lurkers-guide/ftp/CompuServe/jms-95-12-02

The following is a transcript of a formal conference with J. Michael Straczynski
held on December 2, 1995 in the Compuserve Convention Center sponsored by
the Science Fiction & Fantasy Media 1 Forum (GO SFMEDONE).

      ************************************************************   

SysOp Lee W: % Moderation of this conference has begun
SysOp Lee W: % Your moderator is [76044,502] SysOp Lee W
SysOp Lee W: % The floor is now CLOSED
SysOp Lee W: % Moderator recognizes [71016,1644] jms
SysOp Lee W: % Recognized [71016,1644] jms

jms: Good afternoon one and all.
Sysop Mike Willmoth: Welcome, Joe!
SysOp Adrienne Chafee: Welcome, Joe!

SysOp Lee W: Welcome to the Babylon 5 conference, featuring J. Michael
SysOp Lee W: Straczynski, creator of the popular syndicated show
SysOp Lee W: "Babylon 5".  This conference is hosted by the Science
SysOp Lee W: Fiction & Fantasy Media 1 Forum (GO SFMEDONE).
SysOp Lee W: This is a moderated conference, so questions will be taken
SysOp Lee W: into the question queue and selected by the moderator.
SysOp Lee W: In ASCII, enter "/Question" to enter a question into the queue.
SysOp Lee W: in WINCIM, click the "Ask ?" box.

jms: Good to be here.  Good to be anywhere.  Heck, just good to be had.
jms: Good to be.
jms: (my standards are dropping fast)

SysOp Lee W: Alright Joe, I'm going to start the questions flowing unless you have anything you'd like to say first.

jms: Never eat anything bigger than your head.  And a fool and his money were
jms: lucky to get together in the first place.  
jms: That's all the wisdom I have.

SysOp Lee W: OK, I'l start with the questions waiting in the queue.
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Richard D. Bardini asks: Will Sinclair be back and will M O'Hare still play him?
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jms: (I'd ask people not to SENd me messsages here privately; I've got a lot of 
jms: them on my screen now; ask publicly if you can, please.)
jms: Lee, is the question from Richard on my screen in public view to be answered

SysOp Lee W: Since this is a moderated conference, I will be processing questions through the message queue
SysOp Lee W: Yes, the one from Richard is the first one.
SysOp Lee W: Joe is on using ASCII, I believe, so please don't send him any private messages.

jms: Okay...the answer is yes, Sinclair will return, in a two parter that will
jms: be produced as 16/17 this season, and he will be played by Michael O'Hare.
jms: He will be returning to B5 as Head of the Rangers on a mission involving
jms: Babylon 4.  And that's all I can say for now.  ga

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Mitchell A.Kaplan asks: I understand that the plots have all been essentially written, what about the change to Sheriden, was that anticipated at the beginning of the series
------------------------------------------------------------

jms: There seems to be this notion in SF TV that you can't change characters
jms: once you're into it.  This worked best for the story.  Characters have
jms: to be free to grow and change and be replaced, if necessary.  That adds
jms: a certain level of jeapordy.
jms: To answer now more specifically....
jms: The change wasn't specified *in* the outline, but came *out* of the outline
jms: (any writers in the audience know that an outline rarely survives contact
jms: with the finished product, the script or the novel....
jms: What I found in year two was that Sinclair was left off on his own a lot,
jms: holding everyone else's bags, because his ties were all to the Minbari,
jms: and I needed someone with a personal tie to the Shadows.  That was
jms: Sheridan.  To give that to Sinclair would be stretching credulity to the
jms: breaking point, I thought.  (Not finished here yet.)
jms: So by moving him off the chessboard, and bringing in Sheridan, I was able
jms: to do more with the storyline, and faster.  Life is change.  People complain
jms: when Riker doesn't change position for 7 years, well, characters change 
jms: here.
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Adam D asks: I wondered what is going on with peripheral merchandising for the show?  Will there be other CDs, games, etc.?
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jms: Now, to the merchandising question....
jms: There will be a few other things here and there, I'm mainly dragging my
jms: feet on merchandising, 'cause I've seen situations where the tail begins
jms: wagging the dog.  We'll do a few things, the screensaver, the books, the
jms: comic will return for 12 more issues....
jms: We're looking to do a cdrom of the show, and some other items of interest
jms: to collectors, some of which we hope to do through the B5 fan club, which
jms: will entail products made by the same people who make our props, so they
jms: will be 100% identical and authentic to what's in the show.  But....
jms: I really, really don't want this to become a franchise, a cash cow; I'm
jms: here to tell a story.   Now, to what writers influenced me...

