Babylon 5: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
2258 CE. Five hostile federations dominate the outermost regions of space. Heroes, thieves and rare and exotic beings find refuge in this time of uneasy peace and the constant threat of war on a lone space station–the last and best hope for peace between a hundred worlds, alien and human alike–Babylon 5
BURBANK, CA (July 18, 2023) – In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment is releasing the groundbreaking original sci-fi TV series Babylon 5 on Blu-ray for the first time ever! On December 5, just in time for holiday gift giving, Babylon 5: The Complete Series will be available at online retailers with all 110 original episodes fully remastered in HD. The highly anticipated release is one fans don’t want to miss!
Babylon 5 is an American space opera television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski that ran for five seasons from 1994–1998. The critically acclaimed franchise debuted in 1993 with the pilot film The Gathering. The series then launched a year later and ran for five seasons and 110 additional episodes. A future-history story covering the years 2257–2262, with each year corresponding to one season, Babylon 5 was the first series to introduce viewers to the concept of a five-year arc, with a defined beginning, middle, and end, paving the way for a number of such later series.
Review:
I haven’t watched an episode of Babylon 5 since it was originally on tv! I do remember enjoying it, but had forgotten how similar it was to Star Trek: Deep Space 9. Though there are a lot of similarities, there is a bit more cheesiness and lightheartedness to this show. Someone reads a paper copy of “Universe Today” newspaper. And everyone who isn’t human is an “alien.” Several things were a bit off-putting rewatching today. But it wasn’t any less fun. The stories are still engaging. And this show has great actors.
This remastered set is fantastic. The special effects are still from the late 90s, so younger viewers may not appreciate it as much as those of us with fond nostalgia. This blu-ray set comes in a book-style format, with 2 dvds to a “page” side. So, all 5 full-length seasons fit in a compact case. I prefer sleeves to this plastic that can break and make storing a pain. But hopefully, none of the plastic tabs will break for quite a while. The packaging is my only minor complaint. I really enjoy the series and love this remastered edition.