There is a recent addition to my list of TV shows that I am watching: Battlestar Galactica (for the curious, the only other shows I watch regularly are 24 and Smallville). I have been reflecting recently about what makes this show so compelling to me after various conversations at Christmas parties and with my sister. I guess that it starts with the rather epic nature of the show. The biblical allegory to the 12 tribes of Israel and their Exodus from Egypt anchor the show in something we know, and lend the show a sense of history. It is sci-fi (and therefore futuristic) but somehow still seems "old". The producers emphasize this sense by choosing a kind of retro look for the set design (which makes the show feel a bit like Star Wars).
I also like that none of the characters are perfect. Each of them is flawed: some are selfish, some are hurt, others are desperate. It makes the characters seem more real. It also means that there isn't a definite "hero" of the show, because every character has a sort of fall from grace, but they are still likable and I find it easy to sympathize with their problems.
I re-watched the miniseries with my sister last night. She said that she found it very slow, which may be true, but the content of the miniseries is quite devastating. I think the slower pacing is necessary at the beginning to let the viewer cope with what they are seeing (I would probably find the show to be flippant/disrespectful of the loss of human life if it rushed past the death of the majority of the human species). Fortunately, though, the pace really picks up with the following episodes.
One final thing I'd like to add (which was pointed out to me by Phyllis) is that I think one of the great successes of the show is its balance between tragedy and salvation. I mean, you start out with most of the human race being wiped out, but 50,000 people survive. Then, things continue to go poorly for the survivors, but before the show becomes completely depressing, something good finally happens. This back-and-forth motion of the show makes it particularly compelling.
So, take my advice and go rent/borrow/buy season 1 if you have not yet seen any of the show. Ignore the packaging because for whatever reason the producers market the show as hard-core sci-fi, when in fact it is some of the most accessible sci-fi ever made. Anyway, just get it, you'll like it.
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