Even though it was produced in the mid-1990's, during the Clinton years (or perhaps because of them... /g), there has been no more compelling and trenchant sci-fi parable of the real-life dangers threatening us today than Babylon 5, especially Season 3.
With its masterful exposition of how rights and freedom in a Constitutionally ordered society can be destroyed by malevolent forces operating in secret, it completely over"Shadows" the dreck this is the new BSG. Episode 9: Point Of No Return and Episode 10: Severed Dreams blow away anything that has been done in BSG.
In addition, as far as BSG's much-touted focus on religious, moral and philosophical issues, Babylon 5, written by avowed atheist Joe Strascynski, offered the most even-handed, fair, thoughtful and respectful treatment of religion of any sci-fi series that has yet been done.
The new BSG is not even in the same league as B5 or Firefly (which also offered a timely perspective on the issue of totalitarian centralized authority), on any level except in the quality of the acting. The BSG actors are terrific with the roles they have been given - it's not their fault their characters are pathetic and despicable and the concept of the series is so flawed.