Babylon 5 Next Generation

[Jaro Stun]

Hi All,

I just had a thought....
Original Babylon 5 has taken place in 23rd century (2258-2262), approx. the timeframe of the original Star Trek series.

Let's imagine that Babylon 5 would be treated in a similar manner as Star Trek, and would get a "The Next generation" show in upcoming decades.

What would you imagine the future version of Babylon 5 universe would look like. in let's say 2370-ties?
(To clarify, I'm not asking about the real world production possibility, but about the universe itself, how do you imagine things would have moved with the political situation, technology etc.?)

We've seen a glimpse of that in Deconstruction of Falling stars - the EA hasn't changed much, Shadow war/Sheridan becomes more like myth than historical fact (strange)...
I'd love to see some advanced ISA crusier from that time period...maybe already using organic hull armor and Vorlon weaponary, maybe already more Star Trek-like technology has been developed (transporters perhaps)...


What would be your thoughts?

 

[Reverend]

We've already seen such a ship: the ISA have the Valen class cruiser circa 2271, while EF still have the Omegas and Warlocks. The only major advancement we know from 'Sleeping In Light' and 'Space Time and the Incurable Romantic' seams to be that they managed to get jump engines into smaller, flyer sized ships like the Snub-nose Whitestar and the ship Marcus bought after he was revived. The impression I get from that short story and 'Deconstruction of Falling Stars' is that galactic civilisation stabilised and sort of plateaued technologically so I don't think anything would have changed that drastically.

I very much doubt they'd have transporters as not even the First Ones have been known to pull that off, though the Thirdspace alien did something similar over a short distance, it's hard to tell with that thing.

 

[robelirobban]

Well, the situation down on Centauri Prime was never resolved as far as I know. One could see some sort of war of independence against the "shadow associates". But this could easily be a story-line far earlier than 2370.

Other than that, maybe something about telepaths again? I feel that the issue was never really attended to in Babylon 5 and an official war - presumably started by PsiCore in a hastened move against someone exposing them infiltrating the earth government - seems appropriate.

Other than that, I can think of nothing else... perhaps thirdspace is wanted to be conquered. That could maybe be a premise.... It seems though, as if the universe is a lot calmer, at least between the species introduced in babylon 5. And those species are also really the foundation of the whole series and universe. No conflict means no premise

 

[Hound of UIster]

Babylon 5 is not some deep space franchise...

And the situation with the centauri was resolved in a bunch of novels based on JMS's notes.

 

[Warped9]

Babylon 5 is not some deep space franchise...

I'm in the midst of revisiting B5 and have just finished watching fourth season. I love this series, my second favourite SF series after Star Trek TOS.

There really is a whole raft of stories to tell if you want to include the B5 station itself since it lasts for twenty years after the main story. If you go beyond that can you really call it Babylon 5? Crusade was one possibility. There could easily be others. We never did get to see the telepath war or the Drakh war. After Sheridan's passing there are any number of possibilities.

 

[Hermiod]

Babylon 5 is not some deep space franchise...

No, you're right. It's hazard to navigation.

Oh yes, I went there.

 

[DarKush]

I think JMS shot himself in the foot by declaring B5 the last of the Babylon stations. It shut the door on the possibilities for B6, B7, etc. Though what one poster said, there's 20 years of stories that can be done while B5 was operational, but to be honest, since we got a good sense of closure with Sheridan's death and the destruction of the station in the finale, I'm not sure I would like to see another series set within that timeframe. Comics, novels, and STV movies would be cool though.

If Crusade had been given a fair shot and if they had made couple changes on Legends of the Rangers maybe those could've led to a next generation scenario. The material is there, it's just how do you frame it and connect it back to B5. We really didn't get resolution with the telepaths, Centauri, or the Hand for example, so there's definitely unfinished business.

 

[BrotherBenny]

I think JMS shot himself in the foot by declaring B5 the last of the Babylon stations. It shut the door on the possibilities for B6, B7, etc.

It was the last of the Babylon stations in-universe because the first three were sabotaged/destroyed and the fourth vanished, so the Earth Alliance could not justify the cost of another one if the fifth had such a problem. The fact of the matter is that there was no longer a need for a neutral location where humans and aliens could get along...the political situation stabilized once the Shadows were taken care of and PsiCorp dismantled.

I don't think that a B5:TNG series would work unless a new race was introduced which was even more dangerous than the Shadows.

What could work is B5: The First War, a prequel series set a millennium before B5 using B4 and the Minbari/Shadow war.

 

[Reverend]

Well, the situation down on Centauri Prime was never resolved as far as I know.

Actually it was pretty comprehensively covered in the "Legions of Fire" novel trilogy.

There really is a whole raft of stories to tell if you want to include the B5 station itself since it lasts for twenty years after the main story. If you go beyond that can you really call it Babylon 5? Crusade was one possibility. There could easily be others. We never did get to see the telepath war or the Drakh war. After Sheridan's passing there are any number of possibilities.

Oh there's loads of possible stories to tell. You could have whole narratives just based around elements that have little if anything to do with the B5 station, from the Mars resistance to IPX, Psi Corps and the Rangers. You could even tell stories based around the time of Valen, or even in the "New Earth era." It's a very versatile franchise.

I don't think that a B5:TNG series would work unless a new race was introduced which was even more dangerous than the Shadows.

I think you just essentially described what "Legend of the Rangers" was going to be.

 

[label]

Babylon 5 is not some deep space franchise...

And the situation with the centauri was resolved in a bunch of novels based on JMS's notes.

Really? Crusade? Legend of the Rangers? If JMS could have had his way with Crusade and it did well, he would have done it. If a Legend of the Rangers series would have become viable, he would have done that too. There's no difference between what each would have done except that Star Trek enjoyed more success. (Not saying they they deserved more success.....)