Loved this show, just watched the entire series last week. What's crazy, is the amount of people that past away who appeared on the show. Main stars, co stars, cameos..
Have you had a lot of trouble with your DVDs deteriorating? I just watched my set again. I had already replaced two discs of season one, and now a third has rotted. Seasons 2 through 4 were OK, but, on this viewing of season 5, four of the six discs had at least one corrupted episode.
@@mirceazaharia2094 I’d love to see some high quality B5 fan work but for the most part, fan work ranges from inferior to just about the same as the original. I’d love to see more photorealistic depictions of the ships and especially of the station’s Central Core.
The YT channel Digital Era Studios made some seriously jawdropping B5 animations in the past few years. I know working with JMS would be a dream come true for whoever is behind that channel.
I believe only B5 itself may be a strong enough IP to get a reboot. A spin-off, sequel, prequel won't happen because nobody is willing to pay millions of $ for that...
Not sure I agree. B5 came out of nowhere and was a success. And on a shoestring budget. Technology has advanced to the point where I could do all of the CGI on my desktop in a fraction of the time and money it took the original to produce. Now it is a proven IP with a cult following. The Valen/first Shadow War prequel is a logical option for both new fans and old. @@Raymaster7482
I have *very* conflicting feelings about this. I would *love* to have more content of my favorite scifi franchise but I don't think I would like to see the same storyline, same characters with new actors. No disrespect but can't imagine another Londo but Peter Jurasik or another G'Kar but Andreas Katsulas.
I agree. It's the stupidest idea in history. We need new content, new stories and new adventures after all these years of waiting, not the same damn thing in a new package. It's utterly ridiculous and an insult towards fans if this really is going to be a remake of the original.
Babylon 5 saved my life. Midway through season 2, I realised I was watching an epic and It got me through a dark time. I'm not the only one who feels this way about this show, there are many others. JMS won't let us down.....
Both companies have blatantly been making bad decisions with new content. I don't have any hopes even if both combine. They've had many chances to course correct, but they didn't. They've destroyed all their old IP. IP which has a loyal fanbase. At this time I don't even want them to touch B5.
Whether you are dreading the "reimagining" or excited for it, we will always have the original. Most of us fans were there for it the first time round, and will watch it through again year on year. All I will say is, that JMS is a smart man. Smarter than he was 30 something years ago, and I for one trust his intent when it comes to *HIS* universe. Faith manages.
This is predicated on whether or not he's able to retain TOTAL creative and executive control this time around, remember the disaster of Crusade? it started out well enough but the TNT execs started interfering with their "ideas and suggestions" and JMS had enough of that with B5 and killed it after 1 season. Studio execs think they're also creatives and can do better instead of looking into the mirror and seeing reality, that most of them are beancounters with fancy degrees.
I love it. He did such a thorough job creating his Babylon 5 Bible, I have no doubt that he has a number of stories that he can tell that will weave through what we already know and reveal an even deeper story.
It was shocking they ended it without even finishing the 1st season. Crusade was really good and fascinating. These mindless suits just ruin everything good, because all they care about is money and they're never satisfied unless they get huge amounts of it.
That Space Phallic Symbol went Limp ... I would like some more story-lines with Galen & the Space Wizards, & more trekkie style of "This weeks Problem" running around trying a find a Plague Cure, but then it lost its way, I think everybody was tired,They could finish episodes 14-22, planned but never filmed..
My skin honestly crawls every time I hear a "reimagining" of Babylon 5. I can only Pray JMS does better with B5 than he did with Spiderman and writing out the Mary Jane relationship to Peter Parker.
J. Michael Straczynski is the original creator of Babylon 5 and is a highly talented writer, so he certainly has the potential to see this project completed properly. On that basis I can muster a little cautious optimism, but the problem is that he will inevitably have a studio looking over his shoulder and there is no way to predict how much that studio might interfere with his vision. Studio interference tanked the Crusade spin off of Babylon 5 back in the 1990s, so there is a very real risk of history repeating itself. The other big issue with this project is the fact that we are seeing a reboot rather than a continuation of that world after the events of the original series or even a prequel series. That doesn't seem very creatively ambitious to me, and worse may presage some attempt to 'fix' elements of the original series that ideologues in the studio might consider to be 'problematic'. In short, Babylon 5 could potentially wind up receiving the same disastrous treatment that destroyed Star Wars and so many other once great legacy IPs over the last decade or so. The moment I see any tell tale warning phrase like 'reimagined or a modern audience' I am out.
Re-imaginings the past 15 years have been disastrous for many sci-fi franchises, as you said this is risky because JMS would need to retain absolute creative control plus executive producer rank to keep the series on track. It's almost a given that modern woke Hollywood will try and turn this into another woke propaganda vehicle in the ongoing culture wars.
@@donaldpalugaYes but not the kind of in your face woke that's used to club the viewer over the head these days and certainly not at the expense of the story.
@@donaldpaluga They had progressive leanings and values within their writing and world building from the beginning it is true, but as glenyoung1809 says they were not the brand of cynically performative 'woke' that bedevils modern entertainment, where signalling the writer's supposed 'virtue' over the audience beats out any attempt at story telling, characterisation, world building, or any expression of actual entertainment. Both Babylon 5 and classic Star Trek were better than that - more than mere vehicles for the heavy handed agenda and ego of activists masquerading as writers
@@gregorygreenwood-nimmo4954 I think you need to rewatch some Babylon 5 episodes. The "morals" were often dropped with all the subtlety of an anvil. Same goes for much of Star Trek. They wanted to be sure you knew what their point was, and they weren't afraid to beat it into your head with a baseball bat.
