Want to watch BSG so bad but completely confused about the show order.Some help would be great

I want to start watching BSG but I find the number of different series to be a bit overwhelming.I mean,theres the 2 part movie(?) and the main series but then theres an older show and spin offs and Gaaah! so many things.
What is the exact order of the show and the order in which it should be viewed for maximum enjoyment?
Also what should my expectations for this show be? I dont want to watch it and got"not what I expected".I mean does it start great from the get go or do I have to be patient for some episodes or are there things that I can skip for later etc etc
Thanks in advance