Episode Titles

[Bonehead]

Although I've watched all 5 seasons loads of times, I'm just sitting down to only my second viewing of my DVD sets. I've just noticed that on season1, on the back of disc 1's sleeve, it lists episode 1 as 'Sabre Rattling' and not 'Midnight on the firing line'. Of course the disc itself is fine, just wondered if anyone knew why?

Also, I was curious about the Gathering. Someone mentioned in another thread that, when it originally aired, it was not called The Gathering. What was it called?
Also someone mentioned The Gathering had been aired cut in half, as two seperate episodes. I just wondered what they called it then? Gathering part 1 and part 2 ????

For some reason, I dont feel happy until I know all these unimportant and trivial details

[Jan]

Although I've watched all 5 seasons loads of times, I'm just sitting down to only my second viewing of my DVD sets. I've just noticed that on season1, on the back of disc 1's sleeve, it lists episode 1 as 'Sabre Rattling' and not 'Midnight on the firing line'. Of course the disc itself is fine, just wondered if anyone knew why?

Can't help you there. Apparently you've got different packaging over there from what I've got.

Also, I was curious about the Gathering. Someone mentioned in another thread that, when it originally aired, it was not called The Gathering. What was it called?

Alas, I never saw the first broadcast but the tape I've got (with Asian subtitles) just shows it as 'Babylon 5' with no secondary title. Gah! I'd forgotten how awful Takashima sounds with the 'gentle' voice. Blech!

Also someone mentioned The Gathering had been aired cut in half, as two seperate episodes. I just wondered what they called it then? Gathering part 1 and part 2 ????

That would have been when TNT (and later the Sci-Fi channel) aired it *after* they ran it as one unit several times. Bear in mind that that would have been the re-edited version. I'm pretty sure that's how it was, though.

For some reason, I dont feel happy until I know all these unimportant and trivial details

Oh, none of the rest of us can relate to that level of obsession, I'm sure.

Jan

[Dr Maturin]

Although I've watched all 5 seasons loads of times, I'm just sitting down to only my second viewing of my DVD sets. I've just noticed that on season1, on the back of disc 1's sleeve, it lists episode 1 as 'Sabre Rattling' and not 'Midnight on the firing line'. Of course the disc itself is fine, just wondered if anyone knew why?

It was probably the original or working title.

The Parliament of Dream was Carnival!

Survivors was A Knife in the Shadows

By Any Means Necessary was Backlash

Signs and Portents was Raiding Party

The Quality of Mercy was The Resurrectionist

Points of Departure was Chrysalis, Part II

A Spider in the Web was A Trick of the Mind

Soul Mates was Pestilence, Famine and Death

http://midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/eplist.html

[Donald]

Most pilots are called the overall title of the show.

For example, the first episode of The X-files is called just that. Ditto with The West Wing.

JMS had a title but I think the networks wanted to air it as a movie that could become a series. It's less confusing if it's simply "Babylon 5."

[Dr Maturin]

For example, the first episode of The X-files is called just that. Ditto with The West Wing.

I thought it was The Left Wing...

[Joseph DeMartino]

That would have been when TNT (and later the Sci-Fi channel) aired it *after* they ran it as one unit several times. Bear in mind that that would have been the re-edited version. I'm pretty sure that's how it was, though.

TNT, which paid to have The Gathering partially restored and re-edited into something more closely resembling JMS's original script, always aired it as a TV movie independent of the episodes.

It was the Sci-Fi Channel that decided to edit the movie into two episodes and air it at the beginning of season one (which is why when they acquired the series they announced "all 112 episodes.) And yes, they did call it "The Gathering Parts 1 & 2". (Even the Lurker's Guide Episode Guide now lists it that way, since they conform the list to the broadcast order for the convenience of new fans and SFC was the last to show the series here.)

Another change: Since Sci-Fi was the first network to offer the show in widescreen in the U.S., and since they had been heavily advertising that fact, they also matted the film from its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio to 1.77:1 so that people weren't confused by the first two episodes being in standard TV ratio.

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. Just watch the version on the DVD in the movie boxed set.

The title "Sabre Rattling" seems to be an R2 thing. I'd never heard of that as an alternate title before, and a search on The Lurker's Guide turned up nothing, but it does fit the episode and could well have been a working title. Don't know how it got revived for the DVD. I suppose that some American titles that didn't translate well into local languages may have been changed, and then the altered titles translated back into English on international sites, but that's just a guess.

Regards,

Joe

[Dr Maturin]

Maybe MotFL was changed due to sensitivity issues for Europeans? Execution by the firing line was common during WW1 up until WW2.

[Garibaldi's Hair]

If it is a R2 thing, it is certainly only a mainland Europe thing, because here in Blighty it has always been Midnight on the Firing Line, broadcast and DVDs alike.

[Dr Maturin]

If it is a R2 thing, it is certainly only a mainland Europe thing, because here in Blighty it has always been Midnight on the Firing Line, broadcast and DVDs alike.

This would seem to further my theory.

[Joseph DeMartino]

Execution by the firing line was common during WW1 up until WW2.

The term in English is "firing SQUAD". The firing line is (usually) a defensive position from which fire is directed at the enemy. Executions by either hanging or firing squad were actually fairly rare in western armies by WWI, and more so by WWII when compared with other wars. Even after large-scale mutinies like the French Army "strike" late in the war only a handful of leaders were actually executed. The American forces probably had the fewest executions of any western military in WWI (partly the result of the country's late entry into the war) and famously executed only one solider in WWII, but the execution rates in the British forces were probably closer to those in the mainland European militaries, and the title wasn't changed in the U.K.

I doubt squeamishness about the term "firing line" was the reason for the title change, even if it were mistaken for "firing line" Is the title correct on the actual episode? Does anyone remember if the episode originally aired with that title? (Or better yet, have a tape from those days?)

I'm suddenly intriguied by all of this.

Regards,

Joe

[Bonehead]

The confusing thing is that the DVD and the booklet inside the box both call it MOTFL. Its only the individual disk sleeve that calls it SR. Wierd

Just to confirm, it was bought in England.

[Joseph DeMartino]

Maybe whoever at Warner UK was doing the box design asked for an list of episode titles and was somehow sent an archived copy of a list that still had the working title on it?

Joe

[Joseph DeMartino]

Here's a shot of the back cover and the insert of the UK edition:

[IMG][/IMG]

[Bonehead]

LOL - thanks Joe. Its not just me then, I'm not going mad

Just curious, how did you get your hands on a R2 version so quick? I assumed you'd be a R1.

[Garibaldi's Hair]

I guess WHV changed the R2 packaging at some point to bring it into line with S4 and S5, then. (i.e. each individual disc in its own box rather than book format).