A new B5 series on the horizon?

[Reverend]

Skipping back to the original topic, here's a good interview with JMS in which he touches on what he had planned. The interview starts about an hour in and lasts for about 2 hours.

Jan

Just got around the listen to that and it's interesting to hear that he confirms that "reboot" really means a square one do over, with some of the original cast in new roles (Bruce as the EA President, Mira as a human etc.)

I'm of course still curious what his "Plan-B" might be, but we'll just have to wait and see what comes of it...or wait to hear how that went up in smoke too .

 

[Temis the Vorta]

A square-one reboot with some cameos from the old cast in new roles sounds like a great idea to me. But from the looks of it, I shouldn't hold my breath...

 

[Warped9]

I loved B5 just as it is. I'm not interested in seeing it remade from scratch. I'd much rather they do something more along the lines of a TNG type of restart.

 

[Sindatur]

Skipping back to the original topic, here's a good interview with JMS in which he touches on what he had planned. The interview starts about an hour in and lasts for about 2 hours.

Jan

Just got around the listen to that and it's interesting to hear that he confirms that "reboot" really means a square one do over, with some of the original cast in new roles (Bruce as the EA President, Mira as a human etc.)

I'm of course still curious what his "Plan-B" might be, but we'll just have to wait and see what comes of it...or wait to hear how that went up in smoke too .

Yea, that really threw me for a loop, I never would've imagined he'd want to start B5 over at Square-one and re-do it. Crusade, yea, definitely, since a continuation is out of the question, but, B5 proper, was totally unexpected, I was certain it couldn't be what it sounded like, but, apparently, it was

 

[shivkala]

Just got around the listen to that and it's interesting to hear that he confirms that "reboot" really means a square one do over, with some of the original cast in new roles (Bruce as the EA President, Mira as a human etc.)

Yea, that really threw me for a loop, I never would've imagined he'd want to start B5 over at Square-one and re-do it. Crusade, yea, definitely, since a continuation is out of the question, but, B5 proper, was totally unexpected, I was certain it couldn't be what it sounded like, but, apparently, it was[/QUOTE]

It just doesn't sound right to me. Especially the part about using original cast members in new roles. I understand the reason for putting Leonard Nimoy in the Star Trek, but to have the cast in new roles, it just would stretch my suspension of disbelief and every time I saw the EA President, (Clark or Santiago?) all I would think is, "Hey, that's Sheridan."

Why not reboot Crusade as others have said. Yes, I am still beholden to the original actors, but not as much, seeing as how we only got 1/2 of the length of one season of Babylon 5 worth of them. Then you could still use Boxleitner and Furlan, in the roles they are best known for.

 

[Harvey]

The new version of Battlestar Galactica got away with casting the lead of the old version (Richard Hatch as Apollo) in a new supporting role (Tom Zarek). I don't see why Babylon 5 can't do the same thing, provided the actors are in meaty roles and not just there being a distraction.

 

[Kegg]

It just doesn't sound right to me. Especially the part about using original cast members in new roles.

That's entirely consistent with JMS's modus operandi, though.

Just look at... well... Babylon 5. A series which featured Lost in Space's Bill Mumy and Star Trek's Walter Koenig, nods to space opera TV decades prior. Did you see Pavel Chekov in Alfred Bester?

 

[Skywalker]

I'd love to see Boxleitner play some kind of villain, actually.

 

[Kegg]

^
Mira Furlan as the Cenauri Empress?

 

[shivkala]

It just doesn't sound right to me. Especially the part about using original cast members in new roles.

That's entirely consistent with JMS's modus operandi, though.

Just look at... well... Babylon 5. A series which featured Lost in Space's Bill Mumy and Star Trek's Walter Koenig, nods to space opera TV decades prior. Did you see Pavel Chekov in Alfred Bester?

No, however, I did see Delenn in Danielle Rosseau and I keep seeing President Laura Roslin in Captain Sharon Raydor.


Regardless of that though, my point is that, yes, actors play different roles, but when they are prominent in a show and then play another role, to me, it's jarring.

For instance, I saw the Soul Hunter in Warleader G'Sten, I saw Byron in Morann, and I saw Lorien in the Drakh (from whom I get my namesake) and in the Drazi ("Interludes and Examinations").

 

[Admiral_Young]

A little bit off topic but JMS just posted on his facebook fan page that he "got the final deal points" on a big non-Babylon 5 project that should be hitting the trades in the next week or so. I wonder what it is.

 

[Sephiroth]

I don't know if you could have a G'karr without Katsulas

 

[Yoda]

Sure you can have G'kar without the dead guy. Heck, there might even be a BETTER G'kar out there if you find the right actor. Even if your G'kar isn't quite as good, frankly, there were a lot of unimpressive actors on the original show where you can offset the 'lesser' G'kar and more.

And hey, maybe a reboot could have it so there aren't 12 different people playing Na'toth!

I think a B5 reboot could work pretty well. The original was a great series, sure, but if JMS has the sense to outsource the dialogue, find good actors, and they budget it decently with the last 15-20 years of technological improvements it could be fantastic. A much better idea than another shitty doomed to fail spinoff at least.

