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J. Michael Straczynski's "Babylon 5" began its life as a two-hour TV movie called "Babylon 5: The Gathering" which aired on February 22, 1993. There was some controversy about the series, however, as Straczynski pitched his space station series to Paramount as early as 1989. Paramount turned Straczynski down, and he took his series to Warner Bros., who approved. Suspiciously, only two months after Warner announced "Babylon 5," Paramount announced their own space station series, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." In a Tweet from 2018, Straczynski claimed that Paramount "put their show into high gear, spending four times what we did so they'd make it to air first." Indeed, "Deep Space Nine" first aired on January 3, 1999, beating "Babylon 5" by a month and a half. No legal action was taken against Paramount, but there has been a certain amount of bitterness ever since. 

Additionally, the "Babylon 5" TV series didn't begin airing in...

Prolific writer Peter David is currently in rehab following a series of strokes and a mild heart attack, complicated by existing kidney problems.

His wife, Kathleen O’Shea David, updated the legendary creator’s GoFundMe, saying:

“Peter is still in rehab but that is week to week until the insurance decides that he is well enough to come home. The big hurdle is that he is a two-person assist right now. I have the door widening in the works so he can come home along with a couple of other things that will make his life easier...”

A prolific comics writer with defining runs on Incredible Hulk, X-Factor, and Amazing Spider-Man, David also wrote the Babylon 5 episodes ‘Soul Mates’ and ‘There All the Honor Lies’, and the Crusade episode ‘Ruling from the Tomb’.

If you are a fan of Peter David's work, in particular his episodes of Babylon 5,...

According to Los Angeles Times, prolific TV, film, and theater production designer John Iacovelli died on April 14th, 2023, following a struggle with cancer. He was aged 64.

Iacovelli served as production designer on Babylon 5, the spin-off series Crusade, and the TV movies, Babylon 5: In the Beginning (1998), Babylon 5: Thirdspace (1998), Babylon 5: River of Souls (1998), Babylon 5: A Call to Arms (1999).

In 1998 Iacovelli was nominated for an Art Directors Guild Excellence in Production Design Award for his work on the show, sharing the nomination with Babylon 5 art director Mark Walters.

Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski paid tribute to Iacovelli on Twitter, calling him “the soul” of the production.

Devastated today to learn of the passing of John Iacovelli, art director/production designer for Babylon 5 and a ton of other stuff. He was a good and kind and talented man. If Dp John Flinn was the heart of the shooting company,...