lurkers-guide/ftp/America-Online/aol96-02

Subj:  Re:M.B.Roddenberry Apperance
Date:  96-02-12 03:49:36 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

She appears in the last episode airing this month, before the rerun break,
"Point of No Return."

jms



Subj:  Re:Number of Episodes
Date:  96-02-12 03:51:07 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Every season of B5 has had 22 episodes, including this one.

jms



Subj:  Re:Cthulu in B5
Date:  96-02-12 03:53:37 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

There's a whole tapestry of related fiction of this sort...Lovecraft was one
practitioner, so was Dunsany, Clark Ashton Smith, August Derleth...it's a
grand tradition of SF.

jms



Subj:  Re:JMS: Who was the VofA?
Date:  96-02-13 05:50:00 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

I figured that some elements of the First Ones should be consistent with one
another; others should have specific differences.  Using Ardwight
subliminally reinforced some of the consistencies.

jms



Subj:  Re:Can you rerun B-2?
Date:  96-02-13 05:50:26 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

We're working on convincing WB to do this.

jms



Subj:  Re:Susan Ivanova
Date:  96-02-13 05:51:11 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Yes, she does, including a variation on her father's name as her middle name.

jms



Subj:  Re:VOA: The "Goods" on Clark
Date:  96-02-13 05:52:02 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

As it happens, the info about Clark's doctor was also released a bit later,
which we'll hear about by the end of this month.

jms



Subj:  Re:Writing for TV
Date:  96-02-13 05:53:52 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

I think it came out of the fact that Garibaldi doesn't trust ANYthing about
Bester, and that it's not out of the realm of possibility for Bester to find
some way to defeat the drug.  If not, then his line was basically another way
of stating "What the ___ are you pulling and why are you doing it and why the
hell didn't you TELL me you were going to do this before pulling it?"

jms



Subj:  Re:Help!
Date:  96-02-13 05:54:32 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

It's my understanding that the station will show the last part of the show it
clipped right before the next new episode.  So tune in early.

jms



Subj:  Re:Instant Gratification
Date:  96-02-13 05:55:54 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

What's being lost here, though, is that this show operates on the level of
metaphor as much as it operates out in the open.  The shadow war is also the
war within ourselves as much as it is Out There.  So Nightwatch, the
political situation back home, are shadow wars of their own.  

That said, however, there's shooting aplenty in the course of this season.

jms



Subj:  Re:G' kar as a telepath ?
Date:  96-02-13 05:56:35 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

What, you don't think G'Kar would look good in a bikini...?

jms



Subj:  Re:Psi Corps ethics
Date:  96-02-13 05:58:10 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Because it takes a certain amount of power, effort and skill to get detailed
information about someone.  A P5-P7 can get strong emotions, some details, in
brief bursts, but they're not always  as good on the big picture.  A P10 is
needed for strong scans, particularly if the person is resisting.  That means
a psi cop, and they're all registered.

jms



Subj:  Re:Londo's retribution?
Date:  96-02-13 05:58:56 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Correction: the terms of the surrender stated that for every Centauri
*KILLED* 500 Narns would be executed.  Londo wasn't killed.

jms


Subj:  Re:possible plot to come?
Date:  96-02-15 01:19:55 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Please refrain from posing possible plots to come or story ideas; doing that
here jeapordizes my ability to stay here, for legal reasons.

jms



Subj:  Re:posting of common questio
Date:  96-02-15 01:08:32 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

There's a faq (frequently asked questions) file in the library, I think.

jms



Subj:  Re:Londo's Dream
Date:  96-02-15 01:09:01 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

You will learn more about the outcome of that dream, yes.

jms



Subj:  Re:Halfway Point
Date:  96-02-15 01:11:52 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

The episode is in the halfway mark, and that IS its significance, because it
signals a major change.

When we were midway through that episode, the halfway mark of the whole
series, John, Doug and I were given these spiffy leather script books with
silver inlaid initials by the crew, to commemmorate the event.  It was really
nifty.

jms



Subj:  Re:B5 Problems???
Date:  96-02-15 01:14:05 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

I frankly have *no* idea what this refers to.  Every season we've come in
slightly under budget, the show is making money for WB, so I don't have a
clue, unless they're looking for some reason to play it cautious just now in
their announcements.  I'm baffled.

jms



Subj:  Re:Better and Better
Date:  96-02-15 01:16:04 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Thanks, Sharon.  Funny how some themes never seem to go out of fashion in the
real world.

jms



Subj:  Re:attn JMS: Ivanova
Date:  96-02-15 01:16:34 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

We'll here more about that relationship in due time.

jms



Subj:  Re:Psi Corp, Shadows, Nightw
Date:  96-02-15 01:17:11 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{Are Shadows, psi-corp, and Nightwatch working together?}

You'll know more about this within the next 10 episodes.

jms



Subj:  Re:JMS-Uploaded Previews
Date:  96-02-16 04:17:17 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Kung Fu generally has a long promo for B5, whereas B5 gets a shorter preview
for itself.  I think the one here is the longer version shown during KF.

