Did you know Jeff McBride was in an episode of Star Trek? They actually wrote the whole episode of Deep Space Nine with him in mind as the character Joran Belar. Penn and Teller, conversely, were in an episode of Babylon 5, as Rebo and Zooty, a pair of intergalactic entertainers, one of whom doesn’t speak.
What’s fascinating to me is that Deep Space Nine is a knockoff of Babylon 5.
J. Michael Straczynski took the idea of a space opera set in a stationary location near a warp gate with themes of intergalactic war, the recent end of the Centauris’ oppresive regime over the Narns, and alien religion which selects the station’s captain as it’s chosen one, to Paramount and they said “Eh, not our bag”…. and then made Deep Space Nine, where a space station near a wormhole is the central key location in an intergalactic war, featuring the Cardassians whom until recently were oppressing the Bajorans, whose religious prophets select the captain as their next… you know, no, I’m sure Paramount totally came up with that on their own.
Anyway Babylon 5 was better, but Deep Space Nine got the drop on them because while JMS was still looking for a production company, Paramount were ramping up and selecting a cast.
Equilibrium, guest starring Jeff McBride was first aired on October 17th 1994, whereas Day of the Dead didn’t air until March 11th 1998, more than 3 solid years later. Some people might say that Babylon 5 stole the idea of guest starring a famous magical act from Deep Space Nine, but frankly I think they deserved a little payback.
Also, Babylon 5 was far superior in every way and Jeff McBride has to live with that.
Hey, did you see Jeff McBride on Penn and Teller Fool us?
Continue reading “Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
or Men of Principles”
