Legend of the Rangers --- a missed opportunity?

[Trollheart]

... and thus the Universe mocks us again, and a great idea dies before it's even had a chance to take its first real breaths.

God (and I mean this with all the sincerity I can muster) DAMN IT!!!

[Jan]

Add in that, had the show gone to series, SciFi wanted to own part of the show and, in true Hollywood style, WB would prefer to own 100% of nothing rather than 50% of something, you've got a pilot not going to series.

I liked it and would have enjoyed seeing those characters regularly.

Jan

[WorkerCaste]

<snip>I really hated the "kickboxing gunner" thing, but I wonder, this apart, why the series did not get the greenlight? Was it a decision by JMS? Was it not well received? Was there not enough interest in the film (ie did it bomb) to encourage a pickup series?

There are probably no truly simple answers, but the simplest one available is "ratings and football." On the East coast, it went up against what I recall was referred to at the time as the "game of the decade."

Here's JMS's post regarding LotR ratings.

[Trollheart]

When I watched LOTR originally I remember being very underwhelmed, but having just rewatched it now, I think I was overburdened with the truly silly weapons system idea (Babylon 5 invents the Nintendo Wii?), and I really now do think this was an opportunity missed to carry on the legacy of Babylon 5, in a way that, for me, would have been preferable to how Crusade did it.

Although there were none of the original cast (except for a mighty welcome performance from the late Andreas), I still feel it worked, on most levels. The crew was reasonably diverse, comprised of many of the other worlds (Narn, Minbari, Drazi etc), and the whole idea of there being a new enemy which made the Shadows look like someone's grandma (the enigmatic Hand), boded well for a series. The film was certainly touted as a pilot for same, even being titled like an episode. The music was quintessentially Franke, and the endscene with the shot of Babylon 5 was the perfect close.

I really hated the "kickboxing gunner" thing, but I wonder, this apart, why the series did not get the greenlight? Was it a decision by JMS? Was it not well received? Was there not enough interest in the film (ie did it bomb) to encourage a pickup series?

I think LOTR followed the ethos of B5 much more than did Crusade. It looked more familiar, the people were (to me) more likeable (I had partially warmed to them all in the space of, what, 2 hours, whereas I NEVER took to the crew of the "Excalibur", despite loving Gary Cole in everything he's ever been in), and there was great scope for a big story arc. And no technomages! Well, none that I saw, anyway! (What do you mean, I just bought 500,000 shares in a Spoo farm????)

Any thoughts? Am I alone in my renewed appreciation of this film? I had really expected to hate it again (well, not hate, but dislike) and was very pleasantly surprised.

Also, it contains what will now become my own motto, spoken of course by the inimitable G'Kar: "Isn't the Universe a wonderful place? I wouldn't live anywhere else!" Classic!