Many sci-fi fans believe the genre achieved perfection with the 2004 incarnation of Battlestar Galactica. Ronald Moore’s reboot of the far-campier 1978 series of the same name brought a new level of prestige to science-fiction television, and is still pointed to by many as the absolute peak of the genre. But that isn’t stopping NBCUniversal from trying to make it again.
While unveiling their new streaming service “Peacock,” NBCUniversal revealed that one of the original programs on the service would be a new version of Battlestar Galactica. This version, to be created by Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail, was initially reported to be a reboot of the 2004 series, and the Internet unsurprisingly had a collective freakout. Esmail then took to Twitter to reassure fans that he was not remaking the 2004 series, but would instead be telling new stories within the world of the franchise. “BSG fans, this will NOT be a remake of the amazing series @RonDMoore launched because … why mess with perfection? Instead, we’ll explore a new story within the mythology while staying true to the spirit of Battlestar. So say we all,” Esmail tweeted.
Despite his efforts to stifle cries of blasphemy from a rabid fanbase, it’s not really clear what Esmail is saying here. “Explore a new story within the mythology” kind of makes it sound like a continuation series, but no one is claiming that’s what this is, and Moore’s lack of involvement would suggest that’s definitely not what this is. So does that mean we’re looking at a reboot, just with different characters? A different narrative? We really aren’t sure what to expect from this new BSG, but hopefully, we’ll find out soon. Peacock is set to launch in April, but no word yet on whether or not the new Battlestar Galactica will be ready to go when it does.
