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you only run a show twice....
Be on the road for a week, and what happens? A fannish timeloop, it feels like.
1) Doctor Who
The announcement that RTD will produce not only the next Doctor Who anniversary special but also the next seasons is on the one hand a blatant BBC confession of being in a panic and/or unable (unwilling?) of hiring a completely new showrunner. (I had seen on twitter in the weeks leading up to this that JMS was interested, which would certainly have been an intriguing mix, but I presume they decided the "American!!!!" backlash wasn't worth it. (Or maybe he withdrew because of point 2.)
Otoh, I do feel cautiously optimistic and looking foward to this. It's been 12 years, more than enough time to, to coin a phrase, regenerate, and also, I loved what RTD did in the last five years or so - the various miniseries - Years and Years, A Very Englsh Scandal and It's a Sin were all fascinating must-watchs for me, and I also dug his version of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. All these projects were different from each other, and each showed a creative mind on top of his game, with his flaws kept under control (possibly because the miniseries format and the limited budget meant there was no room for self indulgence). All of which could mean he's able to approach the Whoverse with new stories, not simply a rerun of his previous highlights (and lowlights).
Moreover, the man has a tendency to bring in actors he's worked before. Personally, I'm holding out for Lydia West who was both in Years and Years and It's a Sin (either as a Companion or a guest star), Ben Wishaw (guest star), and Nathaniel Curtis (guest star or Companion).
Characters he may or may not bring back: Here I'm hoping for Clyde and Rani from the Sarah Jane Adventures. Possibly also Luke. One or all in an episode would be lovely. And speaking of SJA, so sadly cut off due to Elisabeth Sladen's death, he was able to bring back Jo Grant for a two parter there, so maybe he can lure Katy Manning into the main show as well?
Not looking foward to: the inevitable rehash of the Moffat vs Davies fandom wars - which usually ignore that the two of them are in a mutual admiration society - but I just won't read any of the posts marked to be about that tiring subject, and I should be good. BTW, perhaps the most damming thing said about the Chibnall era is that no one seems to be writing "Chibnall vs RTD and/or Moffat" posts.
2. Babylon 5
So JMS has announced there will be a complete B5 reboot/reimagining (the way the Ron Moore headed BSG was a reboot of the Lorne Greene BSG, or the JJ Abrams movies were a reboot of the TOS Star Trek) , to be financed by the CW and headed by himself. My first instinctive reaction to hearing this was "Do not want". Because B5 isn't Star Trek or BSG, thought I, but thinking about further, I realised what I mean is that I don't feel possessive about the TOS version of ST, and have no feelings at all about the few pieces I've watched of the original Battlestar Galactica, so of course I didn't mind the way I do the idea of a rebooted Babylon 5. Also I wonder whether JMS said yes because of his ongoing bad situation with Warner Brothers and their non-marketing of B5.
Then again: It's been decades for him, he says he does it to answer the question "if you could do it all over again, what would you do differently from today's pov?", and I can't imagine he'd want to do anything not feeling creatively challenging to him. Also, I can imagine several of the arcs which had to be aborted because of rl circumstances (actors leaving, near cancellation a season early) feel like they want to be written out. (Though please, no Ivanova/Byron. Susan had a lucky escape there.)
(On a more silly note: maybe President Clark will now be a former reality tv star whose campaign motto is Make Earth Great Again.)
But...but...but... the actors. Most of all Londo, G'Kar and Vir. Right now, I cannot imagine anyone else playing these roles. Undoubtedly, I'll come around if someone gifted does - but right now? I'm fretting.
1) Doctor Who
The announcement that RTD will produce not only the next Doctor Who anniversary special but also the next seasons is on the one hand a blatant BBC confession of being in a panic and/or unable (unwilling?) of hiring a completely new showrunner. (I had seen on twitter in the weeks leading up to this that JMS was interested, which would certainly have been an intriguing mix, but I presume they decided the "American!!!!" backlash wasn't worth it. (Or maybe he withdrew because of point 2.)
