Subj: Re:M.B.Roddenberry Apperance Date: 96-02-12 03:49:36 EST From: Jms at B5 She appears in the last episode airing this month, before the rerun break, "Point of No Return." jms Subj: Re:Number of Episodes Date: 96-02-12 03:51:07 EST From: Jms at B5 Every season of B5 has had 22 episodes, including this one. jms Subj: Re:Cthulu in B5 Date: 96-02-12 03:53:37 EST From: Jms at B5 There's a whole tapestry of related fiction of this sort...Lovecraft was one practitioner, so was Dunsany, Clark Ashton Smith, August Derleth...it's a grand tradition of SF. jms Subj: Re:JMS: Who was the VofA? Date: 96-02-13 05:50:00 EST From: Jms at B5 I figured that some elements of the First Ones should be consistent with one another; others should have specific differences. Using Ardwight subliminally reinforced some of the consistencies. jms Subj: Re:Can you rerun B-2? Date: 96-02-13 05:50:26 EST From: Jms at B5 We're working on convincing WB to do this. jms Subj: Re:Susan Ivanova Date: 96-02-13 05:51:11 EST From: Jms at B5 Yes, she does, including a variation on her father's name as her middle name. jms Subj: Re:VOA: The "Goods" on Clark Date: 96-02-13 05:52:02 EST From: Jms at B5 As it happens, the info about Clark's doctor was also released a bit later, which we'll hear about by the end of this month. jms Subj: Re:Writing for TV Date: 96-02-13 05:53:52 EST From: Jms at B5 I think it came out of the fact that Garibaldi doesn't trust ANYthing about Bester, and that it's not out of the realm of possibility for Bester to find some way to defeat the drug. If not, then his line was basically another way of stating "What the ___ are you pulling and why are you doing it and why the hell didn't you TELL me you were going to do this before pulling it?" jms Subj: Re:Help! Date: 96-02-13 05:54:32 EST From: Jms at B5 It's my understanding that the station will show the last part of the show it clipped right before the next new episode. So tune in early. jms Subj: Re:Instant Gratification Date: 96-02-13 05:55:54 EST From: Jms at B5 What's being lost here, though, is that this show operates on the level of metaphor as much as it operates out in the open. The shadow war is also the war within ourselves as much as it is Out There. So Nightwatch, the political situation back home, are shadow wars of their own. That said, however, there's shooting aplenty in the course of this season. jms Subj: Re:G' kar as a telepath ? Date: 96-02-13 05:56:35 EST From: Jms at B5 What, you don't think G'Kar would look good in a bikini...? jms Subj: Re:Psi Corps ethics Date: 96-02-13 05:58:10 EST From: Jms at B5 Because it takes a certain amount of power, effort and skill to get detailed information about someone. A P5-P7 can get strong emotions, some details, in brief bursts, but they're not always as good on the big picture. A P10 is needed for strong scans, particularly if the person is resisting. That means a psi cop, and they're all registered. jms Subj: Re:Londo's retribution? Date: 96-02-13 05:58:56 EST From: Jms at B5 Correction: the terms of the surrender stated that for every Centauri *KILLED* 500 Narns would be executed. Londo wasn't killed. jms Subj: Re:possible plot to come? Date: 96-02-15 01:19:55 EST From: Jms at B5 Please refrain from posing possible plots to come or story ideas; doing that here jeapordizes my ability to stay here, for legal reasons. jms Subj: Re:posting of common questio Date: 96-02-15 01:08:32 EST From: Jms at B5 There's a faq (frequently asked questions) file in the library, I think. jms Subj: Re:Londo's Dream Date: 96-02-15 01:09:01 EST From: Jms at B5 You will learn more about the outcome of that dream, yes. jms Subj: Re:Halfway Point Date: 96-02-15 01:11:52 EST From: Jms at B5 The episode is in the halfway mark, and that IS its significance, because it signals a major change. When we were midway through that episode, the halfway mark of the whole series, John, Doug and I were given these spiffy leather script books with silver inlaid initials by the crew, to commemmorate the event. It was really nifty. jms Subj: Re:B5 Problems??? Date: 96-02-15 01:14:05 EST From: Jms at B5 I frankly have *no* idea what this refers to. Every season we've come in slightly under budget, the show is making money for WB, so I don't have a clue, unless they're looking for some reason to play it cautious just now in their announcements. I'm baffled. jms Subj: Re:Better and Better Date: 96-02-15 01:16:04 EST From: Jms at B5 Thanks, Sharon. Funny how some themes never seem to go out of fashion in the real world. jms Subj: Re:attn JMS: Ivanova Date: 96-02-15 01:16:34 EST From: Jms at B5 We'll here more about that relationship in due time. jms Subj: Re:Psi Corp, Shadows, Nightw Date: 96-02-15 01:17:11 EST From: Jms at B5 {Are Shadows, psi-corp, and Nightwatch working together?