Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers

Last updated
Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers
Babylon 5 - The Legend of the Rangers (2002 telefilm) poster.jpg
Sci Fi Channel promotional poster
GenreAction
Adventure
Science fiction
Created by J. Michael Straczynski
Written byJ. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Michael Vejar
Starring
Theme music composer Christopher Franke
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers Douglas Netter
J. Michael Straczynski
Producer Ron McLeod
Production location Vancouver
Cinematography Henry Chan
EditorStein Myhrstad
Running time90 minutes
Production companiesBabylonian Productions
Legendary Films Inc.
Warner Bros. Television
Original release
Network Syfy
ReleaseJanuary 19, 2002 (2002-01-19)

Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers (subtitled: To Live and Die in Starlight) is the fifth telefilm set in the Babylon 5 universe (not including the pilot, The Gathering ).

Contents

Originally airing January 19, 2002 on the Sci Fi Channel (now Syfy), it was written by J. Michael Straczynski and directed by Mike Vejar. Though shot as a pilot for a possible new series, it aired opposite NFL playoffs and the subsequent poor ratings led to it not being picked up.

Rangers in Babylon 5

Rangers, termed Anla-shok in the fictional Minbari language, are warriors in the Babylon 5 media franchise. The Ranger order was formed by Valen during the First Shadow War. When the three castes refused to work with him to defeat the Shadows, Valen went outside the caste system to organize a group of warriors.

After the First Shadow War, the Rangers became dormant. When Jeffrey Sinclair took leadership of the Rangers while he was ambassador on Minbar, he took Valen's title of Entil'Zha or "The One Who Creates the Future".

When the Shadows made their first openly aggressive acts, the force swung into action and became a central part of the opposing alliance. Sinclair, Delenn, and John Sheridan each factored in Ranger leadership throughout the events depicted in the television series. While several actors including Bryan Cranston depicted individual rangers, Marcus Cole was the only ranger featured as series main cast.

Rangers recruited from both Minbari and Humans during the events of the series. In addition to distinctive regalia, they used collapsible Minbari fighting pikes which could be pocketed, then extended to staff length for use. In space combat, rangers often crewed White Star class vessels.

Plot synopsis

As the Shadow War ended, hundreds of civilizations were devastated. It is up to the Interstellar Alliance, with the help of the Rangers, to rebuild what the great war had destroyed and to hold peace among the worlds of the ISA.

In the year 2265, David Martel (Dylan Neal), a Ranger, is given the command of a twenty-year-old Ranger starship, Liandra, and is asked to escort a Valen-class cruiser to a secret location carrying several diplomats, including Ambassador G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas). Upon arrival, the two craft are attacked on behalf of an unknown, mysterious, and ancient force known only as The Hand whose lethal power is far greater than any previously known to Earth or any other world in the Interstellar Alliance.

Cast


Related Research Articles

<i>Babylon 5</i> American space opera television series (1994–1998)

Babylon 5 is an American space opera television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski, under the Babylonian Productions label, in association with Straczynski's Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Warner Bros. Domestic Television. After the successful airing of a test pilot movie on February 22, 1993, Babylon 5: The Gathering, Warner Bros. commissioned the series for production in May 1993 as part of its Prime Time Entertainment Network (PTEN). The show premiered in the US on January 26, 1994, and ran for five 22-episode seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andreas Katsulas</span> American actor (1946–2006)

AndrewKatsulas, known professionally as Andreas Katsulas, was an American film and television actor, most recognized for portrayals of Narn Ambassador G'Kar on the American science fiction television series Babylon 5 and Romulan Commander Tomalak on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Michael Garibaldi is a lead fictional character in the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Jerry Doyle.

[

"The Parliament of Dreams" is the fifth episode of the first season of the science fiction television series, Babylon 5. The Babylon 5 makeup team won an Emmy Award for the special alien makeup design for this episode.

"The War Prayer" is the seventh episode of the first season of the science fiction television series, Babylon 5. It first aired on 9 March 1994.

"Deathwalker" is the ninth episode of the first season of the science fiction television series, Babylon 5. It first aired on 20 April 1994. '

"The Coming of Shadows" is a key episode from the second season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5. It won the 1996 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.

"Severed Dreams" is an episode from the third season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5. It won the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.

John Sheridan (<i>Babylon 5</i>) Fictional character in Babylon 5

John J. Sheridan is the lead character in the fictional universe of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Bruce Boxleitner. For most of the series, he is the commander of the Babylon 5 station; during the series' final season he is the President of the Interstellar Alliance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Londo Mollari</span> Babylon 5 character

Londo Mollari is a fictional character in the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Peter Jurasik.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G'Kar</span> Fictional character

G'Kar is a fictional character in Babylon 5 played by Andreas Katsulas. He is a Narn and initially appears as a villainous diplomat opposite Londo Mollari, being constantly engaged in insidious, if petty and often comical schemes, usually driven by his hostility to his people's historical enemies the Centauri, whom Londo represents. Over the course of the series, he is transformed into a Messianic figure and the foremost spiritual leader of his people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delenn</span> Fictional character

Delenn is a fictional lead character in the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5. She is originally Minbari, but from season 2 onwards, becomes a Minbari/human hybrid. She was played by Mira Furlan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffrey Sinclair</span> Fictional character

Jeffrey Sinclair is a fictional character on the space opera television series Babylon 5. He is the original Commander of the Babylon 5 space station.

<i>Babylon 5: The Gathering</i> 1993 pilot film of the science fiction television series Babylon 5 directed by Richard Compton

Babylon 5: The Gathering is the test pilot movie of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, aired on February 22, 1993. It is also the first of six feature-length films in the Babylon 5 media franchise.

<i>Babylon 5: In the Beginning</i> American TV series or program

Babylon 5: In the Beginning is a 1998 American made-for-television film set in the Babylon 5 fictional universe. It was written by J. Michael Straczynski and directed by Michael Vejar. The film originally aired on January 4, 1998 on the TNT cable network, a couple of weeks before the fifth season of the series began.

Babylon 5: A Call to Arms (ACtA) is a tabletop miniatures boardgame released in September 2004 by Mongoose Publishing, designed initially as an expansion to their Babylon 5: The Roleplaying Game, it is a complete game in its own right. Babylon 5: A Call to Arms is based upon the sci-fi television series Babylon 5 and draws heavily on material from the television show and the boardgame Babylon 5 Wars. The game's popularity exceeded Mongoose Publishing's initial expectations and has expanded to include new rules supplements and new miniatures; a second edition of the game was released in August 2007. Mongoose Publishing announced on their website in February 2008 that all production of miniatures for the line would cease as of March 2008. Mongoose have indicated they will continue to support the game however through supplements and articles in their in-house magazine Signs and Portents.

<i>Babylon 5</i> (franchise) American space opera franchise

Babylon 5 is an American space opera media franchise created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski, under the Babylonian Productions label in association with Straczynski’s Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Warner Bros. Domestic Television. After the successful airing of a pilot movie, Warner Bros. commissioned the series as part of the second year schedule of programs provided by its Prime Time Entertainment Network (PTEN). It premiered in the United States on January 26, 1994 and ran for the intended five seasons. Describing it as having "always been conceived as, fundamentally, a five year story, a novel for television", Straczynski wrote 92 of the 110 episodes and served as executive producer, along with Douglas Netter.