Is DS9 clone of B5?

[Harry Baldy]

The pilot episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) aired just weeks before the debut of Babylon 5. Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski indicated that Paramount was aware of his concept as early as 1989,[59] when he attempted to sell the show to the studio, and provided them with the series bible, pilot script, artwork, lengthy character background histories, and plot synopses for the first 22 episodes.[60][61] Paramount passed on Babylon 5, but later announced Deep Space Nine was in development after Warner Bros. announced its plans for Babylon 5. Straczynski has stated on numerous occasions that he thinks Paramount may have used his bible and scripts as the basis for DS9's first season.[62][63] On the subject of suing Paramount for infringement, Straczynski indicated he had no intentions to do so, and added:

That we have decided - for the best interests of all - to take a mature, 'let's move forward' approach does not mean that I have to pretend nothing happened. [...] It's on the level of 'Okay, YOU (Paramount) know what happened, and I know what happened, but let's try to be grownup about it for now,' though I must say that the shape-changing thing nearly tipped me back over the edge again. ..... The fact that the two shows were so similar at that time, one a nobody show from nowhere, the other bundled with the STAR TREK name, came within an inch of killing Babylon 5. That's one of the main reasons why it took nearly a period of four months [after the first pilot telefilm] before we finally got the go order for year one, after everybody crunched the ratings, and the demos, and decided to take a chance on it. And even THEN we were told, "The syndie market can't sustain two shows like this; you're gonna get creamed."[64]
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[crouteru]

No... because they're two different shows...

 

[Harry Baldy]

Let's see if there is any truth in the statement.

*The station is located near the wormhole. In B5 universe jumpgate was the main way of traveling through space. It was very logical to build a station close to one of the stable wormholes. In ST universe Cardassian ships traveled that quadrant for centuries, but as soon as some Sisko guy arrived the STABLE wormhole suddenly appeared near the station "out of the thin vaacum"
*Both Sheridan and Sisko has lost their wifes, yet nothing indicates that DS9 copied it from B5
*Both second officers on a starbase were females.
*Both plots have "unity and struggle of opposites" in face of Odo+Quark on DS9 and Londo+G'Kar of Babylon5. But clearly while in B5 that controversy is the organic part of the main plot, in DS5 it is just a mere entertaining addon.
*Both stations recieve a new superior ship in later seasons, with alien technologies, but while White Star of Babylon 5 was the logical outcome of Sheridan and Delann efforts, the Defiant was more like a Deus ex Machine given by some Santa in Starfleet command.
*The Cardassians VS Bajorans conflict is VERY similar to a Centari VS Narn conflict, while B5 conflict is one of the main subjects of the show while DS9 conflict is and addon good for making some more episodes.
*Minbari (Priest cast) as the clever spiritual race guiding the humanity while having problems of their own are close to Vulcans race, but noone can say that one show took it from another because both authors took the idea from Tolkien's elves. Vulkans of ST universe even have the knife-like ears )

If we are already talking about taking from other places- Rangers of B5 are clearly taken from Tolkien, as were also Grey Warden of Dragon Age:Origins and Night Watch of "Song of Ice and Fire"
Klingons (and the Warrior Cast of Minbari) were taken from medivial Japaniese samurai
Farenghi is the mix of halflings and goblins from various fantasy books

Well, I'm tired, I'll think of another similarities between B5 and DS9 tomorrow )

 

[Kegg]

Maybe, but Babylon 5 is a complete and totally shameless ripoff of Lord of the Rings.

 

[Harry Baldy]

Maybe, but Babylon 5 is a complete and totally shameless ripoff of Lord of the Rings.

Well, there are similarities. Elves (Minbari), Rangers with Aragorn aka King Arthur (Marcus Cole/Sheridan), badass Majar (Shadows) with good Majars doing nothing to help the mortals (Vorlons) except one who actually helpes - Gandalf (Kosh) and dies because of it.

They both have a very bad place called Khazad-Dum (Za'ha'dum) where one of the main heroes falls from a VERY big height but killes an enemy and resurrects afterwards.
Frodo in the end of LoTR went to Valinor, and Sheridan has left into new Varlons world.

But there was no ring, and no Fellowship of the Ring, no mount Oradruin and no dark tower to destroy in b5... It's hard to find any more similarities.

 

[PKTrekGirl]

Seriously, Kegg: why do you bother responding to this guy? He's clearly a dual of an already banned troll.

Thread closed.