Totally not SW, but an AMAZING show - Why did you love Babylon 5?

[Karmack]

Hey guys!

Logos and I briefly hijacked another thread for a back-and-forth about this show, so I decided to toss it out there:  Why do you love Babylon 5?

Now, this show is a bit of a way-back for some of you padawans and younglings, but for us "old timers" it was a revelation.  Not because of the special effects - though they were pretty cool - but because of the way it was constructed.

At the time B5 launched another show - Deep Space 9 - was beginning and the iconic Star Trek: The Next Generation was finishing up.   So it was kind of a 'dark horse' in the race.   But they did something that no other sci-fi show did (and which was actually frowned upon by the iconic shows) with their plotline:  The creator plotted an entire 5-year story arc.  And they started the show in January, giving it a very palpable "in real time" feel.   It went so far that they were even able to use footage from the first season in the 5th to close one of the long-standing story arcs.  Even when actors left the show they were usually able to adjust, though the replacement of Susan Ivanova with Captain Locksley in season 5 was a little ... forced.

But even then it wasn't horrible.   

And it had some amazing characters and character ACTORS playing rolls that were just amazing.  G'Kar, Lando, Vir, L'Neer, D'Lenn...   All were well cast and played well.   And some of the shorter-term characters like Marcus the Ranger and N'Roon, the Mimbari Warrior....

And who will ever forget G'Kar sitting at a side table with a man in armor, who claims to be Arthur, reveling in the defeat of ruffians in Brown Sector?  "...and they made a very satisfying thump when they hit the ground."

Or D'Lenn's speech to the Earth Force destroyers threatening B5?   "...He is behind me.   You are in front of me.   Be elsewhere."

Amazing show....    All it needed was lightsabers.   :-)

[Darth Logos]

I can sum it up with 1 image:

Most practical starfighter design EVER.



<mike drop>

[Karmack]

I always loved the true-to-physics approach they took to the space combat scenes.   Watching a flight of Star Furies swing by a capitol ship, rotating to keep the bigger ship in their sights as they flew by on their firing passes was awesome.

Somehow, the bank-and-roll action of the Star Wars fighters always seemed ... wrong.  The Star Fury will always be the "real" X-wing in my mind.   :-)

[chalion]

I loved Babylon 5 because it took the Humans, after they fought against the Minbari and almost lost, didn't really win, but it happened because of a mistaken gesture. The series took us, from a minor system, into the larger universe, where many races were out there, many who saw us as ants, or even less, puppets to have the strings pulled or toys to play with.

Other space TV shows at the time had Humans on par with other races or ahead of them in tech and sociality. B5 took our flaws and applied them to the Galaxy at large - and showed us that the others out there were as varied and as low browed as we are.

[Darth Logos]

I always loved the true-to-physics approach they took to the space combat scenes.   Watching a flight of Star Furies swing by a capitol ship, rotating to keep the bigger ship in their sights as they flew by on their firing passes was awesome.

Somehow, the bank-and-roll action of the Star Wars fighters always seemed ... wrong.  The Star Fury will always be the "real" X-wing in my mind.   :-)

Yup.

I'd love to find a source I could rewatch this series. It's been decades.

[Cern]

do you get the COMET network?

https://www.comettv.com/

its all on DVD also, i saw the box sets at a grocery store a while back for like $15 each

[Karmack]

Yup.

I'd love to find a source I could rewatch this series. It's been decades.

I bought the entire series on DVD on Amazon a few years ago, all used.  Averaged about $5 per season.  :-)

[chalion]

Amazon prime had all the seasons and shows at one point for streaming.

Not anymore though, all seasons unavailable.

OUCH. It's available to purchase on Vudu............ at $43 or more a season.

I also have the DVD collection.........................but no dvd player anymore. lol

[Darth Logos]

I bought the entire series on DVD on Amazon a few years ago, all used.  Averaged about $5 per season.  :-)

Hmmmm. Must now negotiate with the gf on extraneous spending can be budgeted.

[janx]

I've still got my DVD sets.  Rewatched it on Amazon when they had it last year.

[Maestro Jones]

I purchased mine through iTunes years ago.  But, if you have a Roku or Apple TV you might be able to watch it through there.  Try the STIRR app.  I've seen Comet TV on there.  Plus, it's free if it is available.

[Darth Logos]

I purchased mine through iTunes years ago.  But, if you have a Roku or Apple TV you might be able to watch it through there.  Try the STIRR app.  I've seen Comet TV on there.  Plus, it's free if it is available.

Hmmmm gf just got a Roku for Christmas. Is it a pay service, or does mere ownership of the device grant you certain accesses?


This is driving me nuts. I can remember the Centauri ambassador's name, Londo Mollari, but I can't remember the Narn's. I even remember the actor, Andrea Katsulas.

[Cern]

G'Kar

[Darth Logos]

Oh yeah.

[Karmack]

G'Kar

And his foil, Lando.  Both Andreas Katsulas as G'Kar and Peter Jurasik as Lando Mollari were fantastic.  As someone else said, B5 created both human and alien races as three-dimensional and with both strengths and flaws.  The continuing fall-out of the Earth-Mimbari war in the earlier seasons is an example of those flaws and differences on display.

Though one of my favorite episodes is in Season 1.  The different races are doing a "cultural exchange" - basically showcasing their cultures for the other races.  The Mimbari stage a beautiful litergical service, sterile and devoid of emotion but like set-piece artwork.  The Narn do their own thing, something appropriately Narnish, though I don't actually remember it well.  The Centauri stage what amounts to a drunken party/orgy.

And the humans?  Sinclair lines up all of the human clergy on the station from as many different faiths as possible.  A long line ... and an overt display of how we are diverse but get along.  THe Babylon project in a nutshell.

IT was a great statement.  Though I sometimes wonder why the Humans are the only race with true diversity in the universe...   LOL

At least he Drazi have the Purples and the Greens...   LOL