Praise and Admiration for Babylon 5

[keshou]

I found this at the Lurker's Guide:
Showrunner Series
(30 December 2005)
Straczynski has been offered and accepted the show-runner position on another series which should, if all goes according to plan, start shooting in Vancouver in March of 2006 (with preparation in January). This series is a companion to another series currently being run by the creators.

As of December 2005 Straczynsi is starting on the first script, which is due late January. Other writers have also been quietly put to work. Straczynski says there is still one last detail that needs to be ironed out at a much higher level regarding the venue.

Anyone know anything about this new show? How cool would it be if its being shot at Bridge, eh?

Hmm....that IS interesting. Especially the part about it being a "companion to another series currently being run by the creators".


As to the original purpose of this thread...I'll add my two cents.

I LOVE Babylon 5. It's certainly near the top of my personal list of favorite scifi shows. I didn't see B5 when it originally aired but managed to watch all 5 seasons a couple of years ago. It's not perfect. The first season is mostly set-up and the first half of S5 was kind of barfy. But the rest - particularly S3 and S4 was great. In terms of the overall story arc it's one of the most satisfying TV experiences I've ever had. Especially loved the way JMS would foreshadow future development in S3 and 4 with little offhand comments or scenes in S1.

B5 had perhaps the best scifi character arc I've ever seen with Londo. The road he traveled was rather remarkable and I adored the dynamic between Londo and G'Kar. What great character actors they had in Andreas and Peter. I could watch those two read the phone book to each other. Luckily they had many more interesting discussions than that. I also grew to enjoy the relationship between Sheridan and Delenn although I have to admit I didn't see a ton of chemistry there. Loved all the supporting characters - Vir and Lennier especially. And Garibaldi - how could I forget him? Loved him too.

The Shadows and Vorlons were interesting. The Shadows weren't much in terms of special effects and yet they were a very effective (and scary) nemesis. Sometimes less is more.

Have to agree with others who've posted - Ivanova is one of my favorite female characters in all of scifi.

This is making me want to watch the series all over again.

[yaaayoubetcha]

I remember the buildup to the first encounter with a Shadow ship...over the course of 2 or 3 eps....with pilot Lt Extra. Those series of scenes leading up to his Starfury getting whacked in hyperspace....just great stuff.

I'm gonna have to try and find reasonably priced DVDs...or maybe netflix them.

[AGateFan]

The Million years in the future ep was Brilliant.

In season 5 the one ep that stands out to me is "View from the Gallary". Just a unique an interesting ep. I like how Delenne of all people bothered to remember their names. I would like to see a stargate ep like that. Maybe from Walter or Siler or two other unknown background guys like that thrid shifter Walter was training when the Gate got stolen.

Sheridans arrest of Lyda in WHEEL OF FIRE also made me cheer. "No one can stop a mind touched by a vorlon...... I can"... that was great.

This show was so great at bringing out the cheers. Delenns rescure of B5 when you really thought man they are scrwd how are they getting out of this.... "only one human has ever defeated a Mimari fleet, he is behind me, you are infront of my, I suggest you be elsewhere"

Ivonovas Mantra and her I am god speech in BETWEEN THE DARKNESS AND THE LIGHT (I think it was). Although I dont think Marcus really "thought through" the whole alien device thing. He could have gotten lots of people to give a little instead of him giving all of his life himself... would have liked that better. Maybe they would have went that way if Claudia had resigned for S5.

MOMENTS OF TRANSITION Delenn going to sacrafice herself and thus bringing the Warrior cast into the fold and ending the civial war.

THE ILLUSION OF TRUTH -- the entire reporter first bording the ship
Reporter: "Captin Commander Ivonova threatened to have me thrown out the Airlock....."
Sheridan: "Commander! Did you threaten to grab hold of this man by the collar and throw him out an airlock?"
Ivonova: "Yes I did."
Sheridan: "I'm shocked. Shocked and dismayed. I'd remind you that we are short on supplies here. We can't afford to take perfectly good clothing and throw it out into space. Always take the jacket off first, I've told you that before. Sorry, she meant to say: Stripped naked and thrown out an airlock. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused."


SLEEPING IN LIGHT is one of the better send off eps in any show I have seen and made me very sad. Poor Delenn left alone. John going off to die alone like how you hear stories of how they did it in some indian or aboringinal tribes. B5 ending in fire just like the Emporers wife had said so many years before. We see the station explode but realize she misunderstood her vision.
Just great.

