lurkers-guide/ftp/CompuServe/cs97-10

JMS CompuServe messages for October 1997.  Collected by John Hardin
<jhardin@wolfenet.com>.



Date: 01 Oct 1997 00:29:33 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: PAUL SHEWARD <100256.1563@compuserve.com>
Subject: JMS to get royalties ???

 PAUL SHEWARD <100256.1563@compuserve.com> asks:
> Just wondered if Peter was stealing it for a new hair piece for
> Londo ?? How's season 5 going ?
> Have you let Stephen direct any more episodes and if so has he
> developed a 'mean streak' yet ?

      Stephen has directed 501, and I think is on tap for at least one
more at this point.  Overall filming is going great, and I think this
may be one of our best, certainly one of our most interesting seasons
to date.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 01 Oct 1997 00:29:36 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: It's Getting Dark

 (blocked) asks:
> Did you finish it?

      OtherSyde is actually the better book of the two, in my view.

      It's Getting Dark I shelved when I came up with a better
story...which I will write in that wonderful moment when I have
sufficient time.  About the only extracurricular project I can slip in
now on a fairly regular basis is a play I'm working on....

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 01 Oct 1997 00:29:38 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Terry Cotant <70313.1103@compuserve.com>
Subject: Phrase?

{original post had no questions}

                                 Judas Iscariot.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 01 Oct 1997 12:37:01 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: John F Davis <73455.43@compuserve.com>
Subject: CC Situation

{original post had no questions}

"We have an alleged meeting which she says she was booted and you say
never happened."

      John...let me try this again.

      The weekend this supposed meeting took place Claudia was in
Blackpool, in the UK, in front of 3,500 fans who can verify she was
there, and not in the US, let alone at a meeting with WB.  It's not "me
vs. her" on this... there are 3,500 people who saw her that weekend,
8,000 miles from the WB offices.

       This has nothing to do with who do you listen to, it's just
looking at the logistics and the realities that have nothing to do with
any personalities whatsoever.

       Unless she is capable of transubstantiation and nobody told me,
there WAS no meeting.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 01 Oct 1997 12:37:02 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: PAUL SHEWARD <100256.1563@compuserve.com>
Subject: JMS to get royalties ???

{original post had no questions}

       Thanks..."Racing Mars" and "Lines of Communication" are more or
less transitional episodes to get the pieces in place for the rest of
the season. But once things start cranking, they don't let up for the
rest of the season.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 02 Oct 1997 03:43:24 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: CC Situation

{original post unavailable}

"...her stated view is that she was told it was 22 eps. or nothing by
the Turner people.  No possible time off."

      Again, this is only a partial statement.  She was told that if
she wanted to be *paid* for 22 episodes, then the contract would have
to stipulate that she was hired for 22 episodes.  The probelm was that
she wanted to have the contract read that she was being paid for 22
episodes, but appearing in 18, which constitutes a per-episode pay
increase, which would invalidate our contracts with all the other cast
members, who are on a favored-nation basis. Had her people said, "Just
pay us for 18 episodes and we'll just do 18 episodes," there would
never have been a problem.  We did the same thing for Stephen Furst.

"Yes, when she didn't /couldn't agree to that, she was  "booted"."

      One clarification.  You cannot fire someone who does not work
for you. That is the one part of this conversation everybody keeps
forgetting.  As of June 15th, when Claudia did not give the extension,
her contract expired and she no longer worked for B5, or WB; neither
had any call or hold on her. What had to happen then was for WB to put
an offer on the table for her services. This was done.  A deadline was
finally put on for a Friday, because of the pressures of production. 
She did not accept the offer, and by that Friday, the offer was
withdrawn.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 02 Oct 1997 03:47:25 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Scott Miller <70562.3656@compuserve.com>
Subject: JMS to get royalties ???

 Scott Miller <70562.3656@compuserve.com> asks:
> My question is, was an entire 22 episode package sold to each
> station--in which case KMSS is choosing not to air four episodes
> which they've presumably paid to air--or were the final four sold
> as a seperate package to the stations?

      I don't know the situation on a station-by-station basis,
unfortunately.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 02 Oct 1997 16:59:27 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: JMS to get royalties ???

 (blocked) asks:
> Is that the 501 that is now in place of 422, or the first new TNT
> ep?

       That's the new 422.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 02 Oct 1997 17:05:24 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: 1998 Calander

 (blocked) asks:
> US or Brit???
> Will we be able to get both here in the States?

       The Antioch calendar is a US calendar, the Slowdazzle calendar
is a UK calendar.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 02 Oct 1997 17:05:25 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Kevin P. Kenney <104102.352@compuserve.com>
Subject: Help Me Promote Season 5

{original post had no questions}

       There's really nothing you can tell these people that will
work. They will always doubt and say it's doomed...then see what comes
along, and go "...oh..." and then the next thing will happen, and
they'll do it again, on and on.  When Stephen came in, when Michael
went out, when the shadow war ended, when we got year 5...I'm more or
less used to it by now.

       Give them something to believe?

       I did.

       The fifth season.

       Either it's there, or it ain't...and anything I say doesn't
mean a damned thing, since there's always somebody who'll counter,
"Well of COURSE he'd say that."  The show stands on its own.  Always
has.  Always will.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 03 Oct 1997 13:52:52 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Philip Hornsey <74053.2101@compuserve.com>
Subject: Help Me Promote Season 5

{original post had no questions}

       Nope...no intentions of doing that.

       I have something MUCH better in mind....

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 04 Oct 1997 18:36:05 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Ray Pelzer <70475.1263@compuserve.com>
Subject: 1998 Calander

 Ray Pelzer <70475.1263@compuserve.com> asks:
> I wonder if THIS is why we haven't seen any new calendar
> wallpaper pages in the B5 web page Special_Elements area???

      No, it's because with the departure of Troy, and B5 being a lame
duck show in WB's view, there's nobody at the helm over there right
now.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 04 Oct 1997 18:36:07 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: JMS to get royalties ???

 (blocked) asks:
> Does that mean that you will be finish filming season 5 before
> the serie starts on TNT? Can we expect a new B5 episode once a
> day?

      No, we'll be shooting through March, and the new eps go on in
January.

      You definitely won't be seeing *new* B5 eps once per day; you'll
get the first 4 seasons daily, and a new S5 episode once per week for
22 weeks.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 04 Oct 1997 18:36:10 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Babylon 5 Great songs

{original post unavailable}

      It's an old gospel song, been around since the 1700s.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 05 Oct 1997 00:29:45 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: SysOp Pam Jernigan <75540.2554@compuserve.com>
Subject: JMS to get royalties ???

{original post had no questions}

      Actually, the new schedule has been set for S5 episodes at
Wednesday at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, 7:00 p.m. Western, which is a terrific
slot, I think.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 05 Oct 1997 00:29:47 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Carl Cantarella <105030.3700@compuserve.com>
Subject: No season 4 ender

 Carl Cantarella <105030.3700@compuserve.com> asks:
> Joe, What prompted the new B5 Forum?
> How's that for fan dedication?

      Good luck with the dish, and I look forward to hearing your
reactions.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 05 Oct 1997 01:26:13 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Rebecca Eschliman <76072.2345@compuserve.com>
Subject: 1998 Calander

{original post had no questions}

"HQ people have never heard of B5, and since they overloaded on Star
Trek merchandise which didn't sell, they figured it was more of the
same."

      This kills me...and I've heard it before...because when we went
on the air, some places didn't want to carry our stuff (like the
micromachines) because it wasn't (or wasn't like) like Star Trek and
only Star Trek sells...and now they are reluctant to carry us because
they think we're like Star Trek and Star Trek DOESN'T sell anymore....

      Some days you just can't win.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 05 Oct 1997 01:26:16 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Hero Games (Sue) <75162.372@compuserve.com>
Subject: CC Situation

 Hero Games (Sue) <75162.372@compuserve.com> asks:
> I've never known her to lie, have you?

"She also says she was never told she could do 18 shows at 18 episodes
of pay. (whether it was her agent that didn't tell her or someone else,
I don't know)"

      Actually, if you read her statement, she does NOT say that.  She
says only that she was told that the contract would read she would have
to do 22 (if she were being paid for 22).  The 18-payment issue was
never addressed by her in any of her messages one way or another. 
You're reading something in that was never actually stated.

