Why Both of ‘Battlestar Galactica’s Spinoffs Failed

From the original Sci-Fi Channel miniseries to the four-season space opera it became, Battlestar Galactica made waves in the early 2000s. The hit sci-fi series is one of the best of its kind, and expertly combines themes of human survival, salvation, extinction, and rebirth together in a uniquely spiritual space epic that’s certainly one of a kind. So, when BSG ended in 2009, it made sense that both audiences and the network wanted more from the hit series, and that’s where the spin-offs come in. While projects like Battlestar Galactica: Razor and Battlestar Galactica: The Plan ran parallel to the re-imagined series, prequels like Caprica and Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome took a different approach that didn’t work as well in the long run. Here’s what happened.

‘Caprica’ Was the First Attempt at a ‘Battlestar Galactica’ Spinoff

Only a month after Battlestar Galactica concluded with the three-part series finale “Daybreak,” the extended pilot feature for Caprica was released on DVD and digital download. Helmed by Ronald D. Moore and David Eick, the Caprica pilot was meant to prove that the prequel series was different from the original, and boy did it succeed. “It’s a different mood,” Moore told CinemaBlend in early 2009. “I mean everything about Caprica was designed specifically to not repeat what we had done in Galactica.” Not only was Caprica different in style, but the substance was entirely unique compared to the original series. Instead of following a group of human survivors during a Cylon War, Caprica chronicles a time before even the First Cylon War, a time when the Twelve Colonies lived in excess and ignorant bliss as to what was to come.

On the surface, Caprica is an interesting idea. Telling the story of how the Cylons really came to be and what set them apart from humanity, all from a human point of view, is unique on its own. The plot of Caprica certainly would’ve made a fascinating episode of the 2004 series, or even a stellar standalone prequel film. Eric Stoltz kills it as the arrogant scientist Daniel Graystone, and Esai Morales plays a compelling Joseph Adama (the lawyer father of future Galactica Admiral William Adama). But in 2010, Caprica premiered on the newly rebranded Syfy, running for 14 episodes before the network canceled it due to low ratings. The final five episodes (an ironic number concerning the re-imagined series) aired in Canada on the Space channel, and Caprica was no more.

Given the popularity of Battlestar Galactica, one might wonder how a show like Caprica failed, but it’s actually pretty simple. Caprica didn’t want to be Battlestar Galactica, and because of that, BSG fans weren’t as interested in the concept. Sure, Caprica delved deeper into the franchise’s mythology, and it did a generally good job doing so. However, the prequel’s lack of interstellar exploration, intense battle sequences, and threat of all human survival stripped Caprica of what made the original 2004 series so notable for viewers. The tension that existed from the beginning of Battlestar Galactica just didn’t carry over to the prequel. Moore and Eick wanted to make Caprica separate, more appealing to a wider audience, but failed to acknowledge the fact that their BSG audience was niche as it was. The best ratings Caprica ever got were about a million less than what Battlestar Galactica pulled in its series finale, and they only went down from there.

SyFy Tried Again With ‘Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome’

Though likely demoralized after Caprica‘s failure, Syfy pursued other avenues before it decided to attempt another Battlestar Galactica revival. This time, they opted to make something much closer to the 2004 series, but without the same heart that made us care about those in the original. The result was the Machinema webseries Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome, which followed the exploits of a young William “Husker” Adama (Luke Pasqualino) during the First Cylon War. Blood & Chrome was developed first as a “proof of concept” miniseries that — like the 2003 Battlestar Galactica miniseries before it — was meant to convince the network to greenlight yet another BSG prequel. Unfortunately for creators David Eick and Michael Taylor, it didn’t work out that way.

“Though the vision for Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome has evolved over the course of the past year, our enthusiasm for this ambitious project has not waned,” noted Syfy executive Mark Stern following the announcement that the network would not be turning Blood & Chrome into a traditional television series. “We are actively pursuing it as was originally intended: a groundbreaking digital series that will launch to audiences beyond the scope of a television screen.” Effectively, the television series was canceled before it had the chance to begin, and was instead re-cut into 10 digital webisodes that were released on the Machinema platform in November 2012. The following February, Blood & Chrome finally aired on SyFy, now as a made-for-TV feature film. The project was later released on various home media and digital platforms.

Unlike Caprica, Blood & Chrome felt more akin to the 2004 Battlestar Galactica. Adama was battling Cylons again, and at least that much was interesting (though the absence of Edward James Olmos was certainly felt). But a lack of compelling supporting characters and true urgency hurt Blood & Chrome more than any of the melodrama. Although the project had loads of potential, it failed to capture the attention of most audiences. It was no wonder SyFy ultimately passed. Perhaps if Blood & Chrome had focused on the budding friendship between a young Adama and a young Saul Tigh (played by Michael Hogan in the 2004 series), we might’ve been more interested. The First Cylon War is certainly a time period worth exploring, and one we still know little about. This just wasn’t the right way to do it.

Maybe ‘Battlestar Galactica’ Is Better Left Alone (or Rebooted)

Maybe the reason that the Battlestar Galactica spin-offs didn’t quite hit the mark is because Ronald D. Moore and his team had already captured lightning in a bottle. Like other inventive sci-fi shows such as Andromeda, Firefly, and Farscape, maybe Battlestar Galactica is thoughtful military science-fiction that doesn’t need repeating. After all, it’s not like Stargate or Star Trek, where various spin-offs and prequels — following entirely new casts of characters exploring bold new worlds — make genuine sense. Even Star Wars can get away with it because there’s so much familiar material to pull from. But in the case of BSG, the most important story to be told is the survival of the Colonies, the peace made with the Cylons, and their united exodus to Earth. After “Daybreak,” that story has already been told, so what else is there?

Perhaps the best way to make more Battlestar Galacticais by rebooting the series entirely. There have been plenty of reboot attempts over the years, with everyone from Bryan Singer to Sam Esmail attached to the project. This would be the only way to tell (or in this case, retell) the stories that BSG fans genuinely want to see, or, if it were done right, to find an entirely new audience ready for a different angle on the franchise. In his 2009 interview with CinemaBlend, Moore noted that if his Battlestar Galactica were to be remade (just as he once remade the original 1970s series), he would want those in charge to generate a “fresh” take just as he once tried to do with the 2004 show. “I’d want them to sort of do what I did when I approached the old series, which was to just go in and take no prisoners,” Moore explained. “This is what we’re going to set out to do. I mean I would feel – personally I would feel honored if someone does want to do that.”

Ultimately, Caprica and Blood & Chrome either attempted to be too different from the 2004 Battlestar Galactica or didn’t take the material seriously enough. In either case, it isn’t a surprise that neither narrative went anywhere. Given the popularity of BSG (even despite its controversial ending), any potential follow-up, even if set in the past, was bound to be held up to the success of the original. Maybe one day we’ll revisit the world of Battlestar Galactica. Whether it’s Moore’s re-imagined continuity or a new rebooted version, there’s hope for humanity yet. So say we all!

Battlestar Galactica is available for streaming on Prime Video, where you can also purchase both Caprica and Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome.

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