"Babylon 5" is going to get a fifth and final season after all.
But you're going to have to subscribe to cable in order to see it.Warner Bros. Television, which produces the show, had opted not to spring for a fifth season in syndication. And the company's broadcast arm, the mini-network the WB, decided not to add the show to its prime-time schedule.
Which put quite a crimp in the plans of creator/executive producer/writer J. Michael Straczynski, who had planned his epic from start to finish - and he needed those five seasons to complete it all.
The first bit of a reprieve came from TNT, which not only bought the rights to cablecast all four seasons of "B5" that aired (or are airing) in syndication, but ordered two two-hour, made-for-TV movies - one a prequel to the series and the other a wrap-up.
Then, at nearly the last minute, TNT went ahead and ordered 22 hourlong episodes - that fifth season that no one was expecting to get the chance to make.
This is great news for Babylonians. The show hit somewhat of a creative lag in the middle of the current season, but has picked up considerably in recent weeks.
And for fans who have followed the show since the beginning, it's only fair that they should be able to go through the entire saga and get the answers to all those unanswered questions.
The fourth season will end this fall in syndication; the fifth season begins in January on TNT.
That'll be it for "Babylon 5" - but that might not be it for all of the characters. Straczynski has a sequel in the works. Details are sketchy, but one thing is certain - it will be formatted with self-contained episodes, not a huge story arc that will take five years to complete.
"Babylon 5" is the second sci-fi series to be saved from extinction by cable in a matter of weeks. "Sliders," which was canceled by Fox, is moving to the Sci-Fi Channel with 22 new episodes beginning in January.
"TREK" VS. "BABYLON 5": Your local television editor occasionally hears strange rumors being spread by "Babylon 5" fans - rumors that their show outrates "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and/or "Star Trek: Voyager."
It isn't true nationally, and it certainly isn't true locally.
Things were a little bit screwy during the May sweeps because KJZZ-Ch. 14 had to do some juggling for Jazz playoff games. But on Wednesdays at 9 p.m., "B5" averaged a 3 rating/5 share and 32,000 viewers. On Sundays at 6 p.m., it averaged a 1/2 and 12,000 viewers. That's a total of 44,000 viewers a week (assuming none of them watched it twice).
"Voyager" averaged a 5/9 and 62,000 viewers on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. and a 4/7 and 37,000 viewers on Sundays at 9 p.m. - a total of 99,000 viewers (making that same assumption).
And "DS9" on Ch. 13 averaged a 6/15 and 56,000 viewers on Sundays at 6 p.m., and it averaged a 6/11 and 54,000 viewers on Sundays at 10 p.m. - a total of 110,000 viewers (making that same, most likely erroneous assumption).
All of which is sort of irrelevant to those of us who like all three shows.
SUMMER ON CBS: CBS is adding a new series to its summer schedule, but don't get too excited. It has the look of one of those cheapie things networks throw out during the dog days of summer.
"Ordinary/Extraordinary" is a "reality-based" series "celebrating the human spirit with amazing, emotional stories of inspiration and awesome accomplishment achieved by ordinary people in the face of incredible obstacles." John Schneider ("Dukes of Hazzard") and former Miss America Leanza Cornett are the hosts of the show, which premieres Friday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m.
And "Coast to Coast" will offer viewers a bit of new programming when the CBS news magazine returns on Wednesday, July 23 at 8 p.m.
It's also scheduled to air in that time slot on July 30, Aug. 13, Aug. 27 and Sept. 3, but it's not on the network's fall schedule.
Speaking of CBS news magazines, four Wednesday editions of "48 Hours" will join the regular Thursday editions this summer. Not coincidentally, they will be seen at 9 p.m. on the same dates that the network will be showing "Coast to Coast" at 8 p.m.
CBS is also moving four returning series to the time slots they'll occupy in the fall a bit early:
- "Murphy Brown" moves to Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. on July 23. (It will continue to be seen on Mondays at 8:30 p.m., too, throughout the summer.)
- "JAG" moves to Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on Aug. 5.
- "Promised Land" moves to Thursdays at 7 p.m. on Aug. 7.
- "Diagnosis Murder" moves to Thursdays at 8 p.m., also on Aug. 7.
VIDBITS: As has been widely anticipated, Tom Bergeron is out as host of "Fox After Breakfast."
Bergeron has hosted the show since its inception - when it was called "Breakfast Time." He follows original co-host Laurie Hibberd and Bob the Puppet out the door. (They were both dumped last fall.)
The ratings-starved show is contemplating a major overhaul to try and drum up a few viewers.
- CBS is strongly denying rumors that Bill Gates is considering buying the network.
"There is no truth to the unattributed rumor reported in today's New York Post story speculating on a possible sale of CBS, nor is any party examining our financial books as reported by the Post," read a formal statement from the network. "Our intention is to build CBS into the pre-eminent media company in the industry, not to sell it."
The Post, of course, is owned by Fox chieftain Rupert Murdoch.
- PolyGram Television has announced that it will turn the movie "Total Recall" into the TV show "Total Recall: The Series."
The big-budget sci-fi series is set to debut in the fall of 1998.
No casting has been announced, but you can be sure that Arnold Schwarzenegger won't be anywhere near this project.
- On the other hand, the future of another syndicated series, "Tarzan: The Epic Adventures" is very much up in the air. First, we were told that Joe Lara was out as the title character and that somebody named Xavier DeClie was in.
Now, it's possible that half-hour episodes of the 1991 syndicated series "Tarzan" - which starred Wolf Larson - will be repackaged as hourlong "Epic Adventures." And it's also possible the whole project may be dropped.
Stay tuned . . .