At Noise2Signal, writer Abi Sutherland is taking an episode-by-episode look back at Babylon 5, the 1990s space opera created and mostly written by J. Michael Straczynski.
This was a groundbreaking show in many ways. Its innovative five-year story arc set a standard for later shows like Lost. This storyline wasn't just bold in a narrative sense. As a low-budget syndicated show, it fought each year to survive another season. Fans always worried it would be cancelled before the space war saga was complete. (As it turned out, the lackluster final season suggests it could've ended a year earlier anyway.)
Babylon 5's dark new universe was a nice break from the beige-hued safety zone of shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation (and would influence the darkness and, yes, multi-year story arc of the best Trek spinoff, Deep Space Nine). It was chock full of interesting new aliens, exciting space battles and a giant story arc centered on the Shadows, giant insectile creatures whose violent motives were one of the show's great mysteries.
As Sutherland points out early on, Babylon 5 has not aged well in many ways. You have to tolerate some flimsy sets outfitted with Ikea furniture, more than a bit of wooden acting, and some blue-screen work that, for various technical reasons I don't understand, does not transfer well to DVD.
Straczynski cites the British TV sci-fi series Blake's 7 as an inspiration for Babylon 5. I didn't catch up on that show until recently, and it took great effort to look beyond its laughable shoestring budget and focus on the widescreen story and compelling characters. Like that show, Babylon 5 has a grandiose, inventive pulp space-opera plot straight out of E.E. "Doc" Smith's Lensman series (seasons 3 and 4 are the peak of the show for me), as well as some astoundingly good CGI and makeup, and a thrilling score by Christopher Franke of Tangerine Dream fame.
In short, it's the little show that could -- and did -- many great things on a miniscule budget. Its cult following remains strong to this day. Sadly, numerous attempts to spin off the franchise fizzled out because none were as creative as the original series.
Back in the 1990s, I welcomed each new installment of this adventure the way I used to eagerly await monthly comic books when I was a kid. While The Twilight Zone and the original Star Trek were huge influences on my early efforts at writing, Babylon 5 is the show that made me want to refocus my life, move to Hollywood and become a TV writer.
Last month at Comic-Con, I finally got to meet Straczynski and tell him just that. "You're doing it right," he replied.
And that meant the world to me.
Hi well i'm surprised no one has commented. V like Stargate Universe were Amazing shows , written with truth and knowledge in them , like they must tell you what they are up to & they do through shows like V . YES!!! you have left us on a major cliff hanger. I think it is unfair you need at least to make a TV movie rapping up all the ends PLEASE we need to know or is it not been worked out who wins??? WE DO OF COURSE but it was a real let down to not complete the show Money Money come on we all know that the powers that rule have Billions of dollar to see any thing through and thems the breaks well I think youcan at least write the ending of the show in your words in your blog for your die hard fans to read how about that Clark mate. what do you think ??? Wishing with 1000's more a great job x
Posted by: Melissa Hancock | August 12, 2012 at 11:54 AM
Thanks, Melissa. I'm glad you liked V.
I honestly have no idea where season 3 of V might have gone. The Season 2 finale was such a game-changer that anything would've been possible. Had we gone forward, the writing staff would've met for 2 or 3 weeks and brain-dumped dozens of conceptual possibilities. You can see why it's impossible to predict what the shape of that would've been.
Yes, the powers that be do command billions of dollars. Sometimes they allocate that money wisely, sometimes not. Them's the breaks. I've had my heart broken as a fan and writer by that hard fact.
I hope you'll tune into DEFIANCE when it airs next year.
Posted by: Clark | August 12, 2012 at 07:00 PM