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JamesC asks: Which science fiction authors have influenced you the most? Who are your favorites?
------------------------------------------------------------

jms: I'd say: Bradbury, Corwin, Serling, Ellison, Lovecraft, Dunsany, 
jms: Bloch, Eric Frank Russel, Tolkein...oh heck, just forgot the name of the
jms: woman who wrote The Haunting of Hill House....those are the biggies.
jms: GA
jms: Shirley Jackson.

------------------------------------------------------------
Rage & Tate asks: If G'Kar was involved in the last war against the Centauri, and that was
about 100 years ago, how *old* is G'Kar?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: The war wasn't 100 years ago; the Centauri were *there* for 100 years.  
jms: The resistance finally kicked the Centauri off homeworld about 40 years
jms: ago.  G'Kar is about 70-80 years old, which is young in Narn terms, given
jms: that they live to about 200 in many cases.
jms: ga

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Mark V. Urda asks: Will we ever get tp see the Vorlon Homeworld?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: But of course.
jms: This season you'll see Minbar, up close and personal.  The Vorlons will be
jms: a bit later.

------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Pruett asks: You've said before that you built "trap doors" into the story for all the characters. The Talia Winters/Sleeper Agent sub-plot seems like it could have been used as a generic "trap door" for any of the characters.  Any connection?
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Marshall asks: Was the exit of the Talia character planned?  It seemed you where building her up into an important person (her gift from Ironheart ect..).
------------------------------------------------------------

jms: No, I don't think the trap door there really would've worked as well; the
jms: whole operation was tightly Psi Corps, and we established in the comic that
jms: she was seen on Mars in a processing center of some kind...no, that one
jms: was set really for her.
jms: Quite correct, I was setting her up that way.  Why, does everything that's
jms: set up have to actually work out?  We have great hopes during any war that 
jms: this thing or that thing will work, but often they don't.  We're used to
jms: the TV convention that everything our heroes plan will work.  Here, that
jms: ain't always the case.  I wanted to knock the pins out of people a little.

------------------------------------------------------------
Magelone asks: Will we see Dwight Schultz again?
------------------------------------------------------------

jms: No immediate plans for Dwight, but if I come up with a good story for him,
jms: I'd love to do it.
jms: ga
------------------------------------------------------------
Larry Rosenblum asks: Joe, recently you said that a twist in the story later this season "surprised you".  How did that happen?  Who is in charge here?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Kosh.
jms: I dunno, it's just something that happens with writers....
jms: you're going along at a reasonable pace, everyone's doing what they're
jms: expected to do, then suddenly one of them sits up and says HEY! LOOK
jms: HERE, BUSTER, and you have to fall in line, because they're LIVING there,
jms: you're just writing about it.....
jms: which is why I've always built room into the outline for variations and
jms: changes, so it's fluid and can adapt.  Suffice to say it startled the 
jms: hell outta me and everyone else I've shown the script to.
jms: ga
------------------------------------------------------------
Gimli t. Dwarf asks: How much of the history did you plan? Further than the Minbari war? Back to our time?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: I've got a rough timeline that extends back to the year 2000, but as far as
jms: a detailed history, it's for the 20-30 years prior to 2256, and the 20 years
jms: after the events chronicled in B5.  The Minbari war is pretty detailed,
jms: the story of the last few shadow wars...that's pretty thorough. 
jms: ga
------------------------------------------------------------
JohnE Johnson asks: What is Harlan's involvement?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Whatever Harlan wants.  He is free to wander into any department he so
jms: desires and make suggestions.  He suggested the Ombuds, he added to the
jms: first season narration, did the voice over at the credits for year two
jms: (most of it), and has a big voice-over part in an upcoming episode called
jms: "Ceremonies of Light and Dark."
jms: ga
------------------------------------------------------------
Ian Plowman asks: JMS: Recent stories have been appearing on the internet about Stephen Furst leaving B5, can you clarify this.
------------------------------------------------------------
Douglas S asks: Will we be seeing Steven Furst (Vir) as seldom as we now see Michael O'Hare
(Sinclair)?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Stephen got a lead in "Misery Loves Company," so we freed up his schedule
jms: (which we didn't have to do, we had first call on his services) to give him
jms: a chance to be a lead in a series; he did that, and the series went away;
jms: he just did a 2-part Chicago Hope, he is NOT joining that show; the piece
jms: in TV Guide is poorly worded.  We've used Stephen in...
jms: about 5-6 episodes so far this season, and he's got a *huge* role in an
jms: upcoming script which we begin shooting next week, "Sic Transit Vir."
jms: ga

