Babylon 5

Babylon 5 is an epic science fiction television series created, produced, and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The music for the TV series and related TV movies was composed by Christopher Franke. The pilot movie, The Gathering, aired on February 22, 1993, and the regular series initially aired from January 26, 1994 through November 25, 1998, first in syndication on the short-lived Prime Time Entertainment Network, then on cable network TNT. Because the show was aired every week in the United Kingdom on Channel 4 without a break, the last four or five episodes of the early seasons were shown in the UK before the US.

Cast and primary characters

See also: List of people involved with Babylon 5

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Regular cast

• Jeffrey Sinclair (Michael O'Hare, season 1, also recurring)
• John Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner, seasons 2–5)
• Susan Ivanova (Claudia Christian, seasons 1–4, last episode of season 5)
• Michael Garibaldi (Jerry Doyle)
• Delenn (Mira Furlan)
• Londo Mollari (Peter Jurasik)
• G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas)
• Dr. Stephen Franklin (Richard Biggs)
• Vir Cotto (Stephen Furst)
• Lennier (Bill Mumy)
• Na'Toth (Julie Caitlin Brown, season 1 (also appears in one episode of season 5); Mary Kay Adams, season 2)
• Warren Keffer (Robert Rusler, season 2)
• Elizabeth Lochley (Tracy Scoggins, season 5)
• Zack Allan (Jeff Conaway, seasons 2–5)
• Lyta Alexander (Patricia Tallman, pilot, recurring in seasons 2–3, starring in seasons 4–5)
• Talia Winters (Andrea Thompson, seasons 1–2)
• Marcus Cole (Jason Carter, seasons 3–4)

Recurring guest characters

• Alfred Bester (Walter Koenig)
• Morden (Ed Wasser)
• David Corwin (Joshua Cox)
• Lord Refa (William Forward)
• Lorien (Wayne Alexander)
• Neroon (John Vickery)
• Ta'Lon (Marshall Teague)
• Emperor Cartagia (Wortham Krimmer)
• Centauri Minister/Regent (Damian London)
• Kosh (voiced by Ardwight Chamberlain)
• Zathras (Tim Choate)

There was also a group of actors who each played numerous bit parts, known informally as "The Babylon 5 Players". For example, each of the actors who played a Drazi ambassador during the series also appeared as another minor character elsewhere in the Babylon 5 saga.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Babylon stations

Babylon 5 is the fifth, and last, of the Babylon space stations. Its predecessors, the original Babylon station, Babylon 2 and Babylon 3 were all sabotaged and destroyed before their completion. Twenty-four hours before it became fully operational Babylon 4 disappeared without a trace. The episode "Babylon Squared" and the two-part episode "War Without End" deal with the disappearance of Babylon 4. Babylon 5 is substantially smaller than the previous stations because so much money was spent on the prior stations. For example, Babylon 4 had its own propulsion system, while Babylon 5 has none.

Related Topics:
Babylon 4 - Babylon Squared - War Without End

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Straczynski has said that he has detailed notes on the inauguration of the Babylon station program, and that one man was at the heart of the effort to get the first one built.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The three Babylon stations seen on screen were each a different color: Babylon 1 was red, Babylon 4 green, and Babylon 5 blue.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bruce Boxleitner described the spacestation Babylon 5 as "... A free port for diplomats, travelers and businessmen. A combination of building the United Nations and Times Square on an intergalactic scale...", in the introduction of "The Guide to Babylon 5".

Related Topics:
Bruce Boxleitner - United Nations - Times Square

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~