I watched an episode of the new Battlestar Galactica last night and in the midsts of really getting into it, it occured to me that the actor playing Tom Zarack (a convicted terrorist held onboard the Astral Queen and playing a big part in the coming Colonial Day episode) is very familiar. So much so that after the episode is done I'm still pondering who he is because there's something so familiar about the actor/character's speech patterns. Then the penny dropped. He's the actor that played Apollo in the original series. He plays a man willing to resort to extreme measures very well.

I feel like such a dweeb for not recognizing him.

Yes, dweeb is the proper feeling one should have for missing that.

Now, if you caught the "making of" at the start of the series you would have known what the rest of us were told.

I am enjoying this series of a classic remake much so. When I watch it, its like when I watch Smallville; everyone in the house shuts up and leaves daddy alone. Its a trained response my family has from before TiVo.

It seems that every season there is another reason for me to spend more ours infront of the TV instead of the Computer. hahaha.

Praise Jah for TiVo.

The new Battlestar Galactica is the show that gives me hope for modern sci-fi on television again. They simply managed to put it all together and do it right (no matter how many sour grapes Dirk Benedict may want to lob at the project).

It give me nightmares. I don't really care how good it may seem to others, but I am sick of franchises,and remakes. I mean, to me it is just another sign that people are to afraid of something new.

I could point out how I can't believe the characters, and how I can't stand the plot, but really that would be pointless. I don't like that, and others do. It is not as good as some of the stuff they used to have, but it is better than Star Gate.

But Battlestar Galactica comes pretty close. I can't help it. I love the documentary style cinematography, the prop backstory makes sense and I'm willing to wait for the second season to get the low down on what's going on with the Cylon civilization and not just the human/cylon fusions. Adama is literally a force of nature on the stage but all the acting is great.

Oh, and Boomer is hot, too.

Since I get to see the UK broadcast - meaning I've seen all the first seasons episodes while you are still mucking around with Colonial Day - I am now going to shut my mouth about the show.

Except to say that the rollercoaster ride is still speeding up on the way into the second season.

Nothing is better than SG-1?

Try Farscape. The ending Mini-Series was far better than most SG-1 episodes.

Look, the Inviable Man was better than Star Gate. Hell, First wave was better.

The Invisible Man was decent for what it was. Not as cool as SG-1 but I watched that every night waiting for my StarGate fix. First Wave just flat out sucked. Sorry but it did.

Farscape was very cool until they decided the only reason people watched was to see two of the lead characters be angsty and repressed. About that time it went straight down the tubes though I'm looking forward to those two characters showing up on SG-1 next season.

As a note, remakes are something new. If you've ever watched the original Battlestar Galactica, you'll probably note that the current version doesn't actually have a lot in common with it. You've got the basic plot, and some basic character archetypes, but everything else is entirely reimagined. Remakes are rarely exactly the same as the original, for that would be stupid - the idea is to use the original as a base to create a new piece of work.

Similarly with SG-1. There's actually literally nothing similar between the two except for two characters, and one stargate. That's literally about it. Stargate was mostly a sci-fi flick about humans messing with stuff they don't understand, and helping to save a world the good old american way (with a big explosion!). SG-1, on the other hand, is more a rollicking good adventure series highlighting the need for human exploration, for better or for worse. They're rarely messing with things they don't understand, because usually someone figures it out pretty quickly.

The CSIs are a slightly different case, but I state that even if the premises are identical, they are three completely different shows. Each has a very distinct feel about it and has somewhat different character interactions (even if the leads are all virtually identical). I know a lot of people who aren't fond of CSI Miami, but love the other two. I have to admit, I kinda agree - CSI Miami just rubs me the wrong way.

But then, remember that there can't be anything original on television these days - Pop culture is so pervasive that every idea you come up with is going to be influenced by some other Pop culture ideology. What people attempt to do these days to come with fresh concepts is to take an old concept, and do something new with it. Personally, I think that's justifiable. The road is just as important as the car you're driving it on...