Product Description
Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 06/18/2009 Run time: 900 minutes Rating: NrAmazon.com
The epic sci-fi series Babylon 5 was a unique experiment in the history of television. It was effectively a novel for television in five seasons, consisting of 110 episodes with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The first season introduces the main characters, headed this year by Commander Jeffery Sinclair (Michael O’Hare) and Security Chief Michael Garibaldi… More >>
Babylon 5: The Complete Seasons 1-5
No related posts.
As a lover of sci-fi series, it’s great to see such a saga sold as a set. The reality for the B5 connoisseur is that this isn’t the Full Monty. You should also purchase “Babylon 5 – The Movie Collection” and the B5 spin-offs “Crusade – The Complete Series” and “The Legend of the Rangers”. The reasons are indicated below in my recommended viewing order.
1. Watch the B5 movie “The Gathering”
The Babylon 5 pilot movie The Gathering was originally broadcast in 1993 a full year ahead of the regular show.
2. Season 1
3. Season 2
4. Season 3
5. Watch Season 4 up to episode “The illusion of truth”
6. Watch the B5 movie “Thirdspace”
7. Season 4: continue with episodes 9-22
8. Watch Season 5 up to episode “Objects at Rest”
9. Watch the B5 movie “River of Souls”
10. Watch the B5 movie “In the Beginning”
This is a prelude set 10 years before Babylon 5. Against the logic of the title, I would strongly recommend seeing it at this stage. Should one see it before Season 1, much of the suspense in the main series would be ruined.
11. Watch the B5 movie “A Call to Arms”
This movie lays the groundwork for the spin-off TV series “Crusade”.
12. Season 5: watch final episode “Sleeping in light”
13. Watch Crusade Series
The question which is debated in several other reviews is: Despite the release dates of the material produced, in what order should it be seen? In particular, if the viewer is a total new comer to the series. The above is an attempt to give some structure to great content so it is more enjoyable as a complete work.
PS – It is astounding that the Warner marketing dept. gives no official recommendation on how these products should be best enjoyed.
PS 2 Update – As “The Legend of the Rangers” was released long after I finished watching Babylon 5, I’m not sure where to place this. Any comments would be appreciated.
Rating: 5 / 5
J. Michael Straczynski (jms) created the space station Babylon 5 and spent years getting it produced and on the air. It premiered about the same time ST: Deep Space Nine did, and for a while, fans compared the two. It was almost “apples & oranges” time, but it was tried.
As a long-time Trek fan, I was surprised when I first saw the pilot (“The Gathering”) in 1993. I was absolutely stunned. Why Babylon 5, not just Babylon Station? Well, #s 1 – 4 were sabotaged & destroyed; # 4 disappeared after going on-line. (Disappeared? It’s 5 MILES LONG, for crying out loud!) Word was that this would be an on-going, progressive five year story arc, the likes of which hadn’t been done before on US television. Risky. Okay, jms had my attention. I couldn’t wait for the series. When it finally did air, I (being cynical of tv production in general) figured it wasn’t going to stay as good. It didn’t. It steadily got better.
I repeat, I speak as a long time Trek fan (beginning with the original series – skip Voyager, I did). B5 is one of the best televison series ever produced. Note I did not say “science fiction series.” (It is THE best s/f series ever put up to the audience.) I introduced several non s/f fans to the series, as a dramatic series and they all loved it. (So much for “only for space opera hounds.”) The story arc freed Straczynski (he wrote 90% of the scripts) from having to make everything “come right” in a 45 minute time slot, and off it went.
Crowd scenes were, well, crowded, with humans of all types and aliens as extras wandering through scenes. (The aliens, by the way, are much more than odd skin colours, strange noses and “hair.”) The station wasn’t pristeen, the population wasn’t always picture perfect. We have shysters, homeless, personal problems, espionage, humour, betrayal, relationships, and deaths (being in the opening credits did not guarantee survival, and it didn’t always happen at the end of a season). Opening credits and theme music changed every year. One character’s very appearance even changed dramatically. The plotlines are tight, and the threads are woven into five years of shows. The special effects are believable. (Yes, you could “hear” space battles, but hey, cut them some slack – NASA asked for plans of the Starfuries for reference for future space station repair vehicles.) B5 was the first show to rely on CGI effects, born out of budget necessity. More than once, watching the show, I found myself pounding the furniture with excitement – and we won’t go into (here) what I did during series finale “Sleeping in Light.”
Sinclair, Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, G’Kar, Londo, Lennier, Vir, Na’Toth, Talia, and Lyta came into our home as people with problems. The characters grew and changed and made choices and dealt with the consequences of those choices for good or bad. G’Kar (Andreas Katsulas) put it best: no one on Babylon 5 is exactly what they appear. Keep a score card handy: this week’s ally may be next month’s enemy. There is no clear deliniation of good guys and bad guys – mostly it’s all shades of grey. Acting (with the exception of one season five regular) is superb.
Action, yes. Yet one of the most moving episodes is a one-on-one battle of wits and nerve between two characters in a single room. Wars – some with aliens, some between alien races, and some with just us humans – start & end. There are four ambassadors from alien races on board, with a League of Non-Aligned Worlds to complete the roster. Telepaths of all races (except the Narns) add more colour. Intrigue, smuggling, dealing, double-dealing, romance, all leavened with humourous touches throughout – what more could you ask!
