Not long after my father, Bernard Plainguet, got his job at Universal Studios he came home from work one day and gave me a project. He told me to come up with drawings of what I thought food from outer space would look like. He said that the studio was working on a science fiction show and he had to come up with food from another planet. That show turned out to be Battlestar Galactica.
I started drawing and came up with a bunch of ideas for him to use. I wish I still had those drawings! When production began I was going to work with him a lot and they needed food for a scene on the Battlestar Galactica set. We packed up the food and went to the set. This was one of my first times on a real soundstage. As soon as we walked in I saw the backs of the facades for the sets inside. We walked furthur in to find the crew, and as soon as we entered the set area I found myself in the coccoon area of the Ovion home planet. I was honestly scared at first when I saw the chambers with human bodies in them. Soon I was in the midst of the film crew with Ovions all around. the short women playin the Ovions showed me the costumes and how the mouths worked. I was fascinated. The scene being shot was when Apollo talks to the Ovion queen. There had to be food in the queen's chamber so my Dad set it up and filming began. Food was also needed later for the scene with Ray Milland when Apollo confiscated food from the rich people for the refugees aboard the Galactica.
My father actually got a bit of publicity for his efforts on Battlestar Galactica. TV Guide did an article on my father and the food for the show complete with pictures.
Soon, we were visiting the set of the show pretty often. Here I am with my nephew, Richard, on the bridge of the Galactica. Apparently they had filmed a scene with some destruction as you can see the big girder fallen down. You can also note in this picture that some of the computer screens has been removed possibly for use on another set. One of the prop men told us that some of the computers on the bridge also had some video games on them that could be played by people during breaks during filming.
And here I am filling in for Baltar while he's away involved in some sort of evil or another. This was later when the series was being filmed. When the pilot/film was being made the big chamber for the Emperor with the tall pillar was in this same spot. I wish I had gotten pictures of that. To give you an idea of where everything was located you might find it interesting to know that if you removed the wall behind us on the left side of the picture you would be looking at the bridge of the Galactica. From where I'm sitting in the chair I'm looking directly across at the pilots' bunk room where they'd gamble and lose all thier cubits.
This was my favorite set of all. I thought it was really cool to see a Colonial Viper FULL SIZE. This is the launching chamber and was located on a completely different stage. I always wanted to climb up and get in the Viper, but I never did.
Say what you want about Battlestar Galactica being "cheesy" but those Vipers were DAMN COOL!
I have some wonderful memories of the time Battlestar Galactica was in production at Universal. I've also have some physical momentos from that time too. As my father worked with the prop men they'd often give us little extra things as gifts. I have some cubits, a Colonial patch, those collar pins, a belt buckle from a Colonial uniform and some weird tube things that they used to dress up the sets of the Galactica with. You can see these things all over the place in the show. No purpose is ever explained for them. They're just there! I've also got a handmade sticker for the group of old fighters in the episode with Lloyd Bridges.
The thing I probably treasure the most is a copy of The Battlestar Galactica Scrapbook which the cast and crew passed around at a wrap party. This book is signed by nearly everyone on the show!
Go on to the next page for pictures taken on the set by the crew of the show highlighting my father's contribution to the show.
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