Our favourite space-faring warship is being put back in commission by NBCUniversal, which has set a new series of Battlestar Galactica for its upcoming streaming service it has named Peacock. According to Deadline, the new project comes from Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail.
Esmail is a “huge fan of Battlestar Galactica,” per the outlet, which also reports that a new take of the beloved sci-fi series was high on the creator’s list when he signed a four-year exclusivity deal with NBCU. Chad Hamilton, one of Esmail’s collaborators on Mr. Robot, is also set to executive produce.
This will not be a remake of Ronald D. Moore’s beloved series, Esmail has confirmed on Twitter:
“BSG fans, this will NOT be a remake of the amazing series @RonDMoore 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!”
Deadline says that Moore, who led the 2003 Battlestar Galactica reboot, has given Esmail’s take his blessing. Moore’s series, which tackled a struggle between man and machine following apocalyptic terrorist attacks on a group of planets called the Twelve Colonies, was a thinly-veiled allegory for the war on terror and later the invasion of Iraq. It is hailed as one of the greatest sci-fi series ever made.
The original Battlestar Galactica, which was created by Glen A. Larson, ran for just one season from 1978 to 1979 and was revived as Galactica 1980 just a year later for 10 episodes. While the original remained a cult favourite for decades, it arguably never reached the heights of Moore’s reboot, which itself has spawned several spinoffs, including the two prequels Caprica and Blood & Chrome.
Since Moore’s series came to an end in 2009, NBCU has explored bringing back Battlestar Galactica as a movie, hiring several writers to pen and revise the script for a project that would have reportedly existed somewhere between both Larson and Moore’s series. This movie is now likely dead, at least for now. It’s unclear at the moment what direction Esmail’s version will take.
Unsurprisingly, no production or premiere date has yet been set for this new series, but you can expect NBCU’s Peacock to launch in April, with archive content as well as knew commissions (including a revival of Saved By The Bell). The service’s original scripted programming will begin to roll out next Autumn.