Yeah. It was lighting in a bottle. I just can't see that being recreated. EVER. Even with Straczinski at the helm. I love the guy, but no way to recapture the magic.
@@sonklp18 What was so good about it was that it didn't have to rely on advanced special effects. The writing and characters made the show. It was beyond scifi. Just an amazing show and almost its own genre.
@@sonklp18 Although I'd pay a lot for a remastered version where they got a company like ILM to completely modernize the CGI and use AI upsampling on the live action footage.
Just like Fast Food, streaming services are vastly over saturated. To many services and to few watchers split among them. The only reason Netflix became as big as it did is because for a long time it was the only Streaming service, so anyone that wanted to stream had to go to them. Now days every network and studio has their own streaming service, this spreads the potential customers to thinly.
Don't forget their dvd rentals in the early days. Even if your internet wasn't up to snuff for streaming, you could still get on their website and rent from their catalogues.
Waiting is better than risking ruination. As for a reboot, I suppose that would be largely the same story as before, but with different actors playing those roles and better graphics. I suppose comparisons will constantly be made to the previous series, which would be inevitable. I hope there will be sufficient new story material told along the way to keep viewers engaged.
I do not think they can redo this series. The excellent characters and actors were B5. While Battlestar Galactics reboot was excellent, it had excellent writing and actors in perfect roles. B5 cannot be successfully be redone.
The ONLY reboot that was a success, was Battlestar Galactica. Everything else has been ruined. Even Picard Season 3 was mostly trash and they primarily resorted to memberberries, and I didn't fall for it. 😂
B5 is my second favorite thing in the universe; "reimagining" is the very last thing I ever want to see happen. At best it will be pretty but soulless, at worst it will be garbage.
One thing is not clear (MAJOR spoilers ahead). I think the original story benefited by essentially having 2 main leads (Sinclair and Sheridan) instead of the story being a one man show so to speak. And none of their storylines stepped on the toes of the other, which was nicely done. Sinclair (under another identity) became just as much of a legend in the lore as Sheridan did. And I know that it all came to be because of unfortunate real life circumstances around Sinclair's actor (no need to throw that at me). Would a reboot try the one man show approach again? Would it try to have Sinclair fight both Shadow wars? That would kind of be flat.
The Streaming Bubble had to collapse sooner or later. No one wants to subscribe to four different platforms to watch ten things they're interested in. I hope this gets sorted out quickly, for the benefit of fans to consume the content they want to watch but not break the bank doing it. And I honestly cannot wait to see what JMS will do with a second shot at his five-year epic. Babylon 5 still beats out many Myth Arc prestige shows today, because, as you said, JMS took care with it. He had everything planned out, and while there were unavoidable disruptions (cancellation at the end of Season 4, uncancellation for Season 5), he did his best to plan around possible interruptions (having "trap doors" for characters should actors suddenly become unavailable and replacement characters ready to step into their roles within the narrative). With his vision proven, with people who actually like Babylon 5 in positions to give him the permission to do it right, and most importantly, JMS himself in the center seat, I have no doubt this will be at least as good as the original show, and probably better.
I heard that originally Delenn was supposed to be a male Minbari. If you look at the pilot episode Mira Furlan had a harder look to her makeup. But I guess when the studio found out that Delenn would be transforming into not just a half human/half Minbari but also become female that was too much. Given today's political and social climate, they may revisit that idea.
Weren't Sinclair and Sheridan meant to be the same character originally? Same with Lyta Alexander and Talia Winters? But JMS had to accomodate actors leaving the series. Might be interesting if he followed his original vision? Although I am sceptical a modern remake can be better
For me, I don't want this reboot to happen. B5 was perfection as far as I am concerned. A reboot in 2024 or beyond IMHO will likely be a disaster. Like woke and silly. Likely a complete divergence from the original. I can see the disaster coming, and I hope it will never happen.
Yes he, by himself, could probably make a good prequel series, but studio execs, producers, bean counters, all kinds of people could through a monkey wrench in the project; I hope not. If it happens, don't compare it to or judge it by its relation to the original. Just try to think of it as as a new sify series. If you like it, watch it. If it's bad, don't. 🖖
I remember using VHS to get first episodes 30 years ago. It was just as good as all the most popular shows of Sci-fi. B5 has just been put out on complete set of Blu-ray! 🤗 I would be interested, but I hope they don't go overboard on any reimagining😮
Best Sci-Fi series ever, and I've been a loyal fan of Star Trek since the 60's. My wife and I re-watch the B5 series every other year. The evolution of relationships between the main characters is fantastic. Especially between G'Kar and Londo. Great cast, directing, special effects, and outstanding writing based on idealistic principles. It's not the picture perfect world of Star Trek. After all, we're all human and we have baggage I don't think we'll ever eliminate. B5 reflects both the highs and the lows of the human race, which is more realistic while also trying to hold to ideals. All that said part of me cringed at first when a reboot was mentioned because I wouldn't change a thing. But because JMS would be the steward and major force behind the reboot I'm comfortable with it and am positive he can improve on the original. Imagine what could be done all these years later with the storyline and special effects. I'll always have a special place in my heart for the original actors. Loved them all. But would keep an open mind here. I'd love to see some content from the book series "The Passing of the Techno-Mages" and interweave the activities of Galen that run in parallel with Sheridan going to Z'ha'dum. Hope this happens! Also, recently read JMS's books Glass Box and We All Go Together. Outstanding. And "Becoming Superman" is just amazing. Can't say enough about his writing and am amazed his well of imagination has not dried up by now.