      Meanwhile...let me put this to you concisely.  Her manager was
told about the 18/22 situation in no uncertain terms by John Copeland. 
Now, I have an agent, same as Claudia has an agent.  When I'm in
negotiations with someone, as we're currently in negotiations with WB
for the sequel series, the agent takes detailed notes and relays
everything back to the client on terms and conditions.  Everything.  An
agent doesn't just say, "Oh, I think I'll tell my client about A, B and
C but not D, because s/he doesn't need to know that."  It simply
doesn't happen.  And at no time has Claudia EVER said, "My agent didn't
tell me this." She's simply never mentioned this aspect in any of her
posts.

"I've never known her to lie, have you?"

      Not to say otherwise, but...how long have you known her that you
can say this?  Have you known her...or have you known the character? 
I'm not saying she did here...because an omission is not a lie...I just
find it a curious thing for you to say.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 05 Oct 1997 01:26:20 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Hero Games (Sue) <75162.372@compuserve.com>
Subject: CC Situation

 Hero Games (Sue) <75162.372@compuserve.com> asks:
> So she was psyched for season five at a con, then something
> happened a month later that is ambiguous at best and this means
> she was lying about being psyched for seaons 5?

"That's just it, Carl.  They're your *conclusions*.  Unless I have
evidence to the contrary, I'll take someone's stated facts over what
happened to them over the conclusions of someone who's using second
hand knowledge any day."

      A statement is not a fact.  If that were true, then my statement
would be a *fact*, and someone else's would be a *fact*.  And in that
case, nothing is true anymore.

      Let me put this to you for a change, Sue: you keep saying you
want "evidence."  Just to be brusque for a second...what the hell do
you mean by "evidence?"  What would qualify to you as "evidence?"  Be
specific.  Be as concrete as you're asking others to be.

      The cast, Bruce and Jeff and Stehen and others, have supported
everything I've said here, right down the line.  Okay, that's not
enough for you.  What is?

      You keep asking for "evidence," so you must have some concrete
notion as to what constitutes evidence.  Because short of producing
audio tapes of phone conversations (none exist), there IS no such
evidence, and you're asking for things that either do not exist, or
would violate confidenatiality (i.e., notes between Claudia and her
agent).

      You keep demanding evidence, Sue.  Okay, now I'm asking you: if
my statements, and the statements of those who were in the UK when all
this happened, are not enough...statements from credible witnesses,
myself included, that would stand up as testimony in court but are
apparently not enough for you...then what, realistically, is evidence
that could reasonsably be obtained?

      Because I think you're deliberately asking for things that don't
exist, so you can continue to split hairs and make everybody else's
opinion *just* an opinion, while you state *facts*, at least in your
mind.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 05 Oct 1997 01:26:22 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: All 
Subject: from jms: merchandise

I'm putting this in a few different places, so forgive any
redundency....

We're starting to pull together the licensed B5 merchandise being put
out by the fan club, and I'm very pleased by it...especially the pins,
as noted below.  For a long time now, pirate dealers have been putting
out fake B5 Earth Alliance pins, and they've been crummily made, either
flimsy or breakable or thick and clumsy, and charging fair-sized bucks
for rotten, inferior products.  No more.  Now you can get the real
things, identical to the acual props in every single respect, and
overseen directly by Babylonian Productions to ensure that they're
accurate.  (Along with everything else here.)  But that's been a real
sore point for me for a long time, and I'm glad to have it taken care
of once and for all.

The following products are now available via the Fan Club website,
located at http://www.thestation.com (I'm omitting prices as per CIS
policy, but will say that the fanclub members get a discount on all
items).

1)  product # FCM - Fan Club Membership

This gets you the quarterly Universe Today, access to the Gold Channel
personal logs on thestation.com, and discounts on all FC products.

2) product # FCTC-01 - Fleer/Skybox Special Edition box with JMS
autograph

3) product # FCTC-02 - Fleer/Skybox Special Edition box with Bruce
Boxleitner autograph.

4) product # FCJ-01 - Earth Alliance Pin

Baked Enamel blue and gold-tone pin, just like the real ones.

5) product # FCS-04 - "The Great Maker" T-shirt

When I directed "Sleeping in Light" (422), during lunch a substantial
number of cast and crew disappeared from the set, and returned wearing
these shirts as a surprise.  A lot of people asked for these to be made
available, and now they are.  Front reads, "Shh...The Great Maker is
Directing". The back reads, "And on the seventh day we wrapped".

6) product # FCP-02 - Recognition Chart Poster

This one I like a lot because it's just stinking cool...it's a perfect
replica of the recognition poster seen in pilot ready room on B5,
struck from the same master.  It has Minbari, Shadow, and Earth ship
silhouettes, as you'd see on a WWII battleship.

7) product # FCH-01 - Aggie Hat

The product number may be revised.  This is the crew cap for The
Agamemnon, Sheridan's ship prior to being assigned to B5, seen in
"Knives" and which will be seen in the fifth season as well.  (And
thosext item:

8) product # FCH-02 - Psi Corps Hat

This is another one we've been asked to produce by fans.  The cap is
black with the Psi Corps logo on front. "The Psi Corps is your friend"
is embroidered on the back.

9) product # FCBK - Antioch Babylon 5 Calendar 1998

This is possibly the best graphic product associated with B5
publishing to date.  It's just gorgeous, with montage prints, quotes
from the series, photos galore, and many of the major events in the B5
storyline noted by date.  This is a limited edition with serialized
numbers. We have the lowest numbers available on the market.

And there are the CD's available from us, done by Christopher Franke:

  product # FCCD-01 - Original Soundtrack
  product # FCCD-02 - Messages From Earth
  product # FCCD-03 - Avalon
  product # FCCD-04 - Z'Ha'Dum
  product # FCCD-05 - Shadow Dancing
  product # FCCD-06 - Severed Dreams
  product # FCCD-07 - Walkabout

Again, all this can be obtained via the Fan Club site, which has an
order form.  Some of this has yet to be added to the form, so in the
case of short or limited orders, this will let you get a jump on things
before they're sold out.

What we're doing here is what I think should be done with this stuff:
you make what you personally would want just because you think it's
just cool....

jms


------------------------------



Date: 05 Oct 1997 15:59:25 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Hero Games (Sue) <75162.372@compuserve.com>
Subject: CC Situation

 Hero Games (Sue) <75162.372@compuserve.com> asks:
> Me> "I've never known her to lie, have you?"
> You> Not to say otherwise, but...how long have you known her that
> You> you can say this? Have you known her...or have you known the
> You> character? Did Claudia want to do season five?
> You> Why should I believe she doesn't?
> You> Is there some reason that a new contract couldn't be drawn
> You> up for a few episodes such as has been done with Tracy Scoggins?

      I note in the beinning that nowhere in your note did you cite
what you would consider "evidence."  So please refrain from doing so in
future, since apparently you can't define it.

"If someone were to tell me that *you* were lying in this situation, I
would be just as offended and just as strong in defending you."

      Sue, by taking the position you have taken in this, you are de
facto calling me a liar.  I have said clearly that the situation was X.
You have said, repeatedly, that the situation could be Y.  If it's Y
then I'm a liar. You may think this is just an academic exercise in
intellectual fairness; you are, however, calling my honesty into
question.

"I don't know any of the people involved, and therefore I'm not going
to draw any negative conclusions about anyone unless there is a first
hand account."

      Yes, you *do* know at least one of the people involved, you know
*me*, and I *do* have a first hand account.  There ain't much in the
show that is MORE first hand than me.  You don't seem to grasp here
that I *run* Babylon 5. No offers are made to agents or actors that I
don't know about.

"If you were to say "I told Claudia she could do 18 episodes for 18
pay" then I would see a direct conflict."

      Then there's a direct conflict because that is EXACTLY what she
was told.

"Claudia says she was never offered 18 episodes at 18 episodes of
pay."

      No, she doesn't say that.  Look back at what you posted again. 
I quote you quoting her.

      "I was never offered 18 episodes at a different price."

      Not the same price.  A DIFFERENT PRICE PER EPISODE.  That's what
I've been trying to get you to understand for months now.  There was a
desire on their part to get her a pay raise per episode, which would
violate our contracts with the other actors.  She wanted to do 18
episodes for the 22 price.  That only confirms what I have been saying
here from day one.