For the first four years, the hardest part of being a B5 fan was FINDING it. (Our local station played ping-pong with its time slot.) To own uncut, widescreen versions on DVD of the whole story arc was a dream we had. Thank heavens, it’s one dream which became reality.
If you have seen B5, welcome back. If you haven’t, welcome aboard. However, Babylon 5 is a whole complete story, with a beginning, a middle, and an end. View it that way. Start with the pilot (“The Gathering,” not included in this set but available) and then move to Season One. Enjoy. This is a unique series.
Rating: 5 / 5
Babylon 5 is a five mile long space station. Located deep in neutral territory, it is designed to prevent intergalactic war by providing a place where peace can be worked out between the races. Run by Earth, it was built with help from the Minbari after our war with them when we were almost wiped out. Since it is also a trade station, it attracts aliens of all kinds on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, it also attracts trouble. There are raiders in the area, the Narn and Centauri have at best a fragile peace, and someone is always trying to smuggle something on board. Even worse, an ancient enemy is rebuilding forces, and the effects of this will reach all the way back to Earth.
Babylon 5 is still unique in television. It set out to tell a single story that had been mapped out beforehand over five years. Now you can own the entire story on DVD, minus a few movies and the spin off series. Season 1 is the most uneven and hardest to get into, but the beginnings of the story are there, and it lays the background on the races and cultures we will be dealing with over the course of the show. Season 2 brings a new captain and a storyline that is gaining speed, season 3 brings surprises and increasing tension, and season 4 is full steam ahead as most of the plot lines are resolved. Season 5 was a last minute reprieve, so it starts slow since it has little previous story to immediately resolve like the previous years have. By the half way point, however, you are once again hooked. If you stick with season 1, you will get hooked and need to watch all five seasons to find out how the story ends. I certainly did, and I continue to watch. It’s one of my favorite TV shows of all time.
Of course, if you are looking at this page, odds are you are already a fan and looking for information on the sets. The picture, presented in widescreen, is hit and miss, with some dust popping up occasionally. It is clear and sharp most of the time, however. Sound is presented in full surround and has never sounded better. Each set contains two audio commentaries by series creator J. Michael Straczynski and a season intro by cast and crew. They also have some behind the scenes documentaries and encyclopedia entries introducing you to the world of Babylon 5. All the sets but season 1 have one audio commentary each by various cast members and great blooper reels hidden in the data files area as Easter eggs.
Whether you buy the seasons bundled like this or individually, don’t miss your chance to own this fantastic TV series. Bought here, all you’ll be missing are the original pilot (“The Gathering”), the later made for TV movies, and the spin off series Crusade.
Rating: 5 / 5
Yes, Babylon 5 is the best sci-fi show ever produced. No doubt in my mind. It simply is.
Season 1 starts slowly. Mainly because the show was not written by J. Michael Straczynski (series creator) but by outside help. Result: Lousy B-movie scripts. Only 5-6 episodes are truly good.
But then Seasons 2-5 arrive, and the series truly shines. This is the CORE of the Babylon 5 story. J.Michael Straczynski took the reins and wrote ~95% of the show. AND IT SHOWS. Seasons 2-5 start with battles, end with battles, and have plenty of drama in the middle. A new race called “The Shadows” starts pulling strings, manipulating the characters, and ultimately spinning off a war. And just when you think all is dark and dreary and depressing… all hell turns loose! The drama just builds and builds and builds.
And then we have… THE GRAND FINALE TO THE NOVEL FOR TV: Set 20 years in the future, this single episode will bring tears to your eyes, because it shows the death of the hero: President Sheridan. As series creator J.Michael Straczynski wrote:
“The sad truth is that we die. That is not a happy ending, not a sad ending, simply a fact. The question is what we accomplish during the days and months and years preceding; do we leave the world a better place or a worse place? If we have left the world around us a better place, as these characters did, then it’s a happy ending. – - – - – Ultimately, for me, the end of B5 is neither a sad ending nor a happy ending; I’d say it was a graceful ending, a dignified ending, an ending that said individuals can effect profound change, if they are willing to put their own lives and happiness on the line; not happy, not sad, but a testament to the idea that you have used your time here well.”
“What interests me, what I wanted to do with making this show, was in large measure to examine the issues and emotions and events that precede a war… the effects of the war itself… and the aftermath of the war. The war is hardware; the people are at the center of the story.” Well said Mr. Straczynski, and thank you for creating this wonderful show. Like a classic novel, Babylon 5 reaches beyond mere entertainment. Thank you.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is the best tv show ever produced. Sci-fi or otherwise. There are other shows that were done afterwards that may have matched it’s greatness but the problem thus far is that those shows never fullfill their glory by either not having the quality writing, special effects, longevity or production value it needs to be grand like B5.
Other shows that may come/came close: Odyssey 5, Lost, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica(current series).
So far, there is nothing that has ever been broadcast or currently being done that is better than the Babylon 5 series. Nothing. Period.
Rating: 5 / 5