January 26, 1994 - 'Midnight on the Firing Line'

[Jan]

22 years ago today.

I'd missed the pilot but I was watching from the first episode on. Only missed one in first run - 'Comes the Inquisitor'.

How about all of you? I'm betting there may be some stories of how y'all found Babylon 5!

Jan

[phazedout]

a friend recommended it on BBC2, i think i started watching in parliament of dreams, I REcall londos drunken "In purple I am stunning" speech, was hooked from then, don't think i missed an episode after that.

[joebarnin]

I was following JMS' posts on the message boards, so I was there for the pilot. I remember not being overwhelmed. Season One started slowly, and I almost dropped out. It felt too episodic. Luckily I hung in there and was rewarded.

It's funny - I just re-watched it for the sixth (?) time, and I appreciate the first season a lot more. You can see the groundwork being laid, dominoes being set up, however you want to say it.

[Dan Dassow]

I was able to watch all of Babylon 5 (The Gathering and seasons 1 through 4) on the St. Louis affiliate of PTEN, KPLR-TV-11. Unfortunately, KPLR had the broadcast rights for Blues Hockey games, so Babylon 5 was frequently preempted and re-broadcast at strange times of the day. I politely, but repeatedly, complained to the station manager via email. At one point he offered to make a copy of the video tapes so I would leave him in peace. I declined, since I did not wish to violate WB's copyright. I also did not believe that he was serious.

At the time we did not subscribe to cable television, even though we live in a fringe reception area. Many times, I could barely make out the image on the TV and the sound had a lot of static. We did not subscribe to cable television until after the TV stations were forced to broadcast only via digital. What was fringe reception became practically no reception.

Since we did not subscribe to cable television during season 5, I had to rely upon a fellow B5 fan to loan me his video tapes to see season 5 episodes.

[Looney]

I was able to watch all of Babylon 5 (The Gathering and seasons 1 through 4) on the St. Louis affiliate of PTEN, KPLR-TV-11. Unfortunately, KPLR had the broadcast rights for Blues Hockey games, so Babylon 5 was frequently preempted and re-broadcast at strange times of the day. I politely, but repeatedly, complained to the station manager via email. At one point he offered to make a copy of the video tapes so I would leave him in peace. I declined, since I did not wish to violate WB's copyright. I also did not believe that he was serious.

At the time we did not subscribe to cable television, even though we live in a fringe reception area. Many times, I could barely make out the image on the TV and the sound had a lot of static. We did not subscribe to cable television until after the TV stations were forced to broadcast only via digital. What was fringe reception became practically no reception.

Since we did not subscribe to cable television during season 5, I had to rely upon a fellow B5 fan to loan me his video tapes to see season 5 episodes.

HOW DARE YOU SAY SOMETHING DISPARAGING AGAINST MY ST. LOUIS BLUES ! ! ! ! ! ! !



But seriously, I too watched it on KPLR - just like I spent my childhood watching the Three Stooge late every Saturday night. At that particular time I was in college in Carbondale. There were other networks besides KPLR that carried it. I never saw it at regular times on regular nights on the same channel for more than a few weeks at a time before there was a change. I think I saw The Gathering, but then I didn't see much of Season One until there were reruns in the late 1990's. I think I watched episodes here and there, but didn't become a regular viewer until Season Two. Then I was totally hooked and stopped letting higher education interfere with my viewing.

Now what can Dan do to redeem himself for saying something bad about my Blues?

[Ubik]

22 years ago today.

I'd missed the pilot but I was watching from the first episode on. Only missed one in first run - 'Comes the Inquisitor'.

How about all of you? I'm betting there may be some stories of how y'all found Babylon 5!

Jan

I definitely missed the pilot! I think I picked up with Season 3 when we were living in Holland in the mid 90s. I distinctly remember following the season loosely and remember seeing the episode Z'Ha'Dum and just being totally floored.

It was only when I came back to the UK to study that I found other fellow SF geeks and we re-watched the whole thing in it's graveyard slot on Channel 4, with other cool shows like VIDZ and various b-movies.

Such great memories of those times. I also managed to convert all of my (non-SF loving flatmates) into avid B5 and DS9 fans. B5 was always the favourite though!

[Dan Dassow]

Now what can Dan do to redeem himself for saying something bad about my Blues?

I grew up in Minnesota, where hockey is close to a religion. I had friends who played hockey year round. When it wasn't cold enough for ice, they played street hockey.

I became disenchanted with professional hockey when the Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas and became the Dallas Stars. Even though the NHL replaced the the North Stars, the Minnesota Wild doesn't sound like the name of a hockey team.

The Blues are a great hockey team. They became better under the new ownership. The previous owner was as clueless as his relative (who owns a football team) about fielding a winning team. I avoid mention of the latter person's name.

