B5 fans come start/join me on my babylon 5 journey (No spoilers!) - Cult

whedon247 · 09-04-2009, 12:46

ok after reading numerous posts on digitalspy forum i have decided to give this show a go as many seem to think its the greatest sci-fi show of all time,its gotta be worth a watch,i could be missing something special after all

im well aware season 1 will suck ass and i will have remain strong! but it seems worth it to get to season 2-5

my question is where should i start? im awaiting season 1 disc 1,but now i hear there is a tv movie called gathering which is set before the first episode? should i watch that first as i read a review saying that newcomers should steer clear as its boring and very low budget?

also how many tv movies are there? do i need to watch them in any order?

finnaly did B5 have a proper series finale? i dont wanna watch 5 seasons and then have no conclusion! lol

any replies appreciated

Caveman643 · 09-04-2009, 13:02

I would watch them in this order:-
The Gathering
Series 1
Series 2
Series 3
Series 4
In The Beginning
Series 5
The legend of the Rangers
Thirdspace
River of Souls
A Call to Arms
Crusade
The Lost Tales

There is enough to keep you going for many an hour.
And yes, there is a proper ending at the end of series 5.
Enjoy

whedon247 · 09-04-2009, 13:06

is crusade a spin off series or a film?

cheers for the list mate

Caveman643 · 09-04-2009, 13:20

Crusade is a 13 part spin off series. It was scrapped after those 13 episodes. It wasn't the best bit of TV ever made.

There is a box set with all B5 TV series and movies in it. Here

whedon247 · 09-04-2009, 13:26

im not gonna commit to buying it just yet,renting from lovefilm at the moment

willowfan · 09-04-2009, 13:30

The Gathering was the Pilot Movie for the show and as such has some differences/inconsistancies with the series. There are some titbits that are relevant to events later on but it is not strictly necessary to watch it before S1ep1.

whedon247 · 09-04-2009, 13:30

does it use different actors? i dont really like adjusting to new actors lol

zounds · 09-04-2009, 13:33

I second Cavemans 'enjoy' - great stuff.

Yeah, Crusade is a spin off and to tell you the truth, it didn't grab me, I only made it through a few episodes. I was still mourning the end of Babylon 5 tho'. I might try it again at some point.

If you do watch Crusade, make sure you check its Wiki first, there's a few different view orders to choose from, but that's a long way off.

whedon247 · 09-04-2009, 13:44

tell me about it! im lookin forward to it,i watched bsg s1-3 in about 3 weeks and i loved it,s4 seemed too slow paced after that lol

i just hope B5 ends up being as good as people say,im not a big fan of star trek so im dubious if its the same

Bester · 09-04-2009, 13:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by whedon247

does it use different actors? i dont really like adjusting to new actors lol

The Gathering is like a typical pilot. Some characters carry over to the series, particularly the better ones. Some of the characters are dispensed with and new ones brought in to the series. This is for the better IMO. The ones that worked best in TG are the alien ambassadors. The ones that were weakest are fairly easy to pick out and you won't be surprised to see them replaced in the series proper.

Yes, the series has a conclusion, and for my money it's arguably the best finale to any show, any time, any where. Simply outstanding.

It's also vastly different to Star Trek. The most obvious comparison is with DS9, but again, for my money, B5 is what DS9 would have been had it 1) not been Star Trek and 2) had bigger balls.

zounds · 09-04-2009, 13:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by whedon247

tell me about it! im lookin forward to it,i watched bsg s1-3 in about 3 weeks and i loved it,s4 seemed too slow paced after that lol

i just hope B5 ends up being as good as people say,im not a big fan of star trek so im dubious if its the same

Can't really compare it to Star Trek, It's more like reading a book, dunno what I mean there really! lol kinda hard to explain.

whedon247 · 09-04-2009, 13:57

i understand,i read a article that stated it was written as a 5 chapter novel

so it seems i should just jump into s1e1? forget the gathering?

leithlad · 09-04-2009, 14:28

Deffo watch The Gathering imo,whilst its no masterpiece,its still got plot points that carry into series one and two,it will also give you a feel for the relationships between the various alien races and fantastic scene between 2 important characters about a certain "pleasure threshold".

whedon247 · 09-04-2009, 14:36

ok ill order the gathering asap lol

ill let you know how i get on guys

Kaylan · 09-04-2009, 14:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caveman643

I would watch them in this order:-
The Gathering
Series 1
Series 2
Series 3
Series 4
In The Beginning
Series 5
The legend of the Rangers
Thirdspace
River of Souls
A Call to Arms
Crusade
The Lost Tales

There is enough to keep you going for many an hour.
And yes, there is a proper ending at the end of series 5.
Enjoy

I would concur with this list.

Good luck, and watch out for shadows!

Eowyn W · 09-04-2009, 15:08

I hope you enjoy. My friends and I were so obsessed with this show when it was on - if we were watching together we would shush anyone who dared talk!

