By Jamie Malanowski
The Plot
In this space opera, which aired on the Sci Fi Channel, machines called Cylons launch a war to exterminate the people who created them. Led by Cmdr. Adama (Edward James Olmos) and President Roslin (Mary McDonnell), a military space fleet of survivors sets out to find refuge on the distant, elusive planet Earth.
Our Insider
Award-winning writer Nathaniel Philbrick is the founding director of the Egan Maritime Institute in Nantucket, Mass., and the author of best sellers, including "In the Heart of the Sea," about whalers; "Sea of Glory," about a 19th-century naval expedition; and "Mayflower," about the settling of Plymouth Colony.
OVERVIEW
"I was very impressed with this series. It has strong characters and exciting action, but it also raises -- in a compelling way -- the vital, troubling questions that we're facing today about war, terrorism, torture, paranoia and trust."
MAN VS. MACHINE
"In this future, tech is the enemy. The series speaks to our anxieties as a culture. Here, the enemy is a race of machines we created, and the old "Battlestar Galactica" survives the attack because its primitive computer system isn't susceptible to a Cylon virus."
A GOOD LEADER
"Temperament is important, but weakness is exposed quickly aboard a ship. I love watching Adama; he's calm, firm and has a high social IQ. He has a high tolerance for his crew's personal foibles and professional misjudgments. But he's not a nice guy: He has to uphold standards, and the crew appreciates that."
CLOSE QUARTERS
"I was struck by the recurrent scenes in the coed bathrooms and tight sleeping quarters. There is nowhere to hide, which is one of the things that draws me to stories aboard ships. It's claustrophobic. Being aboard a ship really intensifies the issues."
Michael Hogan and Kate Vernon star in the award-winning series, available now on DVD.