Babylon 5 - Season 1
1994
In 1994, STAR TREK had to take a backseat to this science-fiction series, created by J. Michael Straczynski. The Babylon 5 space station has become an interplanetary peaceful negotiation center in the 23rd century, as humans and aliens attempt to settle differences in a reasonable fashion. This boxed set includes all 22 .. Read more
| Starring | Michael O'Hare, Claudia Christian, Jerry Doyle |
|---|---|
| Genres | Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Television |
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Most helpful members' reviews (3)
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22 out of 22 people found this review helpful
Superlative Sci-Fi
Conceived as an antidote to the hygenic, formulaic sci-fi of the Star Trek world, and devised as a 5-year novel for television, Babylon 5 is essential viewing for anyone who considers themselves a fan of the genre.
Babylon 5 is set aboard a space station of the same name, that acts as a 'UN in space'. The five major races vie for political and military influence against the backdrop of a galaxy in turmoil.
The writing and acting takes a few episodes to reach full steam, but even in this first, worst season, there are incredible episodes - Signs and Portents, A Voice in the Wilderness I + II, and Chrysalis exemplify Babylon 5 at its best; deep seams of complex story arcs weaving around one another, great acting, and writing that sparkles.
There are a few clunkers (TKO, Infection), but by the end of this first season, the incredible 5-year story arc will have grabbed you, and you will NEED to know what happens next to our characters. I guarantee it. -
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful
It was the dawn of a new age, 10 years after the earth/minbari war...
B5 is sci-fi at its bet. Based on philosophy, anthropology and conspiracy this series is story telling at its best. With a cast of characters who you actually care about and amazing cgi graphics, B5 starts as it means to go on. Granted the 1st season was weaker than the others, but for a low budget operation, it beats the layout and story of Star Trek hands down.
Ivanova is clearly the most dry humoured person in the world, but you can't help adoring her, 'No Boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow.' (Grail)
Many of the intricate storylines are laid down in this first series. We are introduced to Narn (repilitian type creatures), Centauri (empirilistic people with wild hair and a penchant for pretty girls and alcohol), Minbari (honourable people with dark secrets and hidden values), Vorlons (what's inside that encounter suit? Wait and see. They are not quite what they seem...They want to know 'Who are you?'), Shadows (Mr Morden is their emisary and they want to know 'What do you want?' Signs and Portents.) We also meet humans, and Soul Hunters (steal souls on the point of death),Raiders, Pakmara (they eat dead bodies. 'Narn tastes like Chicken' Legacies), Deathwalker (an evil alien who creates an anti aging serum that uses worrying ingredients...), people who were 'born of the egg' who believe that if a person is cut open their soul escapes (bit akin to Jehovah's Witnesses and blood transfusions in our culture) in Believers. We meet Psi Corps and are introduced to Mr Bester a Psi Cop who causes trouble fairly frequently during our 5 year story arc. We also meet the League of non-aligned worlds with Drazi, etc.
B5 is the type of series you watch with your eyes, ears and mind. Miss something for a second and you'll be lost in a season or two. However disjointed season 1 seems, it all makes sense as the series continues.
Personally, I am a B5-aholic. I don't like Sci-fi normally, but would recommend this to any one who has a serious interest in other cultures, philosophy, anthropology, linguistics, history, sci-fi and open-mindedness. JMS (the executive producer, writer and creator of B5) speaks a lot of sense, its just that sometimes the truth can make us feel a tad uncomfortable......
Why not rent them and make your own mind up. Don't judge the whole series by individual episodes in season 1. If you really want to try it why not select all 4 seasons available currently and the 3 available movies? -
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
One of the Best SF Series
If you're new to B5, series 1 will seem a bit slow, but persevere: As SF series go, this is superb, building slowly with intrigue, character studies, political comment and excellent acting (especially from Andreas Katsulas [g'kar] and Peter Jurasik [londo and also Buntz's snitch Sid from Hill Street Blues!]).
Series 1 is a must to set up the rest of the show and after a shaky start settles down nicely.
For SF fans this show is a must, ignore the wobbly pilot (The Gathering), start at the beginning and enjoy a superb space opera without the random programming shown by Channel 4 and Sky/SciFi channel when it was current. -
Most recent members' reviews (2)
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Greeat Beginnings
I am really enjoying re watching this. I can totally see why I watched in the first place. All the characters are great and well written bring on the rest of the series.
