20 replies to this topic

[Bizza]

Not sure if we have any B5 fans on here but what the hell I'll post this anyway...

New 'Babylon 5' DVD movie confirmed

Tuesday, November 14 2006, 10:38 UTC - by James Welsh
Warner Bros. Television has confirmed that production on Babylon 5: The Lost Tales, a made-for-DVD movie written and directed by series creator J. Michael Straczynski, has commenced.

So far, DVD sales of Babylon 5 have topped $44m in the United States for Warner Home Video.

Actors from the series returning for the DVD project include Bruce Boxleitner (President John Sheridan), Tracy Scoggins (Captain Elizabeth Lochley) and Peter Woodward (Galen).

"We are very excited to be releasing this new made-for-video release filled with original content for Babylon 5, one of the most successful science fiction series of all time," said Jeff Brown, senior VP at Warner Home Video. "This popular TV show which has been off the air for a few years continues to have a strong loyal fan base that is hungry for more content. This is the first time were utilizing one of our popular TV franchises as a made-for-video title, and we have a strong commitment to the growth of this sector."

http://www.digitalsp...le/ds39399.html

Can't wait for this.

[JMW326]

Yeah I heard about this several months ago from one of my inside sources but wasn't allowed to say anything. I am glad they have finaly announced it now. I look forward to catching this. I was never a really big fan of the show but I did like it enought to keep up with the story. I can't wait to see some of the VFX for this.

[Artistix]

It would be really nice if a company like DST pick up this license for figures.

The previous figures did not really do any of them justice...but it was a nice little line to have.

Still looking for a Shadow Creature.

[FHC]

You had to love Londo how could you not?

[Artistix]

Some of them were good...Londo, G'Kar, Delenne & Lennier.

Some of them were...rather bad - Lyta Alexander (oi!)

*Useless fact

Patricia Tallman, who played Lyta, also did some stunts for Gates in 'Suspicions'...& was a character in another episode

[knightone]

She was a background security officer in a number of early episodes of TNG as well as I recall.

[VulcanFanatic]

It would be really nice if a company like DST pick up this license for figures.

The previous figures did not really do any of them justice...but it was a nice little line to have.

Still looking for a Shadow Creature.

Those look like Playmates style figures. I am still trying to get into Babylon 5, but i watch a episode or two and lose interest. I am still watching the first season with Sheridan in it, maybe it gets better when Boxleitner shows up. The guy playing Sheridan is an awful actor. Its like pulling teeth trying to get through an episode with him in it.

As far as a new movie goes, there are two notable abscences that will make a difference im sure. The actors who played Gkar and the Doctor(Franklin?) have passed away in the last couple of years.

I am not sure about this, so maybe someone who is a fan of B5 can answer this, are B5's special effects meant to look as bad as they they really do or do they have that tight of a budget? Now mind you that im still on season 1, so i dont know what they look like later in the series. I read somewhere that there was talk that DS9 was a rip off of B5, that Berman and Co stole the idea for a series set on a spaceport or starbase type setting. I think DS9 is infinitely better than anything ive seen on B5 as of yet, so if its a rip off, it was a definite improvement.

[slayerone76]

I was never a huge fan of the show, but the ones I saw were really great! I have always wanted to buy the DVD season packs, but haven't got around to it. This is really cool news!

[FHC]

Yes you must get past season one. Enough said.

[Bizza]

Those look like Playmates style figures. I am still trying to get into Babylon 5, but i watch a episode or two and lose interest. I am still watching the first season with Sheridan in it, maybe it gets better when Boxleitner shows up. The guy playing Sheridan is an awful actor. Its like pulling teeth trying to get through an episode with him in it.

I agree, the first season really wasn't that great. If I were you I'd just skip to the second series, you won't miss anything important and it's so much better than the first.

I am not sure about this, so maybe someone who is a fan of B5 can answer this, are B5's special effects meant to look as bad as they they really do or do they have that tight of a budget? Now mind you that im still on season 1, so i dont know what they look like later in the series. I read somewhere that there was talk that DS9 was a rip off of B5, that Berman and Co stole the idea for a series set on a spaceport or starbase type setting. I think DS9 is infinitely better than anything ive seen on B5 as of yet, so if its a rip off, it was a definite improvement.

The SFX get a lot better in the later seasons, and I think it's safe to say that more than a few ideas were 'borrowed' for DS9.

[JMW326]

B5 was one of the pioneering shows that used computer VFX so things were a little rough in the beginning but did get much better as things went forward. Some of the stories for B5 are not the only thing DS9 had in common with the show. They also used the same program for VFX which looked much better in DS9 then it did in B5 IMO.

[Artistix]

I have only watched spattered bits of B5 here & there.

I really only know most the characters names because of the action figures!

But my friends insisted it became an excellent show by the end of it's run.

