In the year 2258, it is ten years after the Earth-Minbari War. Commander Sinclair takes command of a giant five-mile-long cylindrical space station, orbiting a planet in neutral space. At a crossroads of interstellar commerce and diplomacy, Cmdr Sinclair (2d season Captain Sheridan) must try to establish peace and prosperity between various interstellar empires, all the while fighting forces from within the Earth Alliance. It is a precarious command, particularly given that sabotage led to the destruction of Babylon stations 1, 2, and 3 and 4 vanished without trace.

Michael O'Hare - Jeffrey Sinclair

Claudia Christian - Susan Ivanova

Patricia Tallman - Lyta Alexander

Marianne Robertson - Tech #1

Joshua Cox – David Corwin

Jerry Doyle - Michael Garibaldi

Mira Furlan - Delenn

Andreas Katsulas - G'Kar

Peter Jurasik - Londo Mollari

Richard Biggs - Stephen Franklin

Bill Mumy - Lennier

Stephen Furst - Vir Cotto

Andrea Thompson - Talia Winters

Ardwight Chamberlain – Kosh

Bruce Boxleitner - John J. Sheridan

Jeff Conaway - Zack Allan

Jason Carter - Marcus Cole

Tracy Scoggins - Elizabeth Lochley

Claudia Christian auditioned for the role of Seven of Nine on "Star Trek: Voyager" (1995). In fact, several B5 actors also did Trek: Andreas Katsulas was a Romulan ship commander; Bill Mumy was an engineer on Starfleet's AR-558 outpost; and more. Trek co-creator Majel Barrett made an appearance on B5 as the seer who foretells Londo's ascension to the throne.

When B5 entered production, there were claims that the creators of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993) had stolen the basic Babylon 5 premise. It was never proven, though both shows share striking similarities. This controversy led to friction between Babylon 5 and Star Trek fans over the course of both series.

The series was conceived to run for five seasons as a sort of giant video novel. This plan was nearly shelved when it appeared B5 was going to be cancelled after the fourth season.

The final episode, "Sleeping in Light", which aired at the end of the fifth and final season, was actually filmed at the end of the fourth season. At the time that production on the fourth season wrapped, it was still unclear whether a fifth season would be produced or if the show would be canceled. When the show was renewed, they filled the last slot in the fourth season with a new episode, and showed Sleeping in Light at the end of the series. This was practical because the events of Sleeping in Light take place 20 years after the other episodes.

Cameo: [J. Michael Straczynski] (series creator), as the technician who turns off the station's lights in the series finale.

Series creator J. Michael Strazcynski once said that the Earth Alliance military used a "blending" of rank systems, although this was never spelled out in detail on the show. Thus, the exact EA rank structure remains unknown, although most fans assume the different branches (Navy, Marines, Security) each use the appropriate system of ranks for that branch. (Contrary to popular belief, Admirals have been mentioned twice on the show, in "And the Sky full of Stars" and "Signs and Portents") There are Generals who have been seen wearing the blue Navy uniform, although this could be evidence of yet another branch (Air Force?).

Based on onscreen evidence, the Earth Alliance military appears to have at least three different branches: Marines (brown uniforms), Security (gray), and Navy (blue). We have seen blue-uniformed officers with 'ground' ranks (like General); it is unclear what this means, possibly a fourth branch ("Air Force"?). A popular fan theory is that this last branch is for EarthForce officers who work in space but have not yet received flight status (i.e. certification as a starship officer or StarFury pilot).

During the run of the show, the show's creator, J. Michael Straczynski, was contacted by NASA officials who asked if they could borrow the design of the show's fighters - called, 'Starfuries' - for use on the International Space Station. NASA wanted to use the ships as a combination tug and forklift, adding, "Your design is the most practical we've seen." Straczynski replied that it was fine with him, but that NASA had to call them Starfuries. NASA agreed.

Series creator J. Michael Straczynski made television history by becoming the first person to write an entire 22-episode season of a television series (Babylon 5's 3rd season).

Because of the epic five season "video novel," ad libs were forbidden on set. Any script changes had to be approved by series creator J. Michael Straczynski

The Omega-class destroyers used by the Earth Alliance military were based on the design of the Russian spaceship 'Leonov' from the film 2010 (1984).

