Tuesday, April 12, 2005

GALACTICA PRIMED

There's one other remake on the air now, and it's just finishing up its first season.

'Battlestar Galactica' has garnered great reviews, all of which agree on one key point.....

It's far superior to the original.

I guess anybody else might decide to give Toobworld a touch of class when it comes to this show, and assign the remake to the main TV Universe. Of course, this would mean that the original version from the late 1970s would have to be banished to the world of remakes, Earth Prime Time-Delay.

Well, frak it. I just can't do that.

Oh, it's not like I'm holding myself and my TV Universe ideals to a high standard. I've done that type of fudging with the placement of remakes before. The example that comes straight off the top of my head is that of 'The World Of Horace Ford' which starred Pat Hingle as an episode of 'The Twilight Zone'.

But a few years earlier, it had been presented in another version, but this time starring Art Carney. That version probably can only be seen nowadays by visiting the Museum of Television & Radio. Perhaps some bit-torrent outlet might have it online to check out.

'The Twilight Zone' version, however, lives on in syndication (although it was out of circulation for a loooong while.) And it can still be seen on occasion during 'Zone' marathons on the Sci-Fi Channel.

Such visibility strengthens a show's "gestalt"; gives it more vitality in the minds of the viewers. And that's what brings the TV Universe alive - the memories of those who saw such programs.

Sure, the original 'Battlestar Galactica' was hokey. The sequel, 'Galactica 1980' was even worse. But it had fun special effects that were unseen on TV up to that time. There were plenty of classical/biblical references that were reminiscent of the types of names you'd find in Robert E. Howard's Conan stories. And lots of great guest stars like Ray Bolger, Lloyd Bridges, Patrick Macnee, Ray Milland, Edward Mulhare, and Fred Astaire.

And the sequel, when they finally reached Earth in 1980, made two references that allowed me to link the shows to 'Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman' and to 'McCloud'. Since they've already been on Earth for over two decades, I'm using them to help splain away the people behind the Eugenics Wars of the late 1990s

So like I said, frak it. I'm keeping the original series in the main Toobworld.

And if this Galactica crew ever lands on Earth, then they'll just have to do a crossover with the Herman Munster that's played by John Schuck, instead of with Fred Gwynne's original.

BCnU!
Tele-Toby

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