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“Babylon 5” fans have been waiting for years to see new adventures in the Babylon 5 universe.

The wait is almost over.

“Babylon 5: The Lost Tales - Voices in the Dark” is an anthology show set in the Babylon 5 universe that will soon be released as a straight-to-DVD. It will include, among others, the return of one-time series star Bruce Boxleitner, who surprisingly first heard about “The Lost Tales” from a fan in London, according to Dreamwatch. This wasn’t the first time he had heard such things, so at first he dismissed it.

"But then I got a call from [producer] Doug Netter, and suddenly it was happening very fast and we were on our way," he said.

Boxleitner was "very angry" when "Babylon 5" ended. He told the magazine he feels that science-fiction television hasn’t fared well since B5 and his character of John Sheridan left the airwaves.

"People may yell at me for saying that, but we were definitely influential, and there really isn't anything set in outer space anymore," Boxleitner said. "The last of the Star Treks went off air, and it looks like this season of ['Battlestar Galactica'] will be the last.

“Maybe we'll fill that gap a little bit. A television series becomes a family, and we were a really tight-knit group. We've lost three people, including two of our prominent cast members [Andreas Katsulas (G'Kar), who died in 2006, and Richard Biggs (Dr. Stephen Franklin), who died in 2004], but I think we've handled that very well, with a mention of both those characters in 'The Lost Tales.'”

This time around, Babylon 5 is using technology it never had access to before. But even so, some things never change.

“We shot up in Vancouver, in HD, on a huge green screen stage, with only a skeleton crew, and it was amazing how the actual shooting has changed. But there I was, in my old wardrobe - which still fits by the way - and it was just so exciting.”

Some other popular characters are also returning, Boxleitner said.

“I had a little bit with Tracy Scoggins, who's Col. Lochley now, and Peter Woodward as the wonderful Galen.”

It was strange at first for Boxleitner to get used to the idea of “The Lost Tales” skipping TV and going straight-to-DVD. “But you have to remember that the show originally coincided with the advent of the Internet. All those fans were able to go onto Web pages and chat rooms and that's how it grew," he said. "It was '90s technology that launched the show, so if home entertainment is the new venue, that's fine.”

Depending on the success of this DVD, there may be more Babylon 5 in the near future. Creator J. Michael Straczynski has stated in the past that a second installment could be released as early as 2008. Some rumored stories for future installments include a Michael Garibaldi-centered story and a Telepath War story.

But would Boxleitner be willing to return? “Absolutely! If they'll have me," he said.

“Babylon 5: The Lost Tales - Voices in the Dark” will be released on July 31.

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