I'm not going to lie, given the quality of "modern reboots" and "reimaginings" I am a honestly DREADING the idea of the best Science Fiction TV shows EVER being "reimagined for a modern audience" Babylob 5 is a work of art avmnd frankly does not need to be Reimagined. But if it is done, I hope to hell they do it right and do it justice. I am not overly confident but we shall see I guess.
@lewisvanatta639 Yeah, I have felt that way at times, but the way things have changed, I worry. JMS will be working with his own IP, but the original was slow perfect, I dont know why it needs a reimagining at all. Ivam terrified we will end up with a "Rings of power" like Babylon 5. It makes me very nervous. I hope I am wrong, I hope JMS makes a wonderful thing, but I just don't know.
@@insanimal2 sure, they can't take the original away, I just hate to see great IPs get trashed. I guess we will see if it happens and if JMS can pull it off. Most Reimaginings are total Dumpster fires. But maybe B5 will be like Battlestat Glactica and break the pattern. There is always hope.
The images here are amazing. Really makes me wonder how excellent the scenery can be today for B5 or a Battlestar reboot. I hope this happens but do not trust either of the companies involved
Other than updating the effects what needs to be "reimagined?". Hollywood studios reimagining things always spells trouble, look at the ashes of the Star Wars, Star Trek, Dr. Who and Marvel franchises.
The classic television model funded itself through advertisers and physical media. The streaming services waged an all out war against physical media and advertising, nearly destroying the entire industry. These same streaming companies have now come to the realization that the "streamers" will never pay whats needed to sustain the model and advertising has begun to seep in even when you pay for a service. Due to extreme greed and the cost behind creating new content, this trend will continue until we're back to 15-minute commercial breaks and increased pressure to "buy" digital media that we never really own...
I think it is wise that he waits. I know in my case that there’s a number of things I would like to watch but I can’t afford more streaming services than what I already have. So I just half to hope that I’ll get to see them another way and another time. The market is saturated with streaming services and that’s the big problem.
Honestly, if he owned the rights, this would be perfect for what Apple+ is currently doing. The have embraced science fiction in the last few years with shows like the foundation, severance and currently constellation
B5 crusade was cut before its end, leaving fans with only half a story.. Personally, I would just love to hear him say he's thinking about it and a possible animated series to finish the story.. I know I would pay for that..
I'm a huge fan of the original series, and i'm trying to understand what story he wants to tell by calling it a re imagining because we don't need a retread of the original story... Yeah, you can do it with updated effects and so forth, but I think most fans would want to see something original set within that universe. I'm not clear from his comments what story he's "wanting to tell" unless he really is talking about telling the same story , but in a new way, which I think would be a mistake...
Aside from "reimagining" such a stellar series, the problem is all the studios want all the streaming money and have fragmented the audience so much that they are (my guess) losing more than if they just produced something and licensed it to a main streaming service(Netflix?).
Given the endless screwups by the original networks that distributed B5 initially, INCLUDING Warner Brothers, it is no surprise that JMS wants to stay clear of a repeat. The butchery inflicted on the end of the series was due entirely to the incompetence of the studios.
I would like : B5 30 years later. New developments, new crew but with stories around the old crew and the effect they have on whats happening 30 years later
It is well known and established that the increase of cost of content for streaming is directly linked to the costs of production of movies in Hollywood which is to say the costs are self-induced. Some of the most expensive productions are (and have always been) science fiction. However, we see that independent studios do NOT have the same production to cost ratios due to the fact that most of the inflated overhead of Hollywood is NOT due to actual increased value and price but due to MISMANAGEMENT. These people need to be fired. Hier good writers and independent (out of the system) production staff, distribution charges and the costs will automatically come down. Merging is NOT the answer as competition is good! It is the 'American Way'!!
I love B5. And I can't wait for the day to see what else JMS has in store for his universe. But I greatly fear before Warner Brothers gets their head out of their ass. That we'll end up losing him to the great beyond 😢
Instead of exploring new sustainable models perhaps they should just stop butchering beloved shows and characters. Every time I hear "reboot", "reimagining" or "modern audience" I get a feeling of dread for what could become of a favorite story.
JMS can do whatever he thinks best. Nobody else should ever touch it, from a “film” production standpoint. This vid, however, plays like a release straight from his press agent’s office. You were bent over so far you just about face-planted.
Related but side note. I heard the Blu ray transfer is not good via amazon reviews and the original dvd is still best way to watch. Only been rewatching via streaming but am a physical media guy. Do NOT want to waste by the blu ray to find out those reviews were right. BUT also do not want to buy the DVD and find out the blu ray isn't as bad as said. What do real fans and the comments seem full of them think on a comparison of them. Is there a version out there that is the best faithful quality wise to get?
I can only imagine what they'll do to this. Delenn turns into a man instead of just a hybrid to show John how to be secure as a gay beta man. Ivanova rules like a "queen" while Sheridan cries in a corner. They need to stop fucking things up, I have no faith in this.
I personally would rather a facelift to the graphics portion of the old show. Kinda like what they did with Star Trek the Original Series, but with even more refined graphics for the space combat.
A merger between Warner Discovery and Paramount doesn't inspire much confidence in me after how much content was purged from HBO Max following the WB acquistion by Discovery.