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12 out of 12 people found this review helpful
It was the dawn of a new age, 10 years after the earth/minbari war...
B5 is sci-fi at its bet. Based on philosophy, anthropology and conspiracy this series is story telling at its best. With a cast of characters who you actually care about and amazing cgi graphics, B5 starts as it means to go on. Granted the 1st season was weaker than the others, but for a low budget operation, it beats the layout and story of Star Trek hands down.
Ivanova is clearly the most dry humoured person in the world, but you can't help adoring her, 'No Boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow.' (Grail)
Many of the intricate storylines are laid down in this first series. We are introduced to Narn (repilitian type creatures), Centauri (empirilistic people with wild hair and a penchant for pretty girls and alcohol), Minbari (honourable people with dark secrets and hidden values), Vorlons (what's inside that encounter suit? Wait and see. They are not quite what they seem...They want to know 'Who are you?'), Shadows (Mr Morden is their emisary and they want to know 'What do you want?' Signs and Portents.) We also meet humans, and Soul Hunters (steal souls on the point of death),Raiders, Pakmara (they eat dead bodies. 'Narn tastes like Chicken' Legacies), Deathwalker (an evil alien who creates an anti aging serum that uses worrying ingredients...), people who were 'born of the egg' who believe that if a person is cut open their soul escapes (bit akin to Jehovah's Witnesses and blood transfusions in our culture) in Believers. We meet Psi Corps and are introduced to Mr Bester a Psi Cop who causes trouble fairly frequently during our 5 year story arc. We also meet the League of non-aligned worlds with Drazi, etc.
B5 is the type of series you watch with your eyes, ears and mind. Miss something for a second and you'll be lost in a season or two. However disjointed season 1 seems, it all makes sense as the series continues.
Personally, I am a B5-aholic. I don't like Sci-fi normally, but would recommend this to any one who has a serious interest in other cultures, philosophy, anthropology, linguistics, history, sci-fi and open-mindedness. JMS (the executive producer, writer and creator of B5) speaks a lot of sense, its just that sometimes the truth can make us feel a tad uncomfortable......
Why not rent them and make your own mind up. Don't judge the whole series by individual episodes in season 1. If you really want to try it why not select all 4 seasons available currently and the 3 available movies?
-
22 out of 22 people found this review helpful
Superlative Sci-Fi
Conceived as an antidote to the hygenic, formulaic sci-fi of the Star Trek world, and devised as a 5-year novel for television, Babylon 5 is essential viewing for anyone who considers themselves a fan of the genre.
Babylon 5 is set aboard a space station of the same name, that acts as a 'UN in space'. The five major races vie for political and military influence against the backdrop of a galaxy in turmoil.
The writing and acting takes a few episodes to reach full steam, but even in this first, worst season, there are incredible episodes - Signs and Portents, A Voice in the Wilderness I + II, and Chrysalis exemplify Babylon 5 at its best; deep seams of complex story arcs weaving around one another, great acting, and writing that sparkles.
There are a few clunkers (TKO, Infection), but by the end of this first season, the incredible 5-year story arc will have grabbed you, and you will NEED to know what happens next to our characters. I guarantee it. -
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful
It was the dawn of a new age, 10 years after the earth/minbari war...
B5 is sci-fi at its bet. Based on philosophy, anthropology and conspiracy this series is story telling at its best. With a cast of characters who you actually care about and amazing cgi graphics, B5 starts as it means to go on. Granted the 1st season was weaker than the others, but for a low budget operation, it beats the layout and story of Star Trek hands down.
Ivanova is clearly the most dry humoured person in the world, but you can't help adoring her, 'No Boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow.' (Grail)
Many of the intricate storylines are laid down in this first series. We are introduced to Narn (repilitian type creatures), Centauri (empirilistic people with wild hair and a penchant for pretty girls and alcohol), Minbari (honourable people with dark secrets and hidden values), Vorlons (what's inside that encounter suit? Wait and see. They are not quite what they seem...They want to know 'Who are you?'), Shadows (Mr Morden is their emisary and they want to know 'What do you want?' Signs and Portents.) We also meet humans, and Soul Hunters (steal souls on the point of death),Raiders, Pakmara (they eat dead bodies. 'Narn tastes like Chicken' Legacies), Deathwalker (an evil alien who creates an anti aging serum that uses worrying ingredients...), people who were 'born of the egg' who believe that if a person is cut open their soul escapes (bit akin to Jehovah's Witnesses and blood transfusions in our culture) in Believers. We meet Psi Corps and are introduced to Mr Bester a Psi Cop who causes trouble fairly frequently during our 5 year story arc. We also meet the League of non-aligned worlds with Drazi, etc.
