Babylon 5 needs a remake

[Chairman Yang]

Perhaps this is heresy and I'll be raked over the coals for suggesting it (or maybe it's a common idea that's already been beaten to death), but I think Babylon 5 is ripe for a big-budget remake. The underlying story and ideas are excellent, and the serialization was unusual in its time yet appropriate now, but virtually everything else could benefit from modern TV-making. Most obviously the effects and costumes, but more importantly, the acting, dialogue, and writing quality. They all have their high points, but compared to something like The Expanse, or even a game like Mass Effect, there's a clear shortfall.

What do you think?

 

[Morrigan]

Inbefo the mob screams at you, but I agree. I would watch this, and I dropped Babylon 5 somewhere in the 3rd season because of how bad the acting and writing was.

 

[Murasaki]

I concur.

But respect the final episode.

 

[Betelgeuse]

I agree wholeheartedly! And I've also thought B5 was especially well-suited to remake for exactly the reasons you lay out. The foundation is too excellent to be betrayed by 90s technical limitations and trappings.

My dream for some time now has been that one of the big streaming companies finally decides to commission a hardcore, thoughtful sci-fi series and hands a sci-fi legend like JMS a fat sack of cash to make it happen. Ira Stephen Behr is also on my short list for his fantastic work on DS9.

 

[Quinton]

Yeah. A lot of people say you can't replace that cast.

Guess what? They're right. You can't. But that doesn't mean a remake doesn't have the chance to be something fantastic.

It's been 14 years since the last cinematic entry in the B5 universe and 23 years since the show went off the air. Restart the clock with a bigger budget and I'm there.

 

[Wrexis]

They would never do a remake justice. I mean I want one, but there's no way they would do it right.
But a chance to see those epic battles in Expanse or Star Trek Discovery level CG, nnngh.

 

[ExtremelyBitter]

I'd be down, albeit mostly in hopes that it finally makes the IP as big as it should be and we can get Warner Brothers to throw enough money at the original series to completely redo the effects and save the show from the shitty zoom-into-videotape-source that's going on. They had the foresight to largely record in 16:9, but due to the special effects being rendered to tape it's just frequently such an ugly viewing experience.

It seems like it'd work as an alternate universe retelling just by letting the story evolve closer to its original form (no emergency Sinclair replacement after S1, not having to frequently swap telepaths, a better paced final pair of seasons, and I'd be curious to see if they take on the original plan for Delenn's arc with the better quality effects we have today.) It'd be hard getting used to a new Londo or G'kar or Delenn, but ultimately worth it.

The way the central arc ties everything up would be perfect for a direct-to-streaming show, and then things like the spinoffs or novels would leave room to grow if they wanted. And if they botched it then I can just sit around listing the ways the original was infinitely superior.

 

[sredgrin]

Yeah it needs a Ronald Moore, though maybe not quite so drastic. Feels like a good time to do it too, doesn't feel like fans would be too precious about it after all these years.

 

[devilmuzik]

For me, the heart of Babylon 5 is the relationship between G'Kar and Londo. I very much doubt they could truly capture the tragedy of that story arc without the wonderful performances of Andreas Katsulas and Peter Jurasik. So that's a no from me, OP.

 

[Cipherr]

Im the biggest fan of the original and loved Mira Furlan and Andreas Katsulas (RIP to both of them), but I would be okay with this as long as they dont water down the storylines or something like that.

Its insane how politically ahead of its time it was. Or maybe it wasnt and I just didnt realize that its been so bad for so long... But yeah the show was so bold, and really I wouldnt mind seeing a talented cast go for a re-imagining.

Oldschool fans would whine like we always do but thats not a reason not to do it if it can be done well. You can own the original these days, so a remake takes nothing from us.

 

[chiller]

I really do love the janky video toaster CGI, but the 16:9 pan-and-scan is some of the blurriest television I've ever seen.

Wasn't there a new movie in pre-production at some point?

