An old battleship named Galactica leads a fleet of survivors away from their planets, which were decimated by a nuclear attack perpetrated by a race of machines known as Cylons
Michael Rymer, Marita Grabiak, Allan Kroeker, Rod Hardy, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Robert Young, Brad Turner, Edward James Olmos, Jeff Woolnough, Jonas Pate, Michael Rymer
And without giving anything away, viewers will be in for a number of downright unexpected twists and turns as they sit captivated through this triumphant first season.
BSG is filled with scenes where brilliant actors such as Mary McDonnell or Edward James Olmos are called on to deliver lines about 'firing up the FTL drives for a jump' with a straight face.
That's Battlestar Galactica: the cosmic-pulp odyssey that never forgot how much one life mattered. That's '33': one of the great episodes of TV history.
But if anyone had any doubts about the strength of the brand new reboot of Battlestar Galactica, then surely 33 - its first proper episode - would have put them to bed.
What could have been a misstep was the right move, the BSG miniseries lays out what this world looks like, its important players, and the thematic questions the show will pose. It's engrossing from the start and serves as a fine introduction.
The political maneuvering and philosophical debates have relevance for our own time, but there's more than enough action to keep the show from getting preachy.