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Jul. 20th, 2023 10:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pensnestI think it was in the June Something suggestions that one of the options was, is there a show/film/etc that you think is ripe for a re-make?
Well, I dreamed about it last night, or at least, I dreamed about a space station and how it would work and what would make it interesting. So when I woke up, I thought, Babylon 5. To be made with the certainty of having the time to tell the full story the way it ought to be told—no rushed Season 4 to fit everything in, and no drawn-out, somewhat tedious season 5 which doesn't really feel like part of the whole. Nest the telepaths in with the Earth story, which I would think is how it was meant to be done. And they could leave out, or cut down, some of the sillier episodes, perhaps put them in as B- or C- stories. Series these days seem to have fewer episodes.
The remake would have way better CGI. Not that not-great SFX have ever really got in the way of good storytelling (see early Doctor Who) but it would be nice to see it beautifully done. They did well with the exterior shots and the physics of starflight, but sometimes the station interior looked very dodgy.
The story could keep the good things that came out of cast changes—Sinclair and Sheridan being different people, for starters—and dump bad things. Not losing Ivanova would be a good put-right: I liked Tracey Scoggins in season 5, but it would have been better to keep Ivanova, had that not been impossible for RL reasons.
What about casting it?
It is kinda hard to imagine other people in most of the roles. But Idris Elba as Sinclair, I could definitely get behind that! I'd like to see a bit more diversity, too. Though cameos from the original cast members would be fun.
Your thoughts?
Well, I dreamed about it last night, or at least, I dreamed about a space station and how it would work and what would make it interesting. So when I woke up, I thought, Babylon 5. To be made with the certainty of having the time to tell the full story the way it ought to be told—no rushed Season 4 to fit everything in, and no drawn-out, somewhat tedious season 5 which doesn't really feel like part of the whole. Nest the telepaths in with the Earth story, which I would think is how it was meant to be done. And they could leave out, or cut down, some of the sillier episodes, perhaps put them in as B- or C- stories. Series these days seem to have fewer episodes.
The remake would have way better CGI. Not that not-great SFX have ever really got in the way of good storytelling (see early Doctor Who) but it would be nice to see it beautifully done. They did well with the exterior shots and the physics of starflight, but sometimes the station interior looked very dodgy.
The story could keep the good things that came out of cast changes—Sinclair and Sheridan being different people, for starters—and dump bad things. Not losing Ivanova would be a good put-right: I liked Tracey Scoggins in season 5, but it would have been better to keep Ivanova, had that not been impossible for RL reasons.
What about casting it?
It is kinda hard to imagine other people in most of the roles. But Idris Elba as Sinclair, I could definitely get behind that! I'd like to see a bit more diversity, too. Though cameos from the original cast members would be fun.
Your thoughts?
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Date: 2023-07-20 07:21 pm (UTC)I don't keep up enough with film and tv though so I've no ideas for casting but I would love to see more older women. Like someone in her fifties for Ivanova.
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Date: 2023-07-24 10:54 am (UTC)Though filling Andreas Katsulas' shoes as G'Kar might be impossible.
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Date: 2023-07-21 12:19 am (UTC)My issue with remakes is, if I really liked the original, I generally do not like the remake at all. If I didn't like the original, I'm not likely to care if it's remade. Now, if I watch the remake first then learn there was an original, I may try to find the original and watch it. If the original is B&W, I will tend to prefer the remake in that case. So many B&W shows and films come off as really dated.
So that's my thing. There are definitely shows I wish had lasted longer, but if they're remade with actors I don't particularly know, I will generally prefer something made in 'my generation'. I quite often choose movies and shows because I like one or more of the actors. But maybe I'll throw F-Troop on the pile. Even though I absolutely loved Ken Berry, Larry Storch and Forrest Tucker in the leads, It would be interesting to see it made on a more realistic set. Many of the eps were B&W and the show was definitely filmed on a set that looked like a set. But hey, find me some cute guys and horses, and I might give it a chance!
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Date: 2023-07-25 09:14 pm (UTC)With B5, it started a bit wonkily, but there was some stellar storytelling. And it went wrong not because the story was bad, but because the network chose to drop the show too soon.
I suspect something along these lines is why Remix stories are always so much less popular than the originals, which I always think is a pity.
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Date: 2023-07-25 10:26 pm (UTC)I did watch the remake of True Grit although I had very serious doubt anyone could out-John Wayne the actual John Wayne. And yeah, they can't. The two things I preferred in the remake there was, the girl was more age appropriate. I think the character is supposed to be 13-14, but Kim Darby looked mid-twenties in the original. Also, in the remake, the girl wore her hair in braids which seemed more likely in the 1800s. Kim Darby had her hair cut very short, like a dude's cut. Not likely in that era. The other thing is the setting. The remake is darker, dirtier, muddier, and probably much more like the actual 1800s than the pristine sets of the original.
I never had the guts to do a remix. I'm not sure I ever could have decided which of my own stories I'd like to include/exclude, but I'd be so nervous the original writer would absolutely HATE my version. I found the whole popslash fandom quite interesting. And those who loved it, seem to love it still even if they've moved on.
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Date: 2023-07-31 02:03 pm (UTC)I always enjoyed Remix as a popslash challenge, and became quite inventive with how I chose to re-tell the stories. We aren't supposed to be worried about the original author's reaction, but it does kinda feel like a gift story, so I understand how you feel about the original writer, in case they didn't care for your version. But it always seemed such a shame that the remixes didn't get much readership.
Popslash was for me the best fandom ever.
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Date: 2023-07-21 12:11 pm (UTC)There's The Road Home animated film coming next month, too, but that's a continuation with original cast members, rather than a reboot.
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Date: 2023-07-24 10:56 am (UTC)I was disappointed by the short-lived-ness of Crusade, but I think things were brought out in a practically random order, which seems ridiculous. Liked a lot of the cast for that show.
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Date: 2023-07-22 11:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-07-24 10:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-07-24 09:13 am (UTC)And where an actor leaving the show doesn't suddenly make Marcus's death feel wasted.
It's easy to forget that B5 was the first show to use SFX instead of actual model work. Ground-breaking at the time, but looks very poor compared to modern CGI.
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Date: 2023-07-24 10:58 am (UTC)Looking at how spectacular The Mandalorian is, it would be wonderful to have something like that for B5. The show deserves it.
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Date: 2023-07-26 08:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-07-31 02:06 pm (UTC)