Battlestar Galactica Only Exists Because Of Another Massive Sci-Fi Franchise – SlashFilm

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In terms of important science fiction taking place in the world of television, “Battlestar Galactica” is right near the top of the list, not too far removed from “Star Trek” and “The Twilight Zone.” The original 1978 series was created by Glen A. Larson, and though it only lasted one season, it had a lasting impact. The 2003 reboot is widely considered one of the best sci-fi shows of all time. We don’t get there without what Larson created in the ’70s. And Larson doesn’t get there without one of the biggest sci-fi franchises of all time.

In “So Say We All: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Battlestar Galactica,” Larson explained that his beloved show was the direct result of “Star Wars.” Released just a year earlier in 1977, George Lucas’ movie completely changed popular culture. Even though Lucas literally couldn’t afford to make mistakes on “Star Wars” because the budget was so tight, it instantly became a sensation. Larson and the rest of Hollywood took notice. Here’s what Larson had to say about it:

“Science fiction had been pretty dead up until ‘Star Wars’ broke, and obviously when something like that comes in and fuels the market it makes a big difference. People did bring out their projects, including us. Clearly we came in early, and with such an ambitious project and with the Industrial Light & Magic group involved. This was a different generation of space project. It captured the new wave.”

“Ours is a business and a world in which I guess every car has to look like a Mercedes, and when you go in to sell something, it doesn’t hurt that one of the biggest blockbusters of all time is on the screen,” Larson added.

Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, after all. Though “Battlestar Galactica” may have been a bit too sincere, to speak. George Lucas and Fox sued “Battlestar Galactica” because it was so similar to “Star Wars.” Setting that aside, George A. Larson’s show found success, and he acknowledged that Lucas built that bridge. Glen A Larson’s son, David Larson, added in the book:

“‘Star Wars’ gave them license to say yes. It was a proven model now. They hadn’t done anything like that on TV. ‘Star Trek’ wasn’t really like that. Very different show. ‘Star Wars’ proved that people wanted to see this kind of thing. Let’s do it on TV using John Dykstra. You had ‘Star Wars’ as the boot camp which created all of these possibilities and these effects makers. It did a lot of the legwork, so you could do it on a much smaller budget on TV.”

“He had the right idea at the right time. Without Star Wars, it never would have happened, but I think they were very different things,” David Larson concluded.

It’s not like this show was the only example of Hollywood trying to capitalize on “Star Wars.” 007 did with “Moonraker,” which was one of the best “James Bond” books, resulting in a cheesy, spacebound adventure for Roger Moore. There’s also “Starcrash,” “Laserblast,” “Battle Beyond the Stars,” and “Flash Gordon.” There are numerous examples, but Larson fully acknowledges that without the brilliance of one Mr. George Lucas, his greatest creation wouldn’t have received the green light in the first place.

You can grab the original “Battlestar Galactica” on DVD from Amazon.