George Lucas and 20th Century-Fox sued the producers over alleged similarities with Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). The show was re-worked from its original pilot to capitalize on the popularity of "Star Wars", and it employed the same special effects team and the same concept designer, but the lawsuit was dismissed in 1980. Fox appealed, and the case was continued until 1983, when it was finally settled out of court. Details of the settlement were never made public.
The Cylon sound was later incorporated into K.I.T.T. on Knight Rider (1982). Both Cylons and K.I.T.T. have one red eye that moves side to side. The sound of a Viper, when it was launched from the Galactica, was the same sound K.I.T.T. made when David Hasselhoff activated the Turbo Boost to make the car jump.
The Cylons had to be over six feet tall, so Glen A. Larson hired a team of out-of-work basketball players.
Props from this series were recycled for Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979), which Glen A. Larson also produced.
John Colicos became so well-known for his role of Baltar that his performance won him the role of Mikkos Cassadine on General Hospital (1963), for its "Ice Princess" story arc in summer 1981. In 1991, he appeared in a theater in his native Toronto. After performances, audience members would applaud him and chant "Baltar Lives!" He also appeared as Kor in Errand of Mercy (1967), which introduced the Klingons, and he reprised the role in several episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993).