[btwyx]

I was 14 in '94 when the show premiered and I remember my dad watching but I never gave it a look. Since I've started it a couple of times but I just cant get drawn in and never make it past a few episodes.

The first half season is the shakiest bit of the whole show. Around the time episode 13 was aired I was wondering if it was worth watching anymore. Then it got better. Then it got dramatically better in season 2, and amazing in season 3. It's worth suffering through those episodes.

 

[mr.unnatural]

Because Babylon 5 was the last of the Babylon stations.

Doh! How could I ever have forgotten the opening lines of each weekly episode? Maybe they could call it something other than a Babylon station, but then it just wouldn't have the same impact.

 

[doom1701]

I just want to know if Steve Grimm is going to reactivate the Lurker's guide. I can't imagine B5 without a weekly (frequently more) visit to the Lurker's guide.

I spent WAY too much time on the Lurker's guide (usually at work).

If JMS is behind this, I'll give it a shot. I honestly don't expect it to make it past pilot, but maybe CW will surprise me. I'm assuming it'll probably stream on HBO Max (which we just subscribed to, and will probably keep and instead phase out Hulu in a few months).

 

[gchance]

Doh! How could I ever have forgotten the opening lines of each weekly episode? Maybe they could call it something other than a Babylon station, but then it just wouldn't have the same impact.

You mean not have a show called Babylon 5? BRILLIANT!

 

[cheesesteak]

You can't say that Pat Tallman, Claudia Christian or Mira Furlan weren't attractive. It's TV, most actors and actresses are good looking.

Did I say they weren't attractive?

 

[dcheesi]

We've been re-watching the original over the past few months[1]. I'm not sure how a reboot is going to sit even a year two after that. (Same reason I avoided re-reading Foundation recently, for all the good that did me...)

[1]It's a rare TV win-win for my fiancée and I; I get my dose of space-opera and nostalgia, while she is endlessly entertained by the costumes (her mom's an amateur costume designer) and by Londo's character (and his (*ahem*) anatomy...)

 

[Tony_T]

 

[Tony_T]

Not sure if this was already posted…
J. Michael Straczynski Explains Why Babylon 5 Had to Be Rebooted

 

[mr.unnatural]

You mean not have a show called Babylon 5? BRILLIANT!

It was the last of the Babylon stations that had been put into service during the timeline of the series, but who's to say they didn't decide to build another one in the future? They didn't say it was the last one that would ever be built, just the last one in the series of stations that had been constructed to date. They could not predict what the future would hold so a Babylon 6 station would not necessarily be out of the question. They could also have built something similar but decided to give it a different name.

Whatever the case, I'm excited to see where JMS takes the new series, regardless of what he calls it.

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

It was the last of the Babylon stations that had been put into service during the timeline of the series, but who's to say they didn't decide to build another one in the future? They didn't say it was the last one that would ever be built, just the last one in the series of stations that had been constructed to date. They could not predict what the future would hold so a Babylon 6 station would not necessarily be out of the question. They could also have built something similar but decided to give it a different name.

Whatever the case, I'm excited to see where JMS takes the new series, regardless of what he calls it.

Well, people decades/centuries/millennia in the future thought it was the last one...

 

[btwyx]

Well, people decades/centuries/millennia in the future thought it was the last one...

Exactly, the series covers that.

On the other hand, as we got towards the end of S1, I did say it was obvious the sequel to B5 was going to be "Babylon 4", after the Babylon Squared episode.

They could always hijack B4 again to some other time.

 

[oscarfish]

I'm not as concerned as others seem to be about being a CW type of show. My understanding is that JMS expects to have more creative control over a show than is customary. I'm assuming that that is just part of the deal. Obviously I don't know.

I'm mildly concerned that my expectations will be unrealistically high. I have such fond memories of B5:TOS when it originally aired, and it held up when I watched it all again two years ago. There was so much that was new for the time: serialized story arc, Lurkers Guide, JMS on usenet, decent action/CGI. Those are just a given in 2021.

My biggest concern is that I don't want another Crusade situation (one or less and done). I don't think it's a given that it'll be a ratings hit (I can hope though). JMS tweeted something about having some B5 fans at the CW, and that's great. But executives move around and in the end it's about money. If the network fan is the guy at the top and it's a Jeff Bezos type situation, then that'll work.

I noticed that JMS tweeted something about picking network vs steaming, but I didn't understand what he was saying.

 

[mr.unnatural]

Well, people decades/centuries/millennia in the future thought it was the last one...

You mean just like we all thought that the Babylon 5 TV show was over and done with? Things can change and nobody can predict the future. If they can reboot the TV series then surely they can do the same with the Babylon station in the distant future.

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

You mean just like we all thought that the Babylon 5 TV show was over and done with? Things can change and nobody can predict the future. If they can reboot the TV series then surely they can do the same with the Babylon station in the distant future.

But this is people in the future, IN THE SHOW, calling Babylon 5 the last of the Babylon stations.

 

[jasrub]

But this is people in the future, IN THE SHOW, calling Babylon 5 the last of the Babylon stations.

Yep, in the episode "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars" I believe

 

[eddyj]

Yep, in the episode "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars" I believe

And in the intro!

 

[mr.unnatural]

But this is people in the future, IN THE SHOW, calling Babylon 5 the last of the Babylon stations.

I understand, but how far into the future? I know that it was mentioned in the final episode of season 4, IIRC, when they did a historical look at the station. What I'm suggesting is that it was the last of the Babylon stations at that point in time. Who is to say they didn't decide to resurrect the project several millennia down the road?

And yes, it was mentioned in the intro.

I mean, What If?.....

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

I understand, but how far into the future? I know that it was mentioned in the final episode of season 4, IIRC, when they did a historical look at the station. What I'm suggesting is that it was the last of the Babylon stations at that point in time. Who is to say they didn't decide to resurrect the project several millennia down the road?

And yes, it was mentioned in the intro.

I mean, What If?.....

The last segment of that episode took place at the time of the last humans, so I suspect there wouldn't have been any Babylon stations after that..

 

[mr.unnatural]

The last segment of that episode took place at the time of the last humans, so I suspect there wouldn't have been any Babylon stations after that..

How is that possible since I'm pretty sure it was a human that was giving the historical lecture about Babylon 5? In retrospect that may have been a hologram. I'd have to go back and check the episode again to be sure. Besides, there were lots of other alien races involved with Babylon 5 that could have decided to resurrect the project or at least come up with something similar. Maybe they could have called it Drazi World or Narni Narni Boo Boo Theme Park.

 

[cbrrider]

How is that possible since I'm pretty sure it was a human that was giving the historical lecture about Babylon 5? In retrospect that may have been a hologram. I'd have to go back and check the episode again to be sure. Besides, there were lots of other alien races involved with Babylon 5 that could have decided to resurrect the project or at least come up with something similar. Maybe they could have called it Drazi World or Narni Narni Boo Boo Theme Park.

Humans evolved into a Vorlon-like species at the end.