Published Mar 20, 2026, 10:53 AM EDT
Ben is a Senior Writer on the New TV team at Screen Rant. He graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class B.A. Degree in English Literature and History.
Born and raised in Ireland, Ben has always had a love for storytelling in all forms of media and operates multiple projects under the name Benjamin Blogs. Ben is a comic book writer and podcast host, in addition to his work as an entertainment journalist. He has worked as both a writer and editor for Screen Rant, Collider, and other media outlets across various departments, including features, news, reviews, and interviews.
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2009 saw one of the most compelling and unique sci-fi shows on TV, Battlestar Galactica, finally come to an end after more than three decades. The show originally began in 1978 with creator Glen A. Larson at the helm. The show managed to gain a prominent following. However, due to the high cost and an inability to maintain high viewing figures, it was canceled after the second season.
Despite this, the network that was airing the show did meet with Larson and approved a continuation of the series in a new format, titled simply Galactica. This aired in 1980, the year after the original show was canceled. And again, while the series got plenty of attention in its pilot, a decline in the total viewing figures and an inability to achieve the same level of popularity as before led to it being canceled just 10 episodes later.
Regardless, the show had so much potential and was deeply loved by the fanbase it had managed to develop. This led to Battlestar Galactica eventually being revived years later in 2004, though Larson was no longer attached, apart from being credited as a consulting producer. The revival brought back much of the original cast and ran for four spectacular seasons before bringing the series to a definitive end.
Battlestar Galactica's 3-Part Series Finale Concluded On March 20, 2009
In 2009, Battlestar Galactica aired a three-part finale titled "Daybreak." This series of stories saw the conflict between the colonies and the Cylon's come to its inevitable end, and saw a peaceful resolution where technology was abandoned, and a life of peace and quiet living off the land was chosen to preserve that peace.
The ending also featured a controversial time jump that revealed that 150,000 years later, the world of the present is actually the distant future of the show. It's also revealed that this cycle has repeated itself numerous times, with humanity building technology, and those machines gaining sentience and rising up.
While this ending was undeniably a huge twist, and the ratings for all three parts of the final episode are largely positive, it was difficult to see one of the most innovative and creative sci-fi shows on TV end for good. But thankfully, it wasn't the end of the franchise.
"Daybreak" Didn't Mark The End Of The Battlestar Galactica Franchise
"Daybreak" certainly tied up the story of Battlestar Galactica with a decisive conclusion that filled the gap that followed with 150,000 years of human history, but the franchise remained a popular IP, and other stories from that universe were released in the years that followed.
Battlestar Galactica: The Plan delivers an inside look at the plan the Cylons were brewing up to take down the humans, though it was released directly to DVD and later got a slot on the air, making it a fairly minor follow-up to the series. Caprica, however, delivered an extensive prequel limited series for Battlestar Galactica with a total of 19 episodes.
Beyond that, the show continued to live on in various formats, such as comics and even a web series titled Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome.
Why Battlestar Galactica Was Such A Major Success For The Sci-Fi Genre
One of the most compelling aspects of Battlestar Galactica is the gritty, grounded, and realistic character-driven stories that define the series. Unlike most sci-fi shows, the series had several characters remain throughout the entire run, from the 1978 original show through to the 2009 finale.
This provided an abundance of time and material to get familiar with the characters and engage with the stories being told. Of course, it also featured epic sci-fi elements like spaceships, robots, and conflicts that span solar systems and beyond, but the show was much deeper than the glitz and glam of other entries in this category.
Ultimately, this was also why the series needed to be wrapped up so definitively, because without the core cast of characters who made the show what it is, it wouldn't have been able to connect in the same way. As much as the finale was divisive, it makes sense, and it cements Battlestar Galactica as one of the best sci-fi series ever made.
Release Date 2004 - 2009-00-00
Showrunner Ronald D. Moore
Directors Wayne Rose, Michael Nankin, Rod Hardy, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Edward James Olmos, Robert M. Young, Jeff Woolnough, Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Jonas Pate, Allan Kroeker, Anthony Hemingway, Jean de Segonzac, Marita Grabiak, James Head, Paul A. Edwards, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Brad Turner, Ronald D. Moore, Bill Eagles
Writers Carla Robinson, Michael Taylor, Bradley Thompson, David Weddle, Jane Espenson, Mark Verheiden, Michael Angeli, Anne Cofell Saunders, Jeff Vlaming, Michael Rymer, Dawn Prestwich, Nicole Yorkin, Seamus Kevin Fahey
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Edward James Olmos
William Adama
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Mary McDonnell
Laura Roslin
English (US) ·