} You'll know more about this within the next 10 episodes. jms Subj: Re:JMS-Uploaded Previews Date: 96-02-16 04:17:17 EST From: Jms at B5 Kung Fu generally has a long promo for B5, whereas B5 gets a shorter preview for itself. I think the one here is the longer version shown during KF. jms Subj: Re:Letterbox format Date: 96-02-16 04:18:16 EST From: Jms at B5 Can't be done for now, since the majority of the population still uses smaller TV sets, you'd lose viewers rapidly. jms Subj: Re:Money Matters Date: 96-02-17 05:20:36 EST From: Jms at B5 Basically, it's a weekly bonus added onto their weekly salary; 50 creds is a pretty enticing bump, equal to about 50 pounds British. jms Subj: Re:The Icarus Date: 96-02-17 05:21:42 EST From: Jms at B5 {Here is a question I've been thinking about for a while. If the Icarus was sent to Z'Ha'Dum about 3 years ago, and the Vorlons and Minbari have known about the Shadows return now for over 4 years, and it was also suggested somewhere else that Earth Gov may be involved as far back as 5 years ago, is it possible that Interplanetary Expeditions knew what would be found when they sent the Icarus to that planet?} The crew of the Icarus may not have known as much as they could've about their mission. jms Subj: Re:MacBeth Date: 96-02-17 05:25:23 EST From: Jms at B5 {Just curious, but what was with all the MacBeth references in "Exogenesis?"} Just figured I'd use that description of it rather than Macbeth, to make it a bit more obscure, but also some actors do have a problem saying the name Macbeth or being around it when it's said (note: Jason isn't one of them). so it was also a courtesy. (Later on, while shooting "A Late Delivery From Avalon," one of the hair dressers made the error of referring to Macbeth out loud in front of Michael York, and had to go through the whole undo-the-curse routine, walking around the stages three times, etc.) jms Subj: Re:The Capt's facial express Date: 96-02-17 05:26:07 EST From: Jms at B5 {Is it possible to tour the B5 set?} Unfortunately, the B5 stages are off the WB lot, and we're not set up for tours. jms Subj: Re:David Corwin Date: 96-02-17 05:26:53 EST From: Jms at B5 Yes, David Corwin was named for Norman Corwin, whose work you should investigate if you do not know it. jms Subj: Re:Other TV Shows Date: 96-02-17 05:28:48 EST From: Jms at B5 Thanks. We have heard that more shows are starting to adopt both our production methods, and doing more arc stuff, so that's a good thing. Personally, I thought "Exogenesis" was okay, but not one of our best, mainly for writing reasons (i.e., my fault). But from here on out, they're spiffy. You're in for a real treat in a few more days when "Messages" airs. jms Subj: Re:Exogenesis: Corwin's name Date: 96-02-18 19:17:13 EST From: Jms at B5 "Corwin is the main character in Zelazny's Amber series.) Not that David Corwin is very Corwin of Amber-like. That Corwin would more likely be a ranger." David Corwin was named after my friend and highly-regarded radio drama writer Norman Corwin. jms Subj: Re:Eating Crow... Date: 96-02-19 03:51:19 EST From: Jms at B5 {A few weeks ago I posted a message stating that it would be nice to have a few skirmishes before the final showdown with the Shadows. At the time I feared you were saving too much for the end of the season. I just watched MESSAGE FROM EARTH.} Like we said, we know what we're doing. You just gotta trust us. Sometimes we get cranky because someone says "nothing's happening this season with the shadows," and we're looking at an episode like "Messages" or others forthcoming, and we know what IS coming. A little patience is a good thing. But you need not eat crow over it; just nibbling at the feathers will suffice. jms Subj: Re:Exogenesis: Corwin's name Date: 96-02-19 03:53:29 EST From: Jms at B5 Norman Corwin's work is nothing short of superb. I commend it to anyone willing to trudge down to the local library and dig it up. It was by hoping one day to grow up and become a writer like Norman that Ray Bradbury got started as a writer. Norman's what you call a Writer's Writer. jms Subj: Re:B5 vs ST Date: 96-02-18 19:15:53 EST From: Jms at B5 Just one thing to bear in mind in all this, referring to ST bashing...you don't have a situation here of B5 fans "bashing" ST. What you tend to have are ST fans who've *always* had some concerns with the shows expressing their concerns here, because they also watch B5, and because to express some of this in other forums gets them yelled at. While there are many ST fans who have not seen B5, there are no B5 fans who have not seen ST. What you have here is an internal ST situation, not a case of B5 fans hitting a show they don't know about or watch. I'd venture to suggest that most of the concerns voiced here are ones they had long, long before there WAS a B5. That said, I've noted from the beginning that there was no reason to hold the shows up side by side; they're different series, and that just puts ST at the center of the fictional universe. Let this show be its own creature. jms Subj: Re:B5 vs ST Date: 96-02-19 03:48:10 EST From: Jms at B5 Actually, Voyager is not IN the top 50. They're generally in the basement of the network ratings. jms Subj: Re:Babylon 5 The MOTION PIC Date: 96-02-18 00:49:27 EST From: Jms at B5 {Why noy free ourselves from syndicators and go for the big screen?