Well, I will preface this by saying that I'm not sure that Ron Moore (creator of BSG: Reimagined) has watched all of B5. In one interview, he was asked if a season 3 episode idea was taken from B5's "Z'Ha'Dum," (I won't spoil it for you by giving details,) and his response was something like, "I've never seen that episode" or "I've never watched Babylon 5."
But, Ron Moore also knows OF Babylon 5 and OF JMS. He mentioned in another interview that he "recalled" that JMS had the last episode of B5 locked in a vault and he did not intend to do that with his show.
So, my guess is that he's seen some of the show, or he's simply heard about it and researched it to some extent from a writer's/creator's point of view. A good writer is a good reader and watcher. You can't just up and write and create a masterpiece these days. You have to research and that includes reading your arse off (or watching other science fiction/drama.)
The show has been compared to B5 a lot and there are more similarities, but I don't think they are such that are confined only to these two television shows.
CNC(B5's Command Center)-CIC(Galactica's Command Center)
NMCC - National Military Command Center. There are only so many ways you can rearrange those letters, imho.
EarthForce One-Colonial One
Air Force One
Earth Force is the name of the Earth Gov't. Natural to call the president's ship "Earth Force One"
Colonial One - the ship of the 12 colonies.
Again, I don't see that anyone was copying anyone.
The Cylon Raider is organic-The ships of the First Ones are organic
I don't think the cylon raiders are organic. They are metal with metal outsides (and living tissue on the inside--a brain if you will.) The toaster models are also not "organic" in the same sense. But, I do think there are similarities in that the smaller shadow fighters take a living being as a "battery" and Starbuck had to gut out a raider and navigate the ship herself.
I also have not ever seen the skinjob models on Galactica regenerate and adapt like a Shadow ship or a Vorlon ship might. I recall that the White Star ships could repair themselves. I don't see that capability with the raider models. I think they need outside help and are just as vulnerable as the skin jobs (wait until season 2 and 4 to fully think that over--specifically the episodes "Scar" from season 2 and "One of Six" from season 4.)
In both stories there is a very old prophecy that comes true.
Well, that's the case for many stores across many genres.
Dune is the first that comes to mind, King Arthur legends, etc.
I'm not totally disagreeing that things do seem similar, but I don't think there is any kind of borrowing going on that is conscious. I think some of these ideas are just universal to science fiction and fantasy stories (being that these stories are--in my mind--the last of the great epic adventures in fiction these days.)
Other similarities that come up: stims in B5. Stims appear in Galactica as well (season 1 and through season 2.) But, this is also another street name for speed and other amphetamines here on our present day Earth.
I also see similarities a lot across many sci-fi shows, but the ones you have mentioned definitely remind me of the other show (respectively.)
It's also good to see another Galactica fan in the making. Just wait until it really starts to get rolling. =) You can play "guess the cylon" with the rest of us! Keep us Galactica fans updated on where you are in the series if you want. I'm always up to discussing the show (esp. in the Other Television/Movie section of the board.)