jms



Subj:  Re:Letterbox format
Date:  96-02-16 04:18:16 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Can't be done for now, since the majority of the population still uses
smaller TV sets, you'd lose viewers rapidly.

jms


Subj:  Re:Money Matters
Date:  96-02-17 05:20:36 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Basically, it's a weekly bonus added onto their weekly salary; 50 creds is a
pretty enticing bump, equal to about 50 pounds British.

jms



Subj:  Re:The Icarus
Date:  96-02-17 05:21:42 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{Here is a question I've been thinking about for a while. If the Icarus was
sent to Z'Ha'Dum about 3 years ago, and the Vorlons and Minbari have known
about the Shadows return now for over 4 years, and it was also suggested
somewhere else that Earth Gov may be involved as far back as 5 years ago, is
it possible that Interplanetary Expeditions knew what would be found when
they sent the Icarus to that planet?}

The crew of the Icarus may not have known as much as they could've about
their mission.

jms



Subj:  Re:MacBeth
Date:  96-02-17 05:25:23 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{Just curious, but what was with all the MacBeth references in "Exogenesis?"}

Just figured I'd use that description of it rather than Macbeth, to make it a
bit more obscure, but also some actors do have a problem saying the name
Macbeth or being around it when it's said (note: Jason isn't one of them). so
it was also a courtesy.  (Later on, while shooting "A Late Delivery From
Avalon," one of the hair dressers made the error of referring to Macbeth out
loud in front of Michael York, and had to go through the whole undo-the-curse
routine, walking around the stages three times, etc.)

jms



Subj:  Re:The Capt's facial express
Date:  96-02-17 05:26:07 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{Is it possible to tour the B5 set?}

Unfortunately, the B5 stages are off the WB lot, and we're not set up for
tours.

jms



Subj:  Re:David Corwin
Date:  96-02-17 05:26:53 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Yes, David Corwin was named for Norman Corwin, whose work you should
investigate if you do not know it.  

jms



Subj:  Re:Other TV Shows
Date:  96-02-17 05:28:48 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Thanks.  We have heard that more shows are starting to adopt both our
production methods, and doing more arc stuff, so that's a good thing.

Personally, I thought "Exogenesis" was okay, but not one of our best, mainly
for writing reasons (i.e., my fault).  But from here on out, they're spiffy.
You're in for a real treat in a few more days when "Messages" airs.

jms


Subj:  Re:Exogenesis: Corwin's name
Date:  96-02-18 19:17:13 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

"Corwin is the main character in Zelazny's Amber series.) Not that David
Corwin is very Corwin of Amber-like. That Corwin would more likely be a
ranger."

David Corwin was named after my friend and highly-regarded radio drama writer
Norman Corwin.

jms



Subj:  Re:Eating Crow...
Date:  96-02-19 03:51:19 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{A few weeks ago I posted a message stating that it would be nice to have a
few skirmishes before the final showdown with the Shadows.  At the time I
feared you were saving too much for the end of the season. 

I just watched MESSAGE FROM EARTH.}

Like we said, we know what we're doing.  You just gotta trust us.  Sometimes
we get cranky because someone says "nothing's happening this season with the
shadows," and we're looking at an episode like "Messages" or others
forthcoming, and we know what IS coming.

A little patience is a good thing.

But you need not eat crow over it; just nibbling at the feathers will
suffice.

jms



Subj:  Re:Exogenesis: Corwin's name
Date:  96-02-19 03:53:29 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Norman Corwin's work is nothing short of superb.  I commend it to anyone
willing to trudge down to the local library and dig it up.  It was by hoping
one day to grow up and become a writer like Norman that Ray Bradbury got
started as a writer.

Norman's what you call a Writer's Writer.

jms



Subj:  Re:B5 vs ST
Date:  96-02-18 19:15:53 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Just one thing to bear in mind in all this, referring to ST bashing...you
don't have a situation here of B5 fans "bashing" ST.  What you tend to have
are ST fans who've *always* had some concerns with the shows expressing their
concerns here, because they also watch B5, and because to express some of
this in other forums gets them yelled at.

While there are many ST fans who have not seen B5, there are no B5 fans who
have not seen ST.  What you have here is an internal ST situation, not a case
of B5 fans hitting a show they don't know about or watch.  I'd venture to
suggest that most of the concerns voiced here are ones they had long, long
before there WAS a B5.

That said, I've noted from the beginning that there was no reason to hold the
shows up side by side; they're different series, and that just puts ST at the
center of the fictional universe.  Let this show be its own creature.

jms



Subj:  Re:B5 vs ST
Date:  96-02-19 03:48:10 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Actually, Voyager is not IN the top 50.  They're generally in the basement of
the network ratings.

jms



Subj:  Re:Babylon 5  The MOTION PIC
Date:  96-02-18 00:49:27 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{Why noy free ourselves from syndicators and go for the big screen?}

At the moment, that's not my choice, you need a big studio backing you for a
big movie.  Also, B5 was primarily *designed* for TV, this is the venue I'd
prefer to work in for this.  You'd have to do 55 movies to tell the whole
story, and you couldn't do much arc stuff in it, because it would have to be
fairly self-contained.  The good wishes are appreciated, though.

jms



Subj:  B5 Ratings Info
Date:  96-02-18 01:00:52 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

The figures have come in for our first non-rerun episode, "Voices of
Authority."  The numbers of any show always drop in reruns; something that
some folks tend to avoid mentioning when they just post figures without
noting these things.  But moving on....

