What if a BSG-styled remake of Babylon 5 was made?

[DigificWriter]

To the people who object that a 'remake' or 'reboot' of B5 could bring nothing new to the table because it has to tell a story arc that everyone is already familiar with, and would therefore not be interested in seeing 'redone', there ARE ways to tell a familiar story in new and surprising ways; see 'Virtual Firefly' (link in my sig) for a prime example.

As someone who has already tried to 'remake' or 'reboot' B5, the thing that I've come to realize about the series is that the only things that are TRULY important about it are its basic ideas, and its characters. Everything else can be tossed out the window. At its core, B5 is a story about a galaxy that, while it appears to be calm on the surface, is actually a powder keg waiting to go off, and what happens when that 'powder keg' is ignited.

 

[chrisspringob]

My point is that a remake of B5 probably wouldn't turn out to be "basically the same story, but with some new twists thrown in", in the way that most of the people commenting in this thread seem to be framing it. If this were to really be done, then the story would end up getting changed in such a radical way that it wouldn't really be recognizable. This isn't like Lord of the Rings, where the story is so iconic and widely beloved that the creative people are going to be willing to invest years of their lives telling someone else's story. The writers signing on to this thing, if they're really investing themselves into producing dozens of hours of television, are going to want to create something that is truly their own....with a story arc that is wholly unrecognizable as being B5.

But if that's the case.....then I'd say that there isn't really that much point in even making it B5. You might as well just do something original. For me, B5 *is* that story that was told from 1993-1998. Remaking what is basically "a novel for television" then seems like rewriting a novel....like writing an updated version of "War and Peace"....what's the point?

That's different from, say, original BSG, where the show is the premise and the characters, and there really isn't much of anything in the way of a story arc that one has to worry about staying true to.....at least beyond the setup in the first episode.

 

[DigificWriter]

When talking about something like this, you're dealing with 3 or 4 different issues:
1) The reasoning behind why you would want to redo the series given how iconic it is
2) The question of whether or not anything 'new' could be brought to the table
3) The viability of such an endeavor
4) The feasibility of such an endeavor (i.e. 'would this actually work')

In real life, there is probably no way that a B5 reboot or remake would go anywhere because of the reasons that chrisspringbob brought up, but that shouldn't preclude discussion about the topic, nor should it preclude the exploration of said topic via the realm of fanfiction.

Even though the likelihood of something like this happening IRL is slim, there IS a chance that it could work (there's always a chance; just ask people like George Lucas).

BTW, this discussion has actually been much more productive than the last discussion we had on the topic (which I started), even though the same objections have been brought up as last time.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

A team of RDM and JMS would be THE MOST AWESOME, KICKASS, team in all of science-fiction history, and would be a union so grand in it's pure awesomeness, that the universe itself would explode, from an inability to cope with such blinding grandeur.

No, it would be complete bullshit, and would result in the destruction of great characters (Delenn, G'Kar, Lennier, Londo, Vir) all because people like RDM don't like aliens and don't want them on the show, plus instead of Garibaldi overcoming his addiction, he'd be in his cups all the time, like Tigh. Again, no thanks on this remake-at least, not with RDM.

Those that don't like Babylon 5, hear me again; JMS's show may be wacky doodle, but it's his wacky doodle; you don't have to watch it if you don't want to. Remaking it to be like BSG would be ass, and would be a failure, so tough shit for you guys.

You know its always funny when someone gets bent out of shape when someone bad talks a show they like but then bad talks another show.

Why does everything have to remade into Battlestar Galactica, B5 is fine just the way it is.

Amen.

Moore's series was not even successful except by the low standards of the SyFy Channel.

see still funny.

The original BSG was awful and couldn't be brought back without serious changes.

Funny that. Just a year before Fox & Universal had begun production and set building on a continuation, large elements of which ended up cribbed and reused in Moore's bastardization despite his protestations to the contrary.

