Also IMHO probably one of the most memorable scifi TV series I've ever seen, though I'm a huge fan of the new Battlestar series. I've sat through the entire thing at least twice, including Crusades.
If you're looking to get into this series but aren't sure where to start, check out the special "In the Beginning" which actually was aired I believe between season 3 and 4, right in the middle of the Shadow War. Its available on netflix. It tells a the story before the beginning of season one and gives a glimpse of post-Shadow War. Its a wonderful, epic, made for TV movie, right at the maturity of the series, and covers alot of ground that doesn't entirely give way to any huge spoilers. Granted, there's some stuff that won't be understood, but its still a nice introduction.
I would also say feel free to skip over a few episodes in season one. Many are toally filler as the cast developed their own character, and got a feel for where they stand in the whole scheme of things...
I suppose if you really really really dont want to watch it, at least catch a few episodes from seasons 3 and 4. It would be unfortuante to see these out of context, but there are some real winners in there that hold their ground even without back-story.