} At the moment, that's not my choice, you need a big studio backing you for a big movie. Also, B5 was primarily *designed* for TV, this is the venue I'd prefer to work in for this. You'd have to do 55 movies to tell the whole story, and you couldn't do much arc stuff in it, because it would have to be fairly self-contained. The good wishes are appreciated, though. jms Subj: B5 Ratings Info Date: 96-02-18 01:00:52 EST From: Jms at B5 The figures have come in for our first non-rerun episode, "Voices of Authority." The numbers of any show always drop in reruns; something that some folks tend to avoid mentioning when they just post figures without noting these things. But moving on.... While KUNG FU, in its new episode, went from #50 to #61 for the week in syndicated shows (this is out of 257 syndicated shows total, btw), B5 surged from #54 to #41, with a 3.5 rating, well above that which is guaranteed to advertisers. (DS9 continues to wobble; #16 last week, and #15 this week; they haven't been in the top ten for a while now. This in reply to some who asked for a relative positioning.) At #41 out of 257 shows, B5 is in the top 1/6th of all syndicated shows overall, about the top 16% or thereabouts. In terms of drama shows, B5 is in the top 10 of all drama shows for that period, at #8. So far, so good. jms Subj: Re:Trek Date: 96-02-18 19:10:32 EST From: Jms at B5 "...without Star Trek there probably wouldn't be a Babylon 5...." This is one of the biggest misperceptions we've had to try and correct over time; if anything, ST has been an obstacle to getting B5 on the air. The #1 reason we were given, time and again, during the 5 years it took to sell B5 for not going ahead with it, was that "There isn't room in the marketplace for another space show other than ST. There's not an SF marketplace; there's a ST marketplace, but that's all. ST doesn't create more SF, ST creates more ST." Right up until the day we aired the pilot, some folks at WB were saying, "This isn't gonna work, there's not enough room in the market for another SF space show other than Star Trek." And suffice to say that Paramount didn't make things any easier for us in their inimitable fashion. If the premise as advanced in the first line were true, then why in the 30 years since ST:TOS has there not another space-SF series that's lasted more than three seasons? Why have there been so very few shows even TRYING this venue? In those 30 years, with the exception of Quantum Leap, which was more an anthology show really, no hardcore SF series has gone beyond 3 years; that alone mitigates against SF being a viable market. Trust me on this; for the five years it took us to sell B5, ST was one more obstacle to overcome. It's not their fault, it's the fault of the marketplace that doesn't understand SF. It's unfortunate that, when a cop show fails, industry folks just say, "Well, that show didn't work," but when an SF series fails, they say, "There's no market for SF." jms Subj: Re:Psi Corps and the Shadows Date: 96-02-18 00:43:56 EST From: Jms at B5 Wait and see...but you're close to some stuff. jms Subj: Re:Costuming Date: 96-02-18 00:44:35 EST From: Jms at B5 We have used them a bit, just haven't had to use them much until now. That's about to change. jms Subj: Re:sending artwork Date: 96-02-18 00:47:43 EST From: Jms at B5 Thank you. In general, the best contact for now on B5 is the mail drop, which is located at 14431 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 260, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. Send it along to my attention. If it's show-related, I'll try to find a nice home for it at the stage. jms Subj: Re:Was Exo censored? Date: 96-02-18 19:19:32 EST From: Jms at B5 No, the only graphic scene is in the beginning, at the end of the teaser. Nothing was cut that I know of. jms Subj: Re:Addition to Pilot Date: 96-02-18 19:20:29 EST From: Jms at B5 All the narratives are from a future point in time, but no one lives forever. How far into the future that person is telling the story will vary. jms Subj: Re:JMS, Night Watch, etc. Date: 96-02-18 19:24:01 EST From: Jms at B5 DLyulkin...exactly. You don't just take something and transplant it wholecloth...you change and modify it. Nightwatch was never meant to be on a one-to-one corrolation to the SS, or Stasi, or McCarthy...the whole POINT is that this kind of mentality crops up in new forms from time to time, in different names, different approaches, but at its heartmeat core the same thing. By saying it's "That over there," we can relax, since that specific incident can't recur...making us vulnerable to the next version. jms Subj: Re:JMS:Ivanova's left earrin Date: 96-02-18 19:24:40 EST From: Jms at B5 It's a tribute to her dead brother, both as a character, and in real life. jms Subj: Re: JMS Date: 96-02-19 03:43:37 EST From: Jms at B5 {Ivanova is supposed to be Jewish, right? ( Tells you I haven't been watching all of your episodes-grin ). Then how come her last name is Ivanova as opposed to Greenberg or something?} She was born in the Russian Consortium, to Russian parents, with Russian surnames. No big mystery there. jms Subj: Re: preview Date: 96-02-19 03:44:16 EST From: Jms at B5 Many things are inserted into previews by WB that aren't actually in the shows. We have no control over what they put into the previews. jms ---- Subj: Re:Steven and stims Date: 96-02-22 00:52:52 EST From: Jms at B5 {Did I miss an episode? (I can never get our stations right out here) Last I saw, Steven was getting hooked on stims, than last week he's happy go lucky chattin with Marcus and being a lovable goof.