Michelle Ryan in the new Bionic Woman. Photograph: AP
If talent borrows and genius steals, then inspired TV execs reimagine. Whoever it was at the Sci Fi channel who, at some point in 2002 or 2003, decided Glen A Larson's ham-fisted biblical space epic Battlestar Galactica was ripe for revival deserves some form of medal from his peers. The new, massively improved BSG owes its success not so much to the humans-in-exodus plot it wraps itself around, but to the writing team who have shaped it into a subtle allegory for today's "war on terror".
Predictably, this being TV, the sci-fi cupboard has promptly been stripped bare in the search to find other shows that can be reimagined. Needless to say, some have been rather more impressive than others. The Sarah Connor Chronicles (currently showing on Virgin 1) picks up the Terminator story and runs with it while, in contrast, NBC's Bionic Woman has slowed to a limp after apparently blowing the special effects budget on the pilot episode.
Sci Fi's attempts to repeat their trick with Flash Gordon feels like an opportunity missed, but they've fared slightly better with Tin Man, which is screened in the UK this May. Whether it will be as good a retelling of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz story as HBO's Oz, however, remains a moot point. In fact, as Oz predates BSG, maybe its writer, Tom Fontana deserves some credit for this reimaging lark. And I haven't even dipped a toe into the deep waters that are the Star Trek universe.
But you get the picture. The question is, if you were a stressed TV executive looking to put your network back on track after the writers' strike, which classic sci-fi show would you recommission? Personally, I'd like to see a live action version of Battle of the Planets - itself a redubbed, westernised version of Japanese cartoon Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman. It's up for grabs too: producer Sandy Frank's 30-year license ran out last year ...
