Scripted series · Syndication
Babylon 5
The last, best hope for peace.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Bruce Boxleitner
John Sheridan
88 eps
Jerry Doyle
Michael Garibaldi
110 eps
Michael O'Hare
Jeffrey Sinclair
25 eps
Claudia Christian
Susan Ivanova
89 eps
Mira Furlan
Delenn
110 eps
Richard Biggs
Stephen Franklin
110 eps
Andreas Katsulas
G'Kar
110 eps
Peter Jurasik
Londo Mollari
110 eps
Andrea Thompson
Talia Winters
44 eps
Stephen Furst
Vir Cotto
110 eps
Bill Mumy
Lennier
110 eps
Jason Carter
Marcus Cole
44 eps
Tracy Scoggins
Elizabeth Lochley
22 eps
Patricia Tallman
Lyta Alexander
47 eps
Jeff Conaway
Zack Allan
74 eps
Robert Rusler
Warren Keffer
22 eps
Mary Kay Adams
Na'Toth
22 eps
Julie Caitlin Brown
Na'Toth
45 eps
Robert Krimmer
Emporer Cartagia
5 eps
Walter Koenig
Alfred Bester
12 eps
Kent Broadhurst
Major Krantz
3 eps
Julia Nickson
Catherine Sakai
3 eps
Aki Aleong
Senator Hidoshi
3 eps
John Vickery
Neroon
6 eps
Tim Choate
Zathras
4 eps
Ed Wasser
Morden
13 eps
Diana Morgan
Alison Higgins
3 eps
Rance Howard
David Sheridan
3 eps
Kat Cressida
Kat the Bartender
4 eps
Victor Love
Telepath
3 eps
Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
William Edgars
4 eps
Lenore Kasdorf
ISN Reporter
3 eps
Jim Norton
Ombuds Wellington
4 eps
James Kiriyama-Lem
Med Tech
4 eps
Douglas E. McCoy
Fighter
4 eps
Robin Atkin Downes
Byron
9 eps
William Forward
Lord Refa
6 eps
Michael McKenzie
Vastor
11 eps
Marjorie Monaghan
Number One
7 eps
Elisa Beth Garver
Tech
4 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Babylon 5 actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Babylon 5 reads strongest on Spectacle, Character Depth and Bingeability.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
Babylon 5 is a five-mile long space station located in neutral space. Built by the Earth Alliance in the 2250s, its goal is to maintain peace among the various alien races by providing a sanctuary where grievances and negotiations can be worked out among duly appointed ambassadors. A council made up of representatives from the five major space-faring civilizations - the Earth Alliance, Minbari Federation, Centauri Republic, Narn Regime, and Vorlon Empire - work with the League of Non-Aligned Worlds to keep interstellar relations under control. Aside from its diplomatic function, Babylon 5 also serves as a military post for Earth and a port of call for travelers, traders, businessmen, criminals, and Rangers.
The run
Seasons
5 seasons · 110 episodes.
Season 0 · Complete
Specials
199381 episodes
Special installments of the series.
Best episode · S00E02 In the Beginning
Season 1 · Complete
Signs and Portents
199422 episodes
7.1IMDbSeason one is set in the year 2258 aboard a five-mile-long, totally self-sufficient United Nations-like space station. Babylon 5 is where humans and aliens try to work out their differences peacefully, in neutral territory full of mystery, suspense, and adventure. The space outpost is a hotbed of interplanetary intrigue, conspiracies, and betrayals among myriad life-forms living and working together.
Best episode · S01E20 Babylon Squared
Season 2 · Complete
The Coming of Shadows
199422 episodes
7.5IMDbIn season two, Babylon 5 gets a controversial new leader as the station prepares to serve as the last defense against a terrifying race known as the Shadows.
Best episode · S02E20 The Long, Twilight Struggle
Season 3 · Complete
Point of No Return
199522 episodes
7.6IMDbIt is now the year 2259. Five hostile federations dominate the outermost regions of space. This season, Babylon 5's captain declares the station an independent state and forms a war council to battle the evil Shadows – and their allies on Earth.
