The pilot episode of Battlestar Galactica, was, despite the miniseries being brilliant, crucial in getting SyFy to order it to series long-term. Those involved in the project clearly knew it was something special they had to put their all into, because notable of the cast went to extremes to convincingly portray the state the fleet are in during the episode.

It clearly paid off, with the four-season Battlestar Galactica may not return for a reboot after all, revisiting the pilot is a reminder of the enduring legacy of the 2000s reboot of the 1978 classic sci-fi.

The Battlestar Galactica Cast Was Sleep Deprived On Purpose For The Pilot

Olmos Had A Great Idea To Commit Himself And The Other Cast To Their Roles

According to SyFy, Edward James Olmos showed his commitment to helping make the Battlestar Galactica pilot episode a success by borrowing the expertise of a sleep deprivation expert. He approached a university for help and a sleep deprivation doctor came to set to speak to the cast. Director Michael Rymer also played his part in making it realistic, according to Giant Freakin Robot - Rymer assigned each of the cast a different symptom of sleep deprivation. This made it less of an overwhelming task for the cast to portray it realistically, and helped to portray more of a range of symptoms.

Olmos and many of the other cast reportedly deprived themselves of sleep on purpose...

As well as hearing from an expert, Olmos and many of the other cast reportedly deprived themselves of sleep on purpose, sleeping only three hours a night. This method acting, in addition to hair and makeup, combined to make the crew look palpably exhausted. Adama and Tigh have unkempt facial hair, Dee looks gaunt, and Billy (Rosline’s aide) has visible dark circles under his eyes. These details help to sell Battlestar Galactica as a different kind of sci-fi show – one with the unglamorous realities of military life on a war-worn ship that was due to be decommissioned.

Why The Battlestar Galactica Characters Had To Look Exhausted In The Pilot

The Cylons Were Attacking In 33-Minute Intervals

After decades of no , the cylons launched an attack on the Twelve Colonies in the events of the Battlestar Galactica miniseries in the watching order. By the time of the pilot, the cylons are attacking every 33 minutes, hence the pilot episode title “33”. The number also has religious significance, tying into Gaius’ dream conversations with Six talking about “God’s plan” for him. The Galactica crew have to initiate jumps every 33 minutes to elude the cylons who just keep coming. They have had at least 100 hours without sleep.

The sleep deprivation adds even more tension to the pilot because it means the humans are just as much a danger to each other. Dee comes under fire from Tigh when she its a slight uncertainty on ing for every civilian ship. Adama adds, “We make mistakes, people die.” The exhaustion theme also enhances the tension regarding Boomer’s true nature - when Apollo remarks that she seems to be coping better than the others, Starbuck jokes, “It’s because she’s a cylon.” Any viewer who saw the miniseries knows it’s true, adding another compelling element of knowing more than the characters do.

Not Everybody Went Without Sleep For Battlestar Galactica's First Episode

Katee Sackhoff Relied Fully On Her Acting Chops Instead

Many of the cast reportedly went without sleep to inform their performance. However, Katee Sackhoff itted she was taken aback that people were able to do it:

“I people staying awake, I was like you guys can do that [laughs]. I’m going to go sleep and pretending that I’m tired. Try memorizing dialog when you haven’t slept, it’s impossible!”

– via SyFy

Although the commitment of acting veteran Olmos and the other cast who participated in the sleep deprivation is commendable, Sackhoff’s ability to fake it is equally impressive. In the first pilot shot of Battlestar Galactica’s Starbuck when she is piloting a Viper, Kara looks visibly exhausted, blinking to keep herself awake. When receiving a briefing, she looks like she is genuinely on the verge of falling asleep. There is also a great moment between her and Lee when the pair burst out laughing in the middle of an argument, simulating the point of exhaustion when everything seems a little hysterical.

Although the miniseries was brilliant, it was not enough for SyFy to order it to series until they saw the pilot, so it was crucial to pull out all the stops. Whereas the show has been the subject of criticism, with Lucy Lawless citing a “culture of fear” in Battlestar Galactica, there were parts of its unconventional approach that really paid off. Without the initiative Olmos showed (which emphasizes his influence on Battlestar Galactica along with the “no aliens rule”) and Rymer’s directorial approach, the reality of the fleet’s situation may not have been so convincing.

Source: SyFy, Giant Freakin Robot