Babylon 5 was just a great great show.
What other show can have a massive battle between Lightsiders and Darksidres AND have a teddy bear Captin Sheridan slap into a Starfurys spaceshield (windshield doesnt seem like the right word) and a devious fight with the evil Post Office.

*all quotes are paraphased from memory... need to get my dvds out.

[LaCroix]

The Million years in the future ep was Brilliant.

In season 5 the one ep that stands out to me is "View from the Gallary". Just a unique an interesting ep. I like how Delenne of all people bothered to remember their names. I would like to see a stargate ep like that. Maybe from Walter or Siler or two other unknown background guys like that thrid shifter Walter was training when the Gate got stolen.

Sheridans arrest of Lyda in WHEEL OF FIRE also made me cheer. "No one can stop a mind touched by a vorlon...... I can"... that was great.

This show was so great at bringing out the cheers. Delenns rescure of B5 when you really thought man they are scrwd how are they getting out of this.... "only one human has ever defeated a Mimari fleet, he is behind me, you are infront of my, I suggest you be elsewhere"

Ivonovas Mantra and her I am god speech in BETWEEN THE DARKNESS AND THE LIGHT (I think it was). Although I dont think Marcus really "thought through" the whole alien device thing. He could have gotten lots of people to give a little instead of him giving all of his life himself... would have liked that better. Maybe they would have went that way if Claudia had resigned for S5.

MOMENTS OF TRANSITION Delenn going to sacrafice herself and thus bringing the Warrior cast into the fold and ending the civial war.

THE ILLUSION OF TRUTH -- the entire reporter first bording the ship
Reporter: "Captin Commander Ivonova threatened to have me thrown out the Airlock....."
Sheridan: "Commander! Did you threaten to grab hold of this man by the collar and throw him out an airlock?"
Ivonova: "Yes I did."
Sheridan: "I'm shocked. Shocked and dismayed. I'd remind you that we are short on supplies here. We can't afford to take perfectly good clothing and throw it out into space. Always take the jacket off first, I've told you that before. Sorry, she meant to say: Stripped naked and thrown out an airlock. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused."


SLEEPING IN LIGHT is one of the better send off eps in any show I have seen and made me very sad. Poor Delenn left alone. John going off to die alone like how you hear stories of how they did it in some indian or aboringinal tribes. B5 ending in fire just like the Emporers wife had said so many years before. We see the station explode but realize she misunderstood her vision.
Just great.

Babylon 5 was just a great great show.
What other show can have a massive battle between Lightsiders and Darksidres AND have a teddy bear Captin Sheridan slap into a Starfurys spaceshield (windshield doesnt seem like the right word) and a devious fight with the evil Post Office.

*all quotes are paraphased from memory... need to get my dvds out.

The corect phrase is:
Delenn: I am Grey. I stand between the candle and the star. We are Grey. We stand between the darkness and the light.


I love this one too:
Lorien: The universe began with a word. But which came first: the word or the thought behind the word? You can't create language without thought, and you can't conceive a thought without language, so which created the other, and thus created the universe?


And of course this one:
Susan Ivanova: So the next time we find out where the Shadows plan to strike, we can mine the area, and as soon as they come out of hyperspace...
Citizen G'Kar: Then, as you so concisely say, Boom!

The Ranger Code/Credo:
Marcus Cole: I am a Ranger. We walk in the dark places no others may enter. We stand on a bridge, and no one may pass. We live for the One! We DIE for the ONE!


Ivanova stance on the Russian way of life:
Susan Ivanova: I know, I know. It's a Russian thing. When we're about to do something stupid, we like to catalog the full extent of our stupidity for future reference.

Now for the Trivia:

During the fifth season, Producer J. Michael Straczynski wanted to have actors David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson do a cameo appearance playing Psi Cops, but the plan fell through.

During the run of the show, the show's creator, J. Michael Straczynski, was contacted by NASA officials who asked if they could borrow the design of the show's fighters - called, 'Starfuries' - for use on the International Space Station. NASA wanted to use the ships as a combination tug and forklift, adding, "Your design is the most practical we've seen." Straczynski replied that it was fine with him, but that NASA had to call them Starfuries. NASA agreed

Series creator J. Michael Straczynski made television history by becoming the first person to write an entire 22-episode season of a television series (Babylon 5's 3rd season).