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Orb asks: How many of the next block of episodes are 'serious arc' episodes?
The last block was light...
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Yeah, I'd intended to end with "Voices of Authority," which is a HUGE arc
jms: episode this week, but the EFX weren't ready yet (huge requirements), so we
jms: put "Passing" in its place.  Of the next batch, we've got....
jms: "Voices" (big), "Exogenesis" (stand alone, mainly, some threads); "Dust to
jms: Dust" (an arc episode disguised as a non-arc episode), then three of the
jms: biggest arc shows of the series to date, which change the whole show: 
jms: "Messages From Earth," "Point of No Return," then "Severed Dreams."
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Jason Montgomery asks: Does the change in the B5 opening music for this year supposed to give us a feeling of impending doom?  We know that the standard B5 theme has been replaced with the music from the Battle of the Line, so does this mean anything?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: It's certainly intended to give a more serious, threatening, but heroic
jms: mood, yes.  Things are getting Just A Little Nuts this year in the
jms: storyline, and that particular music is emblematic of sacrifice, struggle
jms: and change.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Walter G. Tarrow asks: How does Delenn know she's a/the Chosen One?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: She knows the full prophecy.  She has looked around at the world, at how
jms: the prophecy seems to be coming true around her, and if this person in the
jms: center of it all is a Chosen One, and she is that person, then quid pro quo,
jms: she is a Chosen One.  Others, natch, don't believe her.  Never do.
jms: ga

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Randy L. asks: Lando seems to have gotten himself in DEEP doo-doo. Will he ever be able to get his reputation back, or will he eventually be written out of the series?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: No, Londo is planned to be present in the B5 storyline for the full five
jms: years, so he won't be written out.  Will he get his reputation back?  Hmmm.
jms: Depends on how you define "reputation."  Can he be redeemed?  It's possible,
jms: but the deeper he goes, the greater the price that will have to be paid for
jms: redemption.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Joe M. asks: Is there any significance to the naming of Earth Force ships after characters in Greek tragedies?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Here and there, yes.  I like playing games with ship names, giving subtle
jms: little undercurrents and hints to those hip enough to pick up on them; we
jms: have a character who causes trouble in "Voices" leaving on the transport
jms: Loki...god of mischief...but yes, there's often significance there, to
jms: varying degrees. 
jms: ga (give me 2 mins to go grab a pepsi real fast...zoom)
SysOp Lee W: OK, while joe is getting his Pepsi....
jms: ok, back, ga
SysOp Dupa: <Hey! No Product Placement in B5!>
SysOp Adrienne Chafee: <grin>
Sysop Mike Willmoth: <chickle>
Sysop Mike Willmoth: <chuckle>
SysOp Lee W: We've got quite a few messages in the queue.  I'll try to get through most of them and then open it for some more.
jms: back

SysOp Lee W: OK, One quick one from me, what is the status on the fan club?
jms: We've been fighting WB to get it approved for almost *two years* 'cause
jms: they felt there wouldn't be any interest.  (Sound effect: gun to own head
jms: going BANG)  We *finally* got the final paperwork in this week, so we hope
jms: to have this finalized in the next week or so.
jms: ga
SysOp Adrienne Chafee: Great news!

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Lee A. Phebus asks: I truely enjoy the series, particularly the discrete references to the old "Prisoner" series...be seeing you!    Are these your idea...do you understand the implications?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: I've only done a couple, actually; others have interpreted a few things
jms: that aren't nods.  But yes, I did a couple of them, including "be seeing
jms: you," as a fan of that show, and to again add an undercurrent of
jms: understanding to those who Get It.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Sysop Mike Willmoth asks: Joe, what hardware and software do you use to access the online services and the net?  With the new technology you use on the show, I was curious what you use yourself.  Thanx.
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: I'm an old timer around here; I've been online, first with CIS, since
jms: about 1984.  You get into habits.  So I use Smartcom for most stuff, like
jms: GEnie and a few others, Smartcom alternating with Tapcis here for CIS, and
jms: natch the supplied software for AOL.  
jms: ga
jms: Oh, hardware is a Courier v.Everything.

------------------------------------------------------------
Julia asks: Joe: Is Theo really as complicated as he's beginning to appear? One minute he is a fairly patient holy man and then he seems somewhat creepy. Or am I mistaking his beliefs for something else?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: I don't think there's anything creepy in Theo, he is very sincere in his
jms: beliefs.  The "seems" is subjective; certainly isn't intended.
jms: ga
jms: (We've gotta have ONE certifiable good guy in the mix.)

------------------------------------------------------------
Mara K. Malovany asks: Do you have anymore light-bulb jokes or other B5 humor you can share with us?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: god i hope not
jms: ga
jms: (the other B5 humor is unrepeatable)  

------------------------------------------------------------
Herb/Carol Mattord asks: I have the mass market Franke CD and enjoy it very much.  Will there be later versions released to incorporate new music from after the second season?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: To the second question, I've spoken to Chris, and he'd love to do another
jms: CD.  We'll have to see.  (And hi, Mara, just saw it was you.)
jms: ga

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Catherine Jones asks: Did you get an increased budget for B5's third season, and if so, how did you choose to spend the extra money?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: We got about a 3% increase in our budget, which was swiftly consumed by
jms: improvements in sets, costumes, standard actor/crew salary increases.
jms: We're a lean operation.
jms: ga
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Karl Antle asks: What was your inspiration to create Babylon 5?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Define inspiration.

SysOp Lee W: I'll need to recognize Karl for that, hold on. Here's another question while I do that.
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Convention asks: I want to know, if technical information abot Bab5 will be available in Germany
I also want to know if the will be a roleplaying game abot Bab5
I've read there will be Bab 5 after the first 5 seasons
is this true?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: If by tech info you mean a technical manual, no, nothing's planned for now
jms: in the US or overseas.  There are discussions about an RPG, but so far
jms: nothing's concluded that I know of.  Doug would love to do a side story or
jms: spinoff after the 5 years of B5, which has always been available, but I 
jms: doubt if it'd happen.

Karl Antle: Where did you come up with the idea for Bab5?
jms: Karl: it ain't an easy answer.  It came from knowing history, and modeling
jms: this after ancient Babylon; from wanting to do a Saga for TV; from feeling
jms: that so many TV SF shows are out of control financially; from wanting to do
jms: an SF show that would respect the intelligence of fans....
jms: I knew that the best series set up places where the stories come to you,
jms: in a police station or a hospital or a law office, and decided in an SF
jms: environment a space station would work well for that...added the backdrop
jms: of myth and archetype, constructed a Hero's Journey, and took it from 
jms: there.
jms: ga

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Kadota asks: It seems that Sheridan and Delenn are on their way to some sort of romantic entanglements.  Is that part of why Delenn became more human?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: That's about 50% of the reason.  The other reason will be revealed later
jms: this season.  
jms: ga

