=========================================================================== | This text is compiled from posts by J. Michael Straczynski on the Usenet | group rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5. This document contains material Copyright | 1994 J. Michael Straczynski. He has given permission for his words to be | redistributed online, as long as they are marked as being copyright JMS. | This document, as well as other Babylon-5 related material, is available | by anonymous FTP at ftp.hyperion.com. =========================================================================== From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 1 Sep 1994 00:48:15 -0400 Subject: Re: SPOILEd math in Quality of Just as long as you don't name any of your cats Kosh, you should be okay. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 1 Sep 1994 01:59:00 -0400 Subject: ATTN:JMS-Improvisation:yes or When you're shooting a show, invariably you get to the stage and find that you have, for instance, three lines, one per character in the room...and you're trying to get them out the door, and it moves better if you give one line to one character and the other two to the other character. That sometimes happens. But rarely. In the Garibaldi's yell case, it was written as a quick shot, he yells and we're out. The director wanted to extend the shot a bit, visually. I wasn't in the studio at the time, so Jerry improvised a series of yells. This sort of thing is *extremely* rare on the show; the actors and directors know they *cannot* change dialogue on the set without approval from me or Larry. On any given script, no more than about 3-6 lines get modified for staging purposes once we get to the set. And always with approval required. This is an absolute, hard and fast rule. The only reason the Garibaldi thing happened is that they figured it was just a yell, so nothing could get messed up story-wise (which is the primary reason this is so strict; change one word in a line and it could screw up plot points three episodes down the road) by having him yell a few specific lines. If I'd been there for that scene, I would've written him something a little less reminiscent of "Aliens." jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 1 Sep 1994 01:59:08 -0400 Subject: Yet another question for JMS.. I would love to have David Warner do another episode, though it would have to be an alien, for obvious reasons. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 1 Sep 1994 02:23:06 -0400 Subject: jms, i got a gripe! 8-) How co Be patient; you'll see Centauri warships soon enough. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 1 Sep 1994 15:33:58 -0400 Subject: Re: [B5] Liar liar pants on fi No, the ABCD comment wasn't meant in your direction, Jim, but due to my GEnie mail reader, sometimes I can only get into a discussion by replying to whatever message in the thread is in my box at the time. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 1 Sep 1994 15:34:06 -0400 Subject: JMS: Will we see big guns blaz Believe me, by the time this story is done, you'll see *plenty* of big guns and major engagements. It's fairly clear in the bits and pieces that we're moving toward one hell of a conflagration. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 2 Sep 1994 05:27:38 -0400 Subject: JMS: Water Buffalo Unfortunately, I don't know what the statute of limitations minimums are up in Canada.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 2 Sep 1994 19:06:54 -0400 Subject: Babylon 5 Novels Correction to the LOCUS report: the first novel is "Voices," not "El Diablo," which was an early premise that didn't work out. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 3 Sep 1994 02:25:25 -0400 Subject: Joe's Life Being Ebbed By Radi Actually, as I understand it, lead *magnifies* the EMF problem, so a lead-lined jockstrap is not something I contemplate with any degree of calm. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 3 Sep 1994 02:29:18 -0400 Subject: The Writers/Directors List for Some addendums: Larry, Christy and David Gerrold all also worked for me on TRGBs. Mark Moretti is now writing books 2-5 of the B5 comic. The first Vornholt novel isn't "El Diablo," a premise that didn't work out, but "Voices." Add Jerry Jameson to the list of directors, doing episode #8 for year two. (Probably an episode called "The Coming of Shadows.") On my behalf, have written more than just the one comie; wrote single issues of Teen Titans Spotlight, TZ comic, and the Star Trek comic. Also 2 novels and a bunch of other stuff. Larry's second B5 script is entitled "GROPOS." Also Kevin Cremin and John Flinn will both direct an episode this season. Both David and DC will be starting new scripts soon. I've just completed my fourth script for the season, "A Race Through Dark Places," shooting #7. Lois Tilton is writing B5 novel #2. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 3 Sep 1994 04:29:09 -0400 Subject: The hiring of Boxleitner For what it's worth, Sheridan is neither a "space cowboy" nor a "gung ho type." This description has nothing to do with the character, and I'm not quite sure where you got this. Certainly I never said or implied it. Captain John Sheridan is a war hero, of sorts; he squeaked out the only real victory of the Earth/Minbari War. (Which means the Minbari don't generally like him a lot.) He did what he did because that's his job. He's a professional soldier. For the last two years, he's been commanding the Agamemmnon, a high-visibility Earthforce starship on deep patrol. As such, he has had to learn to work with a number of different races and species. In some ways, his character is somewhat more well-rounded than was the case with Sinclair, over whom a general sense of doom often seemed to hang. Sheridan is often very thoughtful and introspective; at other times, he can be just a bit eccentric; he leads by respecting those who work under him, and giving them room to grow; like any career officer, he HATES the bureaucracy with a passion, and this is the one thing that can drive him nuts; he knows that commanding B5 is a great opportunity, but he also knows that his presence brings certain complications with it, and he's very ambivilant about that aspect; he's the son of a diplomatic envoy who disappeared on his 21st birthday, running off to see (of all things) the new Dali Lama being installed; he has a very easygoing manner, and a great sense of humor. He quickly re-forms a friendship with Ivanova, for whom he has great respect and professional admiration. (For a time she served under him at Io.) He is, actually, a fascinating and intriguing character with a lot of different shadings...none of which have *anything* to do with being a "space cowboy" or "gung-ho type." Anyway...point being...when it was announced that there was going to be a new Lieutenant-Commander, a number of folks went ballistic and said the show would now be ruined. I said, in essence, look...I created Takashima; I can create an interesting character to replace her. And I thunk up Ivanova, who according to the rec.arts.b5 poll is the most popular character on the show. When it was announced that Sinclair would be STAYING with the show, after the pilot, a number of folks said this was bad, he was wooden, he stunk, get him off...and ended up being very enamored of him. My only reply now about Bruce...give him, and me, a chance. I genuinely think you will like what you see a *lot*. In the course of the first season, Ivanova, Garibaldi, G'Kar, Londo, Delenn, others...they've exploded into strong characters. You need an equally strong character designed to hold his own, and be memorable, in that august company. Sheridan was designed knowing we had a much elevated playing field around the character. Obviously, clearly, and irrefutably, an actor brings a *lot* to any role. No question. But it tends to begin with what is created. I've seen it said here, repeatedly, that none of the characters are uninteresting; they all have lives, and agendas, that make them fascinating to watch: Londo, Morden, G'Kar, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova...what those characters are came out of my head, in terms of who they are, what they say, what they believe, where they came from and where they're going. Why would I invent a new character that was any less involving, or interesting, o multifaceted? Particularly knowing that he's going to be a central character? Speaking as someone who's been in fandom a long, long time, I know there is always a tendency for panic, to assume the apocalypse is upon us, that something is never going to be the same again. I heard this after the Enterprise was destroyed in "The Search for Spock." I've heard this a lot over the years. It's generally over-reaction and worry before anyone has even seen a frame of film. Bottom line being...wait and see, then judge. I've tried very hard not to let you down, and I think so far I haven't done so...I have no intention of starting now. Bruce is doing an absolutely *brilliant* job as Captain Sheridan, bringing a thoughtfulness and intensity and charm and intensity to the part that is a joy to behold. Give him a chance. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 4 Sep 1994 00:30:49 -0400 Subject: Re: Babylon 5 comics Small correction: I'm writing issue #1, and supplied the premise for issues 2-5, which are being written by Mark Moretti. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 4 Sep 1994 00:30:55 -0400 Subject: Re: The hiring of Boxleitner Dylan...m'boy...ah thinks, that is, ah thinks you jes' ain't wired up entirely right.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 4 Sep 1994 00:31:02 -0400 Subject: JMS: Franke defecting? Most composers work on multiple projects, including series. Chris is still doing B5, and we'll be sure to make the two shows sound different. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 4 Sep 1994 00:31:10 -0400 Subject: Harlan Ellison The book is Harlan's autobiography, which he plans to write around the year 2000, and yes, that's his photo. (He borrowed the prop when we were finished and casually carried it with him to a few places, just to make people nuts thinking there was a book out they'd missed....) jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 4 Sep 1994 05:11:13 -0400 Subject: Re: Chrysalis preview seen at Dan Wood: I think the original poster was having some fun; there was no "Chrysalis" trailer VO anywhere, to my knowledge; that's simply the text of a message I placed on GEnie a while back. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 4 Sep 1994 05:11:20 -0400 Subject: Re: AAAIIIIEEE season finale ' Matthew: correct. A lot more happens in "Chrysalis" than happened in "Signs and Portents." jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 4 Sep 1994 05:25:25 -0400 Subject: B5 & Violence: Light Years Awa I'm afraid your logic is so far from reality that I'm not sure it can be called back. The Suits as you call them have NOT asked for more violence or action in the show. In fact, as reported in the trades and elsewhere, they have specifically asked for more character stuff and less violence. (Basically...we're telling the story we're telling, and we were already starting to focus in on our characters, and we're doing more of that in year two, but we're not sacrificing action, which I happen to like.) Re: "...the morality of being entertained by murder and violence," I'm sorry, but this doesn't happen on television. People are entertained by *representations* or *illusions* of those elements. No one on B5 has ever been murdered or treated violently. This is a fiction-based series. There's a difference. I happen to feel strongly that the link between violence in the streets and violence in TV/movies is hugely exaggerated by people who think it's much easier to deal with the *picture* of the problem than it is to deal with the *problem*. It's simpler to censor a TV show than it is to clean up the streets, provide jobs, properly fund schools, put more police on the streets, provide opportunities for young kids and get the hard drugs out of the community. Frank, if you took *every* show with even a modicum of action off the air tomorrow...and left it off for seven days...there would not be one less murder in South Central Los Angeles, or any of our other major cities. Not one. Because television isn't the problem. Every few years, the trendoids and the politicos decide that comic books are the problem, or movies are the problem, or TV is the problem...but the reality is that the PROBLEM is the problme, not the picture of the problem. Not long ago, here in LA, a Santa Monica based anti-violence group went out to a video store which had a big honking picture of a gun in its front window, and picketed it. Half a block away was a GUN SHOP. But they didn't picket that, they picketed the poster. They focused on the picture of the problem, not the problem. For me, action is a necessary component of drama. Meaning sometimes people get hurt. You say, "ST expressed intelligence and humanism," and my only reply -- and I mean no offense to the hard-core ST fans, of which you are clearly one -- oftentimes it simply bored me to *tears*. Nothing was really ever at stake. Everything was sanitized. I feel that B5 expresses just as much intelligence and humanism as any other show, including ST. Maybe more. And I'll tell you why. In the ST:TNG universe, every human is perfect...no inner doubts, no violent tendencies, they're *genetically engineered that way*. That's what they have said. There's no quandry, no sense of questioning what should be done, they don't have to overcome, they have already done so. So you can look at that show, and