SciFiTopic10
Babylon 5 – 68+ episodes
This syndicated series was produced as part of the Warner
Bros. Prime Time Entertainment Network. It debuted as a 2
hour TV movie in March 1993 and was successful and launched
an hour long weekly series in January 1994. The series was
created by Michael Straczynski who had come up with the
idea for the series in 1987 and then searched for a studio
to produced it. Prior to Babylon 5, Straczynski’s other
credits included the new Twilight Zone.
Before Babylon 5 began production, Straczynski created a 5
year plan for the series in which all of the individual
episodes would become part of it yet each would be able to
stand on its own. This is one of Babylon 5’s biggest
strengths as things alluded to in episodes will become
important a year or more later.
The problem with this structure is that it is difficult for
the casual viewer to get involved.
Babylon 5 starts off in 2257 A.D. on a 5 kilometer long
space station in neutral space which is called Babylon 5.
It is the fifth of the Babylon space stations. Out of the
first four, three were destroyed under suspicious
circumstances and the fourth mysteriously vanished without
a trace (part of its fate was revealed in a 1st season
episode and its final fate was revealed in a two part 3rd
season episodes.)
Babylon 5 was constructed by the Earth Alliance over a 120
year span. After the end of the Earth’s Minbari War. The
purpose of the station was to serve as a setting where
humans and aliens could work together and settle their
differences peacefully and thus avoid another war. Babylon
5 was under the command of Jeff Sinclair, a hero in the
Battle of the Line which was the final battle in the
Earth/Minbar war. Sinclair left his position at the end of
the 2nd season to become Ambassador to Minbar and returned
twice for cameo appearances in the 2nd season and a major
role in a two part episode during the third season. This
two part episode explained many things which had been
alluded to in earlier episodes. He was replaced by John
Sheridan who was responsible for the one victory earth had
in its war against the Minbari.
Earth and the 4 most powerful alien civilizations all have
ambassadors permanently assigned to Babylon 5. The Earth
Alliance is represented by the Commander of Babylon 5.
The Minbari are more technologically advanced than Earth
and had fought a war which ended 10 years before the series
began. The Minbari mysteriously surrendered on the brink of
victory (rep. By Ambassador Delenn aqnd her aid Lennier).
Sinclair fought in this final war and has a gap in his
memory which has something to do with the reasons for the
Minbabi’s surrender. Unknown to anyone else, Ambassador
Delenn is a member of the Minbari’s mysterious Grey Council
which was partly responsible for Sinclair being assigned as
commander of the station. In the 2nd season Delenn takes it
upon herself to undergo a metamorphosis to make her more
human. She comes out of the process with hair, which
Minbari lack. The Minbari Grey Council eject Delenn for
this although she is still allowed to be the Ambassador at
Babylon 5 and she and Capt Sheridan begin to form a
romantic relationship which eventually produces a child
shown in a flash forward sequence.
The Cenauri Republic was the first alien race to make
contact with humankind and the Republic is on the decline
(like the British Empire was in the first half of the 20th
century).
The Narn Regime was previously under the control of the
Centauri but they rebelled and won their freedom and want
the Narn homeworld back.
Little is known about the Vorlons since they have avoided
contact with all other races and since they wear
environmental suits at all times, it is not known what they
look like. They are perhaps the most powerful of the alien
races and have agreed to be part of the Babylon 5 project.
In the pilot the Vorlon Ambassador arrives on Babylon 5 and
an attempt was made on his life.
Between the pilot and the first hour-long episode, most of
the supporting cast was changed with the only returning
character Michael Garibaldi, the security chief. Garibaldi
is a recovering alcoholic who is an old friend of
Sinclair’s.
The Shadow’s were the biggest part of the plot and are in
Babylon 5. They are an ancient and powerful race whose
intentions remain unknown. Their ships are extremely
powerful and no one who encounters them survives. They
appear to be waiting for something to happen and while
waiting in the shadows, they use their human contact,
Morden, to set up things that will help their agenda. Few
know of their existence and this helps avoid forcing the
Shadows to play their hand while preparations are being
made for the eventual war to come.
Earth politics play a big role in series. The President of
Earth is killed in the final episode of 1st season and the
staff of Babylon 5 find evidence that his death was an
assassination planned by the VP. The VP grabs more power
and Sheridan is forced to have Babylon 5 secede from the
Earth alliance and become an independent state.
The special effects are computer generated and all the
ships are computer models that is cheaper than producing
real models. This also allows shots/angles that would be
impossible to create with real models.
With an eye to future, Babylon 5 was made in widescreen
format so it is now available as such.