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STEVE MARQUIS asks: What exactly happened to the Shawdow ship chasing the White Star when the jump gate blew in "Matters of Honor"?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Blowed up real good.'
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Andrew Lunt asks: What are your thoughts on making Babylon 5 movies should the TV stations kill the show before the end of its natural life?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: I can't even allow the thought that we won't get the full 5 years without
jms: my head exploding...this series has been an act of sheer will.  The only way
jms: it will get finished is if I decide it *will*, period...so the question is
jms: one I really can't consider.  (Doug also wants to do a movie...but then Doug
jms: wants to conquer Latvia, so go figure.)
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Randy Petersen asks: Would you like to comment on your resignation from the rastb5 Usenet newsgroup, and on what conditions would need to be met to allow you to return to an active role on Usenet?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: There is, in my mind, a difference between critical, negative opinions,
jms: which are fine, and outright personal attacks, defamation of character,
jms: libel, fraud, deception, and outright lies.  I exposed myself to that for
jms: a year and a half, thanks to a few disturbed, dysfunctional individuals,
jms: and finally couldn't stand it any longer.  If there....
jms: were a moderated newsgroup that allowed for free discussion but prevented
jms: the psychopathic abuse of others, the net stalking we've seen in usenet,
jms: the personal attacks and villification, then I'd be there in a hot minute. 
jms: But for now, with the rules of the group as they currently stand...
jms: If these individuals are there, I won't be there.  I refuse to tolerate
jms: that kind of behavior any longer, and there's no reason on earth why I
jms: should, or why the group itself should tolerate being taken hostage by a
jms: disturbed few individuals and having the place become toxic.  That, for me,
jms: is the bottom line.  
jms: ga

SysOp Lee W: Spoiler Warning on this next question!
------------------------------------------------------------
Charles Keith-Stanley asks: What *were* Kosh and Lyta doing at the tag to PtG?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Good question.
jms: ga
SysOp Dupa: <I hate it when he does that>
Sysop Mike Willmoth: <good>

------------------------------------------------------------
Phoenix Polymorph asks: How much of the story are you writing, and how much is writing itself?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Well, I'm writing it in one way or another, there's nobody else behind the
jms: keyboard...but in terms of the story taking control of itself, I'd say it's
jms: about 70% to 80% what I'd planned starting back in 1986/7, and the rest is
jms: coming out of the story as you actually write it, and the characters begin
jms: talking back to you....
jms: Writing is a *living* process, once you get into the work, it ALWAYS
jms: surprises you; if it doesn't, you're not doing your job right.  You can't
jms: ever predict everything that happens.  A general can plan his strategy to
jms: the nth detail, but that strategy rarely survives contact with the enemy.  
jms: Same here.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Kevin F asks: Joe, first let me congratulate you on the best show on TV! My question - How much of the plot arc do you let the actors in on? 
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Only as much as is required for a scene.  We shot the year 1 cliffhanger
jms: 1/2way through year 1; to make it make sense, I had to explain what had
jms: happened in between (in scripts not yet written), and what was going to
jms: happen down the road several years for "Coming of Shadows."  Most of them
jms: really don't want to know the details...
jms: because then they end up playing the *result* rather than the *process*.
jms: ga

SysOp Lee W: Couple of related questions here....
------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Kirk asks: How much of an influence was Tolkien in the germination of the B5 story?
------------------------------------------------------------
Anne and Scott Cald asks: Is Babylon 5 supposed to be a parallel world to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: None, really, except that it was one of many sagas that I loved.  There is
jms: no 1-1 corrolation.  No.  Why should I want to do that, instead of telling
jms: my own story?  He and I used the same tools in our writing; archetypes and
jms: mythic structure, and the hero's journey, so some tools are reflected, as in
jms: sagas going back to the Illiad and the Odyssey and Sir Gawain....
jms: and Camelot and endless other mythic stories.  You're mistaking *tools* for
jms: *story*, two different things.  I constantly get mail from people saying, '
jms: "Oh, you're doing WW II, or you're doing ancient Babylon, or you're doing
jms: Kennedy, or Camelot,"  and they're all sure they're correct, and they all
jms: find evidence...but they can't be all correct, and they're not....
jms: you tend to see whichever Big Mythic Story you're most familiar with.  
jms: And that's the extent of it.
jms: ga

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JohnE Johnson asks: Are all those fantastic outside shots still produced on personal computers?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: On Dos machines now, yes.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Dawn M. Swingle asks: Will there be more B5 magazines, Quarterly or otherwise?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: We hope so, haven't heard a final determination that.
jms: ga
jms: (btw, dupa, how long is this scheduled for, just curious.)
SysOp Dupa: JMS - ask Lee

