LemonMacPhisto said:
You can't say Galactica's so much more original than Heroes. If Heroes borrows comic book staples, then Galactica definitely borrows science fiction staples, hell, it's a reboot of an original.
I'm not saying Galactica isn't handled well, it's my favorite drama on television, but you cannot compare a serial comic-book-esque series to a serious dramatic science fiction show, at least in my estimation.
Well, the setting is one thing, but I'm really referring to how drama is handled. Heroes is focussed on action, but BSG's drama is extremely original. I can find bits and pieces taken from Deep Space Nine, for which Ron Moore worked before, but, other than that show, you won't find those kinds of character depictions and issues tackled.
The brilliance of Heroes is that it generally avoids the drama many people find boring by either skipping over it quickly (notice how all those deaths in Season 1 were very quickly mourned) and getting right to the action.
I've tried to get friends into Buffy and Angel, and I do enjoy some of the drama in those show, but some of it was difficult to take. Sometimes the story can be weighed down by certain dramatic arcs -- Angel being in love with Cordelia or Willow sobbing over someone. I still much prefer the drama on Buffy and Angel because the writers are at least TRYING to make the drama count for something. Even The 4400 sometimes can fail, but when it gets it right, it's wonderful. A lot of typical sci fi fans complained about the BSG love quadrangle in Season 3 or the labor rights story or Adama and his wife, but I found those thoroughly refreshing and fascinating.
Hereos has made the decision to not really focus on drama. People always say it's the characters, but, in fact, it's really the action and suspense. The drama is digestible because people have seen those character dilemmas many times on other shows and in comic books. The drama never gets realistically messy and depressing, when in reality it would, because people don't wanna be depressed. Lost does this too with Kate and Sawyer taking a fun swim right after the Others kidnap the pregnant woman because they don't wanna weigh viewers down. BSG and The 4400, to a lesser degree, try to go full bore with keeping the drama realistic.
Most sci fi fans don't want drama; they want a little to justify the actions. Heroes has stumbled upon a winning formula. Coolness is the main thing in shows like Grey's Anatomy, in which characters snap out of whatever's got them down and start partying, Lost (which is still very good and much less convenient than most other shows), Desperate Housewives, The O.C. As soon as the drama is handled realistically, they'll lose viewers. Even Buffy and Angel's characters always had a snappy line to relieve the tension. Season 7 of Buffy and Season 4 of Angel suffered from a lack of humor and trying to make things too serious. Buffy's last season was especially silly.
I just don't understand all the stuff with Claire, which I've always found really boring....