B5 Chicken, DS9 egg

[DaveNarn]

Sorry if this has been posted earlier, I've not seen it yet.

An interesting read from TOR.com
- 'And so it begins'.. two major studios creating a unified network.

"I was told they purposely took what they liked from the B5 script and put it in the DS9 script. In fact, there was talk of leaving the B5 script in tact and just setting it the Star Trek universe."

"But then, suddenly, Paramount decided to launch a new network on their own and screwed Warner Bros. over. That sent Warner Bros. scrambling to create their own network; grabbing up any station not already committed to Paramount and getting WGN to show the WB network on cable."

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/02/is-this-the-smoking-gun-proving-deep-space-nine-ripped-off-babylon-5

[Triple F]

That article, not to put too fine a point on it, is full of shit. It’s just repeating popular nonsense that’s been kicking around the fan bases for years.

Pioneering complex and ongoing story arcs in mainstream science fiction television is probably Babylon 5’s lasting contribution not only to genre fans but to TV in general.

That tells you straight away you have a fan rather than someone who knows even a little of what he talks of when it comes to pioneering and lasting contributions to genre television and tv in general.

And ever since then, the creators and hardcore fans of both shows have accused one of stealing from the other.

Some hardcore fans, sure, the rest of us don’t give a monkey’s. As to the creators, and ongoing accusing of each stealing from the other…… where and when has anyone associated with DS9 made such an accusation.

And while B5 creator J. Michael Straczynski worried his show would be seen as a “last minute knock-off” of DS9, he soon adopted a “live and let live” attitude toward the whole affair.

No he didn’t. He wanted to the sue the hell out of Paramount, it was Warner Bros. that pulled him back as it would have meant both shows would have been tied up in litigation for years.

The two shows eventually came to a reconciliation of sorts. Star Trek’s first lady Majel Barrett Roddenberry guest-starred on Babylon 5 in 1996 and B5’s Bill Mumy showed up in the 7th season of DS9.

The guys an idiot who really has to take his nose out the screen some time. B5 cast and crew played softball with DS9’s and Voyager’s ffs. Any rift, is purely in the minds of nitwits like the author, cast and crew moved between shows all the time, and many were (and still are) friends with one another.

Could pick something from most paragraphs written. At the end of the day, it’s water under the bridge and over the dam, and who really cares anymore.

[Jan]

I suppose anything's possible. But I'm in the camp that simply doesn't care. Whatever happened 20+ years ago is over and done.

Actually, I should rephrase that...I don't care *anymore*. Once upon a time I'd happily wade into the arguments but not any longer. Nowadays, I feel that dragging up old enmity just divides fans that should come together. There's no need for rivalry between fandoms and no matter what did happen or almost happened or didn't happen, there were two shows made that ended up being good television.

Jan
(fighting an urge to sing 'Kumbaya'. )

[Marsden]

I think it's a Shadow plot to have the B5 fans kill off the weaker Ds9 fans so evolution is advanced, Kosh wouldn't like that.


Kosh would have something to say about this.


I'm not sure what, but he'd have a complete explaination, plus his personal opinion, wrapped up in a one or two syllable response.

[Delenn_of_Mir]

The avalanche has fallen. It is too late for the pebbles to vote.

[JoeD80]

Studios like to compete with similar shows all the time. I wouldn't read any big conspiracy theories in to it.

Also PTEN beat UPN on the air by a couple of years (1993 vs. 1995). UPN didn't start taking PTEN stations until the second season of Babylon 5.