Otoh, I do feel cautiously optimistic and looking foward to this. It's been 12 years, more than enough time to, to coin a phrase, regenerate, and also, I loved what RTD did in the last five years or so - the various miniseries - Years and Years, A Very Englsh Scandal and It's a Sin were all fascinating must-watchs for me, and I also dug his version of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. All these projects were different from each other, and each showed a creative mind on top of his game, with his flaws kept under control (possibly because the miniseries format and the limited budget meant there was no room for self indulgence). All of which could mean he's able to approach the Whoverse with new stories, not simply a rerun of his previous highlights (and lowlights).
Moreover, the man has a tendency to bring in actors he's worked before. Personally, I'm holding out for Lydia West who was both in Years and Years and It's a Sin (either as a Companion or a guest star), Ben Wishaw (guest star), and Nathaniel Curtis (guest star or Companion).
Characters he may or may not bring back: Here I'm hoping for Clyde and Rani from the Sarah Jane Adventures. Possibly also Luke. One or all in an episode would be lovely. And speaking of SJA, so sadly cut off due to Elisabeth Sladen's death, he was able to bring back Jo Grant for a two parter there, so maybe he can lure Katy Manning into the main show as well?
Not looking foward to: the inevitable rehash of the Moffat vs Davies fandom wars - which usually ignore that the two of them are in a mutual admiration society - but I just won't read any of the posts marked to be about that tiring subject, and I should be good. BTW, perhaps the most damming thing said about the Chibnall era is that no one seems to be writing "Chibnall vs RTD and/or Moffat" posts.
2. Babylon 5
So JMS has announced there will be a complete B5 reboot/reimagining (the way the Ron Moore headed BSG was a reboot of the Lorne Greene BSG, or the JJ Abrams movies were a reboot of the TOS Star Trek) , to be financed by the CW and headed by himself. My first instinctive reaction to hearing this was "Do not want". Because B5 isn't Star Trek or BSG, thought I, but thinking about further, I realised what I mean is that I don't feel possessive about the TOS version of ST, and have no feelings at all about the few pieces I've watched of the original Battlestar Galactica, so of course I didn't mind the way I do the idea of a rebooted Babylon 5. Also I wonder whether JMS said yes because of his ongoing bad situation with Warner Brothers and their non-marketing of B5.
Then again: It's been decades for him, he says he does it to answer the question "if you could do it all over again, what would you do differently from today's pov?", and I can't imagine he'd want to do anything not feeling creatively challenging to him. Also, I can imagine several of the arcs which had to be aborted because of rl circumstances (actors leaving, near cancellation a season early) feel like they want to be written out. (Though please, no Ivanova/Byron. Susan had a lucky escape there.)
(On a more silly note: maybe President Clark will now be a former reality tv star whose campaign motto is Make Earth Great Again.)
But...but...but... the actors. Most of all Londo, G'Kar and Vir. Right now, I cannot imagine anyone else playing these roles. Undoubtedly, I'll come around if someone gifted does - but right now? I'm fretting.
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Some of the main cast actors were absolutely INCREDIBLE actors who did amazing things, and had really meaty material to work with. A lot of the background and/or guest star actors were ... blocks of wood given terrible material to work with. The scripts ... JMS had trouble getting other writers to fit into his carefully planned arc, so he did most of the writing (and did one season where he wrote EVERY SINGLE SCRIPT, only time that's ever happened). And he showed why that was a bad idea, because he didn't have time to polish the scripts, there's a lot of really clunky stuff in them that would definitely have been better if he'd had more time to work on them. The concepts are gripping. The actual words ... are sometimes incredible, and sometimes really bad.
But holy cow, the good parts are amazing, and even the clunky bits are part of a really gripping story.
