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Was it just about five years ago that the
pilot movie of Babylon 5, "The Gathering," aired on syndication throughout
the country and the world? For a lot of people, the two-hour pilot didn't
seem to have much to distinguish it from any of the other science fiction
shows on television. Sure, it had interesting aliens and a plot that hinted
towards conspiracies, but for the most part, the pilot came and went with
but scant notice.
Today, Babylon 5 is a show that has earned kudos from all sides. The special effects, done on a desktop computer, won an Emmy. The show was also awarded an Emmy for makeup. Early in the show's career, the National Space Society gave it an award for best vision of the future. The American Cinema Foundation honored the show for expressing uncommon values in television.
Most importantly, two episodes of Babylon 5—The Coming of Shadows and Severed Dreams—have won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, beating out high budget movies and old SF favorites. And just when it looked like the show was going be cancelled, the cable network TNT picked it up for its fifth and final season. It is truly the little show that could.
What makes Babylon 5 so special?
For me, it started with something basic-physics. A friend of mine had acquired a NewTek Video Toaster, a software and hardware package designed to create professional quality special effects at home. The Toaster came with a videotape which included various clips, including that of a space station and ship from a show in pre-production for Warner Brothers, a show called Babylon 5. And what impressed me was not so much the special effects, but the fact that the station was designed to rotate.
This show was created by a man who knew about O'Neill colonies and the need to rotate a space station for artificial gravity. The physicist inside me couldn't resist. I searched the Internet, trying to discover as much about this show as possible. What I found was J. Michael Straczynski himself—just plain Joe to those of us on the Internet—out there explaining his show, pushing his concept, and above all, listening to the fans and participating in our dialogue, as one of us.
Straczynski is a television producer and writer who is literate, a well-read fan of science fiction, a man who knows that space stations need to rotate, and that not all aliens would breathe oxygen.
Think of it! Straczynksi, a man who grew up in the genre, devouring Doc Smith's Lensman series and Asimov's Foundation stories, was beginning within the depths of Hollywood to create a television show that would show the world what science fiction could be, if done right. Joe put his love of science fiction into his creation, and what blossomed was a show that truly deserves the attention of the serious science fiction fan.
There are echoes of the galactic empires, ancient races, and other themes that were so prevalent during the golden age of science fiction. There are constant references to history, to science, to myth. There is an unparalleled depth of understanding of human nature, allowing for aliens who think as well as humans, but differently from humans.
There is a desire to push the envelope of television storytelling as far as it can go. But most of all, there is respect. Respect for science fiction in all its forms, respect for the fans of the genre, and respect for the human race, for both its fortes and its foibles.
All television shows begin awkwardly, but with its five year story arc in place, Babylon 5 began less awkwardly than most. Since the beginning, it has steadily grown in scope, to develop a mythic structure that is one of the most thought-provoking things on television today.
If you have never seen this show, give a few of the episodes a try, and you too may soon discover what the fans see in it.
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