} It hasn't come to a head yet. Any abuser of substances has moments when he's up, and moments when he's down, moments when he seems fine, moments when he's not. jms Subj: Re:Norman Corwin Date: 96-02-21 01:48:17 EST From: Jms at B5 I'd suggest to start with ON A NOTE OF TRIUMPH, and THE PLOT TO OVERTHROW CHRISTMAS. jms Subj: Re:Random thoughts Date: 96-02-21 01:51:27 EST From: Jms at B5 Thanks. It is, I think, a uniquely American concern, since it's long been common for writers in the UK to write a goodly portion of any season; McGoohan did much of The Prisoner (under a variety of names), and Terry Nation wrote the entire (and some say best) season of Blake's 7, though that was only 13 episodes. (I believe the adaptation of I, Claudius, at 12 hours or so, was done by one writer...and it's the best thing ever made for TV, I think.) jms Subj: Re: Great Show! Date: 96-02-21 01:51:49 EST From: Jms at B5 Thanks...actually, to you and to Blair. jms Subj: Re:ATTN: JMS, B5 Fans Date: 96-02-21 01:55:36 EST From: Jms at B5 Eventually, yes, we do hope to sell B5 eps via the fan club. As for UPN, we were never a part of UPN, though we're aired on some UPN stations, so they can't actually drop us. jms Subj: Re:Exogenesis question? Date: 96-02-21 01:56:21 EST From: Jms at B5 It was Ranger One. jms Subj: Re:B5 C.D rom Date: 96-02-21 01:57:57 EST From: Jms at B5 There's the screensaver CD rom from Sound Sources currently; the company that was going to do the encyclopedia cut down its list from 300 to 40 per year, and we were in those cut. We're now taking bids from other companies interested in locking this down. jms Subj: Re:Hey JMS... Date: 96-02-22 00:58:51 EST From: Jms at B5 The vorlons were never intending to hide themselves from the shadows; they both know where the other can be found. The concern was in the vorlons potentially revealing themselves to others, and standing openly as what they were. jms Subj: Re:ATTN: JMS, B5 Fans Date: 96-02-22 00:59:10 EST From: Jms at B5 It's up, should be "and running" soon. jms Subj: Re:JMS: haitus Date: 96-02-22 00:59:36 EST From: Jms at B5 {Is B5 on haitus? If not , when do you stop filming? If so , when do you go back?} Filming wraps April 9th. In theory it would begin again around late July. jms Subj: Re:Messages - Fantastic Date: 96-02-22 01:00:13 EST From: Jms at B5 I think this is one of the best of the series to date. I think there are a couple coming up later in the season though that will give it a run for its money. jms Subj: Re:Messages - Fantastic Date: 96-02-22 01:01:12 EST From: Jms at B5 Oh, and a PS..."does it get even better?" It kinda has to. We took a blood oath that each season must be better than the one preceding it. jms Subj: Re:" Original Ideas ", etc. Date: 96-02-22 01:04:51 EST From: Jms at B5 {Yes, there are plenty of fans who would sign a waiver to give JMS free ownership of story ideas, but that still doesn't matter. *Someone* would bring suit. Someone, maybe, who holds a grudge for a real or imagined slight, or just because it's easy money...} The probelm is not just one fan. People are *constantly* suing because they think their idea -- sometimes just that, an idea -- was stolen. Steven Spielberg was sued by *three people* each one independently claiming that ET was based on their story. Obviously, that three different people say the same thing means they're mutually contradictory...it can't be based uniquely on all three. Two of them have to be wrong at minimum (and as it came out, all of them lost). But they were True Believers. And yes, 98% of these cases are nonsense, and are eventually won by the original writer; but the process of defending such a case can literally consume *years* of your life. jms Subj: Re:" Original Ideas ", etc. Date: 96-02-22 01:07:54 EST From: Jms at B5 Here's an example of this, btw. On another service, someone without considering what he was saying (not his fault, it just happened) said, in essence, "What if somebody on B5 found out that he had been mind-wiped, and used to be something awful previously?" Well, I'd had "Passing Through Gethsemane" on the wire at that time, but when I saw this, I had to scuttle the story. It lay there, untouched, for over a year, until I could finally meet the fellow and get a signed release indicating what'd happened. If that fan had not been fair and reasonable, that episode -- which many consider one of our best -- would never have been made. jms Subj: Re:The Screen Saver Date: 96-02-22 01:08:43 EST From: Jms at B5 Yes, I hear the Mac version will be out in April. jms Subj: Re:Original Ideas, etc. Date: 96-02-23 03:30:08 EST From: Jms at B5 I've been over all this a hundred times with others, on other forums. Or forii. Yes, all of the reasons that you cite could be used in winning a lawsuit. But I have no desire to spend the two years of my life fighting such a lawsuit. If story ideas get posted, I turn to vapor, it's that simple. jms Subj: Re:Messages - Fantastic Date: 96-02-23 03:31:33 EST From: Jms at B5 Thanks. I find relationships fascinating, in how they grow, change, develop, veer right or swerve left. The ones we're seeing here are fun to play with, and I tend to avoid the saccherine. jms Subj: Re:messages Date: 96-02-23 03:33:10 EST From: Jms at B5 1) There was an outsider, Kirkish, in the room. Yes, she's helped him, but he's still going to hold back some info because he doesn't know what impact it might have on Sinclair. He's protective of him. 2) Yes, Kosh should've been there. Kosh wasn't. Kosh hasn't been carrying his weight, if you ask me. I hope this doesn't cause a problem somewhere.... jms Subj: Re:Spoilers Please Date: 96-02-23 03:34:05 EST From: Jms at B5 I wish I could, but they're just very cool, and