Actor Ian McShane has candidly described his 1998 made-for-television science-fiction film "Babylon 5: The River of Souls" as one of the most embarrassing moments of his acting career. Though McShane had built a well-regarded career spanning decades—from his 1962 film debut to the successful 1980s television series Lovejoy—this low-budget sci-fi production became a notable professional misstep that he has since reflected upon with self-deprecating humour.

McShane struggled with the film's absurd technical dialogue, eventually resorting to ad-libbing his own lines when the scripted jargon became incomprehensible, much to the producers' displeasure. His co-star Martin Sheen wore an unusual prosthetic featuring a single eye positioned in the centre of his head, which McShane found profoundly distracting during their scenes together. The actor's frank assessment of the experience has become a footnote in his otherwise accomplished career, though the film's peculiar qualities have garnered it something of a cult following among those seeking unconventional viewing experiences.