I agree you can't take a sci-fi's shows first season & make up your mind then....if that were the case I never would have gone past DS9's first season...Avery, Farrell, Siddig, Visitor...they wre all pretty well shocking! IMO ...but grew into their roles...became relaxed...like every Trek.

Give B5 a go...it's apparently worth it.

[Cpt. Phil T. Berns]

I am still watching the first season with Sheridan in it, maybe it gets better when Boxleitner shows up. The guy playing Sheridan is an awful actor.

Mmm... Boxleitner played Sheridan in this show! I think you meant Sinclair.

I really loved the first season. Michael O'Hare was great. I liked him more than Boxleitner. The way O'Hare said "This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations. The year is 2258, the name of the place is Babylon 5!" sounded really great. Better than when Boxleitner said it. Agreed, O'Hare looked like a Thunderbirds puppet, but with a voice like his he could have made a fortune as a voice-actor. I was not happy with the B5 movie "In the beginning" though. Too much about Sheridan and only stock footage with Sinclair.

But when I first saw B5, I loved it, but I wasn't completely hooked on it. It's only by the middle of the second season that I became hooked. Although I missed Sinclair in the later seasons, storywise halfway through the second season things start happening. Perhaps you should regard the first season as an introduction to the characters and the first half of the second season as an introduction to Boxleitner's character. From there on things go forward.

I must say I prefered the storylines about President Clark to the ones about the first ones. I didn't really like the first half of the 5th season (telepath storyline) but the second half of that season (problems with the Centary) wasn't bad at all.

The movies Thirdspace and River of Souls weren't to my liking, but A Call to Arms was great. The spinoff Crusade wasn't bad but it was not as good as B5 itself. Legends of the Rangers didn't quite do it for me either.

About the figures, there was a 9" line with removable clothes, but it didn't have the quality the Playmates Star Trek 9" lines had. The B5 figures had obviously cheaper bodies, bad head sculpts and clothes that were waaaay too wide. I have a G'kar and a Sheridan figure.



Here's a bit of personal trivia. In may 2002 a went to the FedCon convention in Germany for the first time. While walking through the dealer's room I ran into Richard Biggs (Dr. Franklin) and had a chat with him. Two years later, in may 2004 I again went to FedCon. I was in the same building when they told me he had passed away a few hours ago. Now that's creepy. It gave me goosbumps.

[VulcanFanatic]

Mmm... Boxleitner played Sheridan in this show! I think you meant Sinclair.

Agreed, O'Hare looked like a Thunderbirds puppet,

Yes, your right, i did mean Sinclair., and yes, a Thunderbirds puppet describes him perfectly. I think Hayden Christensen was a better actor, and that is not saying much for O'Hare!

[FHC]

Go to season 2, do not pass go, do not collect $200.00 just go to season 2.

[Artistix]

I was in the same building when they told me he had passed away a few hours ago. Now that's creepy. It gave me goosbumps.

I had heard about that actor dying not long ago. He only seemed to be in his 30's on the show!
How old was he?
And out of interest, what was his heritage? was he African america or Asian or an Islander?

Yes, your right, i did mean Sinclair., and yes, a Thunderbirds puppet describes him perfectly. I think Hayden Christensen was a better actor, and that is not saying much for O'Hare!

Awww....poor Hayden! I didn't mind him. I though he was on par with Portmans performance.

[slayerone76]

Yes ... and Portman blew too! I was really not impressed with the casting in the new films. They still have their specific charms though.

[The_Donster]

VF, I know alot of people are saying skip B5's 1st season, I'm going to give some different advice on that. Do not skip season 1 of B5, as everything has a point throughout the series. Berns is right, O'Hare was a better commander of B5, I saw them bringing Boxleitner on as a way to improve ratings for the most part. Same with Koenig, until I actually sat down and watched the show unfold. Brilliant writing to say the least, and as far as the similarities between this and DS9, there are a few, but both shows stand on their own. Here's a bio on Patricia Tallman, seems she did quite a bit of Star Trek in her day. The episode that stands out for me as far as Trek is the episode with both her and Tim Russ playing a couple of mercenaries, Starship Mine. While she wasn't the best actress on the show, I did find her to be better as the show progressed. But she'll never be the telepath that Talia Winter's was Hopefully the new film will be better than some of the past one's. Like Berns, some were hit or miss with me.

[Cpt. Phil T. Berns]

Agreed, O'Hare looked like a Thunderbirds puppet

yes, a Thunderbirds puppet describes him perfectly.

The leather strip on the uniforms helped create that illusion.

I saw them bringing Boxleitner on as a way to improve ratings for the most part.

That's exactly what I thought at the time.

About B5, the first season is not the weakest one. The fourth one is. But even the fourth one wasn't that bad after all.

[Totalus_Kat]

*Pokes Bernsie*

I couldn't get into it, but my dad loves it... all though he likes anything with Sci-fi in its name, I shake my head at him.

cheers,
Tk