"You keep saying that *I* don't think your statements are enough. 
I've never contradicted or disbelieved your statements."

      Yes you have, by implication.  Maybe you don't see it that way,
but I and others here do.

"1.  Was Claudia told that she could do 18 episodes for 18 episodes of
pay. If you say "yes, I told her" or "I was there when she was told" or
"My good friend Bob who I know and trust told her" then fine, I would
be prone to take your word for it."

      YES, SHE WAS TOLD THAT.  FOR THE TEN THOUSANDTH TIME, SHE
THROUGH HER MANAGER WAS TOLD THIS.  WHAT PART OF THIS SENTENCE IS IN
SWAHILI?

"However, so far as I can tell, there has been no statement from
anyone who can say that she was informed."

      Sue, I sat across from her in a pub in the UK.  I talked to her
at length.  This was referenced in the conversation by me.  She was
aware of it.

"2.  Did Claudia want to do season five?  She stated before, during
and after that she wants to do B-5.  Why should I believe she doesn't?"

      I think -- and this is speculation -- she wanted to do S5, but
she wanted a pay raise, something confirmed by her comments in the TV
Guide Online magazine.  Go read it, she wanted an increase that none of
the other cast members were getting.  (And as part of that interview,
she says that all the other male actors were paid more than her, which
is, by the way, an absolute and outright fabrication.)

"Is there some reason that a new contract couldn't be drawn up for a
few episodes such as has been done with Tracy Scoggins?"

      If she wouldn't go for 18 episodes at 18 episodes pay, why
should she go for 8 episodes at 8 episodes pay?  At the point we're
talking about, we got every indication that she did not want to return
to the show, period. There were no phone calls from her or her people
saying so, nothing, absolute silence.  Now, you'll pardon me for being
realistic, but I've got a show to run, and that means we have to have
scripts ready 4-5 weeks prior to shooting, and the first one was due
the day we GOT this information.

      What was I supposed to do?  Say, "Oh, no, wait around for a few
months, until right before filming, so we'll have plenty of time for
her to come back to us.  We won't have any scripts, of course...."  No.
I needed that gap in the command structure filled from the very first
episode.  So now what do I do?  Bring in a character for 2 episodes,
then turn the show upside down AGAIN and get rid of Tracy?  Because we
don't make this show for a hell of a lot of money; every dime goes to
the show.  If we brought back Ivanova for 8, we'd have to fire Tracy.

      No...it's real simple, Sue.  Whatever was in her head at the
time, the reality is that she walked off the show.  She made a
deliberate, conscious decision to go.  My obligation is to the 10 other
members of our cast, the 200 people in our crew, and the 5 million
viewers to move on and make the best show I can.  There were no
misunderstandings here.  It was a business decision on her part.

      Now can we please, finally, drop this, so I can put in the time
I'm spending arguing here back into making the show?  Or do you still
want to doubt the veracity of me, my crew, John Copeland, and others
just so you can give Claudia the benefit of the doubt?

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 05 Oct 1997 23:37:41 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Carl Cantarella <105030.3700@compuserve.com>
Subject: 1998 Calander

 Carl Cantarella <105030.3700@compuserve.com> asks:
> I thought, "Huh?"
> Which brings me back to the beginning sort of: what prompted me
> to call Galoob about the B5 Micro Machines?

      The problem, as I heard it, was that the stores simply wouldn't
put them out.  They'd sit in the back room because the owner didn't
know what B5 was, and didn't want to take up the shelf space.  The nets
are full of tales of people who were told there were no B5 micros, then
after having the back room checked, found 'em...bought 'em...but the
rest never hit the shelves, just sat back there until they could be
sent back.

      Meanwhile, Galoob was being deluged with phone orders for the
things. They ran out fast, then as the store sets started to come back,
were able to fill orders of stuff that had been out of stock before.

      On the other hand...these are the sorts of stories you tell
years later at conventions...like when Mark Hammil sat for 3 hours at a
comics convention and nobody talked to him because no one had yet heard
anything about this "Star Wars" movie....

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 05 Oct 1997 23:37:44 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Rebecca Eschliman <76072.2345@compuserve.com>
Subject: 1998 Calander

{original post had no questions}

      I guess you're right...we've done all we can at this end, from
here on out it depends on the fans.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 05 Oct 1997 23:37:46 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Tom Knudsen <72347.1626@compuserve.com>
Subject: CC Situation

{original post had no questions}

"Change happens.  Sometimes it's good, sometimes not.  We (the fans)
still don't know how this change will affect the show."

      Lemme tell you a true thing.

      And I'll bank my rep on this one.

      The Lochley character has added so much to season 5, I can't
even begin to describe it.  Everyone who's seen her, has responded very
well, and likes the character enormously.  Where Ivanova's character
was sometimes a hammer to the head, Lochley is a stiletto blade between
the eyes.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 06 Oct 1997 14:00:11 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Philip Hornsey <74053.2101@compuserve.com>
Subject: Help Me Promote Season 5

{original post had no questions}

       Yeah...you'd think some people would figure that out by now.

       But in this case, don't worry...what I have in mind is
absolutely discreet and classy.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 06 Oct 1997 23:57:58 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Elyse M. Grasso <70302.3304@compuserve.com>
Subject: Goodbye. Probably

{original post had no questions}

      I'd hold off on that decision for just a bit....

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 07 Oct 1997 00:07:31 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Scott Miller <70562.3656@compuserve.com>
Subject: CC Situation

 Scott Miller <70562.3656@compuserve.com> asks:
> issue of Dreamwatch?
> Do you *really* expect us to believe that you don't just throw
> scripts together the day before shooting like the DS9 production
> staff apparently does?

      Actually, this is the one area (since you brought it up) where
we tend to shine.  Our scripts are finalized usually 4 in advance of
shooting, so the director has about a month to plan out his or her
episode.  We've found this makes all the difference in the world on
budget, and the whole look of the show.  The only changes that
generally get made are in set locations, to make things easier for the
art department.  But beyond that, there aren't massive changes (often
any changes) to dialogue, story, character, any of that; we rarely get
past 2 drafts, and again, those are mainly for production reasons.

      We've kind of fallen a bit behind this season, due to my back
and other problems, but we're catching up again.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 07 Oct 1997 11:33:00 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: CC Situation

{original post unavailable}

       Well, Corwin is technically Lochley's XO, but she's definitely
involved in the day-to-day stuff.  You'll understand when you see it.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 07 Oct 1997 11:33:01 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Philip Hornsey <74053.2101@compuserve.com>
Subject: Help Me Promote Season 5

{original post had no questions}

       It's discreet...but not obscure.

       And best of all...it's eternal...and the whackos who've bugged
me for five years are not.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 08 Oct 1997 03:33:28 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: DS9 = Babylon 5

{original post had no questions}

"I think B5 has had a similar effect on science fiction. And the
viewer like myself has benefited."

      This has been our clarion call for the last 4-5 years.  I have
felt strongly from the beginning that the more SF on television, the
more there is competition, the less shows can rest on their laurels. 
Everybody will have to work hard to produce the best show possible when
there is competition, and the ultimate beneficiary of that is the
viewer.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 08 Oct 1997 03:33:30 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Scott Miller <70562.3656@compuserve.com>
Subject: CC Situation

{original post had no questions}

      I will confess that there are momets when I'll be looking at an
outside script with multiple names on it, and think, "It took TWO of
you to write this?"

      I think the reliance on big writing staffs is an error.  It
leads to the frequent creation of little "pocket universes" where each
staffer has kind of his vision or version of the show, and because it's
political at that level, nobody wants to step on anybody else's
toes...and you get a very uneven show, where everyone's also pulling at
everybody else's script, and delays result.

      The best shows of the past tended to have one writer/producer or
one story editor at the core of it, not big writing teams.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 08 Oct 1997 03:33:32 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Rebecca Eschliman <76072.2345@compuserve.com>
Subject: B5 Anthropology

 Rebecca Eschliman <76072.2345@compuserve.com> asks:
> Will you, in S5, be giving us any more of the sense of history
> for the Drazi, Gaim or Pak'Mara that you have given us for the
> Narn, Minbari and Centauri?

