The year was 1978…Star Wars was hot in the memories of science fiction fans. John Dykstra had done the special effects for that film and when news got around that he had partnered with Glen Larson to do an outer space series of TV movies for the ABC Television Network, anticipation grew.
     I was at KABC-TV in Hollywood, working in engineering and was assigned to a screening of the pilot episode of Battlestar Galactica for the network’s affiliates and some of the press. We had forgone the small screening rooms and taken over our largest studio stage and installed large screens and stadium seating for the viewers to watch this much anticipated show. The lights were dimmed and the tape rolled…
     Nobody was disappointed. It was the first time I had ever seen an audience of industry people react to a screening like they did. There was applause and cheering, even I was surprised at what we were viewing. The network was hoping for a favorable reaction but they had not expected the enthusiastic response and they realized they had a hit here.

     Larson and Dykstra had conceived of Battlestar Galactica as a series of "movie specials" to be aired periodically on the network. But ABC wanted more of what they knew would be a ratings winner. They proposed a three-hour premiere on the network and then a weekly one-hour show thereafter. Against Dykstra’s protests, an edited feature version of the proposed 3-hour pilot was released to theaters. Dykstra had shot the effects with the small TV screen in mind and that allowed him to cut a few corners technically. He knew that the slight imperfections in the effects would glaringly show up on the big screen. However, it was released in Canada and proved a success, and shortly after, it played in the United States to packed houses eager for more Star Wars type action.

     On the 17^th of September 1978, Battlestar Galactica premiered on the full ABC Television Network. It was a hit. Again, against Dykstra’s protests, Larson finally agreed to a weekly one hour series Sunday nights on the network. Episodes that were originally planned to air in movie-length slots were edited into two one-hour episodes that would air on consecutive Sunday nights. Broad edits were made that left many key elements lying on the cutting room floor. As Larson went through the footage already shot, he was pushed to get enough product to fill the whole weekly season. Some scripts were way below par and at times they were shooting at night on the Universal lot. The pace could not be sustained and gradually the series began to burn itself out. The network was of no great help. They wanted ratings. They were not getting them any longer. After twenty-one airings, it was cancelled.

     What had happened to this once exciting show? What could be done to save the show? ABC had the answer: fool with the format and lose all sight of what it initially was trying to do. Battlestar Galactica 1980 was about to be foisted upon us. Ten new airings were attempted and ended with “The Return of Starbuck,” one of the better episodes, but it was too late. Battlestar Galactica passed into the graveyard of cancelled TV series.

     Battlestar Galactica has spawned a whole network of fans and there are many Internet sites devoted to its memory and eventual resurrection. A movement to revive the show in either a movie or TV format is quite actively being pursued by Richard Hatch, one of the leading actors in the series. Hatch has always taken his participation in Battlestar quite seriously and has a high regard for the project.

     Battlestar was the subject for a comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics some years ago. The past few years have seen new comic material released in at least two new series from independent publishers and one is current right now.

     The music on the show was written by Glen Larson and Stu Phillips and is still available today on a soundtrack CD as well as a labor-of-love project deluxe set recorded in Germany with the majority of the “lost” music themes preserved on it.

Battlestar never generated premiums from the show like Space Patrol did, but it marketed an extensive line of toys, Books, videos, recordings and clothing. That is a subject to pursue another time, as the list is quite extensive.

     A friend of mine was doing special effects on the show at the Universal lot. He often invited me to the set to look around and watch some of the filming going on for Battlestar. I was shown the hanger where all the viper ships were supposed to launch from. I believe I recall seeing two actual ships constructed with a diorama behind them with a forced perspective painting of the rest of the fleet, thus giving the effect of many ships lined up ready to go. A bit of movie trickery and a cost cutter as the budget on the series was fairly large for a TV show. I am a firm believer that the most useful tool to moviemakers is the hot glue gun. They use it everywhere. Looking at all those flashing lights and control boards is a real experience, but when you look behind the facade, they are a jumble of wires jury-rigged as needed with no plan or organization, an absolute twisted mess, but they look good on camera.

     Most all the miniatures and shooting of them were done at John Dykstra’s Apogee facility off the Universal lot. Dykstra had constructed the main hand prop prototypes and then given them to Universal for duplication. His people designed one of the most complicated, and to my mind, the most unique of handguns; the blaster pistol used by the forces of the Galactica. It was molded of heavy plastic and sported an intricate design on its surface, due mainly to all the assorted model parts affixed to it. There were pieces from tank and airplane models glued to it. The nosepiece was made from a kitchen faucet handle that had been turned on a lathe. Inside the nose was an airplane strobe light that was powered by a very high voltage battery. A wire was plugged into the base of the gun’s grips and concealed by running it down the actor’s sleeve and clothing to the battery. Depressing a microswitch “trigger” on the gun fired the strobe. This strobe effect was used in postproduction to mark where the rotoscoped laser blast would appear on the frames of film and give the effect of coming from the gun. In all, I was told that there were six actual working guns of this type in existence and the rest were dummy vacuformed props given to lesser characters. Velcro was used extensively in fastening the tunics and clothing. The bullet-like cartridges were nothing more than ink markers that had been sprayed a metallic color.

     The Cylons were one of the costume designs of Jean-Pierre Dorleac and effectively menacing. The helmets with their moving eye were made to work effectively by Michael Lantieri (an Oscar winner in later years for Jurassic Park). He utilized electronic techniques and dozens of “grain of wheat” bulbs in the visor that were triggered into one smooth movement. All this was powered by a battery of course. Being a Cylon meant that you fell down and ran into things a lot. As effective as the look of the helmet was, seeing out of it was another matter. A series of tiny holes that would not show up on camera were drilled in their helmets where the actor’s eyes should be. Seeing out of them was another matter. It was almost impossible and many takes were needed so they would not be seen stumbling into doors and falling over after tripping on small objects that would not bother us normally. An effort was made in one episode to have them ride horses and that was scrapped after they repeatedly fell off them. (Want to see more Cylons?  Click Here.)

     The creation of the pet Muffit Two (a mechanical droid daggit) manufactured for the young orphan boy Boxey in the show was a logistical headache. They placed a trained chimpanzee into the costume. Many of the actors on the show thought he and his trainer were getting more money than they were earning. Getting Muffit to hit his marks on cue was a bit of a problem at times.

     The money created for the show was one place they did not skimp. The unit was called a “cubit” and was cast from durable metal in a gold-like finish. There were several styles made. There must have been quite a few of them manufactured for the show as they turn up regularly at conventions and at the Ebay auction site on line. I have several of them in my collection. Pieces of high tech equipment were scavenged from everywhere, the medical communicator was actually an old 4 track stereo indicator that was mounted into a very scientific looking vacuformed plastic hand held device activated by a microswitch button and powered by a 9V battery. A trade deal was struck with the Tektronix Company for working units of scopes and monitors to be incorporated into the control area of the Galactica. It gave a genuine high tech look to the show and allowed them to play tapes on the monitors and show readings on the scopes. This was a giant step forward over something like Star Trek, which had faked screens and scopes that were often with just representations of displays pasted on the facade screens. Nobody could dispute that Galactica looked real.

     What is fascinating about Battlestar Galactica is that it still lives on in the memories of its fans and creates a demand for new material. A look on Ebay brings up upwards of 400 items for auction ranging from comic books, videos, toys and actual props from the show…some of them are really genuine, while many are faked reproductions. Talks continue to this day for a new feature film based on the series. Galactica may one day live again to continue its journey searching for its home planet Earth.

Want to see some more Galactica pictures?  Click here.

©2001 by Tom Mason