Babylon 5 Marathon

I just finished going through the Babylon 5 DVDs again. Five seasons of shows. Show after show after show...

What an amazing work.

Originally aired from 1993 to 1999, the core concept of the show was to write a five-year story line, a novel for television, so to speak. Each season was a chapter of that novel. I won't go into the story line, as you can find that all over the web by doing a Google search. I'll say only that the story is epic in scale, but human in execution.

To me, this show is unique. It's an overwhelmingly character-driven sci-fi show, where the main characters are flawed, struggling, every-man (-woman) types, caught up in galaxy-changing events. They are driven by enlightened self-interest, seeking, for the most part, despite their flaws and weaknesses, to Do the Right Thing.

J. Michael Straczynski, the show's creator, primary writer and executive producer, wire-walked five seasons of stories while juggling a galaxy-sized story arc; complex, approachable and compelling characters; the requirements of creating a plausible and interesting "hard sci-fi" universe; CGI that had never been seen on TV before and a fan-base that became a force that made networks and studios take notice. The effort, as JMS says, is a once in a lifetime event. Surely, along the way, he occasionally drop the ball, but I can't think of anything.

If you've never seen B5, you should. I think you'll thank me.