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Babylon 5 set for reboot series from original creator

Photo credit: Marmor/Everett - ELLEMEN
Photo credit: Marmor/Everett - ELLEMEN

Babylon 5 is making a huge comeback, with the sci-fi series set to get a reboot on The CW with the show's original creator, J Michael Straczynski, at the helm.

Deadline reports that the new series, which will be written and executive-produced by Straczynski, will be a "from-the-ground-up reboot" of the Emmy Award-winning 1990s series, which was one of the few series at the time to feature a defined story arc across its five-season run between 1994 and 1998.

Babylon 5 is set between 2257 and 2262, with the reboot set to focus on John Sheridan, an Earthforce officer with a mysterious past. John is assigned to Babylon 5, a five-mile long space station positioned in neutral space during a time of uneasy peace between planets.

Photo credit: Marmor/Everett - ELLEMEN
Photo credit: Marmor/Everett - ELLEMEN

Related: Babylon 5: Where are they now?

John's arrival on the station "triggers a destiny beyond anything he could have imagined, as an exploratory Earth company accidentally triggers a conflict with a civilization a million years ahead of us, putting Sheridan and the rest of the B5 crew in the line of fire as the last, best hope for the survival of the human race".

No casting for the Warner Bros Television series has yet been confirmed, but the original show starred Michael O'Hare, Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, Jerry Doyle, Mira Furlan and Richard Biggs.

Since the reboot was announced, Straczynski has shared a few more details about the progress he has made on the new show, tweeting: "We have some serious fans over at the network, and they're eager to see this show happen. I'm hip deep into writing the pilot now, and will be running the series upon pickup."

He added: "The network understands the uniqueness of Babylon 5 and is giving me a great deal of latitude with the storytelling. As noted in the announcement, this is a reboot from the ground up rather than a continuation."

He went on to share his excitement about bringing something fresh to our screens, writing: "For the first time, Babylon 5 introduced viewers accustomed to episodic television to the concept of a five-year arc with a pre-planned beginning, middle and end... creating a brand new paradigm for television storytelling that has subsequently become the norm.

"That tradition for innovation will continue in this new iteration, and I hope to create additional new forms of storytelling that will further push the television medium to the edge of what's possible.

"Let me conclude by just saying how supportive and enthusiastic everyone at the CW has been and is being with this project. They understand the unique position Babylon 5 occupies both in television and with its legions of fans, and are doing everything they can to ensure the maximum in creative freedom, a new story that will bring in new viewers while honouring all that has come before. Onward!"

Photo credit: Warner Bros.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Related: Frasier star addresses return of original cast members for reboot

Straczynski has worked on a number of hit shows away from the original Babylon 5, including Netflix sci-fi sensation Sense8, iconic series The Twilight Zone and '80s animation She-Ra: Princess of Power.

He has also written for movies including World War Z, Underworld: Awakening and Marvel's Thor.

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