Edward James Olmos had a clause in his contract that no strange aliens or monsters would ever appear on the show. He wanted to ensure that the story stay focused on human drama.
The phrase "so say we all," which is used as a ceremonial affirmation in the series, was ad-libbed by Edward James Olmos in a speech given by Commander Adama in the mini-series.
When Laura Roslin goes to the doctor and finds out she has cancer, the ship from Joss Whedon's Firefly (2002) can be seen landing through the main windows.
The network expressed apprehension at the casting of Tricia Helfer in the pivotal role of Number Six. At the time, Helfer was known primarily as a model, and had virtually no acting experience. Later, network executives were so impressed with her performance that they based the entire marketing campaign of the show around her character.
Bodie Olmos, who plays Brendan "Hotdog" Costanza, is the real-life son of Edward James Olmos (Admiral William Adama). Bodie was brought in during the first season for a bit part as a "nugget" (viper pilot trainee), and ended up being a recurring character through to the end of the series.