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Jim Marshall asks: In the opening of the show you show several scenes, most of which are from season 2, a couple from season 3, and one that I can't place.  It shows a starfury blowinf away another starfury.  When will this happen?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Sooner than you might expect.
jms: ga

SysOp Lee W: Joe, however long you want to go.  If needed, I can compile the remaining questions and have you answer them at your leisure.
jms: is 3:30 (my time) a reasonable end point?  
jms: don't want to leave folks hanging if can be avoided
SysOp Lee W: That should work.
jms: ok....NEXT?

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Simon Bagshaw asks: I read somewhere that Londo will later be redeamed in his own private arc. Will Morden have his own happy ending/redemption?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Not if I have anything to say about it.  (And I do.)  The character deserves
jms: what's coming to him.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Jerry G. Anning asks: What do you plan to do after the B5 story runs its course?  Continue it?  Independent material in the same world?  Unrelated SF?  Something completely different?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: If B5 runs its full 5 years, barring a side-story/spinoff (highly unlikely),
jms: the plan is to retire from TV and go back to writing novels and plays.  
jms: Maybe move to England and teach on the side.
jms: ga

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Mike DeSisto asks: Will we ever have a chance to see the pilot show again? 
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: In the fullness of time, yes.  I'm sure it'll end up in the TNG syndie
jms: package with the rest of the series beginning in 1998.
jms: ga
jms: ER, TNT, not TNG.  (urk)

------------------------------------------------------------
Preston Anderson asks: I missed the entire first season and haven't seen a single episode.  I was in the Orient. Is there anywhere to get copies of the episodes. 
thanks...
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Not currently, no; WB doesn't think anyone wants to buy them, so we're
jms: investigating the possibility of doing it ourselves.
jms: ga

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Mark P. asks: You referred to a "throw away" statement about "souls" in the beginning of year three.  Was the statement by Lennier regarding Valen being Minbari but not being born of Minbari this statement?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Who can say?
jms: ga

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Ambard asks: Will the spiritual significance of the Vorlon to the religions of the universe be explored more?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Most definitely. 
jms: ga

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Brett Sherris asks: You state that you've had a hard time getting WB to approve the fan club.  How come WB is so unaware of the shows popularity?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Studio execs often come from different, non-mammalian evolutionary chains;
jms: I think squid rather than fish came onto land and evolved, mutated, and
jms: began running networks and studios and have kept this fact from us.  I 
jms: dunno, Brett, I wish I had a clue.  I've considered shipping 'em all off to
jms: Lourdes to see if it'd help.
jms: ga

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Drew Stephens asks: When will we be seeing Kosh out of his "suit" again?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Very very definitely.  And maybe other vorlons....
jms: ga

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Trev asks: JMS, will we see the creature/ship from Mind War, at Sigma 957 ever again. Is it one of the 'first'? 
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: You will see this ship again, yes, and soon.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Pruett asks: You've said that around mid-third-season, a lot of what we know about the current characters and situations gets turned on its head.  Could you give us a bit more of a hint, or point to scenes we've already seen that may have more meanin

g than we thought?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Hmm...well, there's a reason "Hunter/Prey" was chosen out of the rerun 
jms: block to precede the new episodes.  So watch it to re-acquaint yourself
jms: with some of the plot elements that are going to resurface swiftly in the
jms: next batch of eps.  Suffice to say that we've been setting up a lot of
jms: growing conflict between B5 and the EA, and that sooner or later....
jms: SOMETHING has to be done about this, something has to give, and that will
jms: happen, in a big way...and when the dust has settled, it aint' the same
jms: show no more.
jms: ga

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Freedom asks: Will there be more women representing other worlds in B5? There seems to be a galaxy wide theme that puts women in an inferior role.  Thanks for a great show.
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Yes, and we have a female political officer arriving in the next new
jms: episode, who's quite intersting.  I love strong female characters like
jms: Ivanova and Lyta and Delenn and others, so they'll continue to be there.
jms: ga