      Interesting timing on that question...one thing I'm getting into
this season, which I didn't have time to do before, is the other races
we've seen but haven't delved into much...the Hyach, the pak'ma'ra, a
bit more on Minbari culture, others...they've tended toward being
window dressing, and I'd like to fix that just a tad.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 09 Oct 1997 00:49:44 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: B5 in LA: Sat or Sun???

{original post unavailable}

      It gets broadcast again later that same Sunday, at Midnight.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 13 Oct 1997 01:26:02 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Shadow Tech

 (blocked) asks:
> Are they susceptible to telepaths like the shadow vessels were?
> I forget, will there be a Aggy model?
> Do John Copeland and Bruce B have an interest in airship history?

"These new EA ships with Shadow tech...Are they susceptible to
telepaths like the shadow vessels were?"

      Negative...they don't have living beings as CPUs, they're still
working at adapting the basic tech, the other stuff is still a bit
advanced.

"By the way, the EA adaptation to the shadow tech is accurately done.
Keep the basic Omega design and modify where needed."

      Got it in one.

"Do John Copeland and Bruce B have an interest in airship history?"

      Please...these guys are the biggest airplane buffs I've ever
met.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 14 Oct 1997 16:35:07 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Current Station List?

{original post unavailable}

       I don't have a list like that...maybe the Lurker's Guide does.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 09 Oct 1997 01:07:07 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Congrats on the Forum.

{original post had no questions}

      Thanks.  I know there are still a few official glitches to get
out of the way, but this is a great idea, and it's an honor to have a
forum here.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 09 Oct 1997 01:22:09 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Neil S. Turkenkopf <102664.3532@compuserve.com>
Subject: New Forum Logo?

{original post had no questions}

      I'm logging on via Tapcis, and didn't know until I read this
stuff that my face was on this.

      Well, that'll send users away in droves....

      The horror, the horror....

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 10 Oct 1997 21:44:05 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: New Forum Logo?

 (blocked) asks:
> Did you get the copy of "Over the Hedge" I mailed you?

      Comic strip received and copied and placarded on the wall of
stage B. Thanks.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 09 Oct 1997 01:22:09 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Welcome!

{original post unavailable}

      Just sent you a private note on how this may be fixed.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 09 Oct 1997 01:07:07 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Jonathan Kass <74130.443@compuserve.com>
Subject: Will we see CIS credits?

 Jonathan Kass <74130.443@compuserve.com> asks:
> Very glad thats changed, now do we get any publicity?

"Very glad thats changed, now do we get any publicity? :)  And di d
this go through quickly cause CIS and AOL are now one big happy
family?"

      1) We can but hope, 2) actually, it's complicated things...but I
hope it'll all work out fine in the long run.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 11 Oct 1997 21:34:01 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: B5 Sierra software?

{original post unavailable}

      The first thing out the gate is going to be the B5 guide CDrom,
which will be out next month or so.  It was done in-house by us, and
Sierra is distributing it.  It's the authoritative guide to the races,
weapons, ships, and the world of B5 itself, the locations, other
stuff...with a LOT of video from the show, and your choice of three
different guides.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 12 Oct 1997 15:10:00 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: B5 Sierra software?

{original post unavailable}

      The other game is still being developed, and it's too early to
get into the details yet.  Christy Marx is involved, though.

      RE: the guides...in the informational CD rom, you arrive by
shuttle at the station, and at customs you can choose from three
different guides: the official station tour guide (rather stuffy,
formal, only encourages you to go to the nice places), a rather shady
character who knows all the best (worst) places, and a Gaim.  The
commentaries on the places you go vary from guide to guide.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 13 Oct 1997 01:26:08 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Susan <100537.1517@compuserve.com>
Subject: B5 Sierra software?

 Susan <100537.1517@compuserve.com> asks:
> Will we be able to order this one via the fanclub Emporium?

      Yes, the fan club will also carry a limited number of the
CDroms.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 15 Oct 1997 02:19:09 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Terry C <70313.1103@compuserve.com>
Subject: B5 Sierra software?

 Terry C <70313.1103@compuserve.com> asks:
> Then what's the title that's on the shelves today?
> It says "Limited to 100,000 units" (that's limited?

      That's not a strategy game...it's primarily a screen saver with
a small game element as an added feature.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 16 Oct 1997 22:28:12 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Ray Pelzer <70475.1263@compuserve.com>
Subject: B5 Sierra software?

 Ray Pelzer <70475.1263@compuserve.com> asks:
> Is the B5 Guide CDRom the one you considered putting passwords &
> locks into to release spoiler information as the new seasons
> progressed?

      No, this was something we couldn't work into this
version...though there is one little extra hidden in the disk
somewhere...sort of an easter egg, something that won't come around for
almost a year in the show.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 12 Oct 1997 15:19:08 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Petition for Ivonava

{original post unavailable}

      And to whom would you send the petition?  And when?  It wasn't
WB's decision that she leave, it was hers.  She was offered the same
deal as the rest of the cast, at the same salary bumps as everyone
else...she wanted more than could be given without a renegoatiation
that would violate our favored nations contracts with everyone
else...so here are your choices, there are no others:

1) You give her the increase (18 episodes for 22 eps pay, in the
contract), and violate the contracts of all your other actors, and
anger them and destroy the sense of fairness you've worked hard to
create over 5 years.

2) You choose to be fair and renegotiate *everyone's* contracts, and
end up without enough money to make the show anymore.

3) You offer the same deal as all the other cast members have, with
the same salary increases guaranteed in their contracts for each
season, and leave it to her to decide whether or not to come back.

We did #3.  She chose to walk away.  So if you're going to send a
petition, you may as well send it to her because it was *her* decision,
not WB, not TNT's, and not mine.

Finally, I'm finishing script #12 right now, we're more than halfway
through the writing season.  Frankly, it's too late for petitions, and
they wouldn't have any effect in any event, because it was never our
choice.  It was hers.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 13 Oct 1997 01:37:03 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Susan <100537.1517@compuserve.com>
Subject: Petition for Ivonava

 Susan <100537.1517@compuserve.com> asks:
> Wanna know why?
> You don't want to believe JMS?
> But you DO believe Claudia?

      Oh, please, send this to (Hero Games) Sue...at last, a witness
that can verify what I've been saying from day one...thank you, thank
you, thankyew... I owe you my firstborn child....

      Can I repost this?  Finally, I have someone, SOMEone, outside
the company who can confirm what I've been saying, someone who doesn't
have a vested interest in the situation....

      Thank you....

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 13 Oct 1997 01:26:08 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Darkness

{original post had no questions}

      Thanks...yeah, it's a nice, quiet little episode.

      Well, at least, in comparison to what's coming....

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 16 Oct 1997 01:40:14 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Philip Hornsey <74053.2101@compuserve.com>
Subject: Darkness

{original post had no questions}

      I think you just paraphrased most of the Book of Job....

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 16 Oct 1997 23:59:07 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Philip Hornsey <74053.2101@compuserve.com>
Subject: Darkness

{original post had no questions}

"Well, it is the best written book in the Bible."

      Well...the best *story*, with some of the best writing...but
there's stuff in Proverbs, Psalms, and the Song of Solomon (which
sometimes gets a bit over-written and racy) that can give it a run for
its money.

      There was some good writing back in the old testament...before
it got all showbiz and high-concept....

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 18 Oct 1997 16:04:04 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Darkness

{original post unavailable}

      Thanks....

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 13 Oct 1997 01:26:08 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Brent Barrett <75063.3305@compuserve.com>
Subject: 420: Victory!

{original post had no questions}

"...the symmetry and symbolism in how you structured that final
battle.  The story of Babylon 5 basically started with the Minbari
fleet coming to Earth to destroy it at the Battle of the Line.   To
have the Minbari fleet return to Earth, not to destroy humanity, but to
save it, especially along side Earth fighters and capital ships was
stunning."

      Noticed that little touch, did you....?

      What goes around, comes around.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 16 Oct 1997 01:41:00 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: A. R. Aikman <102335.2072@compuserve.com>
Subject: D&L: Sheridan=Christ?

{original post had no questions}

"...as I am a visual artist, I tend to notice lighting and
structure,etc., especially on the second (or 3rd) viewing, and the
thorny crown was striking to  my eyes, as was the sad,
dark-circles-under-the-eyes, immensely tired look on his face, which
lent to the illusion."

