Streaming Sci Fi TV: Tracking down sci fi and fantasy shows of interest on the streaming services. Note that streaming availability can change with little to no notice.
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What Is It?
This show takes place on the massive space station Babylon 5 which acts as a neutral meeting place for the various races and nations in the known galaxy. The five major races are humans, Minbari, Centauri, Narn, and Vorlon, and there are several minor races as well. Commander Sinclair (and later Captain Sheridon) commands the station and also interacts with the various races along with his crew. But when an ancient race referred to as the Shadows makes its presence known, a galaxy-wide conflict follows with Babylon 5 finding itself caught in the middle.
Aired: PTEN & TNT, 1993-98, 5 Seasons Totaling 110 Episodes + 6 TV Movies
Starring: Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, Jerry Doyle, Mira Furlan, Peter Jurasik, Andreas Katsulas, Richard Biggs, Patricia Tallman, Michael O’Hare
Created By: J. Michael Straczynski
Why Watch It?
Babylon 5 was an important accomplishment for sci fi TV as its creator J. Michael Straczynski set out to tell a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end over five seasons, and against all odds, he managed to do just that. The story unfolded across each season and it became more and more intricate as he employed a serialized story-arc (as opposed to the much more common episodic approach), setting the gold standard for that format on television. What made this work so well was that Straczynski himself wrote the vast majority of the episodes, meaning that he had a great deal of creative control over how the story progressed. He also masterfully engineered his tale, setting up “trap doors” to deal with the departures of main actors as well as other unexpected changes.
What makes this show really register is the drama at its core which impacts the characters on a very personal level. Science fiction has often been able to deliver grand tales, but many times the drama is missing. JMS successfully worked that into the story-telling of Babylon 5, and the audience relats to the struggles of the characters, both human and alien. And while the CGI was impressive for its time, the show did not go overboard with sfx like so many of the big-budget TV shows of the 2010s and 2020s do. The visuals were nice (especially for a 90s entry), but the story is what engaged the viewers and has kept the show relevant in the years since it ended. That, long with its spot-on cast, helped turn this one into a sci fi TV classic that has earned its place among the greatest of the genre.
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Where Is It Streaming?
All five seasons of Babylon 5 are streaming for free on The Roku Channel. That is an ad-supported service that has developed quite a catalog of movies and TV shows and has become one of the most-watched streamers next to the major SVOD platforms. The show is also available on the other major free service Tubi which has a pretty big streaming catalog as well. Note that neither has the Babylon 5 pilot movie (nor any of the B5 films), but don’t let that stop you. The first episode of the first season recaps a lot of what happened there, and actually acts as a better launching point for the series. Amazon has most of the movies available, but those are VOD only, so you will have to pay extra for them (only $1.99 per movie, though). Interestingly, the pilot movie is not one of those available VOD, but you can purchase it on DVD. You can also purchase the series there VOD.
Stream Babylon 5 or purchase it VOD on the Following Services:
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