While the premise and overarching plot exploit our emotional ties to the 9/11 attacks and their aftermath, BSG's characters do not exist because of this situation, but rather in spite of it. They are real people who struggle with feelings of love, of fear, of anger and guilt. In some episodes it's almost easy to forget the circumstances of the drama being played out on screen. The series is a somber, dramatic character study that happens to occur in space.

The spectacular cast of unknowns is anchored by two famous faces, including James Edward Olmos (the strong but tortured Commander of Galactica) and Mary McDonnell (the determined but comforting Colonial President by succession). The other actors, while recognizable, do a tremendous job tapping into the emotional underpinning of our post-9/11 consciousness.

Battlestar Galactica surely holds the prize as the closest any science fiction has come to cinéma vérité. Shot in a documentary-style with handheld and stationary cameras, all shots can be accounted for in the universe of the show. The gritty production look is enhanced by shooting with (simulated) available light. The absence of sweeping camera movement and high-key lighting help ground the science fiction setting in a believable reality.

The irony that a drama with such a surreal setting can often seem more honest than other shows about doctors and lawyers is easy to disregard. The truth, however, is that Battlestar Galactica is no longer just for the geeky. It is, in my opinion, one of the very best dramas in an otherwise mediocre television season.

The 2003 mini-series is available on DVD now, and new episodes of the series premiere every Friday night on the Sci-Fi network.