Plus, it did feature an actor from the original series (Richard Hatch), appearing in a new role, while his original role was recast with a younger actor.
…I don’t think we are going to see that happen, otherwise JMS wouldn’t have bought it back.
Chekov moves over, like he has done before, and Sam Rockwell takes over at center console as Ensign Fleegman.
So B5 was unique in that it was essentially a novel’s worth of story and content attempted to translate into a 5 year TV show. The whole story was planned from the start, which is very unique, even still, within television. Even tightly-scripted shows like Breaking Bad that are very much a continuous story were still created from season to season with no overall plan.
But production realities forced a lot of changes to be made. A studio-forced cast change majorly affected the way the story played out. The expected cancellation after season 4 really changed the way season 4/5 played out. A lot of changes to the story had to be made because of those sorts of limitations.
So, hypothetically, if the CW committed to the show long term, you could tell something closer to the originally intended story without the changes it had to go through. That would at least be something this show could do uniquely without just being a retelling of the same story with better production.
I’m assuming you’re referring to Michael O’Hare. His departure may well have been forced by the studio, but what came to light, after his death, was that he was suffering from severe mental illness at the time, which was affecting the show’s production; his departure from the show allowed him to seek treatment for it.
That said, yes, it definitely forced JMS to modify a significant amount of his story arc.
I assume he is referring to Claudia Christian(Ivanova). When TNT picked up Babylon 5 after its cancellation, she did not come along for a variety of complicated reasons.
I had honestly completely forgotten about that. 
Actually, looking into it now, I can’t find mention of the specific rumors I remembered hearing at the time, so I don’t know.
But there was a falling out in one way or another.
From the synopsis above, it sounds like they’re giving Sinclair’s backstory to Sheridan in this version, which is probably the best way of incorporating both characters into a new narrative.
Considering how cultural norms have changed in the past 25-30 years, it sounds like they’ll also have the opportunity to reimagine some of the characters in a way they couldn’t have in the '90s. Ivanova and Talia’s relationship could only be hinted at because having a gay protagonist would have been too controversial at the time - if there are similar characters in the remake, they won’t have to beat around the bush with it. Likewise, the Minbari were originally pitched as being a monogendered species - and if The Orville can do it, I’m sure they’d let JMS do it this time.
FWIW, Christian’s Wikipedia entry says this about the situation (I have no idea of the accuracy of either account):
Zathras not like reboots… Zathras not like old boots either.
Mostly, Zathras like comfy slippers.
Zathras have sad fate in original series. Zathras will probably have sad fate in reboot.
At least there is symmetry.
Whatever the case regarding Michael O’Hare and Claudia Christian and anyone else it would seem it would be fantastic to see CW commit to a full 5 year run and JMS being able to script for that. The truth is 5 years is a long time and the real world is going to intervene in multiple ways as it did first time regardless of intentions and will require rewrites though probably smaller. Without a doubt the biggest change came from the sudden cancelation and renewal between seasons 4 and 5 that, to my understanding at least, led to that interminable telepaths plot in season 5. That nearly made me give up on the show before the end.
It would be fantastic to see Ivanova and Talias relationship made explicit. I’d also like to see more of the Centauri occupation of Narn as well in more graphic detail. Londo and G’Kar were by far my favorite characters. If i can be forgiven introducing real world politics for a second, with everything that’s happened with covid and anti-vaxxers id be very interested to see a revisit of the first season episode where Franklin has to fight with the alien parents who were denying their child a life saving surgery for religious reasons. Lots of material to mine there.
Another thought. Considering just how much the Mass Effect series “borrowed” from B5 (e.g. a space station as the hub of interstellar diplomacy, humans as galactic newcomers who barely survived a first contact war, newly emerging supernatural powers that other races have been familiar with for centuries, a network of hyperspace gates, ancient aliens who intervened in human evolution, even more ancient aliens who periodically cull the galaxy, a cabal of xenophobic fascists pulling the strings of Earth politics, etc.), I wonder if we’ll see some of ME’s aesthetic rub off on this reboot.
Woops, you’re right, that’s what I was referring to, and I actually knew about the mental illness thing and it slipped my mind. JMS used to talk with fans on usenet all the time (I wonder what percentage of current internet users have even heard of that before) and once posted lists of all the major changes that were forced on him by circumstances and it was pretty impressive.
All of the events that concluded the Sinclair/O’hare arc were originally going to take place at the end of the series and featured the main character of the entire arc which was quite a large difference from what actually happened.
I generally don’t support reboots, remakes, and all the other stuff that shows we’re just bankrupt on ideas, but of all the potential things to receive that treatment this could be among the more interesting. The CGI and production effects you can get out of a small budget show are way different now, serialized TV is way more established now (B5 was pretty much a pioneer on this) and so the suits would be less skeptical towards it and it could hit the ground running faster and maybe not worry about being cancelled and circumstances so much, and it’s just easier now to have a deeper, richer, more complex world in an era of streaming rather than syndication, so I don’t know, this might be one of the reboots with more potential.
Heck, he even posted here, a couple of times in one thread, to correct some misinformation about himself and to answer the question “Does Babylon 5 get any better?”
I understand where you’re coming from but what I think it’ll bring to the table is new fans. I am ambivalent about a reboot in large part because I found the original series to have ended on a satisfactory note. i.e. It was emotionally satisfying. If they do a reboot, fine, but they’re going to have to start pretty much from scratch by taking the premise and going to a different place with it like Battlestar Galactica did. That means a totally new cast, switch up the genders maybe, change some of the aliens, whatever. I’ll give it a chance because I have a lot of goodwill towards JMS.
Judging from what JMS has said, it sounds like that’s exactly what he has in mind.
That’s not exactly true though, is it? Threat of cancellation forced JMS to resolve the series’ primary conflict in a very abrupt manner seven episodes into Season 4, a sudden reprieve allowed him to resolve the series’ secondary conflict by the end of the season, and another reprieve gave him a 5th season without much of a reason to exist. I’ve always assumed that his original 5-year plan was to end the Earth storyline in Season 4, and leave the resolution of the Shadow/Vorlon War to Season 5. If that’s the case, I’m glad JMS is getting a do-over.
Fortunately for him, the CW doesn’t cancel series. If Supernatural got 15 years, I’m sure we can count on 5 years for B5.
Zathras also on list of B5 actors who have since died (Tim Choate). Sad fate indeed.
I’m waffling about the reboot (not that any of it is up to me, obvs). I fear a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory style fate, where the reboot fixes the stuff that didn’t work in the original and ruins the much wider list of stuff that was good about it. But it is what it is. On the one hand, the G’Kar/Londo character arcs were among the best in science fiction and whatever comes will likely not be as good. On the other hand, one can but hope that the name “Byron” will never pass a character’s lips this time around.