Babylon 5
The epic SF series Babylon 5 was a unique experiment in the history of television. It was effectively a novel for television in five seasons, consisting of 110 episodes with a clear beginning, middle and end. The first season introduces the main characters, headed this year by Commander Jeffery Sinclair (Michael O'Hare) and Security Chief Michael Garibaldi (Jerry Doyle), and familiarises the audience with the unique environment of a five-mile-long space station in the year 2257.
The first episode, "Midnight on the Firing Line", plays at a breathless pace, introducing Commander Susan Ivanova (Claudia Christian) and establishing the conflict between the Narn and Centauri races as represented by their ambassadors, G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas) and Londo Mollari (Peter Jurasik). Then follow several mediocre episodes which initially give the impression that B5 is a Star Trek clone afflicted with "silly alien of the week" syndrome. Episodes such as "Soul Hunter" and "Infection" are best watched in hindsight, with knowledge of how good the show later became.
With "And the Sky Full of Stars" B5 really begins to hit its stride, Sinclair being forced to relive his mysterious experiences during the Earth-Minbari war. Filler shows such as "TKO" are notable only for being controversially violent, while the disappointing "Grail" points to writer-creator J. Michael Straczynski's fascination with Arthurian mythology. "Signs and Portents" introduces the sinister Mr Morden (Ed Wasser) and offers the chilling first appearance of ancient alien threat, the Shadows. B5 hits warp speed with a run of exceptional episodes building to the season finale. The two-part "A Voice in the Wilderness" has Mars breaking into open revolt against Earth and the discovery of a "Great Machine" on the dead world Epsilon 3. Referencing 1950s SF classic Forbidden Planet, the story leads to the superb time travel-based "Babylon Squared". Season finale "Chrysalis" proves more than just the usual television cliff-hanger, placing Minbari ambassador Delenn in conflict with her ruling Grey Council and forcing on her a decision which laid the groundwork for Babylon 5 eventually to become a great love story. --Gary S Dalkin
The opening of a crucial space station is put in jeopardy when the commanding officer is accused of the attempted murder of a diplomat.
The Narn attack a Centauri colony, while Raiders attack transport ships. Talia Winters arrives at the station.
A mysterious alien who steals the souls of the living arrives on the station, putting Delenn's life in danger.
Londo falls for a beautiful slave, whose owner wants to steal sensitive information. Garibaldi discovers that someone is using a restricted communications channel.
A living weapon wreaks havoc on the station.
A week long cultural festival is takes place on board the station. Catherine Sakai, Sinclair's old girlfriend, arrives on the station and G'Kar receives a death threat.
The Psi Cops arrive at the station to capture Talia's old Psi Corps instructor. Catherine is warned not to survey a sector of space by G'Kar.
A pro-Earth group attacks a Minbari poet. Two Centauri lovers seek Londo's help.
Sinclair is kidnapped by two men who want to know what happened to him when he disappeared in the final battle of the Earth-Minbari War, something that even Sinclair does not know.
A war criminal scientist who is the last of the notorious Dilgars is discovered on Babylon 5 bearing an extraordinary medication that all the powers want.
An alien family refuses surgery to save their dying child.
Garibaldi is blamed for an accident aboard B5, leading to his return to the bottle.
While the station's dock workers stage an illegal strike, G'Kar tries to hold a Narn religious ceremony, but Londo holds the plant he needs and won't relinquish it.
Londo obtains a priceless Centauri artifact and a stranger visits each alien ambassador asking only one question.
A disgraced boxer comes to Babylon 5 to compete in the Mutai, an alien fighting match. Meanwhile, an old friend visits Ivanova so that she can mourn the loss of her father.
A man searching for the Holy Grail arrives. Ambassador Kosh may be behind a string of attacks on the station.
Colonel Ari Ben Zayn of Earthforce Internal Affairs investigates Sinclair and his command staff for recent station actions.
A Minbari military leader's dead body disappears on the station.
Delenn's old friend and mentor Draal arrives on the station at the same time that an extinct civilization is found on the planet that Babylon 5 orbits. A revolt against the Earth Alliance breaks out on Mars.
Earthforce Captain Ellis Pierce and an alien race both lay claim to Epsilon III, the planet which Babylon 5 orbits. The revolt on Mars continues, leading to many casualties.
Babylon 5's immediate predecessor, Babylon 4, suddenly reappears after mysteriously vanishing four years earlier.
Talia must enter the mind of a convicted murderer while Dr. Franklin goes to Downbelow to investigate a doctor who apparently is 'magically' healing people.
Garibaldi investigates a death on the station which leads him to a terrible discovery.
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Andreas Katsulas | G'Kar |
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Peter Jurasik | Londo Mollari |
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Mira Furlan | Delenn |
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Jerry Doyle | Michael Garibaldi |
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Michael O'Hare | Cmdr. Jeffrey Sinclair |
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Rick Ryan | Dome Tech |
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Stephen Furst | Vir Cotto |
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Claudia Christian | Lt. Cmdr. Susan Ivanova |
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Bill Mumy | Lennier |
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Andrea Thompson | Talia Winters |
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Richard Biggs | Dr. Stephen Franklin |
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Marianne Robertson | Hostage |
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Julie Caitlin Brown | Na'Toth |
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Warren Tabata | Security Officer |
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Dennis C. Alpert | Security Officer |
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Bill Blair | Markab in Customs |
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Ardwight Chamberlain | Kosh Naranek |
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Andray Johnson | Dome Tech |
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Mark Hendrickson | Grey Council #1 |
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Louis Ortiz | Dome Tech |
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Dan Magee | Dome Tech |
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Haley McLane | Voice of the Computer |
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Jeffrey Willerth | Ambassador Kosh |
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Julia Nickson-Soul | Catherine Sakai |
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Josh Coxx | Tech David Corwin |
| Packaging | Custom Case |
|---|---|
| Nr Discs | 6 |
| Screen Ratios | Widescreen (16:9) |
| Audio Tracks | Dolby Digital 5.1 [English] |
| Subtitles | Arabic | Dutch | English | English (Closed Captioned) | French | German | Swedish | Turkish |
| Distributor | Warner Home Video |
| Layers | Single side, Dual layer |
| Edition Release Date | 2002 |
| Regions | Region 2 |