There are two perspectives to watching this new incarnation of the old series; comparing it to the original, and seeing if it just has value on it's own. I remember quite well the original series, but was willing to see if the new one could entertain on it's own. Well, in reference to the latter it fails, and for the other- to use a phrase- I know Battlestar Galactica and you sir are no Battlestar Galactica.

I've now seen the miniseries and the first two episodes, so I feel qualified enough at this point to properly offer out my gripes. First, let's begin with the parts I first heard about; the casting. Starbuck is a cigar-smoking card-playing boozing womanizer... it's kind of hard to be a womanizer when you ARE a woman. Nothing against women in the series- as you recall the original had plenty of them- but Starbuck just is NOT a female type of character. But the reason for the cast change becomes clear when we continue on to see that Boomer was also feminized. The Viper pilots are all boy-girl-boy-girl. Read as: they just want Sex in the series, nothing more. Sex sells, yes gotta have that... I can just picture the Suits saying that. The original had relationships and a love interest or two- Remember Apollo's love and how he adopted Boxy? Or Starbuck's on-again off-again things with Cassiopia and Athena. And notice how I said love relationships as opposed to sexual encounters, because that's all the new series seems to be interested in. Just the sex.

Then we come to the names. In the original names such as Apollo, Athena, and the rest were their actual names because this is an ALIEN planet from which Mankind might have come, not just the old familiar stomping grounds here on Terra Firma. In the new one, Apollo, et al, are just their call signs because having anything other then Earth-normal names would be just too alien.

Uh, I guess they forgot this takes place in SPACE in a sector that Earth people have NEVER been to.

Now we come to costuming... there isn't any. The things their non-military people wear could have come straight out of a New York law office. A stripe shirt and tie? The old series took pains to create a culture apart from any of Earth's- seeing as how they hadn't been there yet. In that same vein the original stuck in a whole dictionary of words and terminology: Frak, Feldercarb, Centon, Yarn, Dagget, and more. The new just manages to run a cut and paste to get Frak there in place of the "F" word. Then look about the set. An advanced society without a digital clock? The new President's office could have been taken straight out of Office Deopt, or more likely the front office of the studios.

I could go on for ages just on the nitpicking but it all adds up to this. This new series has no atmosphere. They've forgotten that good science fiction isn't just because you have a spaceship, you need a complete atmosphere there in the background. In "33" they reset an ANALOGUE clock by HAND!! I'm wondering if they're thinking they're on a fourty year old sub instead.

But onto the main problems. This series as a whole is colorless. beyond the lack of a proper backdrop and the emphasis on Sex Sells, not one actor has any presence. Lorne Green portrayed Adama as a leader, someone who could get them to Earth by force of will alone. Tnis new guy doesn't even believe in Earth himself much less has the presence to carry anyone through to there. And a new President by the end of the first episode? MUch less a teacher? The original didn't start filling out a new Council of the Twelve until several episodes in, namely because in such a situation there ARE no civilians, and also because Adama just happened to be the one living Council member. As for the rest of the cast- Colonel Ty has become just another old man, and everyone else blends into the background so much I can't really pick out a name right now to ridicule.

Then there's the Cylons. No matter what excuse they give, the only reason you have the aliens looking exactly like Humans is to save money on costuming and creative effort. Make them female as well and we have that Sex thing again.

And the design of the Galataica? I'll admit it looks like they've used the original model from the old series... after said model was left out in the rain for the last 25 years then used as a foot-stone. Oh yeah, and has anyone seen the Viper and bridge displays? You know, the small screen in the Viper that would display what you had coming at you. I seem to have missed that... or they did.

Yes the Colonies have been destroyed, but the original still had some life to it- in large part because of its actors and the personality of the characters. This new one is dull, lifeless, lacking in color, and their only idea of tension seems to be to watch the female Boomer fight the inner Cylon she doesn't seem aware lies within her.

Actors that are all wrong for their parts, aliens that look exactly like Humans, Sex but no love, the day-to-day background of any given room conveniently looking like an office in downtown LA- I was starting to think that this resembles less something belonging on Sci Fi Channel and more like one of those bad science fiction made-for-TV movies the Networks love to churn out nowadays. Then I caught the end credits: NBC. Did I call it or what?

On it's own the new Galactica is lack-luster and dull. When compared to the original, it becomes a shadowy reflection of a travesty. A pointless remake that I shall not miss as I pass it on by.