My dream for Babylon 5

[Solo]

Well, Solo did admit in the original post that it was only a dream, not anything s/he actually ever thought might happen.

Solo, when was the first B5 run in Norway? The first reference to it I can find in the archives is in 1996.

Jan

Yes, the run of B5 was a little special here in frosty Norway.

I believe Norwegian TV2 got hold of the rights in '95, and started airing early '96. As far as I can remember, they purchased the right to air the whole thing twice - and only twice. What they did was air the "new" episodes each Sunday at around 16:00 (IIRC), and the reruns started a few weeks later, on Saturdays (around 12-13:00). This meant that Babylon 5 aired twice each week here, first the "old" (two-three weeks) episodes on Saturday, then the new ones on Sundays.

However - the only break that was made, IIRC, was a very short one between seasons 4 and 5. Other than that, they aired continuously from '96 (season 1, two years behind the US) to '98 (season 5, one or two weeks behind the US). I once mailed TV2 to ask if they could broadcast it again, but then they informed me that they had only bought the rights to broadcast each episode two times.

Anyway - back to my "dream". I see there are certain.... "reservations", shall we say?... to my idea. Now, as far as I can figure, a re-render of all the CGI in B5 wouldn't even scratch the lower end of the costs to make a movie. Remember, the scripts are already there, no actors need to be cast (or paid), no wardrobe, no sets, no director, no lighting, no cameras, FFS... Besides, a lot of the CGI in the episodes were "stock", and to be perfectly blunt, the amount of different models for the space-ships were not massive. With that said, I perfectly understand that one would want the original effects, for reference, and, I suspect, for nostalgic reasons. Be assured that if this had been the original DVDs, I'd be 100% opposed to throwing out the effects already there.

Now, however, we have the original effects (well, two thirds of them, due to the cropping... *sigh*) on DVD. I'm talking about a "High-Definition Special Edition". But until I get the money to get it done......

Solo

[vacantlook]

Boo Gee, I must say, your avatar is absolutely hillarious. If there had been people around me when I looked at it just now, they would have thought I was crazy due to how crazy-loud I laughed. It's great.

[spikey thing]

amen to that.

Talking of Dreams.

I dream of Lyta, Ivanova, & Talia covered in Chocolate Sauce and Marshmallows. ( oh .. I'll leave that thought for later ).

[Boo Gee]

My dream is to have more $$ than I know what to do with so I can produce a B5 flick/tv show/books/whatever, and as such, JMS would have no worries regarding studio meddling (for the most part). That would be cool.

[Garibaldi's Hair]

Well, Solo did admit in the original post that it was only a dream, not anything s/he actually ever thought might happen.

Yeah, I realise that Jan, but for me it isn't even a dream ... I wouldn't want to see it (my opinion only YMMV) precisely because B5's pioneering CGI effects are a part of what makes it so great. It was the first to do it, thus redefining the use and production of FX for all the other TV shows that have followed it.

In my opinion that is something that should be preserved.

Yes, at times it looks dated (and the inability to re-render because the original models are gone forever is unfortunate in the extreme), but it is a landmark series and should be allowed to stand as such for all time. Just like ST:TOS, and (dare I say it) SW Eps IV-VI should have been.

Now, if someone were to offer me a Special Edition of B5, with spanking new effects I obviously wouldn't say no, provided I could still access the original thing, but B5 is special because it is a great story, with great characters, but also because it was something new (in US terms) in having a well defined 5 year story arc, and in utilising the new technology to such amazing effect.

Remove one of those aspects and the whole suffers ... it is diminished.

[Jan]

Well, Solo did admit in the original post that it was only a dream, not anything s/he actually ever thought might happen.

Solo, when was the first B5 run in Norway? The first reference to it I can find in the archives is in 1996.

Jan

[Ranger1]

If there were sufficient money pouring into B5 to allow the complete reconstruction of all the CGI effects from all 5 seasons (which would be required since all the original stuff was lost by WB), then that would probably pay for a movie or two.

If Lucas didnt re-create all the special effects for the original trilogy up to now, im pretty sure its darn expansive

I really wouldn't count on it, i mean, it would be a dream come true, but the chances are less than a zero.

[Towelmaster]

I have never seen anyone argue that Paramount should go back a redo the effects on the original ST series, as they are now out of date. Why? Ground-breaking show, and an important piece of SFTV history, so you don't mess with it.

B5? As far as I am concerned, same applies. Leave it alone already!

Damn it Garibaldi; that is exactly what I was about to write... Especially the TOS-thing.

B5 is landmark tv-sf. I would watch a newly rendered version of course, but I ain't waiting for it. I'd rather see the effort go into more B5-tv. Or movies...

[Garibaldi's Hair]

As far as I am concerned, B5 is what it is ... the show that pioneered the use of CGI on television. Period. It had never been done before on a scale like this, and B5/Foundation Imaging that you could make it work, and make it work convincingly on the small screen.

More than that, whilst newer shows undoubtedly have greater technical capabilities at their disposal I have still to see another show make such creative (and, dare I say it) artistic use of CGI in their ship designs. Most shows' ships still look as though they could be built as models, but the Vorlon and Shadow designs, complete with their organic, pulsating outer skins (to name just 2), could only have been convincingly realised in CGI.

If there were sufficient money pouring into B5 to allow the complete reconstruction of all the CGI effects from all 5 seasons (which would be required since all the original stuff was lost by WB), then that would probably pay for a movie or two.

I know which I would rather see.

I have never seen anyone argue that Paramount should go back a redo the effects on the original ST series, as they are now out of date. Why? Ground-breaking show, and an important piece of SFTV history, so you don't mess with it.

B5? As far as I am concerned, same applies. Leave it alone already!

[Ranger1]

So, my dream, now that Blu-ray/HD-DVD will come soon, is a re-release of the show on HD-DVD, with completely new, photo-realistic CGI.

A dream that sadly will never come true, the original CGI shots were rendered as NTSC format and in 4:3, the only thing that can cut close, is if they will release the B5 series as 4:3 (which i hate, so i hope they wont).

So Blu-ray and\or HDDVD wont give you any clearer picture when it comes to CGI shots (The live action scenes were shot in Hi def tho).

[Jan]

My dream for B5 is to see a theatrical production. I don't care even one fig for the effects as long as they serve the story. That said, I understand how the right effects can help the story, I just would rather see new B5 than re-worked B5.

Jan

[spikey thing]

well u could go into a lot more detail - ie : outer tiles.
In close up - detail - what instruments / functions are on each section?
What about Portholes / viewing windows?
Although the outer skin is different colours - why? - perhaps show..

dont forget B5 was created using Amigas originaly.

would a facelife really be that bad?

[therichieboy]

What do you mean, Spikey?

[spikey thing]

The patterns on the station could be explained away using modern cgi.

[therichieboy]

I first saw B5 when Midnight on the Firing Line first aired in the UK. I remember thinking 'that model work looks a bit wierd' Looking back I can't believe I was fooled. I think the original effects in B5 are an important part of the history of CGI. It would be a bit of a shame to change them. It would smell a bit Lucas-y. It would be cool to rebuild Karnak Temple but I wouldn't want to knock down the original ruins to see it- know what I mean?

Blue Ray may be able to hold the option of playing the show with either old or new CGI- that would be great.