I generally prefer to watch hockey on TV. I find watching a professional hockey team in person unpleasant; I don't like crowds and I feel like I'm in the middle of a video game.

[Looney]

I grew up in Minnesota, where hockey is close to a religion. I had friends who played hockey year round. When it wasn't cold enough for ice, they played street hockey.

I became disenchanted with professional hockey when the Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas and became the Dallas Stars. Even though the NHL replaced the the North Stars, the Minnesota Wild doesn't sound like the name of a hockey team.

The Blues are a great hockey team. They became better under the new ownership. The previous owner was as clueless as his relative (who owns a football team) about fielding a winning team. I avoid mention of the latter person's name.

I generally prefer to watch hockey on TV. I find watching a professional hockey team in person unpleasant; I don't like crowds and I feel like I'm in the middle of a video game.

I love it live, but I can see not wanting to be around crowds. I completely agree with you about the Wild. I think, like what happened with the Rams, the NHL had to approve to the Stars move to Dallas, which in my opinion is one of the biggest mistakes in the history of Sports. I mean I hated the North Stars as a kid because I was a Blues' fan, but I understood the rivalry and that Hockey is HUGE in Minnesota. I can't believe the NHL ever went along with it.

Anywho, I was thinking more about when I started to watch B5 regularly and how it came at such an important time in my life. B5 was truly my gateway into fandom and still remains my favorite fan passion (slightly above the St. Louis Blues). I really wish I'd had a band of fans to watch it with, but even if I had it was so hard to catch it on the air that it would have been difficult schedule times to watch it together without having it recorded on tape. . . . . . . Long story short when and where is the 25TH Anniversary Reunion already?!?!?!?!

[DeMonk]

I only found out about Babylon 5 when a colleague (SciFi-fan) lent me his box of the first season, I think it was in 2005. I took me only a few episodes to be hooked and the same weekend I ordered the whole series.
As far as I know the series was never shown on Flemish tv and I had to find out everything online. This is how I discovered you.

[Jan]

I only found out about Babylon 5 when a colleague (SciFi-fan) lent me his box of the first season, I think it was in 2005. I took me only a few episodes to be hooked and the same weekend I ordered the whole series.
As far as I know the series was never shown on Flemish tv and I had to find out everything online. This is how I discovered you.

Glad you did!

Jan

[babylonlurker]

I was made aware of B5 when a colleague in out Star Trek group brought "The Gathering" on VHS one evening.

I was not overly fond of the pilot, but when the series proper started on Dutch TV I found it interesting after 2 episodes. It took a little longer to be totally hooked. From then on I followed, as well as possible, the TV programming, but soon started to get the VHSs as soon as I could get my hand on them.

So I was not there to see the first airings, but had the VHS set which I gave to a friend when I got the DVDs.

[Looney]

Happy Midnight on The Firing Line Anniversary Day . . . I think we can come up with a better name to mark the date.

[Kraig]

I watched "The Gathering" on KMPH 26 Fresno / Visalia when I was living in Merced, CA.

I saw seasons 1-4 when they were first broadcast on PTEN. By that time I was living in a rural area outside Turlock, CA. I watched them on what was then called KPWB now KMAX channel 31 Sacramento.

I first watched some of season 5 on Laserdisc, because my area has no access to cable tv. I didn't see all of season 5 until the DVD box sets came out. I also first watched the movies collection on DVD.

I did add satellite TV just before LOTR aired on the SCIFI (SYFY) channel.

[Ubik]

I watched "The Gathering" on KMPH 26 Fresno / Visalia iwhen I was living in Merced, CA.

I saw seasons 1-4 when they were first broadcast on PTEN. By that time I was living in a rural area outside Turlock, CA. I watched them on what was then called KPWB now KMAX channel 31 Sacramento.

I first watched some of season 5 on Laserdisc, because my area has no access to cable tv. I didn't see all of season 5 until the DVD box sets came out. I also first watched the movies collection on DVD.

I did add satellite TV just before LOTR aired on the SCIFI (SYFY) channel.

I love hearing about the different ways in which people first experienced the show. Seems like it took the DVD box sets or VHS to give people their first fully complete viewing when not at the whims of TV stations!

My first complete viewing was thanks to a friend who loaned me his entire VHS library of the show. Crazy how bulky that was!

I remember that Channel 4 in the UK would often use the TV movies to fill a Sunday afternoon slot.

[Looney]

It is amazing how tough it was to catch seasons 1-4 when they originally aired here in the States if you lived in any kind of rural-ish area. I can't speak for people who lived in Metro areas at the time, but it was crazy in rural to semi-rural areas - different times, different channels, repeat episodes, however, I don't believe there was ever a new episode shown out of order.