Currently watching Babylon 5 with the kids to show them what a well written show looks like. A reboot isn't necessary, just update the cgi for the original.
Babylon 5 is as great as it could be made. Good luck finding ANY B5 fan's to watch it, I won't be. I have the original series on DVD and don't want it rebooted, it will suck.
B5 in the same sandbox as Paramount's Star Trek,... yeah, as much as I love B5, the ST crowd ain't gonna let any product out that might be seen as better then theirs.
We need to wait another decade or so. This generation of writers only knows how to insert current day rhetoric with self insert / or pandering characters. It's so sad to be in a time where instead of excitement for something new I just really don't want to see something I enjoyed "re-imagined for modern audiences".
Yeah hold off untill things shake out. I'd really like to see a high level view of what the story is all about. There are some things that you are not going to ba able to redo. As some noted below, many of the actors in the show have died, and rebooting is going to be very complicated and complex. I am wary, even if it is JMS.
Problem is JMS is 70 this year, how much longer will he hold out waiting? but I agree about holding off in the current social climate, now is not the time to do a reboot in the middle of the culture wars.
Rebooting the series would be a mistake. How many times do we need to see a series that was rebooted only for it to fail. The Shadow War was complete. They left for beyond the rim. So many of the original cast went beyond the rim. It would be far better to tell a story of the period after Crusade where a new Babylon 5 cast would be fighting the remainder of the Drac and those allied to the Shadows. That way they can bring in some of the previous cast to guest star with the new ones.
A reboot. Pure laziness and cowardice by MJS and timid investors and studios. Instead of a reboot, why not create a sequel or even a prequel, and actually demonstrate a sense ambition and creativity? Cowards, just like the timid beancounters in charge of the other big scifi franchises.
I hope that this reboot of Babylon 5 will NEVER happen; in the actual context of Hollywood, J. Michael Straczynski won't be able to avoid the woke and DEI agenda and this would end in a disaster for Babylon 5. 😰 Even worse, a very, very bad reboot would tarnish the original series as it did for Star Wars and the original trilogy with Luke Skywalker. 😥
As it happens, I finished watching my 5 season box set last week. I hope JMS has developed new story arcs for the revival. The movies and "Crusade" that came after the original were terrible.
Thank you for watching this video! If you enjoy my content, please consider supporting me on PATREON: www.patreon.com/nerdcookies
Loved this show, just watched the entire series last week. What's crazy, is the amount of people that past away who appeared on the show. Main stars, co stars, cameos..
They have merely passed beyond the rim
Have you had a lot of trouble with your DVDs deteriorating? I just watched my set again. I had already replaced two discs of season one, and now a third has rotted. Seasons 2 through 4 were OK, but, on this viewing of season 5, four of the six discs had at least one corrupted episode.
All B5 needs are updated special effects. Its perfect in any other way.
The fans can do that at this point, no problem. All it needs is the right algorithm and AI, with a few humans to check for errors. Job's done.
@@mirceazaharia2094 Well hopefully someone will get around to it some day.
@@mirceazaharia2094
I’d love to see some high quality B5 fan work but for the most part, fan work ranges from inferior to just about the same as the original. I’d love to see more photorealistic depictions of the ships and especially of the station’s Central Core.
But we need a remaining for the "modern audience." I need more pronouns and racisms.
The YT channel Digital Era Studios made some seriously jawdropping B5 animations in the past few years. I know working with JMS would be a dream come true for whoever is behind that channel.
I'd rather see a Babylon 4 series about the First Shadow War with Valen as main character. There's a story there for sure.
Spinoffs haven't gone well in thr past. Remember Crusade and Legend of the Rangers?
You just gave me PTSD. I refuse to acknowledge Legend of the Rangers even exists. @@bsebire
I believe only B5 itself may be a strong enough IP to get a reboot. A spin-off, sequel, prequel won't happen because nobody is willing to pay millions of $ for that...
Not sure I agree. B5 came out of nowhere and was a success. And on a shoestring budget. Technology has advanced to the point where I could do all of the CGI on my desktop in a fraction of the time and money it took the original to produce. Now it is a proven IP with a cult following. The Valen/first Shadow War prequel is a logical option for both new fans and old. @@Raymaster7482
That's actually a great idea.
I have *very* conflicting feelings about this. I would *love* to have more content of my favorite scifi franchise but I don't think I would like to see the same storyline, same characters with new actors. No disrespect but can't imagine another Londo but Peter Jurasik or another G'Kar but Andreas Katsulas.
I agree. It's the stupidest idea in history. We need new content, new stories and new adventures after all these years of waiting, not the same damn thing in a new package. It's utterly ridiculous and an insult towards fans if this really is going to be a remake of the original.
Babylon 5 saved my life. Midway through season 2, I realised I was watching an epic and It got me through a dark time. I'm not the only one who feels this way about this show, there are many others. JMS won't let us down.....
He just need to do an original series within the franchise not just a retread
Both companies have blatantly been making bad decisions with new content. I don't have any hopes even if both combine. They've had many chances to course correct, but they didn't.
They've destroyed all their old IP. IP which has a loyal fanbase.
At this time I don't even want them to touch B5.
I want them to also stay away from Stargate SG-1 as well!
Whether you are dreading the "reimagining" or excited for it, we will always have the original. Most of us fans were there for it the first time round, and will watch it through again year on year. All I will say is, that JMS is a smart man. Smarter than he was 30 something years ago, and I for one trust his intent when it comes to *HIS* universe. Faith manages.
