I can't figure out what is wrong with SciFi Channel. It seems like they are so close to breaking through as a premiere cable channel, but just when they're about to emerge from the cocoon, they get sucked right back in.

I mean, look at what they have on the air right now. "Stargate: Atlantis" isn't bad, but who knows what's going on with everything else they have on the air.

Just a few years ago, the network had produced some real good miniseries and movies like those from "Dune" and even a remake of a 1970s television show called "Battlestar Galactica." When that latter miniseries aired, I was really hooked on the storyline. Does anyone remember that miniseries?

There was a huge debate over whether or not Ronald D. Moore should totally reboot the series, but he not only rebooted it, he made major wholesale changes. The humans created the robots that are called Cylons, those Cylons looked human, Starbuck became a woman, and it was more military oriented.

It seemed like a few times in the weeks following the 2003 airing of that show that SciFi Channel might pick it up for a full series. I know I was pushing for it, and there was even a rumor that SciFi was working with Sky One to possibly help foot some of the production costs.

But either it fell through, or it was a bad rumor anyway. Once again, money played a role in keeping what might have been good television on the air. It did get me thinking ... what would a "Battlestar Galactica" series have been like?

It seems like it would be impossible to follow the brilliance that was the miniseries, but this is Ron Moore we're talking about. In just two episodes, he made "Star Trek: Voyager" halfway watchable. I mean, we had a tremendous twist at the end of the miniseries where Boomer -- played by an actress named Grace Park, if memory serves -- was revealed as being a Cylon. Which makes you wonder, did the Boomer we see on the Galactica know she was a Cylon?

I hope not. If she didn't know, that would be awesome because imagine the inner conflict she would have to go through, especially if she was one of the sleeper agents that Number Six told Baltar about.

And what about the relationship between Starbuck and Apollo? Would something have ever come of that? And how would they find Earth?

Maybe a show such as that could never sustain itself over the course of multiple seasons. But I bet if it had been successful, SciFi Channel might be a much different place. Hell, maybe it would still exist since they'll be changing the name next week to the Science Channel. Dumping the fiction was probably the last blow for me. I will return to watch Atlantis, but replacing Dr. Weir with Dr. Ruth? What kind of science is that?

I mean, now instead of sci-fi, we get nature programs, "Stargate SG-1" reruns, and wrestling. Yes, wrestling. I bet if "Battlestar Galactica" had been made into a series, there wouldn't be any wrestling on that network.

Well, I for one am not going to live in the past forever. And neither should you. Plus, "Cleopatra 2525's" 12th season premiere is about to start ...

SyBits

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Michael Hinman, a 22-time winner of the British lottery and heir to three Nigerian fortunes, is the founder and site coordinator for Airlock Alpha, writing out of Tampa, Fla. He can be reached at mhinman@airlockalpha.com

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