While KUNG FU, in its new episode, went from #50 to #61 for the week in
syndicated shows (this is out of 257 syndicated shows total, btw), B5 surged
from #54 to #41, with a 3.5 rating, well above that which is guaranteed to
advertisers.  

(DS9 continues to wobble; #16 last week, and #15 this week; they haven't been
in the top ten for a while now.  This in reply to some who asked for a
relative positioning.)

At #41 out of 257 shows, B5 is in the top 1/6th of all syndicated shows
overall, about the top 16% or thereabouts.  In terms of drama shows, B5 is in
the top 10 of all drama shows for that period, at #8.  

So far, so good.

jms



Subj:  Re:Trek
Date:  96-02-18 19:10:32 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

"...without Star Trek there probably wouldn't be a Babylon 5...."

This is one of the biggest misperceptions we've had to try and correct over
time; if anything, ST has been an obstacle to getting B5 on the air.  The #1
reason we were given, time and again, during the 5 years it took to sell B5
for not going ahead with it, was that "There isn't room in the marketplace
for another space show other than ST.  There's not an SF marketplace; there's
a ST marketplace, but that's all.  ST doesn't create more SF, ST creates more
ST."

Right up until the day we aired the pilot, some folks at WB were saying,
"This isn't gonna work, there's not enough room in the market for another SF
space show other than Star Trek."  And suffice to say that Paramount didn't
make things any easier for us in their inimitable fashion.

If the premise as advanced in the first line were true, then why in the 30
years since ST:TOS has there not another space-SF series that's lasted more
than three seasons?  Why have there been so very few shows even TRYING this
venue?  In those 30 years, with the exception of Quantum Leap, which was more
an anthology show really, no hardcore SF series has gone beyond 3 years; that
alone mitigates against SF being a viable market.

Trust me on this; for the five years it took us to sell B5, ST was one more
obstacle to overcome.  It's not their fault, it's the fault of the
marketplace that doesn't understand SF.  It's unfortunate that, when a cop
show fails, industry folks just say, "Well, that show didn't work," but when
an SF series fails, they say, "There's no market for SF."

jms



Subj:  Re:Psi Corps and the Shadows
Date:  96-02-18 00:43:56 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Wait and see...but you're close to some stuff.

jms



Subj:  Re:Costuming
Date:  96-02-18 00:44:35 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

We have used them a bit, just haven't had to use them much until now.

That's about to change.

jms



Subj:  Re:sending artwork
Date:  96-02-18 00:47:43 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Thank you.  In general, the best contact for now on B5 is the mail drop,
which is located at 14431 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 260, Sherman Oaks, CA
91423.  Send it along to my attention.  If it's show-related, I'll try to
find a nice home for it at the stage.

jms



Subj:  Re:Was Exo censored?
Date:  96-02-18 19:19:32 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

No, the only graphic scene is in the beginning, at the end of the teaser.
Nothing was cut that I know of.

jms



Subj:  Re:Addition to Pilot
Date:  96-02-18 19:20:29 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

All the narratives are from a future point in time, but no one lives forever.
How far into the future that person is telling the story will vary.

jms



Subj:  Re:JMS, Night Watch, etc.
Date:  96-02-18 19:24:01 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

DLyulkin...exactly.  You don't just take something and transplant it
wholecloth...you change and modify it.  Nightwatch was never meant to be on a
one-to-one corrolation to the SS, or Stasi, or McCarthy...the whole POINT is
that this kind of mentality crops up in new forms from time to time, in
different names, different approaches, but at its heartmeat core the same
thing.  By saying it's "That over there," we can relax, since that specific
incident can't recur...making us vulnerable to the next version.

jms



Subj:  Re:JMS:Ivanova's left earrin
Date:  96-02-18 19:24:40 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

It's a tribute to her dead brother, both as a character, and in real life.

jms



Subj:  Re: JMS
Date:  96-02-19 03:43:37 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{Ivanova is supposed to be Jewish, right? ( Tells you I haven't been
watching all of your episodes-grin ). Then how come her last name is 
Ivanova as opposed to Greenberg or something?}

She was born in the Russian Consortium, to Russian parents, with Russian
surnames.  No big mystery there.

jms



Subj:  Re: preview
Date:  96-02-19 03:44:16 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Many things are inserted into previews by WB that aren't actually in the
shows.  We have no control over what they put into the previews.

jms



----

Subj:  Re:Steven and stims
Date:  96-02-22 00:52:52 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{Did I miss an episode?  (I can never get our stations right out here)  Last I
saw, Steven was getting hooked on stims, than last week he's happy go lucky
chattin with Marcus and being a lovable goof.}

It hasn't come to a head yet.  Any abuser of substances has moments when he's
up, and moments when he's down, moments when he seems fine, moments when he's
not.

jms



Subj:  Re:Norman Corwin
Date:  96-02-21 01:48:17 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

