Babylon 5: The Complete Collection + The Lost Tales [DVD]

As the Babylon 5 subject matter itself has been discussed at length in the other reviews, I shall concentrate this review only on the differences between this new box-set and the previous set, 'Babylon 5: The Complete Universe'.

'Babylon 5: The Complete Collection + Lost Tales' is largely the same as The Complete Universe, although now it includes 'The Lost Tales' for good measure. Only this new set (which is exclusive to Amazon UK) is now in *much* smaller form. Inside the new compact box are slimmer versions of the seasons 1-5 box-sets - utilizing the new super-slim DVD cases that are a fraction of the width of normal DVD cases. If there were ever any little booklets containing episode summaries in the big set's season boxes, as I've been led to believe, they're now gone. The summaries are now written on the boxes themselves. Anyway, you get the exact same discs/extras etc that you got with the bigger/older set, and that's the most important thing. The same is true for the box of the 'Crusade' spin-off series, and the 'Movie Collection' box (containing 'Thirdspace', 'River of Souls' and 'A Call to Arms') - both of these boxes contain the super-slim cases that make you wonder why DVD cases were ever so big in the first place. This all saved LOTS of space, so they have included the original sized individual DVD cases for the remaining movies - 'In the Beginning', 'The Gathering', 'Legend Of The Rangers' and the recently released 'The Lost Tales'. Also, as regards the 'Lost Tales' DVD, it IS the version containing the exclusive 'Art Cards', just in case you were wondering. The main box itself is just as sturdy and strong as its big brother - it's just SO much smaller.

This reduction in packaging has brought the price down somewhat - and for those of us with little more shelf space left for our huge and ever-growing DVD collections, the storage space saved is extremely welcome. Some people may prefer the older/bigger box, but for those who don't, well, I just hope that they notice the Amazon exclusive set, with the Lost Tales and the cheaper price, before they go adding the larger and less complete set to their cart (only less complete due to the recent addition of The Lost Tales DVD to the B5 canon). Whatever set you end up owning though, they're both to be considered a bargain.

UPDATE May 2009: It has recently come to my attention that The Lost Tales DVD in this set no longer comes with the 'art cards'. This was just a pack of postcards with promotional images for the movie on them.....you're not missing much there. Also, note that the main box has altered slightly, too. It no longer has a fold down front with a lift off top. Now it apparently has just the lift off top. Again, no big deal.

A superb buy!! One of the best buys you can find on the net if you are a sci-fi/B5 fan! You will find it hard to get it for less brand new and fully covered by Amazon delivery policy!! For all those who thoroughly enjoyed but have forgotten the Babylon 5 series of old, or newcomers to this fantastic saga, this set gives you countless hours of quality sci-fi escapism!

I will just outline the skin & bones of the box set as the description of the series/characters/plots is well outlined in other reviews.

PROS: Very compact space-saving case with all episodes and movies of B5, cheapest price.
CONS: Contains no descriptive booklets/order of watching films in-between the episodes, but extra info on episodes and movies can be easily got from a bit of research on the internet.

No of Episodes: 110 of B5 (22 in each season) & 13 of Crusade Season One
No of Movies: 7
No of Discs: 42
Region: 2
Rating: 15

SEASON 1:
'midnight on the firing line', 'soul hunter', 'born to the purple', 'infection', 'the parliament of dreams', 'mind war', 'the war prayer', 'and the sky full of stars', 'deathwalker', 'believers', 'survivors', 'by any means necessary', 'signs and portents', 'grail', 'eyes', 'a voice in the wilderness part 1', 'a voice in the wilderness
part 2', 'babylon squared', 'the quality of mercy', 'tko', 'legacies' and 'chrysalis'.

SEASON 2:
'points of departure', 'revelations', 'the geometry of shadows', 'a distant star', 'the long dark', 'a spider in the web', 'a race through dark places', 'soul mates', 'the coming of shadows', 'gropos', 'all alone in the night', 'acts of sacrifice', 'hunter, prey', 'there all the honor lies', 'and now for a word', 'knives', 'in the shadow of z'ha'dum', 'confessions and lamentations', 'divided loyalties', 'the long, twilight struggle', 'comes the inquisitor' and 'the fall of night'.

SEASON 3:
'matters of honor', 'convictions', 'a day in the strife', 'passing through gethsemane', 'voices of authority', 'dust to dust', 'exogenesis', 'messages from earth', 'point of no return', 'severed dreams', 'ceremonies of light and dark', 'a late delivery from avalon', 'sic transit vir', 'ship of tears', 'interludes and examinations', 'walkabout', 'war without end, part one', 'war without end, part two', 'grey 17 is missing', 'and the rock cried out', 'no hiding place', 'shadow dancing' and 'z'ha'dum'.