decide, "Well, I guess humanity is doomed to be violent until we can genetically engineer ourselves to be otherwise." B5 humans aren't perfect. They're flawed and scared and tempted by violence. They're just like us. And though their record isn't perfect, they frequently find ways to solve problems WITHOUT violence. I think this is *profoundly* more relevant and a stronger message to send, that we can do it *today*. We have the same problems they have, and if they can deal with it, maybe we can. It is one thing to say, "Mankind has no further problems, no doubts, no insecurities," and another to say, "Here are some demonstrations of ways we can overcome our problems, doubts and insecurities." Someone here recently posted a message "Everything I Need To Know In Life I Learned in Babylon 5." I was really rather astonished to read it, because it took all the principles we've expressed in the show, or many of them, and put them all in one place...the capacity for self-sacrifice being one of the principles of sentient life...that it is better to find something worth living for than something worth dying for...on and on and on. Humanism does not mean turning a blind eye to our problems; it means trying to elevate humanity from *inside*. Intelligence doesn't mean we simply assume all of our problems have been solved by genetic engineering, which removes free will, just wipe the slate clean...it means that we need to see alternates and means of solving problems now. Could Picard ever be tempted to do something illegal? No. Could some of our characters? Yes. In the case of Picard, it's a no brainer. In the case of a B5 character, we would see the struggle, the back and forth, and maybe it would be done, maybe it wouldn't, but there would be a REASON for it. We see the process. And I for one find that eminently more interesting. Having action or make-believe violence in a show doesn't make it any less intelligent or humanistic than any other show. When you start talking like that it's all kneejerk cliches and fuzzy thinking. If it were true, then none of Shakespeare's dramas would have survived over the last several hundred years, and they *drip* with spilled blood. Finally, I point you to two things: 1) the original Star Trek, w here Kirk says that yes, humans are a violent lot, we can and do kill; but we can decide, now and then, that we will not kill *today*. That attitude is very much in line with B5. So your problem isn't just with us, it's with TOS as well. 2) I refer you to a short story by Mark Twain called "The Man Who Corrupted Hadleyburg." I won't tell you much more here than to read it. It should be self-explanatory. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 4 Sep 1994 05:57:43 -0400 Subject: The Gathering did not win Hugo Yep, that's pretty much what I said would happen. And in my view, JP probably deserves the Hugo more than "The Gathering." Next year, now, THAT is an open question.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 4 Sep 1994 19:11:29 -0400 Subject: Re: B5 & Violence: Light Years By the way...I forgot the biggest irony of all in this discussion. The largest watchdog groups monitoring violence in television, according to their statements last season, rated the most violent shows on TV as TNG and DS9, along with Brisco County Jr. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 4 Sep 1994 19:26:42 -0400 Subject: Re: Year 2000?? "...the only way a B5/ST crossover could happen is in some sort of time travel/alternate timeline story...." And over my cold, dead body. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Sep 1994 00:48:28 -0400 Subject: THe pilot episode I'm sure the pilot movie will show up again eventually, though I don't know when offhand. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Sep 1994 01:06:51 -0400 Subject: JMS: LaserDisc release I suppose including the trailers would make for a good "compare and contrast" exercise in terms of what's actually IN the episode.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Sep 1994 01:16:52 -0400 Subject: Re: B5 & Violence: Light Years Re: "The Man Who Corrupted Hadleyburg," I will confess to being a bit of a Twain enthusiast/scholar (if I can abuse that latter term for a moment in a burst of unjustificed optimism). I've read virtually everything the man ever wrote, up to and including his journals, which are fascinating on their own, albeit fragmented (for obvious reasos). He even wrote many stories that could be considered SF/fantasy outside of "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court." I find myself quoting him frequently. The man knew how to turn a phrase and make a point. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Sep 1994 01:25:05 -0400 Subject: Re: B5 & Violence: Light Years I have known many, MANY of the people who've written ST, and served on staff (specifically TNG at the moment), and this (the problem of perfect people) is how they describe the problem in creating stories with any degree of conflict. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Sep 1994 04:56:15 -0400 Subject: Q:Intro Sequence The window around Sinclair, Garibaldi and Ivanova is computer generated; the actors are not. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Sep 1994 04:56:22 -0400 Subject: JMS: Introduction. Yes, we'll definitely be redesigning the opening sequence visually as well as in the narrative. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Sep 1994 04:56:28 -0400 Subject: Re: The hiring of Boxleitner Alas, I wrote my note about Bruce around 1 or 2 in the morning, and I meant to balance out *intensity* with *intelligence*, but my brain saw the first letters i-n-t-e, and vapor-locked. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Sep 1994 17:47:44 -0400 Subject: Re: The Gathering did not win I think a large part of this debate will be determined by which episodes fall into the right dates for eligibility. I think that, for instance, David Gerrold's "Believers" fell just on the other side of Hugo eligibility for this coming year. Which means that (if I'm correct, and is someone could check that'd be great) only shows prior to that would be eligible. The only real big ones in that bunch would be "And the Sky Full of Stars" and "Mind War." Best bet may be to pick one of those two and focus there. One interesting sidelight is that B5 is *very* popular in the UK, including Scotland, so it may have a fair chance. jms (And the TNG finale isn't eligible this year, I think, having conme (come) in after the cutoff date.) From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Sep 1994 17:49:12 -0400 Subject: JMS: UK Censorship - Chrysalis Insofar as I know, there's only one scene that might cause them a problem for violence, but it's handled fairly discreetly...well, on second thought, there's two...but if they did get snipped, you wouldn't lose more than 20 seconds or so. If this cost plot information or not would depend on how they edited it. