The Big Picture: The Boot, Part Two

[Darth_Payn]

Bold choices there, Bob. I don't know about a Babylon 5 reboot, since it left it's influence on a bunch of sci-fi shows that came after it. As for the Simpsons, I feel like it gets rebooted at the beginning of every season, since there's now little in the way of continuity. I mean, Great Caesar's Ghost, it's now to the point where Apu's octuplets are now OLDER than Maggie! In fact, I have a theory that there's a whole multiverse of Simpsons, and each season around Futurama's debut (since I think that's when the good writers left) is a look at a different world, with different versions of the characters.
And that screenshot of Johnny Quest; WIN!

captcha: make it so
That's my thought on the Gargoyles relaunch, and a proper finish to Samurai Jack.

 

[Ferrious]

I know a lot of people who would sit down for a full 8 movie Harry Potter marathon. I've been to a few myself and I'm not even a Potter Superfan or anything.

.....that's like 20 hours. that's insane. i seriously SERIOUSLY doubt anyone would do that, regardless of the amount they care about the films.

So, erm, I've done a Babylon 5 marathon. We allowed ourselves a sleep between each season. So that's 17 hours (ish, given time to grab a sandwich, toilet breaks, etc), then sleep, then 17 hours, then sleep, etc.

Man, I miss university.

TL;DR - A Potter marathon is nothing, lightweights.

 

[TheVampwizimp_v1legacy]

Some good ideas, some less good ideas, 1 really bad idea. Do not reboot Babylon 5.

I watched the show way back in the late '90s when I was just a Star Trek kid, and just loved the fresh new look at science fiction that B5 offered. I was a bit too young to get all the political intrigue and subtlety to the character arcs and interactions, I just knew I loved the aliens and the space battles and Mr. Garibaldi.

Now I just discovered last year that my library has the whole series and all the movies, and I rewatched it with my friend. I was really hoping that it was as good as I remembered, and even with my expectations high I was blown away with how great a show it is. It's more ambitious than almost any tv show dares to be even today, and pulls it off pretty successfully. The acting is top notch, the makeup is leagues better than anything else on at the same time, the scope of the series is huge and still manages to stay personal, the characters are some of the most memorable in science fiction. It's one of the best shows I've ever watched.

So now that it's over, no, it does not need a remake or a reboot or a reimagining or a re-anything. It was JMS's vision, and even if it didn't go off perfectly according to that because of the unfortunate realities of television production and the quest for ratings, that is okay. It is still just about the best it could have been. And if they remade it now, JMS probably would be tangentially involved as a "supervising producer" or something, his role as creative director handed off to someone who the networks think is sexy right now, like J.J. Abrams or one of his "Lost" cronies.

This is not a show that ever needs to be done again. It is a beautiful anomaly in the vast and empty outer space of television science fiction programming. Nothing else quite like it exists, and no one could ever do a "better" or "improved" version of it, it just would never happen. The charm of the original would be lost, our favorite characters would be replaced by other actors who, at best, could only approximate the heights they have already reached. And what would it be about? Would it tell the same story? The one with no surprises left in it for anyone who saw the first show? Or would this be a totally new story with new characters in the same universe? They tried that, actually, and it went very poorly.

Babylon 5 was a great show in my opinion, hampered by limitations in CG. And I admit, I'd love to see a remastered version of the original, but I doubt a reboot would really be possible. The show's survival through out its run was a miracle, and it's successor didn't last more then half a season. A real shame to, I doubt many fans of Babylon 5 didn't like Crusades and some of my friends who weren't fond of the lack of action in Babylon 5 really embraced the new show. They canceled Crusades, as I understand it, because the studio behind it didn't feel it's characters were 'sexy enough'. They handed down the ultimatum, sex it up or call it quits... No more Crusades. I think a remastered B5 and a rebooted Crusades might work. You could use the one to sell the other even. Sort of a big lead up hype event.

Now that's an idea, at least one with some sense. Crusade hardly even got out of the gate, but I thought it had promise. This is something I could get excited for. Just please, don't mess with our Babylon 5. It's one of the last unsullied gems we have left.