This is predicated on whether or not he's able to retain TOTAL creative and executive control this time around, remember the disaster of Crusade? it started out well enough but the TNT execs started interfering with their "ideas and suggestions" and JMS had enough of that with B5 and killed it after 1 season.
Studio execs think they're also creatives and can do better instead of looking into the mirror and seeing reality, that most of them are beancounters with fancy degrees.
If he's smart he'll develop something new. Paramount is bankrupt anyway.
I love it. He did such a thorough job creating his Babylon 5 Bible, I have no doubt that he has a number of stories that he can tell that will weave through what we already know and reveal an even deeper story.
FWIW, I would like to see the conclusion of *CRUSADE.*
I want to know what that box was about
It was shocking they ended it without even finishing the 1st season. Crusade was really good and fascinating. These mindless suits just ruin everything good, because all they care about is money and they're never satisfied unless they get huge amounts of it.
That Space Phallic Symbol went Limp ... I would like some more story-lines with Galen & the Space Wizards, & more trekkie style of "This weeks Problem" running around trying a find a Plague Cure, but then it lost its way, I think everybody was tired,They could finish episodes 14-22, planned but never filmed..
My skin honestly crawls every time I hear a "reimagining" of Babylon 5. I can only Pray JMS does better with B5 than he did with Spiderman and writing out the Mary Jane relationship to Peter Parker.
You know that wasn't his idea, right? Joe Quesada all but held a gun to his head to make him write "One More Day."
J. Michael Straczynski is the original creator of Babylon 5 and is a highly talented writer, so he certainly has the potential to see this project completed properly. On that basis I can muster a little cautious optimism, but the problem is that he will inevitably have a studio looking over his shoulder and there is no way to predict how much that studio might interfere with his vision. Studio interference tanked the Crusade spin off of Babylon 5 back in the 1990s, so there is a very real risk of history repeating itself.
The other big issue with this project is the fact that we are seeing a reboot rather than a continuation of that world after the events of the original series or even a prequel series. That doesn't seem very creatively ambitious to me, and worse may presage some attempt to 'fix' elements of the original series that ideologues in the studio might consider to be 'problematic'. In short, Babylon 5 could potentially wind up receiving the same disastrous treatment that destroyed Star Wars and so many other once great legacy IPs over the last decade or so. The moment I see any tell tale warning phrase like 'reimagined or a modern audience' I am out.
Re-imaginings the past 15 years have been disastrous for many sci-fi franchises, as you said this is risky because JMS would need to retain absolute creative control plus executive producer rank to keep the series on track. It's almost a given that modern woke Hollywood will try and turn this into another woke propaganda vehicle in the ongoing culture wars.
You ARE aware that like Star Trek Babylon 5 was woke from the beginning, ❄️
@@donaldpalugaYes but not the kind of in your face woke that's used to club the viewer over the head these days and certainly not at the expense of the story.
@@donaldpaluga They had progressive leanings and values within their writing and world building from the beginning it is true, but as glenyoung1809 says they were not the brand of cynically performative 'woke' that bedevils modern entertainment, where signalling the writer's supposed 'virtue' over the audience beats out any attempt at story telling, characterisation, world building, or any expression of actual entertainment. Both Babylon 5 and classic Star Trek were better than that - more than mere vehicles for the heavy handed agenda and ego of activists masquerading as writers
@@gregorygreenwood-nimmo4954 I think you need to rewatch some Babylon 5 episodes. The "morals" were often dropped with all the subtlety of an anvil. Same goes for much of Star Trek. They wanted to be sure you knew what their point was, and they weren't afraid to beat it into your head with a baseball bat.
Babylon 5 was amazing Sci fi series. Ahead of its time. Great stories and films. Looking forward to seeing this.
Thank you for the information I can't wait for a reboot
this time i hope the dominion show up with 500 jem,hadar warships.
Love the way you have the WB and paramount logos superimposed over a pair of shadow ships. Seems appropriate somehow
Leave Babylon 5 in peace.🙏🏼
Yeah. It was lighting in a bottle. I just can't see that being recreated. EVER. Even with Straczinski at the helm. I love the guy, but no way to recapture the magic.
I agree it was such a great show despite the lack of cg and what not that doing it again would be doing a discredit to the original
@@sonklp18 What was so good about it was that it didn't have to rely on advanced special effects. The writing and characters made the show. It was beyond scifi. Just an amazing show and almost its own genre.
@jonathanscherer7482 that is true I need to watch it again
@@sonklp18 Although I'd pay a lot for a remastered version where they got a company like ILM to completely modernize the CGI and use AI upsampling on the live action footage.
Just like Fast Food, streaming services are vastly over saturated. To many services and to few watchers split among them. The only reason Netflix became as big as it did is because for a long time it was the only Streaming service, so anyone that wanted to stream had to go to them. Now days every network and studio has their own streaming service, this spreads the potential customers to thinly.
Don't forget their dvd rentals in the early days. Even if your internet wasn't up to snuff for streaming, you could still get on their website and rent from their catalogues.
Waiting is better than risking ruination.
As for a reboot, I suppose that would be largely the same story as before, but with different actors playing those roles and better graphics. I suppose comparisons will constantly be made to the previous series, which would be inevitable. I hope there will be sufficient new story material told along the way to keep viewers engaged.
Great video! Thanks for this interesting update on the beloved B-5 Universe and Straczynski's efforts to keep it alive. Really good update.
