Babylon 5
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{{dablink|This article is about the TV series. For the eponymous fictional station, see [[Babylon 5 (space station)]].}}
{{Infobox Television
| show_name = Babylon 5
| image = [[Image:Smb5-s4.jpg|200px|Season 4 poster]]
| caption = Season 4 poster
| genre = [[Science fiction]]
| creator = [[J. Michael Straczynski]]
| developer = J. Michael Straczynski
| starring = ''see [[#Regular cast|below]]''
| composer = [[Christopher Franke]]<br />[[Stewart Copeland]] (pilot)
| country = {{USA}}
| language = [[English language|English]]
| num_seasons = 5
| num_episodes = [[List of Babylon 5 episodes|110 episodes]]<br />[[#Made-for-TV films|Six films]]
| executive_producer = [[Douglas Netter]]<br>J. Michael Straczynski
| runtime = 43 minutes
| network = [[Prime Time Entertainment Network|PTEN]] <small>(1994-1997)</small><br />[[Turner Network Television|TNT]] <small>(1998)</small>
| first_aired = [[February 22]], [[1993 in television|1993]]
| last_aired = [[November 25]], [[1998 in television|1998]]
| picture_format = [[Aspect ratio (image)#4:3 standard|4:3]] (broadcast)<br />[[Aspect ratio (image)#16:9 standard|16:9]] (DVD)
| audio_format = [[Surround sound#3.0 Channel Surround (analog matrixed: Dolby Surround)|Dolby Surround]]
| website = http://babylon5.warnerbros.com/
| imdb_id = 0105946
| tv_com_id = 11
}}
'''''Babylon 5''''' is an epic [[United States|American]] [[science fiction on television|science fiction television series]] created, produced and largely written by [[J. Michael Straczynski]]. The show centers on the [[Babylon 5 (space station)|Babylon 5]] [[space station]]: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict in the late 2250s and early 2260s. With its prominent use of pre-planned [[story arc]]s, the series was often described as a "novel for television."<ref name="soaps">{{cite web | url=http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/tv/soap_opera_babylon_000317.html | title=Soap Opera 'Babylon' | publisher = Space.com | date=[[2000-03-17]] | accessdate=2006-09-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/TV/9811/20/babylon.5/ | title="Babylon 5" Prepares For Final Bow | publisher = [[CNN]] | date = [[1998-11-20]] | accessdate=2007-08-21}}</ref>
The pilot movie premiered on [[February 22]], [[1993]]. The regular series aired from [[January 26]], [[1994]] and ran for five full seasons, winning two [[Hugo Award|Hugos]] for [[Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation|Best Dramatic Presentation]]<ref>"[[The Coming of Shadows]]", 1996; "[[Severed Dreams]]", 1997. {{cite web | author= | url=http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/HugoWinsByYear.html | title=Past Hugo Winners | publisher= Locus Online | date= | accessdate=2007-08-22 }}</ref> and two [[Emmy]] awards - for makeup and visual effects.<ref>Special Visual Effects, 1993 ("[[The Gathering (Babylon 5)|The Gathering]]"); Achievement in Makeup, 1994 ("[[The Parliament of Dreams]]"). {{cite web | author= | url=http://www.emmys.org/awards/2006pt/history.php | title=Past Emmy Winners | publisher= Official Emmys Site | date= | accessdate=2007-08-22 }}</ref> The show spawned six television movies and a [[spin-off]] series, ''[[Crusade (TV series)|Crusade]]'', which aired in 1999 and ran for thirteen episodes. A [[Direct-to-video|straight-to-DVD]] movie about selected characters from the series was released on [[July 31]], [[2007]].
==Concept==
{{B5}}
Having worked on a number of television science fiction shows which had regularly gone over-budget, creator J. Michael Straczynski concluded that a lack of long-term planning was to blame, and set about looking at ways in which a series could be done responsibly. Taking note of the lessons of mainstream television, which brought stories to a centralised location such as a hospital, police station, or law office, he decided that instead of "[going] in search of new worlds, building them anew each week," a fixed space station setting would keep costs at a reasonable level. A fan of sagas such as the [[Foundation series|''Foundation'' series]], ''[[Childhood's End]]'', ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', and ''[[Dune universe|Dune]]'', Straczynski wondered why no one had done a television series with the same epic sweep, and concurrently with the first idea started developing the concept for a vastly-ambitious epic covering massive battles and other universe-changing events. Realizing that both could be done in a single series, he began to sketch the initial outline of what would become ''Babylon 5''.<ref name="GEnie-1992">{{cite web | url=http://mirrors.ntua.gr/b5/GEnie/jms92-04 | title=[[GEnie]] posts by JMS for April, 1992 | accessdate=2006-08-18}}</ref><ref name="concept">{{cite newsgroup | title=ATTN JMS: Why Accelerate | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1995-01-24]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated | id= | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-12267 | accessdate=2007-10-31 }}</ref>
{| class="toccolours" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 85%; background:#c6dbf7; color:black; width:45em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5"
| style="text-align: left;" | "Once I had the locale, I began to populate it with characters, and sketch out directions that might be interesting. I dragged out my notes on religion, philosophy, history, sociology, psychology, science (the ones that didn't make my head explode), and started stitching together a crazy quilt pattern that eventually formed a picture. Once I had that picture in my head, once I knew what the major theme was, the rest fell into place. All at once, I saw the full five year story in a flash, and I frantically began scribbling down notes."
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | — [[J. Michael Straczynski]], 1995<ref name="concept"/>
|}
Straczynski set five goals for ''Babylon 5''. He said that the show "would have to be good science fiction" as well as good television ("rarely are [sci-fi] shows both good [sci-fi] ''and'' good TV; [they're] generally one or the other"); it would have to do for science fiction television what ''[[Hill Street Blues]]'' had done for [[police drama]]s, by taking an adult approach to the subject; it would have to be reasonably budgeted, and "it would have to look unlike anything ever seen before on TV, presenting individual stories against a much broader canvas."<ref name="GEnie-1991">{{cite web | url=http://ftp.midwinter.com/b5/GEnie/jms92-01 | title=Babylon 5 posts by JMS for November 1991 through Jan, 1992 | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | year=1992 | accessdate=2007-07-19 | archivedate=2007-06-30 | archiveurl=http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:s4lsbb_HEiMJ:www.midwinter.com/b5/GEnie/jms92-01+%22It+would+have+to+be+good+TELEVISION%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us }}</ref> He further stressed that his approach was "to take [sci-fi] seriously, to build characters for grown-ups (not a [[Wesley Crusher|Wesley]] in the bunch), to incorporate real science but keep the characters at the center of the story."<ref name="GEnie-1991"/> Some of the staples of television science fiction were also out of the question (the show would have "no kids or cute robots"<ref>{{cite web | title=Well, lemme comment on that. One... | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1991-12-04]] | publisher=[[GEnie]] | url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-7700 | accessdate=2007-04-26 }}</ref>). The idea was not to present a perfect utopian future, but one with greed and homelessness; one where characters grow, develop, live, and die; one where not everything was the same at the end of the day's events. Citing [[Mark Twain]] as an influence, Straczynski said he wanted the show to be a mirror to the real world and to covertly teach.<ref name="GEnie-1992"/>
==Production==
===Format===
Described as a "window on the future" by producer John Iacovelli,<ref>Babylon 5: The Movie Collection, disc 5, "''Creating the Future''".</ref> the story is set in the 23rd century on a large [[space station]] named "Babylon 5" – a five-mile-long, 2.5 million-ton rotating colony designed as a gathering place for the sentient species of the galaxy, in order to foster peace through diplomacy, trade, and cooperation. Instead, acting as a center of political intrigue and conflict, the station becomes the [[linchpin]] of a massive [[interstellar]] war. This is reflected in the opening monologue of each episode, which includes the words "last, best hope for peace" in season one, changing to "last, best hope for victory" by season three.
The series consists of a coherent five-year [[story arc]] taking place over five seasons of 22 episodes each. Unlike most television shows at the time, ''Babylon 5'' was conceived as a "novel for television,"<ref>{{cite web | title=You say, "New characters and sets... | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1993-01-21]] | publisher=[[GEnie]] | url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-10170 | accessdate=2007-08-21 }}</ref> with a defined beginning, middle, and end; in essence, each episode would be a single "chapter" of this "novel". Many of the tie-in novels, comic books, and short stories were also developed to play a significant [[canon (fiction)|canonical]] part in the overall story.<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title= ATTN: JMS Books and TV Plot | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1996-04-25]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated | id= | url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-11551 | accessdate=2007-08-21 }}</ref>
The cost of the series totalled around $90 million for 110 episodes.<ref>{{cite web | title=Babylon 5 Returns | author= | date=[[2006-07-24]] | url= http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=23963 | publisher=[[Ain't It Cool News]] | accessdate=2007-11-06 }}</ref>
===Writing===
Creator and [[showrunner]] J. Michael Straczynski wrote 92 of the 110 episodes of ''Babylon 5''. He also scripted all 44 episodes in the third and fourth seasons;<ref>{{cite web | publisher=Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5 | title=Writers/Directors list (JMS entry) | url= http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/making/write-direct.html#JMichaelStraczynski | accessdate=2007-11-08 }}</ref> according to Straczynski, a feat never before accomplished in American television.<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title= I heard that with you writing the entire season | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1996-04-22]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated |url= http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated/msg/d75b9a8e11b19bad?dmode=source | accessdate=2007-11-05 }}</ref> Other writers to have contributed scripts to the show include [[Peter David]], [[Neil Gaiman]], [[Kathryn M. Drennan]], [[Larry DiTillio|Lawrence G. DiTillio]], [[D.C. Fontana]], and [[David Gerrold]]. [[Harlan Ellison]], a creative consultant on the show, received story credits for two episodes.<ref>{{cite web | publisher=Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5 | title=Writers/Directors list | url=http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/making/write-direct.html#write | accessdate=2007-11-08 }}</ref> Each writer was informed of the over-arching storyline, enabling the show to be produced consistently under-budget. The rules of production were strict; scripts were written six episodes in advance, and changes could not be made once production had started.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www-tech.mit.edu/V118/N24/discuss.24n.html | title=Straczynski, Jablokov Discuss Television, The Future | author=Brett Altschul | publisher=[[The Tech (newspaper)|The Tech]] | date=[[1998-05-05]] | accessdate=2007-12-13 }}</ref>
Though conceived as a whole, it was necessary to adjust the plotline to accommodate external influences. Each of the characters in the series was written with a "trap door" into their background so that, in the event of an actor's unexpected departure from the series, the character could be written out with minimal impact on the storyline.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/misc/cc-leave.html | title=JMS on Claudia Christian's departure | accessdate=2006-11-14 }}</ref> In the words of Straczynski, "As a writer, doing a long-term story, it'd be dangerous and short-sighted for me to construct the story without trap doors for every single character. [...] That was one of the big risks going into a long-term storyline which I considered long in advance."<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title= Changes in the Story due to Actors | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1996-04-24]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated |url= http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated/msg/0276ecd1f0161a28?dmode=source | accessdate=2007-11-05 }}</ref> The character of Talia Winters was to have undergone a transformation into a [[Psi-Corps]] secret agent, having been revealed as a "sleeper," whose true personality was buried subconsciously, and who acted as a spy, observing the events on the station and the actions of her command staff.<ref>[[Divided Loyalties]]</ref> When Winters' portrayer [[Andrea Thompson]] left the series, this revelation was used to drop the character from the series.
{| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 85%; background:#c6dbf7; color:black; width:45em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5"
| style="text-align: left;" | "First thing I did was to flip out the stand-alones, which traditionally have taken up the first 6 or so episodes of each season; between two years, that's 12 episodes, over half a season right there. Then you would usually get a fair number of additional stand-alones scattered across the course of the season. So figure another 3-4 per season, say 8, that's 20 out of 44. So now you're left with basically 24 episodes to fill out the main arc of the story."
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | — [[J. Michael Straczynski]], 1996<ref name="writing">{{cite web | title= From jms re: yr 4/5 | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1996-12-18]] | publisher=[[Compuserve]] | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-6929 | accessdate=2007-11-08 }}</ref>
|}
Ratings for ''Babylon 5'' continued to rise during the show's third season, but going into the fourth season, the impending demise of network [[Prime Time Entertainment Network|PTEN]] left a fifth year in doubt. Unable to get word one way or the other from parent company [[Warner Bros.]], and unwilling to short-change the story and the fans, Straczynski began preparing modifications to the fourth season in order to allow for both eventualities. Straczynski identified three primary plot-threads which would require resolution: the Shadow war, Earth's slide into a dictatorship, and a series of sub-threads which branched off from those. Estimating they would still take around 27 episodes to resolve without having the season feel rushed, the solution came when the [[Turner Network Television|TNT]] network commissioned two ''Babylon 5'' made-for-television films. Several hours of material was thus able to be moved into the films, including a three-episode arc which would deal with the background to the Earth/Minbari war, and a sub-thread which would have set up the sequel series, ''Crusade''. Further standalone episodes and plot-threads were dropped from season four, which could be inserted into ''Crusade'', or the fifth season, were it to be given the [[greenlight]].<ref name="writing"/> The intended series finale, "[[Sleeping in Light]]," was filmed during season four as a precaution against cancellation. When word came that TNT had picked up ''Babylon 5'', this was moved to the end of season five and replaced with a newly-filmed season four finale.<ref>{{cite web | title= How will this play out | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1997-05-21]] | publisher=[[Compuserve]] | url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-2847 | accessdate=2007-11-08 }}</ref>
===Visuals===
In anticipation of future [[High-definition television|HDTV]] broadcasts and [[Laserdisc]] releases, rather than the usual [[Aspect ratio (image)#4:3 standard|4:3]] format, the series was shot in [[Aspect ratio (image)#16:9 standard|16:9]], with the image cropped to 4:3 for initial television transmissions.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-9938 | title=We are shooting in 16:9 | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1993-09-22]] | publisher= [[GEnie]] | accessdate=2007-08-21}}</ref> At a time when using models and miniatures was still the norm, ''Babylon 5'' was also one of the first television shows to use computer technology in creating [[visual effects]], using [[Amiga]]-based [[Video Toaster]]s at first, and later [[Pentium]] and [[DEC Alpha]]-based systems.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/making/effects.html | title=The Effects | work=The Lurker's Guide To Babylon 5 | publisher=midwinter.com|accessdate=2006-08-18}}</ref> It also attempted to respect [[Newtonian physics]] in its effects sequences, with particular emphasis on the effects of inertia.<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title= Physics of Babylon 5 | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1993-09-10]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated |url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-9785 | accessdate=2007-08-22 }}</ref>
[[Foundation Imaging]] provided the special effects for the pilot movie (for which it won an Emmy) and the first three seasons of the show. When a further deal was unable to be reached with Foundation, the effects for seasons four and five were provided in-house by [[Netter Digital]],<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title= Contract with Foundation dropped? | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1996-11-16]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated |url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-1199 | accessdate=2007-11-08 }}</ref> using similar technology and a number of former Foundation employees.<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title= Sinking into the sand? | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1996-09-11]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated |url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-11839 | accessdate=2007-11-08 }}</ref> The Emmy-winning alien make-up was provided by Optic Nerve Studios.
===Music and scoring===
The original pilot movie had music composed by [[Stewart Copeland]] of [[The Police]].<ref>{{web cite | url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106336/fullcredits | title=Full cast and crew for Babylon 5: The Gathering (IMDB) | accessdate=2007-04-26}}</ref> When the show was picked up as a weekly series, Copeland was unavailable, so [[Christopher Franke]] of [[Tangerine Dream]] was hired.<ref>{{web cite | url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-13393 | title=JMSNews: The J. Michael Straczynski Message Archive | accessdate=2007-08-22}}</ref> Franke was the composer for all five seasons of ''Babylon 5'', three of the television movies, and the ''Lost Tales'' DVD.<ref>{{web cite | url= http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006081/ | title=Christopher Franke at the IMDB | accessdate=2007-08-22}}</ref> When Straczynski obtained funds to create a new producer's cut of the pilot movie, the original Copeland score was replaced with a new score by Franke.<ref>{{web cite | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-3556 | title=From JMS on stuff | date=[[1997-04-11]] | publisher=[[Compuserve]] | accessdate=2007-08-22}}</ref> Over thirty soundtrack CDs have been issued featuring Franke's ''Babylon 5'' compositions, including ''The Best of Babylon 5'', released in 2002.<ref>{{cite web | title = The Best of Babylon 5 | author = Jeff Berkwits | publisher = Sci-fi.com | url = http://www.scifi.com/sfw/sound/sfw7964.html | date = [[2002-01-02]] | accessdate = 2007-11-05 }}</ref>
===The Babylon 5 station===
{{main|Babylon 5 (space station)}}
[[Image:Babylon5 01.jpg|thumb|left|300px|[[Babylon 5 (space station)|Babylon 5]] orbiting [[Epsilon III]]. The station was described as "a combination of building the [[United Nations]] and [[Times Square]] on an intergalactic scale" by actor [[Bruce Boxleitner]].<ref>''The Guide to Babylon 5'', [[Turner Network Television|TNT]], [[1997-12-26]]</ref>]]
The Babylon 5 space station is a modified version of an [[O'Neill Cylinder]], revolving to provide [[artificial gravity]]. The center of the cylinder is a hollowed-out circular section, between a half and one-mile across, and includes fields, [[hydroponics|hydroponic]] gardens, and a transport tube which runs from one end of the station to the other. The station features a number of independent, interconnected sectors, each designed with a different look in order to give the show a non-claustrophobic feel. Living areas are designed to accommodate the various alien species featured in the show, with different atmospheres and alternate levels of gravity. Human visitors to the alien sectors are often shown using breathing equipment and taking other measures in order to tolerate these conditions. As the series begins, the station is still under construction, with only certain parts fully-completed. Depending upon the level and sector, sectors can be either in daylight or night. On the outermost levels, the viewports are in panels on the floor, providing a view into space beneath the characters' feet.<ref>{{cite web | title= There are, in fact, a number of.. | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1992-01-03]] | url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-7710 | publisher=[[GEnie]] | accessdate=2007-11-05 }}</ref>
The station is situated in the [[Epsilon Eridani]] binary star system, located at the [[Lagrangian point#L4 and L5|fifth Lagrangian point]] between the fictional planet [[Epsilon III]] and its moon. Within the show, the station's three predecessors (the original Babylon station, Babylon 2 and Babylon 3) were all sabotaged or accidentally destroyed before their completion. The fourth station, [[Babylon 4]], vanished twenty-four hours after it became fully operational.<ref name="january">{{cite web | title= Since it is now January 1st, time… | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1991-12-31]] | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-7707 | publisher=[[GEnie]] | accessdate=2007-11-05 }}</ref>
===Civilizations===
{{main|Civilizations in Babylon 5}}
[[Image:B5 aliens.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[G'Kar]] (left) of the [[Narn Regime]] and [[Londo Mollari]] of the [[Centauri Republic]]. Backdrop: The [[League of Non-Aligned Worlds]].]]
At the beginning of the series, five dominant civilizations are represented. The dominant species are the [[Human (Babylon 5)|Humans]], [[Minbari]], [[Narn]], [[Centauri (Babylon 5)|Centauri]], and the [[Vorlon]]s. "The [[Shadow (Babylon 5)|Shadows]]" and their various allies are malevolent species who appear later in the series. Several dozen less powerful races form the [[League of Non-Aligned Worlds]], including the [[Drazi]], [[Brakiri]], [[Vree]], [[Markab]], and [[pak'ma'ra]].
While the original pilot movie featured some aliens which were puppets and animatronics, the decision was made early on in the show's production to portray most alien species as humanoid in appearance. Barring isolated appearances, fully computer-generated aliens were discounted as an idea due to the "massive rendering power" required. Long-term use of puppets and animatronics was also discounted due to the technological limitations in providing convincing interaction with the human actors ("if you want any real ''emotion'' from the character, you're going to have to have an actor inside.")<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title= Alien looking aliens | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1994-09-06]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated |url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-14683 | accessdate= 2007-11-05 }}</ref>
===Languages===
There are three primary languages used on the Babylon 5 station: English, as well as the fictional Centauri and [[Interlac]].<ref name="trans">{{cite web | title= Orange County interview | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1996-12-14]] | url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-6901 | publisher=[[Compuserve]] | accessdate=2007-08-15 }}</ref> English is mentioned explicitly as the "human language of commerce,"<ref>[[Objects at Rest]]</ref> and is the baseline language of the station (written signs appearing in all three languages).<ref>{{cite web | title= Re: language...English is the basic… | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1992-07-12]] | url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-7326 | publisher=[[GEnie]]
| accessdate=2007-08-16 }}</ref> Other human and alien languages do exist in the ''Babylon 5'' universe, though hearing them spoken is uncommon; when aliens of the same species are speaking to one another, the words heard are English, though it is presumed they are speaking their native tongue. Only when in the presence of humans can the alien language be heard, to stress that the humans cannot understand what is being said.<ref>{{cite web | title= Yes, people will go to the bathroom | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1993-11-04]] | url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-9729 | publisher=[[GEnie]] | accessdate=2007-04-26 }}</ref> With the exception of the [[Minbari#Language|Minbari tongue]], few other alien languages are actually heard aloud on a regular basis.
