Like Battlestar Galatica’s Caprica, 1 Ambitious ’90s Space Opera Spinoff Deserved Better
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Battlestar Galactica's prequel/spin-off, Caprica, received a divisive response from viewers and critics when it first premiered on Syfy in 2010. The show had all the right ingredients to have a long run like its parent show. However, it was canceled soon after its premiere, ending its run even before it could etch an identity for itself.
Over the years, though, many viewers and critics have revisited the series and realized that it was not half as bad as it was initially believed to be. The series even currently holds an above average Rotten Tomatoes score of 81%, highlighting how it deserved a far better treatment when it was first released. Like Battlestar Galatica's Caprica spin-off, another classic space opera should have lasted beyond one season.
Titled Crusade, Babylon 5's spin-off was all set to continue the iconic space opera's legacy in the '90s. With J. Michael Straczynski as its creator, Crusade even premiered to positive reviews from viewers and critics. Unfortunately, despite its acclaim, the show was axed by TNT even before its first episode aired in 1999.
Like Caprica, Babylon 5’s Spinoff Deserved Better
Towards the end, even Babylon 5 had quite a chaotic run. J. Michael Straczynski had meticulously planned a 5-year arc for the series even before it began its production. However, his plans were almost cut short when Babylon 5 faced the threat of cancellation after four seasons. Fortunately, TNT picked up the series at the last moment and allowed it to complete its story.
Hoping to build its own sci-fi slate, TNT even became the network home for Babylon 5's spin-off, Crusade. However, the network soon realized that its primary viewers were interested only in watching wrestling. Meanwhile, the viewers who showed up to watch Babylon 5 had little interest in wrestling or other sports. Owing to this, the sci-fi franchise did not necessarily benefit the network.
This led to many creative conflicts between the network's execs and Straczynski, but Straczynski tried his best to stand his ground and protect the integrity of his sci-fi franchise. As a result, only 13 filmed episodes of Crusade were released in summer 1999, and they, too, were out of order. With this, the spin-off reached a tragic end even though JMS had planned a 5-season arc for the spin-off as well.
Despite all the production issues and incorrect episode release order, Crusade showed immense potential. It was hard not to notice how it could have become as brilliant as Babylon 5. The show was also set to evolve the franchise's genre by morphing into a political thriller in its future arcs. Unfortunately, it never got to realize its full potential.
Instead Of Being Remade, Both Franchises Should Be Continued Through Their Canceled Spin-Offs
Since Babylon 5 was always ahead of its time, the show is still watchable for its plot and character beats. When it comes to its visual elements, though, its CGI feels dated. Owing to this, it made sense that a Babylon 5 reboot was previously in the works before it ultimately went into development hell. As of now, it is unknown whether the planned reboot will ever see the light of day.
Even if the reboot of the iconic space opera does not happen, it would be a good time to reconsider Crusade's return after its failed initial run. A remake of the original series would constantly risk being compared to its predecessor. Not to mention, actors like Bill Mumy, Andreas Katsulas, and Claudia Christian played their Babylon 5 characters so incredibly well that it would be hard to replace them in a reboot.
However, the franchise could still return and continue its run with Crusade. JMS already had a pre-planned 5-season arc for the spin-off series, which could be materialized using modern VFX. Battlestar Galatica's Caprica will certainly never get a second chance, but Crusade deserves a continuation because of how unfair its cancellation initially felt.
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Crusade
- Release Date
- 1999 - 1999-00-00
- Network
- TNT
- Directors
- Michael Vejar, Janet Greek, Stephen Furst, Tony Dow, Jesús Salvador Treviño
- Writers
- Peter David
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Lt. John Matheson
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Elijah Mahar
Crew
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Tracy Scoggins
Capt. Elizabeth Lochley
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Zeus Mendoza
Trace Miller
- Producers
- Douglas Netter
- Seasons
- 1
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Caprica is a science-fiction television series set decades before Battlestar Galactica. It follows the Graystone and Adama families on the Twelve Colonies as advances in artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and robotics reshape society. Their personal ambitions and losses become entangled with religious extremism, corporate rivalry, and the development of technology that will influence humanity’s future.
- Directors
- Michael Nankin, Jonas Pate, John Dahl, Wayne Rose, Eric Stoltz, Jeffrey Reiner, Michael W. Watkins, Omar Madha, Ronald D. Moore, Roxann Dawson
- Writers
- Michael Taylor, John Zinman, Patrick Massett, Jane Espenson, Kevin Murphy, Michael Angeli, Drew Z. Greenberg, Mark Verheiden, Remi Aubuchon, Kath Lingenfelter
- Producers
- Clara George
- Seasons
- 1
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