This '70s Show Spawned A Much Less Successful '80s Sci-Fi Sequel Series

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When it comes to science fiction television, "Battlestar Galactica" is proof that you don't need to be on the air long to develop a rabid and passionate fanbase. Decades after the original series premiered, fans still flock to conventions to meet the cast. That's remarkable, considering the original series lasted a grand total of one season and 24 episodes. What's even more remarkable is that its spin-off show didn't last half as long.

When "Battlestar Galactica," created by television legend, Glen Larson, hit the airwaves, it got off to a strong start, finishing the season in the top 40. Normally, that would be enough to keep a show on the air, but not in this case. In "So Say We All: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Battlestar Galactica," Laurette Spang, who played Cassiopeia, revealed shifting time slots were a major problem. "It seemed that we were sabotaged at every corner," she said. "We aired opposite the Emmys, we aired opposite 'Gone With the Wind', we were preempted all the time." That, coupled with sky-high production costs, led to the show's cancellation after just one season.

This didn't sit well with the fanbase, who launched a letter-writing campaign, begging ABC to bring the show back. The campaign led to its spin-off, "Galactica 1980," which Glen Larson also created. Unfortunately, the second time was not the charm for the sci-fi series — although Larson would use his villainous Cylons as inspiration for a future show: "Knight Rider." 

In order for ABC to bring the "Battlestar Galactica" franchise back to TV, one of the requirements was a much tighter budget, which meant fewer special effects and most of the original cast not being brought back. Another blow to "Galactica 1980" was the time slot it was given: Sunday at 7 P.M., which was normally reserved for educational content. This meant that writers had to find ways to shoehorn a random science fact into the script to appease the FCC. All of that combined to produce a show that no one seemed interested in. After just 10 episodes, ABC pulled the plug.

Amazingly though, that is not the end of the story for the "Battlestar Galactica" universe. In 2003 a miniseries rebooted the franchise, which led to a third iteration of a television series that ran for four seasons and is considered one of the top sci-fi shows to never have a bad season. Another reboot was in the works at Peacock several years ago, but those plans were scrapped. Still, the franchise has gone on to spawn comic books, video games, and even a theme park attraction.