Battlestar Galactica (season 1)

The first season of the reimagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica, was commissioned by the Sci-Fi Channel in February 2004. The first episode, "33", was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on October 18, 2004, on Sky1, three months before its premiere in the United States on January 14, 2005 on the Sci-Fi Channel. Sky1 had negotiated first-broadcast rights of season 1 as part of its financial backing terms. The first episode of the series received a Hugo Award and the season's 13 episodes were recognized with a Peabody Award "for pushing the limits of science fiction and making it accessible to all."[1]

This article is about the 2004–2005 Battlestar Galactica season. For the 1978–1979 season, see list of Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series) and Galactica 1980 episodes.
Battlestar Galactica
Season 1
Season One DVD cover
Country of originUnited States, United Kingdom
No. of episodes13
Release
Original networkSci-Fi Channel
Sky1
Original releaseOctober 18, 2004 (2004-10-18) –
January 24, 2005 (2005-01-24) (Sky1)
Season chronology

The first season is a follow-up to the miniseries that first aired in December 2003.

Cast and characters

Main cast

Recurring cast

Episodes

In the following list, "Survivor count" refers to the number of surviving Colonial citizens and military, provided at some point during the episode.[2]

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleSurvivor
count		Directed byWritten byOriginal air date
11"33"49,998Michael RymerRonald D. MooreOctober 18, 2004 (2004-10-18) (Sky1)
January 14, 2005 (2005-01-14) (Syfy)
Following the exodus of humans from the Colonies, the fleet is attacked by the Cylons every 33 minutes as the survivors cope with their losses, compounded by their lack of sleep.
22"Water"47,973Marita GrabiakRonald D. MooreOctober 25, 2004 (2004-10-25) (Sky1)
January 14, 2005 (2005-01-14) (Syfy)
An explosion onboard Galactica forces an emergency search for water.
33"Bastille Day"47,958Allan KroekerToni GraphiaNovember 1, 2004 (2004-11-01) (Sky1)
January 21, 2005 (2005-01-21) (Syfy)
As water riots break out in the fleet, Apollo tries to convince prisoners aboard the Astral Queen to help with collecting the water; however, the appearance of a famous terrorist complicates his plans.
44"Act of Contrition"47,958Rod HardyBradley Thompson & David WeddleNovember 8, 2004 (2004-11-08) (Sky1)
January 28, 2005 (2005-01-28) (Syfy)
An accident on the hangar deck forces Starbuck to begin training new pilots, bringing back old memories of her training of Zak Adama.
55"You Can't Go Home Again"47,945Sergio Mimica-GezzanCarla RobinsonNovember 15, 2004 (2004-11-15) (Sky1)
February 4, 2005 (2005-02-04) (Syfy)
As Starbuck attempts to escape the barren moon she has been stranded on, Adama and Apollo risk everything to find her, putting them at odds with Tigh and Roslin.
66"Litmus"47,945Rod HardyJeff VlamingNovember 22, 2004 (2004-11-22) (Sky1)
February 11, 2005 (2005-02-11) (Syfy)
A Cylon suicide bomber prompts Adama to form an independent tribunal to investigate the Cylon threat in the fleet.
77"Six Degrees of Separation"47,942Robert YoungMichael AngeliNovember 29, 2004 (2004-11-29) (Sky1)
February 18, 2005 (2005-02-18) (Syfy)
Baltar comes under investigation when Number Six appears in real life, accusing Baltar of helping the Cylons achieve the genocide of humanity and destruction of the Colonies.
88"Flesh and Bone"47,938Brad TurnerToni GraphiaDecember 6, 2004 (2004-12-06) (Sky1)
February 25, 2005 (2005-02-25) (Syfy)
Starbuck interrogates a captured Cylon as Roslin begins to have strange visions of the same Cylon.
99"Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down"47,905Edward James OlmosJeff VlamingDecember 13, 2004 (2004-12-13) (Sky1)
March 4, 2005 (2005-03-04) (Syfy)
As Roslin investigates the possibility of Adama being a Cylon, Tigh receives a visitor from the past.
1010"The Hand of God"47,905Jeff WoolnoughBradley Thompson & David WeddleJanuary 3, 2005 (2005-01-03) (Sky1)
March 11, 2005 (2005-03-11) (Syfy)
With the fleet running desperately low on fuel, the crew of the Galactica begin to plan an ambitious operation to capture a heavily guarded Cylon-controlled tylium asteroid.
1111"Colonial Day"47,898Jonas PateCarla RobinsonJanuary 10, 2005 (2005-01-10) (Sky1)
March 18, 2005 (2005-03-18) (Syfy)
To celebrate the anniversary of the Articles of Colonization, Roslin reconstitutes the Quorum of Twelve; however, the election of Tom Zarek to the Quorum creates a political crisis for Roslin.
1212"Kobol's Last Gleaming (Part 1)"47,897Michael RymerStory by : David Eick
Teleplay by : Ronald D. Moore		January 17, 2005 (2005-01-17) (Sky1)
March 25, 2005 (2005-03-25) (Syfy)
The discovery of the lost birthplace of humanity causes a split between Roslin and Adama.
1313"Kobol's Last Gleaming (Part 2)"47,887Michael RymerStory by : David Eick
Teleplay by : Ronald D. Moore		January 24, 2005 (2005-01-24) (Sky1)
April 1, 2005 (2005-04-01) (Syfy)
The political crisis between Roslin and Adama forces Apollo to make a difficult decision, as Starbuck returns to Caprica on a mission for Roslin.

Production

Battlestar Galactica's first season of thirteen one-hour episodes was ordered by the Sci-Fi Channel on February 10, 2004, with production taking place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.[3] Produced in 2004 by David Eick and Ronald D. Moore, and starring the original cast from the 2003 miniseries, it began airing in the United Kingdom and Ireland on October 18, 2004. The series proved successful, attracting favorable comments from reviewers, and generating considerable anticipation in the U.S.

It began airing in North America three months later, on January 14, 2005 in the United States, and January 15 in Canada. The first episode aired in the U.S. became one of the highest-rated programs ever on Sci-Fi, with 3.1 million viewers.[4] The series' first season became the network's highest-rated original series to date.[5]

Battlestar Galactica's first episode was later made available for viewing in its entirety, and without charge from the Sci-Fi website.[6] Moore also sought to address the "Internet Generation" by posting podcast commentaries on individual episodes on the official Sci-Fi website.[6]

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 90% with an average score of 8.4 out of 10 based on 20 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "A captivating combination of riveting political drama and science fiction fantasy make Battlestar Galactica must-see sci-fi."[7]

Awards
Wins

In its statement accompanying the announcement of the show's Peabody Award, the Peabody Board noted "Battlestar Galactica is not just another apocalyptic vision of the future but an intense drama that poses provocative questions regarding religion, politics, sex and what it truly means to be 'human'.... Writers Ronald D. Moore, Toni Graphia, David Weddle, Bradley Thompson, Carla Robinson, Jeff Vlaming, Michael Angeli, and David Eick take full advantage to give us plotlines that are deeply personal and relatable, while never compromising their affinity and passion for science fiction".[1]

Nominations
  • 2005 Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series ("33", "The Hand of God")
  • 2005 Saturn Awards for Best Television Release on DVD (Season 1)
  • 2004 Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in a Live Act on Broadcast Program ("33")

Home video releases

The first season was released on DVD in region 1 on September 20, 2005,[8] in region 2 on March 28, 2005[9] and in region 4 on August 15, 2006.[10] It was also released in region 1 in HD DVD on December 4, 2007[11] and on Blu-ray Disc on January 5, 2010.[12]

The sets include all 13 episodes of the first season and the miniseries. Special features include commentary on the miniseries and "33" by executive producers Ronald D. Moore, David Eick and director Michael Rymer. Moore and Eick provide commentaries for "Bastille Day", "Act of Contrition" and "You Can't Go Home Again". Beginning with episode 9, Moore began recording podcast commentaries for the episodes on the official Battlestar Galactica website; Moore provides commentaries for "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down", "The Hand of God", "Colonial Day", "Kobol's Last Gleaming (Part 1)" and "Kobol's Last Gleaming (Part 2)". Behind-the-scenes featurettes include a collection of individual featurettes—"From Miniseries to Series", "Change is Good, Now They're Babes", "The Cylon Centurion", "Future/Past Technology", "The Doctor is out (of his mind)", "Production", "Visual Effects" and "Epilogue". Also included is a featurette titled "Battlestar Galactica: The Series Lowdown", deleted scenes for various episodes, and a montage of sketches and art for the series.[13]

References
  1. "Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi)". Peabody Awards. Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. 2005. Archived from the original on June 10, 2010. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
  2. "Survivor Count". Battlestar Wiki. Archived from the original on December 18, 2009. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
  3. "'Galactica' a Go: Sci Fi Orders 13 Episodes". The Futon Critic. February 10, 2004. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
  4. "Viewers Embrace Sci Fi's 'Galactica'" (Press release). Sci Fi Channel. January 19, 2005. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
  5. "Battlestar Galactica' Ends Its First Season at #1" (Press release). Sci Fi Channel. April 5, 2005. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  6. "Sci Fi Offers Exclusive 'Podcast'" (Press release). Sci Fi Channel. March 9, 2005. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
  7. "Battlestar Galactica: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  8. "Battlestar Galactica - Season 1". TVShowsOnDVD. Archived from the original on August 10, 2010. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  9. "Battlestar Galactica: Season 1". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  10. "Battlestar Galactica (2004) - Season 1". EzyDVD. Archived from the original on March 3, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  11. "Battlestar Galactica - Season 1". TVShowsOnDVD. Archived from the original on August 9, 2010. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  12. Lambert, David (October 6, 2009). "Battlestar Galactica - Separate Blu-ray Disc Release for Season 1 Announced by Universal". TVShowsOnDVD. Archived from the original on February 15, 2010. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  13. Lacey, Gord (September 18, 2005). "Battlestar Galactica - Season 1 Review". TVShowsOnDVD. Archived from the original on July 24, 2010. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
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