B5 Advertisements

[vacantlook]

I sat down a bit earlier and watched all the episodic advertisements on the DVDs and I couldn't stop laughing at most of them. It's amazing that anyone who saw them actually tuned in to watch the show. They're so pompous and melodramatic. Nearly every episode's ad had the galaxy under threat of being torn apart in that episode. One could play a drinking game taking a drink everytime the word "war" was used in the ads and end up very drunk by the end. We know from watching the show that only a few major wars occurred, but the ads acted as if a war broke out in nearly every episode. And some of the episodes had their stories completely spoiled by the advertisements. If I was trying to get someone hooked on the show, I'd so definitely not show them any of the ads!

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Well, they were somewhat less obnoxious when we saw them once a week or even less often. I can't imagine what they look/sound like back-to-back-to-back. Mostly they were just aired at the end of each week's show as a teaser for the following week - which during S1 probably wasn't a bad idea since it gave people who maybe hadn't been crazy about a "Grail" or "Infection" a reason to tune in the following week.

Obviously the promos were put together by the network (PTEN) and not by Babylonian Productions. They used the same flamboyant style to promote the network's other shows like Time Trax and Kung Fu: The Legend Continues. Heck in one of them they added in a "glow" effect around Bester's extended hand to dramatize him using his Psi Powers. Naturally this wasn't in the episode, but when you've only got something like 20 seconds to get an idea across you sometimes need to take shortcuts.

When the series moved to TNT they had kept the S1-S4 promos, and their scripts, but had them re-recorded by the announcer who was the more familiar "voice of TNT" so they'd blend in better.

Regards,

Joe

 

[vacantlook]

Flamboyant is a great word to describe them. I do say, I'm glad that Babylon 5 the show is better than those advertisements!

 

[Recoil]

Lets not forget about the extremely CHEESY background music during all of these previews. When I bought the S1 set, I made it a point to check out those teaser previews before I watched each episode while going through the DVD (you know, to be thorough). I did so as well for some of the Season 2 episodes, but stoped halfway through, and haven't watched one since.

Meh.

 

[vacantlook]

Yeah, the music was something else for sure! It sounded like dorky American Gladiator-like rock music. It at least gave me a pretty sizable laugh.

 

[Recoil]

Must have been marketing interns right out of college who came up with it. Note: right out of college in the mid 80s and havent done shit with their lives since, as it did have that cheesy 80s sound to it.

 

[Zathras]

I've been watching my videos taped from the TNT airings and there are commercials for the 1st season VHS collection. The commercials are horrible. I guess they're really trying to SELL the show to people who don't watch it...but they use these cheesy and stupid sounding endorsements like...

"The New York Times calls Babylon 5 'A Galactic United Nations'."

WOW! A Galactic United Nations!!! I've gotta tune in and see that!!! I think we can all imagine how much fun it would be to watch UN meetings on TV.

 

[Sinclair]

Those episode previews are terrible. Each one is made to seem so dramatic. The poor guy who narrated them must feel like an idiot. He probably didn't get paid very much either. They need that guy who does the theatrical previews. At least he makes them sound somewhat interesting.

 

[channe]

I have to say it. Those episode previews were half the reason why I didn't watch the show on its first run.

 

[Shaal Mayan]

I watched some of the ads for the first season and I haven''t watched any since they were soo bad.It is amazing anyone watched the show based on one of their ads .I know I wouldn't have if I had seen one.

 

[FlipperPA]

They're fun in a camp and kitsch kind of way.

On one of my tapes from the original airing, I missed a commercial break, and a Kung Fu The Legend Continues promo kicks in:

"On the next exciting episode of Kung Fu: The Legend Continues... Kane is stuck in an elevator!" <cut>

No joke. Sounds very exciting!

-Tim

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

"On the next exciting episode of Kung Fu: The Legend Continues... Kane is stuck in an elevator!"

With Londo and G'Kar?

KANE: That ... reminds me ... of ... something ... my master ... once ... told me.

LONDO: G'Kar, whatever our differences, we must now work together. Kill him, quickly G'Kar, before he starts another flashback.

G'KAR: You haven't asked the price...

LONDO: AlRIGHT! I'll free your worthless planet. Just kill him, now. I can arleady hear the pseudo-Chinese music creeping and see the colors fading from the picture...




Joe