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- INTRODUCTION
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-
- It's not often that a individual television series can take credit for
- having made a profound impact on both the way stories are told and and the
- way shows are produced in the medium today. Especially one that is
- syndicated and science fiction as well.
-
-
- Babylon 5 -- created by J. Michael Straczynski (the only individual selected
- by Newsweek from the ranks of the entertainment industry to appear on its
- "50 for the Future" list of the "most influential thinkers-innovators who
- will shape our lives as we move into the 21st century") -- falls within that
- category.
-
-
- Within these pages you will read about how this unique series -- presently
- in its third season of syndication through Warner Bros. Domestic Television
- Distribution -- has pioneered many historic firsts in American television,
- including as...
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- * The first American television series presented as an epic saga -- with a
- beginning, middle, and end in the tradition of a great literary novel.
-
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- * The first series to revolutionize the way state-of-the-art special
- visual effects are produced on television through the use of inexpensive
- desktop computers and off-the-shelf software.
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- * The first science fiction series in which all of the technology
- incorporated in the story -- other than its unique "jumpgates" -- are
- based on real science.
-
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- * The first time one individual has written a full 22-episode season for
- for a one-hour dramatic series.
-
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- * The first time that the Virtual Studio concept has been used to link key
- members of the production team around the world via the Internet and
- other means for a television series.
-
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- Certainly, few syndicated series have been as honored in such a short period
- of time. To date, Babylon 5 has received...
-
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- * Two Emmy Awards (for Special Visual Effects in 1993 and Makeup in 1994)
-
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- * Three Emmy nominations (for Cinematography, Makeup, and Hairstyling, all
- in 1995)
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- * The 1994 Space Frontier Foundation Award for "Best Vision of the Future"
- from the National Association of Space Scientists, Astronauts and
- Engineers
-
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- * The 1994 Jewish Televimage Award
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- * A Hugo Award nomination from the World Science Fiction Association
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- * Five English Media Cult TV Awards from England (including for "Best New
- Series" in 1994)
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- * A Sci-Fi Universe 1995 Reader's Choice Award ("Best Actor in a TV
- Series") for star Bruce Boxleitner (shared with David Duchovny of "The
- X-Files")
-
-
- *
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- Babylon 5 stars Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, Jerry Doyle, and
- Mira Furlan. Richard Biggs, Bill Mumy, Jason Carter, Stephen Furst,
- and Jeff Conaway also star, with Peter Jurasik as "Londo" and Andreas
- Katsulas as "G-Kar."
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- Produced by Babylonian Productions, Inc., Babylon 5 is distributed by
- Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. Douglas Netter and
- J. Michael Straczynski are the executive producers, and John Copeland
- is the producer. Harlan Ellison serves as a creative consultant.
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