Babylon 5 posts by JMS on GEnie for February, 1994 This file includes a compilation of posts on GEnie by J. Michael Straczynski in the Babylon 5 category. The posts are copyright by JMS (and compilation copyright is by GEnie). ************ Topic 1 Mon Oct 26, 1992 SF-MARSHALL [Dave ] at 18:50 EST Sub: Babylon 5 - The Series (Non-Spoiler) Welcome to the Babylon 5 category and main topic for the new series. Here is the place for all general information on the series. Topic 2 is the location for SPOILERS. And please, NO STORY IDEAS are to be posted either. 455 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 6 Tue Feb 01, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:19 EST Boy, this has been some kinda day.... Phone goes off *early* in the morning, "Just making sure you know about the satellite interviews today." I'm in bed. Scratch. Snuffle. Look at clock. Snuffle. Scratch. "Satellite interviews...when?" "In about two hours, across town." WAAAAAAUUUGGGHHHH! Never a jump gate when you need one. Haven't moved that fast in ages. Me and Claudia for about 5 hours, on and off, giving interviews to TV stations around the country. Plus one segment with just Claudia and Peter...of which the *funniest* stuff was in-between, while waiting for NY to come on line, a mass of improv, all of it going out over the station...Peter and Claudia improv'ing lunch at a NY deli, a fashion conversation between J. Edgar Hoover and Eleanor Roosevelt...on and on and on, put *everyone* away. The camera loves them both. Me...at the moment I went on camera, hundreds of people around the country no doubt started calling America's Most Wanted and screaming, "I SAW HIM! HE'S ON TV!" Then a zip back to the studio to meet with Larry and give story notes on his new script, "TKO," which has a *very* interesting Ivanova B-story; then another meeting; then race across town to spot (slug where music and sound EFX go) one episode, finish the mix on another episode, race back to the stage for a final meeting, leave late this evening, find literally *hundreds* of messages on various systems now that the show is airing (this in the last 24 hours), plow through those...and now will be up the rest of the night writing the second part of the two-parter we're shooting this season, "A Voice in the Wilderness." Yikes! (And lest anyone think I'm not paying attention...*many* thanks for the many kind comments here.) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 13 Tue Feb 01, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:13 EST eeeek! jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 41 Thu Feb 03, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:37 EST Oh, god, did the Dance Theater of Harlem line get in there? I don't believe it.... Yes, you'll see places in the show where they can and do congregate; the briefing room, the conference room, the mess hall...the observation dome is a place to *do* stuff, not so much talk about stuff. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 44 Thu Feb 03, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:33 EST Re: blue collar nuts and bolts types..."By Any Means Necessary." jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 48 Thu Feb 03, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:05 EST Yes, post away. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 73 Sat Feb 05, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:31 EST What a weird day...filming "Babylon Squared," and one minute I'm standing in the anteroom/hallway of a Minbari cruiser that leads into the Great Hall and the chambers of the Grey Council...a few minutes later I'm standing in a section of Babylon 4, and the whole atmosphere of the crew is *very* different, the whole sensibility is strange...very strange. Just cast Theodore Bickell in an episode entitled "TKO," written by Larry DiTillio. Also Greg McKinney appears in that episode. Finished writing the second half of our two-parter, "A Voice in the Wilderness." We go off the station for this one. Just one last episode to write, and we're finished with the scripts for this season. How weird. Seems like we barely started. Finishing filming on #17. "Babylon Squared" has a *very* different look to it, and a very eerie and foreboding feel about it, which I like a lot. Jim Johnston, who directed "Soul Hunter" and several others is doing it. Very moody. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 84 Sat Feb 05, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:19 EST At some point this season we will go down to the planet, yes. And yes, Babylon 4 is the one that vanished. And the end of this one should raise a LOT of new questions.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 98 Sun Feb 06, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:51 EST Chris and Terry...general agreement. With a point to add: when I've spoken highly of this series, from my POV I'm talking about the series as a whole being something very different. Yes, you'll see it in flashes here and there, but the cumulative effect is what I'm going for. (Now obviously you can't expect everyone to see the whole thing, that's not going to happen, and I'm not planning on it, every episode *must* still stand nominally by itself and be entertaining on its own terms.) To use a metaphor, this is a marathon. I intend for this show to go further than has been seen before. Some people, seeing that only a faew first steps have been taken on that journey, say they're not impressed because it hasn't gone very far. And they're missing the point. We're barely out of the starting gate, and we have miles to cover. But they're *entitled* to feel this way, and I have no real problem with it. I have been very patient for seven years; now we wait, we put the show out there, we ride out the ST comparisons...and then, gradually, as the show goes on week after week, people are going to begin seeing where we're going...and wondering just how far we'll manage to go with it. So by the end of the season, the full cumulative effect will be there. Fortunately, most folks will have a pretty good sense of what that is after episode #6, "Mind War." I don't think someone should have to wait around a full season to start picking up stuff and seeing, for lack of a more original term, the shape of things to come. This is going to be a revolutionary series, with the emphasis on the word SERIES. Some episodes -- like "Parliament," "Sky," "Mind War" and others -- are definitely extraordinary. But for me, it's always been the series as a whole. I'm glad the episodes are doing well, and glad they hold up to some pretty close scrutiny. But this is a marathon...and we have far to go. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 108 Sun Feb 06, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:47 EST I watch *every* version. I watch the daililes. I look at the director's cut. Then John Copeland and I go in to make the producer's cut. We watch it again a few times, futzing with it as we go. I watch the on-line version. I watch the color-corrected version. I watch it again after we've added in the SFX. I watch it while we spot the episode (determing where music and sound effects go). I watch it again when we do the mix-down to add music and sound. I watch it again to make sure it's all cohesive, on my home system, to make sure it translates okay (we mix in a fancy sound stage, with killer speakers, which most folks won't have). jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 123 Tue Feb 08, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:40 EST I've only had B5 related dreams a few times...thankfully. I need SOME time away from it. Re: the statement that it took the soul hunter's ship "literally seconds" to reach B5...nope. Sinclair left the observation dome, went down to the bays, got into his EVA suit, and had the ship prepped. So it was more than 2 seconds. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 127 Tue Feb 08, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:17 EST We've had a couple of dj's on the show, don't recall the names off hand. And yes, in general, for most practical purposes, P12 is about the upper limit. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 136 Wed Feb 09, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 15:42 EST I'm confused...I got a note today about an RTC here tonight, but it's not on the schedule or on the opening screen. Is it tonight that I'm due on, or Friday night? jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 147 Thu Feb 10, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:56 EST Major fan of The Prisoner, yes. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 150 Thu Feb 10, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:32 EST Here's the tentative schedule for episodes past "Mind War," which airs in three weeks: March 9 - "The War Prayer," by D.C. Fontana " 16 - "And the Sky Full of Stars," by jms " 23 - "Deathwalker," by Larry DiTillio " 30 - "Believers," by DAvid Gerrold April 6 - "Survivors," by Marc Scott Zicree At first it looked like there was going to be a batch of reruns after "Mind War," but PTEN is so happy with the ratings that they do NOT want to interfere with the momentum. Which makes me very happy as well. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 158 Thu Feb 10, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:29 EST There was a fairly negligible drop in #2, from 7.0 to 6.5 rating, mainly because the week of the second show was the beginning of sweeps period, which is when all the networks and local stations drag out their big guns and the competition increases *considerably*. In addition, a show generally drops 1 or 2 ratings points after its premiere; only one-half of one-percent is extremely good. Apparently, from PTEN ratings research, we're performing well above their expectations. The demographics are *extremely* good...hitting exactly the audience that advertisers want. For a series with no franchise going in, we're still far beyond expectations. The overnight from L.A. -- which is all I have in hand at the moment -- from "Purple" is a 7.4 rating with an 11 share, which is consistent with the prior weeks, so we're holding steady. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 163 Fri Feb 11, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:14 EST Well, open mouth, insert foot....as I said, it had been *tentatively* decided to fully revise the schedule, for the reasons given. Then someone remembered the November sweeps. If we do all new episodes through as planned, we'd have *nothing* for the November sweeps, we'd be done. So we had to ajust a bit, so there will be 2 or 3 more after "Mind War" that're new, culminating in "Sky," then 3-4 reruns, then picking up again. Sweeps are *very* important for the stations, and since the show is doing well, they don't want to waste episodes in non-sweeps periods. Meanwhile...it occured to me the other day that I've finished the last script I'm going to write for this season of B5. Seems like we just got started, and now I ain't got no more scripts to write for a while, until PTEN decides whether or not to pick us up. It's weird; kinda like coming home one day to find your car is no longer in your garage. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 169 Fri Feb 11, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:35 EST Don't you threaten me.