I'd suggest to start with ON A NOTE OF TRIUMPH, and THE PLOT TO OVERTHROW
CHRISTMAS.

jms



Subj:  Re:Random thoughts
Date:  96-02-21 01:51:27 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Thanks.  It is, I think, a uniquely American concern, since it's long been
common for writers in the UK to write a goodly portion of any season;
McGoohan did much of The Prisoner (under a variety of names), and Terry
Nation wrote the entire (and some say best) season of Blake's 7, though that
was only 13 episodes.  (I believe the adaptation of I, Claudius, at 12 hours
or so, was done by one writer...and it's the best thing ever made for TV, I
think.)

jms



Subj:  Re: Great Show!
Date:  96-02-21 01:51:49 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Thanks...actually, to you and to Blair.

jms



Subj:  Re:ATTN: JMS, B5 Fans
Date:  96-02-21 01:55:36 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Eventually, yes, we do hope to sell B5 eps via the fan club.  As for UPN, we
were never a part of UPN, though we're aired on some UPN stations, so they
can't actually drop us.

jms



Subj:  Re:Exogenesis question?
Date:  96-02-21 01:56:21 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

It was Ranger One.

jms



Subj:  Re:B5 C.D rom
Date:  96-02-21 01:57:57 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

There's the screensaver CD rom from Sound Sources currently; the company that
was going to do the encyclopedia cut down its list from 300 to 40 per year,
and we were in those cut.  We're now taking bids from other companies
interested in locking this down.

jms




Subj:  Re:Hey JMS...
Date:  96-02-22 00:58:51 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

The vorlons were never intending to hide themselves from the shadows; they
both know where the other can be found.  The concern was in the vorlons
potentially revealing themselves to others, and standing openly as what they
were.  

jms



Subj:  Re:ATTN: JMS, B5 Fans
Date:  96-02-22 00:59:10 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

It's up, should be "and running" soon.

jms



Subj:  Re:JMS: haitus
Date:  96-02-22 00:59:36 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{Is B5 on haitus?  If not , when do you stop filming?
If so , when do you go back?}

Filming wraps April 9th.  In theory it would begin again around late July.

jms



Subj:  Re:Messages - Fantastic
Date:  96-02-22 01:00:13 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

I think this is one of the best of the series to date.  I think there are a
couple coming up later in the season though that will give it a run for its
money.

jms



Subj:  Re:Messages - Fantastic
Date:  96-02-22 01:01:12 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Oh, and a PS..."does it get even better?"

It kinda has to.  We took a blood oath that each season must be better than
the one preceding it.

jms



Subj:  Re:" Original Ideas ", etc.
Date:  96-02-22 01:04:51 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{Yes, there are plenty of fans who would sign a waiver to give JMS free
ownership of story ideas, but that still doesn't matter. *Someone* would
bring suit. Someone, maybe, who holds a grudge for a real or imagined slight,
or just because it's easy money...}

The probelm is not just one fan.  People are *constantly* suing because they
think their idea -- sometimes just that, an idea -- was stolen.  Steven
Spielberg was sued by *three people* each one independently claiming that ET
was based on their story.  Obviously, that three different people say the
same thing means they're mutually contradictory...it can't be based uniquely
on all three.  Two of them have to be wrong at minimum (and as it came out,
all of them lost).  But they were True Believers.

And yes, 98% of these cases are nonsense, and are eventually won by the
original writer; but the process of defending such a case can literally
consume *years* of your life.  

jms



Subj:  Re:" Original Ideas ", etc.
Date:  96-02-22 01:07:54 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Here's an example of this, btw.  On another service, someone without
considering what he was saying (not his fault, it just happened) said, in
essence, "What if somebody on B5 found out that he had been mind-wiped, and
used to be something awful previously?"

Well, I'd had "Passing Through Gethsemane" on the wire at that time, but when
I saw this, I had to scuttle the story.  It lay there, untouched, for over a
year, until I could finally meet the fellow and get a signed release
indicating what'd happened.  If that fan had not been fair and reasonable,
that episode -- which many consider one of our best -- would never have been
made.

jms



Subj:  Re:The Screen Saver
Date:  96-02-22 01:08:43 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Yes, I hear the Mac version will be out in April.

jms



Subj:  Re:Original Ideas, etc.
Date:  96-02-23 03:30:08 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

I've been over all this a hundred times with others, on other forums.  Or
forii.  Yes, all of the reasons that you cite could be used in winning a
lawsuit.  But I have no desire to spend the two years of my life fighting
such a lawsuit.  If story ideas get posted, I turn to vapor, it's that
simple.

jms



Subj:  Re:Messages - Fantastic
Date:  96-02-23 03:31:33 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Thanks.  I find relationships fascinating, in how they grow, change, develop,
veer right or swerve left.  The ones we're seeing here are fun to play with,
and I tend to avoid the saccherine.

jms



Subj:  Re:messages
Date:  96-02-23 03:33:10 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

1) There was an outsider, Kirkish, in the room.  Yes, she's helped him, but
he's still going to hold back some info because he doesn't know what impact
it might have on Sinclair.  He's protective of him.

