A widescreen remaster of Battlestar Galactica is something that some fans have wanted for a while now. Like their Star Trek brethren, people are absolutely positive that it can, and should be done, and that the purists are just holding out on them. But unlike Star Trek: TNG, with its plethora of light stands, crew members and other flotsam floating just out of frame, there are at least parts of Battlestar that were always intended to be widescreen. In the 1970s and 80s, it was fairly common for broadcast pilots, miniseries, and 2-part episodes to be repurposed for theatrical release overseas. Until very late in the game, the original plan for Galactica was for it to be a series of 4 TV movies, which later became the pilot, Lost Planet of the Gods, Gun on Ice Planet Zero, and War of the Gods. All of which were planned and shot (or at least protected for) 1.85:1. But this unfortunately is part of what makes this widescreen version such a mixed bag when compared to its 4:3 counterparts – the rest of the episodes weren’t planned for widescreen in this way.

Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series Blu-ray review

Starring: Lorne Greene , Dirk Benedict , Herbert Jefferson Jr. , Kent McCord , Barry Van Dyke , John ColicosDeleted Scenes (SD, Disc 3, 12 minutes) – Deleted scenes from episodes 'Litmus,' 'Six Degrees of Separation,' 'Flesh and Bone,' 'Tigh Me Up - Tigh Me Down,' and Hand of God.' Clearly this didn’t ring true for the new narrative, so the Cylons here are much more formidable, and many look and act as humans. To twist that further, some of the Cylons onboard the Galactica aren’t even aware they’re not human, fifth-columnists who don’t even know they’re working for the other side. This entire dimension to Galatica was a masterstroke, because the revelations of who is and isn’t a Cylon as the show progresses entirely changes the viewers’ perceptions and the characters’ motivations.

Battlestar Galactica: The Definitive Collection (with Caprica Battlestar Galactica: The Definitive Collection (with Caprica

If you aren't already sitting down as you're reading this review, now would be a good time to pull up a chair. Universal has included supplements on each of the twenty discs in this collection, so needless to say -- we're going to be here for awhile. And even though Galactica 1980 was cheesy and not even close to the awesomeness of the original it was still enjoyable viewing it especially since I haven’t seen it in many years. R&D Logos (SD, Disc 5, 3 minutes) – A collection of all of the weird Ronald vs. David death scenes that appear after each episode. In their infinite wisdom, the folks over at Universal believe that no one but loyal fans and purists would ever want to see 'Battlestar Galactica' is its original full frame format, so as part of this remastering of the series, they've created a brand-new 1.78:1 widescreen version of each episode. Despite losing information at the top and bottom of each scene, the widescreen episodes are actually pretty well framed and I was surprised at how good most (but not all) of the series works in the new format. Audio Commentary: 'Islanded in a Stream of Stars: Extended Version' (Disc 2) – Commentary with Ronald D. Moore.What’s actually impressive is how over the entire 4.5 seasons and 75 episodes (plus 27 webisodes) how uniform the overall look is. In terms of Blu-ray extras, most (but not all) of disc-based from Universal’s previous DVD release has carried over here. Missing from the original DVD is the magazine size booklet, the VFX overview with John Dykstra, and the Sci-Fi channel special. Also absent (unsurprisingly) from the German Blu-ray release are the German language Super-8 cuts and trailers, and the lawyer-killing Battlestar discussion panel footage from the 2003 25th anniversary convention. Had Universal wanted to make this set truly definitive, they would have included at least the new scenes shot with body doubles and awkward voiceovers done for the telemovie version of the standalone episodes meant for UHF syndication. The most notable of which, Experiment in Terra, had an entirely new intro shot as detailed here. Sometime in their history, a civilized planetary system consisting of a dozen tribes of humanity known as the Twelve Colonies of Kobol created a race of sentient robotic beings they called Cylons. The Cylons were built to make the humans' lives easier, but one day the machines had enough of slavery and rebelled against their masters. The uprising escalated into a war and then suddenly -- the Cylons vanished without a trace. Deleted Scenes (SD, Disc 5, 8 minutes) – Deleted scenes from episodes 'The Son Also Rises,' and 'Crossroads: Parts 1 & 2.' Audio Commentary: 'Faith' (Disc 2) – Commentary with Ronald D. Moore as well as producers Bradley Thompson and David Weddle.

