Number of seasons: 4 Number of seasons it should have had: 3 The first two seasons of the rebooted Battlestar Galactica were rightfully critically acclaimed and are still ranked with some of the best of science-fiction television. The subsequent two seasons are far more divisive, with most agreeing that there was a drop in quality somewhere in the third season which then continued to affect the show until its series finale. Season three started well as it built on the shock of the second season finale, in which the Cylons occupied New Caprica, with an effective series of opening episodes which packed in action and moral debate. The first four episodes garnered all four of BSGs Emmy nominations for the season, which belies the numerous filler episodes which succeeded the Occupation arc. Then the show inexplicably killed Starbuck in its third season finale and resurrected her for similarly opaque reasons, only to gradually undo her character development throughout the fourth season. Wherever youd place Battlestar Galacticas shark, it was certainly cleared with reckless abandon, and season four was a superfluous addition to a weakened series. A shorter run would have placed it unquestionably amongst the televised sci-fi greats.
