is put on trial for killing JFK and Lorne Greene plays his defense attorney. Ben Gazzara ("Run For Your Life") and Frances Lee McCain (Lorraine's mother in "Back to the Future") co-star.
The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald was released on VHS and also LaserDisc back in the day - but has not been released on (legit) DVD as far as I can determine.
The entire 3-hour movie can be seen on YouTube. Don't miss this fantastic "what if?" scenario...view it HERE:
Lorne Greene
The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald is copyright (c) by Charles Fries Productions, Inc. Battlestar Galactica is copyright (c) NBC / Universal.
Photos are used for illustrative purposes only.
For fans of Battlestar Galactica, Rick Springfield will always be remembered as the doomed Lt. Zac. Zac was the first casualty of what would come to be called The Great Destruction ("Saga of A Star World"). A deleted scene from "Saga of A Star World" revealed that Zac had the highest grades in the history of the academy.
This talented actor / singer / song-writer / novelist has several science fiction productions to his credit. He appeared - an animated form - as the star of the cult-favorite Filmation Saturday morning series Mission: Magic! (1973), where he played a rock star named "Rick" who had magical powers. Springfield wrote and sang a new song for every episode of the series, which ran for 16 episodes..
Mission: Magic! - starring Rick Springfield as "Rick".
Springfield was a familiar face on sci-fi TV throughout the '70's, with guest starring roles on The Six Million Dollar Man - ("Rollback"), two episodes of Wonder Woman ("Screaming Javelins" and "Amazon Hot Wax") and The Incredible Hulk ("The Disciple"). He first worked for Glen A. Larson with a guest star role on The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries, playing Nancy Drew's boyfriend, a young lawyer named Ned Nickerson ("Will the Real Santa Claus...?").
Wonder Woman - "Screaming Javelins"
In 1989, Springfield played the lead in the absolutely fantastic 2-hour pilot movie Nick Knight. Springfield played Nick Knight, a tortured, centuries-old vampire attempting to atone for his sins as a Los Angeles police detective who (naturally) works the night shift. The concept didn't sell in its original format and was retooled in 1992 as Forever Knight with an almost entirely new cast. Welsh-born / Canadian actor Geraint Wyn-Davies assumed the role of Nick Knight. Nick Knight is available on DVD - get it! :-)
Nick Knight (1989)
Springfield's other science fiction credits include the lead role of DC Comics super-hero / man-of-a-thousand-faces, the master of disguise Christopher Chance on the short-lived 1992 TV series Human Target (why isn't this great show on DVD?!?) which ran for 7 episodes (plus an Unaired Pilot with a different supporting cast).
Human Target (1992)
He also co-starred (with Parker Stevenson and Terry Farrell) in the sci-fi / space-adventure TV movie Legion (1998).
Springfield's one (and to this date only) Science Fiction themed Music Video "Human Touch" is fantastic fun. In this video, he plays a time-traveler (via cryogenics) who thaws out in the futuristic year...2016! I've provided a YouTube link to this great video at the end of this article.
Human Touch
In 2014, Springfield wrote a science fiction novel called Magnificent Vibration (I haven't read it).
The science fiction worlds of Rick Springfield are many and varied. The man who was Lt. Zac is unstoppable!
Human Target - opening credits
Nick Knight - 20th Anniversary fan-made music video -
Human Touch - Music Video -
Battlestar Galactica is copyright (c) NBC / Universal. Misson: Magic! is copyright (c) Filmation. Nick Knight is copyright (c) New World Pictures Human Target is copyright (c) Warner Bros. Human Touch is copyright (c) Rick Springfield.
All photos are used for illustrative purposes only.
SeaQuest 2032, The Sixth Sense, Gemini Man, Misfits of Science and Darkroom. It's frustrating to see that these classic TV shows produced by Universal Studios have (thus far) only been released on DVD in Europe and Australia - but not in the U.S. or Canada. I wonder what the hold-up is? I have no idea. Anyway, if anyone who reads this might be motivated to contact Universal Studios and request a U.S. DVD release of these shows, I've provided contact information at the bottom of this post. All 5 of these Universal Studios TV shows are long overdue for DVD release in the U.S.
SeaQuest 2032
The Sixth Sense
Darkroom
Gemini Man
Misfits of Science
Universal Studios Home Entertainment 10 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608
The Fugitive ("In a Plain Paper Wrapper"); aired on April 19, 1966
Kurt Russell and his kid pals
David Janssen as The Fugitive
After a successful stint as a member of the popular musical group, The Four Preps, the late Glen A. Larson (1937 - 2014), creator of Battlestar Galactica, Knight Rider, and many other iconic TV series, broke into the writing and producing side of the entertainment business in 1965 / 66 by selling story ideas to Quinn Martin Productions for two of his biggest hits, The Fugitive and Twelve O'Clock High.
Glen A. Larson
The Fugitive episode "In a Plain Paper Wrapper" (episode #89) premiered on ABC-TV on April 19, 1966 - story by Jackson Gillis and Glen A. Larson; teleplay by John Kneubuhl; directed by the great Richard Donner. This 3rd Season episode guest stars a young Kurt Russell who, along with two of his kid pals decide to capture Dr. Kimble using a rifle they purchased from an ad in a comic book! Trivia: This was the last episode filmed for Season 3 and also the last black and white episode.
Usually, the "flashier" episodes of The Fugitivegarner the lion's share of fan attention, but I think "In a Plain Paper Wrapper" is definitely one of the better episodes of the series and a highlight of Season 3. The complete episode can be seen on YouTube and is well-worth watching. Watch it HERE:
Battlestar Galactica - ("War of the Gods", part 1) - Fembots aboard the Galactica ! :-)
There is an interesting "throwaway" scene in the Battlestar Galactica episode "War of the Gods" (part 1) which premiered on January 14, 1979. For a few seconds, a female technician in Dr. Wilker's lab is seen constructing (or perhaps repairing) a humanoid robot. The robot in question is a prop left-over from the recently cancelled The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman - both shows featured the villainous Fembots in several (quite frankly unforgettable) episodes.
Steve Austin, Jaime Sommers, Dr. Ruby Wells...and a Fembot! - The Six Million Dollar Man ("Kill Oscar", part 2)
It's fun to speculate that if Battlestar Galactica had been renewed for a 2nd Season (in its original, superior format) that an ongoing storyline might have featured humanoid Robots on the loose aboard the Galactica...leading the valiant Colonials to wonder...who is Human and who is a Robot? Was this brief scene from "War of the Gods" a partial inspiration for the Battlestar Galactica (2003 - 2009) reboot series? ("...the Cylons were created by Man...").
Some more (captioned) photos below:
Battlestar Galactica, The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman are copyright (c) NBC / Universal.
John Colicos (Mikkos Cassidine) - General Hospital
Two years after the cancellation of Battlestar Galactica, John Colicos (Baltar) joined the cast of the powerhouse ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital. 1981 was the "golden" era of GH with an incredible 14 million viewers tuning in daily. Colicos played the evil Mikkos Cassadine, a Greek tyrant bent on dominating the world. In this justifiably famous clip from 1981, Mikkos attempts to freeze the city of Port Charles - and only Luke Spencer (surely the "Starbuck" of daytime TV!) can stop him! A fun 15 minutes here - don't miss a second of it! View this clip on YouTube HERE:
Battlestar Galactica photo - copyright (c) NBC / Universal. General Hospital photo and video clip - copyright (c) ABC / Capital Cities
The 1989 VHS release of Space Mutiny (click to Enlarge!)
Take a deep breath....and watch the infamous SPACE MUTINY (1988)!