Best episode · S03E10 Severed Dreams
Season 4 · Complete
No Surrender, No Retreat
199622 episodes
7.8IMDbIn season four, the station continues to serve as a refuge for heroes, thieves, and rare and exotic beings in a time of uneasy peace and the constant threat of war. The space station and its allies finally engage the powerful Shadows in a tremendous showdown, while the station's captain strives to expose far-reaching corruption on Earth. Also, Sheridan and Delenn's alliance – both personal and political – signals a new age of peace in the universe.
Best episode · S04E15 No Surrender, No Retreat
Season 5 · Complete
Wheel of Fire
199822 episodes
7.3IMDbIn 2262, longstanding conflicts between telepaths and normal humans lead to a major clash on the space station. A new captain takes over, and Sheridan continues Babylon 5's peacekeeping mission by forming the InterStellar Alliance.
Best episode · S05E22 Sleeping in Light
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S03E10
Severed Dreams
The renegade destroyer "Alexander" arrives at Babylon 5 and Sheridan is forced to announce the station's secession from the Earth Alliance, and prepare for an attack by Clark's forces. Meanwhile, Delenn is forced to go to Minbar when the Grey Council refuses to act upon increased Shadow activity.
- Directed by David J. Eagle
- Written by J. Michael Straczynski
S02E20
The Long, Twilight Struggle
Draal reveals himself to Sheridan, while Refa and Londo set a plan in motion that will lead to the final defeat of the Narns.
- Directed by John C. Flinn III
- Written by J. Michael Straczynski
S04E15
No Surrender, No Retreat
With Clark having killed 10,000 unarmed refugees, Sheridan once again mobilizes for war. The first target is Proxima 3, which is being bombed into submission. At the same time, Londo tries to get G'Kar to partake in a joint Centauri-Narn statement in support of the war against Clark.
- Directed by Michael Vejar
- Written by J. Michael Straczynski
S04E20
Endgame
The only obstacle remaining between Sheridan and Earth is a fleet near Mars. With the help of the resistance, Sheridan plans to smuggle Shadow modified telepaths onto the fleet, hopefully disabling it long enough for him to take Earth. Meanwhile, Marcus is determined to find a way to help Ivanova.
- Directed by John Copeland
- Written by J. Michael Straczynski
S02E09
The Coming of Shadows
The aging Centauri emperor travels to Babylon 5 despite his failing health. Refa sees this as an opportunity to have Londo publicly embarrass the emperor, while G'Kar prepares to assassinate him.
- Directed by Janet Greek
- Written by J. Michael Straczynski
S03E09
Point of No Return
Clark has just declared martial law, and while Nightwatch prepare to take control of the station, Zack has to decide whose side he's on. In an exercise of bad timing, the prophetic widow of emperor Turhan finally comes to the station, granting Londo the visit he's been begging her for, for a long time.
- Directed by Jim Johnston
- Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S00E80
The Road Home
S00E79
"In Memory of Mira Furlan"
S00E78
"In Memory of Jerry Doyle" Music Video
S00E56
CNN Documents Babylon 5
S00E77
"20th Anniversary Convention Memorial" Music Video
S00E55
Interview with J. Michael Straczynski
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
J. Michael Straczynski
Showrunner
- Photo unavailable
Larry DiTillio
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Scott Frost
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Peter David
Writer
Neil Gaiman
Writer
Marc Scott Zicree
Writer
Christy Marx
Writer
- Photo unavailable
David Gerrold
Writer
Harlan Ellison
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Kathryn M. Drennan
Writer
- Photo unavailable
D.C. Fontana
Writer
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Richard ComptonProducer
- Douglas NetterProducer
- J. Michael StraczynskiProducer
Writing
- Larry DiTillioWriter
- Scott FrostWriter
- Peter DavidWriter
- Neil GaimanWriter
- Marc Scott ZicreeWriter
- Christy MarxWriter
Direction
- Jesús Salvador TreviñoDirector
- David J. EagleDirector
- Stephen FurstDirector
- Doug LeflerDirector
- Michael VejarDirector
- Menachem BinetskiDirector
Cinematography
- Fred V. MurphyDirector of Photography
- John C. Flinn IIIDirector of Photography
Recognition
Awards
1 win
Bradbury Award
1 win
- WinnerBradbury Award
Babylon 5 · Babylon 5
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- Fandango At HomeBuy
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