Babylon 5 - The Complete First Season

Rating:
Summary: The best in science fiction I've ever seen.
Review: When the pilot originally appeared on television, although I wasn't too impressed, and was especially sceptical about the guy with the hair standing up like a peacock's tail, I thought "I'll give this show a look next week, just one more episode." I saw the first episode, "Midnight on the Firing Line", and while I liked it better than the pilot, I still wasn't sold. However, to give the story credit, I said once again "I'll give it one more shot next week." Well, before I knew it, I was watching it every week. Some episodes weren't the best, but overall, I was hooked. "Signs and Portents", the episode which shares the same name as the first season, left me on the edge of my seat. By the time I saw "Crysallis", the cliffhanger season finale, I couldn't wait for the second season. I was eagerly watching all the reruns as well, finding new things every time I watched (years later, I still find new things).

After having seen all five seasons of the show, and having watched all episodes multiple times, I really believe that Babylon 5 is the best science fiction story I have ever seen or heard.

Consider this: I am a Trekkie from waaaay back. I was watching the original Star Trek series on TV as a kid, and now own every episode. I love The Next Generation, and now own every episode of that series as well. Deep Space Nine is next on my list. I never was too thrilled with Voyager, but now I am really enjoying Enterprise. I own every Star Trek film. I read all the novels when I was younger. I have no intention of ever giving up Star Trek. However, given the desert island choice of keeping one and only one show, and giving up all the rest, I would without hesitation pick the five seasons of Babylon 5.

Rating:
Summary: Babylon 5 on DVD
Review: I love that Babylon 5 - The Complete First Season is now available on DVD, the picture and sound quality is top of the line, and the extras included with this DVD are enlightening and very interesting.

This series is wonderful, my husband and I purchased this and watched the whole 6 disks in about 6 evenings (very late evenings) and loved it. We can hardly wait until Seasons 2-5 are released on DVD. We have always wanted to be able to see all the episodes and to be able to go back and catch an older one or one we missed, now we have that option, it's great.

If you like science fiction (i.e. Star Wars, Star Trek) you will probably love this series.

Rating:
Summary: don't be fooled, Babylon is awful
Review: Based on all these stellar reviews, you might be led to purchase Babylon Season One. But CAVEAT! If you hold this show to the same standards you set for TNG, DS9 or VOY, you will find Babylon (Season One at least) to be horribly boring and empty. Especially painful if you spent money on it. The Captain of the station is one of the worst actors I've ever seen. Every (off timed) line he utters makes me cringe. The rest of the bunch isn't very good either (GaraBALDI being one of the better ones). The stories are so generic and predictable. Recycled garbage.

Basically, if your absolutely STARVING for sci-fi and don't mind really bad mindless TV drivle, your going to love Babylon.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent show let down by a mediocre transfer
Review: Plenty of other people have written about Babylon 5 so I am going to limit my review to the more technical aspects of the set. The picture transfer is very uneven, some scenes are nice and sharp but others are quite grainy and some even have persistent flaws appearing. Episode 2, "Soul Hunter", is a particular offender in this regard with mysterious blue lines appearing in most of the scenes set in Down-below.

The special effects scenes also suffer as other viewers have mentioned in that they have been digitally "blown up" to fit the 16:9 aspect rather than being properly recreated from the original files. The extras are decent although some are a bit dated, such as the making of Babylon 5. The episode commentaries by JMS are a very nice touch but he doesn't really state anything new, just summaries the commentaries he has written elsewhere. The packaging was also disappointing. The new artwork is very stylish but is printed on cardboard that I would normally expect to see used for storing breakfast cereal.

In summary, the first season of Babylon 5 is excellent entertainment but is badly let down in the transwer to DVD. The prints should have been cleaned before transfer and more effort should have been made to ensure that the awards winning special effects were transfered in all their glory. DVD is an excellent format but this release feels rushed. It has been 5 years since B5 finished airing on TV and I would rather have waited a bit longer for a release that did justice to the material. The three star rating is for seeing my favourite sci-fi show in glorious animorphic widescreen. The missing stars are for the apparent lack of effort that went into the release. I sincerely hope that the remaining seasons are more sharply transfered.