I do not think they can redo this series. The excellent characters and actors were B5. While Battlestar Galactics reboot was excellent, it had excellent writing and actors in perfect roles. B5 cannot be successfully be redone.
The ONLY reboot that was a success, was Battlestar Galactica. Everything else has been ruined. Even Picard Season 3 was mostly trash and they primarily resorted to memberberries, and I didn't fall for it. 😂
B5 is my second favorite thing in the universe; "reimagining" is the very last thing I ever want to see happen. At best it will be pretty but soulless, at worst it will be garbage.
One thing is not clear (MAJOR spoilers ahead). I think the original story benefited by essentially having 2 main leads (Sinclair and Sheridan) instead of the story being a one man show so to speak. And none of their storylines stepped on the toes of the other, which was nicely done. Sinclair (under another identity) became just as much of a legend in the lore as Sheridan did. And I know that it all came to be because of unfortunate real life circumstances around Sinclair's actor (no need to throw that at me).
Would a reboot try the one man show approach again? Would it try to have Sinclair fight both Shadow wars? That would kind of be flat.
When B5 was originally airing, I did not have regular access to the broadcast. I should figure out a way to stream this....
It's on Amazon Prime. HBO has it for a while too.
Free on Tubi currently and I didn’t think the ads were too intrusive really.
it does not need a reboot
They should just leave it alone!
The Streaming Bubble had to collapse sooner or later. No one wants to subscribe to four different platforms to watch ten things they're interested in.
I hope this gets sorted out quickly, for the benefit of fans to consume the content they want to watch but not break the bank doing it. And I honestly cannot wait to see what JMS will do with a second shot at his five-year epic. Babylon 5 still beats out many Myth Arc prestige shows today, because, as you said, JMS took care with it. He had everything planned out, and while there were unavoidable disruptions (cancellation at the end of Season 4, uncancellation for Season 5), he did his best to plan around possible interruptions (having "trap doors" for characters should actors suddenly become unavailable and replacement characters ready to step into their roles within the narrative). With his vision proven, with people who actually like Babylon 5 in positions to give him the permission to do it right, and most importantly, JMS himself in the center seat, I have no doubt this will be at least as good as the original show, and probably better.
maybe it would be better to start reviving B5 in gaming industry. on start with some smaller games, later bigger and bigger
I heard that originally Delenn was supposed to be a male Minbari. If you look at the pilot episode Mira Furlan had a harder look to her makeup. But I guess when the studio found out that Delenn would be transforming into not just a half human/half Minbari but also become female that was too much.
Given today's political and social climate, they may revisit that idea.
JMS recently worked on Sense8, which featured a trans character since both the Wachoskis are now women, so yeah, it’ll probably happen.
I think the original Minbari where supposed to be gender fluid. I would be surprised if they didn’t go back to that.
didnt he say he was going to make changes for a more modern audience?
*_"Can you and your associates arrange that for me Mr. Morden?"_* 😉
If Zaslav gets hold of Paramount, you can forget about a Babylon 5 reboot.
And that would be great cause B5 doesn't need any reboot
I will be praying for Zaslavs success nightly.
Weren't Sinclair and Sheridan meant to be the same character originally? Same with Lyta Alexander and Talia Winters? But JMS had to accomodate actors leaving the series. Might be interesting if he followed his original vision? Although I am sceptical a modern remake can be better
For me, I don't want this reboot to happen. B5 was perfection as far as I am concerned. A reboot in 2024 or beyond IMHO will likely be a disaster. Like woke and silly. Likely a complete divergence from the original. I can see the disaster coming, and I hope it will never happen.
I agree. I feel the same about Ridley Scott's proposed film version of Joe Haldeman's Forever War.
I’m the same… but I do let myself wonder. What it could be like…. If they got it right??? Wow! 🙏
If it were in the hands of anyone besides JMS, I’d probably agree. I trust him.
Yes he, by himself, could probably make a good prequel series, but studio execs, producers, bean counters, all kinds of people could through a monkey wrench in the project; I hope not. If it happens, don't compare it to or judge it by its relation to the original. Just try to think of it as as a new sify series. If you like it, watch it. If it's bad, don't. 🖖
You do know that you don’t have to watch it….
Faith manages.
I remember using VHS to get first episodes 30 years ago. It was just as good as all the most popular shows of Sci-fi. B5 has just been put out on complete set of Blu-ray! 🤗 I would be interested, but I hope they don't go overboard on any reimagining😮
Let's all hope this happens!
Best Sci-Fi series ever, and I've been a loyal fan of Star Trek since the 60's. My wife and I re-watch the B5 series every other year. The evolution of relationships between the main characters is fantastic. Especially between G'Kar and Londo. Great cast, directing, special effects, and outstanding writing based on idealistic principles. It's not the picture perfect world of Star Trek. After all, we're all human and we have baggage I don't think we'll ever eliminate. B5 reflects both the highs and the lows of the human race, which is more realistic while also trying to hold to ideals. All that said part of me cringed at first when a reboot was mentioned because I wouldn't change a thing. But because JMS would be the steward and major force behind the reboot I'm comfortable with it and am positive he can improve on the original. Imagine what could be done all these years later with the storyline and special effects. I'll always have a special place in my heart for the original actors. Loved them all. But would keep an open mind here. I'd love to see some content from the book series "The Passing of the Techno-Mages" and interweave the activities of Galen that run in parallel with Sheridan going to Z'ha'dum. Hope this happens! Also, recently read JMS's books Glass Box and We All Go Together. Outstanding. And "Becoming Superman" is just amazing. Can't say enough about his writing and am amazed his well of imagination has not dried up by now.