 

[AniHawk]

i just watched this show for the first time this year. part of the charm is how the show punches way above its weight class. it was a serialized story when television shows were mostly episodic. and like... it's bad in a lot of ways. but dammit - it comes across like everyone truly believes in the show. in the end i rooted for it at this meta level.

a remake would be welcome just for the storytelling though. the more fascinating aspects were actually the way complex problems were resolved diplomatically. once it opened up into this war against space gods, the stakes were unrelatable. and after that we have to go back to concerning ourselves over earth fascism and the fallout of the war. the end of season 5 was not a bad idea though, wrapping up character stories was more to the core of the show.

i think a remade series should just cut out the shadow war stuff altogether and focus on the way babylon 5 is the last best chance for peace. the creeping fascism from earth gov was really interesting and it just was handwaved as being part of a larger threat. a modern take wouldn't make dark whispers of satan aliens the reason for fascism, but rather the actual distrust humans have in the other and how that gets weaponized.

and good for him for trying, but jms should not be writing every actual episode. character voices would sometimes bleed into each other - especially the way comic moments felt pretty similar or the way people would mutter under their breath. i'd also cut out all the flash-forwards. those were actual things that happened, which made certain events tragic but it removed all tension because we'd have seen them multiple times in advance (specifically londo's dream of the shadows flying overhead).

 

[Deleted member 25606]

Eh…I think I would rather revisit the setting and universe with all new stories versus just remaking something that already exists. I am not anti-remake mind you, or acting like the original is sacred. Just at the time and cost investment I would rather it go into new material since there is a wealth of assets for new ideas from the races, to politics, pretty much all the world building and I would rather an expansion on that.

 

[PHOENIXZERO]

Granted this was three years ago and of course now there's a remastered version of B5 on HBO Max but that doesn't mean they'd want to spend a lot of money on a remake though they're probably a lot more desperate for content and I imagine the leadership is different with the AT&T and Discovery stuff but... still.

 

[tidewatersouthern]

I love the original show, warts and all, and I'm in the middle of a rewatch of the new (and really fantastic transfers).

That said…I think I'd get onboard with a remake. It would be a very different kind of remake than we're used to, I'd imagine. There's nothing drastically wrong with the story and how it's told, although I'd look to the original arc that was planned out for five seasons and ditch the Psi War stuff that was shoehorned in to make the unexpected season 5. There really aren't many problematic elements in the show, and it addressed many things that are still very important today, so a hypothetical remake could just emphasize those qualities that the original already had.

I think a remake with JMS as showrunner, working from the refined ideas I'm sure he's had over the years, with a top notch writer's room, good actors and effects artists, could not only create a remake that does the original justice, but just might be able to make the most epic sci-fi series ever put to screen.

 

[gdt]

I love the show. It's one of my favorites. So a remake just scares me. I have no faith theyd hold on to what was amazing about it.

 

[Deleted member 25606]

Granted this was three years ago and of course now there's a remastered version of B5 on HBO Max but that doesn't mean they'd want to spend a lot of money on a remake though they're probably a lot more desperate for content and I imagine the leadership is different with the AT&T and Discovery stuff but... still.

Click to shrink...

I almost brought this up in my post but didn't feel like looking for quotes but I thought that was pretty much the case, dead in the water due to rights issues.

 

[ThereAreFourNaan]

Yes, but conditionally. I think a remake would have a high chance of going wrong, but I do agree that the show is majorly held back by not just it's low production values, but even by having some not-so-great actors and some accidents of real life intruding on the story itself.

B5 was far more serialized than an average show in it's day, but is far more episodic than an average show in 2021. I think B5 wants to be largely serialized and you could tweak it down into a 4-5 season show of 10-13 episodes per season, trimming some of the unnecessary "X of the week" stories, while keeping the better ones.

JMS is a great ideas guy but I don't necessarily think his script writing is punchy. Nor is B5 known for it's exciting directing and editing. There's a lot of room for improvement while keeping the bones of the story the same.

I love B5 a lot, but it does hurt to know that very few people in the modern day will be able to get into it. Even at the time it was clearly not a highly budgeted show even by TV SF standards and there's plenty of goofy shit like the Centauri that turn people right off it. Yeah I'll probably get roasted a bit too but just nuke that whole species design, make them much more alien.

