| Babylon 5 | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Babylon_5_1994_logo.svg){kind=logo} Franchise logo | |
| Created by | J. Michael Straczynski |
| Original work | Babylon 5 |
| Owner | Warner Bros. Discovery |
| Years | 1993–present |
| Print publications | |
| Novel(s) | List of novels |
| Comics | List of comics |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) | |
| Television series | |
Babylon 5 is an American space opera media franchise created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski, under the Babylonian Productions label in association with Straczynski’s Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Warner Bros. Domestic Television. After the successful airing of a pilot movie, Warner Bros. commissioned the series as part of the second year schedule of programs provided by its Prime Time Entertainment Network (PTEN).[1] It premiered in the United States on January 26, 1994 and ran for the intended five seasons. Describing it as having "always been conceived as, fundamentally, a five year story, a novel for television", Straczynski wrote 92 of the 110 episodes and served as executive producer, along with Douglas Netter.[2]
Set between the years 2257 and 2262, it depicts a future where Earth has sovereign states and a unifying Earthgov. Colonies within the Solar System, and beyond, make up the Earth Alliance and contact has been made with numerous spacefaring races. The ensemble cast portray alien ambassadorial staff and humans assigned to the five mile long Babylon 5 space station, a center for trade and diplomacy. Described as "one of the most complex programs on television" the various story arcs drew upon the prophesies, religious zealotry, racial tensions, social pressures and political rivalries which existed within each of their cultures to create a contextual frame for the motivations and consequences of the protagonists' actions.[3] With a strong emphasis on character development set against a backdrop of conflicting ideologies on multiple levels, Straczynski wanted "to take an adult approach to SF, and attempt to do for television SF what Hill Street Blues did for cop shows."[4]
The original show spawned a multimedia franchise of spin-offs consisting of a miniseries, six television movies, a direct-to-video animated film, twenty-two novels, two tabletop games (an RPG and a wargame), and various other media such as technical books, comics, and trading cards.
- ^ Lieberman, Cynthia (May 27, 1993). "Prime Time Entertainment Network announces expansion plans and programming slate for January 1994" (Press release). PR Newswire. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
- ^ J. Michael Straczynski (January 21, 1993). "Archived reply held on JMSNews.com". GEnie. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
- ^ Spelling, Ian (November 21, 1996). "'Babylon 5' Plans Explosive 4th Season". Chicago Tribune. The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ J. Michael Straczynski (November 20, 1991). "Archived reply held on JMSNews.com". GEnie. Retrieved December 24, 2011.