Battlestar Galactica

Created by Glen A. Larson, the original Battlestar Galactica was a cult hit that ran for a single season between 1978 and 1979. The series' premise was encapsulated by the show's closing narration: "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." It was canceled because of poor ratings, but a fan write-in campaign resulted in a ten-episode sequel series, Battlestar Galactica 1980. 

For years afterward, fans and actors from the original series clamored for a revival of the show. Richard Hatch, who played Apollo, attempted to resurrect the series in the 1990s, beginning with a series of novels, followed by a trailer for a sequel to the original BSG. The sequel would have featured the children of the original characters, as well as the surviving original characters. 

However, the task of revitalizing the franchise went to another man: Ronald D. Moore. Moore was a storied writer and executive producer in the science fiction genre, most famous for his work on three separate Star Trek series. After leaving Star Trek: Voyager, Moore worked on a number of shows, most notably Roswell and Carnivale. 

In 2003, Moore, along David Eick, proposed a remake of Galactica to the Sci-Fi Channel, which they green-lit for a three-hour miniseries. In the process of writing the miniseries, Moore made many radical changes to the original concept, altering the genders of numerous characters, most notably fan-favorite Starbuck, and coming up with the idea that the robotic Cylons had created models that could not be distinguished from normal humans. 

When the fans of the original series learned of the changes, they threatened to boycott the new series and protested in every way possible. Although Dirk Benedict, the original Starbuck, met with the new Starbuck, Katee Sackhoff, he quickly denounced the remake. 

The only actor to support the remake was Hatch himself, who received a major recurring role as the political terrorist Tom Zarek. The cast of the new show was built around two highly acclaimed actors: Edward James Olmos, famous for his roles in Stand and Deliver, Miami Vice, and Zoot Suit, as Commander William Adama; and Mary McDonnell, famous for her roles in Dances with Wolves, Passion Fish, and Donnie Darko, as President Laura Roslin. 

The entirety of show was shot in Canada, so the majority of others actors were Canadian, with the exceptions of Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber (Lee "Apollo" Adama), James Callis (Gaius Baltar), and Michael Trucco (Samuel Anders). The miniseries was a resounding success, receiving critical acclaim and numerous awards, and Sci-Fi approved an ongoing series. The show inspired a brand new generation of fans over the course of its four-year run, appealing to many desireable demographic groups.

Galactica attracted numerous genre directors, writers, and actors. Many of the show's directors, including Michael Rymer, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, and Michael Nankin, went on to work on other genre shows, like Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Eureka, and Falling Skies. Noted Star Trek director Allan Kroeker directed two episodes, and Olmos himself directed four. People who joined the writing staff included Star Trek writer/producer Michael Taylor, Buffy the Vampire Slayer writer Jane Espenson, and Deep Space Nine writing duo David Weddle and Bradley Thompson. 

The list of recurring and guest actors was even more impressive. Two of the Cylons were played by the star of Xena: Warrior Princess, Lucy Lawless, and accomplished actor Dean Stockwell, best known in the genre "Al" Calavicci in Quantum Leap. Nana Visitor, who played main character Major Kira Nerys on Deep Space Nine, guest starred as the dying cancer patient in the episode Faith in Season 4, and Michelle Forbes, who played recurring character Ro Laren on Next Generation, portrayed Admiral Helena Cain. Lastly, award-winning actor Bruce Davison guest starred as the murderous Dr. Robert in the Season 3 Episode The Woman King.

Moore originally did not know how long the show would last, but it ran a full four seasons, which also included one movie in between seasons.  He was given advance notice that the show would end after the fourth season, so he and the creative team were able to end the show as they wanted. 

The Sci-Fi Channel scheduled the show with large gaps in the middle of seasons, so numerous webisodes were filmed to give fans something to watch in the meantime. After the show's conclusion, BSG had a two-hour movie, directed by Olmos, called The Plan, which told the events of the show from the perspective of the Cylons, particularly Stockwell's character Brother Cavil. The show also spawned a short-lived prequel called Caprica set before the first Cylon War, and a second prequel, entitled Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome, about the Cylon War itself, is currently in the works. 

The show received numerous awards and honors, including a Hugo Award, numerous Saturn Awards, and an award for Program of the Year in 2009 from the Television Critics Association. It also received many Emmy nominations for writing, directing, sound mixing, and visual effects, though it only actually won three of them, including one for a webisode related to the movie Battlestar Galactica: Razor. 

The United Nations recognized the show's complex discussions of terrorism, politics, and faith by inviting Olmos, McDonnell, Moore, and Eick to speak at a Battlestar Galactica retrospective moderated by Whoopi Goldberg and attended by many UN officials. The show was so successful that Larson was able to enter talks with Universal Studios to make a feature film based on the original series.