2) Yes, Kosh should've been there.  Kosh wasn't.  Kosh hasn't been carrying
his weight, if you ask me.  I hope this doesn't cause a problem somewhere....

jms



Subj:  Re:Spoilers Please
Date:  96-02-23 03:34:05 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

I wish I could, but they're just very cool, and I wouldn't want to give
anything away....

jms



Subj:  Re:Hey...that guy over there
Date:  96-02-23 03:34:52 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Can't do it.  A cameo would destroy (for me) the illusion that is B5.  So you
won't see me in a B5 episode.

jms



Subj:  Re:MFE -WHOA!!!
Date:  96-02-23 03:37:03 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

"Was the "package" mentioned in Exo the blonde woman giving us the Mars
Shadow info? Or was it the eggs and bacon?  Or have we not seen it yet?  

Yes, the package referred to Kirkish.

"It seems Sheridan is destroying his Shadow ships by using tricks - not a
straight up battle.  At some point won't he be one on one with a Shadow and
have to deal with it?"

Sooner or later.  Right now he's outgunned hideously.  He'll have to find a
way.

"At some point won't Sheridan have to fight Earth? (I really don't expect an
answer to this one)"

Stick around.

jms



Subj:  Re:Two Questions for JMS
Date:  96-02-23 03:39:16 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{2) With six appendages for the males and six slots for the females, I kinda
wonder if the Centauri are capable of multiple births on a regular basis.
Care to comment on that?}

No multiple births, in that sense, not any different than humans.

{1) Although the capital of the Earth Alliance (Earthdome) is located in
Geneva, it seems to me the basic legislative structure is like the United
States, albeit in a unicameral setting (I see only the Senate). Did you plan
it this way, and have you ever thought about doing a historical
article/presentation on Earth history until the Babylon 5 setting?}

Your analysis on the governmental situation is pretty accurate; the Senate in
this case comprised of member nation/states, with smaller ones having less
voice than the bigger ones (like the Russian Consortium, the North American
Federation, and so on).

jms



Subj:  Re:Love the Show!
Date:  96-02-23 03:40:14 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Thanks.  Eventually eps and the pilot will be on video, it's simply a matter
of time.

To the rest...wait and see.  And thanks.

jms



Subj:  Re:Fan Fiction
Date:  96-02-24 03:50:10 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{You could create a file entitled, "NO JMS Allowed". That should cover the
legal stuff}

1) Simply saying "NO JMS" on a folder is not sufficient; I could still go
into any area to which I have been proven to have access.  Having access to
the general area (AOL) access to the specific material is *automatically
assumed* in any court of law.  Instant loss should someone post a story and
decide later that something we did was too close to their story.

2) I have asked, as a courtesy, for people to refrain from fan fiction until
the 5 year story is over.  There are only 2 years remaining on this request.
ST fanfic was developed as a way to keep the characters alive while the show
was gone.  There is no such need at this time.

3) If fanfic is posted to AOL, I will have to withdraw from AOL.  That
simple.  It's even worse than posting a story idea, it's a whole *story*.  I
have no desire to scuttle another story, or a major part of an arc, to avoid
somebody thinking I swiped it.

4) Be advised that the names, situations and characters are all copyrighted
by Warner Bros., and if courtesy is not sufficient, any infringement of that
copyright by fanfiction will be conveyed to the legal eagles for action.

Don't do it.  I *mean* it.

jms


Subj:  Re:O'Hare, a bad guy?
Date:  96-02-24 23:28:35 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{The real reason Sinclair is gone? RATINGS! WB didn't feel he was helping the
ratings. They wanted a better known actor. An old story, but true.}

There were only the following people in the room when Michael and I discussed
the prospect of his leaving the show to return in another capacity at a later
date: me, Michael, Doug Netter and John Copeland.  You are none of these.

Further, at the time we had this conversation, the ratings were on one of
their usual upswings after reruns.  

You know *nothing* of this situation.  You're just going off what you assume
to be true.  But assuming it and saying it doesn't make it true.

jms



Subj:  Re:JMS. life for B5 after B5
Date:  96-02-24 23:37:56 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{I am interested in your thoughts as to whether the will be a life
for the surviving B5 charcters after the 5yr story arc.   You have created a
universe that is rich and varied, and it would be a shame to see it just end
after this much creative talent has been lent to it's birth }

There's always been a side-story that could go off after the 5 years, though
the odds are slim and none.

jms



Subj:  Re:Thanks for the ride!
Date:  96-02-24 23:38:35 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{Thank you for the delicious thrill I get each week from your incredible
show/universe/mind!  You have tapped brilliantly into the mythic themes of
the great epic tales - and whether I feel caught up in the great "resistance
struggle",  moved by the profound choices which degrade Londo or ennoble
G'Kar, thrilled by encounters with Beings of Light, horrified by though
control police or}

Thanks....

jms



Subj:  Re:Poetry guidelines (?)
Date:  96-02-24 23:40:49 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

As long as new elements aren't introduced into the piece, we're fine.  "Oh, I
remember when you found the space duck / We said you were really a big shmuck
/ The bombing of Earth was a crummy notion / Now Detroit is just a great big
ocean."