I wouldn't want to give anything away.... jms Subj: Re:Hey...that guy over there Date: 96-02-23 03:34:52 EST From: Jms at B5 Can't do it. A cameo would destroy (for me) the illusion that is B5. So you won't see me in a B5 episode. jms Subj: Re:MFE -WHOA!!! Date: 96-02-23 03:37:03 EST From: Jms at B5 "Was the "package" mentioned in Exo the blonde woman giving us the Mars Shadow info? Or was it the eggs and bacon? Or have we not seen it yet? Yes, the package referred to Kirkish. "It seems Sheridan is destroying his Shadow ships by using tricks - not a straight up battle. At some point won't he be one on one with a Shadow and have to deal with it?" Sooner or later. Right now he's outgunned hideously. He'll have to find a way. "At some point won't Sheridan have to fight Earth? (I really don't expect an answer to this one)" Stick around. jms Subj: Re:Two Questions for JMS Date: 96-02-23 03:39:16 EST From: Jms at B5 {2) With six appendages for the males and six slots for the females, I kinda wonder if the Centauri are capable of multiple births on a regular basis. Care to comment on that?} No multiple births, in that sense, not any different than humans. {1) Although the capital of the Earth Alliance (Earthdome) is located in Geneva, it seems to me the basic legislative structure is like the United States, albeit in a unicameral setting (I see only the Senate). Did you plan it this way, and have you ever thought about doing a historical article/presentation on Earth history until the Babylon 5 setting?} Your analysis on the governmental situation is pretty accurate; the Senate in this case comprised of member nation/states, with smaller ones having less voice than the bigger ones (like the Russian Consortium, the North American Federation, and so on). jms Subj: Re:Love the Show! Date: 96-02-23 03:40:14 EST From: Jms at B5 Thanks. Eventually eps and the pilot will be on video, it's simply a matter of time. To the rest...wait and see. And thanks. jms Subj: Re:Fan Fiction Date: 96-02-24 03:50:10 EST From: Jms at B5 {You could create a file entitled, "NO JMS Allowed". That should cover the legal stuff} 1) Simply saying "NO JMS" on a folder is not sufficient; I could still go into any area to which I have been proven to have access. Having access to the general area (AOL) access to the specific material is *automatically assumed* in any court of law. Instant loss should someone post a story and decide later that something we did was too close to their story. 2) I have asked, as a courtesy, for people to refrain from fan fiction until the 5 year story is over. There are only 2 years remaining on this request. ST fanfic was developed as a way to keep the characters alive while the show was gone. There is no such need at this time. 3) If fanfic is posted to AOL, I will have to withdraw from AOL. That simple. It's even worse than posting a story idea, it's a whole *story*. I have no desire to scuttle another story, or a major part of an arc, to avoid somebody thinking I swiped it. 4) Be advised that the names, situations and characters are all copyrighted by Warner Bros., and if courtesy is not sufficient, any infringement of that copyright by fanfiction will be conveyed to the legal eagles for action. Don't do it. I *mean* it. jms Subj: Re:O'Hare, a bad guy? Date: 96-02-24 23:28:35 EST From: Jms at B5 {The real reason Sinclair is gone? RATINGS! WB didn't feel he was helping the ratings. They wanted a better known actor. An old story, but true.} There were only the following people in the room when Michael and I discussed the prospect of his leaving the show to return in another capacity at a later date: me, Michael, Doug Netter and John Copeland. You are none of these. Further, at the time we had this conversation, the ratings were on one of their usual upswings after reruns. You know *nothing* of this situation. You're just going off what you assume to be true. But assuming it and saying it doesn't make it true. jms Subj: Re:JMS. life for B5 after B5 Date: 96-02-24 23:37:56 EST From: Jms at B5 {I am interested in your thoughts as to whether the will be a life for the surviving B5 charcters after the 5yr story arc. You have created a universe that is rich and varied, and it would be a shame to see it just end after this much creative talent has been lent to it's birth } There's always been a side-story that could go off after the 5 years, though the odds are slim and none. jms Subj: Re:Thanks for the ride! Date: 96-02-24 23:38:35 EST From: Jms at B5 {Thank you for the delicious thrill I get each week from your incredible show/universe/mind! You have tapped brilliantly into the mythic themes of the great epic tales - and whether I feel caught up in the great "resistance struggle", moved by the profound choices which degrade Londo or ennoble G'Kar, thrilled by encounters with Beings of Light, horrified by though control police or} Thanks.... jms Subj: Re:Poetry guidelines (?) Date: 96-02-24 23:40:49 EST From: Jms at B5 As long as new elements aren't introduced into the piece, we're fine. "Oh, I remember when you found the space duck / We said you were really a big shmuck / The bombing of Earth was a crummy notion / Now Detroit is just a great big ocean." That sorta thing. jms Subj: Re:Waiting for June... Date: 96-02-24 23:42:49 EST From: Jms at B5 Some themes are universal and timeless. In the case of Bosnia, more's the pity. Yes, I'll be at Blackpool. jms Subj: Re:To JMS: Re: How we doing? Date: 96-02-24 23:45:03 EST From: Jms at B5 So far, I hear we're doing well with the station-by-station renewals. Won't know anything for sure for about a month or so. jms Subj: Re:Hats off, JMS!! Date: 96-02-24 23:46:25 EST From: Jms at B5 Thanks, we try.... jms Subj: Re:Messages from Mars? Date: 96-02-24 23:47:35 EST From: Jms at B5 {6. And isn't Sheridan the least bit upset that Kosh wants him to do everything without help, even if it costs him his life? 7. Can you tell me the dimensions of a Shadow ship or the WhiteStar? I'm guessing that a Shadow Mother-Symbiotic-Terror Ship has a 'spine-span' of about 2 kilometers at least, maybe even two miles; is this close?