A void to be filled?

[Recoil]

With Trek off the air, would another B5 related series have a decent shot?

I know there are rumors about a 100 episode Star Trek series...and I don't know if there are rumors JMS may be involved with it, but if he isn't one would think now would be a great time to try to get back on the air with a B5 spinoff...

Whaddya think?

 

[B5_Obsessed]

Whaddya think we think? :devil:

 

[vacantlook]

I know there are rumors about a 100 episode Star Trek series...and I don't know if there are rumors JMS may be involved with it, but if he isn't one would think now would be a great time to try to get back on the air with a B5 spinoff...

I didn't know there were rumors of a 100 episode Star Trek series. I knew that there are beginning plans for a 100 episode Star Wars series though.

 

[Sinclair]

I don't like the tone of your initial question.

Actually, I think vacantlook is right. You're thinking of the Star Wars series.

This probably would be the best time to do a new B5 series with no Star Trek and all. The only problem is JMS is already going to be involved in a new series starting next year. As you mentioned there have been rumors that the series he's involved in may be the Star Wars one.

 

[Jan]

With Trek off the air, would another B5 related series have a decent shot?

I'd love another B5 univers series, naturally. After seeing the latest Star Wars and the Serenity trailer last weekend, I *really* want to see B5 on the big screen, though.

Jan

 

[deaded]

Personally, I didn't hear a tone to his question. I thought it was legitimate. Regardless, I think that a ST series promotes sci-fi. I don't think that people shy from it because there is another series out there. But hell, what do I know. If I had a choice between ST and SW I'd totally go for SW. The ST thing is used up imho. Of course I'm sure a good writer could bring it back if she was serious about it. Lets just stay away from the cutsie robots, kids, and political correctness.

 

[Recoil]

I didn't know there were rumors of a 100 episode Star Trek series. I knew that there are beginning plans for a 100 episode Star Wars series though.

OK, that was TOTALLY a brain-fart on my part. I meant to type 100 episode Star WARS series and I typed Trek. Yes, rumors I have heard are for a 100+ episode Star WARS series.

Sorry about the mix-up....

 

[Sinclair]

Personally, I didn't hear a tone to his question.

Sorry, that was sarcasm. I was just making fun of how some people took so rediculously to his other thread.

 

[RMcD]

I'm totally enjoying Battlestar Galactica at the moment, and Star Wars is coming. I don't think there is a 'void' as such, but of course it will be amazing if (when) B5 returns..

 

[darth_librarian]

Yeah, who would want someone to 'whoare' another sci-fi series to us? (that was also sarcasm..)

JMS said this recently, it was about novels, but fits TV B5 well enough:

http://www.jmsnews.net/msg.aspx?id=1-17356

"Are we now reduced to hoping for a book once or twice a decade? Is
there any
reason to have hope for more of what we love so much?
Is Babylon 5, as we know it....dead?"


This question comes up periodically, and I'll give it pretty much the
same answer that I always give...that there is a difference between
*dead* and *complete*.

If a novelist writes a book, and he doesn't write five more books in
that universe, with those characters, is the book dead? Or completed?

When I embarked on B5, I wasn't out to create a franchise, wasn't
looking to springboard this out into a zillion other projects...I
resisted merchandising, and made it clear to all parties that this
would be five seasons, no more. Because that's I figured it would take
me to tell that story. The only thing I asked of the universe was that
I be able to tell the story to its end, and that I not die before
finishing it. That's all.

And somehow, both happened...and I'm happy with that.

I've said it a hundred times before...if something happens to come up
in the B5 universe that's fun to tell, and someone wants to provide a
venue, great...if not, also great. I told the story that I wanted,
needed to tell. When Zack says, in SiL, "We did what we said we were
gonna do, and nobody can ever take that away from us," that was the
author speaking through him.

What I set out to do with that show, I did, and nobody can ever take
that away. I told the story I wanted to tell. Everything else is
lagniappe.

jms

As I posted on JMS news in a similar discussion...

I'm begining to think B5 in TV/ film is dead for the foreseeable. We will hopefully have a good range of novels and comics to fill the gap. I suspect if we ever see the Rangers/ Crusade plots finished in these mediums.

What makes me think this? Pessismism, and the fact the TV is turning away from B5 Style shows. Trek is dead for now, and sci-fi is either moving more towards actiony shows (stargate, farscape and the star wars show) or 20 minutes into the future type shows. The only similar show out, Battlestar Galacitica survives by being tight, edgy, having no aliens, and aiming for a good sense of reality all around.

I tink B5 will return in the long run, but will not hold my breath. TMOS was a disapointment for me, and for many others. I think any new show will start in a new time frame with new plots. The Deconstruction of Falling Stars has given us a whole chronology of the future to play in, it might make sense to start fresh elsewhere.

 

[RMcD]

I'm starting to suspect that as and B5 does return, JMS may serve as a consultant producer, but won't be directly involved at the level of writer / showrunner. He doesn't seem to be hungry for it, which means ultimately the impetus will probably have to come from someone / somewhere else..

 

[Ninja_Squirrel]

The only similar show out, Battlestar Galacitica survives by being tight, edgy, having no aliens, and aiming for a good sense of reality all around.

