Babylon 5: The Gathering

Babylon 5The week-long national syndication window opens for the pilot movie of Babylon 5, The Gathering. The movie’s completely computer-generated effects – a first for television science fiction – win an Emmy Award. Despite favorable ratings from the movie’s initial broadcast, months pass before Warner Bros. orders the first full season, to premiere in 1994. Read more Hear about it on the Sci-Fi 5 podcast

Babylon 5: In The Beginning

Babylon 5Cable channel TNT airs Babylon 5: In The Beginning, the first of two TV movies contracted by TNT to accompany its package of Babylon 5 reruns (which begin the following night). Set years before the series, In The Beginning chronicles the oft-mentioned-but-never-seen Earth-Minbari War. Premiering the same night is a “special edition” of the 1993 pilot movie, The Gathering, which brings its slightly dated effects and music more in line with the rest of the series. Read more Hear about it on the Sci-Fi 5 podcast

Babylon 5: Thirdspace

Babylon 5Cable channel TNT premieres Thirdspace, the second Babylon 5 TV movie produced as part of the network’s rescue of the former syndicated series. Though it airs second, Thirdspace was filmed first to utilize the standing Babylon 5 sets before they were struck to make way for new sets used in the previous movie, In The Beginning. Shari Belafonte guest stars. Read more

Babylon 5: A Call To Arms

Babylon 5Cable channel TNT premieres A Call To Arms, the fourth and final Babylon 5 TV movie produced for TNT. The movie features a mixture of familiar Babylon 5 characters as well as new characters who would later appear in the spinoff series Crusade; A Call To Arms is effectively a two-hour pilot for Crusade, which would premiere later in 1999. Read more Hear about it on the Sci-Fi 5 podcast

Babylon 5: The Legend Of The Rangers – To Live And Die In Starlight

Babylon 5Sci-Fi Channel premieres The Legend Of The Rangers, a two-hour pilot movie for a Babylon 5 spinoff created by J. Michael Straczynski. Andreas Katsulas reprises the role of G’Kar for what will turn out to be the last time. As it is scheduled opposite a major pro football playoff game, The Legend Of The Rangers fares poorly in ratings and is not picked up as a series. Read more

Babylon 5: The Lost Tales

Babylon 5Warner Bros. Home Video releases the direct-to-DVD movie Babylon 5: The Lost Tales, a continuation of Babylon 5 written and directed by J. Michael Straczynski. Featuring original series stars Bruce Boxleitner and Tracy Scoggings, the movie is divided into two tangentially-related stories. Though initially promoted as the first of a series of direct-to-DVD Babylon 5 sequels, this proves to be the only volume of The Lost Tales when Straczynski decides to rest the Babylon 5 universe unless Warner greenlights a big-budget adaptation. This remains the final Babylon 5 project for over a decade. Read more

Babylon 5: The Road Home

Babylon 5Warner Bros. releases the animated movie Babylon 5: The Road Home. direct to DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital. Written by series creator J. Michael Straczynski, and featuring surviving original series stars Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, Peter Jurasik, Bill Mumy, Tracy Scoggins, and Patricia Tallman, with new actors voicing other familiar characters from the series. Read more