Babylon 5 Is Getting Rebooted

Jestersmith · Posted Mon 27 Sep, 2021 6:21 PM

It’s time for one of the most beloved sci-fi classics of the ‘90s to come back—and the man behind it the first time around is back for more.

Variety reports that Warner Bros. has ordered a reboot of Babylon 5, produced and written by Straczynski as part of a deal between Warner Bros. TV and Straczynski’s Studio JMS. The series is not a continuation of the show, but a “from the ground up” reboot of the cult classic 1993 series, which ran across five seasons and seven made-for-TV movies until 1998. Set in a future where humanity has gone into the stars and found a plethora of alien civilizations to attempt to live in harmony, Babylon 5 followed Earthforce officer John Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) as he took command of the titular space station Babylon 5, a hub for diplomatic meetings, trade negotiations, and eventually a staging ground among renewed conflicts between the civilizations of the world and even humanity’s own descent into totalitarianism.

The series was beloved for its dark sci-fi plots and its approach to a massive, intertwined narrative over the course of its seasons and movies—and spinoffs like the TNT series Crusade—to tell a long form story, rather than plots-of-the-week, with iconic alien characters like Mira Furlan’s Delenn and Andreas Katsulas’ petty villain turned spiritual figure G’Kar. Although the series came to an end in 1998, it inspired a whole universe of tie-in novels, and its influence can be felt everywhere from the likes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine to Straczynski’s own work collaborating with the Wachowskis on Sense8.

We’ll bring you more on the CW’s plans for Babylon 5 as and when we learn them.

Original Link
https://gizmodo.com/babylon-5-is-get...ource=_twitter

Saelanna · Posted Mon 27 Sep, 2021 7:38 PM

Weirdly enough, about 10 minutes before I saw Bruce Boxleitner’s post about this, my husband and I started watching “The Gathering”. Love Babylon 5!

Petrarch · Posted Mon 27 Sep, 2021 7:46 PM

It's not a show I was overly fond of when I originally saw it on TV, but I picked up the box sets several years later to watch it at my own pace and did end up enjoying it.

Draco · Posted Mon 27 Sep, 2021 8:35 PM

I LOVED Babylon 5. It was the first show where I did everything I humanly could to avoid spoilers... I even had a friend send me VCR recordings of seasons because in their country they were months ahead of us...

Hope they are able to do it justice! Although if its going to be roughly the same plot/characters it will definitely not be the same experience as the first time around.

Josh Broughm · Posted Mon 27 Sep, 2021 8:36 PM

I'm SORRY?!

Morris · Posted Mon 27 Sep, 2021 9:05 PM

I'm a huge fan of Babylon 5, but I have to say that WB sending it to the CW instead of HBO Max is not a good sign. Most shows on the CW suffer from bad writing and inadequate budgets. Even Superman & Lois, which I liked very much, suffered from lack of budget to accomplish all of the CGI that they were hoping for. The writing was much better on Superman & Lois, than on other CW shows though, I must say. On top of that, the CW doesn't get the viewership to support a project of this size, in my opinion. I'll use Discovery as an example. When Discovery was aired on broadcast CBS television, it was one of the least viewed shows in the rankings, and that was on one of the major broadcast networks! The CW does not have the viewership that CBS has, and without CBS All Access/ Paramount+, I don't think that Star Trek would have a home right now.

Anyway, fingers crossed!!! I'll remain hopeful, but based on what I've just mentioned, I have my concerns! I'd feel better about this if it were on one of the streamers instead.

darthnovawave · Posted Tue 28 Sep, 2021 12:22 AM

I was never as big on Babylon 5 as other scifi shows of the era, but it wasn't bad. Since CW shows are free to stream here in the US at least, it is nice not to have to pick up an HBO Max subscription on top of all the other ones we currently run, but on the downside the original Babylon 5 is behind that paywall. As Morris mentioned, the CW generally doesn't give huge budgets to its programming so it will be interesting to see how that plays out here. Hopefully this is an exception and they do it justice.

Palechimera · Posted Tue 28 Sep, 2021 3:15 AM

I love the idea of B5 but I do have some worry's that the reboot may get hijacked

T'Tan · Posted Tue 28 Sep, 2021 6:09 AM

Babylon 5 is my all time favourite SciFi show. I really do hope that they don't screw it up.

The CGI might have been dated even when it came out. But the story is brilliant from my point of view (maybe except partly last season)

Bridger · Posted Tue 28 Sep, 2021 7:01 AM

B5 is for sure one of the best Sci Fi in existence and I am looking forward to seeing a new version in particular since it is made by the original showrunner.

It is also the only show I have to say they have no other choice than to reboot it with so many of the fantastic cast already gone.

Scarlett · Posted Tue 28 Sep, 2021 11:57 AM

You know what else needs a reboot?

Firefly.

There. I said it.

Saelanna · Posted Tue 28 Sep, 2021 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by Scarlett

You know what else needs a reboot?

Firefly.

There. I said it.

100%
Brown-coat ‘till I die!!!!!

Eaglesg · Posted Tue 28 Sep, 2021 1:11 PM

Originally Posted by Saelanna

100%
Brown-coat ‘till I die!!!!!

Originally Posted by Scarlett

You know what else needs a reboot?

Firefly.

There. I said it.

THIS.

Otherwise, while I know some ... aspects ... of Babylon 5 I never watched it

Kiflin · Posted Tue 28 Sep, 2021 2:32 PM

Originally Posted by Scarlett

You know what else needs a reboot?

Firefly.

There. I said it.

Absolutely AGREE!!!!

Originally Posted by Eaglesg

THIS.

Otherwise, while I know some ... aspects ... of Babylon 5 I never watched it

Yep, me too! Couldn't get past MacGiver being the leader I'm like Mac doesn't need ANY HELP!!!

WelshAvenger · Posted Tue 28 Sep, 2021 2:53 PM

Originally Posted by Kiflin

Yep, me too! Couldn't get past MacGiver being the leader I'm like Mac doesn't need ANY HELP!!!

Do you mean Stargate SG-1 with Richard Dean Anderson? I don't think that Bruce Boxleitner was ever MacGyver.

Babylon 5 Is Getting Rebooted

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