Since the Echobridge DVD mocks this movie mercilessly (without giving a plot summary), I'll quote from the 1989 VHS release from A.I.P. Home Video: FRONT COVER: "There is Nowhere to Hide from the Enemy Within!" BACK COVER: "Breathtaking Special Effects from the team that brought you Star Wars!" - BOX LEGEND: Starring Reb Brown ("Uncommon Valor"), James Ryan ("Rage to Kill"), John Phillip Law ("Barbarella") and Cameron Mitchell ("My Favorite Year"), The enormous Southern Sun spacecraft faces destruction from within when the evil Kalgan (John Phillip Law) and his men take control through a violent and explosive mutiny. Kalgan's plan: scrap the ship and sell the passengers into slavery. Only one man, Dave Ryder, has the strength and courage to lead the fight against Kalgan's rebels. Armed with laser cannons and neutron grenades, he leads the Commander's daughter and a handful of soldiers into blasting battle against Kalgan and his powerful forces." - END QUOTE
The Echobridge DVD of Space Mutiny
This is a VERY BAD MOVIE...quite possibly the worst space / adventure movie ever filmed - yet it **does** have an oddball charm to it. Much has been made that Space Mutiny uses the amazing special effects from the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (1978 -79) TV series. In a way, the overall plot of Space Mutiny - an Earth space-ark on a centuries-long voyage who are led by a Moses-like commander (John Phillip Law) - **almost** seems like Battlestar Galactica: The Next Generation. Interestingly, the one-man attack craft flown by Reb Brown (Viper footage from Battlestar Galactica) is even called a "Viper"! If you look closely - watch for a cameo appearance by Lorne Greene (as Adama) featuring Battlestar Galactica stock footage F/X - in the scene where the Bridge is attacked, Greene can be seen on the Bridge with his back to the camera in a distance shot. The picture quality of the DVD is relatively clear - roughly the equal of any other low-budget movie made in the 1980's. Both the VHS and the DVD release are in Full Frame format. Since this WAS an incredibly low-budget film, I'm convinced that it was filmed in Full Frame with an eye towards the home video market - I doubt that this movie was filmed in Widescreen (but I could be wrong - who knows?). One oddity though - the VHS release runs 91 minutes and 30 seconds, while the Echobridge DVD runs 87 minutes - does anyone know what footage was cut for the DVD release? If you're a fan of the (classic) Battlestar Galactica TV series, the camp-classic movie Dark Star or space adventure films and TV shows in general, this movie is well-worth a look...every sci-fi fan should experience Space Mutiny at least once! :-) I rate this movie a generous 2 stars (out of 5).
Space Mutiny - the funniest MT3K episode ever! :-)
Also - to my great surprise, I absolutely LOVED the oh-so-'80s song "The Edge of a Dream" by Steven McClintock that is heard during the End Credits - if only the movie were as good as this song! You can listen to the song (with a slide-show music video) on YouTube HERE:
The MST3K version of Space Mutiny is currently on YouTube - this is definitely a "must-see"! Listen for the joke about Rick Springfield! View the movie HERE:
The opening credits title card for Battlestar Galactica (1978 - 79)
Does anyone remember...the 14 Syndicated BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Compilation TV Movies from the 1980's? If you do, please send a letter, postcard or e-mail to Universal Studios Home Entertainment and request a DVD and Blu-Ray release of these movies. The address (as well as an e-mail link) is at the bottom of this review.
When BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (1978-79) was first syndicated in 1981, it wasn't shown in its original one hour format - instead Universal Studios edited the episodes together to create 14 "Compilation" TV Movies (released in the 1:33:1 aspect ratio). All of these movies feature extremely interesting, specially-created "Movie-Style" Opening and Closing Credits as well as numerous never-before-seen scenes and several "alternate" Special F/X shots (one memorable F/X shot featuring the Underside and Rear of the Galactica as it flies through space is extremely cool - here's a look at it with a clip taken from MURDER IN SPACE):
Clip from the movie-style opening of "Murder in Space"
Most of these movies feature a number of EXPANDED / RESTORED Scenes that were cut from the ABC broadcasts (probably due to time constraints). Many of the DELETED Scenes that are in the "bonus features" of the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA DVD and Blu-Ray sets appear in these movies in their proper context.
Lorne Greene was hired to perform a number of voice-overs for these movies, often providing "linking" narration to help the unrelated stories flow smoothly. Dirk Benedict, Herbert Jefferson, Jr., John Colicos, Patrick MacNee and Jonathan Harris provided voice-overs as well. Several of Apollo's lines were Looped (dubbed over) - by an actor who sounds NOTHING like Richard Hatch! I will refer to this unknown voice-over actor (for lack of a better term) as R.H.I.N.O. ("Richard Hatch In Name Only") - for the purposes of this review.