I wouldn't say season 1 sucked, I just think that the seasons to follow were so much better that season 1 suffered in comparison - I certainly wouldn't have considered giving up after season 1 and remember really looking forward to it coming back.

The conclusion is fabulous! Hope you enjoy!

cheekyangus · 09-04-2009, 15:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caveman643

I would watch them in this order:-
The Gathering
Series 1
Series 2
Series 3
Series 4
In The Beginning
Series 5
The legend of the Rangers
Thirdspace
River of Souls
A Call to Arms
Crusade
The Lost Tales

There is enough to keep you going for many an hour.
And yes, there is a proper ending at the end of series 5.
Enjoy

Looking at this list I am now wondering if I ever saw The Legend of the Rangers......up till this point I thought I'd seen everything but The Lost Tales...... could someone please give me a quick summary to jog my memory ....thanks

leithlad · 09-04-2009, 15:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheekyangus

Looking at this list I am now wondering if I ever saw The Legend of the Rangers......up till this point I thought I'd seen everything but The Lost Tales...... could someone please give me a quick summary to jog my memory ....thanks

Its been a while but its basically about a ship full of minbari/human Rangers with a disgraced human Ranger being the focal point,it also had G'Kar as his advisor IIRC.It was ok but nothing too special

leithlad · 09-04-2009, 15:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by zounds

I second Cavemans 'enjoy' - great stuff.

Yeah, Crusade is a spin off and to tell you the truth, it didn't grab me, I only made it through a few episodes. I was still mourning the end of Babylon 5 tho'. I might try it again at some point.

If you do watch Crusade, make sure you check its Wiki first, there's a few different view orders to choose from, but that's a long way off.

Huge fan of Crusade myself but it was butchered by TNT and cancelled just as it was really hitting its stride,especially the one with Dr Franklin.The cast were also superb with Gary Cole and Peter Woodward particularly good,also a pre-Lost Daniel Dae-Kim is a series regular.

cheekyangus · 09-04-2009, 15:35

Whedon247 as you are new to b5 you should bear in mind if you stick with it that season 4 contains much of what was planned for season 5 as JMS was unsure if he was going to get a 5th season. As a result season 4 is the best season (in my opinion) and season 5 feels padded out (though I still enjoyed it).

I often wonder how the whole thing would have panned out if JMS had been able to put everything originally envisioned on screen but lots of factors such as actor availability impacted throughout B5's 5 season run. I won't go into them as there are too many and some will spoil it for you.

whedon247 · 09-04-2009, 15:40

ok i will keep that in mind,so far it seems to me s3 or 4 is the best

i hear the final half s5 is ace though

i cant wait to get started now after hearing you lot go on lol!

Eowyn W · 09-04-2009, 15:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheekyangus

Whedon247 as you are new to b5 you should bear in mind if you stick with it that season 4 contains much of what was planned for season 5 as JMS was unsure if he was going to get a 5th season. As a result season 4 is the best season (in my opinion) and season 5 feels padded out (though I still enjoyed it).

I often wonder how the whole thing would have panned out if JMS had been able to put everything originally envisioned on screen but lots of factors such as actor availability impacted throughout B5's 5 season run. I won't go into them as there are too many and some will spoil it for you.

I often wonder too - season 5 did have unplanned storylines, didn't it, as so much of the original plan for season 5 had been pulled into season 4, just in case they didn't get that fifth season. I think the finale was actually filmed during season 4, just in case, but when the fifth season was confirmed it was kept until the very end before it was shown.

Brigon · 09-04-2009, 15:49

I expect Season 4 would have extended the Shadow War, with Season 5 focussing on the other war that was in that season (purposely vague to avoid spoilers)

whedon247 · 09-04-2009, 15:52

i appreciate vagueness mate!!!!!!!!

really dont wanna ruin my experience with spoilers

Brigon · 09-04-2009, 16:14

I just bought seasons 2-4 for around £12 each season a few months ago and have been watching one episode per night. I had watched the Gathering and Season one online beforehand. I have about four episodes left in the fourth season and will likely order the fifth season once I am done with these episodes. It really does become incredibly good as the story gets going. I would say season three has been my favourite.

09-04-2009, 12:46	#1
whedon247 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 2,818	B5 fans come start/join me on my babylon 5 journey (No spoilers!) ok after reading numerous posts on digitalspy forum i have decided to give this show a go as many seem to think its the greatest sci-fi show of all time,its gotta be worth a watch,i could be missing something special after all im well aware season 1 will suck ass and i will have remain strong! but it seems worth it to get to season 2-5 my question is where should i start? im awaiting season 1 disc 1,but now i hear there is a tv movie called gathering which is set before the first episode? should i watch that first as i read a review saying that newcomers should steer clear as its boring and very low budget? also how many tv movies are there? do i need to watch them in any order? finnaly did B5 have a proper series finale? i dont wanna watch 5 seasons and then have no conclusion! lol any replies appreciated

09-04-2009, 13:02	#2
Caveman643 Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Darlington Services: JVC LT-40DS7. Xbox 360. Sky HD. Posts: 298	I would watch them in this order:- The Gathering Series 1 Series 2 Series 3 Series 4 In The Beginning Series 5 The legend of the Rangers Thirdspace River of Souls A Call to Arms Crusade The Lost Tales There is enough to keep you going for many an hour. And yes, there is a proper ending at the end of series 5. Enjoy

09-04-2009, 13:06	#3
whedon247 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 2,818	is crusade a spin off series or a film? cheers for the list mate

09-04-2009, 13:20	#4
Caveman643 Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Darlington Services: JVC LT-40DS7. Xbox 360. Sky HD. Posts: 298	Crusade is a 13 part spin off series. It was scrapped after those 13 episodes. It wasn't the best bit of TV ever made. There is a box set with all B5 TV series and movies in it. Here

09-04-2009, 13:26	#5
whedon247 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 2,818	im not gonna commit to buying it just yet,renting from lovefilm at the moment

09-04-2009, 13:30	#6
willowfan Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Anywhere but here Services: Crystal Palace tx, Humax 9300T PVR, PS3, XBox 360 Posts: 1,804	The Gathering was the Pilot Movie for the show and as such has some differences/inconsistancies with the series. There are some titbits that are relevant to events later on but it is not strictly necessary to watch it before S1ep1.

09-04-2009, 13:33	#8
zounds Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 8,066	I second Cavemans 'enjoy' - great stuff. Yeah, Crusade is a spin off and to tell you the truth, it didn't grab me, I only made it through a few episodes. I was still mourning the end of Babylon 5 tho'. I might try it again at some point. If you do watch Crusade, make sure you check its Wiki first, there's a few different view orders to choose from, but that's a long way off.

09-04-2009, 13:44	#9
whedon247 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 2,818	tell me about it! im lookin forward to it,i watched bsg s1-3 in about 3 weeks and i loved it,s4 seemed too slow paced after that lol i just hope B5 ends up being as good as people say,im not a big fan of star trek so im dubious if its the same

09-04-2009, 13:57	#12
whedon247 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 2,818	i understand,i read a article that stated it was written as a 5 chapter novel so it seems i should just jump into s1e1? forget the gathering?

09-04-2009, 14:28	#13
leithlad Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 876	Deffo watch The Gathering imo,whilst its no masterpiece,its still got plot points that carry into series one and two,it will also give you a feel for the relationships between the various alien races and fantastic scene between 2 important characters about a certain "pleasure threshold".

09-04-2009, 14:36	#14
whedon247 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 2,818	ok ill order the gathering asap lol ill let you know how i get on guys

09-04-2009, 15:08	#16
Eowyn W Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 3,845	I hope you enjoy. My friends and I were so obsessed with this show when it was on - if we were watching together we would shush anyone who dared talk! I wouldn't say season 1 sucked, I just think that the seasons to follow were so much better that season 1 suffered in comparison - I certainly wouldn't have considered giving up after season 1 and remember really looking forward to it coming back. The conclusion is fabulous! Hope you enjoy!

09-04-2009, 15:35	#20
cheekyangus Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Perth, Scotland, UK Services: VM BB, V+/M+ TV & phone. Freesat (indoor dish, no really!!) Posts: 686	Whedon247 as you are new to b5 you should bear in mind if you stick with it that season 4 contains much of what was planned for season 5 as JMS was unsure if he was going to get a 5th season. As a result season 4 is the best season (in my opinion) and season 5 feels padded out (though I still enjoyed it). I often wonder how the whole thing would have panned out if JMS had been able to put everything originally envisioned on screen but lots of factors such as actor availability impacted throughout B5's 5 season run. I won't go into them as there are too many and some will spoil it for you.

09-04-2009, 15:40	#21
whedon247 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 2,818	ok i will keep that in mind,so far it seems to me s3 or 4 is the best i hear the final half s5 is ace though i cant wait to get started now after hearing you lot go on lol!

09-04-2009, 15:49	#23
Brigon Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Wales Services: BT Broadband Posts: 473	I expect Season 4 would have extended the Shadow War, with Season 5 focussing on the other war that was in that season (purposely vague to avoid spoilers)

09-04-2009, 15:52	#24
whedon247 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 2,818	i appreciate vagueness mate!!!!!!!! really dont wanna ruin my experience with spoilers

09-04-2009, 16:14	#25
Brigon Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Wales Services: BT Broadband Posts: 473	I just bought seasons 2-4 for around £12 each season a few months ago and have been watching one episode per night. I had watched the Gathering and Season one online beforehand. I have about four episodes left in the fourth season and will likely order the fifth season once I am done with these episodes. It really does become incredibly good as the story gets going. I would say season three has been my favourite.