} Don't have the shadow dimensions offhand; and yes, you'd think Sheridan might begin to wonder about Kosh's level of involvement. jms Subj: Re:By the way... Date: 96-02-24 23:48:30 EST From: Jms at B5 {We haven't heard squat from the Grey Council since Delenn was removed, and replaced by Neroon. Are they talking behind closed doors about...Londo?... In other words, will they show up again this season sometime?} At least one of them will show up again, yes. jms Subj: Re:IPX Question Date: 96-02-24 23:49:07 EST From: Jms at B5 {How long has Interplanetary Expeditions been a going concern?} IXP has been in business, in one form or another, for between 50-80 years. jms Subj: Re:"Message" Question & Comm Date: 96-02-24 23:50:49 EST From: Jms at B5 {1) I didn't notice Lennier or Delenn doing any translations on the White Star. Has the Minbari crew learned to speak English now?} Lennier was muttering his translations off-screen. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. jms Subj: Re:Praise for MfE & N Staffo Date: 96-02-27 01:52:17 EST From: Jms at B5 {So if you have the opportunity, please pass along to Ms. Stafford my appreciation of her performance. } I entirely agree; I think she did a dynamite job as Kirkish. Totally convincing. When she walked into the audition, and did the part, there was no question...it was her. jms Subj: Re:Military Strength Date: 96-02-25 19:42:18 EST From: Jms at B5 I'd put Shadows and Vorlons at the top, then Minbari, Centauri, with Narns and Humans at about the same level, give or take. jms Subj: Re:To: JMS and DLyulkin Date: 96-02-25 19:43:28 EST From: Jms at B5 We've already established in the episode that the bodyguard is the same as in "All Alone." We did that when the two had a drink in the zocalo. It was in dialogue. jms Subj: Re:JMS: TENTACLES!!!!!! Date: 96-02-25 19:43:52 EST From: Jms at B5 Those are his...erm...reproductive organs.... jms Subj: Re:Major Plot Twist Ahead?! Date: 96-02-25 19:44:39 EST From: Jms at B5 The third age is involved, yes...and if I told you the first two, that would give you the third. jms Subj: Re:Sinclair? Date: 96-02-25 19:45:10 EST From: Jms at B5 Sinclair appears in the 2-parter airing the last 2 weeks of May. jms Subj: Re:JMS: One Word for MFE Date: 96-02-25 19:46:15 EST From: Jms at B5 ....i don't remember anymore.... Senility is a terrible thing, but I suppose it happens to us all after a while. jms Subj: Re:Questions, questions Date: 96-02-25 19:48:41 EST From: Jms at B5 Yes, Howard Stern has repeatedly endorsed the show; and yes, the shadow vessel was still a little wobbly from its long hibernation and the improper melding. As for the title...I'm trying to avoid saying anything about it yet. jms Subj: Re:Particular politicals Date: 96-02-27 01:41:52 EST From: Jms at B5 {Are the rights suspended during times of martial law similar to our own (freedom to gather, habeus corpus (sp?) etc.) ?} Yes, right to assemble, free speech rights, they're all open to abridgement. Travel can also be restricted. jms Subj: Re:Messages from Earth Date: 96-02-27 01:43:17 EST From: Jms at B5 Certainly G'Kar has had...a revelation, I suppose is the best way of putting it, and that tends to transform you. What form emerges from this remains to be seen. jms Subj: Re:Bwok, bwok...huh? Date: 96-02-27 01:44:14 EST From: Jms at B5 {It did raise one little question: if Earth is only a two-day voyage away, why can't they get fresh eggs and bacon?} Mainly it's the expense involved per volume. It still costs big bucks, and you generally need refrigeration. jms Subj: Re:Messages from Earth Date: 96-02-27 01:45:40 EST From: Jms at B5 So what *was* that blue goop everyone else had to eat in lieu of bacon and eggs?} Actually, I think it was blueberry yogurt. jms Subj: Re:Lady Morella's Speech Date: 96-02-27 01:46:27 EST From: Jms at B5 {One question, was Lady Morella's speech regarding the emperor ment as a tribute to Gene Roddenberry?} There's probably a fair amount there that could apply to Gene, yes... jms Subj: Re:writing and spfx Date: 96-02-27 01:47:18 EST From: Jms at B5 {Joe, Do you take into account the ability of the SPFX crew to realize a shot when you are writing an episode ?} Generally, I write whatever the scene requires; most times, I find out that the efx folks can deliver *more* than what I had in mind. I don't think I've had to pull back once yet. jms Subj: Re:JMS:HDTV Question Date: 96-02-27 01:47:52 EST From: Jms at B5 {I've read that B5 is shot in widescreen to be used later for HDTV.