Fondness for the original was the reason eyeballs looked at his miniseries and yet how significantly did ratings drop off over time for that supposed 'best show on tv'?

To answer the OT, no way should B5 is reimagined like that failed show. Besides andreas katsulas is irreplaceable.

1) Who gives a crap what fox planed to do then didn't do.

2) Insulting another show to defend your show is just rude.

3) NuBSG is getting a spinoff that might last a couple seasons if its good, B5 has yet to have that happen.

I thought one of the things that made B5 the best show ever made was its perfect tone. It managed to be funny and serious without one compromising the other. BSG, on the other hand, was unrelentingly dark and too much of a downer. While I would like to see the action/budget level stepped up a notch on B5 I wouldn't touch its tone for a second.

Agreed completely. as far as "dark and and gritty" goes, B5 is as dark as sci-fi should get. Every copy of New Galactica should be burned, and it's producers should be put into therapy.

Okay, rant over. That said, B5 is perfect as is. No need for a remake.

Yes because everything a show about the last survivors of an entire race runing for their lives trying to find a new home in a mostly barren galaxy should be all light and happy. I mean the The Holocaust was apparently all smiles and sunshine

 

[theenglish]

For all its flaws, B5 had a lot to offer and holds a unique place in Science Fiction (any form of Science Fiction). I would not object to a TNG style remake of the series, but there is no need to go back to a reinvention of the original premise.

Unlike the original BSG which only had a season's worth of episodes, B5 has a complete, intact arc that holds together very well and does not need to be redone.

Other shows, like BSG which were poorly done originally or only have a few episodes to them could be redone nuBSG style. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is a possibility for this category, for example.

Other shows have recently had the potential for well done re-imaginings such as Bionic Woman and Knight Rider but failed miserably.

 

[noknowes]

What aspects of the original show would be changed in this remake? Which aspects would you rather be changed? How gritty do it think it would be? Would it take the same kind of risks in storytelling the way Battlestar Galactica did? Would be the relationships between the characters be portrayed more realistically and develop more organically? Would be the humor less chessy and more sharp and witty like Joss Whedon's brand of humor in his shows?

Let the discussion begin.

BSG was truly awful with endless dull dialogue,lack of sparkle or wit, dull dirges and teenage angst foisted onto adults with their endless personal problems plus the vomit inducing camerwork made it unwatchable except for BSG nerds.

Leave B5 ALONE IT WAS EXCELLENT THE WAY IT WAS.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

In real life, there is probably no way that a B5 reboot or remake would go anywhere because of the reasons that chrisspringbob brought up, but that shouldn't preclude discussion about the topic, nor should it preclude the exploration of said topic via the realm of fanfiction.

Even though the likelihood of something like this happening IRL is slim, there IS a chance that it could work (there's always a chance; just ask people like George Lucas).

True dat.

While reading the above, I got an idea on how you can do a remake and still coexist with the original.

If Babylon 5 was a future history, then new and different takes on those events may eventually develop like in our own history. A reboot/remake/whatever of B5 could be disguised as a newer historical take on those events post-Burn that either negates or embellishes on things from the previous ISN docudrama, i.e. the original B5 series.

 

[Solariabsg25]

For all its flaws, B5 had a lot to offer and holds a unique place in Science Fiction (any form of Science Fiction). I would not object to a TNG style remake of the series, but there is no need to go back to a reinvention of the original premise.

Unlike the original BSG which only had a season's worth of episodes, B5 has a complete, intact arc that holds together very well and does not need to be redone.

Other shows, like BSG which were poorly done originally or only have a few episodes to them could be redone nuBSG style. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is a possibility for this category, for example.

Other shows have recently had the potential for well done re-imaginings such as Bionic Woman and Knight Rider but failed miserably.

I agree with this here - B5 finished. TOS BSG never got to tell it's whole story.

As to Buck Rogers, hell yeah, can see a good make-over going down well if done right.