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 204 Sun Feb 13, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:22 EST A couple of network affiliates have bumped their regular programming and have just taken on B5. Including an ABC affiliate. Interesting... Took a bit of a day to myself, got out, saw "Fool Moon" in its L.A. appearance (saw it in NY last year, off-broadway), with Bill Irwin and his partner, and if you're in L.A., *see* this thing. Just wonderful. Went with Harlan and Susan, and just before it stared, in comes Mick Jagger with his wife and three kids, and they sit in the row in front of us, and Harlan (who toured with 'em for a while for some articles) and he strike up a conversation, and we're all chatting. A very nice fellow, very quiet believe it or not. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 236 Tue Feb 15, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:12 EST Groups like the Grey Council, the Bene Gesserit, and others are part and parcel of mythology...whether it's the council of the gods, the twelve apostles, the councils of wizards and elves in Lord of the Rings...they are consistent with the myths we have created for ourselves, and thus pop up all over the place. (Did I mention the Round Table of Camelot?) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 241 Tue Feb 15, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:44 EST Well, we're doomed...I just realized today that our first *really* strong episode, "The Parliament of Dreams," airs the same night (in most markets, the 23rd) as the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan face off in the olympics. Imagine a silence vast as space...that sound is neilsen ratings meters stuck unmovingly on CBS.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 249 Wed Feb 16, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:22 EST Remember, the bears are not what they seem..... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 262 Thu Feb 17, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:15 EST Okay...here's a request for a favor. As of this week, "Infection" is more or less past us, and now two of our better shows are coming up; two real favorites, "The Parliament of Dreams" and "Mind War." These give a much better sense of what this show is *really* capable of doing. (BTW, add "Raiding Party" and "Babylon Squared" to my list of favorites from this season; the former shows that you can come damned close to the level of action-oriented space EFX in "Return of the Jedi" in TV. Really amazing stuff.) Anyway...if there are people you know who haven't given the show a look, or have been uncertain...these are the shows to have them watch. You can tell commend these two episodes to them without reservation. If you would want to convey that to those you know, we'd appreciate it. This is really a chance were B5 can shine. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 265 Thu Feb 17, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:39 EST We'd gotten Patrick for Knight 2 in "Sky," based on his reaction to the script...only to discover that he was going to be out of the country when we were going to shoot it. He's *very* particular about what he does, and the scripts he does, so this was something of a compliment (and I think he could've related to where we were going with it), but we'll just have to try again on something else; I'd love to have him in an episode sometime. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 273 Thu Feb 17, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:08 EST Dana: please list for me any promises that I have not kept. I have spoken about the series overall, and I have spoken about those individual episodes that I think are terrific. I said that "Sky" would be like a leap ahead of most anything produced for american SF-TV before. And I stand by that. "Sky" hasn't aired yet. It will in 4 weeks. I said that I liked "Soul," loved "Parliament" and "Mind War," and wasn't terribly big on "Infection," with "Midnight" and "Purple" somewhere toward the back of the pack of this first batch. I am, and have been, *very* careful about what I say here, and to avoid over-hyping. You're keeping me to promises that I haven't made, or applying a promise made about one episode to another, which is more than a little unfair. Show me what I've said here that has been inaccurate. Otherwise, I have nothing to apologize for. And one other thing: I'm not "begging" fans to do anything. I'm pointing out that the next two are killer episodes, and if there's anyone somebody knows who hasn't been wowed yet, *those* are the shows that'll do it. That's all. Dana, if you don't like it, don't watch it. It's really that simple. I've said before that this show will stand or fall on its own quality, not on anything I've said here. And I stand behind that. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 289 Fri Feb 18, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:39 EST Dana, I've sat here for ten minutes trying to figure out how to explain and answer your question...but I think that the very best way of conveying that information is contained in the next two episodes, with "Sky" as the capper. We've barely been on the air yet, have shown only the basic episodes designed to slowly bring people into our unvierse before getting weird...I've said from the start: don't give us a season to get interesting. Just six episodes. If we don't grab you by then...switch channels. The other element to all this -- and I said this many times, here, prior to the episodes -- is that if someone says to you, "This is gonna be a great series," you or I begin to imagine and see in our heads the show WE would consider perfect. And the product is destined never to be that show, unless you're actually creating it. Some people will hate or be disappointed by ANY series, regardless of quality, and some people will love a show, again regardless of quality. There's a bell-curve of viewers. The question is where does the curve skew the most, toward the positive or the negative? We talk about HIll Street a lot...but there are a LOT of people who couldn't *stand* the show. Still can't. In a hit series -- *major* hit -- 50% of the people really enjoy the show, 30% think it's okay, and 20% think it's absolutely horrible. That happens. As long as those numbers don't reverse themselves, you're okay. But like I said...when TNG hit the air, everybody was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt for the *entire first season* and hope it got better in the second year. We're not asking for that. All I can say is that "Parliament," "Mind War" and "Sky" are far more emblematic of what this show is, and will become, than any of the other episodes. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 290 Fri Feb 18, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:57 EST P.S. Just as a reminder to anyone looking on...before we began airing episodes, I posted my list of favorite episodes of the first six. I'll repost that here now: 1) "The Parliament of Dreams" 2) "Mind War" 3) "Soul Hunter" 4) "Midnight on the Firing Line" 5) "Born to the Purple" 6) "Infection" Plugging in the addition of two new episodes that'll be aired after "Mind War," I'd put the new lineup of the first eight in this order of personal favorites: 1) "The Parliament of Dreams" 2) "And the Sky Full of Stars" (A tie with "Parliament") 3) "Mind War" 4) "Soul Hunter" 5) "Midnight on the Firing Line" 6) "Born to the Purple" 7) "The War Prayer" 8) "Infection" I think that the first list comes pretty close to the majority of views I've seen expressed here thus far. We'll see more after the next two air. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 294 Fri Feb 18, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:14 EST I dunno...I think there's a difference between a genuine difference of opinion, and a hatchet job. Reactions to a show are going to vary, and all observations can be learned from. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 334 Sat Feb 19, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:23 EST I'd be inclined to ask your friend at the store to hold back any such B5 vs. DS9 debate until we've aired the first season. Otherwise it's really not very fair. It's like comparing two books, one of whom you've read completely, the other of which you've read only the first couple of chapters. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 351 Sun Feb 20, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:56 EST ST/B5 definitely isn't an either/or situation, neither is it a competition since in most markets, they're on the *same station*. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 360 Mon Feb 21, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:44 EST BTW...for those in the L.A. area...our Conceptual Consultant on B5, Harlan Ellison, is having a special presentation, "On Being a Writer, An Evening with Harlan Ellison." It's being put on by the Learning Tree University one time only on March 1st from 7-10 p.m. He'll be talking about writing, ethical standards, cultural illiteracy and politica (political) correctness, among many and varied other topics. The price is a pittance -- $39 -- and information can be had on this by calling 818-882-5599. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 403 Thu Feb 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:40 EST Na'Toth is played by Caitlin Brown. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 404 Thu Feb 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:42 EST BTW, for the satellite-people among us, the uplink of B5 has been moved to Fridays at 2 p.m. pacific time. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 443 Sun Feb 27, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:58 EST It depends; in most places, it's held solid, other places it dips if there's something of local interest on another channel (i.e., a local sporting event), other places it's gone up. As long as it stays overall within a point or two of the goal, if it generally builds over the previous hour, and the demographics are good (which they are), you're in good shape. There's a *LOT* of variance in syndicated ratings. Needless to say, though, we got *creamed* by the Tonya/Nancy Show. Which got a 64 share, the 3rd biggest ratings for a sporting event in history. But then, *everybody* got beat up by that one, so again it's okay. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 448 Mon Feb 28, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:30 EST B4 never got as far as having a commander attached to it. The last stages of construction on Babylon 4 were supervised by one Major Krantz, assigned specifically to that task. He managed to get the station completed, and on-line, and Earthforce was just beginning the process of selecting a commanding officer to run the station when, 24 hours after the station became operational, it vanished, taking roughly 1,200 of its skeleton crew with it (including Major Krantz). jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 449 Mon Feb 28, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:42 EST BTW...before I forget (again), the syndicated radio show, the Mike and John Show will be broadcast *live* from the B5 studios this Monday (tomorrow) from 3-7 p.m. EST. It's on WJFK in D.C., and also carried in Baltimore, Miami, Tampa Bay, Indianapolis, Reno, Rochester, Buffalo and Fresno. Most of the cast will be interviewd, along with me and some of the other producer- types. Walter Koenig will also be on the air. jms ------------ ************ Topic 2 Wed Nov 20, 1991 STARR [Arne] at 19:41 EST Sub: Babylon 5 -- The Series!! >>SPOILERS<< Babylon 5 offically became a series on May 28 '93. There will be 22 hour eps for season one (in addition to the pilot). Airs Wednesdays at 8PM in most places starting Jan. 26 '94. This is the SPOILER topic where anything goes. 557 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 244 Wed Feb 02, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:05 EST The alien sector is *primarily* for those who require alternate atmospheres; oxygen-breathing aliens can live elsewhere. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 251 Thu Feb 03, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:59 EST Many aliens (all who require alternate atmosphere) live in the alien sector. Those who can breathe oxygen can live in other areas, but tend to congregate with other non-humans in the oxygen sections of the alien sector. The ambassadors have their own environment supported quarters in the Green Sector, which is the high-security area for diplomats. Humans have the highest clearance level because this is a human run and operated (for the most part) station. This isn't the Federation; the Earth Alliance would *never* allow a non-human to have highest clearance. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 274 Fri Feb 04, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:57 EST Re: Sinclair's actions toward the Soul Hunter...the device he uses was trained on Delenn. It was spiraling up to full power throughout the scene. Just as Sinclair's thrown, you see it starting to come to critical mass...it's shooting at Delenn. There isn't/wasn't time to sit there and figure out how it works, and shut off the right button. He turned it so that it faced away from her...and the Hunter was caught in his own machine. There was nowhere else to go with the machine. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 295 Sat Feb 05, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:23 EST To the question about a Soul Hunter's strength...yes, it is *very* considerable. Even with one arm he was able to slam the hell out of the commander, pick him up and again slam him against a wall before throwing him about 10 feet across the room. Had he not been stopped, and stopped good, yes, he would've torn Sinclair to ribbons. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 320 Tue Feb 08, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:43 EST It was "Med-Alert." Not "Bab-Alert." jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 385 Thu Feb 17, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:03 EST Louise: thanks. Anything else in response would be redundent. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 421 Sat Feb 19, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:31 EST Nope, we don't do the threaten-ambassadors stuff much; in fact, as I think of it, that *might* be the last real biggie, though certainly they get into considerable trouble from time to time in other ways. That's too easy a story, thus it behooves us not to do it overmuch. And like I said...I have problems with "Infection" as well, so there is no flame from me. I guess part of it is knowing what was in the script that should've been carried off better, but wasn't. And part of it is my fault; I tried to use the Nelson/machine as a metaphor; it wasn't supposed to be about the Nelson/machine, but about the kind of people who would create it, the kind of people who would sell it, and the kind of people who would confiscate it even KNOWING what it was (and of course the kind of people who would *use* it). Unfortunatly, when you put somebody in that kind of suit, that *becomes* the story, and from that point on you're pretty much doomed. It was also in places too much an obvious metaphor, and the "hand of the author" is showing too much. It was the first script written for this season, after the long break after the pilot, and I think I was trying to find the characters' "fingerprints" and getting into the flow of the series, which took a script or two. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 426 Sun Feb 20, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:09 EST Mike: for you to say that the racism issue is one that has been beaten to death in the last X-years, that including it in the first 22 episodes is "a sad tale:" I live in L.A. Does the name Rodney King ring a bell? Or the L.A. riots? Maybe you don't like the treatment of an issue -- that's fine -- but I reserve the right to try and address issues that I consider important. Maybe you think it's been said. But it bears repeating. As someone once noted, "Of course everything has already been said. But since no one was listening, we must begin again." ` jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 429 Sun Feb 20, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:58 EST I'd slice this a little finer and suggest that it wasn't so much the *stupidity* of racism and the whole genetic purity aspect, but the IMPRACTICALITY of such ideas. If you follow the idea to its logical conclusion, *nobody* is pure. Which was kind of the point. And oddly enough, there's a pro-genocide discussion in "Deathwalker." jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 450 Thu Feb 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:22 EST A parliament is a gathering of representatives, in this case the representatives of various belief systems; the dreams are the religions themselves. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 453 Thu Feb 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:04 EST I think it would've done better as a Short Subject. Sorry; there's no one more critical of my work than me, and when it comes to "Infection," I'd just kinda prefer it if it kinda vanished in the night. I feel that way about only two episodes out of 22, so that's not too bad, I suppose. But in any event, I don't think there's *nearly* enough there to make into a two-parter. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 456 Thu Feb 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:30 EST The Xon? Dead. All of them. And good riddance. RE: the glasses...it's not something I've been able to figure out how to mention, but the Narn pride themselves on their physical perfection. Hence there is no market for physical aides; it's something to be ashamed of. So they have to crib stuff from other species, like glasses that have a prescription close enough to be useful. I have *no* idea how to work that into a script, and am not sure it is even a good idea to do so. Kosh was otherwise engaged.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 465 Thu Feb 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:13 EST Actually, many of the alien races do *not* have monolithic religious beliefs. You'll note that G'Kar didn't take part in the festival from the Narn POV. You'll see Narn beliefs in "By Any Means Necessary," and there it's mentioned that there are many different beliefs among Narns, G'Quon and G'Lan being the two larger systems. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 478 Fri Feb 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 15:46 EST The problem with "Infection" from a writing POV is that it was the FIRST one written for this season, and I was having a hard time finding the "fingerprints" of the characters again after so much time had passed after the pilot (it was nearly a year between the revising/shooting of the pilot, and the writing of the first series script). As on *any* show, it takes a while to get up to speed once you hit series. That was the real problem, and there wasn't any real way to get past it except to write it, re-acquaint myself with the characters, and move on. I probably would have opted out of doing it had we had more scripts on hand, but we didn't. And oddly, many on the production team *liked* the script quite a lot, and kept saying it had to be done. Of all the scripts I've written, the only one that I'm less than absolutely 100% thrilled with is "The Quality of Mercy," because I wrote it while absolutely sick with the flu, and have NO memory even of writing it. As it is, though, I'm about 90% happy with it, particularly the B-story with Londo and Lennier, which came out great. So out of 12 scripts that I've done for this season, I'm absolutely pleased with 10 and 1/2 of them. I created this show because I wanted to write for it; to not do so kind of misses the point. I think that my scripts for "Parliament," "Mind War," "Sky," "Babylon Squared," "A Voice in the Wilderness," and "Chrysalis" represent some of the best work I've ever done. And I think you'll agree. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 481 Sat Feb 26, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:23 EST Is this 470/13/5? I haven't been in a while...maybe I'd better look.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 483 Sat Feb 26, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:23 EST They don't. Never said they did. Centauri have a pantheon. The Narns (as we'll see in "By Any Means Necessary") have several different competing religions. Only two religions -- Centauri and Ikarran -- have a similar historical thread in the Great Maker, with the small addition of those worlds conquered by the Centauri which have adopted Centauri religion (or been forced to do so, as has happened here on our own world). jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 496 Sat Feb 26, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:23 EST Sure, I could've gotten them into bed by the second act...but that wasn't the point. What I wanted to show, what interests me, is the give and take leading up to that moment, the feints and parries and "how do we get past this?" That to me is some of the most interesting stuff in a relationship. Re: the newspaper...it's not printed in conventional fashion. You program in your interests, and every morning a pre-filtered copy of UT is printed up in your quarters, on synthetic recycleable material. You ript it, carry it, toss it. Very simple, and probably within our own grasp in the next 5 years. (I.e., imagine a computer set to scan the wire services, look for certain keywords, download the articles, and during the night load the articles into a pre-set design format and automatically print them up on your laser printer so they're waiting in the morning.) I didn't say that Earth was the ONLY one with diverse religions. I don't understand why it is that when ONE thing is shown, it means that's the ONLY thing. It's not. Narns, as we'll see in "By Any Means Necessary," have several competing beliefs. The idea of the festival wasn't to compare and contrast, only to show what *we* (whoever *we* is) believes. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 500 Sat Feb 26, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:21 EST Oh, there's *lots* more surprises and sucker punches than that in the show...trust me. BTW...someone dropped me an email note mentioning in passing that somewhere else there's a discussion going on about *this* discussion, and indicating that my presence here inhibits criticism of B5. First, if I believed that, I wouldn't be here. Second...it ain't true. Along with logging on here and on a number of other systems under my own name, there are a few BBSs -- regional and national -- which have B5 discussions giong on where I also hang out...but either under a pseudonym, or without leaving messages, thus no one knows I'm lurking. I do this in order to get an unbiased view of the show, without my presence affecting the discussion one way or another. Call it a control group, if you will. And on those forums where I'm not known to be there, what you get are generally "I liked it" or "I didn't like it," about as broad as that. Very little of the (to use the phrase of others) nits and detailed analyses that go on on the systems where I *am* known to hang out. Since there's a conduit for direct feedback to the show, people here and on the other services where I'm on as myself tend to provide MORE criticism of the show, not less. In some cases, the occasional person may feel that he HAS to find something to nit at, because there is the implicit request for feedback. Nor do I try to get in the way of negative feedback; if I think that someone is getting personal in an attack, or making an unfair accusation, or blaming me for something that the show never did...I fire back. I try to answer all questions as non-judgmentally as possible, and if someone asks if something's going to be done, point to the forthcoming episode where it *is* done. I don't try to change people's opinions here (I let the show do that), don't try to intimidate people into silence (I don't think it's *possible* to intimidate this particular group in *any* event), and I have a much lower estimation for those who skulk off in dark corners to mutter their criticisms of the discussion here than speak openly. I'm insulted by the allegation, and frankly think that anyone here who has been taking part in the discussion here should feel insulted about being portrayed as spineless and toadying, which is the implicit statement behind the allegation. If I *ever* got the impression that my presence here was inhibiting an open discussion, inhibiting criticism, I'd log off. But near as I can tell, being here *encourages* criticism, in greater volume than elsewhere. The day that changes, I'm outta here. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 520 Sun Feb 27, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:11 EST Yes, the meal *was* very expensive, as much as a room for a week. If you're going to go after something as costly to import as wine (the major expense), then you're going to pay *bigtime* for it. Mr.T...it was my intent to imply in the scene with the guard and Bester ("nothing, just a drill") that he DID scan the guard's mind. He found out what he was hiding (which is how he managed to show up to try and cut Ironheart off from his escape), exchanged a glance with Kelsey, and headed away quickly. If this didn't come through, it might not have been sufficiently clear. Note that the guard doesn't finish his sentence, and sorta drifts off.... Shane: am I unaffected by what I see here? How could I be? I'm as much flesh and blood as anyone here (well, most anyone). I listen. I learn. Someone once asked the Pope how he'd describe his job: "See everything. Ignore a lot. Change a few things." I generally listen hard to ANY opinion, and if it makes sense, modify my own. I've been iffy on how n'grath has been presented, and with the reactions, I've pretty much decided to either kill him off or modify the way he is handled come next season (PTEN willing). On an emotional level, sure, it's hard, but that comes with the territory. If you're going to stay out here on the net, you're going to hear opinions and reactions -- often stated without much politeness -- that you really don't want to hear. That's life. To quote master philosopher Tom Servo, "Deal with it, pink boy." It's kind of like being in a workshop with, oh, 3,000 people giving you notes on what you've just written, and very rarely do any two of them agree. It can make you crazy. But since I'm long past crazy, I get by. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 529 Sun Feb 27, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:15 EST (Trying to run it all through my head...I don't think we see Kosh for a while...he's not in "Mind War," not in "The War Prayer" or in "Sky," and the first one up after reruns is, I believe "Believers," in which Kosh *does* make an appearance, being as cryptic as ever. We tend to use Kosh sparingly. The one story in which he plays a significant role and has a lot of on-camera time is "DeathWalker." He's also in "Grail," and "Chrysalis," and some others, though they slip my mind at the moment.) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 533 Mon Feb 28, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:32 EST Here's the thing...I never said once, *anywhere*, that the Minbari change sex. When I mentioned that we were going to have a female playing a male, somehow this came up...but I *never said it*. This was just another speculation that took off and accumulated a life of its own. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 538 Mon Feb 28, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 15:08 EST The Xon weren't any more evil or good than the race that survived; two equally sentient species emerged on the Centauri homeworld over the course of evolution. They were more or less separated by distance and land masses and oceans, so there was little contact until either side developed the technology required to find the other. It was the next best thing to a first contact situation, except it's on their own world; they were very much alien to one another. Somewhere along the line, it was decided that this world wasn't big enough for both of them, so they began a campaign of slaughter against each other. Londo's people won. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 541 Mon Feb 28, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:32 EST The quote is incorrect in any event; that was one *possibility* that we had discussed, that's not set in stone. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 546 Mon Feb 28, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:36 EST No, I said that if I genuinely believed that my presence here was inhibiting open and frank discussion, I would withdraw, because that's unfair to those using the system. Re: the difference as to why Sinclair reacted the way he did...they SPOKE to him in his head, the same way they did to the guard in customs. This is different than just "listening" to someone's thoughts, so to speak. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 551 Mon Feb 28, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:54 EST No, I never said the *Minbari* change sex. And I didn't. I indicated that Delenn would end up female. There's a difference. And that's all I can say on it for now. jms (And the Minbari *don't* change sex.) ------------ ************ Topic 4 Tue Nov 03, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:12 EST Sub: Babylon 5 - Cast & Characters For discussion of the actors who will be bringing BABYLON 5 to life with their performances...for information before, and discussion after the airing of "The Gathering" pilot. 372 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 239 Tue Feb 01, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:53 EST T.Schell...you mean like the hispanic doctors that appear in such B5 episodes as "Believers?" And "Chrysalis?" And "Deathwalker?" And the native american in "Parliament?" And the many other black, asian and other-ethnic guest characters we've used in "Mind War" and other episodes? jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 269 Sat Feb 05, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:25 EST For the most part, lower level types don't know the names of those in the Grey Council (speaking of Minbari for a moment). They are kept fairly anonymous to avoid the cult of personality arising. You'll see the full extent to which they preserve their anonymity in some of the upcoming episodes, specifically "Sky" and "Babylon Squared." jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 275 Sun Feb 06, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:50 EST I try to keep things to a need-to-know basis. Sometimes you don't want the future to influence an actor's performance now. And sometimes you *do*. Some know a little, some know a lot, some know only what's necessary for an individual episode. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 280 Tue Feb 08, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:44 EST Better television reception. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 291 Fri Feb 11, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:15 EST The computer voice belongs to Haley, our script supervisor. jms ------------ ************ Topic 5 Tue Nov 03, 1992 T.ORTH [Mr. Rico] (Forwarded) Sub: Grid Epsilon Irregulars - News & Info. This topic is for information about Babylon 5 fan groups, newsletters, fanzines, get-togethers, B-5 at conventions, and other general fun. 328 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 5 Message 318 Thu Feb 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:24 EST Ask Katherine to ask Christy.... I made it clear I've got nothing to do with this, it's their (Christy's) responsibility. jms ------------ ************ Topic 10 Thu Nov 12, 1992 SANDMAN [Henry] at 19:25 EST Sub: Sex in Babylon 5 Can't do without this one!! 367 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 10 Message 337 Tue Feb 08, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:47 EST Well, of course, the other thing to remember about Paul is that he had a real problem with women doing much of *anything*. His letters about the role of women in church came out of his concern that women were taking too big a place in the church, and had to be pushed down. If someone wants to yank out a biblical quote to put women "in their place," it's almost *always* one of Paul's. He had a real problem with women. (Yoko in particular.) jm(who has actually read the bible twice)s ------------ Category 18, Topic 10 Message 349 Sun Feb 13, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:26 EST Let's just say for now that you'll learn something very unusual about Centauri "intimacy" in "The Quality of Mercy." jms ------------ ************ Topic 12 Wed Nov 18, 1992 B.WIST [Brad] at 18:12 EST Sub: Babylon 5 Sightings Post here when you've spotted Babylon 5, whether it be on Television, Magazine, or somewhere else. Let us know where we can find it/see it, too. 511 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 447 Fri Feb 04, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:41 EST Look for a B5 piece on Sci-Fi Buzz this Sunday; on KPCC on February 20th at 3:30 p.m. (or thereabouts); and on Channel 13 L.A. this coming wednesday (as part of their newscast). jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 455 Sun Feb 06, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:52 EST ...i hate being interviewed...i don't want my mug on teevee...the STORY is the star, as far as i'm concerned....feh, feh, and in case you missed it the first time...feh. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 497 Thu Feb 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:53 EST The 2nd B5 issue of Cinefantastique is already out. Picked up a few copies the other day. (They shipped with two different covers; one cover has Stephen King's The Stand on it, the other has B5 on it.) js ------------ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 506 Fri Feb 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:32 EST No, I don't think there's a 100% correlation; sometimes a show is absolutely awful, and is panned appropriately. Sometimes a show tries to introduce a paradigm shift, and gets unfairly nailed. And all of the other possibilities in-between. I have learned from this experience one very important lesson: no matter what you do, somebody'll gig you for it. If you put in action, they'll say the show has nothing to say and is shallow; if you put in esoteric stuff, they'll say it's pompous; if you spend time building your characters, they'll say it's slow; if you do a complex plot, they'll say there's no characterization; if you have no EFX, they'll say you're cheap; if you put in lots of EFX, they'll say you're just doing the old razzle-dazzle with nothing of substance...and on and on and on. So, fundamentally, the only thing you can do is keep doing what it is you're doing, and be patient, letting people gradually see the full picture of what you're doing. (Oh, yeah, and if you start off going for ambitious stuff, they'll say you're confusing; if you start gradually and work your way into the more complex stories after you've introduced the world and the characters, they'll say you're not innovative.) I am content to be patient, and to continue telling the story I want to tell. jms ------------ ************ Topic 13 Mon Nov 23, 1992 T.ORTH [Mr. Rico] at 21:00 EST Sub: Babylon 5 - Science & Technology Jump gates, nanotech, high-tech weapons, starship drives, sound in space, and other subjects of science and technology in Babylon 5. 523 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 411 Thu Feb 03, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 16:33 EST Actually, there's only one jump gate near B5, which can take you into or out of hyperspace. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 414 Thu Feb 03, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:38 EST Of course, the station *does* have a VERY comprehensive defense system, which could've blown the ship (or any other incoming object) out of existence at any time; the only reason for waiting as long as possible was because of the first contact reprecussions.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 421 Fri Feb 04, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:04 EST They weren't amazed that the ship activated the gate; they weren't expecting any ships in for a while (so sayeth Laurel), and thus were surprised that he arrived early. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 457 Tue Feb 08, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:50 EST I loved the lensman books, and own first editions of just about the whole cycle. Re: the helmets reflecting a tactical display...we actually tried this, and put in displays where they would actually be. Problem is, unless you're shooting at an up-angle, which looks really weird, it's not bright enough to reflect much, unless you also REALLY make it bright, in which case it looks REALLY funky. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 459 Tue Feb 08, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:06 EST That was our first excursion into DownBelow; we began modifying the wardrobe fairly quickly thereafter to present a more broad-based look. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 520 Sat Feb 19, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:34 EST It's made to be adhesive to skin, but easily removed. jms ------------ ************ Topic 14 Thu Dec 31, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:59 EST Sub: Lurkers/Introductions: Please Sign In A place for newcomers to come in, say hello, whether you want to jump into the conversation or not, just to let us know you're here. 534 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 14 Message 496 Tue Feb 01, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:47 EST Re: Vertigo...some of the best writing being done today is by Neil Gaiman in the SANDMAN books...amazing stuff.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 14 Message 502 Thu Feb 10, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:15 EST Americanized version: struh-zin-ski. Byeloruss (native) version: strah-chin-ski. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 14 Message 533 Mon Feb 28, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:44 EST Victoria...long as you're here...at this point it looks as if I won't be able to make it to the con. I knew there was something brewing in August, and there are several somethings, primarily including San Diego ComicCon about a week earlier. When we're in the middle of production, I can get away for *maybe* one con a month, but two is just impossible. There's one slim chance that I might be around there for business purposes at some point around there, but that's still very much up in the air just now. jms ------------ ************ Topic 15 Thu Dec 31, 1992 J.ROY18 [Jonathan] at 21:29 EST Sub: Babylon 5 - Alien Races Aliens races in Babylon 5... their politics, abilties, technology, history, and any other discussion specificly about non-humans. 451 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 15 Message 421 Sun Feb 06, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:26 EST Well, *I* always figured they did, but then I always figured they were marsupials, not reptilian...but that perception has gotten so much out there that I don't know if it can be recalled, and if I may have to just give on in that point. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 15 Message 445 Thu Feb 17, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:07 EST Don: Minbari is in part derived from a minbar, which is the name for the pulpit in a mosque. jms ------------ ************ Topic 17 Tue Jan 19, 1993 C.STOBBE [Colin] at 21:02 EST Sub: Babylon 5 - Merchandising A place to discuss all the neat Babylon 5 merchandising coming out (hopefully) soon 489 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 17 Message 476 Tue Feb 15, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:38 EST I have consultation rights on everything merchandised, to keep it within the proper B5 framework. I'd like to keep that hand as light as possible, though...like I said, I'm curious to see what *others* can do with the show. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 17 Message 486 Thu Feb 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:25 EST BTW, Lee, next time you and I end up at the same con, give me some advance word, to bring something in exchange for the poster. jms ------------ ************ Topic 24 Fri Jun 04, 1993 J.ROY18 [Jonathan] at 21:11 EDT Sub: Babylon 5 - Weapons and Warfare! For discussion about the weapons, counter weapons, armor, shielding, tactics, logistics, and so forth, of small combat and large scale war in the Babylon 5 universe. 453 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 374 Sat Feb 05, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:29 EST Correct; the distortion you're seeing is caused by superheating the air. When it collapses again -- the heat literally burns through the atmosphere, the same as lightning -- it would logically make a sound like a small thunderclap...so we sampled some thunder sounds, and interlaced some of the PPG sound with that as well. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 378 Sun Feb 06, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:41 EST I'd thought Brett had answered that well, about the magnetic field keeping the stuff in. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 380 Sun Feb 06, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:52 EST Yup. Cumbersome. And they say, "Here I am, shoot me." jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 383 Sun Feb 06, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:46 EST There is a cycle-up period. Whenever the PPG is going to be used, you can hear it powering up. jms (Of course, once powered up, it doesn't need to do it again until after it fires the charge.) ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 387 Mon Feb 07, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:49 EST Re: bullets...you're essentially shooting bullets inside a tin can. The problem with ricochet is *incredible*. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 396 Tue Feb 08, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:52 EST Yes, there are other divisions, including the Marines. We'll see them, too, from time to time.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 398 Tue Feb 08, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:57 EST Yes to both questions. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 411 Thu Feb 10, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:16 EST There are non-lethal weapons, including shock-sticks, which can be used to disable someone. It looks something like a large baton and works kind of like a taser, only moreso. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 431 Wed Feb 16, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:31 EST Oh, you will, you will.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 434 Fri Feb 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:33 EST The article is confused; the station has Alpha, Delta, and Gamma squadrons, composed of starfuries. The final squadron, Zeta flight, will arrive in "Survivors." jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 436 Sat Feb 26, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:24 EST Nope. jms (Larry's last name is misspelled throughout. A small joy for me.) ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 441 Sun Feb 27, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:13 EST The photo caption is correct. And I very much wish it weren't. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 443 Sun Feb 27, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:23 EST I didn't think anything was revealed about that...will go back and check. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 444 Sun Feb 27, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:26 EST Wait...just checked. No, don't worry...odd as it sounds, that doesn't reveal anything at all about Kosh. You'll understand when you see the episode. (Scared me for a minute there....) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 448 Sun Feb 27, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:16 EST Trust me, that ain't it either. That's all I can say without making this a spoiler. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 451 Mon Feb 28, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:33 EST Nope. jms ------------ ************ Topic 25 Fri Mar 12, 1993 S.SHELLENBAR [>> SHANE <<] at 08:47 EST Sub: J. Michael Straczynski Speaks in Public This is the place to find out where and when JMS will be appearing next. JMS has honed his skills as a public speaker and is taking his act on the road. 426 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 416 Sun Feb 13, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:38 EST Wait...it's *11:30*? I was told 1 p.m. Can this be verified? jms ------------ ************ Topic 26 Sun Jun 06, 1993 G.PLANA [Gary] at 01:51 EDT Sub: Babylon 5 - Episode titles and info This topic is for information about individual episodes -- their titles, writers, and any other information JMS may leak! 195 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 26 Message 192 Tue Feb 01, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:27 EST I can't comment on that last part for a while yet; will do so soon. jms ------------ ************ Topic 27 Fri Feb 04, 1994 W.SUDLOW [Raffles] at 19:56 EST Sub: Babylon 5 and Religion A place to discuss Soul Hunters, Minbari reincarnation beliefs and other >metaphysical subjects. Feel free to compare and contrast with human religions, but *please* be considerate, and avoid entering realworld theological debates. 32 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 27 Message 2 Sat Feb 05, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:02 EST Because we deal with religion a *lot* in this first season, we're giving it a break...but yes, there is some cross-fertilization. I'd written a scene for one script, cut for time, featuring an alien in Catholic collar, a priest. And there should be humans who'd get into alien religions that are thousands of years older than our own. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 27 Message 10 Tue Feb 08, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:58 EST Speaking of handing someone a hot potato, if you think this one is a toughie, just wait for "Believers." Yikes. What the soul was, who's right, and even whether this is SF or Science Fantasy, was it explained enough to merit one over the other... how can I put this...? I don't want to spoon-feed stuff to people. What I want is not to hit someone with a MORAL, or a message, or "This is what a soul is," or "This is what makes it an SF series," I want to start discussions. Arguments. Preferably a bar fight or two. We present an issue. Here are the sides. Now...what do YOU think about it? I want this show to ask, "Who are you? Where are you going?" That's half the fun. Some of my favorites pastimes in college were sitting in the commons, or the library, arguing this stuff from every possible angle. You think I'm gonna tell you what to think? What it means? No. The goal is to provoke discussion. Preferably passionate discussion. Otherwise I might as well just start renting billboards and putting up signs. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 27 Message 14 Thu Feb 10, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:59 EST Yes, I do. No, you don't. jms ------------ ************ Topic 4 Sat Oct 16, 1993 STARR [Arne] at 10:46 EDT Sub: Midnight on the Firing Line (#103) The first episode of the new series appearing in late January. 190 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 19, Topic 4 Message 151 Tue Feb 01, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:07 EST Somone crossing *bang-banged* on the grate in the middle of the central corridor, and so Doyle hesitated, and we found we didn't have the coverage to collapse that one moment, or a replacement take. jms ------------ ************ Topic 5 Sat Oct 16, 1993 STARR [Arne] at 10:49 EDT Sub: Soul Hunter (#102) by JMS. The second sheduled episode of the new series. 268 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 19, Topic 5 Message 34 Wed Feb 02, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:52 EST Mira's makeup is the same between episodes, and we'll be keeping the act structure you're seeing now. Many thanks. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 5 Message 36 Wed Feb 02, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:47 EST Normally, I don't tend to respond to negatives, because I don't generally want to get in the way or be perceived to be getting in the way of criticism. I don't. But I feel I have to respond to some of this. If the show is open to criticism, then it seems to me that some of the critiques should be open as well. And some of these I think are quitge unfair. 1) When did they move the jump gate (re: the time required to get from the gate by Kosh's ship, as opposed to the Hunter ship). They/we didn't. Once again, and I wish people could remember this, Kosh's ship BEGAN TO DECELERATE the instant it emerged from the gate, in order to dock with B5 without smashing into it. The Soul Hunter ship was out of control, careening in at full speed. (This was a widely discussed reason why the Vorlon fleet got to B5 so quickly as vs. Kosh's ship. They were moving fast to get into striking position.) 2) The Hunter's ship was on autopilot, set to come out of the first gate it came to. 3) There was still time for the station's defense grid to blow the ship. Yes, pieces would have continued onward, but a hell of a lot of its inertia would've been taken out by the incoming fire, and any remaining pieces would've either been taken out as well, or would have been so small as to not damage the hull (which is *very* thick at that point) given its blast-enforced deceleration. 4) Yes, Sinclair would've gone up with it. You pays your money, you takes your chances. 5) There was no "the Earth is going to explode" story here; you have a ship colliding with the station, that has to be stopped. It has to be stopped within the period between when it emerges from the gate, and the time it would collide. You want to know how much time you have to work in. Maybe it's a dramatic device, but it's also exactly what you would do. What would you prefer? "Lieutenant Commander, how much longer until impact?" "Uh...I dunno...can you hang on a second?" 6) Re: the "funny forehead" comment...it was not what I've understood the FF syndrome to mean...a regular head with a little treatment on the front. This was a whole-head prosthetic, covering the entire back of the head. So wrong on that one. And re: n'grath having 6 legs rather than 4...who're you to say that? Ever seen a praying mantis? Do all insects all over the galaxy have to have six legs to qualify? You don't like minimal makeup, you don't like full-body prosthetics...you understand that this comes out as "nothing will please me except a real alien." You tell me where to find one in Central Casting, and I'll hire him. 7) Okay, here's my biggest gripe: the note that the soul aspect was Trek and "katra." Let me be clear on this: I don't give a damn what Trek has or has not done now, long ago, or will do in the future. We can't be constantly looking over our shoulder, limiting our universe because of another show. If your only frame of reference when it comes to discussing the soul is Star Trek, then that's profoundly disappointing, but it's got nothing to do with me. The basic concept goes back to the beginnings of civilization (that your soul can be captured somehow). Further, there were no soul hunters in ST, it was placement of one's spirit in another body. I'm getting real tired of the notion that if Trek did something, nobody else ever can do it. Like the person who said that Trek invented nanotechnology, and thus when we used it in the pilot episode in the nanotech machine G'Kar swallows, we were just copying Trek's nanites. I refuse to surrender creative control of this series to the ghost of Star Trek's used notions. From time to time, we'll cross into areas they have also touched. We'll touch it differently. Deal with it. But please don't put a Star Trek (tm) tag on the soul, and the history of the soul. 8) You say a guard's gun was taken *twice* in this episode. Where is #2 (if #1 is the medlab guard)? I see a guard being attacked from behind, but not his gun being taken. 9) Re: the second soul hunter's makeup being "inferior" to the first: they were essentially exactly the same...same material, same design, minus the stone, which varied...I'm sorry, but they were made, applied and used in exactly the same way. 10) Why drain her of blood? Why the hell not? In some countries, that was used as a means of execution. Bleeding was also used (in theory) to heal. Okay, let's say he used poison. "Why use poison?" you probably would've asked. "Oh, it was the old poison gag, and they find a convenient antidote." There's no difference. 11) How did the hunter relate his sense of death to a wall map? I ask again...why not? If you can buy it happens at all, why not? How is that any different than walking through a hall, or being drawn to a planet? This is strictly a straw-man example, as is much of what you cite. This, frankly, is what I find so offensive in your note. You take things that as a matter of opinion you might have done differently, and then try to hold it up as a fault. You set up straw man arguments that could be just as easily turned around on anything, mischaracterizing something in order to take a cheap shot. 12) Why didn't Sinclair link in when he found the hunter? Because he only "found" the hunter when he was being SHOT AT. And at that point you don't want to raise your voice because you'll be shot at again. 13) You complain that the soul globes seemed to wait until the moment Sinclair freed them to act (as though it were the bag that had been holding them in). Sure, they could've emerged...and floated. A lot of good that would've done them. What they needed was someone who could stop him, and that was Sinclair's task. They were able to distract the hunter long enough for that to happen. Minus Sinclair, what were they supposed to do, bedazzle him to death? 14) Re: shining things into the camera = NBC Mystery Movie. See point 11a above. I'm not responsible for your cultural reference points. I don't mean to yell, but thing is, I don't mind genuine criticism, if we specifically do something that is objectively *wrong*. If you don't like something, that's also fine. But I'm tired of people who confuse opinion with fact, and that if it isn't done their way, then it isn't somehow *right*...and the notion that Star Trek has invented, patented and qualified for sole claim on whole aspects of our history, literature, culture, theology and language, and that anybody who touches on these areas is just doing Trek stuff. As far as I'm concerned, the Trek-soul-katra thing treated the soul as little more than a misplaced pair of sunglasses. Here we tried to get into the issues *behind* the soul...where does it come from, where does it go, does it survive the death of the body, or does it go on...to give some mystery and beauty to the notion. To have it dismissed as just another riff on katra is offensive and insulting and narrow. And all of those issues just seemed to flit by without comment. I don't mean to get angry, but this is one I'm very proud of, and to see it sideswiped and mischaracterized and straw-man'd to death in this fashion is just something that I had to respond to. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 5 Message 41 Wed Feb 02, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:02 EST Just one note...as I mentioned in my reply to your email, Torville, I have received and waded through literally *thousands* of critiques of B5, from the pilot to the first two episodes. In all but maybe 5-6 of those, I keep my mouth shut. The only time I can't avoid the tendency to respond is if I see something that I think is unfair, as I felt your message was unfair. (And again in your latest, that the ship being on a collision course "doesn't advance the story." That's simply silly. The soul hunter is unconscious at the start. Thus, his ship has to be on autopilot. Thus if it comes in, once it's past the gate, it's out of control. Sure, I suppose that I could've had it flying off at a whole different tangent, or just laying there in space...but this is a series with some measure of *action* to it. I like to keep a good pace going. Pacing is part of the story, advances the story. Thus it *does* advance the story.) I have accepted, without comment, a *lot* of things that I disagreed with...sometimes holding to my own original view, sometimes altering my views when someone hits me over the head with a fact. But I reserve the right, every 3,000 messages or so, to get, as you say in your signature, "miffed." And I'd note that *you* got miffed after just *one* critique of something you wrote...try 3,000 on for size some time. jms ("I can see you're really upset about this, Dave...Dave...?) ------------ Category 19, Topic 5 Message 61 Thu Feb 03, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:29 EST Delenn was shattering the soul globes in order to let the souls escape, rather than playing with them. Look on the floor around her, and you'll see shattered globes. There should also be a sound of them breaking in her hands, the light goes out, and something escapes.... jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 5 Message 78 Fri Feb 04, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:38 EST One thing we discovered after making the pilot was that we had gotten so dark and moody in the thing that in some cases we walked into what (as I recall) are referred to as "illegal blacks." Meaning it was *too* dark in places, and some foreign distributers (which apparently is where this is a problem) would balk at picking up the pilot. The other thing, BTW, is that I haven't been much aware of any *major* lighting difference; we've upped it a bit, but not that much. The other day I watched (for the first time) one of our shows actually being broadcast, and noticed that they cranked the luminescence WAY up there. (This is a problem rampant through TV; when I was on "Murder," we'd do these great, moody scenes, and CBS would dial it up until it was nearly daylight.) Some of the music was also stomped down, cutting out most of the low frequency stuff. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 5 Message 104 Sat Feb 05, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:22 EST Actually, it's "Med-Alert." jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 5 Message 131 Sun Feb 06, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:14 EST The spelling is Satai. There are nine members of the Grey Council. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 5 Message 145 Sun Feb 06, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:42 EST Why is part of me tempted to decide that around the year 2223 the most revered figure in Earthforce Command was General Ira Asimov, a brilliant strategist for whom the liner was named....? There are certain benefits to a design-your-own-future universe.... jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 5 Message 167 Mon Feb 07, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 14:48 EST John Drew: regarding your note that naming the starliner the Asimov is "not original" and "cliche"...I deeply admired Asimov. Harlan Ellison, this series consultant, was as dear a friend to Asimov as anyone could be. I named the starliner after Asimov shortly after his death, because I will personally miss him, and for Harlan, as his friend. So regarding your "cliche" line...not to put too fine a point on it, screw off. Get your own damned show. This is mine. The starliner originally was named something else. If I choose, as an expression of loss, to name this ship after him, that's my right. As far as I am concerned, that is the end of this discussion. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 5 Message 185 Tue Feb 08, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:37 EST Well, John, you can say it's unprofessional...but in your case, as someone who hosts/produces a talk show on SF, you of all people should be aware of the death of Asimov, of the place he held, of the affection many of us held for him...and to dismiss something meant to honor that memory (and his death is still fresh for many of us) as "cliche," frankly, as far as I'm concerned...you should've known better. It's got nothing to do with me, and everything to do with knowing SF. And maybe next time you'll wait, and inquire, before dismissing someone else's work as "lazy" and "unimaginative" and "cliche." Yes, this is a place for opinion. And if someone's opinion is based on fuzzy thinking, rudeness, prejudice or inaccurate information, I reserve the right to bonk that person. Hard. Or are you saying that you can critique my writing, but I can't critique yours? As I understand BBSs, it's an interactive service...one gives as well as receives. I am not here to be a silent punching bag. This has been a process of *give and take*. And it is as blessed to give as to receive. So I am twice blessed. And so are you. Deal with it. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 5 Message 193 Tue Feb 08, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 14:18 EST John...when you go around shooting off your mouth and calling names and making cheap shots, you're going to have someone hand you your head from time to time. There seems to be this perception of BBS etiquette as, "I can say anything I want about you, be as unfair as I like, but if you call me on it, if you respond in the same kinds of terms I use, then that's being unprofessional." But then there have always been people who don't like it when the target fires back. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 5 Message 201 Tue Feb 08, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:23 EST He split before the third one could be shown to be also empty; when you know it's not going your way, split fast. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 5 Message 225 Fri Feb 11, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:46 EST BTW...someone sent me a note mentioning that somewhere or other somebody was citing Dukhat (S.H.) and Dabo (BTtP) as "obvious pull-overs from ST," the first being a name in DS9, the latter being a game Quark plays. In reverse order...the world mentioned isn't Dabo, it's Davo; second, Dukhat is a name that goes back as far as the original treatment, seven years. I am consistently amazed at how everyone thinks that everything emanates from ST. This show does not DO "obvious pull-overs from ST." Period. We don't have to. We're perfectly happy being our own show. Why would ANY show, trying to make its own identity, do this stuff? There are times I just despair.... jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 5 Message 250 Mon Feb 14, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:57 EST No, the coffin was named Jarvis. jm(tongue firmly in cheek)s ------------ Category 19, Topic 5 Message 259 Thu Feb 17, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:57 EST Cindy: I don't find your 258 funny in the least regard. I didn't "get" the idea from Buck Rodgers, and resent your comment. Reconsider it. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 5 Message 264 Fri Feb 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:18 EST I don't think that's correct, since the same feed went to both monitors. I think that the film camera may have *pushed in * on the other console, so we saw less of the picture on the monitor, but as far as I know, it was the same piece of tape running on both monitors. jms ------------ ************ Topic 6 Sat Oct 16, 1993 STARR [Arne] at 10:50 EDT Sub: Born To The Purple (#104) by Larry DiTillio. A Londo episode. 120 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 19, Topic 6 Message 19 Sun Feb 06, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:43 EST Yeah, that's a favorite line of lots of folks. BTW, how did the preview of "Infection" look? I haven't seen it yet. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 6 Message 26 Wed Feb 09, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:26 EST Regarding Ivanova...it's not really an attempt to pull at heart strings, as it is to establish that this is someone who's had, and is still having, a pretty rough life. It's a real roller-coaster for her, and the way she survives it is to absolutely bottle it up inside. She has had angst throughout her life, and she's in for more. We start to track that in little ways that probably no one will notice, as well as making it the occasional story point. A little way nobody'll notice: after this episode, she starts messing with her hair, which we'd deliberately set as extremely tight until now. Suddenly she doesn't have someone for whom she has to be a certain way, and she has to start finding her *own* identity, and it ain't easy. Re: the club owner recognizing Sinclair (or not)...this is something we discussed. Can Sinclair go places in the station and not be recognized? In some cases, no. In a place like the Dark Star, maybe so; this isn't the kind of place he generally hangs out in. It's a question of how much day-to-day interaction somebody would have with him. Yes, he's an important figure; but I'm not sure if I'd immediately recognize L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan at first glance, particularly in different style of dress, in an unusual location. We're *not* going to do it a lot -- just once this season -- but we thought it was a reasonable approach. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 6 Message 58 Fri Feb 11, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:30 EST This was a bit cut from the script for time; Gold Channels are ONLY for official use, they're high-priority channels that can go anywhere back on Earth. Commercial communications are less reliable and only have a few channels available; you've got to wait for a call to go through. To use a Gold Channel for personal communications is a No-No. Sinclair is shot at in "Infection," yes...but then, EVERYONE is shot at in "Infection." However, he *isn't* shot at in the majority of our episodes...isn't shot at in "Parliament," "Mind War," "By Any Means," "Survivors," "Believers," "Chrysalis" or many others. Like I said, the amount of personal danger into which he puts himself cuts down a bit after the discussion at the end of "Infection." jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 6 Message 60 Fri Feb 11, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:34 EST There's a definite improvement arc in the show; the deeper we got into production, the better the stories generally became, and the better the production values. (With a few exceptions.) The biggest change in the show came once we began writing scripts *after* we'd begun shooting episodes, so that we/I could again see the actors and find their fingerprints. "Parliament" is the first one I wrote after we started filming; "Soul," "Infection" and "Midnight" were all written prior to filming starting. Re: the GURU reference in this ep...could someone here, in as precise a manner as possible, indicate the reference, what it was, wehre (where) you saw it, and what it refers to? jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 6 Message 97 Mon Feb 14, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:08 EST Yep. Same guy. (We briefly considered having this poor shlub get tossed in various shows, but wisely came to our senses.) BTW, he's Chuck Norris' son. jms ------------ ************ Topic 8 Sat Oct 16, 1993 STARR [Arne] at 10:51 EDT Sub: Infection (#101) By JMS. The first shot episode though not the first shown. 