Présentation conférence au colloque "Imaginaire sériel", Grenoble 3-Stendhal, 28-29 mai 2015

1. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA RELOADED
Clonage imaginaire et sérialité
Colloque international « Imaginaire sériel », 28-29 mai 2015, U. Stendhal-Grenoble 3

2. Introduction
• Pour une génération, comme Starwars, la série BSG est
une matrice imaginaire
• Elle constitue un point d’entrée dans le
questionnement des méthodes de production sérielle
des puissantes TV networks des années 70
• Son inscription dans un genre et ses avatars donnent à
réfléchir sur ce qu’est une série (sa nature, ses limites)
• Les images qu’elle impose proposent des
représentations heuristiques de la sérialité-même

3. 1/ une série dans une série
Battlestar Galactica 1978

4. 1/ une série dans une série
Genre du space opera et production sérielle

5. 1/ une série dans une sérieRésurgence du
space opera dans les 70’s

6. 1/ une série dans une série
Unité et diversité du space opera BSG
• Extra-terrestres• Quête de la Terre
• Héros
• Ennemis
• « Lieux »: vaisseaux

7. 1/ une série dans une série
Aux limites de la sérialité: le plagiat

8. 1/ une série dans une série
Aux limites de la sérialité: le plagiat
Appellant Fox argued in its brief that a comparison of the two works discloses at least
34 similarities. For illustrative purposes only, we list 13 of the alleged similarities:
(1) The central conflict of each story is a war between the galaxy's democratic and
totalitarian forces.
(2) In Star Wars the young hero's father had been a leader of the democratic forces,
and the present leader of the democratic forces is a father figure to the young hero. In
Battlestar the young hero's father is a leader of the democratic forces.
(3) The leader of the democratic forces is an older man, displaying great wisdom, and
symbolizing goodness and leadership, with a mysterious mystical ability to dominate a
leader of the totalitarian forces.
(4) An entire planet, central to the existence of the democratic forces, is destroyed.
(5) The heroine is imprisoned by the totalitarian forces.
(6) A leading character returns to the family home to find it destroyed.
Source: http://openjurist.org/715/f2d/1327/twentieth-century-fox-film-corporation-v-
mca-inc

9. 1/ une série dans une série
Aux limites de la sérialité: le plagiat
(7) The search by the totalitarians and the liberation attempt by the democratic forces
are depicted in alternating sequences between the totalitarian and democratic camps.
(8) There is a romance between the hero's friend (the cynical fighter pilot) and the
daughter of one of the leaders of the democratic forces.
(9) A friendly robot, who aids the democratic forces is severely injured (Star Wars) or
destroyed (Battlestar) by the totalitarian forces.
(10) There is a scene in a cantina (Star Wars) or casino (Battlestar), in which musical
entertainment is offered by bizarre, non-human creatures.
(11) Space vehicles, although futuristic, are made to look used and old, contrary to the
stereo-typical sleek, new appearance of space age equipment.
(12) The climax consists of an attack by the democratic fighter pilots on the totalitarian
headquarters.
(13) Each work ends with an awards ceremony in honor of the democratic heros.
Source: http://openjurist.org/715/f2d/1327/twentieth-century-fox-film-corporation-v-
mca-inc

10. 1/ une série dans une série
Aux limites de la sérialité: le plagiat

11. 1/ une série dans une série
Mythes et imaginaire commun

12. 1/ une série dans une série
La télé cliché de Glenn A. Larson

13. 1/ une série dans une série
La télé cliché de Glenn A. Larson

14. 2/ Quel rapport à la série?
BSG 1980

15. 2/ Quel rapport à la série?
1978 vs 2004 / mécanique vs numérique

16. 2/ Quel rapport à la série?
Deux modèles de productions sérielles
• Reproduction
physico-chimique
• W. Benjamin, T.
Adorno, M.
Horkheimer
• Casablanca
• Reproduction
numérique
• H. Jenkins
• Matrix

17. 2/ Quel rapport à la série?
TOS vs GINO: the Galactica herself
• TOS: Galactica is a 500
year old pride of the
fleet commanded by a
high ranking member
of the colonies,
including a sitting
council member. Ship
travels by Hyperspeed
and has laser cannons
and missiles. Can take
on a cylon basetar
alone.
• GINO:Galactica is a
100 year old relic
ready to be
mothballed into a
museum. Commanded
by a second rate
captain who is ready
to retire. Ship travels
by FTL Jump, has guns
and missiles. Can’t
handle a few cylon
raiders without
massive damage.

18. 2/ Quel rapport à la série?
TOS vs GINO: The Colonials
• TOS: Goofy hair cuts,
capes and gold trim
everywhere.
Portrayed as ‘Good
guys”
• GINO: Jarheads in
Space. Portrayed as
deeply flawed
individuals who
don’t know right
from wrong.

19. 2/ Quel rapport à la série?
TOS vs GINO: The Cylons
• TOS: Alien created war
machine gone awry, at
war with humans for
1000 years due to the
humans helping a
neighboring species
that is about to be
exterminated.
Silver tin can machines
that fire Laser Rifles
• GINO: Pissed off Robo-
butlers seeking
revenge. They shoot
machine guns and
nukes at people.
“Human” cylons who
found “god”

20. 2/ Quel rapport à la série?
TOS vs GINO: The Struggle
• TOS: Fleeing cylon
tyranny after loosing a
major battle that cost
the colonials their
homeworld, the
Colonials search space
for Earth in hopes that
they can get some
support against the
cylons. The colonials are
caught in an eonnic war
for their very existence.
Colonials = Good
Cylons = Bad
• GINO: Idiotic humans
allow their ex-butlers to
completely surprise
attack them, nearly
wiping them out. By
some quirk of luck they
managed to get one old
wreck of a ship back into
duty. They are caught in
an ideological religious
war.
Colonials = ??
Cylons = ??

21. 2/ Quel rapport à la série?
TOS vs GINO: The Setting
• TOS: Aliens galore • GINO: Not one
stinking alien.

22. 2/ Quel rapport à la série?
« They evolved »

23. 3/ Métaphores de la sérialité
Catastrophe et cycle

24. 3/ Métaphores de la sérialité
Rompre le cycle
We are no longer enslaved
by the ramblings of Pythia,
no longer pecking at the
breadcrumbs of the 13th
tribe. We are now free to
go where we want to go.

25. 3/ Métaphores de la sérialité
Rompre le cycle
I’m not going. You know, all this
is just gonna happen again and
again and again. So I’m getting
off this merry-go-round. I’m
gonna die here with the bones
of my ancestors [...] Don’t you
ever want to stop fighting [...]
Colonel? Don’t you just want to
stop all of this? And just ride
the tide out to sea.

26. 3/ Métaphores de la sérialité
Les clones

27. Conclusion
• Série des séries BSG permet de concevoir la
production sérielle culturelle dans son historicité
• Met en avant une rupture profonde entre la
reproduction physico-chimique et le clonage
numérique
• Questionne les conditions de la pertinence d’une
production sérielle à l’ère du clone numérique