Comprising three hours of television broken up over two parts, the miniseries tells the general story of how all the characters came aboard the Battlestar Galactica and where they were in their lives before the takeover of Caprica by the Cylons. Technically not part of the four-season series, the miniseries nonetheless feels like the true pilot of the show. With its memorable characters, stunning storytelling and brave humanist story, here are our picks for the 15 best episodes of the series. With an ongoing comics franchise in full swing, 'Battlestar Galactica' has always managed to remain in the public consciousness with its timeless storytelling.

Aside from being an extraordinary sci-fi story that asked hard-hitting questions (like what does it mean to be human?), BSG also tackled political themes, religion, philosophy and government structure in such a fearless and powerful way that it became essential viewing for genre and non-genre fans alike. Conceived as a bold re-imagining by 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' alum Ron Moore, the rebooted 'BSG' series deepened everything that made the original '70s show a beloved cult classic with a deeply humanist survival story.

Moore's exciting reinterpretation of 'Battlestar Galactica' remains one of science fiction's most dramatically charged and thematically relevant TV series of the past decade. WARNING: This article contains spoilers for 'Battlestar Galactica.'

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