i have heard nothing but praise for this show (at least on this forum), and was wondering if it was worth buying blind. the main sci fi i have watched over the years is firefly, serenity, and the star wars movies. bb5 is too expensive for me right now, and there are so many releases of farscape.

also, should i get the mini series first, and then the box set, or just buy the box, since i know that the mini is included with the box set. one last thing, is the original series necessary to fully understand the plot/characters?

please do not post spoilers, or i will have to hunt down and kill you

If you like the sci-fi genre then it should probably be a solid blind buy.

I thought the mini-series was enjoyable but nothing great. It really picks up during the series after the backstory has been set up. IMO just go with the box set.

Also, I have never seen an episode of the original and doubt I missed anything.

What Bateman said. The new BSG should be a pretty safe blind buy if you like SF. It's a top-notch space opera series. If the mini is included in the box set, just get the set -- its a better value, and if you want to buy more you won't be stuck with an extra set of the miniseries. Complete unfamiliarity with the original series will in no way hamper your enjoyment of the new series. In fact, it might help not having any baggage (like the fanboy cries "Oh No! How could Starbuck and Boomer be girls?!?").

I think you'll want to buy the Season set because after watching the miniseries, you'll want to see what happens next. I know I did. If I could have, I'd have popped in the first episode disc right away after watching the miniseries.

I'm actually not much of a fan of science fiction, in general, and love the show.

The miniseries is included with the Season 1 box.

Don't buy Season 2 because it's only ten episodes long, what's playing right now is actually the second half of Season 2 so it's anticipated that there'll be a revised Season 2 box later this year with all twenty Season 2 episodes.

It's an excellent blind buy easily one of the best shows on TV right now SF or otherwise. But to get a taste for it you could always go rent the Mini from Blockbuster to make sure it suits your taste because if you like the Mini at all you'll absolutely love the series.

Be careful. BestBuy still has the 4-disc box set without the miniseries on the shelf next to the 5-disc set with the miniseries.

It's a little dark and depressing. I have a hard time getting into it.

One of my top 5 shows. I didn't like the new mini-series at all, but the series really improved once the regular season started.

Great blind buy if you like sci-fi.

I honestly don't see that happening. The current set includes commentaries and deleted scenes, the only thing I see them doing is putting both smaller boxes in one bigger one, but I certainly wouldn't expect a complete do-over.
How often has that really happened in the TV-on-DVD world?


Regardless, this is a great series, the mini-series isn't quite the same level, but once you hit the first regular episode "33", it doesn't stop. I say buy and enjoy.

yeah,previously buffy and firefly were about as sci fi as i got, but thsi series rocks!

I'd rent it. How many times over do you really expect to watch it that you need to own it?

I'm not big with net flix, and also for the most part like to stretch watching episodes out over a while, so i feel like i get my money's worth.

I bought it semi-blind (I'd seen the miniseries) and I loved it.

I watched the miniseries last night. I was so-so on it. The pacing seemed too slow, but I also watched all 4 hours in one chunk which didn't help. I don't want to get into specifics because I'm sure this thread will attact people looking to get into the show. I really didn't care about the Starbuck/Appollo/Almos back story and relationship at all, but the Dr. Baltar stuff was really good. The Mary McDonnell stuff was ok. Liked Callum Keith Rennie and his scenes.

The miniseries is just the setup for the series. The series is great!

If you thought the miniseries was too slowly paced, just wait until you watch the first episode (33).

I definately recomed it. You will have to watch the miniseries first to set up the backstory for the whole show. I have the US version of the first season, and the first disc is the mini series all combined into 1 3 hour movie. Thought that was kinda cool to watch it all as 1 movie instead of 2 parts on tv.

I went into the series without the benefit of seeing the miniseries, just reading several reviews, with spoilers of course, but I started with "33" and watched that first season. When I got the DVDs, that was my first time to see the miniseries, and I think it went down a little easier.

I wonder if a "fan edit" could be made...like editing in the mini-series over the first part of season one as flashbacks...hmm...

I liked the miniseries when it first aired, but I agree about the relatively slow pace of it. The show itself works better, perhaps because of the hourlong format.

I watched the first couple of episodes last night. I thought the pacing was fine for an hour show. My usual MO with DVD sets is that I have to force my self to watch the first 3-5, usually without the desire to watch more than one in a row, and by that time if I get hooked I end up watching 3 or 4 episodes in a row.

I felt the the same way after episode one that I normally do. Even though I clicked Play All, I stopped the second episode after a couple of minutes because I needed a break. But the opening of episode 2 hooked me, so an hour later I popped the disc back in and finished it up. Then I was smart enough to stop before the next episode began because I need some sleep. With football and real life I probably won't be able to watch any more for a few days, but I'm sure I'll make it at least a double feature if I have the time.

This is an awesome series and you should pick up the season 1 box set that contains the miniseries. Yes, the miniseries is a tad slow but necessary to set up the season. The season more than makes up for the slow miniseries......

Hells yes! And that's all'm saying.

after watching the miniseries, i am now completly looking forward to watching the rest of season 1 (now, only if i had alot of time, as i am also trying to get through all of buffy as well, im on season 4 of that. what are the chances that when pt 2 of season 2 comes out, they will combine both parts and have us pay just for one set.

It's a wonderful show, but personally, I'd just rent it first. While most Blockbusters near me don't have the season sets, they do have the miniseries, which you'll want to watch first. After watching that I had to see the season sets. Blockbuster Online and Netflix both have those, so that's a safe way to watch the whole thing for a decent price. But you'll know by the time you finish the miniseries if you want to continue (and you probably will!)