I also see the little-or-no-aliens aspect to be the going trend now. Battlestar Galactica has only humans and Cylons, and even the Cylons look human (not only a budgetary advantage but an actual part of the story). Stargate: SG1 occasionally has non-human aliens, but usually the people from other planets are just transplanted humans, or in the case of the Goa'uld, human bodies hosting symbiotes that we rarely see. Stargate: Atlantis has the Wraith, but it's been implied they may be human/bug hybrids (DNA altered by the species of bug that once attached to John Sheppard).

On the big screen, Lucas uses aliens for Star Wars, but his stories garner a lot of criticism from both critics and fans, and his main characters are still usually human.

I actually like the idea of different alien species/races, even if they look semi-human due to the unavoidable reality of being played by human actors. I like the different cultures, the different perspectives, etc. But, I'm afraid the days of alien cultures seem to be getting old fashioned.

In the past couple decades, only JMS, Roddenberry, the Roddenberry beneficiaries, and a couple others seem to have ventured into the realm of alien-based shows. Out of those, only B5, TNG, DS9, and--unfortunately--Voyager, have been successful. Crusade had the imfamous corporate problems. Enterprise, Earth: Final Conflict, and Andromeda all suffered from bizarre story directions and--as a compounding result--lack of enthusiasm. Unfortunately, Alien Nation never did take off very well either, and even it only had the one alien race.

The 70's through 90's were the age of aliens, but the 2000's seem to be the age of the human. That's not necessarily a bad thing if writing and performances are still good, but weren't Cardassians, Centauri, Klingons, Minbari, Narn, Romulans, Tenctonese, Vorlons, and Vulcans a lot of fun while they lasted? Hopefully, the Star Wars TV show will make the best of Wookies and Yoda's people so that aliens can get back in style again.

 

[GKarsEye]

If I had a choice between ST and SW I'd totally go for SW. The ST thing is used up imho.

So is SW.

I don't care if a show has more aliens or not because TV aliens are just humans that look a bit different. Klingons are angry humans. Vulcans are arrogant humans. Minbari are boring humans. I don't care if they have forhead ridges or headbones or whatever, but some people find them silly so maybe TV is just playing it cool and toning it down by minimising that. A sci-fi fan friend of mine won't watch B5 because of Londo's hair. If I were to make a TV show, maybe I'd keep that sort of thing in mind.

 

[Sindatur]

Funny thing GKE, Londo's hair (The character's rug, not the poster) has actually been a detriment several times to me trying to turn other folks onto B5. It's like they take one look at it, and decide, "Uh...No"

 

[darth_librarian]

Yeah, i've got that as well.

I think a Star Wars TV series may be pushing it (unless Jms IS in charge...) but Wookies and Yoda are about the only cool aliens we have left.

Farscape was the last show that did good aliens, imho.

 

[KoshFan]

Whereas Firefly quite deliberately does no aliens whatsoever.

 

[darth_librarian]

Forgot to mention that show, its in a similar vein the BSG.

 

[Ninja_Squirrel]

I don't care if they have forhead ridges or headbones or whatever, but some people find them silly so maybe TV is just playing it cool and toning it down by minimising that. A sci-fi fan friend of mine won't watch B5 because of Londo's hair. If I were to make a TV show, maybe I'd keep that sort of thing in mind.

That's a very good point. When I was in college watching Star Trek or Babylon 5, occasionally someone not accustomed to sci-fi would come in my room, look at what I was watching, notice the head ridges, bumps, pointy ears, head bones, etc., and ask, "Ooh, what's wrong their heads?". (Being more uptight, more geeky, and less mature at the time, you can imagine how annoyed such comments made me.)

Maybe the ridges, bumps, and hair do scare away the uninitiated. Not only do sci-fi shows save money by not having to do make-up, wigs, prosthetics, etc., but maybe it's also far easier to market sci-fi shows where all the characters look human. I guess it's more relatable, looks less "geeky", and could easier pass as drama or action than as straight up sci-fi.

This may be why Battlestar Galactica gets more mainstream attention, especially from TV Guide. There are no aliens, the ships and other technology are not the emphasis, and it looks less "fringe". Not to mention, the writing and performances are really good.

Farscape was the last show that did good aliens, imho.

Woops. I had totally forgotten about Farscape. That's a good example too. I was never a huge fan like some were, but I still admire it for being different and well done.

The Luxom (Luxon/Luxan? sp?) make-up took a little getting used to. I did like Pilot. Other than the episode where you found out he manipulated his way onto Moya at the expense of another, was his background ever explored further? The concept of the Sebatians looking just like Humans but having subtle biological difference on the inside--so that they're still technically aliens to Creighton--was convenient, in terms of production, but it was still played out well in the storytelling.

 

[hypatia]

Maybe the ridges, bumps, and hair do scare away the uninitiated.

Ironically, my Turner Classic Movies station is just finishing a showing of "The Elephant Man".

 

[GKarsEye]

The concept of the Sebatians looking just like Humans but having subtle biological difference on the inside--so that they're still technically aliens to Creighton--was convenient, in terms of production, but it was still played out well in the storytelling.

I just assumed they made Sebaceans look human so that Crichton and Aeryn could hook up.