Crusade, Babylon 5 spin-off?

[Daxz]

I couldn't sleep last night (2:00 am), so I started clicking around on the remote and stop by Sci-fi channel. I saw the title Crusade and I decided to take a look.

Instead of the expected sword wielding guys in shinning armor I see ships in space. Familiar looking ships in fact. Then they mention something about Techno-Mages and the war of the shadows. I also saw Earth-force uniforms and a ship called Excalibur and mention of trying to find a cure for a plague on Earth.

So, it looks to me as a continuation from Babylon 5. My question is, when did this program start? how come I never heard of it? is 2:00am its usual time or was this a repeat episode? will it go the way of Legends of the Rangers? anyone even heard of it?


edit: well, I checked Sci-fi channel and it seems this started sometime ago (1999), I just missed it, hehe, and it only lasted a season or so... oh, well

 

[Crothian]

It came aout a year or two after B5 left. It lasted 13 episodes I think and then was canceled due to creative differences.

 

[VorpalBunny]

Yeah, what Crothian said. It was shown on TNT, but cancelled after 13 episodes because JMS and TNT saw differently on where the series should go. TNT wanted more action, JMS didn't want to turn the series into a babe of the week/explosion of the week type of show.

It was actually a pretty good show IMO. If you're unfamiliar with it here's the premise:

The show takes place 5 years or so after the Babylon 5 episode Objects At Rest. Lochley is still in command of B5, Sheridan is still President of the Alliance. In the B5 movie A Call to Arms the Drakh, as revenge for losing the Shadow War seeded Earth with a Shadow engineered virus that will wipe out all life on the planet in 5 years unless a cure is discovered. So now the Alliance vessel Excalibur is "loaned" to EarthForce and place on detached duty to search for the cure.

 

[Kesh]

Babylon 5: Crusade lasted 13 episodes. It took place about 5 years after the end of the series. Earth was attacked by the Drakh, who released a plague into our atmosphere. The plague was leftover Shadow tech, and designed to adapt to whatever environment it was introduced to, over time. Earth has approximately 5 years before the plague finds the right gene sequence to wipe out all life on the planet.

Crusade focused on the crew of the Excaliber, a new prototype ship built by the Alliance. Its mission was to explore uncharted regions of the galaxy in search of a cure for the plague.

The series was screwed over from the start. TNT was the channel backing the show, and right away they wanted to make changes that the creator (JMS) did not like. Stuff like, more combat, more fistfights, sexier women... y'know, turning it into Star Trek: Voyager.

JMS resisted the changes, even though he was forced to actually rearrange the airing of episodes to fit some things that TNT did change (watch the uniforms and sets change at a certain point). TNT finally cancelled the show, citing 'poor ratings' as the reason.

 

[MrFilthyIke]

Has it ever been put out on DVD?

 

[VorpalBunny]

Has it ever been put out on DVD?

Not yet, but WB is hinting at the possibility after they finish releasing B5 on DVD.

 

[Daxz]

Sigh, I guess we are all doomed to watch only mediocre series like all those reality tv "things" they call shows.

Btw, I made the mistake of buying the first season of Babylon 5 and ended having to buy season 2 and 3. What is the hold up with the other seasons anyway?

 

[Staffan]

Sigh, I guess we are all doomed to watch only mediocre series like all those reality tv "things" they call shows.

Btw, I made the mistake of buying the first season of Babylon 5 and ended having to buy season 2 and 3. What is the hold up with the other seasons anyway?

Mostly turning them into DVDs, I think, and creating extra material/getting people to do commentaries, and stuff. Here in Europe, I don't think we'll be getting season 3 for a month or two more.

 

[KenM]

They did a Babylon 5 TV movie that was kind of the set up for Crusade. But I can't remember the name of it to save my life, sorry.

 

[VorpalBunny]

A Call to Arms.