 

[Ishal]

Normally I'm iffy on reboots but look what happened with MLP. Something that was arguably the most vapid horrendous diabetes inducing thing ever in its early generations. Good things can happen with reboots. I just wonder if it will happen anymore.

Gendy Tartakosky seems to keep getting the shaft and Young Justice is already cancelled or well on its way. I'd love for Gargoyles or other things to have another shot.

captcha: laugh at me

Yeah go ahead

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I've never been into Babylon 5. I watched a few episodes of it because my friends in High School were big into it, but I was pretty much completely in the dark as to what was going on. If you're going to reboot it let's NOT have it be the "Star Trek Reboot treatment" because that would be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.

 

[IndomitableSam]

Even my mother touts Gargoyles as being oe of the best shows she's ever seen. This was a woman in her 40's watching it alongside my sister and I, who were in our teens, who would sit down to religiously watch the show. I would seriously pay a good chunk of money for the show to be rebooted. ... With all the same voices. Because half the cast of Star Trek: TNG playing Shakespearean characters and plotlines and motherfucking living gargolyes is nothing short of one of the best things. Ever.

 

[TheVampwizimp_v1legacy]

Gargoyles was made for teenagers? When i was a teenager cartoons weren't my main past time =/

Speak for yourself!

OT: My only childhood gripe is my longing for a Samurai Jack ending, although I would let out a happy woot if the Gummi Bears or Gargolyes got another shot.


Theres an idea for an ep Bob, i'd love to see what shows you think deserve an ending.

the guy who voiced Aku is dead. all hope for an ending is lost.

Not true. The guy who voiced Aku, the Japanese American actor Mako, died in the middle of production of the second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender. But his character continued, voiced by another fellow who had actually studied Mako's voice and could do a fair approximation of him. It's not a perfect imitation, but the same guy could certainly do the voice of Aku in any new Samurai Jack.

 

[Yoshi Dragon]

oh hell no if they did the startrek reboot job on babylon 5 i;d go on a killing spree. i loathed the star trek reboot not so much for the retcon of the star trek universe (though i wasnt a fan of that) but because they basically gutted star trek and distilled it into the lowest common demoninators, losing much of the complexity and feel for a newer star trek the pepsi generation feel to it. now imagine that done to B5.

 

[Kittyhawk]

B5 is one of those great sci fi series that I don't think should be messed with. Its by no means perfect, but for the time in which it hit tv it was ahead of the game, even of Star Trek. Paramount ripped off the idea to make DS9, which was never nowhere near as good.

B5 reboot? While it could benefit from HBO or Netflix style of creation today, I think I'd rather see something new. We need more different sci fi, but I'd love to see a space based planet hoping show again. Was getting into Stargate Universe and that got canned too.

One I was expecting to see on the list was Visionaries, which was cool but canceled after 13 episodes. I'd certainly include it in mine.

 

[gigastar]

Im surprised to the fact that im agreeing with an eventual Simpsons reboot. Its futile to think that somethings not going to happen to the guys that make it eventually, or that Fox wont try to get fresh people in to keep it going.

Anyway, unless you got a topic lined up for next week, how about doing the opposite and tell us which 5 TV series or movies absolutely do not deserve a reboot?

 

[PunkRex]

the guy who voiced Aku is dead. all hope for an ending is lost.

There are MANY people who can do a good Mako impression, may he rest in awesome.

 

[Rad Party God]

The only one I wholeheartedly agree with it the Gargoyles reboot, that series was so freaking awesome, it's sad it ended so soon. Add Swat Kats in there too, just for shits and giggles

As for the other ones, maybe Babylon 5 just so people remember it ever existed and how awesome it was, I'd definitely like to see a Battlestar Galactica treatment to it.

As for Harry Potter, maybe not a new movie trilogy, I think it would've worked wonderfully as a TV series instead of a shitload of movies.

 

[MDSnowman]

My fiance and I were watching Gargoyles the other night and I made the observation that since Disney owns Marvel now it'd be amazing if the Gargoyles and their universe became part of the Marvel canon. Comic books would be a really cool place to reboot the Gargoyles.

