Just a What if...

[Orta]

Just for our own amusement let us consider a world where JMS held back b5: Legend of the Rangers. Instead producing after the mini-revival Babylon 5 enjoyed during and immediately post the release of the DVDs.

Think of a community a buzz with activity again as people bought the DVDs and remember just how damn brilliant those shows were. Then turning their dvd players off having finished them and thinking "Hey, wouldn't it be great if they still made it".

And BHAM! LOTR pilots on Sci-Fi. Enough viewers to be picked up? I think so...

What does everyone else think?

(PS: This what if also assumes LOTR could be written not to erm... suck as much as it did?)

[Garibaldi's Hair]

It still sucks far less than most of what passes for Sci-Fi's original movies these days.

[Morden]

I don't think much would have changed. People would probably want more "Lost Tales" instead of this Rangers-Show (i know I would).
But if LotR would be a bit better written and acted and had better effects like Lost Tales have, perhaps there would be more interest in it, especially now with BSG (which I like VERY much) in its last season and SG:Atlantis being the only popular scifi-show on the air.

[glindros]

I have to say I was disappointed with LOTR. I realize it was a pilot vehicle, but when I compare it to say the first episode of Crusade, I find it lacking.

[Morden]

Same with me. The only thing that would have interested me in a possible LotR-show would have been JMS wrapping up the Crusade storylines, if something like that was really planned. But let's not start another "LotR: good or bad?" thread...!

[glindros]

Same with me. The only thing that would have interested me in a possible LotR-show would have been JMS wrapping up the Crusade storylines, if something like that was really planned. But let's not start another "LotR: good or bad?" thread...!

I like the idea of tying up story ends with lost tales. I think there are alot of stories to tell.

Whatever happened to Ivanova's coffee plants, Did Corwin ever make Captain, etc...

[jcbatz]

I like the idea of tying up story ends with lost tales. I think there are alot of stories to tell.

Whatever happened to Ivanova's coffee plants, Did Corwin ever make Captain, etc...

Agreed. I expected some drop-in lines dealing with the Crusade plot (like that one brief line about curing the Drakh plague in the Centauri Prime trilogy) or anything from LOTR or even TMOS. You know, something like Sheridan saying "remember x years ago when some group calling themselves The Hand pretended to be more powerful than the First Ones?"

[Jan]

Agreed. I expected some drop-in lines dealing with the Crusade plot (like that one brief line about curing the Drakh plague in the Centauri Prime trilogy) or anything from LOTR or even TMOS. You know, something like Sheridan saying "remember x years ago when some group calling themselves The Hand pretended to be more powerful than the First Ones?"

I was happy with the closure/explanation that we got for Dr. Franklin and G'Kar in this first one. I'd very much dislike a bunch of throwaway lines salted into such short episodes just for the sake of putting them there. If they relate to the story, that's fine.

Jan

[Orta]

I didn't wanna discuss if LOTR was any good. I just wanted to gather where anyone would think if *A* Babylon 5 series would have been successful is released immediately post-dvds.

I also agree on wanted the loose ends tied up. I hope they release the Crusade scripts along with the five year outline perhaps!!

[princevintari]

I think simply premiering the legend of the Rangers one-day later would have guaranteed its Pickup as a full series. Simply put Sci-fi killed it by placing it against the Super Bowl.

[circularREASON]

I think with JMS's star rising at the moment, why would WB make a tv series when they can make a film? ( if JMS is nominated for an oscar for best screenplay, then perhaps WB will finally see B5 for what it is....)

[rallytbk]

Just for our own amusement let us consider a world where JMS held back b5: Legend of the Rangers....

Think of a community a buzz with activity again as people bought the DVDs and remember just how damn brilliant those shows were. Then turning their dvd players off having finished them and thinking "Hey, wouldn't it be great if they still made it"...

I just wanted to gather where anyone would think if *A* Babylon 5 series would have been successful is released immediately post-dvds.

IMHO, it would have not made a difference. JMS ended B5 after five years and should have never started Crusade or released LOTR. Crusade now remains incomplete and the pilot episode LOTR appeared rushed and misleading. I originally assumed from the later title that it was a B5 movie. Kind of a Shadows/Vorlon retrospective with Valen, but alas it was a pilot for another series that didn't take off and forever will leave more question then answers for the B5 Universe.

