No matter how you slice it, the 1990's was a Golden Age for science fiction on television. Some of the most-acclaimed and popular shows of the genre either began or ended their runs in the decade, like Stargate SG-1, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and The X-Files, but perhaps no series more perfectly captured that ’90's sci-fi feel than Babylon 5.
Originally airing from 1993 until 1998, today Babylon 5 serves as an awesome time capsule for that period in history. As CGI special effects were becoming more affordable and widespread in the ’90's, Babylon 5 employed them a lot. And while it’s certainly tempting to call the show’s effects “dated,” we think “charming” is a much more appropriate descriptor. Replacing the old practical effects of classic shows like The Twilight Zone with modern computer-generated imagery would obviously make for a more realistic viewing experience, but it would also cause the show would lose much of what makes it special. The same is true for the CGI in Babylon 5. The effects aren’t the most realistic the world’s ever seen, but they do a great job of reminding the viewer of the time period in which they were shot. In other words, they’re perfect.
And while special effects are an important part of any sci-fi production, it’s the stories that really set the great series apart from the rest. This is where Babylon 5 truly shines. While at first glance the plot doesn’t seem too remarkable, as it centers around a space station where dignitaries from Earth and other planets meet to prevent any future outbreaks of war, it was actually pretty incredible. The entire series was plotted out from the start, something that’s basically never seen on a television show, and was conceived as a “novel for television” that would take place across five years. This was a huge gamble, but it paid off, as the series lasted for exactly five seasons, with each one taking place over the course of one year, just as series creator J. Michael Straczynski — who wrote all but 18 of the series’ 110 episodes — intended.
