On December 8, 2003, the reimagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries premiered, beginning a six-year-long series run about a group of human refugees escaping the destruction of their homeworlds by robots that the humans themselves created. Twenty years later, this innovative science fiction series, from Universal Studios’ Syfy channel is still making waves. While the re-imagined series was based on an original series of the same name that aired in the 1970s, the more recent series was a turning point in science fiction television. Its influence can still be felt in the genre to this day.Science fiction television from the 1940s to the 1960s was largely focused on pure entertainment. The sci-fi setting of distant planets or the far future served mostly as a backdrop to action and adventure stories that involved fictional futuristic technology. The next few decades in American television saw a change as the social movements of the 1960s primed audiences to be receptive to social commentary in the form of sci-fi TV shows. This promise was fulfilled by the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica to such an extent that many sci-fi shows have attempted to follow in its footsteps, as well as take similarly innovative steps to advance the genre of science fiction.The second half of the 1960s saw a return to action and adventure science fiction, but while the serials of the 1950s were intended for children, the sci-fi shows of the 1960s were made to entice adult audiences, more akin to the viewership of the anthology shows. Many of the most popular shows were the creations of Irvin Allen, a major influence on science fiction in film and television. He produced television shows, including Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel, and Land of the Giants. Along with these shows were more family-friendly series like Doctor Who and Lost in Space, another Irvin Allen production, which had recurring characters, but combined them with an issue-of-the-week approach that made the shows accessible on an episode-by-episode basis. The 1960s were also a time in American history when great social upheaval and change meant that audiences were perfectly primed for social and political commentary in TV shows. This laid the groundwork for perhaps the most important sci-fi television show of the 20th century: Star Trek. The original Star Trek series had aliens, fantastical technology, and spacefaring adventurers, but more importantly, it pushed societal boundaries and forced viewers to confront ideas and prejudices. Star Trek truly turned science fiction television from a fun setting for action and adventure to a genre that pushed the envelope on current events and issues.
On December 8, 2003, the reimagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries premiered, beginning a six-year-long series run about a group of human refugees escaping the destruction of their homeworlds by robots that the humans themselves created. Twenty years later, this innovative science fiction series, from Universal Studios’ Syfy channel is still making waves. While the re-imagined series was based on an original series of the same name that aired in the 1970s, the more recent series was a turning point in science fiction television. Its influence can still be felt in the genre to this day.
Science fiction television from the 1940s to the 1960s was largely focused on pure entertainment. The sci-fi setting of distant planets or the far future served mostly as a backdrop to action and adventure stories that involved fictional futuristic technology. The next few decades in American television saw a change as the social movements of the 1960s primed audiences to be receptive to social commentary in the form of sci-fi TV shows. This promise was fulfilled by the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica to such an extent that many sci-fi shows have attempted to follow in its footsteps, as well as take similarly innovative steps to advance the genre of science fiction.
The second half of the 1960s saw a return to action and adventure science fiction, but while the serials of the 1950s were intended for children, the sci-fi shows of the 1960s were made to entice adult audiences, more akin to the viewership of the anthology shows. Many of the most popular shows were the creations of Irvin Allen, a major influence on science fiction in film and television. He produced television shows, including Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel, and Land of the Giants. Along with these shows were more family-friendly series like Doctor Who and Lost in Space, another Irvin Allen production, which had recurring characters, but combined them with an issue-of-the-week approach that made the shows accessible on an episode-by-episode basis. The 1960s were also a time in American history when great social upheaval and change meant that audiences were perfectly primed for social and political commentary in TV shows. This laid the groundwork for perhaps the most important sci-fi television show of the 20th century: Star Trek. The original Star Trek series had aliens, fantastical technology, and spacefaring adventurers, but more importantly, it pushed societal boundaries and forced viewers to confront ideas and prejudices. Star Trek truly turned science fiction television from a fun setting for action and adventure to a genre that pushed the envelope on current events and issues.
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