Walter Koenig plays Psi Cop Alfred Bester. Alfred Bester (1913 - 1987) was a leading science fiction writer, one of whose best works, The Demolished Man, deals with murder in a world where the police are telepathic, as is the Bester character in Babylon 5.

During the first season, Commander Sinclair said, "This station created[artificial] gravity by rotation, so the room never stops spinning." Reportedly, the animating team had the station spinning at a near-Earth gravity simulation. This was determined by a physicist who was also a fan of the show, who determined the approximate size of a human being on the edge of the station and extrapolating.

Delenn was originally going to be a male character. The "transformation" at the start of season 2 would have been from a male character to a female character - both incarnations were to have been played by Mira Furlan. This is why, in the pilot, Delenn's appearance is much more severe and masculine than in the first series. The plan was to electronically modulate Furlan's voice into a lower register, so her voice would sound male. JMS wasn't happy with the results, so the male-to-female idea was dropped; Furlan's unaltered voice was used for the pilot, and her makeup was made more feminine for the series.

In the episode "TKO" from season one, Lt. Commander Susan Ivanova is seen reading Harlan Ellison's book "Working Without a Net." Harlan Ellison is credited as the conceptual consultant for Babylon 5. "Working Without a Net" is the title of Ellison's planned autobiography, but does not exist as of today (2004). According to J. Michael Straczynski, Ellison borrowed the prop and carried it around for a short while to make people think they had missed it when it came out.

Ranked #13 in TV Guide's list of the "25 Top Cult Shows Ever!" (30 May 2004 issue).

Captain John Sheridan was ranked #9 in TV Guide's list of the "25 Greatest Sci-Fi Legends" (1 August 2004 issue).

Producer J. Michael Straczynski met Everett McGill at a restaurant, and later decided to use him in the episode "Severed Dreams", but couldn't remember his first name. He told the casting director to get "that McGill guy". On the day of shooting, Straczynski found Bruce McGill waiting on the set. There was no time to correct the mistake, so Bruce McGill was used.

Crew or equipment visible: In the episode "Babylon Squared", a film crew member can be seen sitting on a pile of equipment as the Babylon 4 crew are evacuating the station.

Continuity error: In "And Now For A Word" Captain John Sheridan's middle name is given as David (his father's name, the name he eventually gives his son, and also the middle name of Commander Jeff Sinclair). In later episodes he is always referred to as "John J. Sheridan".

Crew or equipment visible: In an early scene in "Divided Loyalties" (2.19), what is presumably the director's hand is visible at the bottom of the screen giving Bruce Boxleitner a quick stage direction.

Audio/visual unsynchronized: In Episode #2.21 "Comes the Inquisitor", when Sheridan confronts Sebastian linking him to the Jack the Ripper murders in London's East End, he is very clearly saying "West End"; this is because in the original broadcast he said "West End" due to a mistake by the writer. The line was later dubbed over.

Miscellaneous error: In the PAL video release of the episode "Convictions", when Brother Theo shows Garibaldi the security video footage of Robert Carlson, all the screens are blank where shots of Carlson should have been. The R2/R4 DVD contains the correct shots.

Factual error: In Episode: #3.8, "Messages from Earth" it's mentioned more than once that either weapons fire or opening a jump point inside Jupiter's atmosphere will ignite the atmospheric hydrogen. Jupiter has a reducing atmosphere; its main components are hydrogen, helium and methane. The hydrogen can't be ignited without supplying oxygen.

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): At the end of the Season 1 episode "TKO", Ivanova says that the Mourner's Kaddish prayer is usually said in Hebrew. Unlike other traditional Jewish prayers, the Kaddish is actually in Aramaic, not Hebrew.

Revealing mistake: When looking out the window in C&C, the stars didn't rotate, despite the fact that the station rotated to produce gravity.

Revealing mistake: In the episode Shadow Dancing, when Franklin slams against a bulkhead, the entire wall moves.

Continuity error: In "Parliament of Dreams" when Lennier first arrives, the same man goes up the entry ramp twice.

