Babylon 5
I believe that when we leave a place, part of it goes
with us and part of us remains. Go anywhere in the station when it is quiet, and
just listen. After a while, you will hear the echoes of all our conversations,
every thought and word we've exchanged. Long after we are gone, our voices will
linger in these walls for as long as this place remains. But I will admit that
the part of me that is going will very much miss the part of you that is
staying.
(Babylon 5)
Babylon 5 (TV series)
Babylon 5 (seasons 1-4) were written with a plan in mind.
This is rare on television. Usually a show is cobbled together piecemeal.
The complexity and sophistication of Babylon 5 remains an anomaly.
The creator Straczynski is well aware of taoism, and incorporates it into
the series. Arthurian legends, Lord of the Rings and other great tales echo
through the show.
Thought through
Unlike most TV shows, Babylon 5 (seasons 1-4) contained a single
story arc. The seasons were arbitrary. The story just carried on, episode after
episode.
The complexity remains impressive and unique.
This is not a show that you can dip-into.
It has a beginning and an end.
Every episode adds something to the whole and the scope of the accomplishment is
spectacular.
Something else...
The Babylon 5 characters are not baddies or goodies. People have depth. They
also change.
This is not a show that allows you to become familiar and comfortable.
There are no filler episodes or friendly clichés.
This is not Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica (new or old) or Stargate.
It is something altogether different. Something better - beyond measure.
The entire production was thought out in a very meticulous way.
You cannot express it in words, and you will not get a sense of it from watching
a few clips.
There are about 90 episodes to watch.
See the wonder, the mystery, the intrigue, the insights, the horror, the
heroism.
Movies & spin-offs
There have been a number of Babylon 5 movies and a spin-off series.
Despite these extras, seasons 1-4 remain the best thing to watch.
The pilot episode was not so good and didn't quite work
Season 5 was tagged-on as an afterthought and is best forgotten.
Although it has its moments it was never part of the initial planned story arc.
The spin-off series Crusade features some great characters, but was bungled by
the producers/distributors and cancelled after a number of episodes.
Episode 12 is best avoided.
The spin-off TV movies highlight the fact that whilst Straczynski still
possesses some excellent ideas, the passion, the creative spark is gone.
What once was is no more.
Deep Space Nine
The Star Trek series Deep Space Nine superficially echoes a number of the
Babylon 5 themes, and bears a passing similarity to Babylon 5.
This is no coincidence.
When seeking to produce Babylon 5, Straczynski (the creator) allowed Paramount
to see the script.
Paramount declined to make Babylon 5.
Later, they released Deep Space Nine.
The new Star Trek show incorporated a number of Straczynski's ideas - in a
modified form.
Deep Space Nine broke many of the Star Trek series conventions. It offered a
very different Star Trek show.
In some ways it re-captured the freshness of the 1960's Star Trek show.
Unlike The Next Generation or Voyager, this was not an office in space. The show
looked a little deeper at life.
For all its pros and cons, Deep Space Nine remained inferior to Babylon 5 both
in terms of story arc, originality and script.
A taste
There are a number of clips on YouTube that may offer you a taste of the
show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgvUtWuzaPE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39nvDbbrsmI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-7CjnBKAb8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GWiWzWKXZg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FStm28sCU04
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSZD3MtWCsY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsUxnjMJm70
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01tv5kTRBx0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSImwGBEDPs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujayd9MuCFM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oHtLmjKRbE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xy-53Xjqxg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQARSzT2lbo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dSfYT2d0I8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0n2vurSBIQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV-ek0kaq58
Page created 8 August 1999