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NEW Babylon 5 Series

What does it say about me that one of my first thoughts was 'The B5 Encyclopaedia is now going to be out-of-date"?! :p The idea of a reboot does unsettle me a bit as the original series has been such a big part of my life. It was an almost perfect story which was neatly concluded (forgetting the Crusade debacle for a moment). What is there to achieve creatively speaking from a reboot? I can't see how it can improve upon what went before in terms of storytelling.

From a production viewpoint, will this have full 22 episode seasons or be more in the modern mould of seasons with 13 episodes or fewer? I guess no-one knows that yet. It seems a risk to plan for another 5-year arc when it seemed the original series only achieved this feat by the skin of its teeth. Will the reboot have the same opportunity to tell such a story if the seasons have less time allotted to them? I'm probably completely wrong but I can't help but think of the 90s Dark Shadows reboot that told a year or more's worth of plotlines from the original series in 12 episodes! I hope JMS is right when he says he plans to use the B5 universe to tell a new story, retelling what went before could be a disaster.

As others have said, my main worry is the CW angle with its tendency to have casts of young and sexy twenty somethings. I hope the new series has the same diversity in casting that the original had and isn't constrained by network preferences.

A lot of suppositions and only time will tell what happens, I think we're all very protective of B5 and are hoping that this reboot is respectful of what we have loved all these years.
 
Oh my!


I had to find my login info and dust off my account for this. Looks like there's some B5 content on the way at some point.


I was a bit nervous about a reboot at first, and that it's on the CW (although there's upside there too), but since JMS is running it, I feel good about it. B5 is his baby and he wouldn't do anything to tarnish it. I'm down for a fresh story/take on the original concept.


Who else is kicking around here?
 
I get tired of people rubbishing the original show, saying it is dated or cheap looking and the effects and acting are bad, etc etc and the reboot will amplify those voices.
For my part, this is why I was excited that we’re getting another run at the B5 story but with a fresh lick of paint. I know a number of people who refused to watch the show because they couldn’t get past the effects.

Hi Recoil! I also went in search of this place when I heard the news. Thank you to the folks who kept it alive.
 
We do seem to get a B5 rumor from time to time. I’d love to have more B5, whatever form it takes. But will it be easy to update?
 
It was an almost perfect story which was neatly concluded (forgetting the Crusade debacle for a moment). What is there to achieve creatively speaking from a reboot?


JMS never got the chance to tell the stories he had planned for Crusade or Legend of the Rangers. And he's definitely sneaky enough to claim he's rebooting B5 and then just use those plotlines instead.



That's probably not what he'll do, but if the show is different from B5 and not just a remake, I'll be happy.
 
I saw one comment on Twitter yesterday that likened the concept of this reboot to a remix in music: In many ways you can still recognize the song even though there are some changes in both the music and instrumentation.

jms seemed to approve of this recent description: "Not the same stories and characters and scenes, but the same questions and themes and *humanity* that the original series had."
 
We do seem to get a B5 rumor from time to time. I’d love to have more B5, whatever form it takes. But will it be easy to update?

I just wish they'd reboot the Crusade story, without TNT interference. B5 is just fine as it is.
 
I'm excited to see just where JMS is going to go with this from the beginning. Originally in the pilot, In The Beginning, we had Lt. Commander Laurel Takashima as the station's XO. At least one of her character traits was implanted into the Ivanova character, specifically the fact that she uses the Hydroponic Garden to grow coffee beans. I would love to see how Laurel Takashima would have evolved had Tamlyn Tomita stayed on for the series. We may get that chance if JMS chooses to go that route.
 
Totally off topic, but UK represent :bolian:... I just realised there are a LOT of fans from the UK here.

P.S. I have no idea what that emoji is but it looks like a thumbs up?
 
I'm really excited about this!

I think we can't loose here at all!

If the new show is good: we win!

If it bad: who cares? WB lost money, and we won't see any other B5 content being made for TV. Well, we got that for the last 25 years and it didn't lessen our love for B5, so what?

If it is in between (say: catering too much to a specific, probably young, audience, who love it, but "we" hate it): So what? we still have the old show, the new show shall have it's fanbase and the influx in interest might finally get us that bluray edition of the original show.

I only see a win-nothing new-win here.

If we're really lucky it's a reboot like snowpiercer. I liked snowpiercer (the movie) and I loved the new show, so I say: let's keep it coming!
 
Interesting thread here, I think Springer is on the money, reboots are a creatively bankrupt concept and need something special to work.

It's so good to see all the old names!!!
 
must admit haven't been on here for a very very long time.

as far as the reboot is concerned, I'm not sure it will work unless JMS sticks to the major story beats.
 
Totally off topic, but UK represent :bolian:... I just realised there are a LOT of fans from the UK here.

P.S. I have no idea what that emoji is but it looks like a thumbs up?

It's a Bolian from Star Trek giving the thumbs up. Think of Mr. Mot, the barber on the TNG Enterprise.
 
It's so good to see all the old names!!!

I'm afraid that won't happen. JMS stated, that he will refrain from using characters who's actors are no more. And given how the B5 curse did manifest itself in the end, there're not many left...

He's only made the definite statement about not using G'Kar. And given how very many have passed, I'm perfectly happy if he changes his mind.

As for the 'B5 curse', that's for the weak-brained. No such thing.
 
Strangely enough I heard this news at a bar on Monday from a guy sitting next to me that I hadn't even spoken a word to. Naturally I came here to read everyone's thoughts. It's been great to see many old names and faces reappear.

I'm excited about this. I know it will never be the original, but hopefully this will revive the franchise in a new way. It'll also renew interest to a newer audience and may cause them to go watch everything we've all come to know and love for so long. I am concerned about it being on CW as I can't think of anything I've ever watched on it.
 
I am concerned about it being on CW as I can't think of anything I've ever watched on it.

I really liked the first two seasons of Arrow, the first two or three seasons of The Flash, and the first two seasons of Legends of Tomorrow. Though they were all three superhero shows, they each had different tonal qualities. Because the network has had so many superhero shows, I think that suggests the network is very sci-fi friendly.
 
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