Been hearing that this show is a little...slow and cheesy True?

[Lucycat]

Babylon 5 is an excellent story, you should check it out, for sure.

The only thing "cheesy" is probably LONDO's hair in season one.

I knew someone who said they wouldn't watch the show because of Londo's hair. I think people who form opinions like this are ridiculous!

[Cold Fuzz]

Babylon 5 is an excellent story, you should check it out, for sure.

The only thing "cheesy" is probably LONDO's hair in season one.

I knew someone who said they wouldn't watch the show because of Londo's hair. I think people who form opinions like this are ridiculous!

I've encountered people who wouldn't watch any B5 past the first episode because of the hair and other similar reasons. *shrugs* I think they're missing out on some of the best sci-fi ever written for TV.

[McClance]

I really love noticing the seeds that are planted throughout Season 1--like that newspaper article that Garibaldi was reading in "And the Sky Full of Stars". The one about the Psi-Corps endorsing the Vice-President's election.

And, Ivanova's relationship with Malcolm Biggs in "The War Prayer" sets up nicely her relationship with Marcus.

So, yeah. I wouldn't say B5 is slow or cheesy at all. Well, maybe a little of the latter, but not too much. As long one understands that the series is about the characters, not the action. But then, that's the same with the Stargate series.

[xxxevilgrinxxx]

Babylon 5 is an excellent story, you should check it out, for sure.

The only thing "cheesy" is probably LONDO's hair in season one.

I knew someone who said they wouldn't watch the show because of Londo's hair. I think people who form opinions like this are ridiculous!

I grew to love Londo's hair

I tell you, if something like that would make me stop watching a show? Wow, there's a whole lot of things I wouldn't have watched!

[flobo]

I can understand it, when i first started the show, seeing Londo's attitude and his hair, i was thinking "Why is this clown even in the episodes ?".

Little did i realise that he was in fact (IMO) the show's real central character.

[Sami_]

A little slow and cheesy isn't an unfair description but its not slow in a way that it hurts the show - there are constant plot developments and the only thing that could be considered slow is the overall arc.

Its a great series though, well worth watching for any sci-fi fan.

The benchmark for arc-based sci-fi (and perhaps even non sci-fi) in my opinion is DS9 - I don't think Babylon 5 is as good as DS9 but its still a must watch series.

[Sp!der]

You guys, are wanting me to watch B5, right now... well in the new year..

[Replicator Todd]

Just got a month free trial of Netflix, and on my Wii they have all seasons of Babylon 5 for instant streaming. I think it is finally time I checked out this show!

[Raw_Deal]

Just got a month free trial of Netflix, and on my Wii they have all seasons of Babylon 5 for instant streaming. I think it is finally time I checked out this show!

You've never seen it?

You must! Right away!

[Skydiver]

i heartily recommend it.

and honestly, if you watch it through all 5 seasons, and go back and rewatch it, you'll see more stuff that you missed the first time around.

one advantage of one person penning most of the episodes and having total control of all the episodes (the actors couldn't even adlib without permission), it's a tightly woven tapestry of a story. Friendship, loyalty, betrayal, politics, drama, faith, ingenuity, discovery and destiny.

Some of it is cheesy, yes. but the vis effects values on a 20 year show are on par with what you see today, and the makeup effects are just fantastic and imaginative. You can very easily forget that it's an actor in makeup because they look fantastically real.

[jmoz]

Nah, the story's timeless, the plot overshadows the special effects. And if you read a lot of books, you'll appreciate the first season of world building and groundworks. I thought the first season was one of the best.

[SirRastusBear]

A little slow and cheesy isn't an unfair description but its not slow in a way that it hurts the show - there are constant plot developments and the only thing that could be considered slow is the overall arc.

Its a great series though, well worth watching for any sci-fi fan.

The benchmark for arc-based sci-fi (and perhaps even non sci-fi) in my opinion is DS9 - I don't think Babylon 5 is as good as DS9 but its still a must watch series.

Interesting you brought up DS9 as I clearly remember watching both shows as they premiered within weeks of each other and ran similar amounts of seasons. For me even though there were story arcs in DS9 the entire B% series had a definite start and a predetermined and realized ending point. Both excellent shows were made in a time where story arcs and character development made a show and people were willing to watch the concept mature - not like the microwave society of today when it has to be the classic badda bing, badda boom and move on.

[SaberBlade]

Both excellent shows were made in a time where story arcs and character development made a show and people were willing to watch the concept mature - not like the microwave society of today when it has to be the classic badda bing, badda boom and move on.

Shows these days are slowly developing into series that have concepts that mature, the only problem is these tend to suck. B5 worked great, Lost didn't but somehow lasted, BSG I think started well but fizzled out near the end and SGU tried but it seems was just too different for people to like. DS9 did it on a more basic level compared to B5. Yes they had the Dominion War but they only did it small arcs with a few episodes connected, then something different for a lot of episode that casually referenced the war, while B5 did two seasons that involved war to war.

We need more shows like B5 that don't just focus on one thing and run it out for a season, but that have long, complex and interconnected plots.

[Cold Fuzz]

We need more shows like B5 that don't just focus on one thing and run it out for a season, but that have long, complex and interconnected plots.

I wholeheartedly agree. However, I get the feeling that kind of quality is now considered a very tall order considering what we're seeing with sci-fi these days.

[SaberBlade]

I wholeheartedly agree. However, I get the feeling that kind of quality is now considered a very tall order considering what we're seeing with sci-fi these days.

Unfortunately, it is a tall order because by the time a series sets everything in motion like B5's first season, they cancel it. B5 was perfect for it's time, as if it had happened today then I don't think we'd have gotten such an amazing series.