Battlestar Galactica Reboot Shut Down By Terrorism

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 1 second ago

A reboot of the classic and iconic sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica had been in the works, but Peacock has now canceled the remake. Fans have mixed feelings about the situation. It would be great to have another reboot as stunning as Ronald D. Moore’s 2003 show, but that show was of such high quality that it would be hard for any new series to touch the hem of its garment (spicy red dress, of course) . However, what far too many fans don’t realize is that there was a reboot even earlier, one helmed by the legendary X-Men director. Originally, Bryan Singer wanted to create one of his own Battlestar Galactica restarted in 2001, but the project was canceled due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The singer was originally signed to create a Battlestar Galactica reboot for Fox, a project born from the ashes of a failed feature film first conceived in 1999. Shows like The X-Files has established Fox as a surprise home for strange genre television, and a reboot of something as culturally huge as Galactica it is likely that it would have been very popular with the viewers. However, after the 9/11 attacks, the network was hesitant to move forward with production because of how much the American climate had changed (culturally and politically) since the terrorist attack.

By all accounts, Fox did not immediately kill the Battlestar Galactica reboot. They were concerned about how audiences would perceive the show’s ethical and moral messages, ideas that network executives would no longer jibe with post-9/11 audiences. Still, they considered moving forward with the project if enough of these major differences could be hammered out. But Bryan Singer had a prior commitment to direct X2: X-Men Unitedthus promoting delay on his future Battlestar Galactica reboot until it fades out silently.

There is plenty of irony, though, in the fact that Singer’s Battlestar Galactica a reboot was eventually canceled thanks to the 9/11 attacks. When Ronald D. Moore’s own famous reboot came out in 2003, it was praised by many critics for serving as a kind of metaphor for post-9/11 America. Just as the country was left reeling from an unexpected terrorist attack, the show focused on the survivors of an even more devastating Cylon sneak attack. The show explored the delicate balance between security and liberty (such as how much power the military commander should have versus the civilian president) even as America struggled with the post-9/11 Patriot Act .

For many, it was impossible to ignore how Moore is Battlestar Galactica reboot also seemed like a commentary on America’s strange anti-Muslim madness in the wake of 9/11. Just as countless American citizens worried whether terrorists might be hiding in their communities and being seen through everything from skin color to religious affiliation, the show portrayed humanity’s survivors struggling with the idea that they might that there are hidden Cylon infiltrators in the fleet. At times, the parallels became confusing, like when we were supposed to be rooting for our heroes using IEDs even as these weapons were being used to kill American soldiers in the Middle East.

Long story short, although concerns over 9/11 were enough to kill Bryan Singer Battlestar Galacticathose same similarities helped reboot Moore to flourish. Perhaps there is a lesson here for networks that audiences are not as valuable as they imagine and are prepared to reward big creative swings even if (perhaps especially if) they contain controversial content. And one big swing after another helped Moore create a television experience we’ll never forget.