The opening of "Mission: Galactica - The Cylon Attack"
These "Compilation" BATTLESTAR GALACTICA TV Movies were shown throughout the U.S. and around the world during the 1980's and occasionally pop up on cable or local stations.
Watching these movies is a fun - often surreal - experience...almost like a peek into an "alternate" BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Universe with scenes and events rearranged to form an interesting, if not always consistent whole. For instance, MURDER IN SPACE is a compilation of "Murder on the Rising Star" and "The Young Lords". In this movie, Starbuck is accused of murdering Wing Sgt. Ortega. He ESCAPES from the Galactica in his viper [differing from the events of "Murder on the Rising Star" where he CHANGES HIS MIND about escaping] and crash lands on the planet Attilla and helps the children rescue their father from the Cylon outpost. Apollo and Boomer arrive shortly afterward (they've been tracking his flight) and they THEN take him back to the Galactica to stand trial. These Compilation Movies aren't just simple hack jobs by the "editing elves" - a lot of thought clearly went into creating them to form a (more or less!) consistent narrative.
One of the more interesting Compilation Movies is EXPERIMENT IN TERRA. This film opens with an Astronaut (from Earth!) finding Adama's Galactica Logbook floating in space(!) - he opens the book and the history of the Cylons unfolds with an all-new narration by Lorne Greene accompanied by Jarvslav Geer's beautiful Battlestar Galactica storyboard paintings (this opening clip is currently on YouTube) and can be seen HERE:
About 12 minutes of footage from "Saga of a Star World" is shown as well, depicting the destruction of the Colonies and the progress of the Fleet in their journey to Earth. Next, the film seques into the famous GALACTICA: 1980 episode "The Return of Starbuck" - but in this alternate Galacti-verse, Starbuck ESCAPES from the lost planet and returns to the fleet...just in time for the movie to seque into the episode "Experiment in Terra"! Many of of these Compilation Movies feature fun "alternate" scenarios like this, some more severe than others.
The 2-part episodes were edited together into one telefilm (using the original title)...and most of these also feature EXPANDED (and in many cases, never-before-seen scenes)!
The following is a list of all 14 BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Compilation TV Movies and their episodic components.
NOTE: The "order" of these Compilation Movies is certainly open to the viewers interpretation. They are presented here in the same order listed in a Universal Studios press release published in STARLOG #39 (Oct. 1980) - ("Syndicated Telefilm Package Hits This Fall" by David Hirsch). Each movie was made to more-or-less stand on its own.
1) BATTLESTAR GALACTICA(the pilot movie "Saga of a Star World") - EXPANDED / RESTORED Scenes - None.
"Saga of a Star World"
"F-- O--" - look just to the right of the middle Cylon fighter and you'll see it...!
RUMINATIONS: The WTF(?) - What the Frak? Award (literally!) goes to this episode. During the Cylon attack on Caprica, the words "F--- O--" can be clearly seen spelled out in the Lights of the city below (see above photo). This has been broadcast around the world and on tape and disc for decades. Can't this be erased with CGI? Correcting this Special F/X "gaffe" is decades overdue. Is Universal Studios even **aware** of this not-so-hidden message?
2) LOST PLANET OF THE GODS(expanded version of "Lost Planet of the Gods", part 1 and 2) - EXPANDED / RESTORED Scenes (1) Serina landing the shuttle - her first solo landing is shown - this scene is referred to but not seen in the 2-part version of this episode (2) The scene where Tigh and Adama speculate about the Void is longer - Adama mentions he will ("keep his toes crossed") (3) On Kobol, Adama gives a fuller explanation about how the lost planet fell into ruin (4) Serena's death scene is longer.
Adama, Apollo and Serina explore the ruins of the dead planet Kobol
"Lost Planet of the Gods"
RUMINATIONS: Adama's eloquent speculations about Kobol's fall has my vote for the Best Deleted Scene of the entire series!
