Babylon 5 reboot?

[davekill]

This year rumors of another Babylon 5 related project have been ping ponging back and forth again - Yes, No, Yes, Maybe.
Now the ball seems to have come to a rest on...     No.



Posted on JMS facebook page.

Fans of J. Michael Straczynski
Re: B5...the studio offered a full season of a new and rebooted B5 as part of a new distribution venue they were creating (us and several other shows from the same studio were part of the same deal). We'd have a full season, a big budget, and total creative control. The negotiations (not between us but between the participants of the venue) dragged on for over a year, we were told repeatedly this is going to happen, but finally, the participants couldn't make the math work. So we and the other three shows that they were hoping to put out there got set aside.

At this point, I've told the studio that if this isn't going to move ahead, there's something else they need to consider and there's a very informal negotiation going on now in that regard. We'll see where it goes from there.

But again, B5 was never created to be a Deep Space Franchise, we wanted to do our 5 years and get out clean. That was my intent going into this, and if that's where this ends up, I'm happy to stick with that. There are other film and TV projects I'm doing, including a deal we just concluded to write a pilot for Will Smith's company on a show that's been pretty much pre-sold for a full season overseas (two bidders want it badly for Europe, and now they're just looking for a US partner).

IMHO -  :taz
Seems JMS can't get a break. "The studio", (I'm thinking it's TNT) is still trying to find a broader audience by cashing in on the new interest in sci-fi (Falling Skies) and fresh remakes (Dallas).
A few years ago when all they aired was wrestling and westerns, The B5 spinoff: "Crusade" was approved and in production and they really had a chance to expand their audiance.
Then TNT got cold feet and killed it before the first episode was ever aired. Turns out it was to "cerebral" (where have you heard that before?), not the Baywatch in Space they where hoping for.

Since B5, JMS has continually proven to be a sucessful writer/director with the Clint Eastwood movie The Changling, Thor, and his comic projects.

http://fb.me/17a4aFkoV
http://neversurrenderdreams.com/

http://www.post-gazette.com/tv/19990606crusadea4.asp

[X]

I thought it was a new channel that was being built from the ground up.

[davekill]

I thought it was a new channel that was being built from the ground up.

Do tell? I had not heard of a new channel (network?).

I believe Warner Brothers owns the rights to B5 - could be that WB doesn't want to look foolish if a reboot is successful.
Since they have been sitting on it all these years.

One day the powers that be will realize that all good things don't come from just JJ Abrams

[Rico]

I thought it was a new channel that was being built from the ground up.

Do tell? I had not heard of a new channel (network?).

I believe Warner Brothers owns the rights to B5 - could be that WB doesn't want to look foolish if a reboot is successful.
Since they have been sitting on it all these years.

One day the powers that be will realize that all good things don't come from just JJ Abrams

Or Ron Moore or Joss Whedon!  Ohhh, a B5 remake with both Ron and Joss working on it!  That would be awesome!  :)

[Poodyglitz]

A B5 reboot would be great. Especially if they were guaranteed a full five years and gained a better opportunity to end the story. Who would be in it? I would love to see:

Tamoh Penikett
Michael Chiklis
Olivia Wilde
Jennifer Morrison
Marcus Chong
Ben Browder

It would also be nice to watch it and not hear the wooden floor boards of the sets creak. :-)

[Bromptonboy]

Olivia Wilde in B5 reboot....now I would pay a dollar to watch that show...

;)

[Poodyglitz]

...and in typical post-modern reboot style, Claudia Black as Londo.

[billybob476]

...and in typical post-modern reboot style, Claudia Black as Londo.

And have a picture of the two Londos smoking cigars together?

[davekill]

...and in typical post-modern reboot style, Claudia Black as Londo.

wow....  wow....   Wow!  Did you know that Centauri women shave their heads?
Claudia would have an amazing new look. She'd make an excellent Ambassador.

It would be impossible to recast Mira Furlan's Delenn as much as finding a new Spock. (Sorry Leonard, you are Spock).
And they would have to make the Minbari all Shakespearean actors again - that was way cool.


The nice thing about a big season arc are the clues dropped in advance of story developments and when you watch a second or third time - there they are.
Major plot mysteries are solved from season to season too.
Like what ever became of Babylon 4?


JMS says he has grown since he did B5 so long ago and would tell the story differently today.
I'd like to see him try

[Poodyglitz]

wow....  wow....   Wow!  Did you know that Centauri women shave their heads? Claudia would have an amazing new look. She'd make an excellent Ambassador.

They'd probably find some way to absolve her of that (like, that's why she's on B5 in the first place). She could be a fiery aristocrat from a powerful family who has challenged the system one too many times and was placed in "benign exile" on B5.

It would be impossible to recast Mira Furlan's Delenn as much as finding a new Spock. (Sorry Leonard, you are Spock). And they would have to make the Minbari all Shakespearean actors again - that was way cool.

Perhaps. Or you can give the Minbari an Asian flair and get Michelle Yeoh to play Delenn. :-) Otherwise, perhaps Rhona Mitra might work as well. Perhaps they could get either Monica Potter or Jolene Blalock to play Lita Alexander...and Crispin Glover to play Bester.

JMS says he has grown since he did B5 so long ago and would tell the story differently today. I'd like to see him try.

