Solar Flare: Science Fiction News

I was fortunate enough to be given a copy of the Battlestar Galactica Season One DVD set for review. Thats right, its a review copy so I didn’t pay. Just in the interests of full disclosure. I say fortunate, not just because I was given it, but because the new Battlestar Galactica is an awesome series and this DVD set is equally awesome.

Buy Battlestar Galactica DVD

This DVD has all the episodes from Season One of Battlestar Galactica, but it also has the original mini-series which means you’re getting the whole story. Well at least until Season 2 is finished. The quality of the episodes really shines on DVD. First you’re freed from the advert breaks which gives a noticeable increase in tension on some of the episodes.

Playing the DVD on my big screen projection TV I was very impressed by the quality of the picture from the DVD. I hadn’t realized just how much the SciFi Channel showing of the series degraded the picture quality. The DVD is crisp and sharp, and the transfer is in anamorphic wide screen.

If you’re not at all familiar with the new Battlestar Galactica, the first thing you should do is put aside any memories of the original series. This is not your father’s Battlestar Galactica. It’s one of the most adult science fiction series I’ve ever seen on US television. It also has a feel to it that’s different to anything else out there.

Visually you could make some comparisons to Firefly, but tonally its completely different. Battlestar Galactica aims for realism. There’s an almost documentary approach to the shooting style and the nature and goals of the characters are sometimes mean or petty. The problems the fleet has to address are easy to relate to and in many cases there are current real world situations which relate to things that go on in Battlestar Galactica.

As is traditional now with DVD releases, Battlestar Galactica Season One features a bunch of DVD extras. Those extras include a raft of behind the scenes featurettes which are worth at least one view. I don’t think any fans of the series will be amazed by what’s discussed in these, but they are quite interesting to watch anyway.

The deleted scenes are very interesting though. Unusually, it looks as though most of these deleted scenes would have added to the episodes. I’m guessing they were primarily cut due to time constraints as they don’t seem weak or pointless.

There’s also a selection of production sketches and models. I really liked the presentation of these pictures. Instead of the usual boring static gallery we are presented with a moving collage which is choreographed to the music, making it far more attention grabbing. Very nice touch.

Its nice to see a show get the DVD presentation it deserves and that’s exactly what the Battlestar Galactica Season One DVD is. If you like quality, adult, science fiction then buy this DVD. If you’ve got any sort of home theater set up then turn down the lights, switch on your surround sound and enjoy the show the way it should be seen.