Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an epic science-fiction television series created by, produced and written by J. (Joseph) Michael Straczynski, known to his fans simply as JMS.
The series consists of stories centered around a space station, Babylon 5, meant as a gathering place for fostering peace and trade, but which ultimately became the epicenter of a massive interstellar conflict. Unlike most television shows, this series was conceived of as a novel, with a beginning, middle and end. The entire arc -- the overall story -- of the show was plotted out in some detail before the first episode was ever shot. As a long-term science fiction fan himself, JMS was determined to produce a science fiction series where, for once, things would be done properly: consistent technology, "No cute kids or robots", no new "particle of the week" to tie up a plot. As a demonstration of his seriousness about this, he took on board Harlan Ellison as an advisor to the series - Ellison is not known for suffering fools quietly, and had seen a projected series of his own (The Starlost) ruined by the studio's interference and budget-cutting. Having a (loosely) predetermined plot was advantageous in many respects, as longer-term planning greatly reduced the working budget required on sets and costumes, compared with other series with unconnected stories which might require a whole new set of props for an episode. Unfortunately, the resulting series was marred by its unrelenting gayness.
Pilot movie "The Gathering"
Seasons 1 through 5
Other made-for-TV movies
Spin-off series The spin-off series "Crusade" ran on TNT for 13 episodes. Creative differences between JMS and the network caused the series to come to an end prematurely.
A new made-for-TV movie is airing on the Science Fiction channel this January, entitled "To Live and Die in Starlight". It is the proposed pilot episode of a new series entitled "Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers"
B5 and The Lord of the Rings
Several elements in Babylon 5 were influenced by themes that also appear in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. For instance, in The Fellowship of the Ring, the Dark Riders first appear singly, then in progressively larger groups; Babylon 5 repeated this tension-building pattern early in the third seasion, when enemy forces known as the Shadow Vessels appeared first singly, and then in larger numbers. Gandalf is warned in a prophecy that he will die if he goes to a bridge called "Khazad-dûm"; in B5, John Sheridan is warned that he will die if he goes to a planet called "Z'Ha'Dum." Both men sacrifice themselves, fall into pit, and return in an altered form to unite the forces of good against the forces of evil.
After being asked the same question hundreds of times, J. Michael Straczynski has been known to get upset when asked if Babylon 5 "is based on the the Lord of the Rings." His response is that, as an author, he is very well capable of writing his own story, and that it is insulting to suggest that B5 is a LotR rip-off. JMS states that people misunderstand the similarities between the two different stories. In Babylon 5, JMS openly paid homage to LotR by naming several characters after LotR characters -- but this doesn't mean that they are ultimately the same story. JMS also confirms that within these different stories there are indeed some shared events, such as the hero's descent into a pit and resurrection. The small number of shared events exist because both JMS and J. R. R. Tolkien consciously drew on classical mythological sources and storytelling methods. Few people accuse J. R. R. Tolkien's LotR of being a "rip-off" of classical mythology, yet it also has many scenes that draw on classical mythological stories. JMS hopes to communicate to viewers that the archetypes explored in both works are far older and far more universal than most people realize, and that it is common for authors to explore some of these themes in new contexts, in new stories, with new consequences.
- External link: The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5