Babylon 5

[The Scrooge Doctor]

A damn shame. I would love to see some closure for it in whatever form.

I hate how studios own the rights for a particular property or corner of a property, but refuse to do anything with it while also steadfastly refusing to sell it. That level of greed and selfishness will always drive me nutty.

 

[Advent Zwetschgenknödel]

They're businesses - possibly they don't believe they can make money from the property nor do they want to be humiliated by selling it and seeing someone else turn it into a success. However, I don't think Crusade would ever have outperformed Babylon 5 in its audience share. It would rely too much on that audience being familiar with B5. Crusade was to B5 as DS9 was to TNG, albeit with the basic premise (ship-based versus station-based) reversed. DS9 never achieved the success of TNG, even though it was a better show overall, in my opinion. (And, no, despite the superficial similarities and coincidences, I don't believe DS9 ripped off B5.)

If JMS believes the themes of Crusade are important, then he should create a new show in a different universe to explore them. While the studio owns the rights to Crusade, it doesn't own the rights to the broader themes. Think melody versus chord progression.

 

[tomalak301]

I just watched Road Home now that it was available to rent, and I have to say while it was nice to get back into the universe of B5, I'm glad I rented it and didn't buy it. It was ok, but kind of dull. I did like the Shadow action sequence though, and the resolution. I would much rather have something to continue Crusade, but considering that isn't possible, I would watch anything related to B5 if this is the direction they want to go.

I found this Zathras kind of annoying, and they were repeating the same jokes from the series. It was funny the first time, but kind of cringy here.

 

[Timby]

no, we are, but it's not gonna be on the CW anymore. Probably gonna be on MAX I believe. And it'll be live-action.

The rights are being shopped by Warner Bros. Discovery but there has been no pilot or series order. To say "we are" definitively getting the live-action reboot is incredibly premature.

 

[Sci]

It was a cute movie, but didn't really work for me as anything other than a "hey remember that character?" montage.

 

[Dee1891]

If JMS believes the themes of Crusade are important, then he should create a new show in a different universe to explore them. While the studio owns the rights to Crusade, it doesn't own the rights to the broader themes. Think melody versus chord progression.

I really wish JMS would do that. In fact, I think the film and TV industries really need to break away from the old franchises and focus on creating something new. It's time.

 

[Advent Zwetschgenknödel]

I really wish JMS would do that. In fact, I think the film and TV industries really need to break away from the old franchises and focus on creating something new. It's time.

Amen - way past time. For example, there are plenty of SF novel series ripe for the picking.

 

[David cgc]

A personal article was recently put up about a member of the cast on Medium: “My Dad Starred in a Hit TV Show with a Severe Brain Injury”

Sorry to be coy about who it's referring to, but judging by the way it was written, the author apparently didn't want it to come up when you Google this actor's name, so I'm not going to mention it in the post with the actual link.

Jason Carter (or rather, his... person who runs his Facebook page on his behalf) has put out a reply to his son's article on his Facebook page. Quoted below for those who don't have accounts:

{Admin} I'd like to address something serious with you all, which Jason and I have been avoiding because we didn't want to give the slander more oxygen. However, now that it's being cited by ignorant but well-meaning fans as an attempt to explain Jason's absence from the B5 animated movie (which JMS has repeatedly and truthfully explained was purely due to budget), it is time to say something. There is an article that was published in December 2022 on Medium written by Jason's eldest son about something that happened to Jason when his son was only 5 years old - Jason's TBI (traumatic brain injury), which Jason has discussed with fans in the past and has never been a secret. In this article, Jason's symptoms and recovery are, regrettably, grossly exaggerated and in some cases completely misrepresented. Neither Jason nor his close family were consulted about the writing or publishing of this article, and we only found out about it this past summer. We were stunned. I will refrain from going into much detail here, as this is an issue to be sorted out privately, but we can only guess that this version of events was solely informed to his son via Jason's first wife, who has struggled with mental illness for decades (his eldest son has been historically public in his writing about the mental health struggles of both himself and his mother, so it is not something that hasn't already been disclosed). This fact is mentioned here only because Jason and I have tried in vain to understand the rationale or motivation behind the publishing, which initially felt insidious, especially with the use of a "clickbait" title and clear intention to attract as its audience as many fans of both Jason and B5 as possible.

Unfortunately, Jason's choice to not comment on the article has been seen by some as a testament to its veracity, therefore it is time to make it clear that it was published without Jason's consultation, approval, or consent. We will not engage in a point-by-point rebuttal, due to the fact that we believe it is important to respect the privacy of the others involved even if Jason's privacy is not given that same courtesy. However, please know that JMS was asked about it on Twitter, and his reply clearly refuted the article's negative claims about Jason's professionalism and temperament. On that note, it has been mentioned by JMS multiple times in the past that Marcus's death was planned in Season 5, but had to be moved to Season 4 - JMS had to wrap up all of his major plotlines because it was understood at that time that the series would not be renewed for a fifth season, so the article's assertion that Marcus was "killed off" specifically because of Jason's "behavior" is a complete fabrication (among many others, unfortunately).

Anyway, we would ask for your understanding in this matter, and if you see the article "My Dad Starred in a Hit TV Show with a Severe Brain Injury" posted by B5 fans then please take a moment to inform them, at the very least, that it is heavily biased. The author is a person trying to make sense of what he was told about his father from a source he trusts, and he believes that this information is completely true. One can understand all of this and still be hurt by that person's choice of actions. As Ambassador Kosh once said, "Understanding is a three-edged sword." The "truth" is ever-elusive, as we all only have our (not infallible) memories and our individually-colored perspectives, which we are absolutely entitled to. That being said, the choice to not seek out all possible sources about an event and a person before writing a piece such as this is rather negligent journalism that is better off in a private diary or journal rather than posted online where it can cause this sort of confusion and harm. Or maybe that's just a hot take. Either way, thank you for reading.​

 

[DonIago]

Listened to the commentary track for the film. It's honestly a bit more of a nostalgia fest than it is a deep dive behind the scenes or such, which is a little disappointing. It's great to hear JMS and Boxleitner back in the saddle again, and it's kind of heartwarming that their enthusiasm for the franchise seems undiminished, but it left me wanting a JMS-only track in which he could spend more time addressing some of the more head-scratching (to me) story and stylistic choices made for the film and provide less sentiment and more insight. He does acknowledge the dubious humor at times, and points out a couple of goofs in the film, at least, though I don't think he cops to anything too serious (not that I think there necessarily are any serious goofs in the film).

My more cynical (or pragmatic) side wonders whether there were things JMS wanted to say but wasn't "allowed" to say on the commentary track.

Nostalgia Rating: 8/10
Informative Rating: 4/10

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Yeah, that tracks with the commentaries for the show, when the JMS' commentaries were much more informative, and the actors' commentaries were much more "Look how young we were" kind of comments. Though I remember Peter Jurasik would at least made an effort and tried to break through with some informative stuff.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I'm watching the The Gathering last month, and Kosh says "Hello Entilzah Valen" and I freak out, so I go on line to figure out what the $$$$ is happening, which is how I locate a ten year old thread here where I am freaking out about Kosh saying "Hello Entilzah Valen" and I burble incomprehensible rubbish for pages and pages...

Sorry for 10 years ago.

I'm calmer now.

 

[Advent Zwetschgenknödel]

I don't think that line is in the original version of The Gathering - the one with the Stewart Copeland score - just the revised version with the Cristopher Franke score. Some people say it's a spoiler, but it really isn't. The foreshadowing (sic) is part of what makes B5 so rewatchable. However, either version of The Gathering is so different from the series proper that it might as well be in a parallel reality.

 

[David cgc]

Now I’m trying to remember what the story was with the Crusade DVD commentaries. There was something about one of the commentaries being edited down, but I can’t remember if it was the first pressing and later editions had it “uncensored,” or the other way around, or which one I have.

 

[ATimson]

The first pressing has an edited version, and the commentary was supposed to be removed entirely from later versions (since JMS had only done it under the condition that it wouldn't be edited).

 

[Booji]

My more cynical (or pragmatic) side wonders whether there were things JMS wanted to say but wasn't "allowed" to say on the commentary track.

According to JMS this was the first time they all saw the completed film so they were too busy watching and forgot to talk (or something like that)

 

[Forbin]

I don't think that line is in the original version of The Gathering - the one with the Stewart Copeland score - just the revised version with the Cristopher Franke score. Some people say it's a spoiler, but it really isn't. The foreshadowing (sic) is part of what makes B5 so rewatchable. However, either version of The Gathering is so different from the series proper that it might as well be in a parallel reality.

Yes, they added the line to the second version. I personally thought they shouldn't have, but they never listen to me.

 

[DonIago]

According to JMS this was the first time they all saw the completed film so they were too busy watching and forgot to talk (or something like that)

I wasn't talking specifically about any 'dead air', but just generally. As an example, there's no discussion of the way some of the recreated shots had to be altered due to likeness rights issues, which is the kind of thing as a viewer I would want to know because it a) leaps out at me as a fan, and b) in the absence of any other information seems potentially sloppy or even disrespectful.

As a lesser example, as a story that involves multiple timelines, there are things that appear to be goofs, but could also be explained as 'alternate timeline', but I'm the kind of person who does kind of like to know what the creator's intent was at times like that.

Spoiler: TMI for folks who haven't seen it yet.

In my dream commentary, JMS would have talked about how the Icarus discovering the Shadows here could be reconciled with previous versions of that event, and most importantly I would have liked some discussion of the implications of the final timeline, because you can't just say "The Shadow War hasn't happened (yet) in this timeline," without yanking on a bunch of different plot threads.

Apropos of nothing: Granted I haven't watched B5 in ages, but I initially had no idea that Lochley was Lochley; did anyone else similarly not recognize her based on her appearance in the film?

 

[Noname On A Naughty List]

It looks as the Tubi channel will be dropping Babylon 5 in 11 days. This means no B5 on streaming after August 15. A WB ploy to get fans to buy the Blu-ray set, perhaps?

