Babylon 5
The last, best hope for peace.
Babylon 5 (1994-1998)
Seasons: 5,
episodes: 110
Episode runtime: 45 min
Average rating:
8.3/10
61 174
Production
Status
Completed
Creators
Scenario
Producer
Actors
Bruce Boxleitner
John Sheridan
Jerry Doyle
Michael Garibaldi
Claudia Christian
Susan Ivanova
Michael O'Hare
Jeffrey Sinclair
Mira Furlan
Delenn
Richard Biggs
Stephen Franklin
Andreas Katsulas
G'Kar
Peter Jurasik
Londo Mollari
Short description
Babylon 5 is a five-mile long space station located in neutral space. Built by the Earth Alliance in the 2250s, its goal is to maintain peace among the various alien races by providing a sanctuary where grievances and negotiations can be worked out among duly appointed ambassadors. A council made up of representatives from the five major space-faring civilizations - the Earth Alliance, Minbari Federation, Centauri Republic, Narn Regime, and Vorlon Empire - work with the League of Non-Aligned Worlds to keep interstellar relations under control. Aside from its diplomatic function, Babylon 5 also serves as a military post for Earth and a port of call for travelers, traders, businessmen, criminals, and Rangers.
Seasons
| Season | Episodes | Release date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
Signs and Portents Season one is set in the year 2258 aboard a five-mile-long, totally self-sufficient United Nations-like space station. Babylon 5 is where humans and aliens try to work out their differences peacefully, in neutral territory full of mystery, suspense, and adventure. The space outpost is a hotbed of…
|
22 | 1994-01-26 | 7.1 |
The Coming of Shadows In season two, Babylon 5 gets a controversial new leader as the station prepares to serve as the last defense against a terrifying race known as the Shadows.
|
22 | 1994-11-02 | 7.5 |
Point of No Return It is now the year 2259. Five hostile federations dominate the outermost regions of space. This season, Babylon 5's captain declares the station an independent state and forms a war council to battle the evil Shadows – and their allies on Earth.
|
22 | 1995-11-06 | 7.6 |
No Surrender, No Retreat In season four, the station continues to serve as a refuge for heroes, thieves, and rare and exotic beings in a time of uneasy peace and the constant threat of war. The space station and its allies finally engage the powerful Shadows in a tremendous showdown, while the station's captain strives t…
|
22 | 1996-11-04 | 7.8 |
Wheel of Fire In 2262, longstanding conflicts between telepaths and normal humans lead to a major clash on the space station. A new captain takes over, and Sheridan continues Babylon 5's peacekeeping mission by forming the InterStellar Alliance.
|
22 | 1998-01-21 | 7.3 |
What's left behind the scenes
- The series features various versions of the well-known joke, 'How many people does it take to change a lightbulb...?' For example: '-How many Minbari does it take to change a lightbulb? None. They always surrender before finishing the job, without explaining why' (Sheridan in conversation with Ivanova). '-How many Centauri does it take to change a lightbulb? One, but he won't do it; instead, he'll reminisce about the glorious times when he could order a servant to do it' (Londo in conversation with Lennier).
- Throughout the series, Captain John Sheridan frequently asks the central question of the 'Shadow philosophy': 'What do you want?'
- In the episode "Implantation," during a conversation between Doctor Franklin, Marcus Cole, and a group of Windrizzi symbionts, the latter repeatedly speak of unimaginable things they remember from merging with the Windrizzi. Their phrasing precisely mirrors Roy Batty's final monologue from Ridley Scott's film "Blade Runner" (1982).
- "Babylon 5" has served as the basis for numerous parodies: "Babylon Park," a series of parodies featuring characters created in the style of "South Park" (1997), and "Star Wreck," a Finnish parody series.
- One of the series' antagonists, the Psi Corps representative and telepath Alfred Bester, shares the name of the famous science fiction writer who wrote the novel about telepaths, "The Demolished Man".
- Michael O'Hare, who played Jeffrey Sinclair, left Babylon 5 due to an illness, the first signs of which appeared during filming. Michael began suffering from a mental disorder accompanied by hallucinations and paranoia. Project producer J. Michael Straczynski suggested suspending filming after the first season so that Michael could receive the necessary treatment. However, the actor refused to risk the work of a large crew and chose to leave the show. Michael's treatment was fairly successful, though he was never fully cured. He later appeared in several episodes to conclude his character's storyline. Michael O'Hare asked Straczynski to keep his condition a secret, allowing him to "take the secret to his grave." At the same time, because fans deserved to eventually know the true reason for his departure, and because his experience could raise awareness and understanding for people suffering from mental illness, Straczynski revealed the reason for O'Hare's departure from the series at his request on May 28, 2013, eight months after the actor's death.
- The races in the series have prototypes in Earth's history. For instance, Straczynski claims that the Centauri are based on the Romans.
- The Starfury fighter was the first spacecraft in cinema to fly in accordance with the laws of Newtonian physics. Their design was so impressive that NASA requested permission to use the Fury as a basic prototype for the ISS (International Space Station) tugs.
- The group Complex Numbers wrote the song 'Minbari Snow' for their album 'Earthly Attraction'.
- One of the Hugo Awards won by the series was used as a prop in the final episode.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