The [[Gaim (Babylon 5)|Gaim]], [[pak'ma'ra]], and Vorlons do not speak directly in English; in the case of the pak'ma'ra, either because they refuse to learn any language other than their own,<ref>"[[Learning Curve (Babylon 5)|Learning Curve]]"</ref> or because they are incapable of making human sounds.<ref name="trans"/> Members of these races instead make use of real-time translation devices.<ref>{{cite web | title= Pat: sorry, but you're strictly... | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1994-11-24]] | url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-8462 | publisher=[[GEnie]] | accessdate=2007-08-15 }}</ref>
The principal human characters speak with an American English accent, with the exception of [[Marcus Cole]], who speaks with a distinct British accent. Susan Ivanova, born in [[Russia]], speaks with an American accent, as her character was raised and schooled outside Russia.<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title= Diversity of B5 populace | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1995-12-01]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated |url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-12166&query=winters | accessdate=2007-11-05 }}</ref> Her father speaks with a distinct Russian accent, as does her brother. Various other minor human characters speak English with recognizable regional accents. Ambassador Delenn and Londo Mollari, both alien characters, speak with distinct accents similar to [[Slavic languages|Slavic]]. Delenn speaks with actress Mira Furlan's normal [[Croatian language|Croatian]] accent; most other Minbari have native-speaker accents for English (e.g. American English for Lennier, British English for [[Neroon]]). Londo's accent was developed independently by actor Peter Jurasik<ref>{{cite web | url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/377/377726p4.html | title=IGN: An Interview with Peter Jurasik | accessdate=2006-09-26 }}</ref> and was imitated by [[William Forward]], who played Lord Refa. Straczynski has described Londo's accent as being that of the "old school" of the Centauri Imperial Court.<ref>{{cite web | title= Re:Franklin and Ivanova | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1995-11-12]] | url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-15929 | publisher=[[AOL]] | accessdate=2007-04-26 }}</ref> [[Narn]]s tend to speak in native-speaker (generally British) accents as well; [[Andreas Katsulas]] adopted a dramatic British accent to portray [[G'Kar]].
==Use of the Internet==
[[Image:Old School.gif|thumb|Original B5 promo logo]]
{{main|Babylon 5's use of the Internet}}
The show employed internet marketing to create a buzz among online readers far in advance of the airing of the pilot episode,<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title = Re: Passage through jumpgates (first recorded Usenet post by J. Michael Straczynski) | author = [[J. Michael Straczynski|Straczynski, J. Michael]] | date = [[1993-07-07]] | newsgroup = alt.tv.babylon-5 | id = 9307120220.AA08678@relay2.geis.com | url = http://groups.google.com/group/alt.tv.babylon-5/msg/96db83d50eff6a97 | accessdate = 2007-03-23 }}</ref> with Straczynski participating in online communities on [[USENET]] (in the [[rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated]] newsgroup), and the [[GEnie]] and [[Compuserve]] systems before the Web came together as it exists today. The station's location, in "grid epsilon" at coordinates of 470/18/22, was a reference to [[GEnie]] ("grid epsilon" = "GE") and the original forum's address on the system's bulletin boards. Also during this time, [[Warner Bros.]] executive Jim Moloshok created and distributed electronic [[trading cards]] to help advertise the series.<ref>{{web cite | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-13730 | title=JMSNews: The J. Michael Straczynski Message Archive | accessdate=2007-08-22}}</ref> In 1995, Warner Bros. started the Official ''Babylon 5'' Website on the now defunct [[Pathfinder.com|Pathfinder]] portal. In September 1995, they hired a fan to take over the site and move it to its own domain name, and to oversee the ''Keyword B5'' area on [[AOL|America Online]].
==Broadcast history==
The pilot movie, ''[[Babylon 5: The Gathering|The Gathering]]'', premiered on [[February 22]], [[1993]], and the regular series initially aired from [[January 26]], [[1994]] through [[November 25]], [[1998]],<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/master/eplist.html | title=Original US airdates at Lurker's Guide | accessdate=2007-08-22}}</ref> first on the short-lived [[Prime Time Entertainment Network]], then on cable network [[Turner Network Television|TNT]]. The show aired every week in the [[United Kingdom]] on [[Channel 4]] without a break; as a result the last four or five episodes of the early seasons were shown in the UK before the U.S.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.zocalo.nildram.co.uk/UKAirDates.html | title=Original UK airdates | accessdate=2007-08-22}}</ref>
The pilot movie debuted in the [[United States]] with strong viewing figures, achieving a 9.7 in the [[Nielsen Ratings|Nielsen]] national syndication rankings.<ref name="benson">{{cite news | title= Warner weblet to 2-night sked | author=Jim Benson | date=[[1993-05-28]] | url= http://www.variety.com/article/VR107288.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 | publisher=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | accessdate=2007-12-05 }}</ref> The series proper debuted with a 6.8 rating/10 share. Figures dipped in its second week, and while it posted a solid 5.0 rating/8 share, with an increase in several major markets,<ref>{{cite news | title= 'Babylon 5' slips a bit in second week | author=Joe Flint | date=[[1994-02-09]] | url= http://www.variety.com/article/VR118151.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 | publisher=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | accessdate=2007-12-05 }}</ref> ratings for the first season continued to fall, to a low of 3.4 during [[rerun]]s.<ref>{{cite news | title=Sun and hoops sink syndies, rout 'Rush'| author=Jim Benson | date=[[1994-04-21]] | url= http://www.variety.com/article/VR120389.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 | publisher=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | accessdate=2007-12-05 }}</ref> Ratings continued to remain low-to-middling throughout the first four seasons,<ref>{{cite news | title= U's 'Xena'| author=Andrew Hindes | date=[[1997-02-13]] | url= http://www.variety.com/vstory/VR1117435926.html?categoryid=38&cs= | publisher=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | accessdate=2007-11-06 }}</ref> but ''Babylon 5'' scored well with the [[demographics]] required to attract the leading national sponsors and saved up to $300,000 per episode by shooting off the studio lot,<ref name="benson"/> therefore remaining profitable for the network.<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title=Notes from jms | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1995-10-11]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated | url=http://jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-13613 | accessdate=2007-11-06 }}</ref> However, the fifth season, shown on cable network TNT, garnered "disappointing" ratings.<ref>{{cite news | title= TNT cuts its losses with 'Witchblade' | author=Melissa Grego| date=[[2002-09-08]] | url= http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117872444.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 | publisher=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | accessdate=2007-11-06 }}</ref> In the [[United Kingdom]], ''Babylon 5'' was one of the better-rated U.S. television shows on Channel 4,<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title= UK C4 ratings | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1995-02-04]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated |url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-12671&query=ratings%20UK | accessdate=2007-11-06 }}</ref> and achieved high audience [[Appreciation Index]]es, with season four's "[[Endgame (Babylon 5)|Endgame]]" achieving the rare feat of beating the prime-time soap operas for first position.<ref>''[[TV Zone]]'', January 1998 issue</ref>
==Cast==
{{main|List of people involved with Babylon 5}}
===Regular cast===
* [[Mary Kay Adams]] as [[Na'Toth]] (season two)
* [[Richard Biggs]] as [[Stephen Franklin| Dr Stephen Franklin]]
* [[Bruce Boxleitner]] as [[John Sheridan (Babylon 5)|John Sheridan]] (seasons two – five)
* [[Julie Caitlin Brown]] as [[Na'Toth]] (season one, guest in season five)
* [[Jason Carter]] as [[Marcus Cole]] (seasons three – four)
* [[Claudia Christian]] as [[Susan Ivanova]] (seasons one – four)
* [[Jeff Conaway]] as [[Zack Allan]] (recurring in season two, starring in seasons three – five)
* [[Jerry Doyle (actor)|Jerry Doyle]] as [[Michael Garibaldi]]
* [[Mira Furlan]] as [[Delenn]]
* [[Stephen Furst]] as [[Vir Cotto]]
* [[Peter Jurasik]] as [[Londo Mollari]]
* [[Andreas Katsulas]] as [[G'Kar]]
* [[Michael O'Hare]] as [[Jeffrey Sinclair]] (season one, guest in season two, recurring in season three)
* [[Bill Mumy]] as [[Lennier]]
* [[Robert Rusler]] as [[Warren Keffer]] (season two)
* [[Tracy Scoggins]] as [[Elizabeth Lochley]] (season five)
* [[Patricia Tallman]] as [[Lyta Alexander]] (pilot, recurring in seasons two – three, starring in seasons four – five)
* [[Andrea Thompson]] as [[Talia Winters]] (seasons one – two)
===Recurring guests===
* [[Wayne Alexander]] as [[Lorien (Babylon 5)|Lorien]] / [[Shiv'kala]] the Drakh / "Sebastian" (12 episodes)
* [[Ardwight Chamberlain]] (voice) as [[Kosh Naranek]] (seasons one – three) (23 episodes)
* [[Tim Choate]] as [[Zathras]] (4 episodes)
* [[Joshua Cox]] as [[David Corwin (Babylon 5)|David Corwin]] (34 episodes)
* [[Robin Atkin Downes]] as [[Byron (Babylon 5)|Byron]] (9 episodes)
* [[William Forward]] as [[Antono Refa|Lord Antono Refa]] (6 episodes)
* [[Melissa Gilbert]] as [[Anna Sheridan]] (3 episodes)
* [[Walter Koenig]] as [[Alfred Bester (Babylon 5)|Alfred Bester]] (12 episodes)
* [[Wortham Krimmer]] as [[Emperor Cartagia]] (5 episodes)
* [[Damian London]] as [[Virini|Regent Virini]] (9 episodes)
* [[Marjorie Monaghan]] as [[Number One (Babylon 5)|Number One]] (7 episodes)
* [[Julia Nickson-Soul]] as Catherine Sakai (3 episodes)
* [[Marshall Teague (actor)|Marshall Teague]] as [[Ta'Lon]] (6 episodes)
* [[Louis Turenne]] as [[Brother Theo]] / [[Draal]] (5 episodes)
* [[John Vickery]] as [[Neroon]] / Mr. Welles (6 episodes)
* [[Ed Wasser]] as [[Morden (Babylon 5)|Morden]] (13 episodes)
* [[Efrem Zimbalist Jr.|Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.]] as [[William Edgars]] (4 episodes)
In addition, several other actors have filled more than one minor role on the series. [[Kim Strauss]] played the [[Civilizations in Babylon 5#Drazi|Drazi Ambassador]] in four episodes, as well as nine other characters in ten more episodes.<ref>{{web cite | url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0833836/filmoseries#tt0105946 | title=Kim Strauss at the IMDB | accessdate=2007-08-26}}</ref> Some actors had difficulty dealing with the application of prosthetics required to play some of the alien characters. The producers therefore used the same group of people (as many as twelve) in various mid-level speaking roles, taking full head and body casts from each. The group came to be unofficially known by the production as the "Babylon 5 Alien Rep Group."<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title= JMS: Utility Actor? | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1994-11-16]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated |url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-14880 | accessdate=2007-11-05 }}</ref>
==Plot summary==
The five seasons of the series each correspond to one fictional sequential year in the period 2258-2262. As the series starts, the Babylon 5 station is welcoming ambassadors from various races in the galaxy. Earth has just barely survived an accidental war with the powerful [[Minbari]], who, despite their superior technology, mysteriously surrendered at the brink of the destruction of the human race (the [[Battle of the Line]]).
===Season one - 2258===
During 2258, [[Commander Jeffrey Sinclair]] is in charge of the station. Much of the story revolves around his gradual discovery that it was his capture by the Minbari at the Battle of the Line which ended the war against Earth. Upon capturing Sinclair, the Minbari came to believe that [[Valen]], a great Minbari leader and hero of the last Minbari-Shadow war, had been reincarnated as the Commander. Concluding that others of their species had been, and were being, reborn as humans, and in obedience to the edict that Minbari do not kill one another, they stopped the war just as [[Earth (Babylon 5)|Earth's]] final defenses were on the verge of collapse.
It is gradually revealed that [[Ambassador Delenn]] is a member of the mysterious and powerful [[Grey Council]], the ruling body of the Minbari. Towards the end of 2258, she begins the transformation into a Minbari-human hybrid, ostensibly to build a bridge between the humans and Minbari. The year ends with the assassination of [[Earth Alliance (Babylon 5)|Earth Alliance]] President Luis Santiago, and rising tension between the Narn and Centauri, after a Narn outpost is completely destroyed by an unknown third party.
===Season two - 2259===
At the beginning of 2259, [[John Sheridan (Babylon 5)|Captain John Sheridan]] replaces Sinclair as the military governor of the station. He and the command staff learn that the death of President Santiago was actually an assassination masterminded by Vice President Clark (who assumed the Presidency upon Santiago's death). A conflict develops between the Babylon 5 command staff and the [[Psi Corps]], an increasingly [[autocratic]] organization which oversees and controls the lives of human [[Telepathy|telepaths]]. Commander Ivanova, the second-in-command of the station, is secretly a latent telepath who has illicitly avoided registering with the Psi Corps.
The Shadows, an ancient and extremely powerful race who have recently emerged from hibernation, are revealed to be the cause of a variety of mysterious and disturbing events, including the attack on the Narn outpost at the end of 2258. Centauri Ambassador [[Londo Mollari]] unknowingly enlists their aid through his association with the mysterious [[Mr. Morden]] in the ongoing conflict with the Narn. The elderly and ailing Centauri emperor, long an advocate of reconciliation with the Narn, dies suddenly while visiting Babylon 5. A number of conspirators, including Londo Mollari and Refa, take control of Centauri government by assassinating their opponents and placing the late emperor's unstable nephew on the throne. Their first act is to start open aggression against the Narn. After full-scale war breaks out, the Centauri eventually conquer Narn in a brutal attack involving [[mass driver]]s, outlawed [[weapons of mass destruction]]. Towards the end of the year, the Clark administration begins to show increasingly totalitarian characteristics, clamping down on dissent and restricting [[freedom of speech]]. The [[Vorlon]]s are revealed to be the basis of legends about [[angel]]s on various worlds, including Earth, and are the ancient enemies of the Shadows. They enlist the aid of Sheridan and the Babylon 5 command staff in the struggle against the Shadows.
===Season three - 2260===
The Psi Corps and President Clark, whose government has discovered Shadow vessels buried in Earth's solar system, begin to harness the vessels' advanced technology. The Clark administration continues to become increasingly [[Xenophobia|xenophobic]] and totalitarian, and uses a military incident as an excuse to declare martial law. This triggers a war of independence on [[Mars]], which had long had a strained political relationship with Earth. Babylon 5 also declares independence from Earth, along with several other outlying Earth Alliance colonies. In response, the Earth Alliance attempts to retake Babylon 5 by force, but with the aid of the Minbari, who have allied with the station against the growing Shadow threat, the attack is repelled.
Becoming concerned over the Shadows' growing influence amongst his people, Centauri ambassador Londo Mollari attempts to sever ties with them. [[Morden (Babylon 5)|Mr. Morden]], the Shadows' human representative, tricks him into restoring the partnership by engineering the murder of Mollari's mistress. Open warfare breaks out between the Shadows and the alliance led by Babylon 5 and the Minbari. It is learned that genetic manipulation by the Vorlons is the source of human telepathy, as it is later discovered that Shadow ships are vulnerable to telepathic attacks. Displeased at the Vorlons' lack of direct action against the Shadows, Captain John Sheridan goads Vorlon ambassador [[Kosh Naranek]] into launching an attack against their mutual enemy. Kosh's deeds lead to his subsequent assassination by the Shadows.
Upon returning to the station, former commander Jeffrey Sinclair, using an alien [[Artifact (fantasy)|artifact]] discovered on the nearby planet [[Epsilon III]], travels back in time 1,000 years with the stolen [[Babylon 4]] space station, intending to use it as a base of operations against the Shadows in the first Minbari-Shadow war. Undergoing the same transformation as Delenn at the end of Season 1, Sinclair transforms into a Minbari and is subsequently revealed to be the actual Valen of Minbari legend, rather than a reincarnation. Spurred by the reappearance of his assumed-dead wife (who now works for the Shadows), Sheridan travels to [[Z'ha'dum (planet)|Z'ha'dum]], the Shadow homeworld, in an attempt by them to recruit him. However he instead destroys their largest city in a ''kamikaze'' nuclear attack, and is last seen jumping into a miles-deep pit to escape the explosion.
Garibaldi, during a fight with Shadow vessels, goes missing.
===Season four - 2261===
In 2261, the Vorlons join the Shadow War, but their tactics become a concern for the alliance when the Vorlons begin destroying entire planets which they deem to have been "influenced" by the Shadows. Disturbed by this turn of events, Babylon 5 recruits several other powerful and ancient races (the [[First Ones]]) to their cause, against both the Shadows and the Vorlons. Captain John Sheridan returns to the station after escaping the destruction of Z'ha'dum, but at a price: barring illness or injury, he has only 20 years left to live. He is accompanied by a mysterious alien named Lorien who claims to be the oldest sentient being in the galaxy.
After Sherdian's return, Garibaldi returns and starts acting more paranoid and suspicious of other alien races than normal. He leaves his post as security chief and works on his own as a "provider of information". Garibaldi was actually abducted by the Psi-Corps at the end of Season 3 and re-programmed by Bester to provide information to him at the right time.
Centauri Emperor [[Cartagia]] forges a relationship with the Shadows. Londo Mollari engineers the assassination of Cartagia and repudiates his agreement with the Shadows. He kills Mr. Morden and destroys the Shadow vessels based on the [[Centauri#Homeworld|Centauri homeworld]], thus saving his planet from destruction by the Vorlons. Aided by the other ancient races, and several younger ones, Sheridan lures both the Vorlons and the Shadows into an immense battle, during which the [[Vorlon]]s and Shadows reveal that they have been left as guardians of the younger races, but due to philosophical differences, ended up using them as pawns in their endless wars throughout the ages. The younger races reject their continued interference, and the Vorlons and Shadows, along with the remaining First Ones, agree to depart the galaxy forever.
[[Minbar (planet)|Minbar]] is gripped by a brief civil war. Garibaldi betrays Sheridan and arranges his capture. Garibaldi later reveals to Bester about a virus that is dangerous to only telepaths, which the Psi-Corps then destroys. Bester releases Garibaldi of his programming, and allows him to remember everything he has done since being kidnapped. Garibaldi helps to free Sheridan and return him to the campaign to free Earth. An alliance led by Babylon 5 frees Earth from totalitarian rule by President Clark in a short but bloody war. This culminates in Clark's suicide and the restoration of peaceful government. Mars is granted full independence, and Sheridan agrees to step down as commander of Babylon 5. The [[League of Non-Aligned Worlds]] is dissolved and reformed into the [[Interstellar Alliance (Babylon 5)|Interstellar Alliance]], with Sheridan elected as its first President and continuing his command of the [[Anla'shok|Rangers]], who are to act as a galactic equivalent of [[United Nations peacekeepers]].
In the season finale, the events of 100, 500, 1000, and one million years into the future are shown, depicting Babylon 5's lasting influence throughout history. Amongst the events shown are the political aftermath of the 2261 civil war, a subsequent nuclear war on Earth involving a new totalitarian government in the year AD 2762, the resulting fall of Earth into a [[pre-industrial society]], the loss and restoration of humanity's knowledge of space travel, and the final evolution of mankind into energy beings similar to the Vorlons, after which Earth's sun goes [[nova]].
===Season five - 2262===
In 2262, Earthforce [[Captain Elizabeth Lochley]] is appointed to command Babylon 5. The station grows in its role as a sanctuary for rogue telepaths running from the [[Psi Corps]], resulting in a violent conflict. [[G'Kar]], former Narn ambassador to Babylon 5, becomes a spiritual leader after a book was published that he wrote while incarcerated during the Narn-Centauri War. The [[Drakh]], former allies of the Shadows who remained in the galaxy, take control of [[Regent]] [[Virini]] on Centauri Prime through a parasitic creature called a Keeper, then incite a war between the Centauri and the Interstellar Alliance, in order to isolate the Centauri from the Alliance, and gain a malleable homeworld for themselves.
Centauri Prime is consequently decimated by [[Narn]] and [[Drazi]] warships, and Londo Mollari becomes emperor, accepting a Drakh Keeper under threat of the complete nuclear destruction of the planet. Portions of the end of his reign are seen in various time-travel sequences throughout the series; one such sequence shows Mollari and former nemesis (and later friend) G'Kar dying at each other's throats in an act of mutual suicide. [[Vir Cotto]], Mollari's loyal and more moral aide, succeeds him as emperor, free of Drakh influence. Sheridan and Delenn marry and move to Minbar, along with the headquarters of the Interstellar Alliance.
Twenty years later, on the verge of death, Sheridan takes one final trip to the now-obsolete Babylon 5 station before its decommissioning. Sheridan apparently dies, but is claimed by the First Ones, who invite him to join them on a journey beyond the rim of the galaxy. The Babylon 5 station is completely destroyed in a planned demolition shortly after Sheridan's departure, its existence no longer necessary as the Alliance has taken over its diplomatic purposes.
==Themes==
Throughout its run, ''Babylon 5'' found ways to portray [[theme (literary)|theme]]s relevant to modern and historical social issues. It marked several firsts in television science fiction, such as the exploration of the political and social landscapes of the first human colonies, their interactions with Earth, and the underlying tensions.<ref name="mars"/> ''Babylon 5'' was also one of the first television science fiction shows to
[[wikt:denotative|denotatively]] refer to a same-sex relationship;<ref name="dyke">{{cite web|url=http://www.dykesvision.com/en/interviews/lesbian-babylon5.html | title=First Lesbians in Space | publisher=dykesvision.com }}</ref> in the show, homosexuality is as much of an issue as "being left-handed or right-handed."<ref name="jsgay">{{cite newsgroup | title= Babylon 5 To Include Gay/B | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1994-02-23]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated |url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-13931 | accessdate=2007-11-07 }}</ref> [[Unrequited love]] is explored as a source of pain for the characters, though not all the relationships end unhappily.<ref name="soaps"/>
===Order vs chaos; authoritarianism vs free will===
{| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 85%; background:#c6dbf7; color:black; width:40em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5"
| style="text-align: left;" | "Neither the Vorlons nor the Shadows saw themselves as conquerors or adversaries...both believed they were doing what was right for us. And like any possessive parent, they'll keep on believing that until the kid is strong enough to stand up and say, 'No, this is what '''I''' want.'"
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | — [[J. Michael Straczynski]], 1997<ref name="js"/>
|}
The clash between order and chaos, and the people caught in between, plays an important role in ''Babylon 5''. The conflict between two unimaginably-powerful older races, the [[Vorlons]] and the Shadows, is represented as a battle between two competing ideologies, each seeking to turn the humans and the other younger races to their beliefs. The Vorlons represent an [[authoritarian]] philosophy: you will do what we tell you to, because we tell you to do it. The Vorlon question, "Who are you?" focuses on identity as a catalyst for shaping personal goals;<ref>{{cite web | url=http://jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-6531 | title=>>ZHD - Thoughts<< | date=[[1996-05-11]] | accessdate=2006-09-02 | author= [[J. Michael Straczynski]] }}</ref><ref name="signs"/> the intention is not to solicit a "correct" answer, but to "tear down the artifices we construct around ourselves until we're left facing ourselves, not our roles."<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title=JMS on Compuserve: October | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1995-10-06]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated |url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-13486&query=philosophy | accessdate=2007-11-07 }}</ref> The Shadows represent a philosophy of evolution through fire, of sowing the seeds of conflict in order to engender progress.<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title= Attn JMS: Shadows and Hegel? | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1998-04-28]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated |url= http://jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-10597 | accessdate=2006-09-02 }}</ref> The question the Shadows ask is "What do you want?" In contrast to the Vorlons, they place personal desire and ambition first, using it to shape identity,<ref name="signs"/> encouraging conflict between groups who choose to serve their own glory or profit.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-6704 | title=Questioning... | date=[[1996-11-23]] | accessdate=2006-09-02 | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] }}</ref> The representation of order and chaos was informed by the [[Babylonian mythology|Babylonian myth]] that the universe was born in the conflict between both. The climax of this conflict comes with the younger races' exposing of the Vorlons' and the Shadows' "true faces"<ref name="js">{{cite web | title=JMS Speaks | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | | url= http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/guide/072.html#JS | publisher= Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5 | accessdate=2007-11-07 }}</ref> and the rejection of both philosophies,<ref name="signs">{{cite web | author=Scott O'Callaghan | url= http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/tv/babylon_5_signs_portents_001013.html | title= A B5 Milestone Remembered | publisher=Space.com | date=[[2000-10-13]] | accessdate=2007-11-07 }}</ref> heralding the dawn of a new age without their interference.
The notion that the war was about "killing your parents"<ref name="js"/> is echoed in the portrayal of the civil war between the human colonies and Earth. Deliberately dealing in historical and political metaphor, with particular emphasis upon [[McCarthyism]] and [[House Un-American Activities Committee|HUAC]],<ref name="commie">{{cite web | title= Re:nightwatch | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1996-02-27]] | url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-15868&query=philosophy | publisher=[[AOL]] | accessdate=2007-11-07 }}</ref> the [[Earth Alliance (Babylon 5)|Earth Alliance]] becomes increasingly-authoritarian, eventually sliding into a dictatorship. The show examines the impositions on [[civil liberties]] which aid its rise, and the self-delusion of a populace which believes its moral superiority will never allow a dictatorship to come to power, until it is too late.<ref>{{cite web | title=Point of No Return | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1996-03-07]] | url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-4317 | publisher=[[Compuserve]] | accessdate=2007-11-05 }}</ref> The successful rebellion led by the Babylon 5 station results in the restoration of a democratic government, and true autonomy for Mars and the colonies.<ref>Episode 4x21, "[[Rising Star (Babylon 5)|Rising Star]]"</ref>
===War and peace===
{| class="toccolours" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 85%; background:#c6dbf7; color:black; width:40em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5"
| style="text-align: left;" | "What interests me, what I wanted to do with making this show, was in large measure to examine the issues and emotions and events that precede a war, precipitate a war, the effects of the war itself, the end of the war and the aftermath of the war. The war is hardware; the people are at the center of the story."
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | — [[J. Michael Straczynski]], 1997<ref name="jswar">{{cite web | title= Great Job (as usual) | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1997-02-02]] | url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-2354 | publisher=[[Compuserve]] | accessdate=2007-11-05 }}</ref>
|}
The ''Babylon 5'' universe deals with numerous armed conflicts which rage on an interstellar scale. The story begins in the aftermath of a war which brought the human race to the brink of extinction, caused by a misunderstanding during a [[First contact (science fiction)|first contact]] situation.<ref name="january">{{cite web | title= Since it is now January 1st, time… | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1991-12-31]] | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-7707 | publisher=[[GEnie]] | accessdate=2007-11-05 }}</ref> The Babylon 5 station is subsequently built in order to foster peace through diplomacy, during its first two seasons described as the "last, best hope for peace" in the opening credits monologue. Wars between separate alien civilizations are featured; the conflict between the [[Narn]] and the [[Centauri]] is followed from its beginnings as a minor territorial dispute amplified by historical animosity, through to its end, in which [[weapons of mass destruction]] are employed to subjugate and enslave an entire planet. The war is an attempt to portray a more sobering kind of conflict than usually seen on science fiction television; informed by the events of the first [[Gulf War]], the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] and the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[Prague_Spring#Intervention|invasion of Prague]], the intent was to recreate these moments when "the world held its breath" and the emotional core of the conflict was the disbelief that the situation could have occurred at all, and the desperation to find a way to bring it to an end.<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title= Coming of Shadows | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1995-02-05]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-12351 | accessdate=2007-11-22 }}</ref> By the start of the third season, the opening monologue has changed to say that the Babylon 5 station is the "last, best hope for victory," indicating that while peace is a laudable accomplishment, it can also mean a capitulation to an enemy intent on committing horrendous acts, and that "peace is a byproduct of victory against those who do not want peace."<ref>{{cite web | title=Season 3 voiceover | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1998-05-17]] | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-1719 | publisher=[[Compuserve]] | accessdate=2007-11-22 }}</ref>
The [[Shadow War]] also features prominently in the show, during which an advanced alien species attempts to sow the seeds of conflict in order to promote technological and cultural advancement. The gradual discovery of the scheme and the rebellion against it serve as the backdrop to the first three seasons,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-3813 | title=Voices | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | publisher=[[Compuserve]] | date=[[1996-02-04]] | accessdate=2007-11-22 }}</ref> but also as a metaphor for the war within ourselves; the concurrent limiting of civil liberties and Earth's descent into a dictatorship are "shadow wars" of their own.<ref name="home">{{cite web | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-15765 | title=Re: Instant Gratification | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | publisher [[AOL]] | date=[[1996-02-12]] | accessdate=2007-11-22 }}</ref> In ending the Shadow War before the conclusion of the series, the show was able to more fully explore its aftermath, and it is this "war at home" which forms the bulk of the remaining two seasons. The struggle for independence between [[Mars]] and Earth culminates with a civil war between the human colonies (led by the Babylon 5 station) and the home planet. Choosing Mars as both the spark for the civil war, and the staging ground for its dramatic conclusion, enabled the viewer to understand the conflict more fully than had it involved an anonymous colony orbiting a distant star.<ref name="mars">{{cite web | author= Chris Aylott | url= http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/tv/mars_babylon5_991203.html | title= Babylon 5 and the Red Planet | publisher=Space.com | date=[[1999-12-03]] | accessdate=2007-11-07 }}</ref> The conflict, and the reasons behind it, were informed by Nazism, McCarthyism and the breakup of [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]],<ref name="commie"/> and the unraveling of the former [[Balkan]] country also served as partial inspiration for another civil war, which involved the alien Minbari.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-4329 | title=The Future of B5 | author= [[J. Michael Straczynski]] | Date=1996-03-08 | publisher=[[Compuserve]] | accessdate=2007-11-19 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-6010 | title=Richard Hatch | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=1996-08-24 | publisher=[[Compuserve]] | accessdate=2007-11-19 }}</ref>
{| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 85%; background:#c6dbf7; color:black; width:40em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5"
| style="text-align: left;" | "One of the things about the way events come to a head and finish…is that it's very unnerving...okay, ''now'' what? The ongoing conflict has become something you could count on, you knew the rough shape of what might be coming along. Now all that's kicked over, and you have to get on with the next aspect: making a new life."