Will Roku be dropping it as well?

 

[The Scrooge Doctor]

Jason Carter (or rather, his... person who runs his Facebook page on his behalf) has put out a reply to his son's article on his Facebook page. Quoted below for those who don't have accounts:

{Admin} I'd like to address something serious with you all, which Jason and I have been avoiding because we didn't want to give the slander more oxygen. However, now that it's being cited by ignorant but well-meaning fans as an attempt to explain Jason's absence from the B5 animated movie (which JMS has repeatedly and truthfully explained was purely due to budget), it is time to say something. There is an article that was published in December 2022 on Medium written by Jason's eldest son about something that happened to Jason when his son was only 5 years old - Jason's TBI (traumatic brain injury), which Jason has discussed with fans in the past and has never been a secret. In this article, Jason's symptoms and recovery are, regrettably, grossly exaggerated and in some cases completely misrepresented. Neither Jason nor his close family were consulted about the writing or publishing of this article, and we only found out about it this past summer. We were stunned. I will refrain from going into much detail here, as this is an issue to be sorted out privately, but we can only guess that this version of events was solely informed to his son via Jason's first wife, who has struggled with mental illness for decades (his eldest son has been historically public in his writing about the mental health struggles of both himself and his mother, so it is not something that hasn't already been disclosed). This fact is mentioned here only because Jason and I have tried in vain to understand the rationale or motivation behind the publishing, which initially felt insidious, especially with the use of a "clickbait" title and clear intention to attract as its audience as many fans of both Jason and B5 as possible.

Unfortunately, Jason's choice to not comment on the article has been seen by some as a testament to its veracity, therefore it is time to make it clear that it was published without Jason's consultation, approval, or consent. We will not engage in a point-by-point rebuttal, due to the fact that we believe it is important to respect the privacy of the others involved even if Jason's privacy is not given that same courtesy. However, please know that JMS was asked about it on Twitter, and his reply clearly refuted the article's negative claims about Jason's professionalism and temperament. On that note, it has been mentioned by JMS multiple times in the past that Marcus's death was planned in Season 5, but had to be moved to Season 4 - JMS had to wrap up all of his major plotlines because it was understood at that time that the series would not be renewed for a fifth season, so the article's assertion that Marcus was "killed off" specifically because of Jason's "behavior" is a complete fabrication (among many others, unfortunately).

Anyway, we would ask for your understanding in this matter, and if you see the article "My Dad Starred in a Hit TV Show with a Severe Brain Injury" posted by B5 fans then please take a moment to inform them, at the very least, that it is heavily biased. The author is a person trying to make sense of what he was told about his father from a source he trusts, and he believes that this information is completely true. One can understand all of this and still be hurt by that person's choice of actions. As Ambassador Kosh once said, "Understanding is a three-edged sword." The "truth" is ever-elusive, as we all only have our (not infallible) memories and our individually-colored perspectives, which we are absolutely entitled to. That being said, the choice to not seek out all possible sources about an event and a person before writing a piece such as this is rather negligent journalism that is better off in a private diary or journal rather than posted online where it can cause this sort of confusion and harm. Or maybe that's just a hot take. Either way, thank you for reading.​

Thank you for sharing this. It wouldn't stop sites from more slandering but I'm glad his representatives have put something on the record for those of us who actually care.

 

[Jan]

Thank you for sharing this. It wouldn't stop sites from more slandering but I'm glad his representatives have put something on the record for those of us who actually care.

JMS added a comment, too:

J. Michael Straczynski - Hang with JMS
Jumping in for whatever clarity I can bring to this, and to reaffirm the truth in this posting. Though I had very little knowledge of Jason’s personal life (or really any of the cast) because I prefer to keep things on a professional level and not cross the streams, my experience of Jason as an actor was never anything other than sterling. Yes, he was high-energy (in sharp contrast with my own rather laconic style, which apparently amused him no end), and occasionally high-maintenance, but so were many other cast members and *that was the character he was playing, which is why we hired him in the first place.* If you’ve seen Marcus, you’ve seen Jason; if you’ve seen Jason, you’ve seen Marcus.
But we never had a problem with Jason on or off set. He was funny, professional, charitable, and always absolutely prepared. He knew his lines, he hit his marks, and he was flawless, which is why there are so few bits of him ever flubbing anything on the blooper reels.
And yes, had I known there would be a fifth season, which would have pushed the resolution of the Earth Civil War (and Marcus’ fate in that war) into season five, we would spent more time with his character. But I had a gun to my head saying “end this in season four” so I took the bullet for that, and so did Jason. That’s literally all there is to the story.
I haven’t seen Jason in a long while, and as usual don’t know much of anything about his personal life in this present moment, , but I can say, with absolute crystal clarity, that while I worked with him, he was never anything less than a splendid human being. Anyone who says otherwise wasn’t there, doesn’t know, and can go eat a bag of dicks.
J. Michael Straczynski - Hang with JMS