# Battlestar Galactica (2004)

> A battered warship and its ragged civilian fleet flee annihilating machine enemies in search of a legendary last refuge for humanity.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1864

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 73
- Episode runtime: 44 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: science fiction, drama
- Created by: Glen A. Larson, Ronald D. Moore
- Network: Syfy
- Cast: Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber, Katee Sackhoff, James Callis, Tricia Helfer, Tahmoh Penikett, Grace Park
- TMDB rating: 8.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407362/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: dense
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: bleak, paranoid, sincere, intense, melancholic

## What critics say

Widely acclaimed as one of the best science fiction series, praised for its thoughtful writing, deep characters, and grim, humanity-focused story that stays rooted in survival and moral conflict.

## Synopsis

Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009) is a Canadian-American-British science fiction drama created by Glen A. Larson and Ronald D. Moore for Syfy, a reimagining of the 1978 series. Edward James Olmos plays Admiral William Adama, the stern commander of the aged battlestar Galactica, while Mary McDonnell is Laura Roslin, a civilian who rises to lead the survivors. Jamie Bamber plays Lee Adama and Katee Sackhoff plays Kara Thrace, two pilots whose rivalry and loyalty are tested in every engagement. The engine of the show is flight: a small civilian fleet, the last remnants of humanity, runs from relentless machine enemies that look and think like people, and every episode is built from scarce fuel, failing systems, cramped ship politics and hard choices about who gets rescued. The show is a four-season serialized space saga in which the journey itself shapes each season's arc. Its tone is bleak, sober and intellectually demanding, with frequent moments of tenderness and dread. Fans of Firefly, The Expanse and Babylon 5 will find resonance in its grounded space combat, political intrigue and moral fatigue, though its paranoid, character-driven mood is distinctly its own.

## Shows like Battlestar Galactica

- [Star Trek: Discovery (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/59153)
- [The Ark (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/42933)
- [Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/30584)
- [Caprica (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/829)
- [The Orville (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/62609)
- [Battlestar Galactica (1978)](https://ember.film/tv/471)
- [Babylon 5 (1994)](https://ember.film/tv/2981)
- [Falling Skies (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/32178)
- [Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars (2004)](https://ember.film/tv/143549)
- [Stargate Universe (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/4887)

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