      It's interesting when that happens.  There's a halo around
Sheridan's head at one point when he's yelling at Delenn in the big
room in "Z'ha'dum," and, just as a pointer to something you won't see
for another year....

      When I was directing "Sleeping in Light," there's a scene with
Sheridan and a mirror.  (That's all I'll say about it, so there's no
spoiler info there.)  As John Flinn lit the shot, and angled the
mirror...I froze at what I was seeing on the monitor.  I called John
over, and pointed to it.  "Do you see what I see?"  It took him a
moment, but then his eyes went wide, and by his own reckoning, "the
skin on my arms crawled."  He turned to the guys dressing the set and
said, in a very loud, clear voice, "NOBODY TOUCHES THAT MIRROR!  YOU
HEAR ME!?  NOBODY!"

      It's not a big...but it's a pretty cool unintended illusion
(though once we saw it, we kept it).

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 16 Oct 1997 22:28:12 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Carl Cantarella <105030.3700@compuserve.com>
Subject: B5 Sierra software?

{original post had no questions}

      Apparently, Hamilton tested the plates in their usual areas
(with regular consumers and ST fans) and this "research" told them
there wasn't any kind of market for B5 collectibles.

      I let this pass without comment.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 16 Oct 1997 22:28:13 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Gathering re-edit?

 (blocked) asks:
> Could you confirm/deny?
> Also, what changes exactly will be made?

      Yep, we're working on the re-edit now.  There's still just so
much that can be done, we can't shoot new material...but it's still
going to be tighter, with additional material, new music, and new CGI
in many places.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 16 Oct 1997 22:28:13 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: BTWN Darkness/Light

{original post unavailable}

"If we want to be logical here, it really seems improbable that a
White Star could run into a piece of debris.  Ok, the pilot (Marcus)
wasn't paying attention, they were at high speeds and visability was
poor."

      Well, if you want to go back and listen to what's being said in
the episode, Marcus calls out that the navigational system was damaged,
and they were trying to repair when the big chunk of debris hit them. 
They couldn't get out of the way for that reason.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 16 Oct 1997 23:59:07 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Nick and Toni Muller <75223.1575@compuserve.com>
Subject: >>Compliment : Endgame<<

{original post had no questions}

      That's about the right response....

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 18 Oct 1997 16:04:04 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: David DeRubeis <75221.2351@compuserve.com>
Subject: >>Compliment : Endgame<<

 David DeRubeis <75221.2351@compuserve.com> asks:
> Does a possible resolution have the ring of truth, or is it a
> contrivance or cop-out? If Marcus were to use the machine, but
> survive, what would be the consequence of his decision?

      Exactly.  As for Marcus, that's precisely the point.  If we do
what we do to Ivanova, then let her get bailed out, then do the same
for Marcus, it becomes a double-cheat, and that's not fair to do to the
audience.  If you bail her out but only at great cost to someone else,
it's not a cheat on either level.

      And yeah, generally, if you follow the threads, you can pick up
on where things are going.  It's something I learned on Murder, She
Wrote, where at the end, when the killer's been revealed, you should be
able to back up the tape, watch it again, and this time see all the
little bits that point to his (or her) identity.  It's basically about
playing fair with the audience.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 18 Oct 1997 19:18:13 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Pam Jernigan <75540.2554@compuserve.com>
Subject: >>EG: Where's Delenn?<<

{original post had no questions}

      Re: Delenn's business...it's in the next episode.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 18 Oct 1997 16:04:03 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Carl Cantarella <105030.3700@compuserve.com>
Subject: The Gathering

 Carl Cantarella <105030.3700@compuserve.com> asks:
> I noticed that in Dean Treadway's latest press release he makes
> reference to the "RE-EDITED, RE-SCORED pilot movie 'The
> Gathering' " as being set to premiere in January on the same
> night as "In the Beginning," so I guess it's safe to assume that
> you guys finally got the official go-ahead with that, correct?

      Yes, TNT has approved us to re-edit parts of The Gathering, and
to re-do the music and much of the CGI.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 18 Oct 1997 16:04:03 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Shawn D. Ratner <73753.175@compuserve.com>
Subject: Babylon Project: Crusade

 Shawn D. Ratner <73753.175@compuserve.com> asks:
> Has the situation now changed?
> Is it now a done deal for us seeing the new spinoff series in the
> upcoming future?

      With luck, we hope to have this puppy finally negotiated and a
Real Deal within the next few weeks.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 18 Oct 1997 16:04:04 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: My license plate :-)

{original post had no questions}

      Well, that's great for now, but once the war starts, you're
going to be seen as a sympathizer....

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 19 Oct 1997 22:45:06 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Endgame

{original post unavailable}

"BTW --- I would like to see a female portrayed as an "evil dictator"
once in a while. We've gotten to the point where we can routinely
portray women in power...but we seem to have a problem believing that
somehow they are immune to the same faults that a man in power can
have."

      Ah.

      So...still single, then?

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 19 Oct 1997 22:12:10 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Darkness

{original post unavailable}

      Thanks, and welcome to the party.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 19 Oct 1997 22:12:10 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Brent Barrett <75063.3305@compuserve.com>
Subject: 421/Empire of Light

 Brent Barrett <75063.3305@compuserve.com> asks:
> P.S. Minneapolis?!  :-)

"If this had been it, I would've walked away with a great big smile
and a full heart."

      Exactly..it doesn't *end* the story, as people kept saying, "Oh,
the arc is being finished in year 4," it provides a sense of
*resolution*, which is different altogether, and leaves plenty of room
for other planned stuff.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 20 Oct 1997 23:42:02 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: David Kuhn <73532.741@compuserve.com>
Subject: 421/Empire of Light

 David Kuhn <73532.741@compuserve.com> asks:
> Was anything different done for that cgi scene?

      Thanks...the only really different thing about the shot is the
length of it; usually our shots average 5-8 seconds; that one was about
15 seconds, so you have more time to get used to what you're seeing,
and absorb it, and make it real.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 20 Oct 1997 23:42:02 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Ron Chusid <74756.3150@compuserve.com>
Subject: Endgame Critique

 Ron Chusid <74756.3150@compuserve.com> asks:
> Was he good guy or a bad guy?

      Exactly.  Lefcourt does not think that his job is to set policy
or overthrow presidents.  The military executes orders that emanate
from the head of the government, through the chain of command.  Once
that chain of command was changed, the orders were no longer valid.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 20 Oct 1997 23:42:03 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Soul mates (endgame)

 (blocked) asks:
> Was this by design or accident?

      I think tyrants all tend to have one thing or another in common.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 20 Oct 1997 23:42:00 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: The Gathering

 (blocked) asks:
> Will the re-mastered version of The Gathering be released on
> Video here in Europe ???

"Will the re-mastered version of The Gathering be released on Video
here in Europe ???"

      I've no idea if it'll be released that way anywhere, here
included.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 20 Oct 1997 23:42:01 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: David DeRubeis <75221.2351@compuserve.com>
Subject: Green Mars?

 David DeRubeis <75221.2351@compuserve.com> asks:
> Has Mars been terraformed to the point where the pressure is
> similar to very high altitudes on Earth?

      My feeling is that there's been some small terraforming, which
has helped a little, but there's still a long way to go.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 20 Oct 1997 23:42:01 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Brent Barrett <75063.3305@compuserve.com>
Subject: You know what I want?

 Brent Barrett <75063.3305@compuserve.com> asks:
> It's so trivial in the overall scheme of things, but who the heck
> cares? Is there any chance at all of us seeing, in season five, my
> absolute favorite guest character, Ta'Lon? What the heck has
> happened to the guy?

      I'm considering a way to slip him back in again for a bit....

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 20 Oct 1997 23:42:03 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Craig M. Bobchin <102354.3246@compuserve.com>
Subject: Endgame Question

 Craig M. Bobchin <102354.3246@compuserve.com> asks:
> How then did Marcus manage to get a computer link to B5 to dig up
> the information on the Alien Healing device?