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Toni asks: All your characters are quite deep and complex - lots of shades of grey! Do you base your characters on people you know?
------------------------------------------------------------
Wendy Sarrett asks: How much of your inspriation for the characters is based on people you've known??? BTW - absolutely LOVE the show!!!!!!!
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Not really; often I slice off parts of my own character (what there is of
jms: it) and invest it into all of my characters.  There's a lot of me in
jms: Ivanova, Delenn, G'Kar, and the others.  
jms: ga

SysOp Lee W: Some Kosh related questions for which we may get Kosh-like answers.
------------------------------------------------------------
Gayle Yetter asks: Can you tell us any more about Kosh's ship? We know it's alive, but will we ever see inside it?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Yes, but distantly.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Phoenix Polymorph asks: Why didn't Londo see Kosh out of his encounter suit.....  Or *did* he....?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: He's gone over too far to the shadows.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
ED asks: Do you think REAL aliens will be a lot like KOSH?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: I think they'll be a lot like Andy Rooney.
jms: Especially the eyebrows.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Sarah Johnson asks: Will we see Talia again or find out any more of why Kosh had her mind probed during that business transaction early on?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Yes and no.
jms: ga
jms: (and I won't tell you which parts are yes and which no)

------------------------------------------------------------
Steve W. asks: You probably won't answer this Joe, but I will ask anyway! I Kosh using Lyta to travel where he/she would not otherwise be able to?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: An *inspired* question!
jms: Next question.

------------------------------------------------------------
Al Kuntzler [Zenith asks: Have you ever had a scene which looked/felt perfect while writing it but which just would not work when attempting to shoot it?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms:                                      nope.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Mark "Miles" Musant asks: How did you get conned into having your picture in the B5 card set, and how come Bester doesn't have a card of his own?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: WE had room for one psi corps card, and that one has Walter's wife Judy, so
jms: it was a good tradeoff for Judy, as a nice thing.  Me, I just fell for the
jms: okeydoke, would've preferred a better pix of me for the card, but that's 
jms: all WB *has* because they don't generally think the writer/creator is very
jms: important, so who'd want pictures?
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Si asks: When will we be seeing season 3 in the UK ?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Spring sometime, I hear.
jms: ga
jms: (Bug C4 to pay for the widescreen versions, like Germany and France)

------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Marshall asks: Will the dream sequence from "All Alone int he Night" be fully explained at some point?  If so when?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: It's been explained a bit here and there, but yes, there will be a fuller
jms: explanation coming.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Rae & Craig asks: After the 5-year run of the B5 TV show is up, will you still allow novels and comics to be published? Will you open them up to more speculative sorts of fiction? 
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: I'm open to the idea, depending on what the stories are.  I may be able to
jms: turn loose of my notes and let others do canonical stories.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Neil Blevins asks: Are there many Inquisitors, or just sebastien?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Other inquisitors, for varying needs.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Drew Stephens asks: My earlier question was misread.
My question was WHEN will we see Kosh out of his "Suit" again. 
By the way, love the show. It's my fav.
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: In the next batch of new eps.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Richard D. Bardini asks: Any word on being picked up for season 4. Or is it still to early to know?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Still too early to know.
jms: ga
jms: (but they've been encouraging to us)

------------------------------------------------------------
Convention asks: will we see the shadows in their 'real' form?

I have to say, that I'm really 'addicted' to Bab5
It's a great show!

Your answers sound sometimes like Kosh <grin>
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Good.
jms: My answers have always been here.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Martin Shaw asks: How large a role will Sinclair now take in the story arc.. Will he still be around by year 5 ?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Wait for the two-parter, then we'll talk.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
William R. Francis asks: With developments indicating a great war, how long do you think the series can last? I would like to see it be viable for a long time, but we know it is the last of the Babylon stations. I recall Cmdr. Sinclair in an episode indic

ating future battle too.
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: The series can last 5 years.  That's all that it's meant to last.  And
jms: that's how long it will last, if I have to throw down heaven and hell to
jms: make it happen.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Phoenix Polymorph asks: Since you admited you put in the Prisoner references, will we see McGoohan in the series?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: I'd love for that to happen, and he's up for it, depending on the script.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Phil Stracchino asks: Thanks for confirming my theory about Kosh "riding" Lyta.  Is there a connection between the Vorlons and the energy creature which entered Sheridan in Knives, and subsequently left him in exactly the same way that Kosh left Lyta to r

eturn to his suit at the tag of PtG?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: No, not a direct connection per se.  (And Phil, talk to Ron about your
jms: notion re: a server.)
jms: ga

