Mar 28, 2009 12:00 PM
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It's been a week since Battlestar Galactica finished, and already we're missing the show's blend of politics, soap opera and special effects. Will we ever see its like again? We look at some potential replacements.
SGU: Stargate Universe
The Pros: It's on the same channel as Galactica and, in Robert Carlysle, has an actor who could stand up to Edward James Olmos in an act-off without embarrassing himself by doing so. Also, the set-up may be reminiscent of Star Trek: Voyager, but that doesn't make it a bad one... and, as Galactica has shown, stories about people trying to find their way home can be much more complicated than they may initially sound.
The Cons: It's a Stargate show, and that has historically meant more camp than many feel comfortable with, as well as shying away from deep characterization. But that said, this is being sold as the gritty Stargate, so who knows whether they can pull it off? If nothing else, the trailer last week looked good.
Day One
The Pros: Written by Lost and Heroes alumnus Jesse Alexander, this post-apocalyptic (well, kind of) series offers a dose of ensemble sci-fi drama that some have called "Lost meets Cloverfield," but without losing sight of characterization (and refreshingly free of Heroes' awkward sentimentality). Also, mysterious mythologies and alien invasions? It's got them and then some.
The Cons: It's not been officially picked up by NBC for a series yet - although it's surely only a matter of time - and rumors are that the network are considering it for a limited run if they do. Keep your fingers crossed, because the pilot script is amazing.
Virtuality
The Pros: Galactica showrunner Ron Moore's new show for Fox may be "as dark in its own way as Battlestar Galactica", centering on the crew of a long-haul space mission who spend their time in and out of virtual reality that doesn't help with their own neuroses.
The Cons: The show may be dead already; Fox are reportedly already considering reworking the show to make it more "mainstream", and Moore's recent post-BSG interviews haven't seemed incredibly optimistic on the subject.
Caprica
The Pros: It's the prequel spin-off from Battlestar Galactica, created by almost everyone who worked on Battlestar Galactica behind the scenes, with Ron Moore as showrunner until Buffy, Galactica and Dollhouse vet Jane Espenson takes over.
The Cons: It's a prequel, which may rob the show of some tension for some fans. Also, the Sci-Fi Channel and producers Moore and David Eick have talked up the importance of it being a drama more than a science fiction show, which sounds ominously like the shadow of "respectability" may loom over the series, drawing out the more pretentious aspects of Galactica. People who have seen the pilot, however, love it, so we're cautiously optimistic.
Kings
The Pros: Mixing spirituality, destiny, politics, family drama and ambition, NBC's recently-launched new series from Heroes' Michael Green (who also co-wrote the script for the upcoming Green Lantern movie from Warners) is pretty much Galactica minus the cylons. Morally ambiguous and well-acted, don't let the appallingly-bad NBC promos put you off; this is worth tuning in for.
The Cons: Ratings have been poor so far, and rumors have it that Green won't get the second season that he's already plotted out, which would be a shame. Maybe Sci-Fi could pick it up, if NBC drop it; it could easily fill the gap in their programming that Galactica has left behind.
Send an email to Graeme McMillan, the author of this post, at graeme@io9.com.
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