Pre-Order Babylon 5: The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Available for Preorder (1 Viewer)

[Wayne Klein]

Watched “The Gathering” the other night. Not a bad upscale but I sure wish that the original negative existed for the pilot. I’m taking a B5 break and am revisiting “The X-Files” (starting with season 3. I enjoy some episodes of seasons 1 and 2 of that series but, like B5, the series was trying to find its footing). Also dug back into ” Nowhere Man” wishing that had a Blu or or 4K release but I suspect it would require a fresh scan).

It was nice to revisit B5 and will do so again in about three or four days. It was cool to see it again after rewatching the entire run of ”The Expanse”. A pity Paramount hasn’t ponied up the money for “Deep Space Nine” yet.

 

[BobO'Link]

My copy came in a couple of days ago and I started watching last night. I'm on the third episode and so far it looks quite good - even the vfx scenes.

Subtitle text doesn't always match what's being said. Some are simply the wrong word - as if someone created them while listening to the soundtrack and misinterpreted the word spoken. Some are missing words, a kind of condensation of what was said, saying pretty much the same thing but leaving words out or using one when several were spoken. It's possible (likely?) the SDH was generated using an original script and what's heard is simply actors doing what actors do - embellishing or just saying things how *they* would say it themselves. That said, it's no big deal.

At this point I have a single complaint, and it's the same one I have for all newer Warner TV releases: If you select a specific episode it continues to the next episode automatically rather than going back to the menu like it should. Basically selecting an episode is a "Play all from here to the end" choice.

**EDIT**
Adding that after watching the first 4 episodes I realized the bumpers are in place. While they're not informative, it's a nice touch.

It's also interesting/unusual that the opening credits are in window boxed WS. I really don't recall if they were presented in WS format during the original airings. If not, it's an odd choice.

 

[Capt D McMars]

Damn, Why all the grief?!! How long have we all been waiting and complaining that B5 was MIA, and once we get our wish grated, we're complaining about relatively minor points in an overall nice Blu ray box set.
Warner could have done what they did with the dvds and only released one season at a time, I know I remember that!!
Be happy with what you get, because after all "it is what it is" and winning won't change it. There's nothing to be gained by "coulda, shoulda woulda". I also remember when they ran the series upscaled version on HBP/Max, nd I just prayed that maybe they would take it to the next level (blu ray box set).

If this set sells well enough, perhaps Warner may consider doing the after series movies in Bluray, that would be nice, right? Good job Warners, I got mine and I'm thrilled!!!

 

[Wayne Klein]

My copy came in a couple of days ago and I started watching last night. I'm on the third episode and so far it looks quite good - even the vfx scenes.

Subtitle text doesn't always match what's being said. Some are simply the wrong word - as if someone created them while listening to the soundtrack and misinterpreted the word spoken. Some are missing words, a kind of condensation of what was said, saying pretty much the same thing but leaving words out or using one when several were spoken. It's possible (likely?) the SDH was generated using an original script and what's heard is simply actors doing what actors do - embellishing or just saying things how *they* would say it themselves. That said, it's no big deal.

At this point I have a single complaint, and it's the same one I have for all newer Warner TV releases: If you select a specific episode it continues to the next episode automatically rather than going back to the menu like it should. Basically selecting an episode is a "Play all from here to the end" choice.

**EDIT**
Adding that after watching the first 4 episodes I realized the bumpers are in place. While they're not informative, it's a nice touch.

It's also interesting/unusual that the opening credits are in window boxed WS. I really don't recall if they were presented in WS format during the original airings. If not, it's an odd choice.

I suspect they were upscaled from the DVD masters from Video which is likely why.

 

[Wayne Klein]

Damn, Why all the grief?!! How long have we all been waiting and complaining that B5 was MIA, and once we get our wish grated, we're complaining about relatively minor points in an overall nice Blu ray box set.
Warner could have done what they did with the dvds and only released one season at a time, I know I remember that!!
Be happy with what you get, because after all "it is what it is" and winning won't change it. There's nothing to be gained by "coulda, shoulda woulda". I also remember when they ran the series upscaled version on HBP/Max, nd I just prayed that maybe they would take it to the next level (blu ray box set).