SEASON 4:
'the hour of the wolf', 'whatever happened to mr. garibaldi?', 'the summoning', 'falling toward apotheosis', 'the long night', 'into the fire', 'epiphanies', 'the illusion of truth', 'thirdspace', 'atonement', 'racing mars', 'lines of communication', 'conflicts of interest', 'rumors, bargains and lies', 'moments of transition', 'no surrender, no retreat', 'the exercise of vital powers', 'the face of the enemy', 'intersections in real time', 'between the darkness and the light', 'endgame', 'rising star' and 'the deconstruction of falling stars'.

SEASON 5:
'no compromises', 'the very long night of londo mollari', 'the paragon of animals', 'a view from the gallery', 'learning curve', 'strange relations', 'secrets of the soul', 'in the kingdom of the blind', 'a tragedy of telepaths', 'phoenix rising', 'the ragged edge', 'day of the dead', 'the corps is mother, the corps is father', 'meditations on the abyss', 'darkness ascending', 'and all my dreams, torn asunder', 'movements of fire and shadow', 'the fall of centauri prime', 'wheel of fire', 'objects in motion', 'objects at rest', 'river of souls', 'the legend of the rangers' and 'sleeping in light'.

CRUSADE SEASON 1 EPISODES:
'war zone', 'the long road', 'the well of forever', 'the path of sorrows', 'patterns of the soul', 'ruling from the tomb', 'rules of the game', 'appearances and other deceits', 'racing the night', 'the memory of war', 'the needs of earth', 'visitors from down the street' and 'each night i dream'.

BABYLON 5 MOVIES:
'the gathering' (1993), 'in the beginning' (1997), 'thirdspace' (1998), 'the river of souls' (1998),'a call to arms' (1998), 'legend of the rangers' (2001), and `the lost tales' (2007).

Another reviewer had recommended the following order of watching...I am on the way to try it:

1. Watch the B5 movie "The Gathering"
The Babylon 5 pilot movie The Gathering was originally broadcast in 1993 a full year ahead of the regular show.
2. Season 1
3. Season 2
4. Season 3
5. Watch Season 4 up to episode "The illusion of truth"
6. Watch the B5 movie "Thirdspace"
7. Season 4: continue with episodes 9-22
8. Watch Season 5 up to episode "Objects at Rest"
9. Watch the B5 movie "River of Souls"
10. Watch the B5 movie "In the Beginning"
This is a prelude set 10 years before Babylon 5. Against the logic of the title, I would strongly recommend seeing it at this stage. Should one see it before Season 1, much of the suspense in the main series would be ruined.
11. Watch the B5 movie "A Call to Arms"
This movie lays the groundwork for the spin-off TV series "Crusade".
12. Season 5: watch final episode "Sleeping in light"
13. Watch Crusade Series
And then watch 'Legend of the Rangers' and finally 'The Lost Tales' (?) - would this be the right order? Anyone knows better, pls fill us in!

According to Wikipedia, the Series Chronology is as below:

----Babylon 5 TV seasons and films----
----1993-2007----

In order of series chronology:
2245-48 * In the Beginning (1st film)+
2256 * Babylon 5 station commissioned
2257 * The Gathering (Pilot)
2258 * Signs and Portents (Season 1)
2259 * The Coming of Shadows (Season 2)
2260 * Point of No Return (Season 3)
2261 * No Surrender, No Retreat (Season 4)++
2261 * Thirdspace (2nd film)+++
2262 * The Wheel of Fire (Season 5)
2263 * The River of Souls (3rd film)
2265 * The Legend of the Rangers (5th film)
2266 * A Call to Arms (4th film)
2267 * Crusade (spin-off series)
2271 * The Lost Tales: Voices in the Dark
2278 * In the Beginning (1st film)+
2281 * Babylon 5 station decommissioned

+ The framing story is set in 2278.
++ The final episode of the season includes scenes of future events up to 3262 and beyond.
+++ The story is set between the two wars in season 4.
The final episode of series is set in 2281.

NOTE that there were apparently some problems with other, older versions of this DVD set - to do with wrong episodes/missing episodes or films, but I have had no problems in the set I ordered. Perhaps those problems have now been rectified. Still worth checking out the set thoroughly once received....

PRICE UPDATE: March 2011 - Prices seem to have gone up considerably since Nov 2009 when i purchased it for £67/-!

I love this series, this is an amazing offer, but the suppliers made a few mistakes, Inside the Thirdspace movie box was a completely different dvd, and the same in A call to Arms. So i'm two movies down, luckily i'd already got them on dvd, so i'm not bothered about returning, but i do recommend you check yours out when you recieve the order, so that if there's any issues, you can return asap :)