For me, I do not want another Babylon 5 tv series... (unless it is "The Lost Tales") Crusade and LOTR were bearable. I own all (5) seasons of Babylon 5 and all the made for tv movies. While I support Crusade and LOTR, I rarely watch them... It just leaves too many unanswered question and continued disappointment.

Babylon 5 ôThe Lost Talesö was the way to go after the series was over, had they discussed this early on (Jerry Doyle was very vocal when B5 ended that it should have continued for 5 more years) we would have had multiple Lost Tales in the can and something to watch to fill in those gaps.

Now all we need it another Lost Tale DVD and maybe a Babylon 5 movie set in the distant past ("In the Beginning" style).

[JoeD80]

I originally assumed from the later title that it was a B5 movie.

'Legend of the Rangers' was the series title. 'To Live and Die in Starlight' was the episode title.

While I support Crusade and LOTR, I rarely watch them... It just leaves too many unanswered question and continued disappointment.

If Crusade had continued you wouldn't have those unanswered questions, or Legend of the Rangers.

Babylon 5 ôThe Lost Talesö was the way to go after the series was over, had they discussed this early on (Jerry Doyle was very vocal when B5 ended that it should have continued for 5 more years) we would have had multiple Lost Tales in the can and something to watch to fill in those gaps.

Yeah but it was specifically planned not to continue after 5 years. Crusade was already in planning when Babylon 5 was still being produced. As for Lost Tales, we should have had more already but WB is always timid with the budget and likes to do things slowly. Even in the beginning they treated B5 this way by only doing a pilot movie and then waiting around for ratings before committing to Season 1.

[rallytbk]

'Legend of the Rangers' was the series title. 'To Live and Die in Starlight' was the episode title.

But as it was promoted, I and others assumed it was similar to "In The Beginning", "Third Space", etc.

If Crusade had continued you wouldn't have those unanswered questions, or Legend of the Rangers.

True, but unless there is a continuation or a series of books/comics that fill in the blanks those unanswered questions will remain unanswered.

Yeah but it was specifically planned not to continue after 5 years. Crusade was already in planning when Babylon 5 was still being produced. As for Lost Tales, we should have had more already but WB is always timid with the budget and likes to do things slowly. Even in the beginning they treated B5 this way by only doing a pilot movie and then waiting around for ratings before committing to Season 1.

But that's the beauty of "The Lost Tales". Who said each episode has to be within a given time line after the end of the series? With minimal involvement from the main characters, JMS can touch subjects of interest and fill in the blanks for the universe.

Note: George Lucas got the hint with the Clone Wars and now the continued Clone Wars (between Episode 3 and 4) and the live action tv show.

But who knows, it still can happen.

[Triple F]

I know that this will (and probably rightly) be taken with a pinch of salt as it doesnÆt û currently û appear anywhere but here, my hard drive and on an email but I think those that who REALLY want to see a conclusion to Crusade should write it themselves.

From John Copeland

I think that folks should just let Crusade go. It wasn't nearly as planned out in Joe's head as B5 was - after all he had five years to hone it while we were trying to sell it. I think that Joe was fed up and I know that with NDEI going out of business (after I left it, mind you) there just wasn't a good way to continue it. It never turned into the enterprise that we had envisioned - we went through at least four folks that ran it.

As for the Legend Of The Rangers. ItÆs interesting. Someone can correct me if IÆm wrong. But whereas itÆs pretty widely agreed that studio interference played a part in Crusades demise and general quality, there doesnÆt seem to be the same understanding that what was seen on screen in LOTR may have been caused by the exact same type of interference. For example, the LiandraÆs holographic targeting system û does anyone really believe thatÆs what the likes of Chris Wren came up with or what jms was really envisaging.

The reality is, B5 was a fluke for a very large number of reasons. One was the stuidioÆs staying more or less out of it. That didnÆt happen later on, and as Joe has largely moved on to bigger and better things himself, I think it is unlikely that heÆs going to spend too much time ôkillingö himself again trying to do it all over again. Partly because, unless the studioÆs stay the Fuà.. out of it, it CANÆT be made.