NEW Babylon 5 Series in Development!

[Looney]

I think since Joe said very specifically in a few of his tweets that he was returning to Babylon 5 to do a different story that we will get something awesome. I loved Sense8 and expect a very different Babylon 5 and think that's a good thing.

The original is always there to watch!

Well said. And think of all the new views the original will get over the next year in anticipation of the new series. Many new viewers will come to appreciate the original.

[Morden]

@Ta'lon:

I fear that JMS can't do the job alone, there was a team: JMS, Harlan Ellison, John Copeland. The only production from these guys together was B5 and the TV movies In The Begining and Thirdspace. Not Call to Arms, not Crusade, not Legend of the Rangers, not Lost Tales. Remember which of them was a success and which was not. But Copeland has left the business 11 years ago and Ellison has passed away.

I think, B5 is one of these productions which was perfect in the first shot, like Ghostbusters, Back to the Future or E.T. They should never be presequelrebooted because it can only get worse.

Yes I know the bad of B5 was the budget and consequently the cheap look and setting. But this has also its own charme. The only thing I would agree that should refined is a remaster from the celluloid similar to ST:TNG and a reproduction of the CGI like ST:TOS. Not more.

Can I imagine myself any B5 reboot without Andreas Katsulas, Mira Furlan or Richard Biggs? I can't. These actors was the heart and the soul of the show. Can I imagine myself a B5 without Tracy Scoggins? Maybe, if it had ended after season 4 with Sleeping in Light instead of The Deconstruction of Falling Stars. Is there any what I had missed, whats not shown? Yes, the teep war. But now, after a quarter of a century with a hairless Walter Koenig? Uhmmmm...

OK, there is a good counter example: Battlestar Galactica. This is the only scifi series I know from the last millenium which was rebooted with a success. But this was a big budget production on BSkyB and NBC. Does anyone believe that TheCW will spend a new B5 series a big budget? Really? What could be done better now than back then? Who could follow in the footsteps of Boxleitner, Katsulas or Furlan without diminishing their work at the time?

I lack the imagination to picture it.

I'll second almost every word you wrote.

[Jan]

Not to be snarky but why would anybody think JMS wouldn't have a team? He's certainly met many other folks in the business over the years and can assemble great people who share his new vision.

Let's wait and see. I'm hoping that people will give it a fair shot.

[Triple F]

I fear that JMS can't do the job alone, there was a team: JMS, Harlan Ellison, John Copeland. The only production from these guys together was B5 and the TV movies In The Begining and Thirdspace. Not Call to Arms, not Crusade, not Legend of the Rangers, not Lost Tales. Remember which of them was a success and which was not. But Copeland has left the business 11 years ago and Ellison has passed away.

I think, B5 is one of these productions which was perfect in the first shot, like Ghostbusters, Back to the Future or E.T. They should never be presequelrebooted because it can only get worse.

Yes I know the bad of B5 was the budget and consequently the cheap look and setting. But this has also its own charme. The only thing I would agree that should refined is a remaster from the celluloid similar to ST:TNG and a reproduction of the CGI like ST:TOS. Not more.

Can I imagine myself any B5 reboot without Andreas Katsulas, Mira Furlan or Richard Biggs? I can't. These actors was the heart and the soul of the show. Can I imagine myself a B5 without Tracy Scoggins? Maybe, if it had ended after season 4 with Sleeping in Light instead of The Deconstruction of Falling Stars. Is there any what I had missed, whats not shown? Yes, the teep war. But now, after a quarter of a century with a hairless Walter Koenig? Uhmmmm...

OK, there is a good counter example: Battlestar Galactica. This is the only scifi series I know from the last millenium which was rebooted with a success. But this was a big budget production on BSkyB and NBC. Does anyone believe that TheCW will spend a new B5 series a big budget? Really? What could be done better now than back then? Who could follow in the footsteps of Boxleitner, Katsulas or Furlan without diminishing their work at the time?

I lack the imagination to picture it.

I hear where you're coming from.

The importance of the team which will surround this new project can't be understated. jms is great at what he does, I've no doubts there, but putting the hype to one side where some fans focus on the figurehead so to speak, making a TV show is (of course) very much a team effort. All sorts of far reaching ideas, inspirations, technical abilities come from a wide range of people directly involved, and even the studio/network based side of things will play an important part. Due to the time in which it was made B5 was very much a perfect storm, the right people being in the right place at the right time, and in turn using their connections to bring others onto the the project which benefited the whole thing.

