Star Trek and Battle Star Galactica have shared more than just actors.
Star Trek has birthed many science fiction franchises, and while some will like to pretend they weren’t influenced by the crew of the Enterprise, that’s just not true. One of the shows that were heavily influenced by Star Trek was the original Battlestar Galactica. While the format of the show was different, the idea of a space navy was right out of Trek.
More than that, the revival is very inspired by Star Trek and why shouldn’t it be? It was reimagined by one of Treks’ greatest architects, Ronald D. Moore. Moore took over the helm of the Battlestar franchise as part of SyFy’s plans to rebrand and bring the show to cable in the early 2000s. They did just that and created a landmark piece of science fiction.
Carried brilliantly by Edward James Olmos as Captain Adama, the show explored further beyond just the destruction of the 12 colonies and added lore to the Cylon enemies, while expanding on the themes of faith, reincarnation, and destiny. Sure, the fourth season got janky at times, but considering most shows lose their way ultimately, at least it ended when it did.
Moore didn’t just use Trek as a backbone for his storytelling, but he actually brought in several Trek actors to help tell the grander story. Yet, the Trek actor cameos weren’t the only ones the show was known for.
The USS Enterprise cameoed in Battlestar Galactica
Well, that’s not true, or at the very least may not be true. Let’s explain. In the original miniseries that launched the show in earnest, during the scene where the ships are escaping into space to look for a new home, a Starfleet Constitution Class ship can be seen flying in the background. It may not be the “Enterprise” in earnest, but it’s the same model of the Enterprise. So we’re gonna say it’s the Enterprise.
That wasn’t all though, since Moore worked so long and hard on Star Trek, it’s not surprising at all that he would stick even more nods to the franchise that made him a household name. There are also shoutouts to the Enterprise, with a Gemenon transport ship carrying the registry of 1701, which of course is the original Enterprise’s registry. Then there’s a room on the Galactica itself that bares the number 1701-D. This time referencing the USS Enterprise-D, the ship from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
This was the series Moore got his start on and was the body of work that gave SyFy the faith in him to lead this series.