      Because Marcus sent the signal to B5 before the fleet jumped
into hyperspace, leaving Mars, toward Earth.  We in hyperspace for the
result, the search being concluded based on what was downloaded.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 20 Oct 1997 23:42:01 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Ray Pelzer <70475.1263@compuserve.com>
Subject: Comic Book tidbit

{original post had no questions}

      So what's in it?  I can't get to a comics store for a while.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 22 Oct 1997 22:51:10 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Susan <100537.1517@compuserve.com>
Subject: Claudia

 Susan <100537.1517@compuserve.com> asks:
> do you read the files in here?
> Will this never end?
> So what would be the point of bringing Claudia back?
> If Claudia really wanted to stay, why did she demand more money
> for less work then, while everyone else accepted a cutback due to
> the reduced budget (caused by the shift to TNT)? Losing Sinclair
> didn't take away from the show, did it? Don't you think that he
> can create more interesting characters? That the new character
> played by Tracy Scoggins will probably turn out to be equally
> interesting - didn't Sheridan turn out to be a good character? 
> I guess you are a "Babylon 5" fan, aren't you? Or rather a Claudia
> Christian fan?

"If Claudia really wanted to stay, why did she demand more money for
less work then, while everyone else accepted a cutback due to the
reduced budget (caused by the shift to TNT)?"

      One of the annoying tragedies of this whole thing is that the
above misinformation has gotten coin.  Nobody was asked to, or
accepted, a cutback in salary.  Every cast member got their salary
bumps this year.  The ONLY change in that respect is that series
produced for cable operate on a different residuals structure than
network (big residuals) or syndication (medium residuals)...in cable,
the amount an actor receives over double-scale is applied as an advance
against royalties.  Once that advance is burned through, which in the
case of some actors on B5 happens in just a few runs of the show, the
residuals kick in again.

      Thanks again for standing up for the facts.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 22 Oct 1997 22:51:09 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Paul McElligott <70007.3154@compuserve.com>
Subject: Green Mars? <<Endgame>>

{original post had no questions}

      No, there was no change to the gravity...what should we see to
show that the gravity was still less?  Someone like Garibaldi is still
going to weight about 75 pounds, so he's not about to go around
floating or bouncing, that's pretty solid.  I don't see many
13-year-olds walking around like they're on the moon....

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 22 Oct 1997 22:51:10 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Susan <100537.1517@compuserve.com>
Subject: Claudia

 Susan <100537.1517@compuserve.com> asks:
> do you read the files in here?
> Will this never end?
> So what would be the point of bringing Claudia back?
> If Claudia really wanted to stay, why did she demand more money
> for less work then, while everyone else accepted a cutback due to
> the reduced budget (caused by the shift to TNT)? Losing Sinclair
> didn't take away from the show, did it? Don't you think that he
> can create more interesting characters? That the new character
> played by Tracy Scoggins will probably turn out to be equally
> interesting - didn't Sheridan turn out to be a good character? 
> I guess you are a "Babylon 5" fan, aren't you? Or rather a Claudia
> Christian fan?

"If Claudia really wanted to stay, why did she demand more money for
less work then, while everyone else accepted a cutback due to the
reduced budget (caused by the shift to TNT)?"

      One of the annoying tragedies of this whole thing is that the
above misinformation has gotten coin.  Nobody was asked to, or
accepted, a cutback in salary.  Every cast member got their salary
bumps this year.  The ONLY change in that respect is that series
produced for cable operate on a different residuals structure than
network (big residuals) or syndication (medium residuals)...in cable,
the amount an actor receives over double-scale is applied as an advance
against royalties.  Once that advance is burned through, which in the
case of some actors on B5 happens in just a few runs of the show, the
residuals kick in again.

      Thanks again for standing up for the facts.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 22 Oct 1997 22:51:10 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Laurence Moroney <100546.50@compuserve.com>
Subject: JMS: Did I see a Vulcan?

{original post had no questions}

      No, no Trek ears, no Vulcans.  Wrong universe.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 22 Oct 1997 22:51:10 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Engame COmments

{original post unavailable}

"I've been thinking about the rapidity of her return to ISN.  I agree
that there wasn't time to break her out of prison and get her old
dressing room back for the morning news"

      When the Soviet Union fell, and the prison doors were thrown
open, a number of reporters who had fallen out of favor with the Party
and were sitting in cells walked out, went across the street, and went
on the air within a matter of hours.

      Humans are resilient and determined sorts.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 22 Oct 1997 17:59:02 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Carl Cantarella <105030.3700@compuserve.com>
Subject: EndGame

{original post had no questions}

      Thanks for the info...interesting.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 22 Oct 1997 17:59:02 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Martin Toggweiler <74041.2400@compuserve.com>
Subject: Endgame

 Martin Toggweiler <74041.2400@compuserve.com> asks:
> It seemed strange that those coming to arrest Clarke did not have
> to fight through any guards, or were these his once most loyal
> troops who turned on him in the end? Are there many if any scenes
> from season 4 that never made it to TV, but could be edited in
> for release on video? Is this Greenwich Mean Time?
> Geneva Time?

      Yes, EST = GMT.

      And this episode wasn't rushed; it's what you do when you're
bringing any story to its climax.  It's like watching Aliens, going
away before the last 20 minutes, coming back and saying, "Well, it
moved awfully fast."  It has to, you're in the big moment.  No, there
isn't time for everything, there is NEVER time for everything, there's
always stuff we might want to see...but what's in Endgame is what was
always going to be in Endgame.  If I'd known there would be a 5th
season at the time, I still would've written it exactly the way it was
written.

      The collapsing was done for the most part *long* before we ever
got to this part of the season.

      It's just fast because that's what you need to do at this point.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 22 Oct 1997 17:59:02 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Roseann <103510.1542@compuserve.com>
Subject: Rising Star

{original post had no questions}

      Thanks...it's a good resolution to one thread, while setting up
what's still to come.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 22 Oct 1997 17:59:03 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Pam Jernigan <75540.2554@compuserve.com>
Subject: Rising Star

 Pam Jernigan <75540.2554@compuserve.com> asks:
> Was that filmed for this spot, or recycled?
>  Worlds, or LAW... <g>

      No, that's a new shot (Claudia at the window).  She was shot for
that episode for that voice-over...we just changed one line.  The basic
thrust was that she was going to take some time to *decide* whether to
take on B5, or to take on a Warlock class destroyer.  So we just went
with the decision.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 22 Oct 1997 18:13:00 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Claudia

{original post had no questions}

"That's where I'm hopeful...that we can let the studios know our hopes
to see her in any future movies or Crusade.  Encourage other fans to
write, but to pair enthusiasm with courtesy...<G>."

      Two things:

      1) It wasn't the studio's choice in the first place, it's not
like they wanted her gone...she left, so there's not much point in
writing them.

      2) It's not their call in many ways on future projects in ANY
event; they basically let me write whatever I want, so it's my call.

      What the fans need to know...is that by constantly bugging me
about this and haranging me and hassling me about it...they are not
leaving me well disposed toward that prospect.  I have a tendency, when
pushed and generally honked off, to go in the exact opposite direction
of where I'm being pushed.

      Yeah, it's probably stupid and immature, and I should deal with
such hassling better...but I'm human, rumors to the contrary...and in
that respect, writers are like violins...finely tuned and highly
strung.  Don't mess with the strings.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 22 Oct 1997 18:13:00 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: John F Davis <73455.43@compuserve.com>
Subject: Soul mates (endgame)

{original post had no questions}

      You're thinking of "Anthem for the Common Man."

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 23 Oct 1997 22:57:13 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Susan <100537.1517@compuserve.com>
Subject: Claudia

{original post had no questions}

"Sorry got that mixed up...."

      Not your fault.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 23 Oct 1997 22:57:14 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Green Mars? <<Endgame>>

 (blocked) asks:
> Were these things addressed before?

      One thing we've noted is that there's been some minor
terraforming on Mars over the 175 or so years we've been there.  It's
still a hostile climate, but not as bad as it is right now.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 25 Oct 1997 22:57:05 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Green Mars? <<Endgame>>

 (blocked) asks:
> Worth spending 30 seconds on it?
> Isn't artistic license good for anything anymore?
> Did I miss some dialog in past episodes that established him as
> obeying an order to kill civilians? Can you tell us yet what "The
> ascension of the ordinary man" meant to Clarke?

"If you had time to spare in the episode (ho ho), you might have
suggested the different ratio of inertial mass to weight by having
character's feet skid out from under them when stopping, bouncing off
walls while turning corners, overbalancing on turns, or catching things
they had dropped two seconds after dropping them.  Maybe tossing a CGI
grenade."

      Except, of course, this would've looked awfully silly on camera.

      BTW, remember that Number One and Garibaldi, as well as Lyta,
have experience with living on Mars, so they would automatically
compensate.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 25 Oct 1997 22:57:05 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: ATTN: JMS Taken in Vain

{original post unavailable}

      All good points...you may be right (on most of them).

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 26 Oct 1997 01:16:11 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: David DeRubeis <75221.2351@compuserve.com>
Subject: 501: Or is it 422?

 David DeRubeis <75221.2351@compuserve.com> asks:
> Did you catch the dedication at the end?
> Also, did notice that the episode was described as "Sleeping in
> Light" when the satellite feed first came on, before changing at
> the last second to the correct title? Fess up, Joe, where you
> having a bit of fun with us? David

"My personal nit is that JMS has the sun going nova in only a million
years. This seems several orders of magnitude too soon for me."

      Actually, the computer voice specifies that it is continuing to
note atypical solar emissions...atypical meaning something unusual is
going on.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 26 Oct 1997 15:39:05 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Rising Star

{original post unavailable}

"I'd just like to know why this info was important enough to pass
along to the ambassador of minbar... :)"

      Because Lennier is quite familiar with the concept of unrequited
love, and because hope burns eternal.

      Which is probably the most damnable part of unrequited love.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 26 Oct 1997 01:16:11 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: David DeRubeis <75221.2351@compuserve.com>
Subject: 501: Or is it 422?

{original post unavailable}

"My personal nit is that JMS has the sun going nova in only a million
years. This seems several orders of magnitude too soon for me."

      Actually, the computer voice specifies that it is continuing to
note atypical solar emissions...atypical meaning something unusual is
going on.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 26 Oct 1997 15:39:05 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Arthur Stoppe <73710.2014@compuserve.com>
Subject: Endgame

{original post had no questions}

"Well, unless its a coincidence, the "circled doodled message left by
madman after he commits suicide" is VERY similar to what happens in Dr.
Strangelove. Again, maybe its JMS's homage to Kubrick (like the "2001"
style spacesuit that appeared in a second or third season episode, I
forget which, of B5)."

      Just to clarify this....

      Re: the note...the script as written calls only for the finding
of a note with the words "scorched earth" on it.  It was John
Copeland's idea to do the note as shown, and yes, he's said quite
openly over on AOL that it was his nod to Strangelove.  (John directed
that episode.)

      Re: the suit...that wasn't an intentional 2001 nod...we went to
Modern Props to get a space suit for Babylon Squared, and the only one
they had on hand that would work for us was one left-over from 2010,
which I asked the folks in costume to change as much as
possible...though it was pretty much what it was regardless.  So that
one wasn't intentional.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 27 Oct 1997 11:39:07 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Ray Pelzer <70475.1263@compuserve.com>
Subject: GIF arrived

{original post had no questions}

      Yes, it did...thanks...lots of fun.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 27 Oct 1997 11:39:07 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Koslosky <102365.2062@compuserve.com>
Subject: Endgame

 Koslosky <102365.2062@compuserve.com> asks:
> She thoroughly enjoyed it, as did I, but she was baffled by some
> medical questions: IV bags? Garibaldi having his wound sutured?
> Ivanava in a head restraint?
> She couldn't help but ask, if this is 300 years (give or take a
> few) in the future, why do the medical sets look more like 20th
> century medicine than 23rd century? Bob

      Our shipment of medsupplies from the 23rd century hasn't arrived
yet.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 28 Oct 1997 12:51:06 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: The Dark jedi <110014.2055@compuserve.com>
Subject: <Marcus> [spoilers...]

{original post had no questions}

      Thank you...it was hard doing that to the character, but it was
the only way to handle the situation with any integrity and honesty. 
Very hard to write.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 28 Oct 1997 12:51:05 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: B5 Con in Pasadena, CA

{original post unavailable}

      Last I heard, as of last week, yeah, he was going.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 28 Oct 1997 22:42:01 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Brent Barrett <75063.3305@compuserve.com>
Subject: 421: Structure

 Brent Barrett <75063.3305@compuserve.com> asks:
> Would it be at all possible for you to help clarify the structure
> of the new Alliance for us? Or is this something that will be made
> clear in the series?

      The Rangers are independent in authority, answering only to
Delenn and Sheridan and the members of the Alliance council and
advisory board.  (In roughly descending order.)  But their jurisdiction
is exclusively in interplanetary situations between various member
races.  Each member race has the sovereign authority to govern its
people in its own way.

      The closest comparison is that overall, the states are free to
enact their own laws, but the US Government has sole claim over
international matters.  Except here the states would have far more
autonomy than is currently the rule; more like pre-Civil War America.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 28 Oct 1997 22:42:02 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Will Caraway <73671.2434@compuserve.com>
Subject: >> Rising Star End <<

 Will Caraway <73671.2434@compuserve.com> asks:
> If you had known that a fifth season was coming would you have
> done Delenn's speech differently, and if so how?

      I don't know if I would've done hre speech differently or not,
to be honest...knowing it now, I'm not sure how I'd improve it.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 28 Oct 1997 22:42:02 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Will Caraway <73671.2434@compuserve.com>
Subject: >> John and Delenn <<

 Will Caraway <73671.2434@compuserve.com> asks:
> Anyway after watching, John and Delenn in bed my wife looks over
> at me and asks "Do you suppose that her side of the bed raises up
> since she doesn't like to sleep lying down?"

      They will alternate, as you'll see soon....

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 28 Oct 1997 22:42:02 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Brent Barrett <75063.3305@compuserve.com>
Subject: 421: Garibaldi

 Brent Barrett <75063.3305@compuserve.com> asks:
> Quick question: Are Garibaldi and Lise now married?
> What's the scoop?
>  -- Brent

      No, they're not yet married.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 29 Oct 1997 14:03:09 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Luchenko returns?

{original post unavailable}

      Would love to use her again.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 29 Oct 1997 22:51:06 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Last episode #

{original post unavailable}

      It's officially tagged as 422.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 29 Oct 1997 22:51:07 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Kirk Darling <73063.3115@compuserve.com>
Subject: Rising Star

 Kirk Darling <73063.3115@compuserve.com> asks:
> How long do Minbari live?
> Does Lennier have a chance after Sheridan's time runs out?

      Minbari can live to about 120, with some rare exceptions going
beyond that.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 29 Oct 1997 22:51:06 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Gathering re-edit?

{original post unavailable}

"What was wrong with the original?"

      I was new at exec producing, and deferred 'way too much to the
director, whose cut was, frankly, slow and left all the best character
moments on the cutting room floor.  We lost 14 minutes of good stuff,
which is now going to go back and we're going to tighten and make it
better, the way we do our cuts on all the episodes.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 29 Oct 1997 22:51:07 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Gardner L. Harris <76657.3333@compuserve.com>
Subject: ATTN: JMS Taken in Vain

 Gardner L. Harris <76657.3333@compuserve.com> asks:
> Is the SF R/T there still running and are you still as active as
> you used to be or either CIS or AOL more or less your "homeports"
> now?

      I'm still kind of everywhere...and they've got much faster
access over at GEnie now.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 29 Oct 1997 22:51:07 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Roseann <103510.1542@compuserve.com>
Subject: Another conversion

 Roseann <103510.1542@compuserve.com> asks:
> Roseann "Does the noise in my head bother you?"

      Thanks...that's how it happens, one by one by word of mouth....

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 29 Oct 1997 22:51:08 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Jonathan Kass <74130.443@compuserve.com>
Subject: <Rising Star> Bravo

{original post had no questions}

      Thanks...and from our current position, 12 scripts (and 9 shot
so far) into S5, I think you're going to be pleased at what's coming.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 30 Oct 1997 00:34:07 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Rebecca Eschliman <76072.2345@compuserve.com>
Subject: Babylonian Model/Movie

 Rebecca Eschliman <76072.2345@compuserve.com> asks:
> Should you get the go-ahead (under acceptable terms to you) to do
> a B5 feature film, would you be able to do it at the current
> Babylonian facilities, or would the scope of such a project force
> you to relocate? And, as a corollary, would you be able to apply
> the "Babylonian model" of efficient production to a feature film,
> or does it best serve the interlocking demands of a TV series?

