In my opinion Babylon 5 was one of the greatest television shows of the 1990s. The show has a greater focus on character development and political intrigue than most other science fiction television, and has little focus on technology. In many ways, Babylon 5 is more of a drama set in space, than it is sci-fi. It is a very successful break-away from the Star Trek mold.
Over a decade since it first aired, Babylon 5 can more than hold its own when put up against modern science fiction television. It has interesting characters, strong acting (especially from Peter Jurasik and Andreas Katsulas) and some excellent space battles.
The greatest strength of Babylon 5, and the reason I believe it will continue to stand the test of time, is the quality of the writing: The show has a well thought-out story arc that runs over all five seasons and some excellent dialogue. Babylon 5 also presents some good philosophical ideas, and manages, for the most part, to steer clear of the meaningless mumbo jumbo that is all to common in science fiction writing. The show treats the usual 'Good verses Evil' scenario with subtlety; the main characters are neither good nor evil, but rather they are manipulated by greater forces. Before the end of the series the concepts of Good and Evil themselves are brought into question. Certainly, no study of anti-apocalyptic fiction is complete without some reference to Babylon 5.
The packaging of this DVD set is excellent. The main box looks great, is made from sturdy thick cardboard, and has a flip down front for easy access to the interior. It has pretty much the same height and depth as other DVD box sets, so it sits well on the shelf as part of a DVD collection. Inside the box, the DVDs are packaged in the same series-by-series box sets that can be purchased separately. This is excellent if you want to store the box separately somewhere safe. All of the television material associated with Babylon 5 is contained in the box, including the Pilot, Crusade, and all of the movies. There is almost 100 hours of entertainment, all neatly packaged together, and taking up less than 40cm of shelf space. A must for any fan of the show.