Posted on 04/21/2017 7:28:00 PM PDT by Ciaphas Cain
Older fans know Babylon 5, the game-changing 1994-1998 series, but younger fans may not have had a chance to watch it. Heres your internet-sized window of opportunity. B5 has come to streaming service Go90.
According to showrunner J. Michael Straczynskis Facebook page, This is the first time B5 has been streamed online or available in the US for a very long time. Go90 is offering all five seasons for free, without commercial breaks. I tested it myself, and it looks great.
For those who dont know, B5 popularized the story arc in sci-fi television. (Robotech and other anime beat B5 to the game.) When it wasnt showing us conflicts between human and aliens, humans and telepaths, aliens and aliens, it was hinting at, then revealing, a complex backstory. It took years to play out.
In fact, its serialized plot-arc-driven storylines may be a better fit for streaming media, rather than waiting each week for the next piece of the puzzle.
(Excerpt) Read more at blastr.com ...
One of my very favorite quotes from the show. Along with:
"Who am I? I am Susan Ivanova. Commander. Daughter of Andrei and Sophie Ivanov.
I am the right hand of vengeance, and the boot that is going to kick your sorry ass all the way back to Earth, sweetheart!
I am Death Incarnate, and the last living thing that you are EVER going to see.
God sent me."
(Presses fire button, unleashing hell upon her doomed foe...)
Commander Ivanova, a strong and believable female military officer and practicing Jew, both of which are darn near non-existent in modern scifi.
The political officer in one episode on Babylon 5’s 3rd season reminds me of social justice warriors and those who justify them.
She was a strong female character ... but she was a practicing religious Jew and not a rabid feminist, so she’s ignored in modern scifi.
I’ll put at the top of the list Delenn’s comment in the White Star to Earth Alliance ships approaching the rebelling Babylon 5 “Only one human has defeated a membari war cruiser. He is behind me, you are before me. If you value your lives, leave.” And they did.
Free Baabie 5!! It’s almost a shame that I have all five seasons on DVD boxed sets, along with the three movies. (Snicker)
Correction, five movies.
I believe it was: "If you value your lives, be somewhere else".
Babylon 5 fans will love these stories about the late Andreas Katsulas;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVDSdiF67bI
His character G’Kar was my favorite. Character started as a villainous Clymer but then became a living martyr to save his planet and ended up a George Washington/mesiah/legend for his fellow Narns.
Ya, but how many of the current crop of SJW can offer you what she offered him?
How will the resolution be? That series was taped (NTSC) and not filmed. A real tragedy. The very old shows like Star Trek, Beverly Hillbillies, etc transferred very well because they were filmed. It is criminal that Baywatch wasn’t filmed.
Or "No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow."
It’s because his characters motivations and experiences changed.
In the beginning he was consumed with hatred and impotent rage. He wanted to hurt the Centaurus for their enslavement of his people. Eventually as his people grew powerful he saw the anger and hatred that made them cruel and killed their spirituality. He then had a spiritual conversion where he saw that the cycle could only be broken by choosing to not giving into base desires for vengeance.
His message resonates with his directional was people and helped guide them to salvation.
The Expanse is kinda like that too. Kinda difficult to hang on to all the little nuances but if watch one right after the other the story makes more sense and the little things stand out whereas they might get lost otherwise.
The Kodi program for any computer hooked up to a TV and high speed Internet is really the best way to watch all these programs. Supposedly every tv show and movie ever made is available but I’ve come across a few that weren’t available at the time I looked. Might be a bandwidth thing too. Sometimes I click on the show and it will come on the second time but not the first.
Kodi with the Exodus and Zen addons are the way to fly and it’s free. Hard to beat free. Many of the shows that have been out for a little while are in High Def too. Some in 1080 P. A little bit of a learning curve but not bad and the YouTube vids help a lot in getting it dialed in. Back up your settings once you get it the way you like it so you don’t have to do it all over again on a second machine or if you have to format and re-install on your current one. Amazon and Netflix are good too. Hulu too for all I know but they are pay to watch. Kodi isn’t.
Babylon 5 is currently available on Kodi; all 6 seasons as they have it listed. 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. 0 is usually behind the scene action and interviews. For folks really into a show; they might appreciate that.
A pretty face and healthy body? Admittedly, few.
The prequel movie is available on Amazon Instant Video for several dollars.
“Boom. Boom! Sooner or later ... boom!”
(aka, ping for later)
Probably taped because it was easier to work with the Amiga computers outfitted with Video Toaster boards. That's how they did the effects for the first three seasons, at least. But they did have the foresight to shoot it in 16:9 aspect ratio, in anticipation of widescreen becoming the standard.
Still, if a show has good plot, characters, writing etc. the image quality can matter little. I've been watching episodes of Barney Miller from iTunes. Another series that was shot on tape. And also MUCH funnier and intelligent than any modern sitcom.
Ping ping ping for the link
Great series!
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