Rating:
Summary: Now it Begins!
Review: For years now, the 'Lurkers' among us have lamented the ending of the Babylon five-year story arc, and the lack of a quality, commercial reproduction of the series for our collection. But no more! The DVD set just released has met or exceeded all my expectations.

I've read the previous reviews. Perhaps it's just because I'm not a stereophile, but I've had no problems with the sound at all. Or the video. Both my wife and I have found the presentation to be crisp and clear. Images are sharp, and all dialog comes through just fine. All in all, a great collection of some of the finest drama ever to hit television.

And great drama it is. The cast is rife with Shakespearian talent, bringing to life a story that does not depend upon techno-babble for its coherance. With very few exceptions, all the characters come across as real people (or real Narns, or Drazi, or whatever!). The true strength of the series is in following the metamorphosis of the major characters- Lando's reluctant but inexorable slide into darkness, G'kar's equal but opposite move towards enlightenment, Vir's tenacious innocence, and all the others as well. Babylon 5 is about how individuals shape, and are shaped by, the Universe. I am especially appreciative of how the series portrays spiritual devotion in a very positive light, unlike Roddenberry's continual denigration of all matters of faith.

Scene selection is broken down at the original commercial breaks, which works just fine. The packaging is very good, and includes a synopsis of each episode, for those of us who don't have the whole thing commited to memory as yet!

I found the 'Extra Features' to be interesting, but a bit on the 'Babylon Lite' side. very little I did not already know. But for newcomers to the series, it's all good stuff.

My thanks to JMS, the 'Great Maker', and to Warner Brothers for producing the set. It's a sure thing that I'll be buying the other four seasons as they become available (that's a hint, guys-keep cranking them out!).

I leave you now, with an old Egyptian blessing:

'May God stand between you and harm, in all the empty places where you must walk.'

Rating:
Summary: Great Story - Lousy DVD Authoring
Review: I could spend the thousand words alloted to me talking about how wonderful Babylon 5 is as a series. However, it's a safe bet that you already know that if you're contemplating buying this set.

Season 1 is probably the weakest book in the five book set that is Babylon 5, but that's largely because it is setup for the rest of the series to follow. Seasons 2 through 4 are where the best meat of the series are. But if you pass up the first or last chapters, you are missing the grandeur of the entire event.

But I digress. The problem with this set isn't the story, but the way the DVD itself was put together. The sound is subpar as far as I'm concerned. I've owned all the Babylon 5 episodes on video tape since they were first aired in Pro Logic. Imagine my shock when I discovered that those original recordings sounded BETTER than the supposed Dolby 5.1 sound that it's in now. No comparison.

Also, many of the episodes show scratches on the film print that could have been easily fixed through post production treatment.

Even the menu system for this box set leaves a lot to be desired.

So, why did I give this 5 stars may you ask? The story is just so damn good that you can't get anything better. Despite the flaws in the production, buy this set. This entire series is worth owning since it is, in my humble opinion, the best science fiction saga ever to grace television. (Episodes like "TKO" and "Infection" notwithstanding.)

Go out and buy it.

Rating:
Summary: Overall an excellent beginning
Review: They (WB) have decided to release seasons 2 on DVD. After some discussion on their message boards I'm pleased to hear it will be out in April 2003!

There were 'minor' bleeps and blurps on the DVD (translation.. not the best reproduction I've seen on a DVD) however overall the quality is good. I wish they spent some time cleaning up the video just a little.

Looking forward to Seasons 2. It can't come fast enough for me :D

Rating:
Summary: The last best hope for DVD entertainment...
Review: Well, maybe not but this is a terrific box set anyhow. Launched during a time when it was believed that Trek defined science fiction on television, Babylon 5 made other series such as Farscape possible with its 5 year story arc. Season one is hampered with setting up all of the characters and conflicts that were to follow in future episodes. It also features strong character development and, without setting the stage, there wouldn't be anything left follow.

