Streaming Sci Fi TV: Tracking down sci fi and fantasy shows of interest available on the streaming services.
What Is It?
Babylon 5 is an epic, spaced-based drama created by J. Michael Straczynski that takes place on the vast space station of the title which acts as a neutral ground as well as a place of commerce and diplomacy for the races of the known galaxy. As tensions rise among the major races, an ancient evil arrives to stir up animosities and take the galaxy to the brink of war.
Aired: PTEN & TNT, 1993-98, 5 Seasons Totaling 110 Episodes + 6 TV Movies
Created By: J. Michael Straczynski
Starring: Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, Jerry Doyle, Mira Furlan, Peter Jurasik, Andreas Katsulas
Why Watch It?
This series is an early example of serialized sci fi TV and it was designed with a five-year story arc that had a beginning, middle, and end (and JMS was not just making it up as he went along as we saw with later serialized genre entries). It aired from 1993 (starting with the pilot movie) to 1998, first on the PTEN network and finishing up with its fifth season on TNT. The show did complete its story arc (though with some complications) and is now considered one of the greatest sci fi TV series of all time (you can read more about B5 at this link). The show had a vast and talented cast that included Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, Andreas Katsulas, Peter Jurasik, Mira Furlan, Jerry Doyle, Richard Biggs, Bill Mumy, and more. It made early use of CGI, and while those sfx don’t hold up as well compared to current technology, they still helped the show realize its grand scope. B5 also generated several spin-off TV movies as well as the short-lived sequel series Crusade. While the continuations did not quite live up to the original, this is definitely a must-watch sci fi TV series that is still well-regarded today.
Where Is It Streaming?
The HD upgrade of Babylon 5 was available on HBO Max but was pulled down in January 2023. The show has now moved over to Tubi TV where it is streaming for free (with ads). It includes the pilot movie “The Gathering”, but I am not seeing the other movies available at this time. You can also purchase the upgraded version of the series VOD (though not all of the movies) at places like Amazon and Apple.
Tubi TV is a free streaming service that is very similar to Hulu when it started off, offering a large selection of acquired television shows and movies. Among the genre shows available there are Farscape, Earth: Final Conflict, Space: 1999, The Highlander, Dark Shadows, and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, as well as some more recent shows like Lovecraft Country and Astrid & Lily Save the World. The service is completely free and the ads are not too intrusive. And if you set up a free account, you can put together a watchlist of shows and movies.
CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the status updates of all the airing, returning, and upcoming sci fi and fantasy shows for the current season with our Cancellation Watch posts. And be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
SciFiTVSite.com: Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.