B5 is the type of series you watch with your eyes, ears and mind. Miss something for a second and you'll be lost in a season or two. However disjointed season 1 seems, it all makes sense as the series continues.
Personally, I am a B5-aholic. I don't like Sci-fi normally, but would recommend this to any one who has a serious interest in other cultures, philosophy, anthropology, linguistics, history, sci-fi and open-mindedness. JMS (the executive producer, writer and creator of B5) speaks a lot of sense, its just that sometimes the truth can make us feel a tad uncomfortable......
Why not rent them and make your own mind up. Don't judge the whole series by individual episodes in season 1. If you really want to try it why not select all 4 seasons available currently and the 3 available movies? -
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
One of the Best SF Series
If you're new to B5, series 1 will seem a bit slow, but persevere: As SF series go, this is superb, building slowly with intrigue, character studies, political comment and excellent acting (especially from Andreas Katsulas [g'kar] and Peter Jurasik [londo and also Buntz's snitch Sid from Hill Street Blues!]).
Series 1 is a must to set up the rest of the show and after a shaky start settles down nicely.
For SF fans this show is a must, ignore the wobbly pilot (The Gathering), start at the beginning and enjoy a superb space opera without the random programming shown by Channel 4 and Sky/SciFi channel when it was current. -
5 out of 7 people found this review helpful
Good but keep on going
This first series is like many long running series, not as good as the rest. It takes some getting into and many of the characters are a bit wooden. But trust me, it gets much better and stories that span four series cant be bad. Stick with it, you wont regret it.
This series builds a foundation for the rest and so I would suggest watching it before embarking on the rest of the episodes. -
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Babylon 5 ... 1.01 - 1.04
Even though I adore the B5 series, I always thought the beginning of the first series to be fairly mediocre offerings. The very worst is 1.02, which appears to have very little place in the whole story arc and could easily be dropped and lost for good. The episodes have some good lines and quite a bit of comedy, giving a flavour of what is to come. Overall, better than the godawful pilot, but not much.
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
excellent SF
Very intelligent SF series, stands up very well in 2005 even in terms of special effects (though these are not what the series is about). Some great acting and interesting characters, and brimming with good SF ideas. Subsequent series are worth watching, but not as good. This is the one to see.
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Newcomers welcome
This is great for Babylon fans who don't already have the whole set. Dip in from the beggining and relive the days where it all started. Intriguing in retrospect and sparks the realisation that the writer DID know what he was doing from the start.
Newcomers. If you like Star Trek and associated sci fi, you'll love this. More akin to Deep Space 9 as there is a solid plot running through the series as well as self contained episodic plotlines.
Great escapism. -
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Keeps getting better
This is where the season really gets going. We are introduced to some of the pivotal characters, and we really find out exactly what happens to Sinclair at the battle of the line. Truly excellent stuff.
My personal favourite episode is Mind Games - the introduction of Bester (Walter Koenig) as the one character that every B5 fan wants to do particularly nasty things to.
G'Kar and Delen begin to show their true colours, Londo is just as drunk as ever and Kosh, well he is just a loner! -
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
A history of the future
Signs and Portents is absolutely essential viewing.. thats all there is to say.. you have to watch this is you are ever going to understand the future epsiodes of the series...
The other episodes on the disk, as far as i am concerned, are just fillers.. totally non essential..
On the whole worth watching for any and all background info.. but as with most of the first season, everything is subdifuge for things to come... -
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Getting better
Things start to pick up with discs 3 and 4.Having seen the last few seasons of B5 I was eager to watch from day one,and glad I did.The plot spreads thru 7 seasons so definitely one to watch!!
Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop
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- Babylon 5 - Season 1
- DVD: £9.93
Free Delivery - RRP £44.29 (you save: 78%)
In 1994, STAR TREK had to take a backseat to this science-fiction series, created by J. Michael Straczynski. The Babylon 5 space station has become an interplanetary peaceful negotiation center in ... -
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