The humor of them sharing New York with the likes of Spiderman, and Daredevil would be great. Come on, tell me Xanatos wouldn't hire Bullseye to mess with the Gargoyles instead of sicing The Pack on them.

 

[Aramis Night]

Me and my gf had a huge B5 marathon not that long ago. It was a show i was curious about but didnt follow much when it was around back in the day so i didn't go into it with nostalgia vision like you would expect. I saw an episode or 2 sporadically back in the day, but couldnt make out exactly what was going on. It is a show you have to really see from beggining to end because otherwise you miss alot in just an episode or 2.

After seeing the whole series recently, i just have to say it really doesn't need a reboot. I think it holds up pretty well to more contemporary sci-fi and in many ways surpasses alot of what is out there now. I just think that if you have an interest in sci-fi, you would be doing yourself a disservice to not watch the series. I feel its vastly underrated. I also feel the same way about Farscape.

I like alot of sci-fi but i do feel like there is something wrong with the genre when Star Trek(which i like, especcially TNG)or Star Wars(which i also like) is more popular than B5 or Farscape.

 

[Xathos]

Lexington is/was going to be gay? Huh, that would have been interesting to see develop. I just thought he seemed like a kid when compared to the others. A smart kid, but a kid. Wonder how that would have been done back then though.

But a reboot of that today would hopefully be amazing. I haven't watched the show in several years, but it would be nice to take a back to back episode watch now that I'm older. The new reboot could probably tackle a few more themes as well if it wanted. One series of episodes that stands out the most was City of Stone or something. I remember just hearing Demona's "Alone" part, which killed me right where I feel. Such a well acted show too, that I don't know if people would be happy with the probable cast change.

Babylon 5 would be amazing too. Like Gargoyles, its been many years since I've seen the show (and in truth, I've only seen Season 2 until the last one), but I remember loving it a lot. In some ways, it reminds me of that Re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, which I loved to death (one of my favorite TV shows ever). Having a reboot in the same way as BSG (not exactly the same way of course) would probably sell me in a heartbeat.

And while I don't agree with Harry Potter getting a reboot, I agree with everyone elses posts about HP having a TV show similar to Game of Thrones right now. I don't know if the budget would be that spectacular though, and it probably shouldn't happen for at least 5 years or something, but it would definitely be interesting.

 

[gorfias]

Nice run down. I may not agree with them all but I can see your reasons for each of them.

Also I'm obligated to post this.

That is flippin awesome!!!!

I didn't see the whole show. It seemed very uneven to me, but was overall pretty great from what I saw (example: getting to and from a strange hostile planet is a big deal).

This, I think, is Bob's best reboot idea. Maybe the only one that had me really kind of excited.

Gargoyles was a head of its time. Like John Carter of Mars. Oooooh, don't do it.

 

[SuperSamio64]

You know what science fiction TV series really needs a reboot? Blake's 7. You know, the one that was actually well-written but had every episode filmed in a gravel pit because the BBC doesn't have money? The one that did the whole "nuanced characters portrayed in shades of grey" a full decade before any of the American shows that get credited with the same decisions were even greenlit? The one that Firefly basically ripped off?

Oh wait, you've probably never seen it. What a pity.

They are remaking it. For SyFy. Hooray?

 

[necromanzer52]

I'd also love a Harry Potter reboot, but instead of your idea to make it a streamlined trilogy, I want it to go completely the other way. Make it a tv show, so you can go super in depth, and actually include all of the character development, and plot points that were in the books. I've wanted this for about a decade, now.

 

[The]

I clicked on this video right after watching a Leviathan Warships trailer, so I misread the title: "The Boat".

 

[LadyRhian]

I want a reboot of a different JMS series. I am talking about "Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future". Yes, it was made to pimp toys, and with really shitty computer graphics, but in story terms, it was a lot better than anything else made for kids at the time. The first season ended with the group's HQ destroyed, one of the group (Jennifer "Pilot" Chase) dead, and them on the run from Lord Dredd's new digitized armies. Take out the "pimp the toys", and redo the computer graphics and I think you can't go wrong.