Long-time Fan Interview: Michael

As well as attracting new fans, Babylon 5 is a show that has the ability to keep the interest of long time fans, even those that have been watching from the very first time it aired (the First Ones, I like to call them). Many long time fans have rewatched the show over and over again and still love it as much as they did in the beginning!  One such fan is Michael Truelove (Twitter username @MikeyDT1979), who I had the pleasure of interviewing recently! I will let him introduce himself, and then proceed to the interview!

I have been a Sci-Fi fan as far back in my life as I can remember. I have watched just about every major Sci-Fi TV show that has ever been made from all series of Star Trek to both versions of Battlestar Galactica, Farscape, X-Files and many others in between. I have been watching Babylon 5 from day 1. I was channel hopping 20 years ago on a Sunday evening and this new, vibrant and very different Sci-Fi show landed on my TV on Channel 4. It was the episode “Midnight On The Firing Line”, the first episode of the series proper, i did not see “The Gathering” until it became available on VHS tape about 6 months later.

I have recently finished a full rewatch of Babylon 5 from pilot to “The Lost Tales” and everywhere in between.

ANA: Thanks Mike. How many times have you watched Babylon 5 since? How exactly did you get into it?

MIKE: I first started watching B5 20 years ago on its first  UK TV broadcast, happening across it quite by accident whilst channel hopping. I have watched the whole series on VHS and DVD from start to finish at least once per year since it was first released on those platforms.

ANA: So you watch it quite often! What in particular draws you to watching it again?

MIKE:  I keep rewatching the show as it is quite simply one of the finest shows ever made for TV, it has everything, humour, drama, tension, suspense and great space battles, it’s just fabulous to watch and doesn’t age at all.

ANA: So you must have some favourite characters, episodes and moments in Babylon 5?

MIKE: My favourite character in B5 has to be Londo Mollari. He is the funniest, most dramatic, most hateful, most hated and most loved character that the show ever had, you never knew which way the guy was going to go in any given situation. Even at his most evil you could not help but feel for him as he had that air of helplessness about him as he was trapped by his decisions and he knew that, but could do nothing to change the situation.

My favourite episode(s) is difficult as I have so many, but my top 3 are No.1: “Severed Dreams” No.”: “Sleeping In Light” and No.3: “Intersections In Real Time” they are 3 of examples of the best that B5 has to offer. My top moment is in the first season where they are in Londo’s banquet and his immortal line “In purple I am stunning!!!” is spoken then he passes out, so funny every time I watch it.

ANA: And I’m sure after so many rewatches, you have learnt some life lessons from the show?

MIKE: I have learned many life lessons from B5, the main one being, as G’Kar puts it “No-one here is exactly what he appears”, meaning never judge someone until you know them properly. It has helped me in so many aspects and at so many times in my life.

ANA: Certainly an important lesson for us all to learn! Which themes in Babylon 5 do you particularly like or dislike?

MIKE: In terms of themes I like the theme of redemption that echoes all the way through it, Londo and G’Kar being the main examples of this. G’Kar starts the show as a villain and becomes a religious and political leader, whereas Londo starts as the figure of fun, becomes a villain, redeems himself, becomes a villain again and redeems himself again all in the name of protecting his people and their way of life as he sees it.

ANA: I love Londo and G’Kar! Which aspects of the story speak to you personally?

MIKE: The story aspects that speak to me are too many and varied to go into too much detail. the whole show speaks to me on an entertaining and very personal level.

ANA: Amazing! Have you ever recommended Babylon 5 to anyone else? If so, would you do so again?

MIKE: I, along with @anakay831 and @parks 8472, among others have encouraged @Davey_H to watch the show and he did and is enjoying it royally. I would definitely encourage others to watch the show as it is quite simply so good!!

ANA: Yes, I did an interview with Dave around a week ago! He really is enjoying the show! What is your opinion about the #FreeBabylon5 Campaign?

MIKE: I think the #FreeBabylon5 campaign is wonderful, a show of this brilliance and longevity must be and should be watched by as many people as possible and for free as far as possible as it is one of the finest shows ever made for TV and deserves to be seen and appreciated by a much larger audience.

More articles about: