▁five ▁seasons . ▁ ▁Descri bing ▁it ▁as ▁having ▁" always ▁been ▁conce ived ▁as , ▁fund ament ally , ▁a ▁five ▁year ▁story , ▁a ▁novel ▁for ▁television ", ▁St rac z yn ski ▁wrote ▁ 9 2 ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 1 0 ▁episodes ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁executive ▁producer , ▁along ▁with ▁Douglas ▁Net ter . ▁ ▁Set ▁between ▁the ▁years ▁ 2 2 5 7 ▁and ▁ 2 2 6 2 , ▁it ▁dep ict s ▁a ▁future ▁where ▁Earth ▁has ▁so ver eign ▁states ▁and ▁a ▁un ifying ▁Earth gov . ▁ ▁Col on ies ▁within ▁the ▁solar ▁system , ▁and ▁beyond , ▁make ▁up ▁the ▁Earth ▁Alliance ▁and ▁contact ▁has ▁been ▁made ▁with ▁numerous ▁space f aring ▁races . ▁ ▁The ▁ ▁ensemble ▁cast ▁port ray ▁al ien ▁amb assador ial ▁staff ▁and ▁humans ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁five ▁mile ▁long ▁Bab yl on ▁ 5 ▁space ▁station , ▁a ▁centre ▁for ▁trade ▁and ▁diplom acy . ▁ ▁Descri bed ▁as ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁complex ▁programs ▁on ▁television " ▁the ▁various ▁story ▁ar cs ▁drew ▁upon ▁the ▁proph es ies , ▁religious ▁ze al ot ry , ▁ra cial ▁t ensions , ▁social ▁press ures ▁and ▁political ▁rival ries ▁which ▁existed ▁within ▁each ▁of ▁their ▁cult ures , ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁context ual ▁frame ▁for ▁the ▁motiv ations ▁and ▁consequences ▁of ▁the ▁protagon ists ▁actions . ▁With ▁a ▁strong ▁emphas is ▁on ▁character ▁development ▁set ▁against ▁a ▁back drop ▁of ▁conflic ting ▁ide ologies ▁on ▁multiple ▁levels