You know what time it is? That’s right – it’s reboot time. Hollywood is on a rampage with all these reboots and remakes of classic shows and movies. The Boondocks, Battlestar Galactica, Beavis and Butt-head, Criminal Minds, and Dexter are all returning. Whether you like it or not, Hollywood is on a murdering spree. It is killing the legacy of some of the greatest shows of ’80s and ’90s television. The Verge reports the next classic show that is getting the reboot is 1994’s epic sci-fi series – Babylon 5.
All we ask is one thing – who said we needed it? What kind of screwed up logic did CW use when they thought of bringing back iconic shows like Powerpuff Girls and now Babylon 5?
Babylon 5 – A Brief History
It was in 1994 that J. Michael Straczynski gave us a science fiction thriller unlike any other. Unlike Star Wars and Star Trek, Babylon 5 didn’t rely on lightsabers and proton torpedoes to keep the fans engaged. It was a show that used serious logic like differences in political ideologies of alien civilizations, foreshadowing and deeply engaging social drama and intrigue to keep the audiences on the edges of their seat. Babylon 5 told a single 5 year tale that evolved into something unique and fresh compared to the other sci-fi shows of its time. The five mile long space station was the epicenter of an epic journey through the stars.
Babylon 5 Reboot – Further Details
Warner Brothers Television is teaming up with Straczynski, the original creator of the show. He will work with the CW network as showrunner and writer for a “ground up reboot” of the show:
In a from-the-ground-up reboot of the original series, John Sheridan, an Earthforce officer with a mysterious background, is assigned to Babylon 5, a five-mile-long space station in neutral space, a port of call for travelers, smugglers, corporate explorers and alien diplomats at a time of uneasy peace and the constant threat of war. His arrival triggers a destiny beyond anything he could have imagined, as an exploratory Earth company accidentally triggers a conflict with a civilization a million years ahead of us, putting Sheridan and the rest of the B5 crew in the line of fire as the last, best hope for the survival of the human race.
What is even more perplexing is that Warner Brothers originally wanted nothing to do with the show. J. Michael Straczynski himself confirmed it before in 2018 on social media. So why are they suddenly so into this show?
The 1990’s & Early 2000’s Were The Golden Age Of Small Screen Entertainment
There seems to be a severe lack of new creative material in Hollywood we suppose. Reboots are not a new thing. They have been a staple in both big and small screens since ages. But the frequency with which reboot projects of legacy shows and movies has increased is astounding. It not only stifles creativity but also leads to repetitive content that tarnishes the original show’s image.
Babylon 5 was a pioneer. It was the first show to have large scale use of CGI and a widescreen shoot with a 5.1 mix. It was also the very first show to have a pre-planned beginning, body, and end. It was the earliest adopter of episodic sci-fi television. By rebooting it, the CW will probably milk it into as many seasons as possible. And that would destroy the very reason people love Babylon 5.
Will they listen? We don’t think so. The Babylon 5 reboot is happening whether you like it or not.