SysOp Lee W: Joe, any other things you want to mention before I give you the last batch of questions?
jms: Not offhand. ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Kim Schneider asks: Have we heard the last of Talia Winters, or will we see her in a future episode (perhaps complicating matters with PsyCorps)?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: You'll certainly hear *of* her in some surprising revelations in the next
jms: batch of episodes.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Joe M. asks: Will we discover the origin of the berserker probe?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Probably not.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Marshall asks: Is WB going tobreak up the season lioke they have the past 2 years?  In that the last 3 or 4 eps are held until the fall (in the US)?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: I haven't heard a final schedule yet; I hope not.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Rage & Tate asks: Has the feedback from the various computer networks helped you refine your
show?  Did the public perception of various things sometimes differ from
what you had expected/intended?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Actually, the public opinion polls of episodes has always been very close
jms: to my own perception.  And the bbs's haven't changed or shaped the show,
jms: the story is the story, you can't do this by committee or be swayed from
jms: your own vision, or you're betraying the show they've come to like.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Arwel Parry asks: Has the 2-parter been filmed yet? (So I can ask Michael O'Hare when he's in London in 2 weeks!)
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: No, it'll be filmed after the first of the year.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
Steve W. asks: Are you still planning on attending Babcom 96?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: No, not at Babcom, at the Encounter, later, in June.
jms: ga
jms: Wasn't invited to Babcom.

------------------------------------------------------------
SysOp Dupa asks: Joe, how much of you is in Zathras?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Self-analysis not Zathras...er...jms strength.
jms: ga

------------------------------------------------------------
The Thing & Meeeeee asks: Does anyone apart from yourself  know what is going to happen in B5 and if not then how can you give actors contracts if for example their character is going to die?
------------------------------------------------------------
jms: Actors have contracts for *options* on years, not guarantees.  Standard in
jms: Hollywood.  Only 2-3 other people know the arc in any detail.  If they
jms: talk, I keel them.
jms: ga

SysOp Lee W: I'll summarize a couple of questions on the Widescreen issue.  
SysOp Lee W: When will Germany, etc. have widescreen episodes and how does that fit into the UK getting them (as well as the US)?
jms: Season 4.  They're paying, with France, part of the money required to follow
jms: us through post-prod and re-telecine the film stock back to its original
jms: aspect ratio.  If the UK jumps in, they can have it as well.
jms: ga

SysOp Lee W: OK, I think time is up.  
jms: Okay, gotta go, Harlan's waiting.
SysOp Dupa: <waving to Harlan>
jms: My best to all the CISers who showed up; you've been my bunch ever since
jms: 1984, and it's been great.
Sysop Mike Willmoth: Thanks again for everything, Joe!
jms: take care, and watch out for shadows....
SysOp Adrienne Chafee: Thanks, Joe!  <applause>
SysOp Dupa: Thanks, Kosh!
Sysop Mike Willmoth: Suits him :)
SysOp Lee W: Thank you Joe!

SysOp Lee W: As always, you can log onto SFMEDONE and leave Joe a message there.
SysOp Lee W: I'm about to open things up for any general questions.  
SysOp Dupa: <and get a cryptic answer <g>>
Sysop Mike Willmoth: <plug plug>



Transcript prepared by SysOp Lee Whiteside

Transcript Copyright (C) 1995 by CompuServe Information Service's Science
Fiction and Fantasy Media 1 Forum.  All rights reserved.



Lee Whiteside    leew@indirect.com, 76044,502 CIS, L.WHITESIDE GEnie
Magrathea/SFTV Web page at "http://www.indirect.com/www/leew/index.html"
"Hey Pizza Man, I'm Space Ghost, I'm hungry, I've got a talking voodoo 
doll taking chunks out of my horse and I WANT MY PIZZA!" -Space Ghost