For SF buffs, Battlestar Galactica promises to be the television event of the decade-the best thing to happen to the small since Star Trek. Larger than two aircraft carriers combined, the mighty, impregnable battlestar-spaceship soared into view last September in a special three-hour episode, and has since conquered a majority of the viewing audience. All the ingredients for a great fantasy trip are there. The appealing crew includes two ace starfighter pilots. Lt. Starbuck and Captain Apollo, a cool beauty named Athena, and a Moses-like leader, Commander Adama, whose awesome duty is to lead mankind to the promised land called Earth. For comedy relief there is Muffet II, a cute mechanical replica of the original "dogget" who bit the dust when the planet Caprica-one of the original 12 colonies of man-was destroyed. The real scene-stealers of the series however, turn out to be the Cylon Centurions, chrome, non-rusting, self replicating robots whose "heads" contain malevolent red scanners that move continually as they monitor man's progress in the Universe. So far, they have not accomplished their self-ordained mission-to annihilate that emotional, unpredictable and wasteful creature known as man.

The show received a gigantic publicity boost weeks before its debut when 20th Century-Fox accused the producers of Galactica of ripping off its multi-million dollar property, Star Wars. Since Lucas had planned a series of Luke Skywalker sequels, Fox officials were burning mad when Galactica producer Glen Larsen came out with a television spin-off. Lucas, busying himself with the script of the first sequel, failed to notice what was happening until it was too late. By then Larsen had also walked off with Star Wars special effects man John Dykstra. Universal had evidently changed its corporate mind. They had turned down Star Wars when Lucas presented it after his success at that studio with American Graffiti several years ago.

As of this writing the cross-fire is beginning to resemble a tempest in a teapot. To be sure, Battlestar Galactica bears more than a passing resemblance to Star Wars. But it is certainly not the first time-or the last-that Hollywood studios have cloned each other's movies. Several years ago, when United Artists had a smash hit with the James Bond series, Columbia responded with Matt Helm, 20th Century-Fox came out with Our Man Flint. Every studio seemed to have its own version of a hot box office genre-the superstud superspy. But this time there was a lawsuit. Fox didn't seem to think that imitation was the sincerest form of flattery. The studio tried to take the show off the air on the grounds of copyright infringement and unfair competition and trade practices. Meanwhile, the Battlestar sails on. The case will not be heard in court until next spring.

Is Galactica plagiarism? True, there are Cylon robots who resemble Galactic Storm Troopers and a robot dog named Muffet II, who is every bit as cute and lovable as R2-D2. The cynically macho Lieutenant Starbuck could be Han Solo, who vies for the hand of Princess Leia/Athena. And the spectacular laser-blasting spaceships and menagerie of interplanetary creatures could be from either film. "The law suit will probably be settled amicably," an inside source recently told Super Star Heroes. "It's Hollywood's way of saying "back off a little, you're starting to tread a little too closely on my turf>" The law suit is primarily a warning." In fact, when Newsweek ran a Galactica cover story and called the show "Son of Star Wars," Studio execs were delighted. "You couldn't buy that kind of publicity." a production staffer remarked.

Fortunately, Galactica possesses enough merits of its own to make the series work-even though it owes a debt of gratitude to its movie prototype. While cynics call it more of a rip-off than a gamble, Universal's roll of the dice has paid off. "We're a little panicky about keeping up the quality," producer Glen Larsen admits. "So far the ratings have been stratospheric." The most expensive series ever produced for television, Galactica has already cost a phenomenal $7 million for the first seven hours alone. The final budget will eventually dwarf Star Wars' $9 million production cost, but it remains to be seen if it will top that film's $250 million profit-which is still growing. Still, ABC-TV is selling ad time on Galactica for $300 per second If the series fulfills its promise and runs-and reruns-as long as Star Trek, fortunes will be made.