I'm not going to lie, given the quality of "modern reboots" and "reimaginings" I am a honestly DREADING the idea of the best Science Fiction TV shows EVER being "reimagined for a modern audience" Babylob 5 is a work of art avmnd frankly does not need to be Reimagined. But if it is done, I hope to hell they do it right and do it justice. I am not overly confident but we shall see I guess.
Ordinarily, I would heartily agree with you; but the one person I would trust to do a reboot *right* is JMS himself.
@@lewisvanatta639 JMS form THIRTY years ago, or JMS NOW? ;)
@lewisvanatta639 Yeah, I have felt that way at times, but the way things have changed, I worry. JMS will be working with his own IP, but the original was slow perfect, I dont know why it needs a reimagining at all. Ivam terrified we will end up with a "Rings of power" like Babylon 5. It makes me very nervous. I hope I am wrong, I hope JMS makes a wonderful thing, but I just don't know.
Thing is, if it's great that's fantastic, if it's not, well what do we lose? They can't take the original away from us, so I say go for it
@@insanimal2 sure, they can't take the original away, I just hate to see great IPs get trashed. I guess we will see if it happens and if JMS can pull it off. Most Reimaginings are total Dumpster fires. But maybe B5 will be like Battlestat Glactica and break the pattern. There is always hope.
I would prefer watching a hundred low budget fan films to a single episode of a "reimagined" network B5.
Thanks Elaine
The images here are amazing. Really makes me wonder how excellent the scenery can be today for B5 or a Battlestar reboot. I hope this happens but do not trust either of the companies involved
Other than updating the effects what needs to be "reimagined?".
Hollywood studios reimagining things always spells trouble, look at the ashes of the Star Wars, Star Trek, Dr. Who and Marvel franchises.
I see a B5 video from Nerd Cookies. I hit like! No excptions! 😊
The classic television model funded itself through advertisers and physical media. The streaming services waged an all out war against physical media and advertising, nearly destroying the entire industry. These same streaming companies have now come to the realization that the "streamers" will never pay whats needed to sustain the model and advertising has begun to seep in even when you pay for a service. Due to extreme greed and the cost behind creating new content, this trend will continue until we're back to 15-minute commercial breaks and increased pressure to "buy" digital media that we never really own...
Only thing B5 needs is updated special effects
I think it is wise that he waits. I know in my case that there’s a number of things I would like to watch but I can’t afford more streaming services than what I already have. So I just half to hope that I’ll get to see them another way and another time. The market is saturated with streaming services and that’s the big problem.
Honestly, if he owned the rights, this would be perfect for what Apple+ is currently doing. The have embraced science fiction in the last few years with shows like the foundation, severance and currently constellation
B5 crusade was cut before its end, leaving fans with only half a story..
Personally, I would just love to hear him say he's thinking about it and a possible animated series to finish the story.. I know I would pay for that..
B5 was classic tv scify, but im cautiously optimistic for the reboot, so fingers crossed.
I'm a huge fan of the original series, and i'm trying to understand what story he wants to tell by calling it a re imagining because we don't need a retread of the original story... Yeah, you can do it with updated effects and so forth, but I think most fans would want to see something original set within that universe. I'm not clear from his comments what story he's "wanting to tell" unless he really is talking about telling the same story , but in a new way, which I think would be a mistake...
Aside from "reimagining" such a stellar series, the problem is all the studios want all the streaming money and have fragmented the audience so much that they are (my guess) losing more than if they just produced something and licensed it to a main streaming service(Netflix?).
There is no more talks of merging the studios, that was scraped this week.
Babylon 5 is on Tubi! Love B5!!
I always thought that they could do spin off of the adventures B4 had in the past.
Given the endless screwups by the original networks that distributed B5 initially, INCLUDING Warner Brothers, it is no surprise that JMS wants to stay clear of a repeat. The butchery inflicted on the end of the series was due entirely to the incompetence of the studios.
I would like : B5 30 years later. New developments, new crew but with stories around the old crew and the effect they have on whats happening 30 years later
No, you had one shot to tell the story you wanted, and it is what it is.
It is well known and established that the increase of cost of content for streaming is directly linked to the costs of production of movies in Hollywood which is to say the costs are self-induced. Some of the most expensive productions are (and have always been) science fiction. However, we see that independent studios do NOT have the same production to cost ratios due to the fact that most of the inflated overhead of Hollywood is NOT due to actual increased value and price but due to MISMANAGEMENT.
These people need to be fired. Hier good writers and independent (out of the system) production staff, distribution charges and the costs will automatically come down. Merging is NOT the answer as competition is good! It is the 'American Way'!!
Thanks Elaine!!!!!!!!!!! :)
I love B5. And I can't wait for the day to see what else JMS has in store for his universe. But I greatly fear before Warner Brothers gets their head out of their ass. That we'll end up losing him to the great beyond 😢
How could you improve on perfection?
In current times , I hope they NEVER make a new one .
indeed, no way
Instead of exploring new sustainable models perhaps they should just stop butchering beloved shows and characters. Every time I hear "reboot", "reimagining" or "modern audience" I get a feeling of dread for what could become of a favorite story.
I loved this show. I would watch a reboot.
