TV: Babylon 5 (Reboot announced. JMS at the helm)

[RobBrown4PM]

After what feels like a life time, B5 is finally getting a reboot.

The beloved Babylon 5 is getting rebooted, with series creator JMS running the show - The Verge

Well, this is interesting. I honestly never thought WB would release the rights to JMS to make a series. But it seems whatever feud they had is now in the ground.

But I don't know what to think of this.

On one hand I trust JMS. It's his child after all.

On the other hand, it's a straight up reboot, albeit different. Not to mention none of the original is set to return, at least not yet. But even if they do, they can't play themselves. And then of course you have the issue have the majority of the main cast being dead.

Of the main cast,

Furlan, Katsulas, Furst, Biggs, Conaway, Doyle, O'Hare have passed beyond the rim.

Only Jurasik, Mummy, Christian, and Boxleitner remain.

For the life of me, I can't imagine someone other than Katsulas portraying G'kar, or Londo, or Delenn, or any of the other characters. It was a gem of a series that produced some of the best stories and character moments in sci-fi history.

But not all reboots have flubbed. RDM took BSG and turned the series into a foundational piece for the genre, and dragged sci-fi into the main stream where it flourished. But he was sourcing from a show that had huge flaws. Babylon 5 has a few flaws, and is otherwise a legendary series in the genre.

I guess we will have to wait and see what happens.

Click to read more...

 

[Jussi]

CW so it's going to suck.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

No thanks

It cant replicate the original also its the CW so its going to suck

Also as the new Star Treks have shown they will butcher all that you loved about original and turn it into a joke

I am happy that Warner Brothers remastered original and put it on HBO Max

 

[Seedtype]

It being on CW tempers the excitement of the announcement IMO, but JMS sounds optimistic that he has major creative control so we'll see(granted part of that is PR speak I'm sure). Of course, JMS isn't perfect and might flub it all on his own.

Let's just wait and see how it progress and wait for the first trailer to drop.


Battlestar Galactica does show a reboot can overall be a much better success than the original, so I hope that can be true here. The difference of course is that to me Babylon 5 was an amazing show to me, it introduced the concept of the story having an overall story arc, had amazing characters, and to me was one of the more plausible sci-fi universes. I don't envy the new cast members whoever they are, because they will be judged much more harshly than if they were original characters. Seeing B5 in modern CGI glory should be great though at least.

I do agree with JMS that you do have to do a reboot for Babylon 5 though, it's just been too long and the show does contain a lot of dated stuff(newspapers, old CRT displays, etc.). It'll be interested to see how it will work.

 

[Jussi]

It being on CW tempers the excitement of the announcement IMO, but JMS sounds optimistic that he has major creative control so we'll see(granted part of that is PR speak I'm sure). Of course, JMS isn't perfect and might flub it all on his own.

Let's just wait and see how it progress and wait for the first trailer to drop.


Battlestar Galactica does show a reboot can overall be a much better success than the original, so I hope that can be true here. The difference of course is that to me Babylon 5 was an amazing show to me, it introduced the concept of the story having an overall story arc, had amazing characters, and to me was one of the more plausible sci-fi universes. I don't envy the new cast members whoever they are, because they will be judged much more harshly than if they were original characters. Seeing B5 in modern CGI glory should be great though at least.

I do agree with JMS that you do have to do a reboot for Babylon 5 though, it's just been too long and the show does contain a lot of dated stuff(newspapers, old CRT displays, etc.). It'll be interested to see how it will work.

It's not the creative that's necessarily the issue but production values. I'm sure some would like to point out Stargirl and Superman And Lois and CW series that have great production values (CGI, cinematography) but they are essentially HBO Max productions, the shows just air on CW.

 

[CaptainCrunch67]

The original to me was near perfect. The Shadow war and the civil war at home were extremely well done, I just bought the box set last month and I'm rumbling through it, and though the graphics are dated, its just far better then anything trek in terms of writing story and acting.

Why reboot it, when there are so many other stories in that universe that can be told. The first shadow war sounds awesome. The war with the Mimbari would be awesome as well. Except it'd be like 95% the human's getting their arses kicked.

If there's one series that I'd say leave alone. Its Babylon 5 it doesn't need a reboot.

 

[Jumptheshark]

I am concerned about CW being involved in this. Shocked Warner Brothers let B5 out of the cage. If you are like me and follow JMS and other involved in B5 and their rants against why WB locked the show away for about 10 year or so, you have to be more than shocked they let the monkey out of the cage

 

[Osprey]

I am concerned about CW being involved in this. Shocked Warner Brothers let B5 out of the cage. If you are like me and follow JMS and other involved in B5 and their rants against why WB locked the show away for about 10 year or so, you have to be more than shocked they let the monkey out of the cage

I'm guessing that WB had and still has no interest in making or even funding a new B5 show, but along came CW with an offer to not just make and fund one, but pay WB for the privilege, and WB figured "we might as well make some easy money from this IP instead of letting it go to waste." If it also drives some viewers to HBO Max to watch the remastered original show, all the better.

Speaking of WB, it's weird seeing their name at the start of every Ted Lasso episode. You'd think that they'd want the show to be on HBO Max, not Apple TV+. Maybe it's the same sort of thing and they don't really care where the show airs as long as they're making money from it.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

I am concerned about CW being involved in this. Shocked Warner Brothers let B5 out of the cage. If you are like me and follow JMS and other involved in B5 and their rants against why WB locked the show away for about 10 year or so, you have to be more than shocked they let the monkey out of the cage

Well there have been changes at WB thru years and they did spent $ to remaster show and probably view this as potential content for down line they can add to library for HBO Max

With Star Trek: The Next Generation remastering show proved costly endeavor and something likely not to be repeated for other trek series

 

[RobBrown4PM]

I too agree that the show being on CW leaves me on edge. But as JMS said, he more or less has complete control. We know he still has plenty of gas in the tank. Sense8 was, and still is, a wildly acclaimed series.

 

[Seedtype]

It's not the creative that's necessarily the issue but production values. I'm sure some would like to point out Stargirl and Superman And Lois and CW series that have great production values (CGI, cinematography) but they are essentially HBO Max productions, the shows just air on CW.

Wasn't Babylon 5 always kinda on a shoestring budget though? Quick glance at Wikipedia says typically the budget per episode was $650,000 compared to 1.5 million per episode for Star Trek: TNG.

I mean they probably would just use the extra money on those silly Ironman hologram controls or something. Edit: I'm joking of course, but I roll my eyes whenever I see that stuff.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

You know what would be nice instead of B5 getting reboot? If someone gave James Wong and Glen Morgan some $ to give a conclusion to Space: Above and Beyond ,, God damn would I like some sorta TV movie or mini-series to end that series

I hate when something is cancelled that you invest time in and ends with a cliff hanger and no conclusion

Alien Nation got a TV Movie (+ more) to end its cliff hanger after cancellation

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

When it comes to Straczynski outside of some of his work on 1980's Twilight Zone , Babylon 5 and Jeremiah (That was promising show that only lasted 2 years) the rest of his work isn't that impressive

Also there seems to be common theme of him having issues with companies

Warner Brothers (Babylon 5)
MGM (Jeremiah)
Etc , Etc

If it happens once then sure maybe company is problem but to keep happening says he was part of problem or maybe even the problem

 

[RobBrown4PM]

You know what would be nice instead of B5 getting reboot? If someone gave James Wong and Glen Morgan some $ to give a conclusion to Space: Above and Beyond ,, God damn would I like some sorta TV movie or mini-series to end that series

I hate when something is cancelled that you invest time in and ends with a cliff hanger and no conclusion

Alien Nation got a TV Movie (+ more) to end its cliff hanger after cancellation

BSG did an excellent job of giving us some of what SAAB offered, though admittedly, it's not the same. It's the closest we've gotten to a proper, spiritual sequel

 

[Jumptheshark]

BTW or FYI

For those who have amazon prime--that gives you access to the imdb streaming service and they have all the B5 series and movies--

 

[Jumptheshark]

JMS released a message that the CW has moved the idea for discussion til the 2023 season. Other places have suggested it has been delayed due to the CW being sold

 

[67 others]

The original to me was near perfect. The Shadow war and the civil war at home were extremely well done, I just bought the box set last month and I'm rumbling through it, and though the graphics are dated, its just far better then anything trek in terms of writing story and acting.

Why reboot it, when there are so many other stories in that universe that can be told. The first shadow war sounds awesome. The war with the Mimbari would be awesome as well. Except it'd be like 95% the human's getting their arses kicked.

If there's one series that I'd say leave alone. Its Babylon 5 it doesn't need a reboot.

They had a full movie with the.minbari war lol

Mind you it sucked.

The only good movie they made was thirdspace imo

 

[RobBrown4PM]

They had a full movie with the.minbari war lol

Mind you it sucked.

The only good movie they made was thirdspace imo

Ummm, what?

In the beginning is universally praised amongst the fanbase. Not only is it a good movie, it explains, and sets up, sooooo much.

 

[67 others]

Ummm, what?

In the beginning is universally praised amongst the fanbase. Not only is it a good movie, it explains, and sets up, sooooo much.

I found that movie to be a boring rehash of things I already knew and never watched it twice. Neither did most people I know who watched the show find it great.

Thirdspace is easily far and away the best movie they ever made

 

[RobBrown4PM]

I found that movie to be a boring rehash of things I already knew and never watched it twice. Neither did most people I know who watched the show find it great.

Thirdspace is easily far and away the best movie they ever made

Fair enough.

I am honestly surprised there is someone out there that doesn't like In the Beginning.

What is it that you liked about Thirdspace?

 

[67 others]

Fair enough.

I am honestly surprised there is someone out there that doesn't like In the Beginning.

What is it that you liked about Thirdspace?

The movie had presence. Atmosphere. A new big bad. No help on the way because this was after the shadow war.

The moment where Lita 's psychic memory is triggered and she realizes how dangerous the realm of thirdspace is an she is explaining it with glowing eyes is probably the most suspenseful atmospheric moment In any Babylon 5 movie.

When the mind controlled vorlons came through the gate, you knew shit was about to get real. The vorlons were supposed to be long gone. And they always kicked ass and rarely lost