After almost being cancelled, the sci-fi show with heart and brains became a shadow of its former self
Babylon 5 was a show that should never have been commissioned. Five seasons of the
United Nations set in space, anyone? Well, set your phasers to stunned because while Star Trek gets all the glory – what with its big-name actors, great special effects and lasting cultural cachet – it was Babylon 5 that became every true sci-fi fan’s secret favourite.
Set against a clandestine war between the villainous Shadows and the supposedly angelic Vorlons to determine the fate of the universe,
aliens and humans came together to fight for their own destinies. Babylon 5, a five-mile-long space station, was just the backdrop for a galaxy of unexpectedly emotional storylines where flawed characters – including a gruff orange alien called G’Kar – found redemption. You forgave the PlayStation 1 special effects (it ran from 1993 to 1999) and sometimes laughable makeup for a single heart-rending soliloquy. Of course there were silly moments, such as when a character crawled inside a chrysalis and left you wondering if you were about to see the first alien-butterfly hybrid on TV, but the emotional payoff of bizarre events like this made Babylon 5 unmissable. In fact, the character in the chrysalis, Delenn, went on to become half of one of the best love stories ever told in science fiction.