Over the years I've spoken to a lot of folk who were in some way connected to B5 and the spin-offs, some of it made it into B5Scrolls, some of it didn't - and one of the things that struck from all that was just how much of a tapestry of ideas the final show was - and jms was very VERY good at weaving it together into something coherant and enjoyable.

Hopefully the same thing can happen again, and it will if those working with him are genuinely invested in the project much like those who worked on the original show (that was a HUGE part of the original show). . . . If not, if they see a new series as just another gig and only do what they have to, or if jms holds too tight a reign on things . . . it will (almost certainly) negatively effect things, it won't be so rich, unfortunately. But for now, I'm still hoping for the best.

[Jan]

Hopefully the same thing can happen again, and it will if those working with him are genuinely invested in the project much like those who worked on the original show (that was a HUGE part of the original show). . . .

Excellent point. One thing that always stood out is how much everybody genuinely loved what they were contributing to.

[Ubik]

Hopefully the same thing can happen again, and it will if those working with him are genuinely invested in the project much like those who worked on the original show (that was a HUGE part of the original show). . . .

Excellent point. One thing that always stood out is how much everybody genuinely loved what they were contributing to.

OMG, you two agreed on something. Can we enshrine this as a sticky post or something!

[AstroBoy]

OMG, you two agreed on something. Can we enshrine this as a sticky post or something!

LOL.... I'm laughing so hard at this.....

[Jan]

OMG, you two agreed on something. Can we enshrine this as a sticky post or something!

Now, now! This isn't the first time and I've even (gasp!!) praised his site at various times.

[Jan]

JMS is a tease! He's actually posted something about the pilot script (can't snip, it's too long)!

https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/1447966290589597697

[AstroBoy]

JMS is a tease! He's actually posted something about the pilot script (can't snip, it's too long)!

https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/1447966290589597697

This.... This ... This changes everything. How could he go in that direction? It's infuriating.

[Jan]

This.... This ... This changes everything. How could he go in that direction? It's infuriating.

I know, right? Who'd'a thunk he'd ever do that!?!

[Dan Dassow]

I know, right? Who'd'a thunk he'd ever do that!?!

Everyone who has ever been Straczynskied.

[Jan]

Everyone who has ever been Straczynskied.

Well, sure, if you're gonna put it that way!

[Ta'Lon]

I think my doubts come from whats happened since B5 has ended in 1999. Cusade, LotR, Lost Tales. Each of them was a big announce and epic fail. I have all of them on DVD but some was so freaky that it was never aired on german TV. LotR can be seen as "how B5-Reboot could have been": Even more evil enemies, bigger weapons and younger rangers. I had hoped some time for more stuff from this universe but all what came was like... aged Sheridan in a armchair who observes an female reporter while she about to puke because overdrived hyperspace engine shakes an empty minbari ship with huge empty rooms. I do not want to see more like this. You?

I really hope JMS makes an cool reboot and TheCW has the endurance and the money to give it five seasons. But I do not believe in that. Sorry.

[Jan]

I think my doubts come from whats happened since B5 has ended in 1999. Cusade, LotR, Lost Tales. Each of them was a big announce and epic fail. I have all of them on DVD but some was so freaky that it was never aired on german TV. LotR can be seen as "how B5-Reboot could have been": Even more evil enemies, bigger weapons and younger rangers. I had hoped some time for more stuff from this universe but all what came was like... aged Sheridan in a armchair who observes an female reporter while she about to puke because overdrived hyperspace engine shakes an empty minbari ship with huge empty rooms. I do not want to see more like this. You?

I really hope JMS makes an cool reboot and TheCW has the endurance and the money to give it five seasons. But I do not believe in that. Sorry.

Not trying to be critical but I'm thinking that the Legend of the Rangers pilot and the Lost Tales were the ones that weren't shown on German TV? Would failed pilots and Direct to DVD items usually show on German TV? I don't know that that would have anything to do with being "freaky".

The budget issues with the Lost Tales was known before it ever came out. WB has always had a 'test the waters' policy, unfortunately. Which is why JMS made it clear that he wouldn't do anything else for the B5 universe without an adequate budget. He's indicted that that's what's in the cards for the new B5 pilot. For the rest, we'll just have to wait and see if there's a series. It's early days yet.