B5 on Legend, UK channel

[Springer]

Just a heads up for UK fans that B5 will be showing weekdays at 7pm on Legend (UK free-to-air channel) starting next Monday 8th June, and I think they're showing The Gathering also on Tuesday 9th, presumably after Soul Hunter as their evening movie.

I'm away that week so won't get chance to watch probably, but I'll be intrigued to find out which version of The Gathering it is. I'm still hoping for a Blu-ray boxset of the TNT movies and the SE Gathering.

 

[Springer]

So I managed to get to watch the show on Legend after all despite being away, it's good to see the show back on UK TV, but Legend have made some weird edits. They showed the special edition of The Gathering, which looked like the horrible cropped widescreen version from the Blu-ray, and cut out the shot of the Minbari assassin twisting his wrist to set off the bomb. In Midnight on the Firing Line, they cut Londo's entire description of his dream of strangling G'Kar for absolutely no reason – it just went from Londo saying he will kill him to Sinclair saying 20 years is a long time. I understand them cutting violence and swearing given that they are showing it at 7pm, but I know what cuts Channel 4 made back in the 90s when first showing B5 at 6pm on a weekday, and these are not the same cuts.

They also frame the ad breaks with horrible AI-made graphics of the station and slightly off-model (they look squished) starfuries flying backwards. Bit cringe-worthy.

But I hope some new viewers are tuning in and watching it for the first time and are enjoying it.

I think this will be only the third time that B5 has been shown from beginning to end on UK free-to-air TV. The other two times were on Channel 4 during then original run, and Sky 2 about 7 years ago (which I think was free to air, might be wrong).

 

[Ubik]

TV, is that still a thing?

(Joking aside, maybe it'll catch a few new eyeballs). But the generation that matters are all on streaming platforms and Youtube!

 

[Springer]

TV, is that still a thing?

(Joking aside, maybe it'll catch a few new eyeballs). But the generation that matters are all on streaming platforms and Youtube!

Legend seem to aim for an older demographic. It's mostly older shows on there: TOS and The Six Million Dollar Man precede B5 each day on the channel, followed by Walker, Texas Ranger.

B5 is out there on streaming and YouTube if people want to find it, but not everyone can afford streaming channels.

 

[Looney]

How strange that they have weird edits or did you just say that because you knew I would want to see and you know I can't because I'm not in the U.K.? . . . .

 

[Springer]

How strange that they have weird edits or did you just say that because you knew I would want to see and you know I can't because I'm not in the U.K.? . . . .

Nah, it's like they are mutilating it, you don't want to see that. Today's random cuts in Parliament of Dreams – one shot of G'Kar in the pain givers (they left the other shots of him being electrocuted in, just cut one shot) and entirely cut the scene where Na'Toth is kicking the pain givers.

 

[Looney]

Nah, it's like they are mutilating it, you don't want to see that. Today's random cuts in Parliament of Dreams – one shot of G'Kar in the pain givers (they left the other shots of him being electrocuted in, just cut one shot) and entirely cut the scene where Na'Toth is kicking the pain givers.

Weird! I must know why and how!!!!! So strange. Very glad I am actually not seeing it. I would be verbalizing my distain at the TV while sitting alone. I wish we had recordings and answers.

 

[LateArrival]

Does the strange editing only happen for Potentially Disturbing Scenes, or elsewhere?
In the US would say every second cut is another second for advertising, but doesn't the UK have License Fees or something?

 

[Springer]

Does the strange editing only happen for Potentially Disturbing Scenes, or elsewhere?
In the US would say every second cut is another second for advertising, but doesn't the UK have License Fees or something?

Only for the BBC. Legend has advertisements. If they are cutting the violent scenes why cut Londo talking about his dream? And, 30 years ago, none of these scenes were cut when Channel 4 first aired the show at 6pm, and censorship has become less strict since then. So I do wonder if they are cutting to fit around ads.

From memory, the only things that Channel 4 cut was the swearing, the entirety of TKO, and Franklin getting stabbed in Shadow Dancing. The even showed Secrets of the Soul uncut on a Sunday afternoon!