 

[br0ken_shad0w]

I rather see more of a reimagining similar to Battlestar Galactica. Keep the Babylon 5 space station, the Minbari, the Centauri, Psi Corps, etc. but have it go in their own direction.

 

[tidewatersouthern]

I rather see more of a reimagining similar to Battlestar Galactica. Keep the Babylon 5 space station, the Minbari, the Centauri, Psi Corps, etc. but have it go in their own direction.

Click to shrink...

I'm not sure that's the way I'd take it. B5 is already an intricate and detailed story, unlike the source material for BSG. The tendencies of modern television writers would almost assuredly create a story that paled in comparison to the original.

 

[Cipherr]

Granted this was three years ago and of course now there's a remastered version of B5 on HBO Max but that doesn't mean they'd want to spend a lot of money on a remake though they're probably a lot more desperate for content and I imagine the leadership is different with the AT&T and Discovery stuff but... still.

Click to shrink...

Goddamn... Ridiculous man. These people are petty asf. Holding grudges for decades.

 

[NCR Ranger]

Sure. I am not one of those people that consider something sacrosanct and the original is fucking great in many ways, but suffers from its budget and being a scifi show of its time in many other ways. Best case scenario we get something amazing. Worst case we get trash and we can pretend it never existed.

 

[Digital Dinosaur]

I'd like to see it, though my biggest concern would be allowing the show to be so "talky" when it needed to be. There's a lot of key story beats and character moments in B5 that are highly staged and theatrical - practically operatic with an actor taking center stage and making a speech.

However the show was never perfect due to things going wrong with production. It would be interesting to see the Shadow war properly expanded to take up a full season. And in turn, the Earth civil war also given a full season to play out, and examine politics in greater detail.

It could be done. But if JMS himself wasn't doing it, it'd be tough. The showrunner would have to really understand why the show worked.

 

[TeenageFBI]

I started watching this for the first time a few months ago. Now I'm about a third into the fifth season. And yeah, I agree with the OP. The show has so many cool ideas marred by budget and various production compromises.

I appreciate that the creators just said fuck it and made it anyway, but I'd still love to see the show given a real budget.

 

[jetpacks was yes]

Yes but only if they just reuse the same low-res crappy cgi.

 

[HeavenlyOne]

Yes.

Yes but only if they just reuse the same low-res crappy cgi.

Click to shrink...

 

[Izzard]

I'd be into this. It's kinda painful rewatching it.

 

[MrBeanTroll]

I don't know why everyone wants a remake when a Rebo and Zooty spinoff is right there staring at you.

 

[Sinatar]

Babylon 5 without Peter Jurusik and Andreas Katsulas?



Fuck no. It doesn't need a remake, it was the characters that made the show not the pew pew laser fights.

Now if someone wanted to do a new story in that universe, sure. But a remake? Fuck all the way off with that.

 

[i hate cheaters]

i want what video games would call a remaster, not a remake

keep the script. increase the budget for acting / CGI / props

if the original writer is charge, maybe compress it to 90 episodes instead of 110. but the plot/story/writing is the best part

 

[I am a Bird]

They should remake Babylon 1-4 first.

 

[Palette Swap]

Love the original, and I'd more than welcome a remake.

 

[krae_man]

No remake until I'm done watching whats already out(currently on disk 5 of season 2).

Granted this was three years ago and of course now there's a remastered version of B5 on HBO Max but that doesn't mean they'd want to spend a lot of money on a remake though they're probably a lot more desperate for content and I imagine the leadership is different with the AT&T and Discovery stuff but... still.

Click to shrink...

Studio execs acting like petty children? The hell you say!

 

[sprsk]

Never gonna happen, but I'd love for Andrew Robinson to play G'kar and Jeffry Combs to play Londo.

 

[firehawk12]

Never gonna happen, but I'd love for Andrew Robinson to play G'kar and Jeffry Combs to play Londo.

Click to shrink...

The name of the place... was Deep Space Nine. lol

But I suppose The Expanse is basically the closest we'd get to a B5 show in modern times anyway.

