A series that outperforms its expectations : Battlestar Galactica

Season One of "Battlestar Galactica" ought to be pretty bad - parts of it are so cheesy, some of the dialog is so wooden, some of the special effects are so dated - but one way or another the series continues to overcome its flaws and live up to and even surpass is ambitions - and ultimately I have to say it's pretty good, kept me entertained and interested over 13 episodes (a lot!). The basic plot premise is quite intriguing - a human civilization surviving in space ships after losing an intergalactic war, now searching for their legendary home planet, Earth - and they keep it pretty straightforward, without any complex and incomprehensible plot twists. The characters are all standard types, drawn in broad brush strokes, and that's just fine for this kind of series. The most intriguing part of all is the relation with the enemy race of robotic figures, the Cylons, which can now clone and imitate human form - so the fear is that anyone on the ship could be an enemy Cylon (and we know that one is - which her cohort does not know); even more interesting, some of the Cylons are programmed to think they're human. Some very interesting side stories taking place on the home planet, now occupied by Cylons, with one Galactica soldier making his way across the ruined land. And there's another side drama of the surviving government, with former Ed secretary (Mary McDonnell) now the president, but clashing with the military authorities that run the Battlestar. And finally there are hilarious scenes during which the resident genius is tormented by the image of a sexy Cylon who has been implanted in his brain - and he carries on two ridiculous conversations at once, fending her off and trying to appear brilliant and in control. Lots of great moments throughout the whole series and it keeps you engaged. I'll wait a while before watching Season 2, but probably will get to it.