Honestly, compared to the original, the only things the new series has going for it: I believed the destruction of Caprica a lot more this time around than the last time around. And the FTL drives, something the orginal was sorely lacking (how do you get to another star system without FTL...just impossible)
Things I am OK with in the new BSG: The Cylons, I like the idea that the Cylons now look and act just like a human would, it was probably the one redeeming quality of Galactica 1980. :shudder:
Vipers: I can live with the "new" Vipers, they look very similar to the old viipers, but I think they should have probably been JUST like the old Vipers.
Things I CAN'T STAND about the new series: Characters, in particular Starbuck, Tigh, Boomer, and Baltar. The sex changes for Starbuck and Boomer were totally unecessary, and Boomer as a Cylon?! Give me a break. Baltar was a man with a motive in the first series, many people can't understand why he did what he did. But it is there, plain and simple, I don't know if that part is cut out of the movie or what, but the deal with the Cylons was his colony was to be spared, and he was to be supreme dictator of the surviving humans. The Cylons back stabbed him, and he only worked for them because he had no place to go, he was branded a traitor by the council, and would have been killed by the Cylons had he refused. The original Tigh was a compassionate disciplinarian, he was the liason between the viper pilots and the command crew. He was easy going, until you stepped out of line. This Tigh, is a drunk bastard with no regard for anything but his own job. Yes he can make a hard decision and I respected his character for it, but he is NOT Colonel Tigh.
This series is in production, and from what I've heard, its a dismal flop, rehashing a few of the old stories from the original and coming up with uninspired filler episodes. Since I havent seen anything beyond the mini series, i'll reserve judgement on the rest of it until then. The series is being aired at this time on Sky Network in Great Britain, It will be available on Sci Fi in the United States, in early January.