 The series was conceived to run for five seasons as a sort of giant  video novel. This plan was nearly shelved when it appeared B5 was  going to be canceled after the fourth season. J Michael Straczynski  pushed forward much of the material he had planned for the fifth  season into the fourth, and even filmed the planned series finale  for that year. When word came that the fifth season had been granted  after all, the series finale was held back and used in its proper  place.