Babylon 5

[TheAlmanac]

Call it a personal preference if you like, but a lack of location shooting comes across to me as a sign of low production values and makes everything "stagey" in an unappealing way.

I'm the opposite. Location shooting is fine, but I love set shooting because it looks theatrical. Created sets, like created costuming and makeup, have more artistry.

It's not that I don't appreciate set design (although B5's set design, for all its clever budget-saving techniques, is also often nothing to write home about), but a lack of location shooting--especially in some of the examples mentioned, which are meant to occur outdoors--immediately screams "This Is Fake" to me and takes me out of the story.

The outdoors can be faked successfully (I was amazed to discover "The Inner Light" was almost entirely filmed on soundstages), but it's rare and takes a lot of effort. Whether we're supposed to be seeing Cardassia or Minbar, I usually experience the opposite reaction.

I mean, come on, even the lower-budget-than-B5 Captain Power managed to film out in a rock quarry once in a while.

 

[Forbin]

Fantastic episode. You should hate Londo. But also pity his weakness for not being able to stand up against what is wrong. I've often maintained (though I'm not alone at all) that saying Babylon 5 is the tragedy of Londo Mollari.

But what about Jane? Many people think this is really Jane's story.

 

[Forbin]

I don't think Andrea Thompson left B5 specifically to do NYPD Blue. IIRC, she left B5 first and then decided later to do the other show.

In fact, IIRC, she became an anchor on CNN after B5! Then she changed her mind again and went back to acting.

 

[Chekov's Phaser]

But what about Jane? Many people think this is really Jane's story.

The story of wide eyed reporter forced to learn the hard way about interstellar conspiracies and love?

 

[JD]

All of this discussion of Londo reminded me how much I loved the character. He really had to most fascinating arc of the entire series IMO. You go from loving him to hating him to having some other reactions to him. Peter Jurrasic really did an amazing job, and I don't know how much I can say but pretty much any scene between him and Andreas Katsulas's G'Kar is golden. It's worth watching the whole show just for their combined arc.

 

[Pauln6]

Well, there goes Talia. Off to NYPD Blue

I think she did a recurring role in JAG first. I wish they could have tempted her back to give Talia some greater sense of closure. I wondered if Kosh had pulled a double bluff with his recordings of Talia in season 1. That was never really explained.

 

[Kail]

I have no idea why she left, really. I just said that because that's where I knew her from before ever watching B5.

 

[RJDiogenes]

It's not that I don't appreciate set design (although B5's set design, for all its clever budget-saving techniques, is also often nothing to write home about), but a lack of location shooting--especially in some of the examples mentioned, which are meant to occur outdoors--immediately screams "This Is Fake" to me and takes me out of the story.

The outdoors can be faked successfully (I was amazed to discover "The Inner Light" was almost entirely filmed on soundstages), but it's rare and takes a lot of effort. Whether we're supposed to be seeing Cardassia or Minbar, I usually experience the opposite reaction.

I mean, come on, even the lower-budget-than-B5 Captain Power managed to film out in a rock quarry once in a while.

Well, I have to admit, it's disappointing that we never got a Bronson Canyon cameo.

 

[Kail]

Sabastian being Jack was kinda hokey IMHO. He would have been just as effective as just some random dude abducted by the Vorlon. Onto the last episode of season 2. I have high hopes for a thrilling finale.

 

[DonIago]

You won't be disappointed.

 

[Kail]

That was good. Looking forward to season 3. "Peace in our time", now that sounded familiar. Famous last words.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

One of the greatest strengths of Stargate is their outdoor sets. Shows how attention to detail can really boost immersivity.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Medieval craft fair villages and BC forests not so much.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

I don't think Andrea Thompson left B5 specifically to do NYPD Blue. IIRC, she left B5 first and then decided later to do the other show.

She left B5 because she wasn't satisfied with the size of her role, and was continually asking for more screen time. This was covered in one of the BABYLON 5 script books. Taila was going to play a larger role in later seasons, but Thompson wanted to have a bigger role sooner than later (as actors are wont to do.)

I'm sure Jan can add more.

From what I remember from the book (I don't have it handy), JMS said that Thompson left the show and not long after left Jerry Doyle, whom she'd married will they were working together.

 

[Tim Walker]

Medieval craft fair villages and BC forests not so much.

Most alien planets resemble one of two Earthly locations:

1. Southern California

2. The area around Vancouver B.C.

 

[Kail]

It was amazing how many planets looked like Vancouver.

 

[MacLeod]

Most alien planets resemble one of two Earthly locations:

1. Southern California

2. The area around Vancouver B.C.

I would add a third and there is a trope around this one

a Quarry

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BBCQuarry

 

[Gov Kodos]

It was amazing how many planets looked like Vancouver.

Vancouver, disguised alien beachhead?

I would add a third and there is a trope around this one

a Quarry

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BBCQuarry

Where else would you find the Doctor?

 

[Forbin]

S
From what I remember from the book (I don't have it handy), JMS said that Thompson left the show and not long after left Jerry Doyle, whom she'd married will they were working together.

And my favorite story from their marriage is when they convinced a guard at a big studio that they were Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd so he'd let them in.

 

[Reverend]

I think people are underestimating just how little money this show had. Opening the stage doors and shooting in the car park for an afternoon was the absolute limit of their location shooting budget. Indeed, for the most part the low budget and the ability to stay on budget is what saved it from cancellation for the most part.

Related to that is the fact that for the most part, the producers were able to keep this show on a 9-5 shooting schedule. For a production like this, that's damn near unprecedented. Anyone who's seen/read interviews with the various Star Trek casts will be aware that those shoots typically ran late into the night and weekends. They barely had a home life. I think Shatner even credits it for the breakup of his first marriage, at least in part.

Location shooting adds about ten layers of complexity from a stage shoot and at least quadruples the time it takes to do *anything* due to weather, having to bring everything you need (including the production crew and all the logistics that goes with it) out into the middle of nowhere and on top of that you're racing the daylight. So your show either must have the time and the budget to absorb that or it's not going to happen. B5 didn't have the money and wasn't willing to sacrifice the time.