Battlestar Galactica, the famous sci-fi series, ended with networks investing in a new related series. This investment developed into the prequel known as Caprica; the story of how Battlestar Galactica’s storyline came to exist. This gave viewers a storyline explaining how Battlestar Galactica’s humanity first created the robotic Cylons, those plotting to destroy the human race in retaliation for their constant enslavement.
The development of this series was credited toward Ronald D. Moore, screen writer and producer of the parent series Battlestar Galactica. However, instead of placing Caprica in a similar setting to that of the post apocalyptic space war zone of its parent series, Moore made the decision to deter from the male audience laden path that led Battlestar Galactica to success. Taking a risk, he focused on one planet and the life inhabiting said planet: Caprica. The use of a planet society as a setting led to the development of social plaguing issues that contributed to the series’ progressive plot that already included allusions to: racism, religious wars, and even terrorism.
The show skyrocketed in January of 2010. Its riveting plot seduced new viewers unbeknownst of Battlestar Galactica’s basic plot. This new audience lacked a connection to the series’ outcome of technology and an unusual reference to a futuristic world. Dominate religions, ethnicities, and even politics were contrary to that of the present world. However, the corruption, judgment, and violence were inevitably created due to the same simple mistakes. Mixing the ease and curiosity that followed the advancement of their technology led to the creation of the question: how far could this civilization ride the back of these programmed machines? This inquiry left the new audience craving for more.
However, with such differentiating aspects of the prequel compared to that of the parent series, a different type of viewer began to drift towards the televised series. While some of the dedicated Battlestar Galactica viewers began to migrate away, this new interested series held no competition to that of Battlestar Galactica’s old audience—leading the decision to discontinue the series only after a year of being run.
The end of the show was not prolonged long though, in the middle of the first season, Caprica officially went on a hiatus. In October 2010 the second half of the season was released in hopes of an escalated audience, but a mere few weeks into the new second half, the Sci-Fi channel pulled the show due to low ratings. Later in January of 2011, the Sci-Fi channel decided to hold an exclusive marathon showcasing all of season one including the last five episodes that never aired on the channel. Despite the short lived life of this series, its interesting storyline was undeniable.