During the first run of the show, the titles for seasons 2 and 4 changed as character changes took place. In season 2, before Delenn's new makeup was revealed the "old" Delenn was shown; and for the first few episodes,  Claudia Christian was identified as "Lt. Commander. Susan Ivanova". After she was promoted this was changed to "Commander Susan Ivanova". In the fourth season, at first Jerry Doyle is identified as "Security Chief Michael Garibaldi" while Jeff Conaway was billed as "Zack Allan". Halfway through the season when Garibaldi resigns and Allan is promoted, the credits change to "Michael Garibaldi" and "Security Chief Zack Allan".  However, the DVD/R1 release of Season 2 has all the credits showing the new Delenn and "Lt. Commander Susan Ivanova"; and the Season 4 has all credits showing "Security Chief Michael Garibaldi" and "Zack Allan".

"The Corps is Mother, The Corps is Father" originally had a special Psi Corps opening. But on the DVD the normal season 5 opening is used.

Commander Jeffrey David Sinclair: It was the dawn of the third age of mankind, ten years after the Earth-Minbari War. The Babylon Project was a dream given form. Its goal: to prevent another war by creating a place where humans and aliens could work out their differences peacefully. It's a port of call, home away from home for diplomats, hustlers, entrepreneurs, and wanderers. Humans and aliens wrapped in two million, five hundred thousand tons of spinning metal, all alone in the night. It can be a dangerous place, but it's our last, best hope for peace. This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations. The year is 2258. The name of the place is Babylon 5.

Captain John Sheridan: The Babylon Project was our last, best hope for peace, a self-contained world five miles long located in neutral territory, a place of commerce and diplomacy for a quarter of a million humans and aliens, a shining beacon in space, all alone in the night. It was the dawn of the third age of mankind, the year the great war came upon us all. This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations. The year is 2259. The name of the place is Babylon 5.

Susan Ivanova: The Babylon Project was our last, best hope for peace. It failed. But in the year of the Shadow War, it became something greater: our last, best hope for victory. The year is 2260. The place - Babylon 5.

Lennier: It was the year of fire,

Zack Allan: The year of destruction,

G'Kar: The year we took back what was ours.

Lyta Alexander: It was the year of rebirth,

Vir Cotto: The year of great sadness,

Marcus Cole: The year of pain,

Delenn: And a year of joy.

Londo Mollari: It was a new age.

Stephen Franklin: It was the end of history.

Susan Ivanova: It was the year everything changed.

Michael Garibaldi: The year is 2261.

John Sheridan: The place, Babylon 5.

G'Kar: G'Quon wrote, "There is a greater darkness than the one we fight. It is the darkness of the soul that has lost its way. The war we fight is not against powers and principalities, it is against chaos and despair. Greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope, the death of dreams. Against this peril we can never surrender. The future is all around us, waiting, in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that future or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in pain."

G'Kar: No dictator, no invader can hold an imprisoned population by force of arms forever. There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom. Against that power tyrants and dictators cannot stand. The Centauri learned that lesson once. We will teach it to them again. Although it take a thousand years, we will be free.

Londo Mollari: Do you really want to know what I want? Do you really want to know the truth? I want my people to reclaim their rightful place in the galaxy. I want to see the Centauri stretch forth their hand again and command the stars. I want a rebirth of glory, a renaissance of power! I want to stop running through my life like a man late for an appointment, afraid to look back or look forward. I want us to be what we used to be! I want... I want it all back the way it was. Does that answer your question?

Mr. Morden: Yes. Yes, it does.

G'Kar: If I take a lamp and shine it toward the wall, a bright spot will appear on the wall. The lamp is our search for truth... for understanding. Too often, we assume that the light on the wall is God, but the light is not the goal of the search, it is the result of the search. The more intense the search, the brighter the light on the wall. The brighter the light on the wall, the greater the sense of revelation upon seeing it. Similarly, someone who does not search - who does not bring a lantern - sees nothing. What we perceive as God is the by-product of our search for God. It may simply be an appreciation of the light... pure and unblemished... not understanding that it comes from us. Sometimes we stand in front of the light and assume that we are the center of the universe - God looks astonishingly like we do - or we turn to look at our shadow and assume that all is darkness. If we allow ourselves to get in the way, we defeat the purpose, which is to use the light of our search to illuminate the wall in all its beauty and in all its flaws; and in so doing, better understand the world around us.