That sorta thing.

jms


Subj: Re:Waiting for June...
Date:  96-02-24 23:42:49 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Some themes are universal and timeless.  In the case of Bosnia, more's the
pity.

Yes, I'll be at Blackpool.

jms



Subj:  Re:To JMS: Re: How we doing?
Date:  96-02-24 23:45:03 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

So far, I hear we're doing well with the station-by-station renewals.  Won't
know anything for sure for about a month or so.

jms



Subj:  Re:Hats off, JMS!!
Date:  96-02-24 23:46:25 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Thanks, we try....

jms



Subj:  Re:Messages from Mars?
Date:  96-02-24 23:47:35 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{6.  And isn't Sheridan the least bit upset that Kosh wants him to do
everything without help, even if it costs him his life?
7.  Can you tell me the dimensions of a Shadow ship or the WhiteStar?  I'm
guessing that a Shadow Mother-Symbiotic-Terror Ship has a 'spine-span' of
about 2 kilometers at least, maybe even two miles; is this close?}

Don't have the shadow dimensions offhand; and yes, you'd think Sheridan might
begin to wonder about Kosh's level of involvement.

jms



Subj:  Re:By the way...
Date:  96-02-24 23:48:30 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{We haven't heard squat from the Grey Council since Delenn was removed, and
replaced by Neroon. Are they talking behind closed doors about...Londo?...
In other words, will they show up again this season sometime?}

At least one of them will show up again, yes.

jms



Subj:  Re:IPX Question
Date:  96-02-24 23:49:07 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{How long has Interplanetary Expeditions been a going concern?}

IXP has been in business, in one form or another, for between 50-80 years.

jms



Subj:  Re:"Message" Question & Comm
Date:  96-02-24 23:50:49 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{1)  I didn't notice Lennier or Delenn doing any translations on the White
Star.  Has the Minbari crew learned to speak English now?}

Lennier was muttering his translations off-screen.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

jms



Subj:  Re:Praise for MfE & N Staffo
Date:  96-02-27 01:52:17 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{So if you have the opportunity, please pass along to Ms. Stafford my
appreciation of her performance. }

I entirely agree; I think she did a dynamite job as Kirkish.  Totally
convincing.  When she walked into the audition, and did the part, there was
no question...it was her.

jms



Subj:  Re:Military Strength
Date:  96-02-25 19:42:18 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

I'd put Shadows and Vorlons at the top, then Minbari, Centauri, with Narns
and Humans at about the same level, give or take.

jms



Subj:  Re:To: JMS and DLyulkin
Date:  96-02-25 19:43:28 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

We've already established in the episode that the bodyguard is the same as in
"All Alone."  We did that when the two had a drink in the zocalo.  It was in
dialogue.

jms



Subj:  Re:JMS: TENTACLES!!!!!!
Date:  96-02-25 19:43:52 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Those are his...erm...reproductive organs....

jms


Subj:  Re:Major Plot Twist Ahead?!
Date:  96-02-25 19:44:39 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

The third age is involved, yes...and if I told you the first two, that would
give you the third.

jms



Subj:  Re:Sinclair?
Date:  96-02-25 19:45:10 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Sinclair appears in the 2-parter airing the last 2 weeks of May.

jms



Subj:  Re:JMS: One Word for MFE
Date:  96-02-25 19:46:15 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

....i don't remember anymore....

Senility is a terrible thing, but I suppose it happens to us all after a
while.

jms



Subj:  Re:Questions, questions
Date:  96-02-25 19:48:41 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Yes, Howard Stern has repeatedly endorsed the show; and yes, the shadow
vessel was still a little wobbly from its long hibernation and the improper
melding.  As for the title...I'm trying to avoid saying anything about it
yet.

jms



Subj:  Re:Particular politicals
Date:  96-02-27 01:41:52 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{Are the rights suspended during times of martial law similar to our own
(freedom to gather, habeus corpus (sp?) etc.) ?}

Yes, right to assemble, free speech rights, they're all open to abridgement.
Travel can also be restricted.

jms



Subj:  Re:Messages from Earth
Date:  96-02-27 01:43:17 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Certainly G'Kar has had...a revelation, I suppose is the best way of putting
it, and that tends to transform you.  What form emerges from this remains to
be seen.

jms



Subj:  Re:Bwok, bwok...huh?
Date:  96-02-27 01:44:14 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{It did raise one little question: if Earth is only a two-day voyage away, why
can't they get fresh eggs and bacon?}

Mainly it's the expense involved per volume.  It still costs big bucks, and
you generally need refrigeration.  

jms



Subj:  Re:Messages from Earth
Date:  96-02-27 01:45:40 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

So what *was* that blue goop everyone else had to eat in lieu of bacon and
eggs?}

Actually, I think it was blueberry yogurt.

jms



Subj:  Re:Lady Morella's Speech
Date:  96-02-27 01:46:27 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{One question, was Lady Morella's speech regarding the emperor ment as a
tribute to Gene Roddenberry?}

There's probably a fair amount there that could apply to Gene, yes...

jms



Subj:  Re:writing and spfx
Date:  96-02-27 01:47:18 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{Joe,   Do you take into account the ability of the SPFX crew to realize a
shot when you are writing an episode ?}

