A new Battlestar Galactica show is in the works, according to Deadline. The series is being developed for NBCUniversal’s upcoming streaming platform. Called Peacock, the service is set to launch sometime in April 2020. The company shared its plans for the service yesterday, with show the being part of a myriad of others.
As well as featuring new shows, The Verge quotes:
“The service will also feature blockbusters and critically-acclaimed films from Universal Pictures, Focus Features, DreamWorks Animation, Illumination and Hollywood’s biggest studios,”
It seems there will be plenty to entice people into using their service, especially with the Battlestar Galactica series. Headlining this announcement is the news that Sam Esmail, of Mr. Robot fame, will be an executive producer on the series. Joining him is Chad Hamilton of his Esmail Corp. banner. Aside from that, no other news is available on the show.
This New Series isn’t a Reboot
Contrary to the information circling at this moment, the new series will not be a reboot. Sam Esmail has spoken out against this idea.
In a Twitter post, he said:
“BSG fans, this will NOT be a remake of the amazing series [Ron Moore] launched because… why mess with perfection? Instead, we’ll explore a new story within the mythology while staying true to the spirit of Battlestar. So say we all!”
https://twitter.com/samesmail/status/1173987378894999552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1173987378894999552&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fio9.gizmodo.com%2Fajax%2Finset%2Fiframe%3Fid%3Dtwitter-1173987378894999552%26autosize%3D1
This is an exciting prospect as we see more corners of the franchise, bringing intriguing new stories to the fanbase.
The History of Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica began with a short-lived series in 1978. Created by Glen A. Larson, the story revolved around a group of survivors traveling the space-ship, Galactica, after the war between humanity and a race of robots called Cylons. This war brought about the near-total destruction of humanity, the crew being some of the last remnants of human-kind.
26 years later, Star Trek veteran Ronald D. Moore reboots the series. The show ran on SyFy (known as Sci-Fi back then) and ran for four seasons. Launching to critical and fan acclaim, the series achieved cult status and is regarded as one of the greatest sci-fi shows of all time.
However, even after the conclusion of the reboot, Battlestar Galactica lived on. The franchised spawned a couple of side series (one on the web and the other on television) and a few movies as well.
With this wealth of content, one would assume that there is a large fan-base out there yearning for more. So, with Sam Esmail on the scene, there is plenty to be excited about as Esmail and the team explore new territory.
Battlestar Galactica fan? Eager to see new stories in the franchise? Sound off in the comments!