The beloved sci-fi series coming to Paramount+ is one of TV’s strongest political and social parables

Published May 5, 2026 1:30PM (EDT)

"Battlestar Galactica" (Syfy)

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As I recall, the main problems nonbelievers had with “ Battlestar Galactica ” were tech-related: The cable network revival, which began with a 2003 miniseries, demoted its monocular Cylon Centurions to favor new Cylons that looked and behaved like us.

When “Battlestar Galactica” was introduced as a miniseries in 2003, America was still reeling from 9/11; meanwhile, here was a drama about humans living in a galaxy far, far away, broadsided by an enemy they didn’t take seriously enough.

The first Cylon introduced, Number Six, was played by a fashion model named Tricia Helfer. You would think fanboys would have loved that switch-up, but nooooo.…