Laz is correct - the show started off ok - there was some stupid stuff in season one - got even worse is season 2, and season 3, is completely ridiculous. Sure you can grab and episode or 2 and find some great stuff but as a series its not as good as the '70s in total. Of course anyone going back to watch the '70s series now will find some goofy stuff but at the time is was pretty original for television. If may have been Star Wars like. However, Star Wars was basically 'muppets in space' 75% of the time but the main characters had consistent and identifiable personalities.
The current BSG series doesn't have much original stuff. There's not much Sc-Fi out there thats truly original. However, the back stories in BSG are completely a bore. Do the writers change for every episode? The characters change personalities at the drop of a dime. They become to stupid its unwatchable most of the time. Maybe the writers just try to do to much with the characters but it really is 'schitzo'. Then there's to much PC, Left-Wing, Canadian inspired tripe wrapped into most of the episodes that it just becomes silly. As Laz said:
the admiral goes from WWII german national socialist to 70's hippy to wise old general all over the place.
People like what they like. However, I wouldn't give BSG a second thought it they canceled it tomorrow.