3) THE GUN ON ICE PLANET ZERO(expanded version of "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero", part 1 and part 2) - EXPANDED / RESTORED Scenes (1) Colonel Tigh mentions that they are so short on warriors that they are ("throwing in cadets from the Academy") (2) Apollo talks with Adama in his quarters about why he wasn't chosen for the mission (3) On the bridge, Starbuck and Athena discuss the mission. Athena laments that she wasn't chosen (4) Adama's introduction of the mission team is longer and he introduces the support team, including Lt. Haals (the smiling warrior with the mustache) (5) Apollo and Lt. Haals have a brief discussion in the Thetan cave.
Lt. Haals (obscured), Adama, Thane, Leda, Wolfe and Croft
"The Gun On Ice Planet Zero"
RUMINATIONS: At one point, a Cylon refers to the captured cadet Kree as "the invader" - could this be a nod to guest-star Roy Thinnes' starring role in THE INVADERS (1967 - 68)? While planning their escape, Leda (Christine Belford) mentions the planet "Starlos" - could this be a nod to the Harlan Ellison-created space-adventure series THE STARLOST (1973 - 74)? The TIN EAR Award goes to Adama, Apollo and Athena - in this early episode, all 3 refer to Cylon BATTLESTARS(!?!) instead of Cylon "Base Stars". The SUPER-CUTS Award goes to Starbuck - in several scenes, the length of his hair varies considerably, leading to **jarring** lapses in continuity. The LEAVE IT TO BEAVER (Leave it to Boxey?) Award goes to Adama and Athena - didn't **anyone** aboard the Galactica notice that Boxey was missing?!?
4) THE PHANTOM IN SPACE(comprised of "The Lost Warrior" and "The Hand of God") - EXPANDED / RESTORED Scenes: None, but there are several never-before-seen F/X shots during the "Movie-Style" opening credits featuring the Underside and Rear of the Galactica and several ships in the fleet are also shown from different angles.
Apollo in the celestial chamber
"The Phantom in Space"
RUMINATIONS: R.H.I.N.O. ("Richard Hatch In Name Only") is heard in several Looped lines throughout this movie. He tells Bella and Puppis that he was tracking a phantom signal when he crashed on Equellis. Later, R.H.I.N.O. promises to return to Equellis after the fleet has found Earth.
The STAR WARS Award goes to Cassiopeia - she argues with Starbuck and says that ("...Knowing you, you'll find some beautiful female prisoner to rescue on that Base Star!") - is this a nod to Princess Leia who was held captive aboard the Death Star in STAR WARS? The ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING Award goes to guest stars Red West and Lance LeGault - before they went into acting, they were Elvis Presley's life-long friends and bodyguards!
5) SPACE PRISON(comprised of "The Man With Nine Lives" and "Baltar's Escape", plus several Baltar / Cylon scenes and Baltar's trial scene from "War of the Gods", and footage of Baltar (with Cylon helmet!) commanding the Cylon fighter from "The Living Legend") - EXPANDED / RESTORED Scenes - None, but during the "Movie-Style" opening credits, there are several previously unseen Special F/X shots of the Underside and Rear of the Galactica and several other ships in the fleet are seen from different angles.
Maga, the leader of the Borellian Nomen
"Space Prison"
RUMINATIONS: Curiously (via Looped dialogue), the Cylons refer to Baltar as COMMANDANTBaltar. Also, (again in Looped dialogue), Adama arbitrarily sentences Taba, the young, beardless Borellian Nomen to 3 months confinement on the Prison Barge for the commotion he caused in the Rising Star dance hall as well as his drawing his weapon in the docking lounge (no trial is shown or mentioned). At the conclusion of the movie, the Nomen are sentenced to LIFE IMPRISONMENT on the Prison Barge, again via Looped dialogue by Adama - and again no trial is shown or mentioned. In the final scene in the Galactica mess hall, R.H.I.N.O. ("Richard Hatch In Name Only") speculates about the current whereabouts of Chameleon and Siress Blassie and wonders if they will get Sealed (married). The EVIL TWIN Award goes to actor Bruce Wright who plays two different characters in this compilation movie - Corporal Lomas and 4th Guard!
