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A reboot of a 1970s Star Wars knockoff, Syfy's Battlestar Galacticais truly one of the greatest science fiction television series ever created. Yet the late 20th and early 21st centuries represent a golden age for both the genre and the medium. That means there are other sci-fi shows that better execute many of the concepts and themes in BSG.
Created at the onset of America's so-called "War on Terror," Battlestar Galactica is very much a product of its time. Nonetheless, its story remains powerful, moving, and all too relevant. Still, both before and after its run, other sci-fi shows better execute certain storytelling elements. Only series that were able to tell their full story like BSG were considered. Of course, it's also worth pointing out that whether these shows are actually better or not is ultimately up to each individual viewer.
The Expanse Told an Epic Story About Space Colonization and Human Infighting
Despite what fans may think, the Cylons were not BSG's greatest enemy. Rather, the biggest antagonist in the show was humanity itself, specifically their pettiness and fear. Sure, the Cylons committed a genocidal attack against humanity, but they did so out of a misguided notion of self-preservation. Unlike the utopian future that emerged from a devastating war in Star Trek's future, the humans in Battlestar Galactica did not truly unite in the face of their near extinction. Both of these extremes exist more because the respective stories needed their characters to behave this way.
The Expanse, an adaptation of James S. A. Corey's novels, provides a (pardon the pun) more expansive view of these elements of human nature. Like in BSG, humanity has expanded into a multi-planetary society, which naturally creates different factions with their own agendas and goals. Eventually, the characters discover a method of space travel which further expands their reach beyond a single solar system. While there are hints of alien species in this universe, humans are the sole source of drama and conflict.
Because of the Cylon attack, Battlestar Galactica depicts humanity as interstellar nomads with a dwindling population. In The Expanse, an incredibly vast population of humans and, eventually, an abundance of potentially permanent homes for them. While BSG characters (mostly) try to preserve human lives, some in The Expanse want to cull the population to a more manageable size. When interstellar travel becomes possible, various groups want to control it for different, but equally understandable, reasons.
Andor Is the First Truly 'Adult' Star Wars Story, and a Perfect Political Allegory
One of the most compelling parts of Battlestar Galactica is the political struggle among the surviving humans. To prevent the extinction of the human race at the hands of the Cylons, some characters abandon democratic ideals in favor of authoritarian rule.
Whereas The Expanse makes conflict between human factions more nuanced and complex, Andor simplifies it in a way that best serves allegories about a descent into fascism. While Star Wars has the Light and Dark Sides of the Force as points on its moral compass, this part of the mythology gets left out of Andor. The actions of the heroes in these early days of the Rebel Alliance exist in morally gray spaces, but its position on authoritarianism is clear.
In BSG, characters like William Adama, Laura Roslin, and even Cylon leaders make their choices because their people face a truly existential threat. The Imperials in Andor have no such excuse, and their commitment to Emperor Palpatine's tyranny is wholly unjustifiable.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Expertly Blends Religion and War's Existential Threats
The foundational elements of Battlestar Galactica were first created by Glen A. Larson, but the 2004 reboot repurposed them. First writing for Star Trek, Ronald D. Moore took what he learned there and applied it to this show. While every series in Gene Roddenberry's universe could find a place on this list, it was Deep Space Nine where Moore truly became a legendary storyteller. Many elements in this show, the first one set somewhere other than a ship named "Enterprise," are present in Battlestar Galactica.
DS9 is most notable among its Star Trek peers for introducing heavy serialization and a protracted war story. Instead of the Cylons, the opposing side of this conflict was the Dominion, an empire made up of many species dominated by the "Founders," gelatinous beings who could change their appearance at will. They were not fighting Starfleet (and both the Klingon and Romulan empires) for survival like the synthetic lifeforms on BSG. Rather, they fought their war to simply subjugate the "solids" purely out of fear.
Another element Deep Space Nine arguably handled better than Battlestar Galactica was religion. The Founders essentially saw themselves as godlike beings, while the heroes were aligned with "the Prophets." Unlike the divine gods on BSG, they were merely powerful aliens who ascended to a higher plane of existence, specifically where linear time was concerned. DS9 showed that faith in the Prophets was not diminished by a more scientific understanding of who they were.
Person of Interest Perfectly Blends the Surveillance State and Sentient Artificial Intelligence
Despite being wildly different stories, both Battlestar Galactica and Person of Interest blend concerns around sentient artificial intelligence with post-9/11 attitudes. Of course, the Cylons are basically just people with synthetic insides. The AI in this seriesare bodiless, godlike machine intelligences whose power grows with the surveillance state. With the way technology has advanced, the themes in Person of Interest hit harder today than they did 15 years ago. In fact, some of the sci-fi tech in the series became reality.
While Battlestar Galactica created its allegory from a macro view of the contemporaneous geopolitical moment, Person of Interest takes a more micro view. Almost every episode centers on the heroes, led by a benevolent AI called "the Machine," who are tasked with saving someone's life. Even the lives of the villains are worth something to the heroes. So despite the dour, almost depressing real-life inspiration, this show is aspirational and hopeful.
Series creator Jonathan Nolan was inspired by his work on his brother Christopher's Dark Knight Trilogy. Specifically, Person of Interest stemmed from his inability to include street-level stories about Batman saving people. Because of its contemporary setting, Person of Interest is arguably far more effective than BSG in its examination of the post-9./11 world and how fear makes people compromise their values. It also shows how refusing to abandon that morality is a revolutionary act.
12 Monkeys Is a More Hopeful Story About the Near Genocide of the Human Race
Despite the beloved cult status of the film of the same name, 12 Monkeys may be the best sci-fi show of all time. Co-creator Terry Matalas also got his start on Star Trek during The Next Generation era, but he was also clearly influenced and impressed by Battlestar Galactica. (The show features many actors from the show, as well.) In fact, starting with the second season, 12 Monkeys drastically raises its stakes. This is no small feat when the inciting incident is a plague that nearly ends humanity.
Instead of traveling through space, the characters in this story travel through time. Visiting the past and even the future, they try not to lose themselves as they work to undo the plague. 12 Monkeys is one of the most tightly written shows as well, so much so that nothing in the series means "nothing." While it can get very bleak and dark, the show is nonetheless able to deliver excitement, humor, and a hopeful feeling about the importance of every moment of our lives.
Also, like BSG, there are morally complex characters who align with other people they once bitterly opposed. In the plague-devastated future, human life can be cheap, but 12 Monkeys constantly reminds viewers of its value. Unlike BSG, the series finale is practically perfect, and it retains its gritty gravitas without being afraid to end on an "up" note. If asked, Matalas would likely say Battlestar Galactica ranks above his own creation. While the ultimate determination is up to each viewer, 12 Monkeys is as close to sci-fi television perfection as anyone is likely to see.