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | — [[J. Michael Straczynski]], 1997<ref name="jswar"/>
|}
The post-war landscape has its roots in the [[Reconstruction era of the United States|Reconstruction]]; the attempt to resolve the issues of the [[American Civil War]] after the conflict had ended, and this struggle for survival in a changed world was also informed by works such as ''[[Alas, Babylon]]'', a novel dealing with the after-effects of a [[nuclear warfare|nuclear war]] on a small American town.<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title=Comparison to "Lucifer's Hammer" | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1997-02-13]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-10990 | accessdate=2007-11-22 }}</ref> The show expresses that the end of these wars is not an end to war itself. Events shown hundreds of years into the show's future tell of wars which will once again bring the human race to the edge of annihilation, demonstrating that mankind will not change, and the best that can be hoped for after it falls is that it climbs a little higher each time, until it can one day "take [its] place among the stars, teaching those who follow."<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title=Re to jms: deconstruction | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1997-10-30]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated | url= http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-11264 | accessdate=2007-11-22 }}</ref>
=== Religion ===
{| class="toccolours" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 85%; background:#c6dbf7; color:black; width:40em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5"
| style="text-align: left;" | "If you look at the long history of human society, religion - whether you describe that as organized, disorganized, or the various degrees of accepted superstition - has always been present. And it will be present 200 years from now... To totally ignore that part of the human equation would be as false and wrong-headed as ignoring the fact that people get mad, or passionate, or strive for better lives."
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | — [[J. Michael Straczynski]], 1993<ref name="religion1"/>
|}
Acknowledging the continued existence of faith, even in a science fiction setting,<ref name="religion2">{{cite web | url=http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/tv/babylon_5_115_001018.html | title=Babylon 5 - 'Grail' | author=Chris Aylott | publisher=Space.com | date=[[2000-10-18]] | accessdate=2007-12-12 }}</ref> many of ''Babylon 5'''s characters have profound spiritual or religious beliefs, reflecting that throughout history, religion has been present in one form or another and will remain so even in a far-future rich with technological advancement.<ref name="religion1">{{cite newsgroup | title=Religion in B5 | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1993-09-09]] | newsgroup=alt.tv.babylon5.moderated | url= http://groups.google.com/group/alt.tv.babylon-5/msg/fc782309e6eb9a6f | accessdate=2007-11-23}}</ref> Many of Earth's contemporary religions are shown to still be in existence, and the main human characters often have religious convictions, including [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]], [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] beliefs, [[Judaism]] and the fictional [[Foundationism]], which was created specifically for the show.<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title=Re: Pilot Question? Religion? | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1993-12-15]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated |url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-15373 | accessdate=2007-12-13 }}</ref> Earth's religions have also had to deal with the existence of extraterrestrial belief systems, resulting in a cross-pollination of ideas,<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title= JMS: Generic EZ Q's | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1994-02-20]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated |url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-13901 | accessdate=2007-12-13 }}</ref> and the factionization or destruction of some,<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title=Religion and First Contact | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1995-01-26]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-12286 | accessdate=2007-12-13 }}</ref> while in the show's third season, a community of [[Dominican]] monks<ref>[http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/universe/supporting-3.html Babylon 5 Universe: Supporting Characters (season three)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> takes up residence on the Babylon 5 station, in order to learn what the other races throughout the universe call God,<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title=9 Billion Names of God | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1995-11-22]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated |url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-13648 | accessdate=2007-09-05 }}</ref> and to come to a better understanding of the different religions through study at close quarters.<ref>{{cite web | title= Re:Messages from Earth | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1996-03-03]] | publisher=[[AOL]] | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-15602 | accessdate=2007-09-05 }}</ref> Alien beliefs in the show range from the [[Centauri (Babylon 5)|Centauri]]'s [[Dionysus|Bacchanalian]]-influenced religions,<ref name="religion1"/> of which there are up to seventy different denominations,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-15929 | title=Re:Franklin and Ivanova | publisher=[[AOL]] | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1995-12-11]] | accessdate=2007-12-13 }}</ref> to the more [[pantheism|pantheistic]], as with the [[Narn]] and [[Minbari]] religions.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.philjohn.com/rev_tv/pjkdt_b52.html#Myths07 | title=Myths and Fiction | author=Phillip Kneis | date=[[1999-04-17]] | accessdate=2007-12-13 }}</ref>
Depictions of religion on the show, human and alien, sometimes come subtly, or are the main theme of an episode;<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title= Pilot Question? Religion? | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[1993-12-06]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-15341 | accessdate=2007-11-23}}</ref> the first season episode "[[The Parliament of Dreams]]" is a conventional "showcase" for religion, in which each species on the Babylon 5 station has an opportunity to demonstrate its beliefs,<ref name="religion1"/> and "[[Passing Through Gethsemane]]" focuses on a specific position of [[Roman Catholic]] dogma,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/tv/babylon_5_305_001208.html | title=Babylon 5 - 'Voices of Authority' | author=Tom Janulewicz | publisher=Space.com | date=[[2000-12-08]] | accessdate=2007-12-13 }}</ref> as well as concepts of justice, vengeance and biblical forgiveness.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/tv/babylon_5_304_001207.html | title=Babylon 5 - 'Passing Through Gethsemane' | author=Tom Janulewicz | publisher=Space.com | date=[[2000-12-07]] | accessdate=2007-12-13 }}</ref> Other treatments have been more contentious, such as the [[David Gerrold]]-scripted "[[Believers (Babylon 5)|Believers]]", in which alien parents would rather see their son die than undergo a life-saving operation.<ref name="religion1"/> By presenting the viewer with characters' spiritual beliefs, motivations are supplied for what might otherwise be construed as arbitrary behavior; these motivations are not necessarily based on truth, leading to misconceptions which in due course become important plot points.<ref name="religion3"/> A typical question for ''Babylon 5'' to present is a series of events which can initially be interpreted as having either a scientific or a spiritual explanation; while ultimately suggesting the former in most cases, occasionally the issue is left open.<ref name="religion2"/> In others, where religious belief is an integral part of the storyline, the show attempts to balance all sides of the argument, as in "[[Soul Hunter (Babylon 5)|Soul Hunter]]", where the spiritual concept explored is that of the [[soul|immortal soul]], and whether after death it is destroyed, reincarnated or simply does not exist. The character arguing the latter, [[Stephen Franklin|Doctor Stephen Franklin]], is often put into the more spiritual storylines, as his scientific rationality presents a contrast with the unexplainable which creates dramatic conflict,<ref name="religion3">{{cite web | url=http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/tv/babylon_5_102_001002.html | title=Babylon 5 - 'Soul Hunter' | author=Chris Aylott | publisher=Space.com | date=[[2000-10-02]] | accessdate=2007-12-12 }}</ref> and while the show's creator and main writer identifies as an [[atheist]],<ref name="religion1"/> undercurrents of religions as diverse as [[Buddhism]] have been noted as running through many of the characters' words.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.hundredmountain.com/Pages/foundobjects_pages/sum01_babylon5.html | title=Tuning in to some Buddhist undercurrents in the alternate universe of TV's "Babylon 5" | publisher=Hundred Mountain | date=Summer 2001 issue | accessdate=2007-12-13 }}</ref> Passages, often the same ones, take on distinct meanings to viewers of differing faiths; the show ultimately expresses ideas which cross religious boundaries.<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title=Re: Attn JMS: Southern Baptists and B5 | author=[[J. Michael Straczynski]] | date=[[2003-06-20]] | newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-16897 | accessdate=2007-12-13}}</ref>
===Dreams and visions===
The subliminal and [[subconscious]] play a very significant role in the ''Babylon 5'' franchise. Every single major character experiences, on at least one occasion, some altered state of consciousness in which he or she receives some sort of important mental message. This could either be one that further fleshes out the character for the benefit of the viewer, or one of transcendental and transpersonal nature that anticipates important further developments in the storyline. Some of these signs and portents resemble [[lucid dreams]], but many are quite bizarre and "dreamlike," frequently in a spiritual context.
===Addiction===
Substance abuse and its impact on human personalities also plays a significant role in the ''Babylon 5'' storyline. The station's security chief, [[Michael Garibaldi]] is a textbook relapsing-remitting [[alcoholic]] of the [[binge drinking]] type; he practices complete [[abstinence]] from alcohol throughout most of the series (with [[Survivors (Babylon 5)|one notable exception]]) until the [[Phoenix Rising (Babylon 5)|middle of season five]]. He only recovers physically and socially and breaks the cycle at the end of the season. Dr. [[Stephen Franklin]] develops an (initially unrecognized) addiction to injectable [[stimulant]] drugs while trying to cope with the chronic stress and work overload in Medlab, and wanders off to the homeless and deprived in Brown Sector, where he suffers through a severe [[withdrawal]] syndrome. Executive Officer [[Susan Ivanova]] mentions that her father became an alcoholic after her mother had committed suicide after having been drugged by the authorities over a number of years. Among the aliens, [[Londo Mollari]] is at least a heavy abuser of alcohol, mostly in the form of the Centauri national drink, Brevari (though in Centauri culture, sobriety, as opposed to drunkenness, is considered a vice).
Numerous other references to substance abuse and drug dealing are scattered throughout the storyline, including "Dust," a white powder with a black-market presence comparable to cocaine. "Dust" turns out to be a "designer drug" developed by [[Psi Corps]] and placed into the black-market as an experiment to see if psychic abilities could be brought out in "mundanes" (non-psychics).
== Original series ==
{{main|List of Babylon 5 episodes}}
===Episodes===
Each season shared its name with an episode that was central to that season's plot.
