How long will the show last?

Bazookatone

This started out as a reply to another thread, but I reckon it's a good thread all on it's own.

Basically, I reckon, sooner or later, they'll have to completely re-think the theme of the show, or cancel the show after only two or three seasons. The reason is that the whole "we are survivors on a journey to paradise" idea is great, but it can't be sustained for more than two seasons. There are a number of resons:

1) Basic Logistics: It's not plausible for things like food, medecine, spare parts for vipers etc, not to run out. After two seasons, it would seem silly if they're stilll on "the verge" of starvation, but not actually starving.

2) Character dvelopment: People will die in the show, and they'll be replaced, but certain people cannot plausibly be replaced. Like when the "Nuggets" replaced the pilots killed in the accident. They weren't as good and eventually, all the pilots would be replaced by "Nuggets"

3) Holding viewers interest: we'll want to see new stuff, not just the same "oh no! the Cylons have found us! again!"

A similar thing happened in DS9. For the first few seasons, it was all about the cardassians and keeping the peace. Then it became about the dominion and fighting a war. Ditto the Star Wars books. In the movies it was about beating the empire, but in the books, Luke, Han, Leia and co. had to form the government, and settle disputes etc.

So how long do you think the show will last. Do you think they'll find Earth, or another planet like it, and colonise, and the show will become about the first days of the new civilisation, or do you reckon they'll just cancel it after the second season.

Gilgamesh

I agree, but BSG was never really meant to go on forever, think they just want the story told as it deserves to be told.
they might make new spinoffs in the future, showing Caprica in the time of the AI wars with the Zylons in the past or soemthign, that could actually go on for quite some time

Fenster

Well first off, the new BSG is on an absolute high. Its a breath of fresh air into a stale sci-fi genre. Where else in the past few years has sci-fi been so "hard"? Its rightly getting rave reviews all over for its in-depth characters, well scripted and well acted eipsodes and its realistic approach to issues.

The fact that they ordered 20 more episodes after only four episodes aired in the US and the fact that its beating both SG1 and SGA in ratings speak for themselves.

Beyond that, I think you're overlooking the fact that the story takes place in a very short timeframe. The entire of season one takes place within 60 days-2 months. Its not one season=one year, like you'd see in Star Trek or Stargate.

Back in the real world, BSG is going to make a lot of series sit up and take notice. But for the time being, and so long as season 2 keeps up with its quality, BSG is the new king.

ixoy

Fenster wrote:

The fact that they ordered 20 more episodes after only four episodes aired in the US and the fact that its beating both SG1 and SGA in ratings speak for themselves.

Not quite New series very often start on a high for the first few episodes before dipping. We'd need to see the mean ratings for the series to get an idea. Sure it's beating SG1 and SGA - but not by that much and it's expensive to produce. But regardless that's not what the thread was about...

Beyond that, I think you're overlooking the fact that the story takes place in a very short timeframe. The entire of season one takes place within 60 days-2 months. Its not one season=one year, like you'd see in Star Trek or Stargate.

That's a fair point. I wonder if they'll stick to this time format? It's interesting to not let up and keep following them constantly with the only possible downside is if any actor aged too visibly over multiple seasons (and even Jamie Bamber isn't that young).

But still do you feel that they'll need to introduce new ideas? Can we have a 20-episode season mimmicking Season 1 or do we need to introduce new ideas - more planet visits, for example. Personally I wouldn't mind seeing them colonise Kobol, or somesuch, for a few episodes as a sort of "mini arc" to break away from spaceship corridors. It might be good to constantly keep things fresh and leave all the other shows in catchup mode.

Back in the real world, BSG is going to make a lot of series sit up and take notice. But for the time being, and so long as season 2 keeps up with its quality, BSG is the new king.

Well I hope so. BSG's ratings are still small relative to shows like 'Lost', '24', or 'Alias' due to its cable slot. But it is producing some of the best genre TV currently on and certainly people should take notice. But given it's the nation that let 'Firefly' die, I'm forever discouraged. For now we'll keep our fingers crossed that viewers stick with it and that Moore is not compromised to "dumb down" Season 2 or placate some stupid producer somewhere who tells him to have "more babes and battles" next year. We've got potential for the best sci-fi in years and, I think, years worth of stories. We'll see..

davej

I think it will go the way of a series like 24 (and it already has a similar tone to 24).
i.e. The first 2 seasons were pretty good, sticking to the core ideas of the show. But then it started to become a parody of itself, and lost all originality - becoming just another typical series.

We'll see though. I don't think the major plot (trying to find earth etc) isn't too much of a hindrance. There are plenty of other shows that managed to last based on similar or narrower plot lines.

davej

Peace

I was suprised they didn't take an opportunity to take advantage of some planet side story stuff.

Take for example when they had to mine the water from ice on the moon (or whatever)... They could easily have gotten 2 ep's down on the planet but they decided to ignore it and move on with the series.

The same happened with the FTL fuel thingy. Raided the base whopped the cylons and then kept moving with the series... i mean what could they have found in the base that would have shed some light on the cylon bad boys.. spare parts, a weakness... thinking about it there was plenty of scope to do a 20ep season....

However in season 2 i think they'll have plenty of scope to do stuff like harvesting on a planet, mining for fuel etc etc.

I would agree what keeping it on galactica trawling through space could get old... eventually, like maybe after 10 series

Fenster

I should've been clearer, Ioxy. When I said "its the new king", I meant its the "new king of sci-fi"

Okay, so it possibly came in on a wave of nostalgia for the original series. But as you said, its matching Stargate in ratings and coming in slightly ahead of SGA. SG1 has been there for eight seasons, BSG for (so far) seven episodes. I think that says a lot about it.

c0y0te

I think the signs are good that BSG will continue to reign supreme, assuming that the quality of season 1 is repeated in subsequent seasons, for the following reasons:-

1) Star Trek has been cancelled, due to falling ratings and a lack of interest in the fan base. Conclusion - people have had enough of 'light' sci-fi and the franchise has run out of steam. Let's face it, it ran out of originality a long time ago.

2) BSG is "hard" sci-fi, meaning it portrays itself as gritty, fast paced, realistic and hard hitting; there is an appetite for this type of show to fill the vacuum being left by the cancellation of star trek.

3) BSG is character driven, and has a long story arc; shows like B5 and Farscape had similar characteristics, and although they faced various challenges in getting made (and ultimately completed), they remain fan favourites and examples of what is possible. BSG is better than both (imho).

4) The world is gradually rebelling against political correctness and wants to see some "reality". BSG attempts to do this within the context of the show's main themes.

5) A show of this pace, with this kind of technical and character support can pretty much deal with any tough topic in an episode which would have been shunned in other lighter series, because in this show not every episode needs laughs, or happy endings, or a moral tale.. it simply needs to be entertaining and most of all good quality.

For all these reasons I believe BSG will succeed. I will nail my colours to the mast at this stage and say that if they manage to get a season 2 out the door with the same quality and pace as season 1, I believe this show will pick up a pile of awards, and will go on to run for at least 4 to 5 years. There is nothing out there in TV bland land that even comes close in the sci-fi genre at the mo, and very little in any other genre either.

c0y0te

Bazookatone

Amen to that!

or, more appropriately

SO SAY WE ALL!!!!!

Peace

So Say We All.

ixoy

Peace wrote:

So Say We All.

Quoting dictional religious mantras? That's just frakking sad

Peace

ixoy wrote:

Quoting dictional religious mantras? That's just frakking sad

Did i just get insulted??