Generally, I write whatever the scene requires; most times, I find out that
the efx folks can deliver *more* than what I had in mind.  I don't think I've
had to pull back once yet.

jms



Subj:  Re:JMS:HDTV Question
Date:  96-02-27 01:47:52 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{I've read that B5 is shot in widescreen to be used later for HDTV.}

Yes, we film widescreen and crop for regular aspect ratio; eventually it'll
be released that way.

jms



Subj:  Re:Michael York
Date:  96-02-27 01:49:13 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

York finished with us quite some time ago.  Great episode, and a nice man.
Very friendly, very polite, nothing of the "I'm a STAR" attitude one often
gets with...well, *stars*.  He was even very nice when I gleepily asked him
to sign my laserdisk of CABARET.

jms



Subj:  Re:Soundtrack #2
Date:  96-02-25 19:40:20 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

No idea yet, though I should be getting a preliminary CD from Chris soon with
his thoughts.

jms



Subj:  Re:Ike and Abe
Date:  96-02-28 04:31:14 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Evan: what a *great* analysis.  I'd nudge you in the direction of the
Politics and History folder here in this area; I think you could add a lot to
that one, which just started up.  Anyway, very well considered.

jms



Subj:  Re:JMS: White Star Symbols
Date:  96-02-28 04:31:56 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

They're Minbari letters; yes, each race does have its own symbol or logo;
we've used them here and there.  Will see if I can post them sometime.

jms



Subj:  Re:Katsulas honored?
Date:  96-02-28 04:32:57 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

No, I don't believe he has won an emmy...and he's long overdue given his
skills.

jms



Subj:  Re:JMS: A few questions...
Date:  96-02-28 04:34:53 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

1) Who writes the blurbs each week in TV Guide?  Is it someone involved with
the show, or someone at PTEN, or just some shadow somewhere?

If by this you mean the actual listings themselves...they're written by TV
Guide staffers, as I understand it.

2) Is there a timeline that lists the approximate day/month/year that each
episode takes place?  If so, could you post it?

I don't have one available outside the show, since it's very detailed and
has, well, EVERYthing in it, past and future...but there's one at the
hyperion website (available here via the www jumpgate) that's pretty darned
thorough.

3) You say that after B5 ends, there is a possible "spin off" that _could_
happen, but probably won't be made into a TV series.  Have you considered
either a novel or a series of novels?

Considered and considering...but for now, I have to focus on this.

jms



Subj:  Re:JMS: Film Stock Question
Date:  96-02-28 04:35:48 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

No, we shoot in super 35 millimeter, which gives us a widescreen image which
we crop for current domestic aspect ratio TVs.

jms



Subj:  Re:The Shuttle Dyson
Date:  96-02-28 04:36:16 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Just a guy in the walla group who happens to sound kinda like Sean....

jms



Subj:  Re:JMS: Tentacles again
Date:  96-02-28 04:36:52 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Well, Londo did use them once to cheat at cards...so they're fairly
dexterous....

jms



Subj:  Re:JMS thankyou
Date:  96-02-28 04:37:48 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

The thanks are entirely mine....

jms



Subj:  Re:More inquiries
Date:  96-02-29 20:16:58 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{Many, many questions}

I think you just won the prize for most questions that I absolutely can't
answer at one time....

jms



Subj:  Re:Frankly, You Amaze Me
Date:  96-02-29 20:31:19 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Cristine: thanks.  You're right, in many ways it is personal to me.  I tend
to get passionate about the job because I never taken on any job unless I
feel passionately about it, if that makes any syntactical sense whatsoever.
Life's too short.  B5 is a particular case in that this is something that
everyone involved -- from the cast, through to the crew, directors, others --
is absolutely dedicated to.  They believe that we're creating something
rather extraordinary here, something that'll be talked about for a long time
after we're gone.  

It took me five years to sell this show, after everyone else told me to
forget it, that it'd never happen, that it was too ambitious...said that I
*could* sell it if I made it sexier, less aimed at the "smart" viewers and
more accessible to folks who just want plain action and a smattering of sex.
I could've sold a more mainstream series with far less hassle, to any of the
networks.  But I have to tell *this* story.  

So when you're obsessed with something, it's easier to spend 24.9 hours a day
working on it.  (I cobble up the extra 9/10ths of an hour from a
fourth-dimensional gate in my office.)  As for the online time...that ties
into the obsession part, in some ways, but beyond that, it's a chance to keep
working at my #1 bugaboo, demystifying TV, being responsive (and answerable)
to fans when it works or doesn't work...actually, it works out for me because
when I have to stop writing and think through a story point, I don't just get
up and walk into the living room to watch TV, where you can lose a couple
hours at a time.  I stay at the keyboard, do a quick pass through one of the
nets, kill 15 minutes...by which time I've worked out the story point, and I
get back to work.  It keeps me at the computer.

