Babylon 5 remains a favourite sci-fi tv show of mine (indeed, I am currently undertaking a complete rewatch of the thing in its entirety) and, whilst in the final analysis it draws more heavily on Tolkein than Lovecaft in terms of its influences, nonetheless creator Michael J. Straczynski incorporated elements of Lovecraftian cosmicism into the series. One of the places in which this is most explicit is in Babylon 5: Thirdspace - a made-for-tv movie whch was linked to, but largely standalone from, Babylon 5’s specific narrative arc.
After encountering a vastly ancient and monolithic alien artefact in hyperspace, the crew of the Babylon 5 space station discover that it opens a portal to another dimension (the ‘Thirdspace’ of the title) inhabited by monstrous, cephalod-like aliens intent on exterminating all life in the galaxy. The film also deals with Lovecraftian themes of forbidden knowledge, and the desent into madness which follows the blind pursuit of such knowledge. Also of note is the fact that the Lovecraftian Thirdspace aliens were designed by Wayne Barlowe, whose work appeared as part of the 2016 Lovecraftian Thing a Day.
Whilst Babylon 5: Thirdspace is not a strong recommend if you are looking for full-on Lovecaftian nightmare fuel, it nonetheless constitutes an interesting sidenote with regard to the far-reaching influence of Lovecraft’s work upon popular culture and genre television.
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