} Yes, we film widescreen and crop for regular aspect ratio; eventually it'll be released that way. jms Subj: Re:Michael York Date: 96-02-27 01:49:13 EST From: Jms at B5 York finished with us quite some time ago. Great episode, and a nice man. Very friendly, very polite, nothing of the "I'm a STAR" attitude one often gets with...well, *stars*. He was even very nice when I gleepily asked him to sign my laserdisk of CABARET. jms Subj: Re:Soundtrack #2 Date: 96-02-25 19:40:20 EST From: Jms at B5 No idea yet, though I should be getting a preliminary CD from Chris soon with his thoughts. jms Subj: Re:Ike and Abe Date: 96-02-28 04:31:14 EST From: Jms at B5 Evan: what a *great* analysis. I'd nudge you in the direction of the Politics and History folder here in this area; I think you could add a lot to that one, which just started up. Anyway, very well considered. jms Subj: Re:JMS: White Star Symbols Date: 96-02-28 04:31:56 EST From: Jms at B5 They're Minbari letters; yes, each race does have its own symbol or logo; we've used them here and there. Will see if I can post them sometime. jms Subj: Re:Katsulas honored? Date: 96-02-28 04:32:57 EST From: Jms at B5 No, I don't believe he has won an emmy...and he's long overdue given his skills. jms Subj: Re:JMS: A few questions... Date: 96-02-28 04:34:53 EST From: Jms at B5 1) Who writes the blurbs each week in TV Guide? Is it someone involved with the show, or someone at PTEN, or just some shadow somewhere? If by this you mean the actual listings themselves...they're written by TV Guide staffers, as I understand it. 2) Is there a timeline that lists the approximate day/month/year that each episode takes place? If so, could you post it? I don't have one available outside the show, since it's very detailed and has, well, EVERYthing in it, past and future...but there's one at the hyperion website (available here via the www jumpgate) that's pretty darned thorough. 3) You say that after B5 ends, there is a possible "spin off" that _could_ happen, but probably won't be made into a TV series. Have you considered either a novel or a series of novels? Considered and considering...but for now, I have to focus on this. jms Subj: Re:JMS: Film Stock Question Date: 96-02-28 04:35:48 EST From: Jms at B5 No, we shoot in super 35 millimeter, which gives us a widescreen image which we crop for current domestic aspect ratio TVs. jms Subj: Re:The Shuttle Dyson Date: 96-02-28 04:36:16 EST From: Jms at B5 Just a guy in the walla group who happens to sound kinda like Sean.... jms Subj: Re:JMS: Tentacles again Date: 96-02-28 04:36:52 EST From: Jms at B5 Well, Londo did use them once to cheat at cards...so they're fairly dexterous.... jms Subj: Re:JMS thankyou Date: 96-02-28 04:37:48 EST From: Jms at B5 The thanks are entirely mine.... jms Subj: Re:More inquiries Date: 96-02-29 20:16:58 EST From: Jms at B5 {Many, many questions} I think you just won the prize for most questions that I absolutely can't answer at one time.... jms Subj: Re:Frankly, You Amaze Me Date: 96-02-29 20:31:19 EST From: Jms at B5 Cristine: thanks. You're right, in many ways it is personal to me. I tend to get passionate about the job because I never taken on any job unless I feel passionately about it, if that makes any syntactical sense whatsoever. Life's too short. B5 is a particular case in that this is something that everyone involved -- from the cast, through to the crew, directors, others -- is absolutely dedicated to. They believe that we're creating something rather extraordinary here, something that'll be talked about for a long time after we're gone. It took me five years to sell this show, after everyone else told me to forget it, that it'd never happen, that it was too ambitious...said that I *could* sell it if I made it sexier, less aimed at the "smart" viewers and more accessible to folks who just want plain action and a smattering of sex. I could've sold a more mainstream series with far less hassle, to any of the networks. But I have to tell *this* story. So when you're obsessed with something, it's easier to spend 24.9 hours a day working on it. (I cobble up the extra 9/10ths of an hour from a fourth-dimensional gate in my office.) As for the online time...that ties into the obsession part, in some ways, but beyond that, it's a chance to keep working at my #1 bugaboo, demystifying TV, being responsive (and answerable) to fans when it works or doesn't work...actually, it works out for me because when I have to stop writing and think through a story point, I don't just get up and walk into the living room to watch TV, where you can lose a couple hours at a time. I stay at the keyboard, do a quick pass through one of the nets, kill 15 minutes...by which time I've worked out the story point, and I get back to work. It keeps me at the computer. But yeah...in every conceivable sense, the work comes first in my life. This is the single biggest thing I've ever attempted in my life, in terms of sheer scale and scope and hours. It has a finite lifespan. So during that time, it owns me. I can give it nothing less. When it's finally done, then I can rest. Selling and running the show is like being yoked to a train; you pull real hard for a long time, for five years, until it finally moves. Then it picks up speed. And then you spend the next five years of your life running as fast as you can in front of it, because if you slow down, it'll run over you. jms Subj: Re:Hyperion Website Date: 96-02-29 20:32:44 