130 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 19, Topic 8 Message 9 Thu Feb 10, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:23 EST I'll leave my opinion for after everyone else has seen it. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 8 Message 11 Fri Feb 11, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:10 EST You don't. The next two after "Infection" are terrific. My two favorites of this batch. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 8 Message 53 Fri Feb 18, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 15:56 EST I think, frankly, that part of the problem here is the misperception that all Hollywood writers ever do is rip off other stuff, that nobody out here ever has an original thought, that if there are ANY common themes, it MUST be because so-and-so ripped off so-and-so. Which is one reason why I flipped out a bit in the Soul Hunter topic; I'm tired of that crap, because it's simply not true. Look at all the *thousands* of books that've been published in the last few years in SF...particularly the sword and sorcery/fantasy books, where you can't swing an elf without hitting a unicorn, a short fellow with great wisdom, and a princess trying to reclaim her throne. Common themes all over the place. Nobody thinks twice. But god forbid somebody should produce a TV episode that deals with the same issue as some other series, and it's *immediately* considered to be a rip-off. It's biased, skewed, untruthful, insulting to anyone who works in the field, and just contributes to the accepted cliche, which doesn't touch reality at any two contiguous points. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 8 Message 85 Sat Feb 19, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:16 EST Negative. The orientation of the control room is correct. You look at the docking bay in the direct center of the station (and the center of rotation), which is zero-G. Now you pan down. You come to the observation dome, *beneath* the docking bay. (Incoming ships pass OVER the head of whoever's standinga the main console.) Their feet point down to the outer hull of the station, and their heads point toward the docking bay. jms ------------ ************ Topic 11 Sun Oct 17, 1993 STARR [Arne] at 15:14 EDT Sub: The Parliament of Dreams (#108) by JMS. 106 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 19, Topic 11 Message 13 Sat Feb 19, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:11 EST The "stay put" line was ad-libbed by Andreas, because the crawfish kept crawling off the table. Re: G'Kar being theatrical...that's who he is. I like theatrical characters. I know many in real life that're much bigger than life, very broad...and great fun. Not every character has to be sonorous and serious and restrained. The whole point of *having* alien characters is that they should act differently than the majority of us. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 11 Message 16 Sun Feb 20, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:05 EST You'll see more about Narn religion and culture in "By Any Means Necessary." jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 11 Message 24 Mon Feb 21, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:18 EST Chats: back off. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 11 Message 39 Thu Feb 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:19 EST You're seeing, btw, why this episode, much as it's a favorite, couldn't be shown any sooner; there has to be some familiarity with the characters for this to be most effective. As to the interpretation of the final tag scene...my thought was that it's a way of saying, "Our dominant belief is that ALL beliefs are respcted." jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 11 Message 44 Thu Feb 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:18 EST Re: establishing and transitional shots...couple thoughts. The machines used to render establishers are the same ones used to render the show-specific shots. Ron's elves said, in essence, "Pick one." So for some period of time, we had to make do with what we had, and take care of the shots we needed for the episodes themselves in terms of the stories. As we went along, though, we gradually began to add new ones. The other problem, of course, is that the station isn't going anywhere; you can change the angles, but you're still stuck with planet, station, stars, maybe a ship or two. So even if there *were* new shots being rendered as establishers/transitional shots for each show, there wouldn't be *that* much difference between them. So again, it made sense to putting those hours of rendering time into doing bang-up shots for the main story in each episode. You'll get a clearer sense of some of that cool stuff in "Mind War," which has some strictly *gorgeous* CGI, and a LOT of it. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 11 Message 49 Thu Feb 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:06 EST That was Thomas Kopache as Tu'Pari. Re: the establishing shots you describe...yes, we'll be seeing those as well. As I recall there's a nifty one in "Raiding Party," which we just put in. The "starlight" gif is taken from one shot that shows the sun in BG. We diversity more the further in we get. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 11 Message 52 Thu Feb 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:48 EST There was a follower of Islam; right next to the orthodox jew at the front of the line. "Mr. Rashid, a Moslem." I made sure we put them side by side. The "fishy" song was composed by Christopher Franke specifically for that scene. I told him I wanted sort of a Narnish Gilbert and Sullivan, and that's what we got. Re: the camera moves...I really have no idea what your friend is talking about. Virtually all of our sets are constructed for full 360 degree camera movement (and we do have a few cases of full 360 degree pans coming along). This is not, however, a "cutty" show...some shows, presuming that their audience has the attention span of your average gnat, lean toward fast-fast- fast- cutting and editing and swishing camera moves. We *hate* that. We're trying to set a mood, not turn the show into an MTV music video. (Miami Vice was a terrific example of this kind fo thing.) jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 11 Message 57 Fri Feb 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:29 EST The SkyDancer appears in the next episode. "See you next Wednesday" is...well...it's when she's going to be back on the station. She has to complete her run by Tuesday, and will be back on Wednesday. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.... jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 11 Message 62 Fri Feb 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:13 EST BTW, re: Sinclair remembering all those names...we used many of the real names of the people standing in line, many of whom *did* belong to the religion they had come to represent. We went down this line of 250 people, and went over their names *twice* with O'Hare. That's all. After that, he got each name right every time; amazingly quick memorization. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 11 Message 72 Fri Feb 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:20 EST The article is incorrect; the Kosh/skintab discussion is in "The War Prayer," airing in 2 weeks. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 11 Message 84 Sun Feb 27, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:30 EST No, as far as I recall, the company is named in the teaser, during the robe-scene with Sinclair. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 11 Message 86 Sun Feb 27, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:01 EST Well, it was my thought that there will always be folks who don't want their eyes messed with. I still have my tonsils, and though I could afford contacts, I won't let ANYbody touch my eyes. There's surgery that can correct it, but you can *really* forget that. I dunno...it just makes sense to me that it'll still be around. Not everything vanishes with the passage of time. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 11 Message 98 Mon Feb 28, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:28 EST This is something that Andreas and I discussed, and it's not so much that G'Kar *has* to cook, but that he *likes* to cook. From the singing, it's clear he's having a good time.... jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 11 Message 103 Mon Feb 28, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:51 EST Freud said there are no coincidences.... jms ------------ ************ Topic 13 Sun Oct 17, 1993 STARR [Arne] at 15:15 EDT Sub: Mind War (#110) by JMS. Co-Starring Walter Koenig. 31 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 19, Topic 13 Message 4 Fri Feb 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:34 EST The story is *not* about a "freak accident that creates a superman." This *is* a B5 story, and could only take place in the B5 universe. Just a thought, but before rendering judgment, you might want to see the show first.... jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 13 Message 10 Fri Feb 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 15:36 EST I don't know what happened to the closed captioning; it was delivered in time for the CC, and should've been done. Will investigate. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 13 Message 23 Sun Feb 27, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:03 EST BTW...next Thursday, after most folks've seen this ep, somebody here remind me to mention what's the one thing I like most about this episode; it's kinda wonky, but fun. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 13 Message 28 Mon Feb 28, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:55 EST "Chrysalis" makes "Mind War" look like a still-life painting by comparison.... jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 13 Message 30 Tue Mar 01, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:18 EST I'll have to check to see about the glitches; we've tracked down the technical difficulties further, and discovered (among other things) that after we'd delivered the episode, at one stage along the way they were being transferred to 1" *used tape*. Add in going from D2 to 1" and from that 1" to others to do closed captioning and commercials, and you're bound to get some weird stuff. Starting next week, episodes will be going out with most of the transfer work done on D2, not 1", so they should be cleaner henceforth. jms (If you could be as specific as possible on where the glitch is, I can check our master vs. the broadcast master.) ------------