Once More, With Feeling!

by Leanna Renee Hieber

No, I'm not talking about my favourite Buffy episode. (However I deem that perhaps the finest hour of television ever made)

Today I'm talking re-envisioning. I have been blessed by enjoying some really, really great remakes that have rekindled old childhood flames and brought a new life into them.

The new Star Trek film notwithstanding, (I hear it's incredible and I can't wait to see it) I am showing my impassioned Sci-Fi/Fantasy colours by lifting up the newly reinvisioned BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and DR. WHO for consideration.

I loved these shows growing up. Particularly the old Dr. Who series, (and especially Tom Baker's years as The Doctor). Dr. Who was an intense childhood obsession of mine. With my long blonde hair, I dreamed I was Romana (played by Lala Ward), the Doctor's only female Timelord companion. In comparison to previous, often simpering and helpless female companions, Romana was a kick-ass heroine and always dressed in some sort of dramatic fashion (perhaps that's where I learned it). While Dr. Who was famous for bad special-effects, I adored the concept of a Timelord spinning through space in every conceivable circumstance found on human or alien worlds, nothing was impossible. I didn't notice the sometimes awkward pacing or sometimes unfortunate bit-players, what I did take with me was the wild openness of imagination and the delightfully dry British humour that informs me today. Yes, I have a habit of putting the 'u' in my words.

Now for the new DR. WHO. While I'm jumping around between the delightful David Tennant years and the first year back in the Tardis, I'm at the moment adoring Christopher Eccleston's Doctor, and his companion Rose (Billie Piper) is an utter delight. My bright childhood flame has grown up with me, it's fun, clever and fresh. It's a much sharper, tighter, deeper show that still keeps all the great humour and camp, but takes it to a whole new level. Once more, with feeling. There's a depth and panache to the new series and I'm overjoyed to love it anew.

A similar, reinvisioned depth was beautifully realized with the new Battlestar Galactica. While the original series was fun, it was nothing compared to what were at once both epic and immediately personal issues facing the fleet and the Cylons, real inter-personal dramas amidst a fantastical backdrop, allowing us to see our own human situations and world-picture boldly and bravely mirrored in Space Opera fiction. With powerhouse actors. (The acting, friends, has a lot to do with a successful adaptation) It was the only show I religiously watched in the past several years and much like my childhood idol Romana, I found myself increasingly intrigued and inspired particularly by the characters of Laura Roslin and Starbuck, (Played brilliantly by Mary McDonnell and Katee Sackhoff) not to mention the uncannily versatile "6" (Tricia Helfer) and goodness if Edward James Olmos didn't bring tears to my eyes (multiple times) as Adama. I was quite satisfied by the ending of the series and was glad they didn't drag out a good thing.

I've seen plenty of things that, when reinvisioned, lose ground. These two examples gained ground and my imagination and heart went wild along with them, excited for the ride.

So tell me, dear readers, what are your favourite remakes and why? What do they bring to your table? Do they rekindle an old flame? Boldly go where the show/book/movie never went before?

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Leanna Renee Hieber is an actress and author of Dark Nest, a futuristic fantasy novella and The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, first in a Gothic Victorian Fantasy series releasing from Leisure Books / Dorchester Publishing in mass-market paperback 8/25/09