Battlestar Galactica and da Vinci's Last Supper.
I have now watched the entire series of the new Battlestar Galactica and I am hugely impressed by it. It is a wonderful example of serious science fiction, referencing the Iraq war, the ethics of torture and the corrupt machinations of government. Above all, I like the way in which Battlestar Galactica considers complex ethical questions about religion, culture and human interaction.
I had to like the programme makers’ style too, when I saw this ad referencing Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper


The Last Supper portrays the reactions of the disciples to Jesus’ announcement that one of them will betray him. They all react differently to the news. Replacing Jesus in the Battlestar Galactica ad is Caprica Six, who is a kind of mystical figure throughout the series, even though she is a robot.
Interestingly, the promo image for the new (last) series of Lost also riffs on the Last Supper: http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/tv/article/lost-season-6-last-supper-promo-image-93867
09 Apr 2010, 09:18
Thanks for this! Is everyone obsessed with The Last Supper because of The Da Vinci Code? I don’t think it’s as beautifully framed as the Battlestar Galactica image, where they try hard to echo elements of Leonardo da Vinci’s composition, but interesting all the same!
09 Apr 2010, 15:21
I think so, it certainly seemed to get everyone noticing the picture again! You’re right though, the Battlestar one’s particularly good. It seems to be a TV thing as well – you might not be interested, but here are a few more:
House: http://images1.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/House-Last-Supper-house-md-836535_500_313.jpg
Simpsons: http://www.impactlab.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/simpsons-last-supper.jpg
The Sopranos: http://livinginstereo.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/Last%20Supper.jpg
09 Apr 2010, 15:49
“This has all happened before and it will happen again” (quoting Battlestar Galactica!)
12 Apr 2010, 03:24
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