Which is best, Star Trek or Babylon 5?

[Jayne]

I don't want to start a war with this topic so please keep it try to keep it civilised.

I think Star Trek is brilliant but in my opinion Babylon 5 is a superior sci-fi show, before the trekkies hang me out to dry please consider these points:

Until Babylon 5 came along Star Trek was getting stuck in a rut because they hit the reset button at the end of every episode, whatever happened it was all smiles & happy endings by the end of the episode (or 2 parter). babylon 5 took the idea of a story arc & this allowed progression & gradually building tension, once star Trek copied this idea it vastly improved.

The space battles in Babylon 5 were amazing because it was one of the first shows to succesfully use computer graphics, in Star Trek it was normally 2 large ships sitting in space trading blows but in Babylon 5 the ships would try to move around to take advantage of the 3d nature of space, Babylon 5 also had smaller ships in the battles which made it more interesting, once again when Star Trek copied this idea it vastly improved.

My final point for now about why Babylon 5 is so damned good is that it had mystery, with it's story arc it would leave you guessing as to where it was going, for example, the first episode I watched was entitled 'Soul Hunter', Commander Sinclair learned that one of the Minbaris was refered to as sati, he queried this with his computer & got the response that sati was a title given to one of the ruling body, he mulled over why one of the rulers would be given an ambasadorial role at the end of the episode saying "it's like making the Earth president an ambasador" then the episode finished with him saying "i'll find out, there's always time". It took 3 years to get the answer to that question & that was what hooked me, no more reset button & instead we had mysteries that built gradually, one mystery after the other built up until you reached fever pitch wanting to know the answers.

So whilst Star Trek is very good Babylon 5 is miles better & it's creation forced Star Trek to evolve into a much more satisfying show to watch

[Padma]

If you like both (carefully avoiding the question ), you'll probably enjoy http://www.starwreck.com which is a Finnish parody of both series at once. Some rather adolescent humour in there, but some of it is very funny indeed, especially if you're a fan of both ST and B5.

[Janet_Girl]

I did not really get into Babylon 5, so I would have to choose Star Trek.  But I really think Firefly was better.  However many sci fi series now follow the Babylon theme.  Following the cast from story to story.  Capica, Stargate series, and just a couple that comes to mind.

[Jayne]

Before B5 the only sci-fi show to succesfully follow the cast from one episode to the next was the 80's version of V, B5 seems to have woken TV producers up to the fact that their viewers have a long enough attention span to follow a story that takes years to tell, J M Straczynski is a sci-fi god in my eyes for the way he moved sci-fi to a new level.

I also kind of have a crush on Bruce Boxleitner (Captain Sheridan), when he came to Forbidden Planet to sign copies of his book I went weak at the knees  but even worse is that i'd love to have some private time with G'kar  when the actor (Andreas Katsulas) was out of makeup he did nothing for me but whenever I see his character I start drooling, unfortunately he died a few years ago, every time I watch this tribute to G'kar I get very emotional

I couldn't get into Caprica although I really tried but the new Battlestar Gallactica rocked!
The Stargate universe (SG1,Atlantis & Universe) are compelling viewing for me.

[Jayne]

If you like both (carefully avoiding the question ), you'll probably enjoy http://www.starwreck.com which is a Finnish parody of both series at once. Some rather adolescent humour in there, but some of it is very funny indeed, especially if you're a fan of both ST and B5.

I've got it on DVD & I agree, it's quite adolescent in its humour but well worth viewing

[Princess Rachel]

I love both shows so much but I have to say B5, it was gritty, grimey, sleazy, messianic, or to sum it up in one word: human.  Star Trek's always been a little wrong in that respect for me, a little too squeaky clean for its own good at times.  Lexx and Farscape are much more my sort of show, randomly sexy with a side order of OMGWFT!!!

[Stephanie2664]

This is an interesting question for me.  I have always considered myself a 'Trekkie' but if you were to look through my DVD collection I have the complete series of Babylon 5 and it's movies.  I do not have a single DVD of Star Trek (except the newest movie, which I think was one of the best movies of that line.)

So apparently I would have to say Babylon 5 was the best. 

I had never really thought about it but it does make sense to me now that Babylon 5 did inspire further shows that came out.  My DVD collection also contains all of Stargate SG1 & movies, Stargate Atlantis and Firefly.  And though I tried to hate the new Battlestar Galactica it was so good I also have that complete series.  But being the finiky person that I am, you will never see a Stargate Universe, Caprica or Lexx DVD in that collection.  Hmmm.   

I didn't know about G'Kar though, that makes me sad. 

[rejennyrated]

I love both...

But B5 had some awesome scripts. It was a great series spoiled only by the fumbled fifth season.

So for me B5 has it, but only by a narrow margin.

