Could this be the way to go for future B5 episodes???

[Commander Raiden]

Hi Everyone,

As I am in the process of watching all the T.V movies that were made for B5, (I found the River of Souls to be the best out of the 3 I've seen so far) I am currently watching the LEGEND OF THE RANGERS, and because it was to be a "pilot" for a new series but didn't become so due to poor ratings on the "east coast" and because there won't be a babylon 6, would it be an idea to revisit this part of the B5 universe to see if it could actually have a future? Just because the original had been aired at the wrong time, (being on at the same time as a NFL game) doesn't mean that reflects the true potential of it, if re-looked at again it MIGHT just work?

Or do members here think its completley out of the question?

[Jan]

A fair number of fans seem to feel (she says, trying to be diplomatic) that the fact that the weapons system as shown in the Rangers movie wasn't terribly practical (but it *was* beautiful having the weapons officer hanging in space), that the movie is unwatchable. I heartily disagree. Some of them are the sorts who also buy into the Hand being exactly as presented (obviously, even with G'Kar there, they'd forgotten what they'd learned from B5).

I liked the characters and mystery of the ship and the possible political ramifications of the crew of the Liandra having to go against the Ranger Council. While too much time has passed for the same crew to be used, I think that a series or movie featuring the Rangers as a focal point would be quite doable.

Jan

[Commander Raiden]

Well I am currently watching the TV movie so I haven't as yet come across those scenes that are mentioned by fans, I just thought I'd find out what others may think of it, whether or not it could be a possible future direction of the series..

[Jonas]

I think if you show Legend of the Rangers to any normal TV audience (i.e. not B5 fans) they will either laugh at it or run away screaming. It's not just the roundhouse-kick-laser; it's everything.

However, if approached with a more polished script and better production values, there would definitely be potential for a good story there. But that's also true of Crusade.

[I, Zathras]

If I'm honest, I'd prefer to see Crusade back, although if B5 is to come back, I really don't think they'd pick up on either.

That could be a blessing, as the new show wouldn't be carrying any baggage from the other shows.

If they did, then Crusade for me had more to it: the humour wasn't as forced, good character interaction (with a bit of conflict), a real threat, a good mystery. If they'd given it the right money to make the outdoor scenes work better, then I think it could have flown as a show. Plus the ship itself was excellent, I really loved the design of it.

LOTR didn't have the same impact. Again, there were some good elements, but I agree with the point above that it needed to be tightened up somewhat.

[Jonas]

If I'm honest, I'd prefer to see Crusade back, although if B5 is to come back, I really don't think they'd pick up on either.

That could be a blessing, as the new show wouldn't be carrying any baggage from the other shows.

If they did, then Crusade for me had more to it: the humour wasn't as forced, good character interaction (with a bit of conflict), a real threat, a good mystery. If they'd given it the right money to make the outdoor scenes work better, then I think it could have flown as a show. Plus the ship itself was excellent, I really loved the design of it.

LOTR didn't have the same impact. Again, there were some good elements, but I agree with the point above that it needed to be tightened up somewhat.

If I look at production quality of a show like Stargate Universe, with those awesome exterior locations (miles removed from Planet Canada), and imagine Crusade done that way... yes, that would be great. But I agree that a new show would almost certainly take up a new plot.

[Commander Raiden]

Will all be revealed "After April"?? Thats what I am wondering about..

[Jan]

Will all be revealed "After April"?? Thats what I am wondering about..

Dunno. But we can ask JMS again after April. Pretty much no matter what the answer will be, he'll need to wait for an announcement to be made by whoever holds purse strings. Though...maybe he'll be able to give us an 'eep'*.

Jan
(*Back in the day when JMS had good news about renewal that he couldn't officially discuss yet, he'd slide an 'eep' into a post to let the fans know.)

[Commander Raiden]

well its Long overdue thats for sure, there is PLENTY left in the B5 universe to explore...

[DGTWoodward]

Well, regarding LOTR, I feel that it just was not strong enough to be a decent series.

The "was the Hand really all it was making itself out to be?" idea is a (if you will allow me) rather redundant question, in that, if it was as described then it went against established B5 canon.

If it was not all that it was described as - the G'Kar 'not everything is exactly as it seems' idea -then it is a pretty obvious mcguffin and certainly not a strong enough premise to hang a new series onto.

[Jan]

The "was the Hand really all it was making itself out to be?" idea is a (if you will allow me) rather redundant question, in that, if it was as described then it went against established B5 canon.

If it was not all that it was described as - the G'Kar 'not everything is exactly as it seems' idea -then it is a pretty obvious mcguffin and certainly not a strong enough premise to hang a new series onto.

Isn't that kind of like assuming that B5 was going to be based on assassins or illegal tech or renegade Minbari based on 'The Gathering'? Like 'The Gathering', I've always figured the Rangers pilot was a stand-alone story with seeds planted for the series.

I don't think that the races we know are anywhere near the total number in the B5 universe. In fact, I've often wondered about the races developmentally in between the First Ones and the younger races we're familiar with. More on a level with the Minbari, perhaps...the Middle Aged races? Surly they didn't all die out to leave places for the Excalibur to visit? Plenty of room for stories about meeting them, both the good guys and the bad guys.

Jan

[I, Zathras]

I think Crusade had more scope too because it was exploring the universe. LOTR would have been contained within the established universe, but the reason I'm saying that is because (and I have no idea if JMS ever thought about this) with the Excalibur out exploring, I would have loved it to have gone 'beyond the rim'. I know it was kept vague as to whether it was a place in space or in heaven, and that it may possibly have gone against canon, but I think if they had done that it would have been very intriguing.

[Commander Raiden]

Coming towards the end of the movie, and I must say it plain madness that the weapons system that the ship the rangers are using are fired as if your in a V.R fighting simulator, it just did not look right, punching the way through asteroids or something, that was one of THE most if not THE most stupidest idea to have in the episode, what happend to the conventional controls of firing your guns? For that reason alone I'd rank it bottom out of the movies I've seen so far...

[Jan]

For that reason alone I'd rank it bottom out of the movies I've seen so far...

That's the thing that so many people latch on to. Can anyone tell me why that one thing seems to invalidate the entire pilot, though?

BTW, the original script description had the gunnery pod (pardon me, folks who've seen me post this a zillion times already):

INT. GUNNERY POD 58
-- a round, black space that suddenly LIGHTS UP with the view
of surrounding space in a complete 360 display, her seat
suspended in the center of it all.
(Visually it's a cross between a WW2 flying fortress tail
gunner, and the circular readouts on the fighters in the Lost
in Space feature.)

And the firing shown as:

Sarah's chair and the display swivels with her --
ANGLE - ON HER EYE
reflecting the display and the alien ships...the system tracking
the movements of her eyes. She locks on, CLENCHES a fist and
62 EXT. LIANDRA 62
The ship's guns FIRE.
63

Which, when you picture it in your mind, you have to admit, it's not terribly dramatic. What they did ended up being more dramatic, more expensive and an awful strain on the gunnery officer, I'm sure.

I would have loved to have seen more of the crew interacting, especially Martell and Dulann.

Jan

[Commander Raiden]

Reading more into the backstory of this pilot its interesting to see how close this would have come to becoming a full-blown series for at least one season, it was virtually a done-deal, but because of the less than stellar ratings it was dropped like a hot-potatoe, I singled out that attack scene because it stands out a mile-away you can't fail to notice it and it was the most dumbest (if such a word exists) concept I have ever seen to use as an attacking method for a ship.....

Still now that I've seen the whole thing I am now soon to see "A Call to Arms" before I see the Crusade episodes.....