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Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica

2003Miniseries1 season2 episodes~90 min/epTV-14Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

A re-imagining of the original series in which a "rag-tag fugitive fleet" of the last remnants of mankind flees pursuing robots while simultaneously searching for their true home, Earth.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Battlestar Galactica?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Battlestar Galactica streaming on Paramount+ and Pluto TV (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Subscription

Free

Rent / Buy

Buy

Highlights

What stands out about Battlestar Galactica?

Battlestar Galactica earns 7 badges, led by Modern classic and Top 5% of shows.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Battlestar Galactica worth watching?

Battlestar Galactica's Midcredits score is the 97th percentile of all shows, from 87K ratings across 2 sources. 92% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

97th percentile

Better received than 97% of shows

97th percentile among Action96th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)95th
Approval (how many liked it)96th

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

84 /100

95th percentile of all shows

97th percentile among Action95th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

Approval

How many liked it

92% liked it

96th percentile of all shows

95th percentile among Action96th percentile among 2000s
92% rated it 7–108% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

93rd percentile

86K ratings across platforms

76th percentile among Action89th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 25% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree this is a dark, serious, character-driven reimagining that fundamentally departs from the campy original.

Fans praised

  • gritty, realistic military atmosphere
  • complex, flawed characters with real depth
  • intelligent, adult-oriented storytelling

Detractors panned

  • dreadfully slow pacing, boring
  • humorless, grim tone with no fun
  • unlikeable, bickering characters

What stands out

AtmosphereDivisive85

grim, oppressive sense of desperation

ActingDivisive82

strong performances from Olmos and McDonnell

CharactersDivisive75

deeply flawed, realistic personalities

Effects and spectacleDivisive75

realistic, gritty space battles

Plot and storyDivisive72

intelligent premise but slow to unfold

Emotional impactDivisive70

muted, restrained grief rather than melodrama

OriginalityDivisive70

fresh reimagining of a campy premise

PacingDivisive45

deliberate, slow-burn build-up

Preferred by

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 18 points higher than under-30s.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 6 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US even

Episodes

1 season

Miniseries · 2003 · 2 episodes · 8.2 average across 2 rated episodes

  • S1E1

    Part 1

    Dec 8, 200395 minTMDB rating 8.2
  • S1E2

    Part 2

    Dec 9, 200390 minTMDB rating 8.3Finale

Watch experience

What is Battlestar Galactica like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you haunted.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseMelancholicHopeful
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Bleak · 3% of shows
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.In medias res · under 1% of shows: Opens mid-action, then fills in how we got there.Multiple perspectives · 2% of shows: The same events retold from different characters' points of view.SerializedSingle-season story
ToneThe miniseries plays its apocalyptic scenario completely straight, with a serious, earnest tone.
The rideThe miniseries maintains a constant tension and sense of loss, with brief moments of hope, but the emotional weight is sustained rather than peaking at a single point.
StructureThe miniseries opens in the midst of the Cylon attack and cuts between the perspectives of military and civilian leaders.
Episode formatThe two episodes form a continuous story; the miniseries is a single narrative.
Season formatThe miniseries is a complete story in one season; the subsequent series continues the story but this analysis covers the 2003 miniseries alone.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Haunting · 9% of showsBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe miniseries leaves a lingering sense of loss and uncertainty, tempered by a fragile hope.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestMission
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% (this title) · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Mission: Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).

6% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe fleet's flight from Cylon genocide and its parallel quest for Earth drive the story.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% (this title) · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9% (this title): Survival 12% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% (this title) · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Survival

Survival · 12% of showsIdentityHope · 4% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe fleet's primary struggle is literal survival from the Cylons, but the series also explores what it means to be human (identity) and the desperate need for hope in the face of extinction.
StanceThe miniseries questions what humanity is and whether survival justifies any means, rather than celebrating or mourning survival alone.

The world

Near futureOuter spaceIn transitScience fiction
Orchestral modernForeground music · original score · Richard Gibbs
SettingA ragtag fleet of surviving human ships fleeing the Cylons in deep space
MusicA dark, percussive score that underscores the tension and loss, with a theme for the Cylon threat.

Content guide

Is Battlestar Galactica okay for kids?

TV-14

Battlestar Galactica is rated TV-14. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (64/100), sexual content at moderate (46/100), language at moderate (38/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (36/100) and frightening material at moderate (60/100). Overall it is heavier than 62% of TV-14 shows.

Ratings in 12 other countries
  • UK12
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • Ireland12
  • Brazil14
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoAA
  • Netherlands12
  • Portugal12AP
  • Spain12
  • SwedenFrån 15 år
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 48% of all showsHeavier than 62% of TV-14 shows
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 71%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 68%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 45%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 49%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 69%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence. Everything else sits at or below what TV-14 shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Battlestar Galactica have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Battlestar Galactica?

Cast

Edward James Olmos
as Commander Adama
Mary McDonnell
as President Laura Roslin
Katee Sackhoff
as Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace
Jamie Bamber
as Lee 'Apollo' Adama
James Callis
as Gaius Baltar
Tricia Helfer
as Number Six
Callum Keith Rennie
as Leoben Conoy
Grace Park
as Lt. Sharon 'Boomer' Valerii
Michael Hogan
as Col. Tigh
Matthew Bennett
as Doral

Crew

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What are shows like Battlestar Galactica?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Battlestar Galactica include Firefly (2002), Ahsoka (2023) and The Book of Boba Fett (2021).

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What other shows share a tag with Battlestar Galactica?

58 other shows share the rarest tag below, up against: robot or ai. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.