6) SPACE CASANOVA- (comprised of "Take the Celestra" and "The Long Patrol") - EXPANDED / RESTORED Scenes - None, but in one has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed, truly oddball moment, we see a close-up of Starbuck's HANDS holding snapshot photos of Cassiopeia, Athena and Aurora - our space Casanova is desperately trying to choose between the 3 women (below)! He is about to race over to the Celestra to talk to Aurora when R.H.I.N.O. ("Richard Hatch In Name Only") intervenes and reminds him that he volunteered to fly the recon viper to explore the new star system. Starbuck and R.H.I.N.O. then break into laughter in a cringe-worthy "blooper" that (thankfully) never made the cut of the ABC broadcast! When Starbuck agrees to go on the mission, R.H.I.N.O. tells him (mid-laugh) - ("That's a good friend.").
Cassiopeia
"Space Casanova"
Athena and Aurora
RUMINATIONS: In voice-over, Starbuck muses that he almost got SEALED (married) to Aurora prior to the Cylon attack on Caprica - this **crucial** element of their relationship wasn't part of the original ABC edit. The K.I.T.T. / KNIGHT RIDER Award goes to C.O.R.A., the sultry-voiced Viper Computer. At one point, in voice-ever, Starbuck says that C.O.R.A. ("...reminds me of Aurora!"). QUOTE UNQUOTE: Cassiopeia comments that Starbuck ("...will always be a Casanova!").
7) CURSE OF THE CYLONS- (comprised of "The Magnificent Warriors" and "Fire in Space" and a Baltar / Lucifer scene from "Lost Planet of the Gods" with Looped dialogue and the Adama sick-in-bed scene from "The Young Lords" with Looped Dialogue). EXPANDED / RESTORED Scenes - None, but the "Movie-Style" opening sequence features never before seen Special F/X shots of the Underside and Rear of the Galactica and several ships in the fleet are shown from different angles during this sequence.
"Curse of the Cylons"
RUMINATIONS: Via Looped dialogue, the Cylons refer to the upcoming attack as "Operation: Galactica". Also, R.H.I.N.O ("Richard Hatch In Name Only") reports that the Cylon attack destroyed 2 Agroships and damaged the 3rd. There is one odd moment - in the scene where Adama is sick in bed, he wearily says ("I should be back up in my own quarters by the time Apollo returns.") - This Looped line doesn't make ANY sense in this context, since Adama is IN his quarters when he says this! Later, R.H.I.N.O. tries to convince Adama not to go on the energizer / seed mission to Sectar.
8) THE LIVING LEGEND - (expanded version of "The Living Legend", part 1 and 2) - EXPANDED / RESTORED Scenes (1) Cain and Cassiopea's reunion scene is longer (2) Apollo and Sheba discuss her ill will toward Cassiopeia in the hanger deck as she boards her viper (3) Adama and Tigh have a conversation and come to the conclusion that finding the Pegasus just when they had run out of fuel was almost providential (4) Adama and Tigh discuss the loss of the Cylon tankers. They realize that they now have no choice but to attack the Cylon base (5) Cassiopeia boards the shuttle and joins the mission. She says that she has her gear in her carryall.
Adama and Cain
"The Living Legend"
The MY ENEMY, MY ALLY Award goes to...Jack Stauffer (Bojay)! I bet that even die-hard GALACTICA fans are unaware that Richard Hatch and Jack Stauffer were co-stars on ALL MY CHILDREN in 1970! Believe it or not, on this popular ABC soap opera, they were rivals - both were in love with the same girl! (Watch black and white clips of them in the same episode on YouTube: "All My Children - A Daytime to Remember") - HERE:
9) WAR OF THE GODS - (expanded version of "War of the Gods", part 1 and 2) - EXPANDED / RESTORED Scenes (1) Iblis says that he knows the way to Earth (2) Adama and the Council's discussion of Iblis' powers and motivations is longer. Adama says that he will accede the Presidency of the Council to Iblis if he is found to be genuine (3) Apollo, Starbuck and Sheba return to the Galactica via the shuttle and arrive in the landing bay. Adama tells them that the missing warriors were found alive on the planet. They then plan a feast to celebrate the end of their ordeal (4) There is an unusual (never before used) Music Cue heard just before the "...Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny..." ending narration.
