Babylon 5


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

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About

From Wikipedia:

Babylon 5 is an American space opera television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski, under the Babylonian Productions label, in association with Straczynski's Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Warner Bros. Domestic Television. After the successful airing of a backdoor pilot movie, Warner Bros. commissioned the series as part of the second-year schedule of programs provided by its Prime Time Entertainment Network (PTEN). The pilot episode was broadcast on February 22, 1993 in the US. The first season premiered in the US on January 26, 1994, and ran for the intended five seasons. Describing it as having "always been conceived as, fundamentally, a five-year story, a novel for television," Straczynski wrote 92 of the 110 episodes, and served as executive producer, along with Douglas Netter.

Set between the years 2258 and 2281, it depicts a future where Earth has sovereign states, and a unifying Earthgov. Colonies within the solar system, and beyond, make up the Earth Alliance, and contact has been made with other spacefaring races. The ensemble cast portray alien ambassadorial staff and humans assigned to the five-mile-long Babylon 5 space station, a centre for trade and diplomacy. Described as "one of the most complex programs on television," the various story arcs drew upon the prophesies, religious zealotry, racial tensions, social pressures, and political rivalries which existed within each of their cultures, to create a contextual framework for the motivations and consequences of the protagonists' actions. With a strong emphasis on character development set against a backdrop of conflicting ideologies on multiple levels, Straczynski wanted "to take an adult approach to SF, and attempt to do for television SF what Hill Street Blues did for cop shows."

Generally viewed as having "launched the new era of television CGI visual effects," it received multiple awards during its initial run, including two consecutive Hugo Awards for best dramatic presentation, and continues to regularly feature prominently in various polls and listings highlighting top-rated science fiction series. Not appearing on American television since 2003, it continues to be shown in international markets such as Fox in the UK, the TV4-ScifFi Channel in Sweden, and the FBC TV channel in Fiji. Initially written by Straczynski, DC began publishing Babylon 5 comics in 1994, with stories that closely tied in with events depicted in the show, with events in the comics eventually being referenced onscreen in the actual television series. The franchise continued to expand into short stories, RPG games, and novels, with the Technomage trilogy of books being the last to be published in 2001, shortly after the spin-off television series, Crusade, was cancelled.

All rights except for a possible movie are controlled by Warner (movie rights are retained by Straczynski).

Highlights
J. Michael Straczynski on the pilot of Babylon 5
01:26
Dorothy Fontana on Babylon 5  and on Michael Straczynski's vision for the series
05:28
Bill Mumy on the legacy of Babylon 5
01:48
Who talked about this show

Dorothy C. Fontana

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Dorothy Fontana on Babylon 5  and on Michael Straczynski's vision for the series
05:28

Melissa Gilbert

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Melissa Gilbert on appearing on Babylon 5
02:05

Walter Koenig

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Walter Koenig on his Babylon 5 character "Alfred Bester"
03:37
Walter Koenig on playing "Alfred Bester" on Babylon 5
07:45
Walter Koenig on the public reaction to his Babylon 5 character "Alfred Bester"
03:28

Bill Mumy

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Bill Mumy on the legacy of Babylon 5
01:48
Bill Mumy on the process of putting on the make-up for "Lennier" on Babylon 5
02:41
Bill Mumy on being cast on Babylon 5
04:43
Bill Mumy on accepting the role of "Lennier" on Babylon 5 
06:10
Bill Mumy on the development of his Babylon 5 character "Lennier"
05:34
Bill Mumy on the story arc of his Babylon 5 character "Lennier"
06:07
Bill Mumy on his "Lennier" costume and the atmosphere on the set of Babylon 5
04:40
Bill Mumy on the experience of filming and his favorite season of Baylon 5
03:14
Bill Mumy on the fans of Babylon 5
06:42

J. Michael Straczynski

View Interview
J. Michael Straczynski on the pilot of Babylon 5
01:26
J. Michael Straczynski on Michael O'Hare as "Jeffrey Sinclair" on Babylon 5
01:54
J. Michael Straczynski on creating Babylon 5
06:57
J. Michael Straczynski on his "5-year plan" for Babylon 5 and his struggle to get the show on the air
03:15
J. Michael Straczynski on the technology and look of Babylon 5
01:59
J. Michael Straczynski on the universe of Babylon 5
02:04
J. Michael Straczynski on the most difficult part of making Babylon 5
02:44
J. Michael Straczynski on the process of writing Babylon 5 episodes 
03:40
J. Michael Straczynski on communicating what he wanted visually on Babylon 5
01:22
J. Michael Straczynski on dealing with the actors on Babylon 5
06:13
J. Michael Straczynski on working with CGI on Babylon 5
02:35
J. Michael Straczynski on thepost-production and editing of Babylon 5
01:16
J. Michael Straczynski on working with the directors of Babylon 5
01:58
J. Michael Straczynski on Susan Ivanova as "Claudia Christian" on Babylon 5
01:50
J. Michael Straczynski on his initial vision of the character of "Jeffrey Sinclair" on Babylon 5 and on Michael O'Hare's mental illness
06:51
J. Michael Straczynski on Bruce Boxleitner as "John Sheridan" on Babylon 5
02:31
J. Michael Straczynski on Jerry Doyle as "Michael Garibaldi" on Babylon 5
02:13
J. Michael Straczynski on Richard Briggs as "Dr. Stephen Franklin" on Babylon 5
02:09
J. Michael Straczynski on Mira Furlan as "Ambassador Delenn" on Babylon 5
05:53
J. Michael Straczynski on Peter Jurasik as "Londo Mollari" on Babylon 5
03:04
J. Michael Straczynski on Andreas Katsulas as "G'Kar" on Babylon 5
02:23
J. Michael Straczynski on creating the Narn people and the look of the characters on Babylon 5
01:30
J. Michael Straczynski on Walter Koenig as "Alfred Bester" on Babylon 5
03:40
J. Michael Straczynski on Jeff Conaway as "Zack Allan" on Babylon 5
02:28
J. Michael Straczynski on Pat Tallman as "Lyta Alexander" on Babylon 5
02:24
J. Michael Straczynski on "Ambassador Kosh" and "Lorien" on Babylon 5
01:59
J. Michael Straczynski on the title Babylon 5 and the concept of the Rim
01:10
J. Michael Straczynski on the audience of Babylon 5 and interacting with fans on the internet
03:43
J. Michael Straczynski on dealing with the network while producing Babylon 5
02:31
J. Michael Straczynski on his favorite episodes of Babylon 5
01:11
J. Michael Straczynski on season four of Babylon 5
01:49
J. Michael Straczynski on Tracy Scoggins as "Elizabeth Lochley" on Babylon 5
02:23
J. Michael Straczynski on ending Babylon 5 in season five
00:41
J. Michael Straczynski on the merchandising of Babylon 5
00:53
J. Michael Straczynski on the greatest thing about having created and produced Babylon 5 and how it would be different creating it in 2013
02:07

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