 

[davepoobond]

I don't think it could be remade without completely following the previous canon. It would have to be a soft reboot

but what made it so great was JMS, so if he isn't involved it's not going to be Babylon 5

 

[GreenMonkey]

The show is great because of JMS, and secondarily because of Peter Jurasik and Andreas.

Remaking to get rid of those things is a terrible idea.

The right solution would be to grab the version they have and redo all of the CGI and composite shots from scratch.

Not gonna happen though. We are lucky we got what we did.

The other right solution is to give JMS a budget and a new scifi show. I'm hoping his current collab with Brandon Sanderson works out. I'm not the hugest Sanderson fan but his stuff is very cinematic.

 

[MrKlaw]

Was watching Loki and Sylvia was giving me huge Delenn vibes

 

[kVH2LpZd]

Are there more details in regards to what these grudges of WB are about exactly?

And no to the remake, it is perfect as it is.

 

[Alexandros]

I don't want a remake, I want a new story in that universe.

 

[firehawk12]

Are there more details in regards to what these grudges of WB are about exactly?

And no to the remake, it is perfect as it is.

Click to shrink...

There's a general feeling that network and studio execs tend to hold grudges over things that are successful that were made or produced by their predecessors, which is why there's often a slate of cancellations when someone new takes over. Assuming those same people are still in charge of WB and have the same grudge against the show, I suppose it'll always be in this limbo short of another new person coming in and wanting to do something with it.

 

[ss1]

I love B5. But I would not support a remake. I feel we should be giving chances to young, new, ambitious SciFi makers just as JMS was given a chance back in the day. It saddens me that we are not seeing fresh new SciFi with the scope of ambition as B5 being worked on.

 

[Horsefly]

It wouldn't work. There's no Harlan Ellison

 

[Metal Gear?!]

A remake could fix a lot of what didn't work so well but it also stands no chance of improving upon what DID work so amazingly, beautifully well

 

[SeriuzBiznus]

Hard agree. The plot and characters are fantastic but visually, it's such a tough watch.

 

[Dary]

The show was what it was because it was a scrappy, low-budget passion project that the studio executives at the time didn't take seriously.

I think it would go against the values of the series too. The show was about moving on from the past, not dwelling on it.

 

[MikeProtagonist]

They could find another couple with the same chemistry as Katsulas and Jurasik. They could probably make much of it better.

But saying that the writing needs work is just mad. B5 has some of the most quotable lines ever.

 

[PanzerKraken]

Only if JMS was directly invovled.

 

[BlueGeezer]

No. Not a remake. However any sequel or prequel would be amazing! Could we do some of the prior Babylon project's (I think they covered 3?) Or maybe a later one (perhaps Babylon 6?) or how about some of the other times they showed like where they regressed tech wise etc. There is so much to explore....

 

[StrangeRoboMemory]

Your heart is in the right place but I'd rather not.

Part of the appeal of the show for me is its Wing Commander III Heart of the Tiger level CGI, the earnestness of its presentation, the go-for-broke sci-fi cosmic epic ambition on a Hercules the Legendary Journeys budget; its feel and vibe and low-budget dressing is one of the elements that makes it so memorable.

Sometimes less is more. It's not meant to prestige TV. B5 was airing on syndication when I was a kid next to...I think it was stuff like Forever Knight, the Highlander show (quite an awesome series in its own way), Thunder in Paradise, shit, I think it even followed Baywatch Nights at one point on WSVN 7 in South Florida. What was so surprising and incredible to me about B5 is that it had this amazing scope and wild ideas out of a 1970s sci-fi novel and it was airing right after Hulk Hogan's transforming gunboat and David Hasselhoff solving mysteries.

As for the acting, dialogue, and writing quality...again, this is syndicated, heartfelt, earnest, straight-ahead sci-fi adventure syndicated television. Going for a more prestige angle is defeating the purpose. And the cast was so perfect as-is. Leave it be.

I say this even though B5 is my favourite show. But giving JMS all the money to do something dope, yeah, would love to see that.