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My offer of telling you which episodes can safely be missed, which are an absolute must, and which are "do watch, if you find the time" early on still stands, though. :)
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I found this:
https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-quick-hack-guide-to-watching-only-the-best-of-babylon-5
so we got started on "Midnight on the Firing Line" (which was also convenient as it was easier to find than "Gathering") and watched the first 15 minutes last night, and so far both of us are intrigued enough to watch further :) (E. likes Londo :D )
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Okay, Selena’s s1 list:
Midnight on the Firing Line - Must watch
Soul Hunter - if you have the time/must watch depending on whom you ask; it establishes some important things about the Minbari, but those do come up later as well, and it’s not yet as good as what’s to come
Born to the Purple: MUST WATCH. It’s the first big Londo episode, and quintessential for his character. Any list which does not include it isn’t worth spit.
Infection: godawful and unimportant. Skip.
Parliament of Dreams: MUST WATCH. Not only is it really important for continuity, it’s also the first hands down good episode (Born to the Purple is great for Londo, but has some clunky non-Londo plot scenes) after the opener. Introduces Lennier and Na’Toth, and is the first to showcase G*kar.
Mind War: of mixed quality, but still a must for introducing Bester, aka the role specifically written for Walter Koenig to show he can do much more than Chekov. Bester will continue to visit B5 once or twice a year and be the hands down most quotable villain (and occasionally, gasp, ally) on the show. Oh, and this episode starts the Susan Ivanova and Talia Winters relationship.
The War Prayer: If you have the time. Written by legendary TOS writer D.C.Fontana, noteworthy for an interesting guest Minbari and for a good scene between Londo and Vir, but if you know the whole show, it’s noticable here that the voices for most regulars are slightly “off”, and nothing continuity important happens.
And the Sky Full of Stars: Must watch. Important Sinclair episode and key to the central s1 mystery as to what happened to him at the end of the Earth/Minbari War.
Death Walker: If you have the time. It’s a good episode for Na’Toth and shows the shadiness of Kosh for the first time, plus Robin Curtis (aka Saavik) guest stars in a meaty role. The ethical dilemma is treated well. But if youi don’t have the time, it can be skipped without continuity problems.
Believers: This is a love or hate episode with most fans, written by David “The trouble with tribbles” Gerrold, but not a comedy at all. The first important character episode for the station’s doctor, Stephen Franklin, and a big “we’re not Star Trek” episode. Might be triggery. I think it’s well done, but I also know people who hate it to bits. Has no arc relevance, but you might find it hard to get a grip on who Dr. Franklin is if you miss it.
Survivors: If you have the time. First episode to go into details about Garibaldi’s backstory and life long alcohol problem. Not a must; the guest star is a bad actress, alas, and I get more from Garibaldi in other episodes,
By Any Means Necessary: Must Watch. The Londo and G’kar subplot is hilarious, the main plot is more pro-unions than I had seen on US shows until this point, and it does show Sinclair as a fair and inventive man.
Signs and Portents: absolutely MUST WATCH. The most important arc episode of the season. Cannot be missed under any circumstances.
TKO, Grail, Eyes: three episodes in a row which can be skipped. Forget all of them.
Legacies: Must watch. Very important episode for the Minbari in general and Delenn in particular. Introduces Neroon, aka the most important non-regular Minbari character.
A Voice in the Wilderness part I and II: if you have the time. These episodes introduce some arc relevant stuff and have one of my all time favourite Londo and Garibaldi scenes. On the downside, they have a subplot about smugglers which is only there because the network wanted some space action scenes from JMs, and that one isn’t going anywhere.
Babylon Squared: Must Watch. JMS expects you to remember it two seasons later and won’t bother to give you a “last time on Babylon 5” summary. During original broadcast, this was when we started to believe him about having planned out the show in a five years arc, which no one had ever done before.
The Quality of Mercy: If you have the time. The main plot is meh, but introduces a plot device which becomes relevant in later seasons. The subplot, involving Londo and Lennier, is hilarious, and not just because of the method Londo uses to cheat at cards.
Chrysalis: Must watch. Season finale, and a really good finale episode, too.
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