How a TV Show Fraks with Politics.

• Author: Duran, Leo (American radio producer)
• Position: Essay

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

I found myself rooting for the President--one who didn't really win an election to get the job, who presides over one of the worst terrorist attacks known to mankind, and who has become a religious figurehead to much of the population. The commander in chief is about to steal an election--and I want her to get away with it.

At least on Battlestar Galactica , a science fiction show going into its fourth and last season on the Sci-Fi channel. This isn't the short-lived campy series from the 1970s. Nor does this series pull a Star Trek and dwell on quaint, alien races or esoteric physics. If you roll your eyes at the thought of space travel, consider Battlestar 's premise: Mankind is responsible for creating its own worst enemy. A devoutly religious culture is bent on attacking through nuclear strikes, suicide bombers, and widespread fear and paranoia. The enemy infiltrates society and orchestrates a devastating assault. Now, mankind is constantly on the defensive, and has to debate balancing security needs with a semblance of its former lifestyle while finding a new direction.

I'm surprised more of my politically minded friends--ones who've held West Wing viewing parties and TiVo The Daily Show --don't watch this, too.

Yes, it is sci-fi. The human race exists as a set of twelve colonies populating a solar system. The colonists created a cybernetic race called the Cylons that rebelled, they have their own FCC-friendly swear word (frak), there's a woman president (only in sci-fi), and they believe in what we know as the Greek gods. However, several elements make it contemporary: They hold election debates in DC-rigueur suits, and their Cylon enemies look like any normal person but believe wiping out humans is their divine mission from God. That is God with a capital G. In both the real and Battlestar Galactica worlds, lots of terminology is shared, such as terrorism, insurgency, occupation, and suicide bombers. What makes the show different from other politically themed dramas is that it isn't clear who's playing whom. Are the Americans the colonists, or are they the warring Cylons?

The show started production in early 2001, and it was supposed to be a new take on the original series, but after 9/11, the production began to fall apart. Current executive producers David Eick and Ronald D. Moore (both of whom studied politics in college) took over the production, and the show not only moved to the Sci-Fi channel but...