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According to Chris Snellgrove
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A reboot of the classic and iconic sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica was in the works, but Peacock has now canceled the remake. Fans have mixed feelings about the situation. It would be great to get another reboot that was as stunning as Ronald D. Moore’s 2003 show, but this show was of such quality that it would be difficult for any new series to touch the hem of its garment (spicy red dress, of course). However, not too many fans are aware that there was an even earlier reboot helmed by the legendary X-Men director. Bryan Singer originally wanted to create his own Battlestar Galactica restarted in 2001, but the project was canceled due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Singer was originally credited with creating a Battlestar Galactica reboot for Fox, a project that arose from the ashes of a failed feature film that was first created in 1999. The X-Files established Fox as a surprising home for weird genre TV and a reboot of something as culturally huge as Galactica would probably be a big hit with audiences. However, after the 9/11 attacks, the network was hesitant to continue production due to how much the American climate had changed (culturally and politically) since the terrorist attack.
Apparently, Fox did not kill immediately Battlestar Galactica restart. They were interested in how viewers would perceive the show’s ethical and moral message, ideas that network executives were worried would no longer be foisted on post-9/11 audiences. Still, they considered continuing the project if enough of these big differences could be broken down. But Bryan Singer had a prior commitment to direct X2: X-Men Unitedleading to delays at his behest Battlestar Galactica reboot until it goes silent.
However, there is a lot of irony in the fact that Singer is Battlestar Galactica the reboot was eventually canceled thanks to the 9/11 attacks. When Ronald D. Moore’s famous reboot came out in 2003, it was praised by many critics for serving as a sort of metaphor for post-9/11 America. Just as the country was reeling from an unexpected terrorist attack, the show focused on the survivors of an even more devastating Cylon attack. The show soon explored the delicate balance between security and liberty (how much power a military commander should have vs. a civilian president) even as America grappled with the Patriot Act after 9/11.
It was impossible for many to ignore how Moore is Battlestar Galactica the reboot also seemed like a commentary on America’s weird post-9/11 anti-Muslim frenzy. Just as countless American citizens worried whether terrorists might be lurking in their communities and could be spotted from skin color to religion, the show depicted humanity’s survivors struggling with the idea that secret Cylon infiltrators might be hiding within the fleet. At times the parallels were problematically muddled, like when we were supposed to cheer for our heroes with IEDs even though those weapons were being used to kill American soldiers in the Middle East.
Briefly, though, the anxieties of the 9/11 parallels were enough to kill Bryan Singer Battlestar Galacticathose same parallels helped Moore’s reboot flourish. The lesson here for networks may be that audiences aren’t as valuable as they make them out to be, and are ready to reward big creative swings, even if (perhaps especially if) include controversial content. And one big swing after another helped Moore create a television experience we’ll never forget.