But yeah...in every conceivable sense, the work comes first in my life. This
is the single biggest thing I've ever attempted in my life, in terms of sheer
scale and scope and hours.  It has a finite lifespan.  So during that time,
it owns me.  I can give it nothing less.  When it's finally done, then I can
rest.  Selling and running the show is like being yoked to a train; you pull
real hard for a long time, for five years, until it finally moves.  Then it
picks up speed.  And then you spend the next five years of your life running
as fast as you can in front of it, because if you slow down, it'll run over
you.

jms



Subj:  Re:Hyperion Website
Date:  96-02-29 20:32:44 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

No, I had and have nothing to do with the Hyperion website, except to look at
it with awe and wonder.  It's quite a site.

jms



Subj:  Re:Hour 25
Date:  96-02-29 20:35:52 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

I followed Harlan as host.  After Mike passed away, he gave it to Harlan, who
did it for a year, then Harlan passed it to me, and I managed to stick with
it for five years.  I'm trying to remember when I finally left...I think it
was around 1992-ish.  I opted out for many reasons, among them that I felt it
was a conflict of interest to be making an SF series at the same time that I
was hosting a radio show that covered stuff like SF TV series.  I enjoyed
doing the show -- a 2-hour weekly gig on a high-power radio station in LA, no
commercials, doing anything I wanted -- but ethically I had a real problem
continuing when B5 became a reality.

jms



Subj:  Re:Many thanks great show
Date:  96-02-29 20:37:23 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

No, the thanks are entirely mine, for your support and kind words.  This is
the kind of show that will never come around for me again, and it wouldn't be
here without viewers.

jms



Subj:  Re:JMS: Lyta to appear ???
Date:  96-02-29 20:38:12 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{In which episode will we see Lyta again?}

You'll see Lyta again in Interludes and Examinations, then again this season
in Walkabout.

jms



Subj:  Re:nightwatch
Date:  96-02-28 04:29:16 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

Here's something to consider in this.

It's easy -- safe and reassuring -- to dismiss Nightwatch and the whole
political climate on Earth at this time as referring to Nazi germany...SS,
Stormtroopers, informers...but if we know our history, it shows that this is
not so isolated as we might think.  If we say it was just the Nazis, then
it's a non-repeatable phenomenon, we needn't worry about it again.

But, of course, it does happen again...it did, and it will, to varying
degrees.  Go back to the Inquisition, and forward to Joe McCarthy and the
House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) which destroyed lives and
reputations based on association, past history, social contacts and party
affiliations (the items specified by Musante to the EA folks in Nightwatch).
Stalin and to a lesser extent Lenin would have been right at home in
Nightwatch.  Several of the leaders speaking for parties in the ruins of what
was once Yugoslavia would also fit.  

It's easy, and safe, for us to say, "Oh, we would never do that, only THEY
did that."  But the "they" in this ARE the we on the other side...and "we"
have done it, are doing it now, and will continue to do it.  Only when we
*know* the history of such things, when we recognize the rhetoric of control,
when we oppose blacklisting and scapegoating and dead-catting do we help to
assure that they *won't* arise again.  Remember the quote: "Those who do not
remember history are condemned to repeat it."

There's a great deal of generalized historical and political metaphor in the
show, never one-to-one because that's too easy, but disguised in one form or
another, transumted.  The Centauri Republic isn't a real republic by any
stretch of the imagination...any more than the Roman Republic from which it
draws some of its political structure, particularly the Centarum, the ruling
body.  There's a great deal of Japanese political and social structure to the
Minbari, in their culture and art and some of their philosophy.  You can find
parallels to the story in World War II, and the bible, among a few dozen
others.

Too little of TV these days is *about* anything...it's all context, no
subtext.  This show is about a lot of things...but never in the mode of
telling you what to think.  We'll ask *that* you think, that you consider the
world around you, and your place in it...but defining that is your business,
not ours.

jms



Subj:  Re:The enemy is us.
Date:  96-02-29 20:08:57 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

"Zack is the key figure here.  He's the one questioning if he's on the right
side and just what his allies are up to.  I've heard some good analogies to
present days situations kicked around on these boards, but It seems mostly
Republicans want to accuse democrats and vice versa.  What we need is more
Republicans willing to criticise fellow republicans and democrats willing to
criticise fellow democrats."

A very good point.  Zack is, to all intents and purposes, the Everyman
character in this; he wants, desperately, to do what's right.  But he doesn't
exactly *know* what's right, because he's getting conflicting
information...or rather, a lack of *real* information and a plethora of
agendas.  Who is he to believe?  Which wasy does he jump when he's not sure
which pit holds the lion?

When a culture become factionalized, when it becomes us vs. them, everyone
starts setting up consistently smaller camps...first it's democrats vs.
republicans...then it's mainstream republicans vs. conservative
republicans...then it's conservative republicans vs. religious right
republicans (with the democrats having equal problems on their side).  As
soon as we forget that we're *all* US, it begins to fall apart.

jms



Subj:  Re:Psuedo-intellectual babble
Date:  96-02-29 20:13:15 EST
From:  Jms at B5       

{B5 sucks, people only want to talk to JMS to feel like they are in the
"inner circle", your lives are pathetic, etc}

Yes, Sandie, that's very nice, but you still have to finish your brussel
sprouts or you can't stay up and watch Baywatch.  

Your mother and I are *very* concerned.

jms