"Should you get the go-ahead (under acceptable terms to you) to do a
B5 feature film, would you be able to do it at the current Babylonian
facilities, or would the scope of such a project force you to
relocate?"

      We'd do a lot of the indoors stuff here, to take advantage of
standing sets for some of it, but for other parts we'd have to go on
location and other stuff.

"And, as a corollary, would you be able to apply the "Babylonian
model" of efficient production to a feature film, or does it best serve
the interlocking demands of a TV series?"

      Yes, but in different ways.  For instance, the CGI is not
rendered at a level greater than can be handled by TV screens
(including HDTV) because it's a waste, you'll never see the
difference...but for a feature you'd have to render at a higher
resolution.  So there's a lot that would apply, and some that wouldn't.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 30 Oct 1997 00:34:07 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Ron Chusid <74756.3150@compuserve.com>
Subject: Rising Star

 Ron Chusid <74756.3150@compuserve.com> asks:
>  thinking her character wasn't expendable.

"I wonder if, knowing she was to in command of B5 for the 5th season,
made her overconfident in negotiations, thinking her character wasn't
expendable."

      jms hums quietly to himself, looking around the room, saying
nothing

                                                                  jms

------------------------------



Date: 30 Oct 1997 10:54:07 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Steven K. Andeweg <72143.674@compuserve.com>
Subject: Endgame

 Steven K. Andeweg <72143.674@compuserve.com> asks:
> When you started the computer program that ran the CGI for that
> episode, just exactly how many homeowners in southern California
> lost power? I mean, the Agamemnon coming through that flaming
> explosion?

      Thanks...a hideous amount of rendering power and time went into
that episode, and the result is all there on-screen.  The only bigger
CGI feast is in the prequel, which is approximately 21% EFX, most of it
pure CGI and composites.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 30 Oct 1997 10:54:07 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Jonathan Kass <74130.443@compuserve.com>
Subject: <Rising Star> Ivanova VO

 Jonathan Kass <74130.443@compuserve.com> asks:
> Christian?

      Does kinda resonate, doesn't it?

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 30 Oct 1997 21:21:14 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Randy <75464.1275@compuserve.com>
Subject: The Last ep (wow)

 Randy <75464.1275@compuserve.com> asks:
> How can this story ever end??

      And of course we had those who wondered what else there would be
to fill in a fifth year...not understanding that I have this story
worked out in at least broad strokes for the next 1,000 years....

"How can this story ever end??"

      The story never ends.  It's this part of the telling that will
end.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 30 Oct 1997 22:02:04 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: (blocked)
Subject: Gathering re-edit?

{original post unavailable}

      Basically, it's new scenes with the characters, new CGI in many
places, and new music.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 30 Oct 1997 22:02:05 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Schmulenson <72447.224@compuserve.com>
Subject: <Rising Star> Bravo

 Schmulenson <72447.224@compuserve.com> asks:
> In the pilot and the first few eposides you say that Sinclair is
> the last commander of Babylon 5- I find that very confusing??? Do
> you plan to bring him back for another eposode?
>  Spinoza too) I haven't had this much fun with a series for a
> long, long time.

      Actually, Sinclair is never specified by name as the last
commander.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 30 Oct 1997 22:02:04 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Roseann <103510.1542@compuserve.com>
Subject: to nitpick or not

 Roseann <103510.1542@compuserve.com> asks:
> Why should I tell you how to do yours?

      Thanks....

      I think a lot of the nitpicking comes out of people feeling they
*have* to express an opinion about something.  It's something you learn
as a writer; if somebody goes into a bookstore and buys a book, they
bring it home, read it, and if they like it, they like it; if they
don't, they don't, and that's really kind of it, just the broad
strokes.  If you write a book and give it to a friend, the friend will
feel s/he has to go through it and give you critical responses..."I
just didn't buy it when John bought the vanila ice cream cone on page
47, a guy like that would buy chocolate."

      Once the creation of the show is over, I think that it'll fall
back into the general reaction category.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------



Date: 31 Oct 1997 11:42:05 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Deonaha M. Conlin <102531.2627@compuserve.com>
Subject: Deconstruction

 Deonaha M. Conlin <102531.2627@compuserve.com> asks:
> Just how much of it has been altered or edited to satisfy the
> sensibilities or agendas of a given time? How will Watergate look
> in 2072? How did WWII *really* look?
> And again - how much of what we read in the news has been altered
> or spun by the authors, their papers or networks, etc.? Di Conlin,
> Wielder of the Lesser Salmon of Discipline, TUS (AKA Tigger)
> Great Maker, huh?

      The interesting thing about revisionism is, as you say, that so
much of it goes on already.  John Copeland over lunch the other day was
outraged over a situation where new Japanese textbooks are being
introduced indicating that the rape of Nanking never happened, and that
the bombing of Pearl Harbor was in retaliation for Hiroshima.

      I'm constantly amazed....

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 31 Oct 1997 11:42:06 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Pam Jernigan <75540.2554@compuserve.com>
Subject: Deconstruction

 Pam Jernigan <75540.2554@compuserve.com> asks:
> 2262 (ISN NightSide): Was it just my imagination, or did the
> Paris speechwriter seem an awful lot like James Carville? Wonder
> why Delenn lives so long, considering that Minbari live to 120,
> tops, and humans live less than that? 2762 (propaganda holograms):
> My, we humans don't improve with age, do we? he doesn't know his
> own history, does he? I noticed the little roman numerals that
> kept appearing in the lower left hand corner of the screen - I'm
> guessing they referred to cameras? Part of the automatic tracking
> system that Brother Alwin mentioned? More clues here, too: "the
> blessed Sheridan, who lived and died and lived again and who was
> taken bodily into heaven"? "Marcus the Purehearted," anyone?
> I wonder if the Rangers are all recruited on Earth, or if a lot
> of them come from the old colonies? So, humans are now energy
> beings, with encounter suits? PJ ^^^^

      Good comments.  One note:

"The credits were interesting.  Claudia Christian has been almost
completely excised from them, which, considering that Jason Carter
still has a credit, seems kinda petty."

      WB called us after we'd done the credits for that episode, about
5 days before the uplink, after realizing that if her credits were in
that episode, AND in "Sleeping in Light" which appears in S5, that it
could very possibly trigger another salary payment, which is
substantial.  So we could credit her in one or the other, and since she
wasn't in DoFS, it's S5, that was the one to take out.  Since Jason
wasn't in "Sleeping," it was okay to leave him in.

      It was a WB mandate from business affairs, nothing more.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 31 Oct 1997 11:58:09 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Terry C <70313.1103@compuserve.com>
Subject: Babylonian Model/Movie

 Terry C <70313.1103@compuserve.com> asks:
> So, what are the chances of a feature film?

      There have been talks, but we'll have to see what happens.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 31 Oct 1997 11:58:10 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Randy <75464.1275@compuserve.com>
Subject: The Last ep (wow)

{original post had no questions}

      Thanks.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 31 Oct 1997 11:58:09 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: T.P.Chai <104674.3064@compuserve.com>
Subject: the "old" Anna

 T.P.Chai <104674.3064@compuserve.com> asks:
> Have/Will/Can you change that?

      It's one of those things we'll do when we get enough round
tuits.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 31 Oct 1997 12:09:01 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: Jonathan Kass <74130.443@compuserve.com>
Subject: Rising Star

{original post had no questions}

"it came down to contractual language vs personal assurances (thats as
short a summation as I've ever seen of this :) )... and CC  / agent
were more concerned with the former, and jms thought the latter should
be adequate"

      It was also contractual language on other sides, since giving
what was asked for would've violated our contracts with every other
member of our cast, and we couldn't do that.

                                                                  jms

------------------------------

Date: 31 Oct 1997 12:09:01 -0700
From: J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com>
To: All 
Subject: New B5 Logo on Ace Awds

{original post unavailable}

      For those planning to watch the Cable Ace Awards this
weekend...be on the lookout, there's going to be a clip from B5 (with a
twist at the end) which will lead off with a new B5 logo which we're
introducing for the fifth season.

                                                                  jms


------------------------------