Asklemmy

You're right, I'll concede that -- but only because BSG is an amazing show and very few characters can be reduced to "good" and "bad" -- even the "antagonists" (in the traditional sense of those characters working against the stories' progression) have pretty valid reasons for doing what they do.

Gaius (sp?) is one of the closest characters to "bad" -- but not because of the bad things he does, but because of the bad things he is -- ie, vain, selfish, etc -- and the fact that he lets those negative characteristics drive his actions.

All the characters have flaws, but the "good" characters do their best to mitigate their flaws, and let their positive traits motivate them. For example, Adama often acts before he thinks, a trait that is awesome in combat, but can be less positive other times -- and he (as best he can) seeks advice and counsel from the people he trusts (eg Saul Tigh) -- he knows he can be impulsive and he knows his "instant judgement" decision making isn't perfect.

Cavil (that's his name I think) is close to "evil" but he does have reasons for his actions -- preservation of his "species" (though really it's just himself) -- but he's evil because of the fact that he doesn't listen and acts with disloyalty and dishonor.

(There's an amazing comeuppance for the titular character of the show Nathan Barley that epitomizes this idea: Barley doesn't actually do anything wrong, but his motivations are repugnant, and his motivations are what's revealed... Shit I should write a whole essay on that....)

Are there contemporary shows that are as good as BSG? I kind of gave up on TV after Firefly.