Episode cast overview, first billed only: | |||
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 | |
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Billy Hayes | ... | Traveler (as William Hayes) |
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Linda Hoffman | ... | Dome Tech #2 |
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Robert Jason Jackson | ... | Dome Tech #3 |
This TV movie is the pilot for the "Babylon 5" TV series. Set on a space station in the late 23rd Century, Babylon 5 is a centre of diplomacy and trade, in neutral space located between many rival space empires. The project's success, already shaky, is put further in doubt when incoming Commander Jeffrey Sinclair is the key suspect in the attempted assassination of Kosh, a mysterious alien ambassador. Written by Tony Lammens <lammens@connexus.apana.org.au>
"The Gathering" comes as a complete surprise unless you are aware of the process of the development of a TV series for sale. For anyone who has not seen Babylon 5, "The Gathering" is a reasonable telemovie, but only of strong interest to serious science fiction fans. But for fans of the series, this movie is an excellent example of how the storyline for the series was originally conceived and then modified when its limitations became obvious. The changes in the characterisations of Delenn, G'Kar and Llando can, in the retrospect provided by the later release (and viewing) of this pilot, be seen as significantly adding to the strength that made the series the classic it has become.