That would be nice. But I'd like to see him use additional writers the next time around. In my opinion, the lack of a variety of writers didn't help the series.

[davekill]

Good points Darmok - but I'd like to point out The Minbari have always had a strong Japanese style.
Their graceful ships, the Kimono style robes and especially the warrior class uniforms - very samurai.

I liked their fusion of formal speech and noble traditions best.
Legacies from season 1 is a good example of this... and would be a good episode to review one day.

[Poodyglitz]

Good points Darmok - but I'd like to point out The Minbari have always had a strong Japanese style.
Their graceful ships, the Kimono style robes and especially the warrior class uniforms - very samurai.

I liked their fusion of formal speech and noble traditions best.
Legacies from season 1 is a good example of this... and would be a good episode to review one day.

Good points as well.

So, when can we expect the episode wherein you review "Legacies"? :-)

[davekill]

LOL, well Darmok I don't know how much of an audience I'd have (crickets).

Without spoiling to much of the episode, I'll do a quick review for you here.

"Legacies" was written by D.C. Fontana, better known for her Trek episodes: This Side of Paradise, The Enterprise Incident, and Journey to Babel.



The setup -

By the 23rd century, man has developed space travel, colonized our solar system and some interstellar outposts.
 Also discovered other space fairing civilizations, assisted in a minor extra terrestrial war and were generally finding our way in the galaxy.
One day we encountered Dukat, the leader of a very powerful race of beings called the Minbari who was out with his small escort - and killed him.
Oops!

After near total annihilation, we saw the wisdom of being a little more cautious next time and decide to build a United Nations in neutral space. Voilà, Babylon 5!

So about the Minbari -

One of the oldest civilizations on the block, all the younger races know them and keep their distance.
For a thousand years Minbari live in peace with one another due to a ruling council established by their wise leader "Valen" who saved them from destruction during a great war.

Minbari society consists of many clans that make up three caste systems - similar to the feudal system in our own medieval times. A worker, religious, and warrior caste.

The Grey Counsel are comprised of three representatives from each caste. Together they select one from within to guide them.

On with the show -
Disclaimer: there is a B story in this episode (or is it the A story?). But it lacks any cool fighting and space ships, so if your curious you'll need to watch for yourself. It's about a teenage girl who discovers she's a telepath.

After the near total annihilation I mentioned, we are now at peace with the Minbari. Although some in the warrior caste are still angry with the order to unconditionally surrender at the battle of the line.

One in particular, commander Neroon has been using the recent death of his captain to parade the body about the colonies in a display of pride and arrogance.

When his big Minbari warship comes rolling up to Babylon 5 and plants their flag, tempers flair...

Neroon: These are my requirements, Commander
Sinclair: This is my station. I don't take orders here.
Neroon: Impetuous. Is this how you reacted on the Line, Commander?
Sinclair: This isn't the Line.
Neroon: No. We were in control there.
Sinclair: How would you like to...
Delenn: It's been my experience that discussions of old battles only interest historians. What do you think, Commander?
Sinclair: I think I have a station to run. Now if you'll excuse us?



Ambassador Delenn see's the gravity of the situation as contempt for the Grey Council too and needs to put a stop to it.
The body vanishes and she comes up with a statement of plausibility for a furious Neroon to present to his people.

He had no other option...

Known only on B5 as the Minbar Ambassador, Neroon is aware of "Seti" Deleen's seat on the Grey Council and recognizes her authority to speak for them.

She reminds the commander that they are at their strongest when they move as one, with her admonition from the Earth/Minbari war.
"Together we went insane with grief and blood-lust at the death of our leader Dukat. Then after easily destroying all the human's defenses and on the eve of exterminating Earth herself at the battle of the line - we awoke together." (But why? Knowing that truth could have plunged the Minbari into a civil war).
She orders him to obey her, "just as you obeyed the order to end the war" and to apologize to Sinclair for his behavior.

The resolution that Neroon and Sinclair come to is consistent with their roles as warriors. One of them has won, the other lost, but they both respect each other for the fight.

A nice detail to this scene is Sinclair offers a personal message of respect of the deceased captain to the Minbari people. Neroon salutes Sinclair with a Minbari fist-across-chest gesture, then offers a human handshake. His hand is too high—clearly this is an alien gesture to him. The fact that he does it is as powerful as Sinclair's offer. These guys have genuinely reconciled; they're not just making nice.

That about covers it. 
Neroon appears in a few more episodes.
If they did a reboot, Jeffrey Combs would make a pretty good Alit Neroon.

[davekill]

Good points Darmok - but I'd like to point out The Minbari have always had a strong Japanese style.
Their graceful ships, the Kimono style robes and especially the warrior class uniforms - very samurai.

I liked their fusion of formal speech and noble traditions best.
Legacies from season 1 is a good example of this... and would be a good episode to review one day.

Good points as well.

So, when can we expect the episode wherein you review "Legacies"? :-)

Hey, good luck on the Sci-Fi Jam!

Had known of the early cutoff date, I would phoned some of this rant in.

I know there are a few B5 fans here on the boards. We're just not a very vocal group    ;D

[Poodyglitz]

LOL, well Darmok I don't know how much of an audience I'd have (crickets).

Oh, come on. I'd listen to it. Talking about B5 would be a great way to add some variety. Besides, the Trek folk will appreciate that it's written by D.C. Fontana. You should consider sharing on the podcast.