Space Rangers precursor to Babylon %
I alway thought that this show was the precursor to Babylon 5
It has many similary elements from what I remember....
Well it does have a few cast members who appeared in B5 (such as Claudia Christian, Marjorie Monohagan, Cary-Hiroyki Tagawa and Richard Grieve) and CGI effects, but that's about it in my opinion. Also B5's pilot and Space Rangers debuted the same month, so there's no real way one could be a precursor to the other. I gotta say Space Rangers really needed the same CGI house as B5, even for the time SR's CGI is quite terrible...
"Oh, I did my thesis on life experience." - Anonymous Harvard Guy, The Simpsons.
Babylon 5 was started by JMS way back around 1987-88 so I really doubt Space Rangers was its precursor. Space Rangers simply got rushed out faster... hence its failure and Babylon's success.
shareThis makes me want to write up some information because it looks as if history is being rewritten somewhat. People seem to be confused about when and where shows/pilots were shown. There is a lot of confusion about this TV season, and I need to go through clip files and other records to try to untangle the mixups.
What happened was that the networks released "Space Rangers", "Deep Space Nine" and "Babylon 5" practically on top of each other then gave only one show a chance: "Deep Space Nine". "Babylon 5" ran as a TV movie/pilot but didn't take off running, as some seem to think. "Space Rangers" not only was run out of order, with Episode #1 shown the SECOND week, but also had only four episodes air. I was fortunate to tape two more episodes plus good copies of the first four when Showtime ran four "Space Ranger Chronicles" "movies", which actually were simply two episodes, with no real shared storyline.
I'm not sure I'll be able to edit this post, but I plan to put together some information about this. What I am reading at most sites varies from what actually occurred, which puzzles and aggravates me. Revisionist history crops up too often and in too many places.
Now, where did I store that notebook...?
~MystMoonstruck~
Actually, the only show of those 3 you mentioned -Space Rangers- was a network show. I believe it aired on CBS. Babylon 5 and Deep Space 9 were both syndicated. Babylon 5 was part of PTEN(Prime Time Entertainment Network)a syndication package of shows from Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution that aired on different independent stations. All three shows had the same chance as they were all on different channels and Babylon 5(the series, not the pilot) debuted after Space Rangers had been canceled.
shareOh, it's worse than that. They ran the pilot 4TH out of the 4 episodes they ran. Idiots.
Just watched the pilot again. Since I have these on videotape, I have to fast-forward over the other 3 episodes to get the the 1st one. Yeah, the CGI really looks cheap and fake! But that's the only problem I have with it, and it's a minor one. The concept's a good one, ALL the characters are likable, and the writing is a good mix of drama, character humor, and excitement. This show deserved MUCH better than it got.
Oddly enough, another show that got treated horribly around the same general time was Gerry Anderson's SPACE PRECINCT, which had the best writing of anything he ever did in his entire career. After watching that single season again, I got spoiled in the effects department. There was no CGI on that show-- it was ALL done the "old-fashoned" way-- with miniatures.