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Babylon 5: Season 1 (6 Discs) | 
| Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: CDN$ 74.98
Buy New: CDN$ 44.88
You Save: CDN$ 30.10 (40%)
New (19) Used (3) from CDN$ 37.95
Rating:  183 reviews
Sales Rank: 2907
Format: Ntsc, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.5 x 1.6
MPN: WARD22855D
ISBN: 0790770113
UPC: 085392285525
EAN: 9780790770116
ASIN: B00006HAZ4
Theatrical Release Date: January 26, 1994
Release Date: November 12, 2002
Availability: Usually ships within 1 - 2 business days
Condition: Absolutely Brand New - GUARANTEED ORIGINAL REGION 1 DVD, exactly like Amazon factory sealed, no tax/custom duty, low shipping cost Buy from us with 100% confidence. WE SHIP FROM TORONTO BY CANADA POST.
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From Amazon.com
The epic sci-fi series IBabylon 5/I was a unique experiment in the history of television. It was effectively a novel for television in five seasons, consisting of 110 episodes with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The first season introduces the main characters, headed this year by Commander Jeffery Sinclair (Michael O'Hare) and Security Chief Michael Garibaldi (Jerry Doyle), and familiarizes the audience with the unique environment of a five-mile-long space station in the year 2257. p The first episode, "Midnight on the Firing Line," plays at a breathless pace, introducing Commander Susan Ivanova (Claudia Christian) and establishing the conflict between the Narn and Centauri races as represented by their ambassadors, G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas) and Londo Mollari (Peter Jurasik). Then follow several mediocre episodes that initially give the impression that IB5/I is a IStar Trek/I clone afflicted with "silly alien of the week" syndrome. With "And the Sky Full of Stars," IB5/I really begins to hit its stride, Sinclair being forced to relive his mysterious experiences during the Earth-Minbari war. Filler shows such as "TKO" are notable only for being controversially violent, while the disappointing "Grail" points to writer-creator J. Michael Straczynski's fascination with Arthurian mythology. "Signs and Portents" introduces the sinister Mr. Morden (Ed Wasser) and offers the chilling first appearance of the Shadows, an ancient alien threat. p IB5/I hits warp speed with a run of exceptional episodes building to the season finale. The two-part "Voice in the Wilderness" has Mars breaking into open revolt against Earth and the discovery of a "Great Machine" on the dead world Epsilon 3. Referencing 1950s sci-fi classic IForbidden Planet/I, the story leads to the superb time-travel-based "Babylon Squared." Season finale "Chrysalis" proves more than just the usual television cliffhanger, placing Minbari ambassador Delenn in conflict with her ruling Grey Council and forcing on her a decision that laid the groundwork for IBabylon 5/I's eventually becoming a great love story. I--Gary S. Dalkin/I
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| Customer Reviews: Read 178 more reviews...
 Awesome Story Arc May 25, 2004
D. Mitchell
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
When it first came out, I was put off by the cheesy early episodes. But this series has wonderful character actors and a long story arc that builds and unfolds and interconnects. The best science fiction on television.
 Barely redeems itself toward the end... May 12, 2004
Raein2001 (Modesto, CA United States)
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
Let me start by affirming that I am an avid sci-fi fan with a very high tolerance for the genre's quirks and foibles. This boxed set, however, tested my patience to its very limit. In fact, it was an extreme act of discipline and loyalty to keep watching...until the last 3 episodes that is, which represented a marked improvement over their predecessors.pThe most irritating problem with the show is the writing itself. The dialogue is so stiff and cliched that I physically winced on several occasions. (example: "Let's get this show on the road!") Dialogue is used to spoonfeed the viewer ("As you already know, Commander...") which adds to the sense of This-is-12-year-old-superhero-comic-book. The intro is a weak attempt to duplicate the power of "To boldly go where no man has gone before." Alas, "The name of the place is Babylon 5!!!" doesn't exactly give one cold chills. The lame attempts at humor usually fall quite flat and the characters never really mesh. The effects are distracting rather than special--it's tough to concentrate on the storyline when one is busy noticing how obviously superimposed the actors are against an animated background. The frequent explosions resemble hand-held sparklers that kids waive around on the 4th of July.pHaving said all that, I did find some redemption in the final episodes, during which time the promised story arc begins to appear, some characters begin to come alive, and the writing improves significantly. In fact, it was towards the end that I realized that several of the actors are actually quite talented. In particular, Peter Jurasik (Londo) does an outstanding job of presenting a character that is all at once brash and subtle. Poor Peter was initially handicapped by the aforementioned inferior writing and an unconvincing costume complete with sideways mohawk (someone should tell S.E.T.I. that in order to find alien life, all they need is a bottle of Elmer's glue) but he is the one who is ultimately most convincing in his role. Also, the story absolutely succeeds in establishing a complex and interesting socio-political environment as well as a humdinger of a finale upon which to base future episodes.pAll in all, the show was mournfully lacking. But, just perhaps, the show had to suffer some growing pains. Enough of interest occured in the final hours to give me hope, and I actually (*deep breath, fingers crossed*) ordered the second season! We shall see...
 not great, but good April 18, 2004
daniel wasney (edmonton,ab,canada)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
I never viewed Babylon 5 in its' initial run. I caught one episode, from this season, and that was it. So, i can only state my opinion on the dvd presentation of the series. As anyone who has followed a series from its' inception to finale can state, there is a definitive difference between watching a series on tv, and watching it on dvd (or video).pI love Babylon 5. Every good thing that any scifi geek has ever told you about it being it best science fiction series produced is dead on. pAnd yet one cannot really give the first season a great review. There are very few series that could warrant such a review for the first season, simply because there are always growing pains. This first season isn't bad, it's simply mediocre. It's slow in its character development, there are a lot of serial (self-contained) episodes, the dialogue is pretty bad at times (eg. that's on a need to know basis, and you don't need to know), and one of the actors is quite horrible (but thank [god] they get rid of her in the second season).pReally, it all boils down to this; if you are unsure as to whether you want to purchase the series, start on series 2. You'll be pleasantly surprised. You'll continue on, and find you need the first for your collection. pYou really cannot go wrong with this show, but I can see as how the first season would be off-putting. So, rather than give it a stellar review, I give you this. Hopefully you will come to know, and love, Babylon 5 as I have.
not great, but good April 18, 2004
daniel wasney (edmonton,ab,canada)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I never viewed Babylon 5 in its' initial run. I caught one episode, from this season, and that was it. So, i can only state my opinion on the dvd presentation of the series. As anyone who has followed a series from its' inception to finale can state, there is a definitive difference between watching a series on tv, and watching it on dvd (or video).pI love Babylon 5. Every good thing that any scifi geek has ever told you about it being it best science fiction series produced is dead on. pAnd yet one cannot really give the first season a great review. There are very few series that could warrant such a review for the first season, simply because there are always growing pains. This first season isn't bad, it's simply mediocre. It's slow in its character development, there are a lot of serial (self-contained) episodes, the dialogue is pretty bad at times (eg. that's on a need to know basis, and you don't need to know), and one of the actors is quite horrible (but thank [god] they get rid of her in the second season).pReally, it all boils down to this; if you are unsure as to whether you want to purchase the series, start on series 2. You'll be pleasantly surprised. You'll continue on, and find you need the first for your collection. pYou really cannot go wrong with this show, but I can see as how the first season would be off-putting. So, rather than give it a stellar review, I give you this. Hopefully you will come to know, and love, Babylon 5 as I have
 This is one of the worst shows I've ever seen April 8, 2004
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
I am a big fan of Science Fiction and I had heard that Babylon 5 was the Best Science Fiction Show ever made, but I do not understand what all the fuss is about. After having watched the 1st season, I have to say that this is one of the worst shows I've ever seen. The acting is horrible and the dialogue doesn't even come up to B-movie standards. The special effects are interesting, but a show needs a lot more than special effects to be good. I am going to rent the 2nd Season, as I've heard it's better than the 1st, but it needs to be a lot better for this show to keep me interested. It's not even bad enough to be amusing. If you're thinking of buying this show, save your money, it's not worth it.
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