Personally, all I'd like to see of B5 is cleaning up of the effects (e.g the EAS Churchill did NOT ram the EAS Roanoke! ). The only thing storywise I'd like to see changed is the spreading out of the Byron/Earth Civil War stories over season 4 and 5 as planned, rather than rushing the Civil War due to fears that they wouldn't get Season Five.

 

[RandyS]

Agreed completely. as far as "dark and and gritty" goes, B5 is as dark as sci-fi should get. Every copy of New Galactica should be burned, and it's producers should be put into therapy.

Okay, rant over. That said, B5 is perfect as is. No need for a remake.

Yes because everything a show about the last survivors of an entire race runing for their lives trying to find a new home in a mostly barren galaxy should be all light and happy. I mean the The Holocaust was apparently all smiles and sunshine

I never said New Galactica should have been "all light and happy", but I do think they should have put more emphasis on giving the last surivors of the colonies hope for rebuilding their society in the future instead of focusing on the trivial nonsense and angst-ridden bullshit that they did.

 

[blockaderunner]

^^^^Agreed. BSG, while having its moments, was almost a test of seeing how long an audience can last without sticking their heads in the oven. B5 was about hope. Hope for a better future. It seems that RDM was just releasing that pent up bleakness he couldn't get away with in Trek. I also don't want him handling Batman either. Again, he is a hopeful character. Probably moreso than Superman. Moreso that he would admit to himself.

 

[RandyS]

^^^^Agreed. BSG, while having its moments, was almost a test of seeing how long an audience can last without sticking their heads in the oven. B5 was about hope. Hope for a better future. It seems that RDM was just releasing that pent up bleakness he couldn't get away with in Trek.

You know, when watching New Galactica, I often wondered the same thing. It seems to me that, instead of working on New Galactica at all, Moore just should have simply used an enema.

 

[Joe Washington]

But really, for those who has had criticisms about Babylon 5 in the past, what would be a list of things you rather have seen corrected, enhanced, or altered completely that could be done in a Babylon 5 remake?

 

[Reverend]

Nothing of substance. I'd rather just see the existing show remastered for HD.

 

[clint g]

But really, for those who has had criticisms about Babylon 5 in the past, what would be a list of things you rather have seen corrected, enhanced, or altered completely that could be done in a Babylon 5 remake?

The only really big thing that I would want fixed are the CGI and FX. Other than that, I was pretty damn satisfied with what I got from B5. I like how the first season was on slow burn, it allowed for some forshadowing, and I love that stuff. Maybe find a way to extend the mains story arcs into the fifth season. That would probably be doable since I think the original plan was for the main story to enter into the fifth season, but they didn't do it because they though the show would be cancelled in the forth

 

[Anwar]

I'd improve the FX, and maybe I'd re-hire most of the extras since their acting was usually horrible. Slightly better budget would improve that, or maybe make the show in Canada for cheaper costs and thus more extra money for actors.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

JMS's recent interview on the Babylon Podcast has the Great Maker saying that a new series, movie, or even remake could be made, because he still has stories that he never got a chance to do on the series.

 

[Trubinator]

No need to reimagine B5 ... certainly no need to trashify it by making it BSg style.

 

[Leroy]

Wouldn't a Babylon 5 written by RDM be something similar to DS9? I don't mean to start a B5 vs. DS9 debate but he did write many episodes after all. Although I still dislike a lot of conventions that BSG held too like doing away with aliens, laser weapons, force fields, etc. I fell a B5 remake would be ruined by such things.

 

[Anwar]

I don't see how B5 would work without aliens...

 

[Vonstadt]

I think B5 is fine as it is for now. Someday maybe a reimagined touch up but to be honest I think would prefer TPTB work on some new and original stuff. Take some chances.

Also though I rather liked the first half of NUBSG I hardly think it is the end all be all of remake and reimagining standards. B5 is much different than Old BSG and NuBSG.

What worked for one doesnt mean it will work for the other.

Just my two cents.

Vons