Battlestar Galactica: The Remastered Collection Blu-ray

The Blu-ray release of Battlestar Galactica accurately preserves the artistic intentions of the creators. The stylized visual elements within certain scenes are intentional and faithful to the broadcast presentation of the television show." English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French, Italian, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin), Brazilian, and Portuguese DTS Digital Surround 2.0 (Original Series Full Frame Episodes) Battlestar Galactica' is a tough release to judge visually. The series is often grainy and colors are heavily unsaturated in places, but this gritty washed-out look is the intended style of the filmmakers. On the first disc for each season, Ronald D. Moore gives a brief introduction touching on this subject plus there's a message on startup from Universal stating: Each disc plays host to a wealth of deleted scenes with a combined run time of around fifty minutes. If you want more BSG this is one place to get it. Podcast Commentary: 'A Disquiet Follows My Soul: Extended Version' (Disc 1) – Podcast commentary with Ronald D. Moore.Battlestar Galactica': Remastered (HD, 6 min.) – Sadly, this is the only brand-new bonus feature on this entire release. However, it does give a nice behind-the-scenes look at how the series was updated to widescreen for the 'next generation' of viewers. (Note: This bonus feature only appears on Disc 6 of the widescreen original series set – it does not appear on Disc 6 of the full frame version.) Audio Commentary: 'The Son Also Rises' (Disc 5) – A second commentary for this episode with actor Mark Sheppard and writer Michael Angeli. Deleted Scenes (SD, 50 min.) – Also ported over from the 2003 release are a collection of deleted scenes, which also include outtakes and bloopers in the mix. The quality of the footage is pretty poor, but still fun to watch. Included on this first disc are deleted scenes for 'Saga of a Star World' (35 min.) and 'Lost Planet of the Gods' (15 min.). Season Four Sneak Peek and Season Four Trailer (SD, 3 minutes) – Snippets promoting the fourth season. With all that out of the way, let’s talk about what you’re really interested in here... CAPRICA: THE COMPLETE SERIES

Battlestar Galactica: The Definitive Collection (Blu-ray Review) Battlestar Galactica: The Definitive Collection (Blu-ray Review)

Deleted Scenes (SD, Disc 1, 12 minutes) – Deleted scenes from episodes 'Occupation,' 'Precipice,' 'Exodus: Part 2,' and 'Collaborators.' Audio Commentary: 'The Hub' (Disc 2) – Commentary with Ronald D. Moore, co-executive producer Jane Espenson, editor Michael O'Halloran and supervising Editor Andrew Seklir. The point is that 'Battlestar Galactica' was never meant to gleam and sparkle, so as long as viewers keep this in mind and don't approach the Blu-rays expecting the crystal clearness of a show like ' LOST' for example, then I'm sure the majority will be satisfied with the results. So what’s missing? For Caprica, the DVD audio commentaries are not included (16 of them in all). And while you do get a substantial amount of Deleted Scenes and Video Blogs (edited together into hour-long videos), a few of each seem to be missing as well. So you may wish to keep your original DVD discs just to retain those items.As a Blu-ray Universal has provided a spectacular set, unparalleled in its presentation; picture and sound are absolutely top notch and there are enough extras to keep any fan happy for weeks and weeks. Audio Commentary: 'Crossroads: Parts 1 & 2' (Disc 5) – Another commentary for the season finale with actor Mark Sheppard. More web based 'minisodes' expanding upon a plot point form the show. Play all runs for about 20 minutes and its more great stuff. Remembering Battlestar Galactica - a 45-minute retrospective documentary featuring cast and crew on the making of the series Sketches and Art (SD, 4 minutes) – A concept art, paintings, and costume photo slideshow set to music from the show.