During the first season, Commander Sinclair said, "This station created[artificial] gravity by rotation, so the room never stops spinning." Reportedly, the animating team had the station spinning at a near-Earth gravity simulation. This was determined by a physicist who was also a fan of the show, who determined the approximate size of a human being on the edge of the station and extrapolating.

Producer Douglas Netter's picture appears in the first season episode "Midnight on the Firing Line" as President Louis Santiago, who is later assassinated.

In "Sleeping in Light", when the maintenance worker (executive producer, J. Michael Straczynski) shut down the lights, everyone on the set was in tears.

When B5 entered production, there were claims that the creators of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993) had stolen the basic Babylon 5 premise. It was never proven, though both shows share striking similarities. This controversy led to friction between Babylon 5 and Star Trek fans over the course of both series.

The Babylon 5 station is an "O'Neil class space station". Gerard K. O'Neill was a physicist and space visionary who suggested the use of large rotating cylindrical habitats for future space stations.


I miss this show.



Now I've got to stop the "homage" from IMDB quotes and all.

[AGateFan]

Found a quote site too.. This is the Delenn quote I was referring too... she comes to save the day, I stood up and Cheered.

Delenn: "This is Ambassador Delenn of the Minbari. Babylon 5 is under our protection. Withdraw, .. or be destroyed."

Captain Drake: "Negative. We have authority here. Do not force us to engage your ship."

Delenn : "Why not? Only one human captain has ever survived battle with Minbari fleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else."

-- Severed Dreams

Heres another one... women kicked Arse in this show.

Ivanova : This is the White Star Fleet. Negative on surrender...we will not stand down."

Earthforce Advanced Destroyer: "Who is this? Identify yourself."

Ivanova : "Who am I? I am Susan Ivanova, Commander, daughter of Andrei and Sophie Ivanov. I am the right hand of vengeance, and the boot that is going to kick your sorry ass all the way back to Earth ... I am Death incarnate, and the last living thing that you are ever going to see. God sent me."

White Star opens fire on Earthforce fleet

Ivanova and Earthforce Advanced Destroyer Captain James
--Between the Darkness and the Light

[LaCroix]

It was so long ago, but remember when Marcus is sitting next to Susan's bedside and if memory serves his last words to her were "I love you".

I remember crying for at least an hour after that episode.

[Easter Lily]

It was so long ago, but remember when Marcus is sitting next to Susan's bedside and if memory serves his last words to her were "I love you".

I remember crying for at least an hour after that episode.

I cried too...
*feeling very nostalgic*
I loved her reaction after that... about hearing someone say "I love you" and thought it was God because all the actors playing God had British accents... That was classic... I laughed and cried at the same time...

[manybleemsago]

I have so much to catch up on in this show...we bought season 2 and I've really enjoyed getting to see the episodes. I *love* the sense of humor that runs throughout. Here's one that tickled me (from The Geometry of Shadows):

Elric: "You don't frighten easily."
Vir: "I work for Ambassador Mollari. After a while, nothing bothers you."

I loved "The Coming of Shadows". What a wonderful episode. The visual image (and the background music) of the Emperor Turhan striding along and then falling was just wow!

A Gatefan said:

SLEEPING IN LIGHT is one of the better send off eps in any show I have seen and made me very sad. Poor Delenn left alone. John going off to die alone like how you hear stories of how they did it in some indian or aboringinal tribes. B5 ending in fire just like the Emporers wife had said so many years before. We see the station explode but realize she misunderstood her vision.
Just great.


I think this is the thing that really impresses me about this show - there is an end to it...and the main characters actually suffer consequences. As jms said in one of the documentaries, he purposely avoids 'hitting the reset button' (ala Star Trek) so everything goes back to the way it was. I especially admire the fact he did not do that with John and Delenn...and I also admire how he gave them their happy life together, but still included the tragedy of John's shortened life. Happiness and sadness, blended together. So much like real life, it cuts right to the heart.

Right now I'm watching Confessions and Lamentations. John's reaction when Delenn tells him she wants to go into the quarantine area is so intense and very 'true'. (May I say, Bruce Boxleitner is really good as Sheridan. He's a much better actor than I gave him credit for. And Mira Furlan is so wonderful in that scene too.) And then there is the scene they had together after all the Markab had died...John comforting Delenn in her sorrow is very powerful.

I love this show. I'm so glad I got to rediscover it.

[EmmaPeel]

Found a quote site too.. This is the Delenn quote I was referring too... she comes to save the day, I stood up and Cheered.

Delenn: "This is Ambassador Delenn of the Minbari. Babylon 5 is under our protection. Withdraw, .. or be destroyed."