EST From: Jms at B5 No, I had and have nothing to do with the Hyperion website, except to look at it with awe and wonder. It's quite a site. jms Subj: Re:Hour 25 Date: 96-02-29 20:35:52 EST From: Jms at B5 I followed Harlan as host. After Mike passed away, he gave it to Harlan, who did it for a year, then Harlan passed it to me, and I managed to stick with it for five years. I'm trying to remember when I finally left...I think it was around 1992-ish. I opted out for many reasons, among them that I felt it was a conflict of interest to be making an SF series at the same time that I was hosting a radio show that covered stuff like SF TV series. I enjoyed doing the show -- a 2-hour weekly gig on a high-power radio station in LA, no commercials, doing anything I wanted -- but ethically I had a real problem continuing when B5 became a reality. jms Subj: Re:Many thanks great show Date: 96-02-29 20:37:23 EST From: Jms at B5 No, the thanks are entirely mine, for your support and kind words. This is the kind of show that will never come around for me again, and it wouldn't be here without viewers. jms Subj: Re:JMS: Lyta to appear ??? Date: 96-02-29 20:38:12 EST From: Jms at B5 {In which episode will we see Lyta again?} You'll see Lyta again in Interludes and Examinations, then again this season in Walkabout. jms Subj: Re:nightwatch Date: 96-02-28 04:29:16 EST From: Jms at B5 Here's something to consider in this. It's easy -- safe and reassuring -- to dismiss Nightwatch and the whole political climate on Earth at this time as referring to Nazi germany...SS, Stormtroopers, informers...but if we know our history, it shows that this is not so isolated as we might think. If we say it was just the Nazis, then it's a non-repeatable phenomenon, we needn't worry about it again. But, of course, it does happen again...it did, and it will, to varying degrees. Go back to the Inquisition, and forward to Joe McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) which destroyed lives and reputations based on association, past history, social contacts and party affiliations (the items specified by Musante to the EA folks in Nightwatch). Stalin and to a lesser extent Lenin would have been right at home in Nightwatch. Several of the leaders speaking for parties in the ruins of what was once Yugoslavia would also fit. It's easy, and safe, for us to say, "Oh, we would never do that, only THEY did that." But the "they" in this ARE the we on the other side...and "we" have done it, are doing it now, and will continue to do it. Only when we *know* the history of such things, when we recognize the rhetoric of control, when we oppose blacklisting and scapegoating and dead-catting do we help to assure that they *won't* arise again. Remember the quote: "Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it." There's a great deal of generalized historical and political metaphor in the show, never one-to-one because that's too easy, but disguised in one form or another, transumted. The Centauri Republic isn't a real republic by any stretch of the imagination...any more than the Roman Republic from which it draws some of its political structure, particularly the Centarum, the ruling body. There's a great deal of Japanese political and social structure to the Minbari, in their culture and art and some of their philosophy. You can find parallels to the story in World War II, and the bible, among a few dozen others. Too little of TV these days is *about* anything...it's all context, no subtext. This show is about a lot of things...but never in the mode of telling you what to think. We'll ask *that* you think, that you consider the world around you, and your place in it...but defining that is your business, not ours. jms Subj: Re:The enemy is us. Date: 96-02-29 20:08:57 EST From: Jms at B5 "Zack is the key figure here. He's the one questioning if he's on the right side and just what his allies are up to. I've heard some good analogies to present days situations kicked around on these boards, but It seems mostly Republicans want to accuse democrats and vice versa. What we need is more Republicans willing to criticise fellow republicans and democrats willing to criticise fellow democrats." A very good point. Zack is, to all intents and purposes, the Everyman character in this; he wants, desperately, to do what's right. But he doesn't exactly *know* what's right, because he's getting conflicting information...or rather, a lack of *real* information and a plethora of agendas. Who is he to believe? Which wasy does he jump when he's not sure which pit holds the lion? When a culture become factionalized, when it becomes us vs. them, everyone starts setting up consistently smaller camps...first it's democrats vs. republicans...then it's mainstream republicans vs. conservative republicans...then it's conservative republicans vs. religious right republicans (with the democrats having equal problems on their side). As soon as we forget that we're *all* US, it begins to fall apart. jms Subj: Re:Psuedo-intellectual babble Date: 96-02-29 20:13:15 EST From: Jms at B5 {B5 sucks, people only want to talk to JMS to feel like they are in the "inner circle", your lives are pathetic, etc} Yes, Sandie, that's very nice, but you still have to finish your brussel sprouts or you can't stay up and watch Baywatch. Your mother and I are *very* concerned. jms