If this set sells well enough, perhaps Warner may consider doing the after series movies in Bluray, that would be nice, right? Good job Warners, I got mine and I'm thrilled!!!

I really haven’t seen much in terms of complaints or, if so, they are minor complaints just observations. Every one is happy this got released. The only complaints I’ve noted are around price.

 

[BobO'Link]

I have no complaints on the price. The current non-discount price of ~$93 (Amazon, GRUV, Deepdiscount, likely others) is reasonable for 5 seasons of a 22 episodes/season series. That's ~$20/season after tax and less than I paid for the series on DVD. Based on other classic WB TVonBR releases I fully expect this one to be in the $50-$75 range within 6-12 months.

 

[jayembee]

Subtitle text doesn't always match what's being said. Some are simply the wrong word - as if someone created them while listening to the soundtrack and misinterpreted the word spoken. Some are missing words, a kind of condensation of what was said, saying pretty much the same thing but leaving words out or using one when several were spoken. It's possible (likely?) the SDH was generated using an original script and what's heard is simply actors doing what actors do - embellishing or just saying things how *they* would say it themselves. That said, it's no big deal.

It's been like that since the original broadcasts. There were times when it was obvious that the captioners were going by the soundtrack -- one instance I recall distinctly was captioning "PsiCorps" as "Sicor". In other instances it was obvious they must've captioned by reference to a script, as you point out, and probably did so before the final edit was made to the episode.

It's also interesting/unusual that the opening credits are in window boxed WS. I really don't recall if they were presented in WS format during the original airings. If not, it's an odd choice.

That was the way they were done originally. Before I knew that they originally framed for widescreen, I figured it was an affectation.

 

[BobO'Link]

Another odd choice... the introductory tele-movie, The Gathering, is relegated to a separate disc positioned as the *last* disc in the case. Considering it sets the story/background for some major plot lines you'd think it would have been the *first* disc - but it's also not been restored, at least that's what I've read, so maybe they wanted to put the better looking series first.

Frankly, it looks pretty good. Not as good as it would with a proper new transfer, but almost as good as the series proper and certainly better than the DVD, though there *is* occasional "stuttering" like with a dropped/repeated frame. And it's also in WS so that, too, could have been a factor in its placement in the set. IIRC this originally aired in 4:3 and I don't know if this is a true WS presentation or just a better transfer than what was used on the DVDs (likely the latter). There are absolutely a few scenes with tight headroom but nothing looks overly awkward.

I'm debating with myself about "restructuring" the order of the discs to put The Gathering first in the case, where it belongs. Since I'm doing a full watch through it won't be as much of a pain as doing it later.

A word of caution: The hubs have a kind of "death grip" on the discs. They are held in place so tightly that you really need to use the "press the center of the hub with the end of a small marker" method for extraction. Basically - get a fine or ultra fine tip Sharpie, center it on the hub clips, press down. The disc *should* then pop up or one side will release making its extraction safer.

 

[Sam Favate]

Another odd choice... the introductory tele-movie, The Beginning, is relegated to a separate disc positioned as the *last* disc in the case.

Do you mean The Gathering? Because In The Beginning was the first of the movies, and to my knowledge it’s not included.

 

[Wayne Klein]

It's been like that since the original broadcasts. There were times when it was obvious that the captioners were going by the soundtrack -- one instance I recall distinctly was captioning "PsiCorps" as "Sicor". In other instances it was obvious they must've captioned by reference to a script, as you point out, and probably did so before the final edit was made to the episode.



That was the way they were done originally. Before I knew that they originally framed for widescreen, I figured it was an affectation.

I wanted to say that they might have used the scripts as other subtitles have been generated by that approach and that’s why you’ll sometimes see variance but, in this case, I think it was likely a mistake (unless they were send earlier drafts) as JMS was adamant that the performance be 100% faithful to the script as he didn’t want improvising done that might alter things in the story arc he might have to fix later. It‘s also why some dialogue could sound stilted as what works on the page sometimes doesn’t work during performance.

I don’t doubt they either used the original subtitle guides that were used.

There‘s a really good review by Randy Miller at Blu-ray.com that does a good job of summarizing the strengths and weaknesses of the set.

 

[BobO'Link]

Do you mean The Gathering? Because In The Beginning was the first of the movies, and to my knowledge it’s not included.

Doh!! Yes... The Gathering... Fixed! Thanks!

 

[Wayne Klein]

Do you mean The Gathering? Because In The Beginning was the first of the movies, and to my knowledge it’s not included.

It isn’t and I think he just confused the two (easy to do with the titles).

 

[BobO'Link]

It isn’t and I think he just confused the two (easy to do with the titles).

The sad part is I was *thinking* "The Gathering" yet *typed* "The Beginning"!

 

[Wayne Klein]

Another odd choice... the introductory tele-movie, The Gathering, is relegated to a separate disc positioned as the *last* disc in the case. Considering it sets the story/background for some major plot lines you'd think it would have been the *first* disc - but it's also not been restored, at least that's what I've read, so maybe they wanted to put the better looking series first.

Frankly, it looks pretty good. Not as good as it would with a proper new transfer, but almost as good as the series proper and certainly better than the DVD, though there *is* occasional "stuttering" like with a dropped/repeated frame. And it's also in WS so that, too, could have been a factor in its placement in the set. IIRC this originally aired in 4:3 and I don't know if this is a true WS presentation or just a better transfer than what was used on the DVDs (likely the latter). There are absolutely a few scenes with tight headroom but nothing looks overly awkward.

I'm debating with myself about "restructuring' the order of the discs to put The Gathering first in the case, where it belongs. Since I'm doing a full watch through it won't be as much of a pain as doing it later.

A word of caution: The hubs have a kind of "death grip" on the discs. They are held in place so tightly that you really need to use the "press the center of the hub with the end of a small marker" method for extraction. Basically - get a fine or ultra fine tip Sharpie, center it on the hub clips, press down. The disc *should* then pop up or one side will release making its extraction safer.

Yeah I hate these hubs. The Twilight Zone and Star Trek The Next Gen big complete boxes are like this as well. It’s minor in the scheme of things and an easy fix. I’m happy to have the set flaw and all.

 

[jayembee]

Re: In the Beginning

I found it weird that when TNT picked up the series for the last season, and decided to start off repeats of the earlier seasons with In the Beginning (and the "producer's cut" of The Gathering). Because watching In the Beginning in it's chronologically correct position -- it's a prequel to the entire series -- completely spoils the third season episode "A Late Delivery from Avalon", which is when we originally discovered what caused the Earth-Minbar War. For anyone who first watched the show with those TNT airings (I know at least one person who did so), when you get to "...Avalon" it's ends up being a "Yeah, we know this already" moment.

 

[ScottRE]

As spoilerish as In the Beginning is as a rerun premiere, I feel it is one of the very best things B5 aired. That and Sleeping in Light are just beautiful productions.

 

[Wayne Klein]

On to disc four to round out the first season. Most of the issues noted earlier for video are largely resolved By disc four. Man I hate this case. maybe it’s my imagination after watching “The Gathering” but the upscaled visuals look better the further into the series I get.

 

[BobO'Link]

I agree about the upscaled visuals seeming to get better as it goes on. I'd guess that's partly due to an overall improvement in their production techniques as the show progressed.

As season 1 ended I found myself thinking "OK... I really don't recall things moving *this* quickly in season 1!" and then realized I was watching the *last* episode of the season!