As for cameos/roles for original B5 actors... why not? Zarek in BSG was an interesting character, whether you knew who the actor was or not. Like Harvey said, give the decent actors from the original show 'meaty' roles. Give the crap actors little cameos where viewers in the know get a smile out of it, but their awfulness can't hurt the show.

 

[chrisspringob]

I honestly have no idea what the point of a B5 remake would be. There's a certain logic to rebooting Star Trek or BSG, as you're reusing a particular setting and characters, but that's it. But B5 is basically a novel for television. What's the point of rewriting a novel in the very same medium that it was originally conceived? Why not just do something else in the B5 universe, or something completely original?

This is the first I've heard of behind the scenes issues with Cole. Honestly, if they were intending to continue the show without him, I'm happy it was cancelled. Seeing him in a serious, leading role was one of the best things about the series.

I don't think there's any specific complaints, just a lot on in-between the lines stuff in a lot of interviews. The closest i can recall to an actual grievance is a mention somewhere of him getting out of dodge pretty damn fast when shooting stopped, but I can't remember if that was the first or second time round.

IIRC, one of the script books reprints an old interview with Janet Greek, in which she suggests that Cole didn't display much "team spirit". Like it was just a job to him, and he didn't try to act as a kind of team leader and cheerleader for the show, like Boxleitner did.

She said that JMS told her that the final minutes of "End of the Line" were not intended as a sendoff to Gideon, and that he'd be returning.....but that she didn't actually believe JMS when he said that, because she thought the writing had been on the wall with Cole.

 

[Neroon]

Sure you can have G'kar without the dead guy. Heck, there might even be a BETTER G'kar out there if you find the right actor. Even if your G'kar isn't quite as good, frankly, there were a lot of unimpressive actors on the original show where you can offset the 'lesser' G'kar and more.

This pretty much settles the matter (emphasis mine)

Posted by JMS on 2-14-06

Just over a year ago, Andreas Katsulas -- who loved smoking with a passion that cannot be described -- was diagnosed with lung cancer, which by then had already spread to other areas. He quit smoking at once and went on a healthy diet and vitamin program, but there was little hope of a good resolution even though the new regimen was very good for him. When we spoke about it, he laughed, and said, "Now that I'm dying I've never felt better!"

His spirits were always up and positive, putting everyone at ease about his condition, because...well, that's the kind of person he was.

A couple of months ago, he and his wife convened a dinner with me, Doug, and Peter Jurasik, which was filled with laughter and stories and good food. He wanted to know all the stories we never told him because, as he said, "Who am I going to tell?" So we did. Because we knew we were saying goodbye, and there would not be a second chance.

Last night, in the company of his wife and family, Andreas closed his eyes and went away.

He lived an amazing life...full of travel and wonder and good
work...was part of the world renowned Peter Brook company...he saw the planet, loved and was loved, ate at great restaurants, smoked too many cigarettes...he lived a life some people would die for.

And, sadly, due to the last part of that equation...he did.

Memorial arrangements are still being worked out, but will doubtless be private.

Andreas is gone...and G'Kar with him, because no one else can ever play that role, or ever will.

I will miss him terribly.



J. Michael Straczynski

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I honestly have no idea what the point of a B5 remake would be. There's a certain logic to rebooting Star Trek or BSG, as you're reusing a particular setting and characters, but that's it. But B5 is basically a novel for television. What's the point of rewriting a novel in the very same medium that it was originally conceived? Why not just do something else in the B5 universe, or something completely original?

QFT -- let's see a rebooted Crusade done properly or a representation of some other fictional universe whose premise differs radically from both Star Trek and B5.

 

[Sindatur]

I'd still love to see JMS Helm a Rebooted Blake's 7. I think Crusade had a lot of Blake's 7 potential, if it ahd run it's course.

 

[Yoda]

This pretty much settles the matter (emphasis mine)

Andreas is gone...and G'Kar with him, because no one else can ever play that role, or ever will.

I will miss him terribly.

I don't know if that really applies to a reboot scenario though where EVERYONE is being recast. Otherwise you know he's just going to, in typical JMS style, make up a plug-in replacement character for G'kar anyway.

 

[DWF]

I think it's needs to restated. There isn't going to be a rebooted Babylon 5 series. I kind hate the fact that JMS even mentioned it in the first place.

 

[Reverend]

This pretty much settles the matter (emphasis mine)

Andreas is gone...and G'Kar with him, because no one else can ever play that role, or ever will.

I will miss him terribly.

I don't know if that really applies to a reboot scenario though where EVERYONE is being recast. Otherwise you know he's just going to, in typical JMS style, make up a plug-in replacement character for G'kar anyway.

Or have an entierly different Narn character, no? Since it would obviously be pointless to just redo the show verbatim, it's safe to assume most if not all of the major plot pieces would get moved around. Indeed, had this gone ahead I would fully expect JMS to play double and triple bluff games to play off of the fans' preconceptions and expectations.