Although the writing is a bit stiffer here than on future episodes (Michael O'Hare gets the bulk of the awkward dialog as his character isn't clearly defined early on), there are a number of episodes that sparkle with the quality of writing seen later in the series. The appearence of the shadows by episode 16 sets the stage for the major conflict during the third and fourth season when the Shadow war breaks out.

All the cast dose a great job with the strongest performances by Andreas Katsulas, Peter Jurasik, Andrea Thompson and Jerry Doyle. Why Thompson gave up her acting for television news reporting is beyond me (maybe she saw something in her future she didn't like for example NYPD Blue) Perhaps it's because the line between truth and fiction was finally crossed.

The DVD features commentary by J. Michael Straczynski on three of the key episodes during the first season (something that should have been done with the Star Trek box sets). Alternately funny and informative, Straczynski's comments provide an interesting backdrop to the action unfolding in the respective episodes. There's also two documentaries with the first made during the first season and the second a look back with interviews with Straczynski, producer Copeland and Jerry Doyle (among others)providing a candid assessment of the obstacles they can into bringing the show to the screen.

The packaging is less awkward than the Trek accordian fold out box set with a 12 page booklet giving a credits for individual episodes and a brief synopsis of the plot. Warner has done a great job of packaging Babylon 5 season one. The DVD, on the other hand, is a mixed bag.

The good stuff first. The sound is terrific and has been remixed for Dolby Digital 5.1. The mix is crisp, clear and sounds really really good. The live action portion of the show has numerous analog artifacts including scratches and imperfections in the print. While it isn't horrible, it can be a bit distracting given the quality of progressive scan DVD players and a big screen television. This could have been cleaned up more in digital post-production during the transfer (look at the marvelous job done with the last three Star Trek: TNG box sets for an example of how it should be done). There isn't much in the way of problems due to digital compression despite the fact that these are all on single layer discs. The optical effects look sharp and the fact that they are digitally created is a bit more obivious 8 years on. There's occasional picture crawl when you see ships in the distance or an interior show with any sort of grating. Again, it's not a problem just a distraction.

All in all, I'm happy to have Babylon 5 finally available on DVD. I just hope that Warner takes a bit more care with the next set of transfers. Again, the picture quality is quite good--it's just noticable that these are digital transfers from an imperfect analog source. While some folks claim that season one isn't their fav, without it the ground work for the remaining four seasons wouldn't have been possible. Looked at in retrospect, it's amazing at the quality of the writing given that this was the first season. It's also amazing that from the very first episode there is a reference to episodes in seasons 2, 3, 4 & 5. I'd highly recommend this box set.

Rating:
Summary: Season One of the best American Science Fiction TV Series
Review: I was never truly a fan of the first season of "Babylon 5", yet there were great episodes such as "Signs and Portents", "Believers", "And The Sky Full Of Stars", and especially, "Chrysalis" which made me realize that this series had the potential of being the best American science fiction television series. Fortunately not only did it attain this standard, but kept it constantly throughout most of its remaining four seasons. For those unfamiliar with "Babylon 5" and its concept as a "novel for television", the first season remains a fine introduction, introducing plot elements which won't be resolved fully until years later.

I am very impressed with the quality of the digital transfers of each episode; surely this is the best reason to purchase this DVD set. However, it isn't by any means the only one. Series creator J. Michael Straczynski has two excellent commentaries for the episodes "Signs and Portents" and "Chrysalis", giving some interesting clues as to what will transpire on Babylon 5 later. The documentaries with interviews of the cast are fine, though they don't quite reach the same level of artistic excellence that I've seen in the "Lord of the Rings" DVDs. Still they are perfect introduction to anyone unfamiliar with Babylon 5, and remain important additional features to this DVD collection. I eagerly await the subsequent releases of the remaining seasons of what I truly regard as the best American science fiction television series ever.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Science Fiction Series on TV
Review: I nearly wept when this show ended. Between B5 and Deep Space 9 we were treated to season after season of Great stories, characters and science fiction. Start your collection with this and pick up DS9 season 1 Feb 25. You wont be sorry if you follow them both through to the end!
Enjoy