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Created by Glen A. Larson,Battlestar Galacticaremains one of the most popular science fiction TV series on record. Launched in 1978, the long-running Sci-Fi franchise concerns the eternal war between the humans from planet Kobol and the Cylons, cybernetic warriors who fight to control the Twelve Colonies. Although the premise remains the same in each franchise entry, there is some confusion about the chronology of events in theBSGtimeline.
While there have been two main TV series in theBattlestar Galacticacanon, the sprawling Sci-Fi franchise has also produced a spin-off, prequel, reboot, multiple web series, and a pair of movies that every fan should check out. With the recent announcement that Peacock is poised to reboot the series once more, it’s time to steer viewers in the right direction and guide them on how to watch the entire franchise in the proper order.
How to Watch Battlestar Galactica in Chronological Order
TheBattlestar Galacticafranchise is fairly simple to follow. There aren’t too many different shows to keep track of like with others such asThe Walking Deadand its spinoffs. Here is a breakdown of how to watch the series in chronological order.
Release Year
Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome
Battlestar Galactica: The Miniseries
Battlestar Galactica
1978-1979, 2005
Battlestar Galactica: Razor
Battlestar Galactica: The Plan
Caprica (2010)
Set 58 years before theBSGmain series,Capricaaired on the SyFy Channel in 2010. Although the show lasted just one season and 19 episodes,the prequel TV showtakes viewers back to the beginning of the war between the humans and Cylons. The story takes place on the planet Caprica, where the Adama and Graystone families settle and deal with the formation of the Cylon robotic army.
Despite airing 32 years after the original main series, Capricais designed to be seen before the events that take place inBSG. The show may have been canceled due to low ratings before the season was completed, but to understand how the Cylons lived during a time of prosperity before the destruction of the Twelve Colonies and how they evolved to survive following a cataclysmic event, it’s best to start at the beginning of the story.Stream on The Roku Channel.
Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome (2012)
Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome
BSG: Blood & Chromebegan as a 10-episode web series that aired as a TV movie on the SyFy Channel in 2013. Set after the events seen in Caprica and before those seen in the main BSG series,Blood & Chromedepicts the 10th year of the First Cylon War. The continuity is maintained by following William Adama (Luke Pasqualino), with several characters fromCapricareprising their roles.
Directed by Jonas Pate,Blood & Chromegives viewers a basic layout and understanding of the timeline set betweenCapricaandBSG. Much of the story concerns Adama graduating from the academy, rising among the Colonel fleet, and eventually joining the Galactica as it takes on a daring new mission. Despitebeginning as a web series,Blood & Chromescored three Primetime Emmy nominations for its sound and VFX.Rent on Prime Video & Apple TV.
Battlestar Galactica: The Miniseries (2003)
In 2003, Universal Television created a two-partBSGminiseries to relaunch the popular Sci-Fi show.The three-hour war miniseriesfinds a long-held peace treaty between the two rival factions broken, resulting in the Second Cylon War. The cybernetic army gets the upper hand when it nearly wipes out all of humanity with a deadly nuclear attack, prompting retaliation from a fully matured William Adama (Edward James Olmos).
Upon airing on the Sci-Fi network,BSG: The Miniseriesbecame a critical and commercial success for the network and immediately led to the production of the rebooted main series the following year.BSG: The Miniseriesintroduces many of the main characters fans would come to know and love, including Mary McDonnell, Tricia Hefler, Katee Sackhoff, James Callis, Callum Keith Rennie, Grace Park, and more. It’s paramount to watch the miniseries afterBlood & Chromeand before the first two seasons of the main series.Purchase on Prime Video.
Battlestar Galactica The Main Series — Season 1-2 (1978-1979, 2005)
Whether tuning into the 1978 version or the 2004 reboot, the next destination for completists is the mainBattlestar GalacticaTV series. The reboot tells the same story of the war for control of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol yet improves the action through technological advancement to increase the dramatic stakes and visceral nature of the clash between the Cylons and their human makers.
TheBSGreboot drew such acclaim that it earned a Peabody Award and the Television Critics Association’s Program of the Year Award. For fans looking to watch the entireBSGseries in the proper order, it’s wise to start the main series afterBSG: The Miniseries.However, it’s also vital to distinguish the continuity between the 1978 original and the 2004 reboot. If watching the original 1978 series, it’s wise to finish the whole series (2 Seasons, includingBattlestar Galactica 1980). If watching the iconic reboot, it’s smart to watch Seasons 1 and 2 before checking out the interstitial TV movies.The original 1978 version is available for purchase on Apple TV and the rebootis available to purchase on Prime Video.
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Battlestar Galactica: Razor (2007)
Once completing Seasons 1-2 of the mainBSGseries, it’s time to tune in toBattlestar Galactica: Razor. Set during the events of the miniseries and Seasons 1-2 of the main series,Razoris amade-for-TV Sci-Fi moviethat aired on Sky One and the Sci-Fi Channel between Seasons 3 and 4 of the reboot. The story follows Lee Adama’s (Jamie Bamber) 30-day command of thePegasus.
While the continuity gets a bit fuzzy due to the flashbacks to Season 2, completists should find out what transpires inRazorto fully grasp the dramatic impact of the main series' conclusion. The story advances Lee Adama’s arc as well as that of Admiral Helena Cain (Michelle Forbes) and Major Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Jacobsen).Razoralso dovetails directly into one more TV movie before the main series returns to progress the franchise.Purchase on Vudu.
Battlestar Galactica: The Plan (2008)
Released one year afterRazor,Battlestar Galactica: The Plantells the same story as the miniseries and Seasons 1-2 of the main series, but from the Cylons' perspective. The premise concerns the Cylons' quest to destroy humanity, focusing on two versions of the humanoid John Cavil and the rise of the Final Five Cylons. While some fans may urge others to skip the TV movie,The Planfits snuggly within the timeline of overarchingBSGevents and should be viewed as such.
AlthoughThe Planreveals that the Cylons never had much of an organized plan to wipe out humanity, the characterizations are compelling enough to warrant a watch. The movie also harkens back to the action on the planet Caprica, giving the story a continuous throughline that dates back to before the war to control the Twelve Colonies. While some fans have suggested watchingThe Planafter finishing the main series to avoid spoilers, the show was designed to be seen before Season 3.Currently unavailable to stream.
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Battlestar Galactica The Main Series — Seasons 3-4 (2006-2009)
Once completingThe Plan,fans can wrap up the entire story by watching Seasons 3 and 4 of theBSGreboot. The third season ofthe classic Sci-Fi TV showpicks up four months after the Cylon army has occupied New Caprica, forcing Adama and Apollo to formulate a plan to rescue the endangered colonists. By the end of Season 3, the crew leaps into the Ionian Nebula and sets up a suspenseful cliffhanger for the series finale.
By the fourth and final season ofBattlestar Galactica, many unresolved storylines converge into one satisfying narrative. The identity of the fifth and final Cylon is revealed, Hera is rescued from the Cylons, and Admiral Adama leadsGalacticainto one final harrowing battle that leaves the fate of the entire crew hanging in the balance. While it’s okay to watch The Planbefore or after Season 4 of theBSG reboot, every fan of the landmark Sci-Fi franchise should complete the reboot before the new Peacock series debuts.Purchase onPrime Video.
How to Watch Battlestar Galactica in Release Order
In contrast, if you’re more interested in watching theBattlestarsaga play out as it was released to the world, then you can watch in release order. Here’s how that looks:
