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| Babylon 5
Description: American Science Fiction Series
Year: 26 January, 1994
State: top/arts/television/programs/science_fiction_and_fantasy/babylon_5
Directed:
- John Copeland
- Jim Johnston
- Tony Dow
- Bruce Seth Green
- Stephen Furst
- Richard Compton
- Kevin G. Cremin
- Michael Vejar
- Jesús Salvador Treviño
- Douglas E. Wise
Actors/Actresses:
- Patricia Tallman
- Claudia Christian
- Peter Jurasik
- Jason Carter
- Jeanne Cavelos
- Tracy Scoggins
- Denise Gentile
- Marjorie Monaghan
- Christopher Franke
- Mary Kay Adams
- Tamlyn Tomita
- Andrea Thompson
- Andreas Katsulas
- Peter David
- Jerry Doyle
- Michael O Hare
- Richard Biggs
- Bill Mumy
- Harlan Ellison
- Walter Koenig
- John Vickery
- Bruce Boxleitner
- Jeff Conaway
- J Michael Straczynski
- Mira Furlan
- Joshua Cox
- Paul Darrow
The BEST S/F Series Ever Aired!
J. Michael Straczynski (jms) created the space station Babylon 5 and spent years getting it produced and on the air. It premiered about the same time ST: Deep Space Nine did, and for a while, fans compared the two. It was almost "apples & oranges" time, but it was tried.
As a long-time Trek fan, I was surprised when I first saw the pilot ("The Gathering") in 1993. I was absolutely stunned. Why Babylon 5, not just Babylon Station? Well, #s 1 - 4 were sabotaged & destroyed; # 4 disappeared after going on-line. (Disappeared? It's 5 MILES LONG, for crying out loud!) Word was that this would be an on-going, progressive five year story arc, the likes of which hadn't been done before on US television. Risky. Okay, jms had my attention. I couldn't wait for the series. When it finally did air, I (being cynical of tv production in general) figured it wasn't going to stay as good. It didn't. It steadily got better.
I repeat, I speak as a long time Trek fan (beginning with the original series - skip Voyager, I did). B5 is one of the best televison series ever produced. Note I did not say "science fiction series." (It is THE best s/f series ever put up to the audience.) I introduced several non s/f fans to the series, as a dramatic series and they all loved it. (So much for "only for space opera hounds.") The story arc freed Straczynski (he wrote 90% of the scripts) from having to make everything "come right" in a 45 minute time slot, and off it went.
Crowd scenes were, well, crowded, with humans of all types and aliens as extras wandering through scenes. (The aliens, by the way, are much more than odd skin colours, strange noses and "hair.") The station wasn't pristeen, the population wasn't always picture perfect. We have shysters, homeless, personal problems, espionage, humour, betrayal, relationships, and deaths (being in the opening credits did not guarantee survival, and it didn't always happen at the end of a season). Opening credits and theme music changed every year. One character's very appearance even changed dramatically. The plotlines are tight, and the threads are woven into five years of shows. The special effects are believable. (Yes, you could "hear" space battles, but hey, cut them some slack - NASA asked for plans of the Starfuries for reference for future space station repair vehicles.) B5 was the first show to rely on CGI effects, born out of budget necessity. More than once, watching the show, I found myself pounding the furniture with excitement - and we won't go into (here) what I did during series finale "Sleeping in Light."
Sinclair, Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, G'Kar, Londo, Lennier, Vir, Na'Toth, Talia, and Lyta came into our home as people with problems. The characters grew and changed and made choices and dealt with the consequences of those choices for good or bad. G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas) put it best: no one on Babylon 5 is exactly what they appear. Keep a score card handy: this week's ally may be next month's enemy. There is no clear deliniation of good guys and bad guys - mostly it's all shades of grey. Acting (with the exception of one season five regular) is superb.
Action, yes. Yet one of the most moving episodes is a one-on-one battle of wits and nerve between two characters in a single room. Wars - some with aliens, some between alien races, and some with just us humans - start & end. There are four ambassadors from alien races on board, with a League of Non-Aligned Worlds to complete the roster. Telepaths of all races (except the Narns) add more colour. Intrigue, smuggling, dealing, double-dealing, romance, all leavened with humourous touches throughout - what more could you ask!
For the first four years, the hardest part of being a B5 fan was FINDING it. (Our local station played ping-pong with its time slot.) To own uncut, widescreen versions on DVD of the whole story arc was a dream we had. Thank heavens, it's one dream which became reality.
If you have seen B5, welcome back. If you haven't, welcome aboard. However, Babylon 5 is a whole complete story, with a beginning, a middle, and an end. View it that way. Start with the pilot ("The Gathering," not included in this set but available) and then move to Season One. Enjoy. This is a unique series.
BEST SHOW EVER. "A novel for TV" that lasts 100+ hours!
Yes, Babylon 5 is the best sci-fi show ever produced. No doubt in my mind. It simply is.<BR>
Season 1 starts slowly. Mainly because the show was not written by J. Michael Straczynski (series creator) but by outside help. Result: Lousy B-movie scripts. Only 5-6 episodes are truly good.<BR>
But then Seasons 2-5 arrive, and the series truly shines. This is the CORE of the Babylon 5 story. J.Michael Straczynski took the reins and wrote ~95% of the show. AND IT SHOWS. Seasons 2-5 start with battles, end with battles, and have plenty of drama in the middle. A new race called "The Shadows" starts pulling strings, manipulating the characters, and ultimately spinning off a war. And just when you think all is dark and dreary and depressing... all hell turns loose! The drama just builds and builds and builds.<BR>
And then we have... THE GRAND FINALE TO THE NOVEL FOR TV: Set 20 years in the future, this single episode will bring tears to your eyes, because it shows the death of the hero: President Sheridan. As series creator J.Michael Straczynski wrote:
"The sad truth is that we die. That is not a happy ending, not a sad ending, simply a fact. The question is what we accomplish during the days and months and years preceding; do we leave the world a better place or a worse place? If we have left the world around us a better place, as these characters did, then it's a happy ending. - - - - - Ultimately, for me, the end of B5 is neither a sad ending nor a happy ending; I'd say it was a graceful ending, a dignified ending, an ending that said individuals can effect profound change, if they are willing to put their own lives and happiness on the line; not happy, not sad, but a testament to the idea that you have used your time here well."<BR>
"What interests me, what I wanted to do with making this show, was in large measure to examine the issues and emotions and events that precede a war... the effects of the war itself... and the aftermath of the war. The war is hardware; the people are at the center of the story." Well said Mr. Straczynski, and thank you for creating this wonderful show. Like a classic novel, Babylon 5 reaches beyond mere entertainment. Thank you.
An unforgettable cult series
The TV series "Babylon 5"(1994 - 1999), a Warner and TNT production created by J. Michel Straczynski, was inspired in hindu-asiatics religions and explore Arcthurians legends. <BR>"The Gathering", the series pilot, was shown in 1993 and the first episode almost a year later. The series had 110 episodes during five seasons and 5 movies were produced.<BR>Babylon 5 adventures begins in the year 2258 and ends in 2263. The space station,with 8 kilometres length, has 250 thousand inhabitants of different places of the Universe and a defensive military force.<BR>The first three Space Stations were destroyed by sabotage and the fourth vanished mysteriosly on space. The Fifth Station, the only one remained, was built by Earth Aliance with the support of many alien races, including The Minbari Federation and The Centauri Republic.<BR>Babylon 5 was idealized to be a Diplomatic port where the discussions and agreements between the races could take place in a neutral zone.<BR>The first season opening summarizes very well the series essence: "It was the dawn of the third age of mankind, ten years after the Earth/Minbari war. The Babylon Project was a dream given form. Its goal, to prevent another war by creating a place where humans and aliens could work out their differences peacefully. It's a port of call - home away from home for diplomats, hustlers, entrepreneurs, and wanderers. Humans and aliens wrapped in two million, five hundred thousand tons of spinning metal, all alone in the night. It can be a dangerous place, but it's our last best hope for peace. This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations. The year is 2258. The name of the place is Babylon 5". <BR>An unforgettable cult series. (...)
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