Spoiler

Kosh saying "And so it begins..."
The Shadows making an appearance.
Delenn going into the chrysalis

Supposedly the original air version of The Gathering is available on Amazon streaming. I'm considering purchasing a copy to find out (it's $3). I don't think I've ever seen that cut as I didn't watch the series until the late 90s and don't recall seeing *any* of the movies until I purchased the DVDs. I don't know why I didn't watch the series during its original airings as it was available and I tended to at least sample any new SF series.

 

[jayembee]

As season 1 ended I found myself thinking "OK... I really don't recall things moving *this* quickly in season 1!" and then realized I was watching the *last* episode of the season!

At some point during the third season, I decided to binge the entire series to date (from my SVHS recordings), and was surprised to see how many things from later on were foreshadowed -- no pun intended -- in the first season, which otherwise seemed to be random, experiemental world-building. For example, in the sixth episode, "Mind War", Sinclair's girlfriend encounters a mysterious alien ship, which turns out to be one of the "First Ones" that are revealed in a later season.

At any rate, the season seemed (as I said) rather random, but once the two-parter aired, the show really kicked into high gear. Until I did that binge, the only episode up until the two-parter that made much of an impression on me was "Deathwalker", which remains one of my favorite episodes of the series.

Supposedly the original air version of The Gathering is available on Amazon streaming. I'm considering purchasing a copy to find out (it's $3). I don't think I've ever seen that cut as I didn't watch the series until the late 90s and don't recall seeing *any* of the movies until I purchased the DVDs. I don't know why I didn't watch the series during its original airings as it was available and I tended to at least sample any new SF series.

The original cut of "The Gathering" was released as a laserdisc in Japan. Haven't watched it in ages, though (I need to replace my LD player). It's an interesting alternate cut. Not only are there scenes in each version that are not in the other, some scenes are in different spots in the narrative. Probably the most interesting thing about it is the Stewart Copeland soundtrack.

 

[ScottRE]

At some point during the third season, I decided to binge the entire series to date (from my SVHS recordings), and was surprised to see how many things from later on were foreshadowed -- no pun intended -- in the first season, which otherwise seemed to be random, experiemental world-building. For example, in the sixth episode, "Mind War", Sinclair's girlfriend encounters a mysterious alien ship, which turns out to be one of the "First Ones" that are revealed in a later season.

At any rate, the season seemed (as I said) rather random, but once the two-parter aired, the show really kicked into high gear. Until I did that binge, the only episode up until the two-parter that made much of an impression on me was "Deathwalker", which remains one of my favorite episodes of the series.



The original cut of "The Gathering" was released as a laserdisc in Japan. Haven't watched it in ages, though (I need to replace my LD player). It's an interesting alternate cut. Not only are there scenes in each version that are not in the other, some scenes are in different spots in the narrative. Probably the most interesting thing about it is the Stewart Copeland soundtrack.

View attachment 207009

Babylon 5 was a very well structured show and even weathered unexpected cast changes well. It really is a textbook example of how to do a show of this kind. Unlike other quest or mystery based concept shows, B5 would set up some questions and then answer them while introducing new ones and building on what came before. JMS plotted it like a novel and it was a richer experience for it. The only reason is lost steam was because they expected the 4th year to be the last so they wrapped up most of the plots before getting the unexpected 5th year on TNT. But the last half of year 5 saw the series back on form and it led beautifully to the final episode shot a year earlier. Really the most satisfying finale of any SF show for my money.

"Sleeping in Light" aired the same week Jimmy Smits' character died on NYPD Blue. The freaking tears were flowing that week in my house.

The original cut of The Gathering was also released on VHS by Columbia House back in the 90's. I still have a DVD-R copy of it. While I agree the re-edited version is better overall, I still prefer Stewart Copeland's music, but Chris Franke's scores knew how to pluck at the heart. I also really liked the sound effects for the rifles used in the climax also.

Babylon 5 is Straczynski's crown jewel. He had a penchant for corny dialog, but those rough edges separated B5 from Star Trek.