Are we to see any more of B5

[Entilzar]

After the wait for lost tales, and the anticipation then anticlimax of the whole thing. My question is, will anymore Babylon 5 shows be produced:

This is going from an avid B5 fan, who was wishing for some of the old magic which drew me to the show all those many years ago. Don't know if it's me, or didi anyone else expect so much more....and I fear that will be the knife in the back for anymore lost tales as such to be made..

Hope not, I'd rather be slagging off a poor show than not having anymore new material to watch at all.

Note to JMS, please try harder next time....

 

[Pyan]

I'm not so bothered about new episodes: what I'd like to see is the whole of the original series' shown again, preferably in order, at a reasonable time, with no gaps, no missing episodes and maybe three times a week.

Is that too much to ask?

 

[Urien]

I got the box set for Christmas and recently started working my way through them, up to the middle of season two.

It was interesting seeing it again (including episodes I've never seen); the depth of the main story arc is still amazing. Londo and G'Kar are still the best actors on the show. The ship to ship combat is excellent (and I know it gets better). However, some of the directing and human acting is stilted and wooden, moreso than I remembered, and the lack of money sometimes shows through. Still, it's like meeting an old friend.

JMS said he won't be doing anymore B5 unless it's a full on cinema released movie.He wasn't pleased (he said in his blog) with the lack of money for Lost Tales, or Crusade, he felt in retropect it was weakening the legacy of B5.

 

[Rodders]

It's a shame as there are so many other stories to be explored.

In addition to knowing what the outcome was regarding the Drakh Plague from Crusade, i'd also like to have seen somthing on Valen and the Minbari/Shadow war of 100 years ago. I'd also like to know about the Dilgar their cruelty and their War with Earch and the League of Non-Aligned Worlds.

I'd even be happy if they were to release some spin off books. Hell, get someone to write up the whole of B5. One series per book in a huge Peter F. Hamilton style tome.

 

[Vladd67]

I felt it was a pity Crusade was axed. I thought it was starting to develop and needed to be given a chance to bloom. But such is the cut throat nature of TV production.

 

[Rodders]

Granted, but B5 was a commercial success was it not (certainly on it's DVD release). I just don't understand why TV Execs cannot or will not commit to a full 5 year story arc. Especially now as stories spanning an entire series or more are not uncommon.

 

[Vladd67]

Granted, but B5 was a commercial success was it not (certainly on it's DVD release). I just don't understand why TV Execs cannot or will not commit to a full 5 year story arc. Especially now as stories spanning an entire series or more are not uncommon.

A lack of vision or maybe just no imagination?

 

[Rodders]

I picked this up of a B5 page on Facebook. Kind of gutting to know that the Studio Execs know that B5 has been a critical and commercial success, but just will not invest any serious money into it.

One final note re: recent discussions on TMoS and more Lost Tales.

B5:TLT was commissioned at a $2 million budget to, yet one more time, "test the waters" for B5. We did what we could with that, and that was that. As we did with Rangers, which also suffered from not having a lot of money because of concerns about "is there really a B5 audience?" Which is, of course, a foolish question from a studio that has never really understood what it has in B5.

Of late, there have been more discussions from WB about doing more DVDs, again at a low cost, or a cable thing, again with minimal investment. So for the last few months, I've been giving this whole subject a lot of quiet thought. And I've come to a conclusion.

B5 as a five year story stands beautifully on its own. If anything else is to be continued from that story, it should be something that adds to the legacy of B5, rather than subtracts from it.

As well intentioned as Rangers and TLT were, as enticing as it was to return to those familiar waters, in the end I think they did more to subtract from the legacy than add to it. I don't regret having made them, because I needed to go through that to get to the point where I am now psychologically, but from where I sit now, I wouldn't make them again.

So I've let everyone up here know that I'm not interested in doing any more low-budget DVDs. I'm not interested in doing any low-budget cable things or small computer games. The only thing I would be interested in doing regarding Babylon 5 from this point on is a full-featured, big-budget feature film.

It's that or nothing.

And if it's nothing, I'm totally cool with that because the original story stands on its own just fine. I'm not lobbying for it, I'm not asking fans to write in about it (nor should you) because such campaigns never really have much impact...that's simply the position I've taken up here. Lord knows I don't lack for other things to do
these days. I'm busier on more prestige projects with terrific people and great film-makers than at any other time in my career.

At the end of the day, for me, it's not just a matter of getting more B5. It's a matter of getting more *good* B5 that respects what came before it and doesn't have to compromise visually or in terms of action. The original show deserves better than that, the surviving cast members deserve better than that, and the fans who have supported it over the years definitely deserve better than that. A lot better.

So I've drawn that line in the sand, and I'm happy living on whichever side of that line the universe puts me. Just thought you should know, 'cause it's your show too.

jms

 

[Shadow Trooper]

Enjoyed the original series and associated films (Thirdspace etc).

Felt let down by Rangers (it touched on some great elements but the potential , IMO, wasn't fulfilled).
Lost Tales, the same! I can only vaguely remember the story where Sheridan is in a dilema regarding a Centauri Leader. The rest have faded from memory.

Crusade. For me this was a little like ST Enterprise. Had some good storylines, but just didn't quite feel right (but I guess the B5 series' in its entirity is hard to beat!)

I hope B5 will be back, but I think it needs a break (STOS to STNG length), to enable it to come back fresh and with enough ideas for a good run.

 

[Rodders]

I have Legend of the Rangers, but i haven't yet watched it. (I was put off by the ships weapons system.) Crusade i really enjoyed and to be honest, i also enjoyed the Lost Tales as well. A couple of interesting stories (wasn't one about some demon thingy that had been banished to Earth and it was trying to get away?) To be honest, it was just a great feeling to get something new from JMS and Babylon 5. Obviously, if WB are not prepared to stump up the cash, we can't expect too much.

Thinking about it, at the end of the 4th series was an episode where the Rangers were in the process of rebuilding Earth after a devestating war. (The Rangers themselves obtaining mythical status, perhaps even relgious status.) That would've made for an interesting series as well. The rebuilding of earth. (Plus, there would be other things off planet that would be happening at the same time that would impact on the story.