Babylon 5

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Deconstruction of Falling Stars ... A perfect compliment to the very end of Sleeping In Light revealing the whole show was an ISN Special Documentary.

With the announcement of the new ST series, perhaps there will be fresh public appetite for space opera. If so, it is time for a B5 reboot? Perhaps combine it with Crusade to complete that story line. Any deviations from the old series can be interpreted as an attempt to remove the historical revisionism in the old ISN documentary. No need for debates about canon.

 

[Jan]

With the announcement of the new ST series, perhaps there will be fresh public appetite for space opera. If so, it is time for a B5 reboot? Perhaps combine it with Crusade to complete that story line. Any deviations from the old series can be interpreted as an attempt to remove the historical revisionism in the old ISN documentary. No need for debates about canon.

Good point. Alas, the only thing even vaguely in the pipeline is the proposed B5 feature film that JMS wants to do. It's a reboot but may be a ways away. Originally JMS planned to write the feature in 2015 and possibly go into production this year but some major eye issues may have affected the proposed timeline for his Studio JMS gaining the 'street cred' needed to attract the investors needed. WB itself, which owns all other rights than the feature film rights, seems completely disinclined to do anything with B5.

 

[Gov Kodos]

In "The Fall of Centauri Prime", Lyta said:

And anticipated by Jason Ironheart, too.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

Over the last past week or so, been watching the show again, as I finally got around to buying the first 3 seasons. I had watched the show once or twice, but that was around 2012 or so, when I last watched it - when I borrowed the DVDs from my local library.

Anyways, started the first episode of season 3 last night. Planning on watching more tonight when I get home. Also, I like Sheridan more than Sinclair. Season 2 was much better than the first season.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Good point. Alas, the only thing even vaguely in the pipeline is the proposed B5 feature film that JMS wants to do. It's a reboot but may be a ways away. Originally JMS planned to write the feature in 2015 and possibly go into production this year but some major eye issues may have affected the proposed timeline for his Studio JMS gaining the 'street cred' needed to attract the investors needed. WB itself, which owns all other rights than the feature film rights, seems completely disinclined to do anything with B5.

Wasn't the B5 movie supposed to involve the Telepath War?

 

[Jan]

Wasn't the B5 movie supposed to involve the Telepath War?

At one point JMS said that he'd planned that story for a B5 feature. That was many years ago, though.

 

[JD]

With Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Wars and Star Trek being successful recently, I'm kind of surprised WB isn't to more interested in putting out new B5 stuff as competition. If the Battlestar Galactica 2nd reboot takes off, I would be really surprised if we didn't see movement.

 

[ATimson]

Actually the end of season 4 would have made a very good series finale in of itself had they not been renewed..

Except that "Sleeping in Light" was shot at the end of season 4; if they hadn't been renewed, "Deconstruction" would never have existed.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Except that "Sleeping in Light" was shot at the end of season 4; if they hadn't been renewed, "Deconstruction" would never have existed.

So what would have been the final episode had they not been renewed for season 5?

 

[Hugo Rune]

Sleeping in Light (or a variation on it) was always meant to be the finale - whether it was S4 or S5.

One of my ultimate "what ifs" was, what would SiL have been like if JMS had filmed it at the end of S5. I always wondered what would have changed, if anything at all

Hugo - one of the great finales of TV

 

[Reverend]

So what would have been the final episode had they not been renewed for season 5?

'Sleeping in Light'.
It was all in the can but not edited when they wrapped on season 4. 'Deconstruction' was actually shot later as part of Season 5.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

'Sleeping in Light'.
It was all in the can but not edited when they wrapped on season 4. 'Deconstruction' was actually shot later as part of Season 5.

Which is also why 'Deconstruction' was on such a tight budget and schedule, resulting in a minimum of set decoration (note that the set of the panel discussion in the first act was basically just shadows, no pun intended) and pretty much all of it was Talking Heads kind of scenes. It's been some years since I've watched the episode with JMS's audio commentary, but I believe to remember he highly praised Stephen Furst (director of the episode) for making the episode work so well in spite of the Talking Heads problem.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Alas, the only thing even vaguely in the pipeline is the proposed B5 feature film that JMS wants to do. It's a reboot but may be a ways away. Originally JMS planned to write the feature in 2015 and possibly go into production this year but some major eye issues may have affected the proposed timeline for his Studio JMS gaining the 'street cred' needed to attract the investors needed. WB itself, which owns all other rights than the feature film rights, seems completely disinclined to do anything with B5.

I guess WB thinks there's more money to be made from superhero films and the like. The suits might change their minds if they see others making money from other sci-fi franchises. The suggested B5 movie seems like the wrong direction to go -- I don't think B5 would have sufficient recognition or excite interest among regular cinema goers. The money would be better spent on a TV production IMO provided someone could acquire the rights from WB.

 

[dahj]

The suggested B5 movie seems like the wrong direction to go -- I don't think B5 would have sufficient recognition or excite interest among regular cinema goers.

I agree.
If Star Trek is struggling to attract people with good reviews and good word of mouth I don't see B5 having much of a chance of making an impact on the big screen.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

I think a B5 movie could work, provided a lower budget.

Then again, "Serenity" only cost $ 39 million, and it still lost money. Guess even on such a small budget, it would be a gamble.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

$39 million would pay for between six and ten 40-minute TV episodes. I'd rather watch a story unfold at a more leisurely pace than is typically possible in a movie or even in a movie trilogy.

 

[Jan]

The money would be better spent on a TV production IMO provided someone could acquire the rights from WB.

JMS himself tried for a couple of years to acquire the rights to B5. Negotiations started out well but petered out, from what he said.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

$39 million would pay for between six and ten 40-minute TV episodes. I'd rather watch a story unfold at a more leisurely pace than is typically possible in a movie or even in a movie trilogy.

Like @Jan said, JMS doesn't own the rights to anything B5 except a feature film. Anything else, he'd have to work with WB, who have not been very enthusiastic about new B5 projects in the past.

I have been thinking myself that maybe JMS could go the "Buffy"/Serenity" way and continue "Crusade" as a comic book, but even there I'm not sure WB would be willing.

 

[Jan]

I have been thinking myself that maybe JMS could go the "Buffy"/Serenity" way and continue "Crusade" as a comic book, but even there I'm not sure WB would be willing.

Even if they were, JMS would have to license the right to do so from WB. He recently mentioned that licenses start around a hundred grand plus a percentage of the take. How many think that a B5 comic could generate that kind of sales?

At any rate, at SDCC a few weeks ago, JMS announced that he's leaving comics behind.

 

[Brolan]

$39 million would pay for between six and ten 40-minute TV episodes. I'd rather watch a story unfold at a more leisurely pace than is typically possible in a movie or even in a movie trilogy.

Holy hell! Have TV production costs gone up that much? I remember when it was a million per show.