As Adama, Commander of the battlestar and leader of the human race's odyssey through space, Lorne Greene is the show's anchorman, an unlikely choice for the role. Greene is also its most experienced actor. "We got Greene," says a Universal spokesman, "because of his drawing power with the TV viewing public. They remember him from Bonanza, and even it they don't like science fiction they'll watch the show because he's in it." Greene, who left the Ponderosa five years ago and is now a Hollywood millionaire, describes his role as "the Moses of outer space. On Bonanza I gave orders, then went out to help do them. Here I only give orders, I don't get to help out with the fighting." Other than Greene, the only big names on the show belong to guest stars. "We signed mostly relative unknowns," explains a studio source, "because they didn't cost as much, even though they are very talented. We decided to give the initial budget to spectacular special effects."

Richard Hatch, late of TV's The Streets of San Francisco, rose to his present position through the soap opera ranks. Known for his temperament ("I'm impatient"), Hatch initially turned down the role of Captain Apollo because "the part seemed too limited and narrow." But Hatch even Star Wars "fell short of what it might have been, it had no sense of truth." Eventually the script was revised, more money was offered, and Hatch climbed aboard as the gung-ho Captain Apollo, Adama's son. Right now Hatch is worried about the effect this has on his private life. "Ladies don't really see me," he recently told a reporter. "They see an image of what they want me to be. It's gotten so I can't go anywhere without people pulling at me, wanting this, wanting that." Dirk Benedict, cast as Lieutenant Starbuck, the happ-go-lucky ace fighter pilot who has a taste for women and gambling, is more stoic about Galactica's success. "I may end up as the Bruce Springsteen of television," he says, referring o the superhyped rock star whose stardom never quite lived up to his publicity.

Plucked from near-obscurity on a Montana farm-where he had gone after a previous assault on Hollywood Dirk Benedict is the show's male sex symbol. "People don't understand Starbuck," Benedict claims. "He's not really a male chauvinist. He truly loves them but women always get the better of him, It's just like my personal life. Women are always just a step ahead of me.

Maren Jensen precede her career as Athena-daughter to Adama, sister to Apollo and would-be bride of Starbuck-by serving pizzas while studying pre-law at UCLA. Dropping out because "there must be a better way," Jensen turned to modeling, and her exotic beauty once graced the covers of Vogue and Mademoiselle. Which prompted Jensen to move on and up into the acting trade. Relatively inexperienced, Jensen admits she is learning on the job, a task that has produced "some mental and physical stress and lots of anxiety." A Star Trekkie, Jensen sees another SF cult blooming from Galactica. "It's really a terrific show," she says, "and I hope some day it will make me rich. It certainly beats waiting on tables." Star Warriors of all ages have taken to the show and Jensen's prediction seems likely to come true. The next question is-what will Galactica cultists be called: "Gallies?" "Lacties?" "Tics?"

For his part, Larsen has covered all bases in order to grab a primetime audience with plot devices and characters that are instantly recognizable. The inhuman Cylon Centurions can easily be interpreted as the Communist threat to the American way of life, and their dastardly sneak attack on the planets of mankind brings to mind the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Adama and company are presented as the original Ancient Astronauts on their way to bring wisdom and knowledge to the primitive tribes of earth. Their helmets will later be copied by Egyptian pharaohs-the same headdresses currently on display in the crowd-drawing King Tut exhibit-a neat double tie-in. From the contemporary computer "language" of Cobal comes the name of the planet Kobal, a temporary stop on the trip to earth. Nor has the Bible been overlooked as sours material, The first Show's council of twelve-representatives of the mankind's original planets-looked remarkably like a depiction of the Last Supper. The double-dealing bad angel Lucifer is also present, as are Mary Magdalene (Laurette Spang) and Judas Iscariot (John Colicos).

Like every successful science fiction entertainment, Galactica is amply imbued with what social critic Susana Sontag calls "the imagination of disaster." To producer Larsen, however, the show is "a giant toy. It's been great fun with the public's reception. While the battles and effects are very important, so are the people and story. Maybe we've done something new in science fiction."