10 Incredible TV Shows That Everyone Thought Would Be Terrible

7. Battlestar Galactica

Cobra Kai
NBC

The most defining aspect of the original Battlestar Galactica was the the the cybernetic antagonists, the Cylons. With their imposing metallic body and red-beam visor, these sinister androids are among the most iconic characters in sci-fi.

So, when a reboot was announced in 2004, fans were exhilarated… until it was announced the Cylons' original design was scrapped. Instead, they would look like regular humans. On paper, this sounded like a terrible idea. Imagine rebooting Doctor Who without a TARDIS. Imagine rebooting Star Wars without lightsabers. Why would the showrunners remove the most recognisable aspect of the franchise?

But as soon as the pilot episode aired, there was no question the screenwriters' bold decision was a stroke of genius. Not only did this plotpoint literally humanize the story’s main villains, it created a mystery that spanned multiple seasons since viewers had to figure out which of the main characters were Cylons in disguise.

Considering the United Nations held a meeting purely to talk about Battlestar Galactica (yes, that actually happened), it's safe to say this reboot exceeded the most die-hard fans expectations.

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James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows