Originally posted by: Shimraa
Great, hey has anyone ever seen Babalon 5 i have a friend that claims that show is better the Battlestar galactica.

B5 is a different animal. B5 was created from day 1 to be a 5 year story, with a beginning, middle, and end. Episodes in the first season would pay off in the 3rd season or even later, the same with seasons 2, 3, etc. There's one episode in particular in season 1 that doesn't pay off until the very last episode of the series.

Starting in the middle of season 2 through the rest of the 5 season run (with 1 episode being the exception) every single episode was written by the creator, J. Michael Straczynski. The reason being that he knew where the story "arc" was going, and he needed to be at the wheel.

Battlestar has an arc of sorts, but only so much as the basic premise (the colonies have been wiped out, now they're on the run). I think Battlestar has a lot of points in it's favor as a sci-fi series when compared to B5.

1. Battlestar has a massive following, and the network is responding by giving the show concrete orders for future episodes and solid backing. B5 never had that type of support, and as late as season 4 it was unknown whether or not the 5th and final season would be produced.

2. Battlestar seems to have a lot of mainstream support. For example, TVGuide has run many stories and even covers on Battlestar. B5 didn't get anywhere near that type of recognition until it's last episode. I remember reading an article at the time (can't remember where) regarding the final episode, where the reviewer said something like "I get the feeling I missed something special by not watching this show".

3. Battlestar seems to have an adequate budget for sets, special effects, etc, as well as an awesome cast. B5 had a great cast, but suffered from chronic budget issues and had to rely on a lot of CGI, before CGI became what it is today. As a result, even on the dvds B5 can look a little dated at times.

4. The television scifi landscape is bleak to say the least right now, as a result, any competition Battlestar would have is on the same network (both Stargate series). B5 was on during a time when Star Trek: Deep Space 9 and Voyager were being pushed out there by Paramount, and B5 had to struggle against them. DS9 was a titan, Voyager less so but it had the advantage of being UPN's flagship.

Personally, I couldn't choose. B5 has an awesome story to tell, and it's not all happy ending to be sure, but that's what I always liked about it. The characters grew and changed, people died and moved on. Straczynski has said that he always enjoyed basically flipping a coin and seeing who he could get rid of every season. The one negative I'll give B5 is that the dialogue, especially in the first season, at times can be painfully bad and cliched. However, it's not as bad after the first year. My major gripe with BSG so far is the "So say we all" line. God, get over it. Cringeworthy, to be sure.

BSG seems to be headed in the right direction. I hope they keep it up.