Babylon 5: The Lost Tales

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Babylon 5:The Lost Tales
Genre	Science fiction
Running time	approx. 45 minutes per episode
Creator(s)	J Michael Straczynski
Starring	Bruce Boxleitner Tracy Scoggins Peter Woodward
Country of origin	United States
Original channel	n/a
Original run	2nd quarter 2007–
No. of episodes	2 (to date)

Babylon 5: The Lost Tales is an anthology show set in the Babylon 5 universe. It was announced by J. Michael Straczynski, creator of Babylon 5, at the San Diego Comic Con in July 2006. The project is intended to be a series of direct-to-DVD productions, although interest for television broadcast exists. Straczynski has described the stories as ones he had for the Babylon 5 television series, but never had the time to produce.^[1]

Each story would be worked around a single established character.^[2] The production will be using cast members from the original television show.^[3]

1 The anthology concept
2 Voices in the Dark
- 2.1 Plot Outline
3 Notes
4 External Links

[edit] The anthology concept

Straczynski is a fan of The Twilight Zone and the work of Rod Serling, saying of himself, "Rod is one of my icons, so believe me, I know his work far, far better than most people."^[4] The idea of doing his own science fiction anthology show is something that he has discussed in the past as a possibility^[5] and he first proposed the idea of a Tales from Babylon 5 anthology as the sixth season of the original show in 1997. He described it as, "an anthology series, to all intents and purposes, using our characters almost like a repertory group."^[6]

[edit] Voices in the Dark

Voices in the Dark is the title of the first Lost Tales DVD to be published.^[7] On 24 July 2006, Straczynski stated they were looking at a first DVD containing three half-hour episodes (though this has subsequently changed to two forty-five minute episodes), with the project and its budgets greenlit.^[2] These would add up to around 75-90 minutes in total of story material. He also stated that there will be additional material, adding up to a two hour DVD.^[8] Straczynski is set to write, produce, and direct them.^[1]

The initial production schedule given at Comic Con for the first DVD was to start shooting in September 2006, do post-production in the fourth quarter of 2006, and release them in the second quarter of 2007.^[1] Due to certain members of crew and others not being available, this schedule got pushed back, first to October, and then to November. Production began on November 13, 2006.^[7] This will not affect the second quarter 2007 release date.^[9]

Straczynski had started writing the first of the Lost Tales scripts by 26 August 2006. He has stated that the exact nature of the stories is dependent on who exactly can be signed on, since original cast members are being used.^[3] In a recent update, Straczynski revealed the the first three scripts featured the characters of John Sheridan, Captain Elizabeth Lochley, Galen, and Michael Garibaldi. He also stated that the increasing scale and ambition of the project necessitated delaying the story featuring Garibaldi (which was the most ambitious in terms of special effects and sets) to the planned second DVD, expanding the other two stories to forty-five minutes each in the first release.^[10]

Straczynski's role as director of this initial batch of two (formerly three) episodes comes after only having directed the Babylon 5 series finale "Sleeping in Light" before. He has stated that, with new tools available and more room for experimentation in television directing now, six years after Babylon 5, he wants to slightly redesign how Babylon 5 is shot. "... nothing major, just the feeling of the shots and the CGI and to set a tone for the films." After the tone has been set, he intends others to take over for future installments.^[11]

[edit] Plot Outline

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Voices in the Dark will be set in 2272. The story will feature two linked plotlines running concurrently and covering the same 72-hour span: the first follows ISA President John Sheridan on his way to B5 for a celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the formation of the Interstellar Alliance. During the journey he unexpectedly picks up the Centauri Prince Regent (third in line to the Centauri Imperial throne) on the edge of Centauri space, and receives a warning from Galen the techno-mage about coming events. The second will feature Colonel (formerly Captain during the series' run) Lochley on B5 awaiting Sheridan's arrival, who summons a priest from Earth space to help deal with a mysterious, seemingly supernatural problem.^[12]