In the mid 23rd century, the Earth Alliance space station Babylon 5, located in neutral territory, is a major focal point for political intrigue, racial tensions and various wars over the co... Read allIn the mid 23rd century, the Earth Alliance space station Babylon 5, located in neutral territory, is a major focal point for political intrigue, racial tensions and various wars over the course of five years.In the mid 23rd century, the Earth Alliance space station Babylon 5, located in neutral territory, is a major focal point for political intrigue, racial tensions and various wars over the course of five years.
- Won 2 Primetime Emmys
- 18 wins & 26 nominations total
Featured reviews
I just finished watching all 5 seasons of the series, plus the 5 movies (the sixth - Legend of the Rangers is die for release in March 2006), AND the entire run of Crusade - the sequel/spin off series.
This is about the fourth or fifth time I've done this now. Like the person ahead of me said - you'll be saying things like "So THAT'S what that meant..." quite a lot. This show is amazing...incredible....just watch it. you'll see what I mean.
This is required watching for every self-respecting ScienceFiction-fan. In that respect it is on a par with StarWars and StarTrek.
B-5 just goes deeper that the Paramount-format or the eternal battle of good versus evil. In B-5 there are hardly any absolute evil creatures, all the characters have their dark side, just like you and me.
It was a miracle that Warner Bros was so supportive of JMS. You can tell by the result that this was somewhat of a lovebaby. I wonder how many years it will be before something better will be made, I fear it will take years and years to top this series.
The action in the series is mostly about the Shadow war, but the real key is the intrigue between the characters, and the personal growth of the characters. Londo is one of the best dramatic characters in any series. He starts as an ambitious schemer who drinks too much, but develops a conscience as he learns the consequences of his ambitions, and finally ends up as a tragic character who reached even beyond his early ambitions, but at a cost that he regrets deeply.
Maybe some day there will be a better science fiction series. But for now this is the level of story-telling television science fiction should try to reach.
Unlike some sci-fi shows, Babylon 5 was an ongoing epic. What happened in one episode impacted on another episode and so on. It was set on Babylon 5 (a space station)where five solar systems who have been at war try to make peace. The representatives of these races are all based on Babylon 5 trying to create lasting peace (not unlike the real life League of Nations/United Nations).
As I said, what happened in one episode impacted on another. There was no jetting off to planets, creating a mess and then jetting off again. There was action, political intrigue and plenty of excitement which made this show stand out in 1994.
J. Michael Straczynski did a great job with Babylon 5. It's actually a very good allegory of life on Earth in the 20th century. There have been two major wars this century. The League of Nations was set up following World War 1 but they soon became defunct and the United Nations were set up following World War 2 to try and bring peace to the world. Of course it's hard to find peace with so many different governments pulling in different directions. That is why I liked Babylon 5. It was realistic; there were no quick solutions for peace and there were setbacks along the way just like we have in real life.
I strongly urge anyone who hasn't seen Babylon 5 to check it out.
Did you know
- TriviaWhen Stephen Furst went in to audition for Vir, he saw that everyone else in the waiting room had done their hair up into a Centauri crest; he was the only person without one. In a blind panic, he went to the bathroom and tried to use liquid soap to create a crest. When his name was called, he stumbled in, with a disheveled, lopsided crest, eyes tearing up from liquid soap running into them. He began to apologize profusely, stammering with run-on sentences. Series show runner J. Michael Straczynski and the producers looked at each other, declared "Oh my God, it's Vir!", and offered him the role on the spot.
- GoofsMultiple people state that the Vorlon's quarters contain a lethal combination of gases that would kill humans. However, no one decontaminates or changes their uniform immediately after they leave. No one even wears gloves inside, even though toxic gases could settle upon their skin, or be absorbed through it.
These gases would kill humans (or other species) *if breathed*. Not simply by exposing the skin to them.
- Quotes
Mr. Morden: What do YOU want?
Ambassador Vir Cotto: I'd like to live just long enough to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike as a warning to the next ten generations that some favors come with too high a price. I want to look up into your lifeless eyes and wave like this.
[waves]
Ambassador Vir Cotto: Can you and your associates arrange that for me, Mr. Morden?
- Crazy creditsAs the credits roll in "Atonement" Jason Carter "Marcus" is singing Gilbert and Sullivan's "I am the very model of a Modern Major General."
- Alternate versionsThe Region 1 DVDs are cropped to Widescreen with fuzzy CGI effects as well as some redone narration and alternate theme song openings for select episodes.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Computer Chronicles: Data Storage Solutions (1998)