[Joelene9]

  I like Walter Koening (Pavel Andreievich Chekov of Star Trek) as the glove wearing telepathic Psi Corps leader Alfred Bester.  You must wear the glove!  Comparing B5 and all of the Star Trek series and their spinoffs are apples to oranges.  A different reality,  as through the looking glass, darkly as Kira Nerys of Bajor experienced in one episode Of DS-9. 
  Joelene

[Sephirah]

Secret option 3: Farscape

I preferred Babylon 5, personally, although I really didn't start to get into it until Sheridan took over.

[Tammy Hope]

I've tried on more than one occasion to get into B5 and just can't do it. I've been told Season 1 isn't reflective of the whole but there's just none of these people i like, no check that, none i can even TOLERATE.

I know there's a ruining debate o whether DS9 was a rip off or not, but I really don't care if it was. I LOVED DS9 (hated most of TNG by the way, and despise Voyager, loved TOS) and I have a really hard time believing anyone  did long-arc storytelling any better than DS9 did over the last 4-5 seasons.

That said, Firefly is, IMO, in a league of it's own. there are a lot of series i enjoy (Stargate, SG:U, Farscape, BSG, et al) but nothing gets close to Firefly IMO. The original Star Trek is the only one I'd take time to consider a comparison on and ultimately, the 60's cheese in several episodes just weighs it down enough to finish second.

[Jayne]

I love both...

But B5 had some awesome scripts. It was a great series spoiled only by the fumbled fifth season.

So for me B5 has it, but only by a narrow margin.

Allow me to explain the problems with season 5, Warner Brothers pulled the plug on B5 after season 2,3 & 4 but the fans put enough pressure on WB for them to change their minds, JMS (the creator) didn't alter seasons 2 or 3 because it wasn't far enough along to be practical but when word reached him that season 4 was to be the last one he made alterations.

JMS brought things forward by 6 episodes to bring a conclusion to the Earth war so that the fans wouldn't be left hanging after following the show for 4 seasons, if you re-watch B5 you'll notice that season 4 doesn't end with a cliffhanger like all the previous season finales & most of the loose ends are tied up, this meant that he had to stretch season 5 out, the Centauri having shadow tech & the growing telepath problem wasn't originaly intended to go on for so long & this did make season 5 feel like a self contained season & as you put it 'fumbled'

I still like season 5 as unlike other sci-fi shows with big wars JMS wanted to make the point that the duration of a war is always longer than the fighting

[Jayne]

  I like Walter Koening (Pavel Andreievich Chekov of Star Trek) as the glove wearing telepathic Psi Corps leader Alfred Bester.  You must wear the glove! 

Bester was a brilliant character & very well played by Mr Koening, every time he turned up in an episode you knew you were in for a really good hour of viewing.
When the Crusade spin off was cancelled I found out that JMS had the script ready for another Bester episode, it involved Bester being on the run after the collapse of the Psi-Corp, I would have loved to have seen Bester stripped of his authority & on the run, i'm sure he would have been even more ruthless than he was when he had power, imagine just how dangerous he would have been when he was being hunted 

[pixiegirl]

Also, all Bab5 special effects animations brought to you via a couple of Amigas....got to appreciate that

[Jayne]

Also, all Bab5 special effects animations brought to you via a couple of Amigas....got to appreciate that

Also, each season of B5 was done on a tight budget & didn't go over the budget limit, this made TV studios wake up & realise that you didn't have to break the bank to make a quality sci-fi show (although if you look carefully you can sometimes see the set wobble  )

[Princess Rachel]

it's not proper sci-fi unless the sets wobble! 

[Maddi]

Bit of a necro but I seen my show and have to respond...

STAR TREK! Not that other Sci-Fi shows aren't good, they aren't as GREAT as this fanchise has been. The sheer amount of detail outside the basic 1 hour show in novels and "Tech Manuals" is astounding. I spent days after my surgery reading and felt like I was studying for Starfleet Academy or for my new posting aboard a ship. That and I have the word "warrior" tattooed on my knuckles in Kilingon with the last pinky the Klingon Empire symbom. lol 

Qapla'

[Joelene9]

  Jessica,
               
  Joelene

[Cindy]

Just to be awkward, as usual

I'm not a regular watcher of TV, I put it on every now and again, I'm lost. There are so many shows that you need to have seen the preceding history to follow, There are some. Law and Order for example that you can watch as a self contained unit, but realise there is a history. I watched B5 and didn't have a clue what was going on. I suppose I'm not the usual demographic. Thank Goddess.

The new ploy, capture and keep you. Addiction is the word.

Going to bed without watching TV for another week

Cindy

[ninjaboi]

I love both. But Babylon 5 up until series 5 is probably my favourite. S5 was terrible!
The whole story arc of B5 was so good. I loved the characters, especially Ivanova.
I also run the official site for Bruce Boxleitner (Sheridan) so I am a little biased!!!