* Season one: ''[[List of Babylon 5 episodes#Season 1: Signs and Portents|Signs and Portents]]''
* Season two: ''[[List of Babylon 5 episodes#Season 2: The Coming of Shadows|The Coming of Shadows]]''
* Season three: ''[[List of Babylon 5 episodes#Season 3: Point of No Return|Point of No Return]]''
* Season four: ''[[List of Babylon 5 episodes#Season 4: No Surrender.2C No Retreat|No Surrender, No Retreat]]''
* Season five: ''[[List of Babylon 5 episodes#Season 5: The Wheel of Fire|The Wheel of Fire]]''
===Made-for-TV films===
* ''[[Babylon 5: The Gathering|The Gathering]]''—the pilot movie ([[February 22]], [[1993]])
* ''[[Babylon 5: In the Beginning|In the Beginning]]''—prequel ([[January 4]], [[1998]])
* ''[[Babylon 5: Thirdspace|Thirdspace]]''—([[July 19]], [[1998]])
* ''[[Babylon 5: The River of Souls|The River of Souls]]''—([[November 8]], [[1998]])
* ''[[Babylon 5: A Call to Arms|A Call to Arms]]''—precursor to the ''[[Crusade (TV series)|Crusade]]'' series ([[January 3]], [[1999]])
* ''[[Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers|To Live and Die in Starlight]]''—pilot to the proposed ''[[Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers]]'' series ([[January 19]], [[2002]])
''The Gathering'' was the pilot, depicting the arrival of the major characters to the Babylon 5 station in 2257. The made-for-TV movie ''In the Beginning'' depicts the events of the Earth-Minbari War, as revealed in the first few seasons, in chronological order and in greater detail than the main series. The made-for-TV movies ''Thirdspace'' and ''The River of Souls'' are largely stand-alone episodes.
''Babylon 5: A Call to Arms'' set-up the premise of the ''[[Crusade (TV series)|Crusade]]'' series, depicting the [[Drakh]] releasing a [[grey goo|nanovirus plague]] on Earth, which will destroy all life on the planet within five years if it is not stopped. To that end, the [[Victory class destroyer|destroyer]] ''[[Excalibur (Crusade)|Excalibur]]'' is sent out to look for a cure.
== Spin-offs ==
=== ''Crusade'' ===
{{main|Crusade (TV series)}}
The spin-off series ''[[Crusade (TV series)|Crusade]]''<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/113.html | title=The Babylon Project: Crusade - Overview | publisher=midwinter.com | work=The Lurker's Guide To Babylon 5 | accessdate=2006-08-18}}</ref> ran on [[Turner Network Television|TNT]] for thirteen episodes, having been set up by the TV-movie ''A Call to Arms''. The production team received help from [[NASA]]'s [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] to make sure that the series depicted science and technology accurately.<ref>{{cite press release | url=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/98/crusade2.html | publisher=NASA JPL | title=PRODUCERS OF 'BABYLON 5' TAP JPL'S BRAIN POWER FOR NEW SERIES | accessdate=2006-08-18}}</ref> However, creative differences between Straczynski and TNT caused problems; the network wanted more sex and violence,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=2060 | title=Changes to Crusade | publisher=Ain't It Cool News | accessdate=2006-08-18}}</ref> and forced Straczynski to begin the first episode with a fistfight. The sex-and-violence request was later withdrawn, and TNT allocated more money to ''Crusade'', giving the actors better uniforms and new sets mid-season. However, due to the creative differences, TNT eventually decided to cancel the series after thirteen episodes had been produced, but before any of them were aired. At the time of the cancellation, only hints of major story arcs had yet come into play, though unproduced scripts published online by Straczynski—in addition to comments made by him online, at conventions, and on the ''Crusade'' DVD commentaries—reveal that they would have become prominent features of the series, had it continued.{{Fact|date=September 2007}}
=== ''Legend of the Rangers'' ===
{{main|Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers}}
A made-for-TV movie titled ''[[Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers|To Live and Die in Starlight]]'' was produced by the [[Sci Fi Channel (United States)|Sci-Fi Channel]]. It was the proposed pilot episode of a new series titled ''[[Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers]]''. Rescheduled after the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]], the movie aired on [[January 19]], [[2002]]. However, it was scheduled against an [[NFL]] [[American Football Conference|AFC]] Divisional Championship playoff game featuring the [[New England Patriots]] and the [[Oakland Raiders]]. The pilot's poor ratings contributed to the lessening of the network's interest in a series pick-up, as did the poor reception it received from fans and critics alike, particularly for its depiction of a virtual-reality weapon, but the final nail in its coffin was the dispute between Warner Bros. and [[Vivendi Universal]] (owners of the Sci-Fi Channel) over revenue-sharing for the potential weekly series.
=== ''The Memory of Shadows'' ===
{{main|The Memory of Shadows}}
In 2004 and early 2005, rumors widely circulated about a planned ''Babylon 5'' movie for theatrical release. However, on [[February 25]], [[2005]], a post from Straczynski announced that the project had fallen through, and was for all practical purposes dead.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-17289 | title=From jms re: tmos | accessdate=2006-08-18 | author=jms}}</ref> The proposed movie, titled ''[[The Memory of Shadows]]'' (TMOS), was written by Straczynski. Filming was to have begun in April, 2005 in the UK, with Steven Beck as the director.{{cn|date=June 2008}}
Several sources have claimed that factions within Warner Bros. wanted to recast established ''Babylon 5'' roles with younger and more well-known actors, causing a major controversy among fans.{{cn|date=June 2008}} Straczynski has acknowledged the subject and has stated that the negotiations were problematic, but has said that he is unable to directly comment on the issue. It has been said, however, that Warner's stated principle at the time was only to do "blockbuster" movies featuring "star" names, and that the issue of re-casting the characters only arose as a result of those attempting to finance ''TMoS'' approaching WB, having been unable to raise the finance elsewhere.{{cn|date=June 2008}}
===''The Lost Tales''===
{{Main|Babylon 5: The Lost Tales}}
A new project set in ''Babylon 5'' universe was announced by Straczynski at [[San Diego Comic Con]] 2006.<ref name="jmsnewsnews">{{cite web | last = Schroeder | first = Jan | title = JMSNews news page | work = JMSNews, The J. Michael Straczynski Message Archive | date = [[2006-08-08]] | url = http://jmsnews.com/news.aspx | accessdate = 2006-08-27 }}</ref> ''Babylon 5: The Lost Tales'' is a set of mini-stories featuring established characters from the series, released direct-to-DVD. Production of the first anthology of two stories, named collectively ''[[Babylon 5: The Lost Tales#Voices in the Dark|Voices in the Dark]]'', commenced in November 2006 with Straczynski writing, producing, and directing. It was released [[July 31]], [[2007]]. In a [[Usenet]] post on [[September 5]], [[2007]], Straczynski stated that Warner Bros. "are most pleased as sales have been several orders of magnitude beyond what they anticipated."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://worldsofjms.com/usenet/post/070905a.htm| title=Re: JMS: A Rant| accessdate=2007-10-25| last=Straczynski| first=J. Michael| authorlink=J. Michael Straczynski| date=[[2007-09-05]] |publisher=[[rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated]]}}</ref>
==Novels, novelizations, short stories, and comic books==
{{main|Babylon 5 Novels, novelizations, short stories, and comic books}}
Unique to the ''Babylon 5'' universe among virtually all other shared media universes is the sanctioned canonicity of many of its offshoot novels and comic book stories; nearly all of the ''Babylon 5'' novels and novelizations to date having been based on outlines written directly by J. Michael Straczynski. The later Del Rey books are considered to be more [[canon (fiction)|canonical]] than some of the earlier Dell ones, and at least two major plotline revelations were made in the [[DC Comics]] series that were directly referenced in the TV series. In all, per Straczynski's own remarks, canonical elements exist in every single book or comic published to date, and his deeper involvement in the novel-publishing program from 1996 onward has ensured a greater level of canonicity within such works.
Additionally, Straczynski himself penned a number of short stories, published in ''[[Amazing Stories]]'' magazine, expanding on several key story-points from the television series, along with a number of other established authors, with all such tales considered as "real" as the TV show itself.
[[As of 2007]], J. Michael Straczynski is still writing the manuscript for a ''Babylon 5'' graphic novel, to be published on an as-yet-unknown date by [[Wildstorm Productions]]. The premise, characters, and plot have not been officially confirmed, but it has been reported that Straczynski originally planned to write a story that takes place before the season three two-parter "[[War Without End]]," featuring Sinclair and Sheridan, and involving Mars, Minbar, Babylon 5, and a conspiracy. It has also been reported that he has subsequently decided to tie in elements from the spinoffs ''Crusade'' and ''Legend of the Rangers'' into the book.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://worldsofjms.com/projects.htm#b5book | title=Straczynski Project Watch | accessdate=2007-08-11}}</ref> The graphic novel will be 100 pages long. The artist has not yet been announced.
[[Mongoose Publishing]], the publisher of recent ''Babylon 5'' role-playing game (RPG) material, announced plans to release a line of ''Babylon 5'' novels and graphic novels, beginning in summer 2006. J. Michael Straczynski made it clear that he was not involved with this project, and considered the works to be "fan-fiction."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/home/series.php?qsSeries=28 | title=A Call to Arms ! | publisher=Mongoose | accessdate=2006-08-18}}</ref> In spring of 2007, Mongoose announced that the project was cancelled.
== DVD releases ==
=== Season releases ===
[[Image:Babylon 5 Season 1.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The first season DVD set]]
All five seasons have been released individually in the US and the UK. A complete 5-season set is also available in each of the two DVD regions, titled ''Babylon 5: The Complete Television Series'' for the U.S. and Canada, and ''Babylon 5: The Complete Universe'' for the UK. The UK version also includes all the films and the short-lived spin-off ''[[Crusade (TV series)|Crusade]]''. As of 2007, all 5 television seasons and their individual episodes are also for sale at the [[iTunes Store]].
According to director J. Michael Straczynski as of mid-2006 "The DVD sales have raised over 500 million in revenue." The financial success of the DVD box sets has led to a renewed interest in further Babylon 5 work <ref>{{cite web|author=Ain't It Cool News|date=2006-07-24|url=http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=23963|title=Babylon 5 Returns!|accessdate=}}</ref>.
{| class="wikitable"
! DVD Name
! Region 1
! Region 2
|-
| ''Babylon 5: The Complete First Season''
| [[November 5]] [[2002]]
| [[October 28]] [[2002]]
|-
| ''Babylon 5: The Complete Second Season''
| [[April 29]] [[2003]]
| [[May 26]] [[2003]]
|-
| ''Babylon 5: The Complete Third Season''
| [[August 12]] [[2003]]
| [[November 10]] [[2003]]
|-
| ''Babylon 5: The Complete Fourth Season''
| [[January 6]] [[2004]]
| [[April 19]] [[2004]]
|-
| ''Babylon 5: The Complete Fifth Season''
| [[April 13]] [[2004]]
| [[January 17]] [[2005]]
|-
| ''Babylon 5: The Complete Television Series''
| [[August 17]] [[2004]]
| N/A
|-
| ''Babylon 5: The Complete Universe''
| N/A
| [[October 24]] [[2005]]
|-
| ''Babylon 5: The Complete Collection'' (Amazon.co.uk Exclusive)
| N/A
| [[November 5]] [[2007]]
|}
=== ''Babylon 5'' movie releases ===
[[Image:Babylon 5 The Movie Box Set.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The Movie Collection DVD set]]
The ''Babylon 5'' TV movies were distributed differently in the U.S. and UK. Initially a DVD containing the two movies ''The Gathering'' and ''In the Beginning'' were released on both region 1 (North America) and region 2 (UK) DVD. Then, in the U.S., the first five movies which aired while ''Babylon 5'' was still on the air were released in one boxset, with the TV movie ''Legend of the Rangers'' getting its own separate release on both region 1 and region 2 DVD. In the UK, a film boxset was released, but instead of containing the five movies like the U.S. version, it contained the three movies which hadn't been released yet (''Thirdspace'', ''River of Souls'', and ''A Call to Arms''). ''The Gathering'' was released as a low-priced promotional R1 DVD in 2004, intended as a 'trial' of the series proper; Warner Bros. issued several such DVDs but discontinued the line shortly thereafter due to lack of interest.
{| class="wikitable"
! DVD name
! Region 1
! Region 2
|-
| ''Babylon 5: The Gathering/In the Beginning''
| [[December 4]] [[2001]]
| N/A
|-
| ''Babylon 5: The Gathering''
| N/A
| [[April 8]] [[2002]]
|-
| ''Babylon 5: In the Beginning''
| N/A
| [[April 8]] [[2002]]
|-
| ''Babylon 5: The Movie Collection''
| [[August 17]] [[2004]]
| N/A
|-
| ''Babylon 5: Movie Box Set''
| N/A
| [[February 21]] [[2005]]
|-
| ''Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers''
| [[March 14]] [[2006]]
| [[October 24]] [[2005]]
|-
| ''Babylon 5: The Lost Tales''
| [[July 31]] [[2007]]
| [[September 3]] [[2007]]
|}
=== Mastering problems ===
The transfer of ''Babylon 5'' to DVD created significant problems with regard to [[Special effect|special-effects]]/[[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] footage. Several factors complicated the process.
* Although originally broadcast in the standard television [[Aspect ratio (image)|aspect ratio]] of [[Aspect ratio (image)|4:3]], all live-action footage was filmed on [[Super 35 mm film]] (with a ratio of [[Aspect ratio (image)|1.65:1]]). The idea was that, once [[widescreen]] televisions (with an aspect ratio of [[Aspect ratio (image)|16:9]] or [[Aspect ratio (image)|1.78:1]]) became more popular, the episodes could be easily converted into a widescreen format.
* CGI shots were rendered in the 4:3 ratio, but designed so that the top and bottom of each shot could be removed to create a widescreen image without ruining the image composition.
* All of the purely live-action shots were stored as [[High-definition television|high-definition]] digital images.
* However, CGI shots, and shots combining live-action with CGI, were stored in the much lower-definition [[NTSC]] digital format. (Again, the expectation was that it would be relatively cheap in the future to recreate the CGI in widescreen.)
* Over the years, the original computer-generated models, etc., have been lost, making it necessary to use the old 4:3 CGI shots.
This has resulted in several consistent flaws throughout the ''Babylon 5'' DVD release. In particular, quality drops significantly whenever a scene cuts from purely live-action to a shot combining live-action and CGI. This is particularly noticeable on the [[PAL]] DVDs, since CGI shots had to be converted from NTSC, as well as being blown up to fit a widescreen television. In addition, while the live-action film was originally widescreen, shots were composed for 4:3, resulting in a conspicuous tendency for actors to clump up in the middle of the screen.
== Soundtrack releases ==
A total of 30 soundtrack albums have been released for Babylon 5. They are all composed by the series composer Christopher Franke and released under his own record label Sonic Images. These albums include 24 episode soundtracks, 3 movie soundtracks, and 3 compilation albums: ''Babylon 5: Vol 1'', ''Babylon 5: Vol 2'', and ''Best of Babylon 5''.
=== Compilation soundtracks ===
These include music that appeared throughout the series, but have been extensively reorchestrated, rewritten, and remixed by Franke into lengthy movements. The second full-length CD also features the main titles from seasons 1 to 4 (the main title for season 5 can be heard on the CD Best of Babylon 5, released in 2001).
=== Episodic and feature film soundtracks ===
The 27 episodic and feature film soundtracks include the exact unedited music from each corresponding episode or feature film, with no alterations, omissions, or additions.
== Other releases ==
Seasons 1-2 and parts of season 3 of ''Babylon 5'' have been released as advertisement-supported downloads through the [[In2TV]] download service. Additionally, every episode from seasons 1-5, as well as the pilot movie ''[[Babylon 5: The Gathering]]'', are available for purchase on the Xbox Live Marketplace in the United States. All 92 television scripts (plus two television movie scripts) written by J. Michael Straczynski for the series are being published as a fifteen-volume series.<ref>{{cite web | title=Babylon 5 Scripts | url= http://www.babylon5scripts.com/ | accessdate=2006-11-10 }}</ref>
== Games ==
In November 1997, Chameleon Eclectic Entertainment published the original ''The Babylon Project: The Roleplaying Game Based on Babylon 5''.<ref>{{cite book | title=The Babylon Project: The Roleplaying Game Based on Babylon 5 | author=Cochran, Joseph | publisher=Chameleon Eclectic Entertainment, Inc. | month=November | year=1997}}</ref> In 2003, [[Mongoose Publishing]] printed the ''Babylon 5 Roleplaying Game & Factbook''.<ref>{{cite book | title=Babylon 5 Roleplaying Game & Factbook | author=Hahn, August | coauthors=Matthew Sprange|publisher=[[Mongoose Publishing]] | year=2003}}</ref>
The Babylon 5 Component Game system was also released in 1997 by 'Component Game Systems'. It was a political and military based game, which could take up to 5 hours to play. 'Component Game Systems' have since disappeared, and even their domain name (www.c-g-s.com) has been recycled by some unrelated group.
The ''[[Babylon 5 Wars]]'' [[wargaming|wargame]] was first published by [[Agents of Gaming]] in 1998. The game was developed in close contact with the creators of the show, and most of the published material is considered canon. <ref>Graw, B. and Glass, R.: "Babylon 5 Wars Second Edition Rules Compendium.", page 1. Agents of Gaming, 2000</ref> Agents of Gaming later published ''[[Babylon 5 Fleet Action]]'', which focused on battles of a larger scale. In 2004, ''[[Babylon 5: A Call to Arms (game)|Babylon 5: A Call to Arms]]'' was released by Mongoose Publishing. The game is similar in many ways to ''Babylon 5 Wars'' but has a more streamlined rules set and games take a lot less time to complete.
[[Precedence Entertainment]] produced the [[Babylon 5 Collectible Card Game]] between 1997 and 2000. In its original form, the [[collectible card game|game]] allowed for 2-4 players with each one playing one of the ambassadors to the B5 council: Sinclair, Delenn, G'Kar or Londo. Later expansions increased the maximum number of players that could play at once and expanded the players' options. Players could represent the [[League of Non-Aligned Worlds]] or could play alternative ambassadors such as Bester for the [[Psi Corps]] or Lord Refa for the Centauri. The game was discontinued after Precedence lost the license from [[Warner Brothers]] in 2000.
There are no officially licensed ''Babylon 5'' video games on the market, though in 1998 a video game based on ''Babylon 5'', named ''Into the Fire'', was being developed by Yosemite Entertainment, an internal division of [[Sierra Entertainment]]. Work on this game ended on [[September 21]], [[1999]], when, as part of a corporate reorganization, Sierra cancelled it and laid off its development staff when the game was only a few months away from release.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/babylon5_990922.html | title=More Disappointment for Babylon 5 | accessdate=2006-09-02|author=}}</ref> This game was to have cast the player as the pilot of a Starfury fighter craft, giving the player an opportunity to "move up through the ranks," and eventually take command of capital ships and even fleets. Christopher Franke composed and recorded new music for the game, and [[live action]] footage was filmed with the primary actors from the series.
A number of unauthorized ''Babylon 5 '' [[mod (computer gaming)|modifications]] have been created for other computer games, as well as at least one (unlicensed) independent project to develop standalone games.
== See also ==
* [[Babylon 5 influences|''Babylon 5'' influences]]
* [[List of Babylon 5 articles|List of ''Babylon 5'' articles]]
* [[Babylon 5's use of the Internet|''Babylon 5's'' use of the Internet]]
* [[The Be Five]]
* [[List of television series that include time travel|List of television series that include time-travel]]
* [[rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated]]
* [[The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5|The Lurker's Guide to ''Babylon 5'']]
== References ==
{{reflist|2}}
== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
{{commons|Babylon 5}}
* {{imdb title|id=0105946|title=Babylon 5}}
* {{Dmoz|Arts/Television/Programs/Science_Fiction_and_Fantasy/B/Babylon_5/|Babylon 5}}
* [http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/lurker.html The Lurker's Guide to ''Babylon 5'']: ''Babylon 5'' reference and episode guide
* [http://www.zteamproductions.com/protob5.html Early ''Babylon 5'' Designs]: Information from the original 1991 promotional flyer, with different character names and Peter Ledger's artwork
* [http://www.jmsnews.com JMSNews]: Collection of Straczynski's postings to Usenet and other online forums
* [http://tgm.firstones.com The Great Machine]: Babylon 5 wiki
* [http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page The Babylon Project]: Babylon 5 wikia
* [http://www.babylonpodcast.com The Babylon Podcast]: A [[podcast]] partially run by cast with cast and crew appearing.
* [http://b5tech.com/ Babylon 5 Tech Manual]: Babylon 5 technology manual page.
<!--Please do not add babylon5scripts.com here. It's already listed in the references section above.-->
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