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BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny, the last Battlestar, Galactica, had to convince as both warship and refuge – its imposing design saw it succeed on both counts.


The history of screen science fiction has thrilled audiences with a dazzling array of iconic spacecraft, that one signature vessel that becomes inseparable from the franchise that launched it into our imaginations. Whether that ship be the U.S.S. Enterprise, Millennium Falcon, the TARDIS or Serenity, these beautifully designed vehicles become as loved as the characters that crew them. They may be the most-advanced craft in the galaxy, a worthless pile of junk, the flagship of a fleet, or the last of its kind; in the case of the Battlestar Galactica, it can be all these things at once. In 1978, this particular ship managed something that only a handful of other vessels have achieved in television history: it provided the foundations of a show that evolved into a major science-fiction franchise with its name alone. At the tale end of the 1970s, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA was a television series with a scale never before seen on the small screen. It was going to require a unique spacecraft to match that scale…

Part war machine, part Noah’s Ark, the original Battlestar Galactica may not have made the same initial mark on popular culture as the Enterprise or the Millennium Falcon, but for children (and adults) growing up in the late 1970s, it was the nuts and bolts from which science-fiction dreams were made. Neither traditionally saucer-shaped nor conventionally rocket-based, the design of the original Galactica leaned more toward a utilitarian aesthetic in its heavy military styling. It was a vast battleship representing the colony world of Caprica, one of over 100 mighty Battlestars built for war by the Twelve Colonies of Man. To operate such a vast ship required a full crew of knowledgeable commanders, warriors and skilled technicians both on screen and behind the scenes. Conveniently, the roster of production crew that helped develop the signature ship for this unprecedented new series came from the top science-fiction film of the day: Star Wars.

Director and writer George Lucas had broken new ground during preproduction on Star Wars in the mid-1970s by hiring acclaimed illustrator Ralph McQuarrie. McQuarrie created detailed concept art and depictions of key scenes from Lucas’ science-fiction epic before an inch of celluloid had been shot. These beautiful illustrations – works of art in their own right – helped create a buzz for the risky production with studios and investors. They were a key component in seeing Star Wars move beyond the green light. Following Star Wars, McQuarrie was in demand and was duly tapped to work the same magic on Glen A. Larson’s BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.

McQuarrie worked up concept designs for Colonial Vipers, Cylon Raiders, aliens and, of course, the Galactica itself. As he had done for Lucas, McQuarrie also produced beautiful paintings depicting the Galactica in major action and other key sequences from the original trio of episodes, grouped together under the title Saga of a Star World. These illustrations accompanied the script as a means of attracting the attentions of potential studios to take on the costly project. Another Star Wars graduate who contributed to the conceptual look of the Galactica and other ships for the series was Joe Johnston, today a world-renowned feature-film director.