One of the most influential sci-fi shows of the past 30 years, Babylon 5, is getting a “from-the-ground-up reboot” or the original on The CW, according to The Hollywood Reporter. What’s more, original series creator J. Michael Straczynski is on board to write the script — since he wrote pretty much every episode of the original series, which ran for five seasons back in the ’90s, that seems appropriate.
THR calls the project a “reboot,” but just to banish any potential ambiguity, it sounds more like a straight remake. Per Syfy Wire, the new show will start with Earthforce officer John Sheridan (played by Bruce Boxleitner in the original series) on Babylon 5, a five-mile long space station that’s an important port of call for travelers, smugglers, diplomats, corporations and others people — human and alien alike — living in a galaxy that seems ever on the brink of war.
Sheridan’s arrival sets off a chain of events that leads to a conflict with a highly advanced alien civilization. The original series won plaudits for its careful attention to detail when developing an over-arching story, something you can see reflected in many shows today. How The CW will approach the material, and whether they’ll change it, remains to be seen.
J. Michael Straczynski outlines what the new Babylon 5 show will be like
After the announcement, Straczynski himself sounded off on Twitter. “To answer all the questions, yes, it’s true, Babylon 5 is in active development as a series for the CW,” he wrote. “We have some serious fans over at the network, and they’re eager to see this show happen. I’m hip-deep into writing the pilot now, and will be running the series upon pickup. The network understands the uniqueness of Babylon 5 and is giving me a great deal of latitude with the storytelling.”
"As noted in the announcement, this is a reboot from the ground up rather than a continuation, for several reasons. Heraclitus wrote, ‘You cannot step in the same river twice, for the river has changed, and you have changed.’ In the years since B5, I’ve done a ton of other TV shows and movies, adding an equal number of tools to my toolbox, all of which I can bring to bear on one singular question: If I were creating Babylon 5 today, for the first time, knowing what I now know as a writer, what would it look like? How would it use all the storytelling tools and technological resources available in 2021 that were not on hand then? How can it be used to reflect the world in which we live, and the questions we are asking and confronting every day?"
So the new show is a reboot, not a remake, nor a sequel. It’ll be the same story, but different. “Better to go the way of Westworld or Battlestar Galactica where you take the original elements that are evergreens and put them in a blender with a ton of new, challenging ideas, to create something fresh yet familiar,” Straczynski wrote.
"The original Babylon 5 was ridiculously innovative: the first to use CGI to create ships and characters, and among the very first to shoot widescreen with a vigorous 5.1 mix. Babylon 5 introduced viewers accustomed to episodic television to the concept of a five-year arc with a pre-planned beginning, middle and end…creating a brand new paradigm for television storytelling that has subsequently become the norm. That tradition for innovation will continue in this new iteration, and I hope to create additional new forms of storytelling that will further push the television medium to the edge of what’s possible."
Finally, he assured fans that the people at The CW have his back: “They understand the unique position Babylon 5 occupies both in television and with its legions of fans, and are doing everything they can to ensure the maximum in creative freedom, a new story that will bring in new viewers while honoring all that has come before. Onward!”
Scott Bakula: There are “serious conversations” happening about a Quantum Leap reboot
As long as we’re talking about sci-fi shows of yesterday potentially getting modern revivals, Scott Bakula talked a bit about a Quantum Leap reboot during a visit to on Bob Saget’s podcast Here for You:
"There’s very significant conversations about it right now going on. I don’t know what it would be. I don’t know who would have it. The rights were a mess for years. I don’t know if they’re even sorted out now. That’s always been the biggest complication."
Quantum Leap starred Bakula as Sam Beckett, a man who becomes unstuck in time and finds himself inhabiting the bodies of various people throughout history and helping solve their problems. He never did get to leap home during the original series. Perhaps a reboot could bring his story to an end?
Hollywood has always liked reboots and remakes, but the pace has definitely picked up in recent years. It’s because of the new environment when every studio is trying to snap up popular IPs to attract customers to their proprietary platforms. The Babylon 5 reboot is being produced by Warner Bros., so it’ll be available on HBO Max. Quantum Leap original ran on NBC, so Peacock could conceivably run the reboot. And so on.
It can be a lot to keep up with, but there’s always something good to watch, so I can’t complain too hard.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels