FAQ

There are six Babylon 5 movies, five of which have an impact on the overall story:

* "The Gathering" is the series pilot; it was filmed and aired before production on the actual show began. As such, it should be viewed first.

*"Thirdspace" was produced between the fourth and fifth seasons, and takes place sometime around the eighth or ninth episode of season four.

*"River of Souls" fits in between the season five episodes "Objects at Rest" and "Sleeping in Light."

*Finally, "A Call to Arms" also takes place between these episodes, but should generally be viewed after finishing the series. It is a pilot of sorts for spin-off series "Crusade".

* "In the Beginning" is a special case. As a prequel, it takes place before any of the events depicted in the series. However, it is very heavy in spoilers, and thus should not be viewed until after the first four seasons.

* "The Legend of the Rangers" is the sixth movie and the pilot for a spin-off series that wasn't picked up; it has little effect on the Babylon 5 timeline and is not a fan favorite. In-universe, it takes place between movies "River of Souls" and "A Call to Arms", but can be viewed independently after the end of the series (when it was produced).

*"The Lost Tales" is a one-off DVD telling two short stories. It takes place after "A Call to Arms" and "Crusade".

"The Memory of Shadows" is a theatrical motion picture which has not been, and will likely not be, produced. The first draft of the script is largely written, but the group who optioned the movie rights and commissioned the script was ultimately unable to secure the necessary funding. Straczynski has not revealed the full details of the movie's plot, except to say that it involves the consequences of leftover Shadowtech.

The Gathering was the two hour pilot movie for Babylon 5. Produced and aired before the regular series started it sets up the station and the main characters and deals with an attempted assassination of Vorlon Ambassador Kosh. While the movie is entertaining and worth watching, the series is completely understandable without it. A few references are occasionally made to the events in it, notably when Lyta Alexander returns to Babylon 5, having been influenced by the events of the pilot, but if you skip The Gathering you will still be able to understand and enjoy the series