The old "DS9 stole from B5" thing
- Thread starter Forbin
- Start date
So once this is settled, what's the prize?
Just making it clear that PTEN existed as an entity as well. Stations that had PTEN shows had to take all of them; they didn't pick and choose which ones they wanted like other syndication packages. (Of course, they could just throw them into the 3:00 AM death slot if they wanted). Some of the PTEN stations that switched to UPN also gave up the PTEN shows and other independent stations picked them up. In some cases, the stations kept both. Also, the department that formed the WB network was actually a separate division of the Time/Warner behemoth than the one that formed PTEN.
A shot of whiskey and a gun.
Who get's the whiskey?
There can be only one...!
Whoever has the gun, obviously.
Perhaps Future Guy can come and end this threa -- HEY...wait a minute...Future Guy? A guy traveling about through the centuries? Didn't they steal that idea from Quantum Leap? I guess Quantum Leap was decades, not centuries. Clever...they thought they could pull the wool over our eyes. But wait, they even stole the actor!!! 
...and wait -- Quantum Leap stole their imagery from TMP!
THIEVES!!!
...and wait -- Quantum Leap stole their imagery from TMP!
THIEVES!!!
Considering a Jump Gate is basically a comon occurance in the Babylon 5 verse what with it being a device to use their version of FTL on ships not big enough to do it on their own, whereas the wormhole was a super rare occurance that made it practicle to get to a distant and unexplored region of the galaxy and there are no other wormholes like that IT'S NOT A STOLEN IDEA. Their not even remotly similar except big blue thing ships fly through.
Man-made or not, two Stargate type space anomalies that spit out guests of the week sounds a little similar to me.
It's still a tenuous link at best, this really proves nothing. Heresay etc. The fact that they were already going to produce another ST sequel show anyway and also the fact that most of the in-universe stories are totally dissimilar really leads me to believe nothing was taken from B5.
RAMA
You're all wrong.
It's not a ripoff of B5, it's a ripoff of Space: 1999. And I have the baseless claims to prove it.
It's not a ripoff of B5, it's a ripoff of Space: 1999. And I have the baseless claims to prove it.
Yes, I seem to recall that was a method of long distance Space travel in Buck Rogers.
Yep.
It doesn't matter how something "sounds" to someone, or what people are "willing to believe." All that matters is what's true.
It doesn't matter how something "sounds" to someone, or what people are "willing to believe." All that matters is what's true.
But you know that the truth is a three edged sword and once the avalanche has started, it's too late for the pebbles to vote.
So, pretty much exactly the same thing functionally, which serves exactly the same purpose in both shows, except for its origin.
My feeling, from 20 years of reading all the available quibbling, is this: jms presented his presentation to paramount. Paramount turned him away, but said to themselves "This is really a pretty good format. Let's develop something along those lines but put it in our Trek franchise universe." So you got the basic setup of the Casablanca-like atmosphere on a space station near a wormhole/jumpgate. Maybe some of the character beats were lifted or inspired from jms' treatment, with some changes to fit into the Trek universe.
Then once the show got started, the two diverged into their own things and went, mostly their separate ways.
Maybe B5 liked the defiant and came up with the White Star.
Maybe (probably) DS9 saw how cool the Shadow War idea was, and worked the Dominion War up.
As has been said, show biz ain't averse to borrowing from each other.
And just to be clear that I'm not trying to tweak the fight or troll or anything - I emphasize and reiterate that I still love both shows dearly, and I'm glad we got them both.
Then once the show got started, the two diverged into their own things and went, mostly their separate ways.
Maybe B5 liked the defiant and came up with the White Star.
Maybe (probably) DS9 saw how cool the Shadow War idea was, and worked the Dominion War up.
As has been said, show biz ain't averse to borrowing from each other.
And just to be clear that I'm not trying to tweak the fight or troll or anything - I emphasize and reiterate that I still love both shows dearly, and I'm glad we got them both.