Commander Adama and Count Iblis
"War of the Gods"
Fembots aboard the Galactica ! :-)
The BIONIC BLOWOUT Award goes to this episode...is that a FEMBOT in Dr. Wilker's lab?!? At one point, a female technician can be seen repairing the Fembot's facial circuitry... ("They are as beautiful or as deadly as I choose to make them!"). :-)
10) GREETINGS FROM EARTH - (edited version of the 2-hour episode "Greetings From Earth") - EXPANDED / RESTORED Scenes - None. DELETED Scene - Hector and Vector's famous (infamous?) song-and-dance routine (below) is totally missing from the Syndicated Compilation Movie version!
Hector and Vector
"Greetings From Earth"
QUOTE UNQUOTE: ("Jolly, you forgot the kids!").
11) MURDER IN SPACE- (comprised of "Murder on the Rising Star" and "The Young Lords") - EXPANDED / RESTORED Scenes (1) Adama's sickbed scene runs longer (2) Apollo and Boomer sit at the shuttle controls, while Starbuck straps himself into the passenger couch. Miri and her family watch the shuttle depart from the planet via a nicely executed pull-back shot. **Neither** of these scenes appear in the Deleted Scenes section of either the DVD or Blu-Ray set!
Wing Sgt. Ortega
"Murder in Space"
RUMINATIONS: Once again (via Looped dialogue from Lucifer), Baltar is referred to as COMMANDANT Baltar. There are several Looped dialogue scenes by both Herbert Jefferson, Jr. and R.H.I.N.O. ("Richard Hatch In Name Only"). Guest Star Lyman Ward (Karibdus) provided a few Looped lines for this movie as well. All of Baltar's scenes from the "Murder on the Rising Star" part of the movie have been completely eliminated (via some incredible slight-of-hand editing!). The infamous "F--- O--" message can be seen again spelled out in the Lights of the Caprican city during the flashback footage from "Saga of a Star World". QUOTE UNQUOTE: Via Looped dialogue, Adama says ("Murder is a serious charge!") (no kidding!) :-)
12) EXPERIMENT IN TERRA - (compilation of "Experiment in Terra" and the Galactica: 1980 episode - "The Return of Starbuck", plus about 12 minutes of "Saga of a Star World", plus a few seconds of Pegasus battle footage from "The Living Legend" and battle footage of the Agroships being destroyed from "The Magnificent Warriors"). EXPANDED / RESTORED Scenes (1) Tigh and Adama discuss the situation ("We're heading directly into a war zone."). (2) The President's speech is longer. (3) Apollo's speech is longer.
Starbuck and Cy
"Experiment in Terra"
RUMINATIONS: This movie opens with **extensive** footage of an Earth Astronaut finding Commander Adama's Galactica Logbook floating in space. There is a lengthy, all-new Patrick MacNee narration - he is speaking as if he were a human, living on Earth ("Again and again we launched our spacecrafts into the solar system to probe and search for a planet having the same composition as our Earth, as well as the necessary geological processes...but it always eluded us."). All of the scenes with Angela and the Starchild as well as the scenes with Adama and Dr. Zee discussing his dream have been deleted. At the conclusion of the movie, the "Fleeing from the Cylon Tyranny..." end narration is heard over more footage of the Earth Astronaut reading from the Logbook. The PRIME DIRECTIVE Award goes to John (Guest Star Edward Mulhare): ("I am not allowed to interfere in any way. It's a rotten job.") QUOTE UNQUOTE:("Did I irritate you? You seem irritated.") - Why does Cy sound like Gary Owens? :-)
The END CREDITS from this movie are currently on YouTube and can be seen HERE:
13) MISSION: GALACTICA - THE CYLON ATTACK - (compilation of "The Living Legend", part 1 and 2 and "Fire in Space") - this movie was released Theatrically and was also released on both VHS tape and Laserdisc. This movie is pretty cool...check out the "disappearing laserguns" alternate edit of the confrontation between Apollo, Starbuck, Sheba and Bojay in the landing bay. BUY this movie today via Amazon or eBay! It's a good one!
