No ST: Earlier B5

Glen

Moderator
Inspired by the WI no ST thread.

What if Star Trek doesn't get made, and due to that Babylon 5 is picked up in the same year as Next Generation started.

Come up with a cast and a history of TV from that point on...
 
Without ST, people still view Science Fiction programing in a poor light (not that the general public viewed science fiction in a positive way really until the 1970's). Without ST to inspire people like JMS, there is no B5. there might not be any Star Wars either.

Torqumada
 
JMS would have a much harder time getting B5 off the ground without Trek. With TNG, he was at least argue that sci-fi was a viable genre. Without Star Trek, JMS has MUCH harder time getting a studio to buy into the concept of a sci-fi series with an intigrated story line.
 
I disagree. Star Wars was not inspired by Star Trek. "Lost in Space" could serve as the inspiring science fiction TV series: even though it owes its existence to Star Trek's idea, it doesn't owe its existence to Star Trek being aired.

So, Babylon 5. Invented in 1986, first airs in 1987... you know what, I think that's too soon. The original story still had some big differences, so it needs time to iron out the story problems. So let's say it first airs in 1989, early in the year.

Main characters (names in brackets are former names of characters I don't know they'd still have in 1989):
Commander Jeffrey Sinclair, commanding officer.
Lieutenant Commander Laurel Takashima (or "Laurel Chang"), executive officer.
Lieutenant (I assume) Susan Ivanova, second officer.
Chief Warrant Officer Michael Garibaldi, head of security.
Doctor Benjamin Kyle (or "Chakri Mendak"), Medlab chief of staff.
Lyta Alexander, telepath.
Delenn, Minbari Ambassador
Londo Mollari (or "Londo Collari"), Centauri Ambassador
G'Kar (or "Jackarr"), Narn Ambassador
Kosh (or "Khosh"), Vorlon Ambassador
Lennier, Minbari attache (was he invented yet?)
Vir (or "Virell"), Centauri attache (was he invented yet either?)

Actors who probably couldn't take the parts they had in OTL:
Jerry Doyle (he wasn't an actor yet)
Claudia Christian (I think she'd be too young - only 23 or 24)
Mira Furlan (she was still in Yugoslavia)
 
B5 isn't just an ordinary SF show. A five-year story arc - that's hard to explain to an exec. I agree it would be much harder if the successful ST shows weren't around.
 
B5 isn't just an ordinary SF show. A five-year story arc - that's hard to explain to an exec. I agree it would be much harder if the successful ST shows weren't around.

a very good point and I think B5 only really got to be made becuase there was things like ST:NG around, esp with soem of its god awful plots. It gave JMS the chance to say "I can do it better and more intelligently". I started out as an ST fan but got disheartened by a lot of NG, it was B5 that convinced me SF coudl be good again
 
Assume JMS is able to pitch the story. Ideas regarding casting?


It could be very well the same cast except for the actors mentioned by Lorien.

So Garibaldi could be played by Ross Kemp
Ivanova could be played by Michelle Forbes (although she'd probably thus miss out on her TNG role)
Delenn could be played by Mary McDonnell
 

Glen

Moderator
Note that there has been no ST:TOS in this timeline, thus no Star Trek follow-ons....
 
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