JMS can do whatever he thinks best. Nobody else should ever touch it, from a “film” production standpoint. This vid, however, plays like a release straight from his press agent’s office. You were bent over so far you just about face-planted.
No. STOP.
The original will still exist and you can watch it if you prefer it to whatever JMS comes up with. Double win.
He thinks a lot like Harlan Ellison and they both fight for what they believe in. Too bad Harlan has passed, but he gave MJS a lot of good guidance.
Related but side note. I heard the Blu ray transfer is not good via amazon reviews and the original dvd is still best way to watch. Only been rewatching via streaming but am a physical media guy. Do NOT want to waste by the blu ray to find out those reviews were right. BUT also do not want to buy the DVD and find out the blu ray isn't as bad as said. What do real fans and the comments seem full of them think on a comparison of them. Is there a version out there that is the best faithful quality wise to get?
The key thing is to check the aspect ratio and get a version in the originally aired 4:3 format. The widescreen conversion was garbage.
My DVD set looks just fine.
I can only imagine what they'll do to this. Delenn turns into a man instead of just a hybrid to show John how to be secure as a gay beta man. Ivanova rules like a "queen" while Sheridan cries in a corner. They need to stop fucking things up, I have no faith in this.
In one of JMS' early drafts, Delenn DID, "transform" from MALE to FEMALE... ironic... ;)
Sad but I would not bet against this.
It is wise to wait more.
this time the borg show up and hungery for more tech.
I personally would rather a facelift to the graphics portion of the old show. Kinda like what they did with Star Trek the Original Series, but with even more refined graphics for the space combat.
A merger between Warner Discovery and Paramount doesn't inspire much confidence in me after how much content was purged from HBO Max following the WB acquistion by Discovery.
Currently watching Babylon 5 with the kids to show them what a well written show looks like.
A reboot isn't necessary, just update the cgi for the original.
Babylon 5 is as great as it could be made. Good luck finding ANY B5 fan's to watch it, I won't be.
I have the original series on DVD and don't want it rebooted, it will suck.
I agree. I own the entire original series and all the movies with the original cast on DVD. All it needs is a remastered version.
Leave it alone, do not re make anything. It will end up ruined.
Thanks
B5 in the same sandbox as Paramount's Star Trek,... yeah, as much as I love B5, the ST crowd ain't gonna let any product out that might be seen as better then theirs.
We need to wait another decade or so. This generation of writers only knows how to insert current day rhetoric with self insert / or pandering characters.
It's so sad to be in a time where instead of excitement for something new I just really don't want to see something I enjoyed "re-imagined for modern audiences".
They told their story. It's over with. Go on to something else. Something new.
Well, it has onky been 25- 30 years. I guess we can wait a few more decades. ...
Yeah hold off untill things shake out. I'd really like to see a high level view of what the story is all about. There are some things that you are not going to ba able to redo. As some noted below, many of the actors in the show have died, and rebooting is going to be very complicated and complex. I am wary, even if it is JMS.
Problem is JMS is 70 this year, how much longer will he hold out waiting? but I agree about holding off in the current social climate, now is not the time to do a reboot in the middle of the culture wars.
Rebooting the series would be a mistake. How many times do we need to see a series that was rebooted only for it to fail. The Shadow War was complete. They left for beyond the rim. So many of the original cast went beyond the rim. It would be far better to tell a story of the period after Crusade where a new Babylon 5 cast would be fighting the remainder of the Drac and those allied to the Shadows. That way they can bring in some of the previous cast to guest star with the new ones.
If the merger goes thru, will Bugs Bunny and the rest of the WB crewe be featured on B5?
Well... Garibaldi was a big Duck Dodgers/Daffy Duck Fan... ;)
Holosuites ...
A reboot.
Pure laziness and cowardice by MJS and timid investors and studios.
Instead of a reboot, why not create a sequel or even a prequel, and actually demonstrate a sense ambition and creativity?
Cowards, just like the timid beancounters in charge of the other big scifi franchises.
Exactly how I feel!!!
A continuation would be good
He tried a continuation and was burned by it, remember his war with TNT over the Crusade series?
NOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooo.......................................
I hope that this reboot of Babylon 5 will NEVER happen; in the actual context of Hollywood, J. Michael Straczynski won't be able to avoid the woke and DEI agenda and this would end in a disaster for Babylon 5. 😰
Even worse, a very, very bad reboot would tarnish the original series as it did for Star Wars and the original trilogy with Luke Skywalker. 😥
LuL you believe in the woke agenda?
@@beerenmusli8220 Look at the current state of Disney and there is your answer.
@@glenyoung1809 you mean quality and storylines that are all over the place and have no coherrency?
As it happens, I finished watching my 5 season box set last week. I hope JMS has developed new story arcs for the revival. The movies and "Crusade" that came after the original were terrible.
Don't ever allow Disney to get involved. See what happened to the general story line of Star Wars.
They have to take Disney and Amazon as examples of how a loved series can be a destroy.
i would like to have a reboot but only if straczynski is in control ... if done by others no way .... don't want a disney like approach of rebooting
JMS knows what he's doing. And, thank you for the update.
Given the history of reboots I'm not optimistic.
I don't want a reboot, I want the Psi-war led by Bester!
WHY reboot a masterpiece?!?!
Why, we've already seen it...
If you make a completely separate series then I will watch otherwise count me out!
Mike Las Vegas NV
Oh no. It will be woke and sh*t.
I just know it.
The original had a beginning and a end,so what the heck does he want to tell, it would have to something after the ending of the original B5