Captain Drake: "Negative. We have authority here. Do not force us to engage your ship."

Delenn : "Why not? Only one human captain has ever survived battle with Minbari fleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else."

-- Severed Dreams

Heres another one... women kicked Arse in this show.

Ivanova : This is the White Star Fleet. Negative on surrender...we will not stand down."

Earthforce Advanced Destroyer: "Who is this? Identify yourself."

Ivanova : "Who am I? I am Susan Ivanova, Commander, daughter of Andrei and Sophie Ivanov. I am the right hand of vengeance, and the boot that is going to kick your sorry ass all the way back to Earth ... I am Death incarnate, and the last living thing that you are ever going to see. God sent me."

White Star opens fire on Earthforce fleet

Ivanova and Earthforce Advanced Destroyer Captain James
--Between the Darkness and the Light

Reading those quotes again is giving me shivers. Still the best sci-fi show *I've* ever seen. I absolutely loved it. They kept switching the schedule around in my area, so it was hard to follow at first; sometimes it was on at 1 in the morning, late Sunday night and then it settled down to Saturday morning. I've got S1-4 on tape and watch them all about every 2 years. (S5 just doesn't exist for me.) Ivanova, Kosh (I loved Kosh), Garibaldi, G'kar, Londo, Lanier, Sinclair -- so many good characters. I agree with others -- Ivana is *the* best female character ever written on a sci-fi program. Excellent, excellent show -- great writing, great acting, just all around great.

Now I'm getting all nostalgic, so I'll probably have to take out a few tapes and watch them. "Severed Dreams" sounds like a good place to start.

[Easter Lily]

Speaking of quotes and Marcus...

"I am the very model of a modern Major-General,
I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical;
I'm very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical,
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,
About binomial theorem I'm teeming with a lot o' news,
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse"

[Commander Ivanova]

[QUOTE=EmmaPeel]Ivan[ov]a is *the* best female character ever written on a sci-fi program. Excellent, excellent show -- great writing, great acting, just all around great. QUOTE]

Jeez, guys, you're making me blush!

[AGateFan]

And another Marcus Gem

"who knew they were french?"

Sorry French fans but it was just so dang funny because it was so unexpected.

[Benj]

I own the entire series on DVD and i am watching every episode again from the beginning. I am very much enjoying Season 1 much more so than when i watched it first time round, things make much more sense now. A gem of a series, i think it will not be repeated.

[yaaayoubetcha]

Babylon 5 was just a great great show.
What other show can have a massive battle between Lightsiders and Darksidres AND have a teddy bear Captin Sheridan slap into a Starfurys spaceshield (windshield doesnt seem like the right word) and a devious fight with the evil Post Office.

*all quotes are paraphased from memory... need to get my dvds out.

the whole Zocollo souvenir ep was classic. Loved Londo complaining about his anatomically incorrect fig.

the teddy bear was great!

[AGateFan]

How about some Quotes:

"What do you want, you moon-faced assassin of joy?"
Londo to Vir, Born to the Purple

"That's a lie."
"Yes, it is. What's your point?"
Psi-Cop Alfred Bester and Sinclair, Mind War

"The avalanche has started, it is too late for the pebbles to vote."
Kosh, Believers

"The universe is driven by the complex interaction between three ingredients: matter, energy, and enlightened self-interest."
G'Kar, Survivors

The Babylon 5 mantra:
"Ivanova is always right. I will listen to Ivanova. I will not ignore Ivanova's recommendations. Ivanova is God. And if this ever happens again, Ivanova will personally rip your lungs out. Babylon Control out. [Sigh] Civilians. [Looking up] Just kidding about the God part -- no offense."
Lt. Commander Susan Ivanova, Voice in the Wilderness Part I

"Now out of that 50, how many gods do you think I must have offended to have ended up with G'Kar's teeth buried so deeply in my throat that I can barely breathe?"
"All of them?"
"Sounds right. And now I have to go back to the Council and explain to them that in the interest of peace the Centauri government will agree to give quadrant 37 to the Narns. I think I will stick my head in the station's fusion reactor. It would be quicker. And I suspect, after a while I might even come to enjoy it. But this -- this, this, this is like being nibbled to death by .. what are those Earth creatures called? Feathers, long bill, webbed feet .. go 'quack' .."
"Cats."
"Cats. I'm being nibbled to death by cats."
Londo and Vir, Chrysalis