Babylon 5: The Gathering (1993) (TV)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Richard Compton

Writers:

J. Michael Straczynski (creator)
J. Michael Straczynski (written by)

Release Date:

22 February 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Plot:

The opening of a crucial space station is put in jeopardy when the commanding officer is accused of the attempted murder of a diplomat.

Plot Keywords:

Space | Space Station | Alien | Futuristic | Cult Favorite

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Michael O'Hare	...	Cmdr. Jeffrey Sinclair
Tamlyn Tomita	...	Lt. Cmdr. Laurel Takashima
Jerry Doyle	...	Michael Garibaldi
Mira Furlan	...	Delenn
Blaire Baron	...	Carolyn Sykes
John Fleck	...	Del Varner
Paul Hampton	...	The Senator
Peter Jurasik	...	Londo Mollari
Andreas Katsulas	...	G'Kar
Johnny Sekka	...	Dr. Benjamin Kyle
Patricia Tallman	...	Lyta Alexander
Steven R. Barnett	...	Eric Hazeltine
Billy Hayes	...	Traveler
Linda Hoffman	...	Dome Tech #2
Robert Jason Jackson	...	Dome Tech #3

Also Known As:

B5 (USA) (promotional abbreviation)
Babylon 5 (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

89 min | 94 min (special edition)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Netherlands:6 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-11 | Germany:6 | UK:PG | USA:Unrated | Iceland:12

Company:

Babylonian Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: In the beginning of the movie when the hostage situation is occurring when the hostage is first shown her hair is covering her face. The camera switches to Sinclair and when it switches back to the hostage her hair is no longer in her face.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Ambassador Londo Mollari: [voiceover] I was there at the dawn of the third age of mankind. It began in the Earth year 2257, with the last of the Babylon stations located deep in neutral space. It was a port of call for refugees, smugglers, businessmen, diplomats, and travelers from a hundred worlds...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Science Fiction: A Journey Into the Unknown (1994) (TV)

A great start to a great story

Back in 1993 one of my co-workers, who knows I'm a science fiction fan, asked if I was going to watch the pilot for that new SF TV seriies. At first I didn't think I had heard of this before. Then I realized that this must be the show that J Michael Stracynski (JMS), the screenwriting columnist for <i>Writer's Digest</i>, quit that job to work on.

I watched the movie and was instantly intrigued. Unlike many SF TV shows, the science was well done (with none of the technobabble seen in other shows). A valiant attempt was made to present a few totally non-humanoid aliens. (This resulted in the funny puppet aliens in a section that was edited out when the special edition was created)

But what drew my interest was the fact that this movie had laid down plot threads for the proposed series. Unanswered questions about what really happened to the first four Babylon stations. And why had the Minbari suddenly surrendered at the end of the Earth-Minbari war when victory was in their grasp? What was the story behind Commander Sinclair's missing time at the Battle of the Line?

Before the series itself aired I read an article in Cinefantastique which explained that JMS had a plan for an ambitious story arc that would take five years to complete. I was ready.