Watching this series now. Currently I'm in season 3. I found the first episodes of season 1 a bit slow but that changed soon.
I like it. Perhaps even more than Star Trek.
Got the complete set (including the films) on video on the shelf behind me.
Like you say, it starts a little slow, but then hits the right notes and becomes a real cracker. Unfortunately it also loses it's way a bit at the end, it got dragged on about a series more than it should have done.
But it is certainly a refreshing change from the normal "everyone is friends and everything is shiny and works" type of sci-fi, although some of the cliches are still there as well...
I find the details of the station teriffic. I imagine that Oolite stations also look like that ( a bit smaller because a Coriolis is 1 km and a superhub is 2.2) but you get the idea.
Sadly I saw ( spoiler alert!) Kosh die in the last episode I watched . For some reason I found his character surounded by pleasant mystery.
Best Sci Fi series ever! Truly awesome stuff, and an epic story over 5 series.
It does have slow periods (like RL) but also has some of the most jaw-dropping moments you'll ever see.
Like Thargoid I've got the lot on Video, and keep an old VCR plugged into the Audio/Video system just to watch some from time to time. One day I'll sit down with the intention of working through the whole lot (movies included) in chronological order. Well, obviously not in one sitting, but...
P.S. If you ever visit my website Smivsonline (link below for my screenshots page) take a look at the Favicon...recognise it?
Commander Smivs, the friendliest Gourd this side of Riedquat.
But it is certainly a refreshing change from the normal "everyone is friends and everything is shiny and works" type of sci-fi, although some of the cliches are still there as well...
In one of my few claims to fame - when I was lucky enough to interview Dwight Shultz, who had obviously been in ST:TNG and B5 he said (in response to a question I posed about whether Mankind's future would be more like ST or B5): "Star Trek is where we will aim, Babylon 5 is where we will land."
When i watched the first few episodes I found the characters a little stiff. But later on you (spoiler!) realize that this way of acting is actually sometimes pleasant. On thr end of s1 you are used to Sinclair. Then to see him replaced was a big change. Although I also like the charter of Sheridan. So after s1 the series becomes more serious.
B5 is the best Sci-Fi series for me too. (Have the DVD box set )
Interestingly, here's a little snippet taken from Sci-Fi Art: A Graphic History
The Starfury from Babylon 5 is an extremely accomplished piece of conceptual design, using principles to create a very plausible ship that actually looks like it could be used in space warfare. Such was the authenticity of the design that NASA even considered it as the basis for a spaceborne forklift!
An absolutely outstanding series. The station, the ships, the devious plots, the gently evolving characters, all came together in an extraordinary way. I've watched it several times over!