No, really. It's really good. I promise.

Battlestar Galactica: perhaps one of the nerdiest titles ever imagined for a television show. I probably shouldn't have led with it, because most people reflexively stopped reading the moment they saw it: "Oh geez. Another sci-fi show. Haven't there been enough of those yet?" I used to think that exact same thing. Whenever I overheard someone mention it, I would silently label them a geek. I harassed one of my best friends for an entire semester for watching it.

Then she made me sit down and watch the first episode. I was hooked. It's nothing like any other sci-fi show you've seen. Okay, well, there are spaceships. And robots. And goofy made-up technological terms. But the spaceship crews don't wear spandex, and the insides of the spaceships more closely resemble the insides of today's navy ships than they do a lounge designed by Apple. Watch the show for two minutes, and you'll instantly notice how much more gritty and realistic it looks than most other sci-fi stuff. That was what I first noticed when I started watching. A lot of the sci-fi cheeziness that makes most people cringe just wasn't there.

So that's why you shouldn't be scared of "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA," but why should you watch it? Why do I love it so much? I can't really say. Yeah, I know. Unsatisfying answer. I guess generally I just love the characters. They're fascinating. You just have to try it, though. But realize that it's very serialized: lots and lots and lots of character and plot development over many episodes, so any one episode doesn't stand up too well on its own. I know that doesn't really make you want to run and rent it right now, but please do it anyway. It's really entertaining. Even if you don't have time to get into it, you'll realize that it's not nearly as nerdy as it sounds.

Here's a little taste. It won't make a whole lot of sense, but it's a good sample of the look and feel of the show.