You don't have to be a science fiction fan to know that "Battlestar Galactica," the most recent incarnation of the franchise that ran from 2003 through 2009, was must-see TV.

Beginning as a three-hour miniseries back in 2003 and expanding into a four-season story arc, the plot of "Battlestar" involved a futuristic war in which a series of planets housing humans were attacked by a race known as the Cylons. Only a handful of human survivors managed to get off these planets alive, and Battlestar Galactica is the only military ship to survive the preemptive strike.

"Battlestar Galactica" was an epic meditation on how humanity would move forward from that dark day. And when the series ended last year, fans mourned the loss of one of their favorite shows.

But just as BSG was coming to an end, a mini-series called "Caprica" was being test-driven - the pilot episode of a new series that would take place 58 years before the events of "Battlestar." The pilot was such a success that Syfy ordered up a full season of shows, to begin airing on Jan. 22. You can start preparing now, however, with an extended cut of the pilot available on both hulu.com and syfy.com. (It's also available on DVD).

The "Caprica" story travels back to a time before the Cylons, to witness how the humans living in colonies across the universe would create the very robots that would go on to destroy their own species - all as retribution for being enslaved to their human overlords.

In the pilot, we are immersed in a world of prosperity and wealth. Humans are doing fine until an act of religious fanaticism brings together two men who would never otherwise have anything in common. Both Joseph Adama and Daniel Graystone have lost loved ones to violence, and Graystone, a wealthy techno-giant, sets out to bring his daughter back. In a plot line, straight out of "A.I.," he replicates his own flesh and blood and then offers to do the same for Adama, who is a lawyer with links to the underworld.

It's these artificial humans, these cylons, that will fuel the moral debates of "Caprica" - sub-humans who come to resent their indentured servitude.

What impressed me most after watching the pilot episode was how the creators of BSG managed to transfer the story to a more peaceful urban setting. This isn't about a war in space, but about a war of the conscience on solid ground. And yet, "Caprica" was moody, evocative and fascinating, helping us to see the unparalleled ethical quandaries that await us in the future.

So if you're hungry for some intelligent TV, why not check out the "Caprica" pilot now, and get up to speed before the series takes flight next week.