If you watched this week’s episode of Breaking Bad, you caught a quick, passing reference to Babylon 5.
But if you want the series to be more than just an “obscure reference,” series creator J. Michael Straczynski says fans need to mobilize and start campaigning.
JMS encouraged fans to ” get organized and loud” on Twitter, adding that there “ain’t never gonna be sufficient heat for any new B5 as long as the original sits on a shelf gathering dust instead of viewers.”
Straczynski went on to say that fans hoping for a Kickstarter revival of the show will not get their wish. He says that the series is owned by Warner Brothers and the studio has the final say on whether or not more Babylon Five gets to our screens.
He also says that one way to get interest up in Babylon 5 is to encourage a network or cable outlet to repeat the series somewhere in the United States.
On his Facebook page, JMS said that the only way to get new fans is either for a prospective fan to buy the DVD sets or have a friend who is willing to loan the box sets to them.
“Casual viewers can’t stumble across it while channel surfing. (As we all know, after Trek was canceled for poor ratings, it found its audience in syndication.) So in answer to the photo below, either WB has to be convinced to release the show somewhere, or a network like Syfy or Chiller or another along those lines has to be prompted to pick it up. If not, quite honestly, and without any way to add new viewers, the show will eventually slide into obscurity. This ain’t something I can do, or even directly participate in. It’s up to the fans now,” JMS says.
While Season 1 of Babylon 5 is still free to view over at TheWB.com, the series was once a part of Netflix’s streaming content but it has since been removed. Could this be a way to get the series accessible to fans again? Or do you think that the series needs to be syndicated again somewhere on our cable outlets?
Ain't never gonna be sufficient heat for any new B5 as long as the original sits on a shelf gathering dust instead of viewers. #FreeBabylon5
— J. Michael Straczynski (@straczynski) September 2, 2013
To the online backinh and forthing…some hard facts. Because Babylon 5 isn't on the air in the US anywhere,… http://t.co/9sHncwUYxf
— J. Michael Straczynski (@straczynski) September 2, 2013
I've created a Facebook page: https://t.co/J7Ig9Ikmkn#FreeBabylon5!
— Jan Schroeder (@JanMSchroeder) September 2, 2013
Check out Twitter to see how #FreeBabylon5 is trending, and keep up to date on the new Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/FreeBabylon5
I would love to see this happen. B5 was, IMNSHO, the best TV show ever. That includes all genera’s.
I would love to see this series come back in some form or another… Sadly I already own every single B5 product that has been released on DVD, as do all of my friends that I know who are also interested in it.
I don’t know anyone else who would be interested in this show which might help spark some new interest in the series.
I’ve heard this is a really great show.
I wish WB would give this show a chance to thrive. I would think that they would want to make money off a property they don’t have to invest in. The show is still on their radar as evidenced by the DVD direct release, and the recent interest in bringing it as a series which fell through last year.
Lets bring it back to screens
#freebabylon5