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Sep 1994 17:49:19 -0400 Subject: Re: He-Man (was Re: [B5] Liar I once wrote, just for myself and for fun, the Ram Man Theme Song, to the tune of BONANZA: "Who is the man with the head of lead? IT'S RAM MAN! Who is as dense as a picket fence? RAM MAN is his name! Leaping here, bouncing there, jumping everywhere...." jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Sep 1994 17:49:25 -0400 Subject: JMS: Slappers? Yes, slappers = skin tabs, for introducing medication. The ones in TKO had been stolen from B5 medsupplies. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Sep 1994 17:49:32 -0400 Subject: JMS: Censorship TKO's main importance is to the Ivanova arc, as she finally comes to terms with her father's death. Do I have an opinion on C4's decision not to show TKO? Absolutely. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Sep 1994 18:29:51 -0400 Subject: jms: a few questions As I'm told, Chrysalis will air the last week or so in October. As for computer tech in 2258, it's something we're exploring for a story, Larry has an interesting idea or two on how to realize it visually, but it's hard to find something that's possibly accurate without making it godlike. Still, we're trying... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Sep 1994 18:29:57 -0400 Subject: Re: You guys read Alfred Beste The direction and intent and background of the Psi Corps is *very* different from Bester's "The Demolished Man." What may cause some of the confusion is that when I decided to name the Psi Cop we'll be seeing, knowing of Alfie's work in the genre in general, and knowing that he was a close friend of Harlan's, I decided it would be a nice testimony to the man to name the Psi Cop Bester. There's nothing beyond that. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Sep 1994 18:30:04 -0400 Subject: JMS: Three quick questions... No, actually, B2 was structured for maximum jarring effect, thus the sudden cuts back and forth, the sickly green light in B4...makes the person watching feel unexplainably anxious, which was a subliminal but definite intent. So no, nothing much was cut. And yes, eventually we will see the flip-side of the B4 story. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Sep 1994 18:44:58 -0400 Subject: JMS: Question No, alas, Tech #1, Marianne Robertson has decided that she would like to travel next year with her husband Dick Robertson, and has some other personal plans in mind, and thus won't be back next season. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Sep 1994 18:45:04 -0400 Subject: JMS (and all) : Reruns and Rew Insofar as I know, the shows have been rerun in the same order in which they were originally broadcast. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 6 Sep 1994 17:04:25 -0400 Subject: Alien looking aliens Bob Hoskins in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" was talking to a cartoon that was supposed to be a cartoon; we were never expected to accept it as a real, live breathing creature. We're so far doing one more major CGI critter as an alien for year two, but the rendering power required is absolutely MASSIVE. (I'd also note that the budget for "Rabbit" was a LOT more than an average B5 episode.) The problem, always, is having the alien interact with humans, not vice-versa. You have two choices: a human in prosthetics, or essentially a puppet/animatronic face. And the overall technology still isn't here yet to do that convincingly, up close, for television. And if you want any real *emotion* from the character, you're going to have to have an actor inside. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 6 Sep 1994 17:04:33 -0400 Subject: VItW Part 1 - Another Question Once removed from his place, Varn was able to lead them back to their shuttle. It's not terribly dramatic, and I figured that was a fairly logical leap, so didn't feel the need to put in a scene which would just consist of VArn saying, "Left....now right...." jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 6 Sep 1994 17:04:41 -0400 Subject: JMS: Priority #1 question! We always forward fan mail. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 6 Sep 1994 17:04:52 -0400 Subject: filming show despite ratings? The only problem to shooting a show in case a network decides not to pursue it is where does one get $18 million or so per season in order to continue filming? And if the ratings drop, how does one convince the stations to carry the show instead of higher rating series? The B5 series will live or die on the ratings. Fortunately, the last seven new episodes have continued the trend of increasing ratings, and we just went from #20 to #18 in the overall ratings for syndication, which is extremely good. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 7 Sep 1994 03:48:30 -0400 Subject: Re: B5 & Violence: Light Years "Ban guns and only criminals will have them" is one of those quick and easy catchphrases that's used to gloss over the details of any real problem. And the problem at hand is that the majority of murders committed in this country are not committed by hardened (or even softened, or even lightly par-broiled and kneaded) criminals. They are committed by average folks who one day get too wound up, too hot, too crazed, too frustrated, too depressed, and pick up a gun and shoot somebody...usually a spouse, or a competitor, or the local Post Office. There have been cases where the person goes out, buys the gun, comes home and starts shooting. This would be at least sometimes mitigated by a waiting period of a few days, during which sometimes tempers cool, or other options besides one's own death and the death of others become available. (And how many times now have we seen news of a boyfriend or husband killing wife and kids and then turning the gun on himself?) Most murders are acts of passion...and the "criminal" line simply doesn't wash there. (Though certainly they're criminals *after* the fact.) There was a NEWSWEEK or TIME magazine piece a while back, last year I believe, where they chronicled one week's worth of murders, and the majority of them are crimes of passion or suicides. Yes, as you say, somebody can be killed with a baseball bat or a knife or a rock...but then you've got to *catch* them first. And you can only do one at a time. You can't spray a schoolyard with 50 teflon coated bullets in 30 seconds with a rock. A knife is wonderfully inefficient. A knife can cut and not kill, or even seriously wound you if it doesn't go deep enough; a bullet always goes deep enough, and if it doesn't blow through the other side, ends up bouncing around inside the body and puncturing internal organs as much as a foot from the point of entry. Do that with a baseball bat. My feelings on gun and gun ownership and crime are more or less as follows: ban assault weapons, they're good for nothing except killing other human beings in large numbers, you don't go squirrel hunting with an AK47...permit the ownership of rifles, shotguns, and handguns (non-automatic), but require permits, the same way you do for fishing or driving a car, and make sure that the person has to take X-hours of lessons in proper gun use, the way you practice for a driver's license; if you're going to own a gun, you should be trained to use it and use it efficiently...if someone commits a murder with a gun of any kind, throw the book at them. I'm ambivilant about capital punishment, but I'm all for life imprisonment without possibility of parole. Put more police on the streets and OUT OF THEIR CARS, let's see a return to community police who are known to the folks in the neighborhood. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 8 Sep 1994 02:15:28 -0400 Subject: JMS: How is a delegated story In most cases, I work out the story fairly comprehensively, giving the writer a beginning/middle/end, and some of the characters. In a few cases, it's less than that, a general direction and items which have to happen in that episode. Very often it's in writing from me, ranging from a paragraph or two to a few pages. Generally, in TV, this would mean that I would take shared story credit on the episode. But there are no arbitrated credits on B5; the freelancer gets all the credit, and all the residuals, and rightly so. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 8 Sep 1994 02:17:13 -0400 Subject: JMS: Ad lib or not ad lib? When it came time for that chant, nothing had been scripted; it was supposed to be a soft, under one's breath kind of chant. Bill came and asked me and Larry if we had anything in mind. We said no, whatever you decide is fine...and he ended up chanting his album cover. Later...*much*...laater...when I discovered this, we discussed it at some length. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 8 Sep 1994 02:18:58 -0400 Subject: JMS: Re: B5 & Violence: Light "B5 does respectfully acknowledge religion, and is therefore not as liable to get bit by this group." Oh, they'll still gig us on violence; already have. John Copeland, one of our producers, heard an NPR report a while back interviewing some rep of one of these pressure groups who complained about the violence; more will come. And any group NOT represented will scream and yell because they think they're not being represented. And given some other aspects of our show...oh, yeah, they'll come after us all right. Where nothing exists, they'll just make it up. When I was working with ABC on The Real Ghostbusters, a consulting group came in from one of these groups, to help the network avoid accidental satanic references, and to keep an eye on this stuff. They gave the network execs their breakdown of the signs that a kid was getting into satanism. Some of them (and this is verbatim): "He's curious. He's sometimes sad. He's easily pressured by his peers. He's into heavy metal rock and roll. He can sometimes be rebellious." By their lights, those are guaranteed signs of satanism. Not come after *us*...? Oh, man.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 8 Sep 1994 02:19:09 -0400 Subject: Re: You guys read Alfred Beste I believe they are the same person, yes. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 8 Sep 1994 03:10:02 -0400 Subject: JMS: Minor Roles--Great Job!! There are a number of security guard types we see frequently; one who is Asian, the dark-haired guy who we saw in "Sky" that you note (and who we also have seen elsewhere, including the picket crashers in "By Any Means"), and Lou Welch, who shows up from time to time, and continues into the next season. They all continue to show up. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 9 Sep 1994 01:34:37 -0400 Subject: Re: He-Man (was Re: [B5] Liar "This from the man who claims to hate filk." Hey...I was young and stupid...now I'm older.... ...and stupid. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 9 Sep 1994 03:51:44 -0400 Subject: Re: The hiring of Boxleitner "Sounds like a forumla to really PO the Minbari." Yup. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 9 Sep 1994 03:51:53 -0400 Subject: Why use real paper? Paper (or synthetics) is light, foldable, portable, disposable and recycleable. I remember being told that the coming of computers would put an end to paper...come on by my office someday...I have MORE paper and MORE drafts lying around now than when I was working on a typewriter. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 9 Sep 1994 03:52:03 -0400 Subject: religion "I haven't seen any references to Jung yet." Don't be silly...everyone on my show is jung at heart.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 9 Sep 1994 17:29:54 -0400 Subject: ATTN JMS: B5 baseball caps Well, see, here's the problem: yes, Creation licensed some stuff from us, including the creation (so to speak) of B5 baseball caps. So far, so good. One day, about a week or so ago, John Copeland comes into my office with one of these caps, purchased at a Creation store in Glendale. Shows it to me. The stitching ain't great (they're supposed to run these things past me, and I didn't see this item), but the cap is more or less okay, I don't see why he's smiling. Then the label attached to the cap swings out, and hangs in front of my eyes. OFFICIAL LICENSED PRODUCT PARAMOUNT TELEVISION. I went ballistic, Warners went ballistic, the caps were yanked out of the stores so fast they left a doppler trail behind them...so I don't know now if they'll be around for sale or not. If so, I doubt very much that you'll see a Paramount tag on them. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 9 Sep 1994 17:30:08 -0400 Subject: Re: Russian Just FYI...Marianne Robertson, Tech #1, was Swedish, not Russian. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 9 Sep 1994 18:12:58 -0400 Subject: Re: JMS: Opening sequence Re: the "last" of the Babylon Stations...y'all might want to bear in mind the syntax of the narration. It speaks of B5 in the *past tense*. "Bablyon 5 WAS the last of the Babylon stations...it WAS the dawn of the third age of mankind." The narration is the voice of future history, the storyteller, long after the fact, spinning for us the tale of the last of the Babylon stations. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 9 Sep 1994 18:18:37 -0400 Subject: Re: B5 T-Shirts The shirst are definitely legit. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 9 Sep 1994 18:20:13 -0400 Subject: Bruce Boxleitner's Credits There's not much I can do about outside costumes at the moment; they haven't been codified into designs that we can release yet. Ann Bruice, our costumer, plans to put it all together eventually, but not for a bit yet. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 9 Sep 1994 19:28:26 -0400 Subject: Re: B5 reminds me of... I wish it were true about Twin Peaks having an overall story that they had planned out prior to filming. Just recently, though, I had meetings with a couple of main writers/story editors on the show, and they said, yeah, they were making it all up as they went, they really didn't have a clue where it was going. There was a general sort of theme, but as for having the story plotted out...apparently not. Needless to say, I was vastly disappointed...I loved that show...still do, actually, even knowing this. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 10 Sep 1994 03:37:29 -0400 Subject: ATTN JMS: Warner Bros. Stores In general, WB doesn't sell many TV series items through the stores; and only sometimes via catalog. There are several WB shows that aren't represented at all. (And B5 isn't produced by WB, it'san independent production aired on a network partly owned by WB, and that's a vital distinction to remember.) jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 11 Sep 1994 17:56:29 -0400 Subject: Re: WE WON THE EMMY FOR BEST M The Special Effects Emmy generally reflects the work over the course of a season. TNG submitted something like 6-8 episodes, ditto with other series. Through a situation best left unexamined, only one B5 was submitted, "Sky," whereas "Mind War," also eligible, was not submitted. There wasn't enough to work from to make the determination to give B5 th3 (the) award (there are no nominations in this category, only 3-4 juried awards). This will be corrected next season. In spades. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 11 Sep 1994 18:03:28 -0400 Subject: JMS, Artistic control in show I think that the PRIMARY reason that B5 is as good as it has been is that we've been pretty much left to our own devices without much in the way of interference from the studio/network. The day a studio begins messing around with a show is when it pretty much becomes doomed. I don't see WB so much meddling with Chris' vision of the music as trying to find the best distributer...it's the *result* of that decision that then affects the creative product. Certainly, if it were me, I'd go with Chris. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 13 Sep 1994 00:43:19 -0400 Subject: JMS: Three quick question By the "flip side" of stories I was referring to the other side of events. I.e., in episode one, Sinclair is reassigned, but we hear about this mainly when he's away. In the comic, we'll see where he is, and see his reaction to what's going on. In B-squared, we saw the present events in the vanishment of B4; in a future episode, we'll actually see our characters make the decision to go back in time and yank B4 forward, what went wrong, and so on. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 13 Sep 1994 15:51:17 -0400 Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Ready to puke? The VOYAGER pilot is *$23 million*?! The BABYLON 5 pilot was $3.5 million. With $23 million, we could make 1.3 SEASONS of B5. And have a bit of money left over for a wrap party. Amazing.... jm(who keeps thinking of what he could do with that)s From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 13 Sep 1994 15:51:35 -0400 Subject: JMS: Star wheel Unfortunately, it would have to be a HUGE starwheel, beyond a manageable size; and wiring the lights at that range would be a problem, and the noise factor during shooting would be a pain. I'm afraid that for now, it is what it is. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 13 Sep 1994 16:19:00 -0400 Subject: Ratings of PTEN I think we're quite a bit ahead of Kung Fu just now.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 14 Sep 1994 00:45:24 -0400 Subject: Attn JMS: Scripts available? We're in the process of setting up some kind of fan liaison office, which would do some limited sales stuff, just enough to pay its own way. Should this come about, we'll sell some of the B5 scripts through this office. (One difference between us and ST is that we will pay the freelance writers a *royalty* on any scripts of theirs we sell.) But this is still in the works. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 14 Sep 1994 05:11:18 -0400 Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Ready to puke? By rounding it to 1.3 seasons, the number is still inexact; certainly we make the show for less than $1 million per episode. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 14 Sep 1994 05:11:36 -0400 Subject: Re: JMS: Star wheel If we put a blue screen behind the window, and did that, given that we tend to have long scenes in front of it, every frame of starfield has to be rendered, cut in digitally...it's a *very* time consuming process, and would detract from Ron & Co. doing the other EFX we use in the show. We don't have the ability to throw money at everything here. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 6 Sep 1994 17:04:25 -0400 Subject: Alien looking aliens Bob Hoskins in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" was talking to a cartoon that was supposed to be a cartoon; we were never expected to accept it as a real, live breathing creature. We're so far doing one more major CGI critter as an alien for year two, but the rendering power required is absolutely MASSIVE. (I'd also note that the budget for "Rabbit" was a LOT more than an average B5 episode.) The problem, always, is having the alien interact with humans, not vice-versa. You have two choices: a human in prosthetics, or essentially a puppet/animatronic face. And the overall technology still isn't here yet to do that convincingly, up close, for television. And if you want any real *emotion* from the character, you're going to have to have an actor inside. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 6 Sep 1994 17:04:33 -0400 Subject: VItW Part 1 - Another Question Once removed from his place, Varn was able to lead them back to their shuttle. It's not terribly dramatic, and I figured that was a fairly logical leap, so didn't feel the need to put in a scene which would just consist of VArn saying, "Left....now right...." jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 6 Sep 1994 17:04:41 -0400 Subject: JMS: Priority #1 question! We always forward fan mail. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 6 Sep 1994 17:04:52 -0400 Subject: filming show despite ratings? The only problem to shooting a show in case a network decides not to pursue it is where does one get $18 million or so per season in order to continue filming? And if the ratings drop, how does one convince the stations to carry the show instead of higher rating series? The B5 series will live or die on the ratings. Fortunately, the last seven new episodes have continued the trend of increasing ratings, and we just went from #20 to #18 in the overall ratings for syndication, which is extremely good. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 15 Sep 1994 21:16:32 -0400 Subject: Re: Sci-fi lunacy!! I want to be there when someone informs Mr. Pavlocik that the new Voyager series has contracted with Amblin' Imaging to do all of its space effects (except for the main ship) with CGI by way of Amigas/Toasters. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 16 Sep 1994 06:41:32 -0400 Subject: # of aliens What you describe is already what we're doing, deciding when a new races is better than one of our others. Logically speaking, in a sector of space as massive as what we're talking about, you're going to have literally *hundreds* of worlds, possibly thousands, that have sentient life. (I forget now the specific number of such worlds advanced by the Drake equation, but it's on the level of millions of such worlds in our galaxy alone.) You'd also have subset worlds; a world controlled by the Centauri, for instance, whose inhabitants are not themseles Centauri, but some other race. (Or species, more accurately.) The pak'ma'ra (the carrion eaters) weren't just introduced for that one episode ("Legacies"), they have been seen before and since, starting with the very first episode. Deathwalker and Varn ("Deathwalker" and "Voice") were both the last of their kind, or close to it in the latter case, so logically you couldn't have it be one of the previously seen races. So that only leaves two or three that we've brought in in the course of a season. We knew that when all was said and done, we wanted a minimum of 20 or so races who would be available to us at all times, and now we've got those. We've just finished a 35 page breakdown of each race's history, culture, language, politics, reproductive mechanisms and other areas for in-house distribution. Most alien stuff will come out of this group, unless, again, there's a specific reason for bringing in a new one that would compromise the story otherwise. (For instance, the Drazi play a role in several episodes next season.) We're not just throwing them in helter-skelter; we wanted to build up a solid "repertory group" of diverse aliens, and now we've got that. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 16 Sep 1994 06:41:48 -0400 Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Ready to puke? Virtually ALL dramatic series cost at or above the $1 million mark. A show as simple and cost effective as "Murder, She Wrote," without any CGI or models or big efx, with recurring cast and sets and not a lot of location shooting, cost around $1.2 million per episode. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 16 Sep 1994 06:42:03 -0400 Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Ready to puke? Re: a lot of sets costing $23 million....we have 19 standing sets and 55 or so swing sets, on only our series budget and the pilot ($3.3 million) movie. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 16 Sep 1994 06:43:44 -0400 Subject: Mind of the [Great] Maker Marc: when being interviewed about my presence on the nets, some reporter will invariably work his or her way around to the question, "Yeah, but what do YOU get out of it?" The answer to that could not be expressed any better than in my response to your analysis. One of the wonders of being on the nets is that from time to time one will encounter a cogent, reasoned, thoughtful and perceptive analysis that comes at one's own creation from a totally unexpected direction, casting it in a new light. Yours was such a message. Many thanks. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 17 Sep 1994 23:02:04 -0400 Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Ready to puke? Actually, my point was that we have *more* sets than just about any other SF series I can think of, including DS9. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 18 Sep 1994 01:05:02 -0400 Subject: Re: Sci-fi lunacy!! Excuse me, Jason, but please explain to me what the fuck you're talking about re: "net-worship" after the pilot? I got broasted, roasted and toasted here on Internet. I got raked over every conceivable coal you can think of, and a couple you can't. And there's plenty of criticism to go around. If you didn't see some of it, that's your problem, that doesn't mean it wasn't there. Say what you want, but don't distort the historical record to make a totally fallacious point. I think you're seeing what you want to see, or somehow the discussion is pushing some button of yours that's got *nothing* to do with me. If the conversation has gotten more positive since the series has come on, it's because the show has gotten better. These people have no personal history with me, we didn't go to high school together, nobody here owes anybody money...if the show stunk, they'd say so. (And those that think it does, do.) I'm sorry, but on this one point you are singularly, 100% deadass wrong. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 18 Sep 1994 21:06:33 -0400 Subject: Re: Bored of Trek, try B5! Correct, Gregory. One of the things we learned from the pilot was that we shoved too much information at people too fast. So I deliberately held back a lot of arc stuff in the beginning of the series, allowing people to move gradually into the B5 universe, learn more about it, and THEN start whapping them with the arc. It isn't until "Mind War" and "Sky" that we really begin cranking the arc. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 18 Sep 1994 21:06:46 -0400 Subject: ATTN JMS, how long do we have How long until: organic tech a la Infection (six months); healing machine (two months); the planet (now being adjusted slightly; within a year, give or take); the triluminary (one month); a vorlon (under one year); a shadow (one month). jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 18 Sep 1994 23:02:23 -0400 Subject: Re: JMS: novel serialization / Doing a story in weekly arcs is really the only way to do it in what is a standard dramatic TV format, airing every 7 days. On another level, the episodes aren't as tightly linked as a novel, because if so, then you couldn't afford to miss even one of them. We try to be more flexible. And loved "Tales from the City." jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 19 Sep 1994 17:39:10 -0400 Subject: SQ The dipping of a telepath into a normal's mind randomly, the kind of invasion of privacy you see on SQ, is *exactly* why rules were set in place for B5 telepaths. Otherwise you've got incredible deus ex machina problems, and nobody has any right to privacy. What's the difference between peeking into someone's mind without permission, which they seem to have no problem with, and peeking in their door while they're having sex? They're both incredible violations of privacy. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 20 Sep 1994 02:50:37 -0400 Subject: JMS: Please read (was Re: This Sorry, Allen, I have not seen a lot of facts on the other side of this issue (gun control); I have seen only rhetoric and fuzzy logic and a complete mischaracterization of my original message, including the one I'm responding to now. Everybody characterized this as a "ban guns" argument, which it never was; I indicated the kinds of guns that I felt were appropriate, and those that I had a problem with from a logical perspective. I haven't said anything more on the subject because, frankly, it's pointless; gun control, like abortion, is a topic that just goes on and on forever, each side stating and restating their positions and no one really ever changing their mind. I've been on the nets too long, and seen this one too many times, to fall into this trap again. I said what I believed, and what I still believe, and see no need for an act of contrition. You seem to operate under the apprehension that I didn't fully investigate the issue, and if I just looked at the "facts" you and others present, the scales would fall from my eyes like Saul, and I would suddenly come around to your point of view. Sorry, I *have* investigated the issue, and my feelings on the issue are as stated. I did not see one new element in the discussion that I have not read a thousand times before elsewhere. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 20 Sep 1994 08:46:27 -0400 Subject: Re: SQ From the way it was played, it seemed that the telepathy was a conscious, active decision (which reconciles with what was shown last season about telepaths in SQ). jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 20 Sep 1994 21:49:10 -0400 Subject: Re: JMS: Please Make B5 More L My story editor, Larry DiTillio, explained to me that the acronym in SeaQuest DSV stands for Doesn't Survive Viewing.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 20 Sep 1994 21:49:20 -0400 Subject: Re: SQ Joshua...no one has ever said anything about Paramount bugging devices or anything else. The Babylon 5 pilot screenplay, bible, series treatment, and a flock of story premises was given to Paramount Television in 1989, where it was reviewed and discussed in depth. Are we clear on this distinction now? (Oh, yeah, also the extensive full color artwork was submitted with it.) jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 21 Sep 1994 18:21:41 -0400 Subject: [JMS+Radiophiles] Last resort I have always been a MAJOR fan of radio drama, and have even written for the field (Alien Worlds, Mutual Radio Theater, others); also, many of those whose works influenced me came out of radio (Norman Corwin, Arch Oboler, Rod Serling). I love dialogue, and because of the rather intricate overall story, this is definitely an information-intensive show, which is certainly like radio drama. I also like trying to make pictures out of words, which is also out of that tradition, and trying to blend that with the visuals. On another level, though, Linda Ellerbee once commented that if you could walk into another room and, listening to the TV, follow the story, it isn't TV, it's radio. TV should take fullest advantage of the visual medium, and that's something that I'm working more on this season, now that we've established the core of the B5 universe over the first season, and the information required for that. More and more scenes without dialogue, or a minimum of dialogue, to balance it all out. It's really a learning process, every day. I've written over 125 produced episodes of TV, for some of the highest rated shows around...and I still feel like I'm just beginning to learn how to write even half-decently. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 21 Sep 1994 18:21:51 -0400 Subject: Question: Why only one camera All shows (including ours) sometimes use two cameras (referred to as the A and B cameras). Adding a second camera costs money, because you now also need a second camera operator to run it, second focus pullers, dolly guys, on and on. In general, all of your main footage (masters, close-ups and the rest) are always shot with the A camera *anyway*, with the B camera usually used for group reactions or coverage in action scenes. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 21 Sep 1994 18:31:31 -0400 Subject: A "promotion" for Ivanova?? *sigh*...yes, Ivanova has always been second in command; she gets promoted to Commander rank under Captain Sheridan. TVG goofed. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 21 Sep 1994 18:31:43 -0400 Subject: To JMS: thanks for honoring As You're most definitely welcome; it was something we did to honor Asimov, who determined the shape of this genre for many writers. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 21 Sep 1994 18:33:17 -0400 Subject: JMS: Videos? Regular aspect ratio tapes should begin showing up this winter; letterboxed laserdisks to follow probably in the spring. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 22 Sep 1994 07:00:21 -0400 Subject: JMS: Thanks Two responses: on your B5 comments...thanks, much appreciated. Regarding the new Twilight Zone...I saw the same article you did on why MGM chose to make one more season, to have enough to syndicate, and was *furious* by it. Yeah, MGM did it because if they *didn't*, there wouldn't be enough episodes to syndicate, and they would never again see the light of day. The article seemed to make a big deal out of the idea that they were doing this so they could make some of their money back. Well (and this isn't directed at you, as much as the article), I hate to break anybody's bubble, but NONE of the studios produce TV series because they think they're doing something good for the commonweal. They do so because they think the show will make money for them. It's then up to the writers and producers to try and make it something MORE than that. The article was skewed and biased and snotty, and I'm *still* pissed off about it. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 22 Sep 1994 15:57:30 -0400 Subject: Don't Unveil Kosh I think it would be profoundly unfair to viewers to keept hem (oops, keep them) hanging around for more than one more season waiting to see a Vorlon. Though I understand and see your point. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 22 Sep 1994 16:24:44 -0400 Subject: Re: B5 & DS9: Off to War To Toby Papa Funk: "I'm a-twitter." I think there's a typo there; given your insulting tone to the whole of this group, I think next time you write this you need to leave off the last three letters. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 22 Sep 1994 16:25:02 -0400 Subject: B5 Comic - When Available? Should be out late November/early December. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 22 Sep 1994 17:11:50 -0400 Subject: Why does B5 exist? B1-3 were sabotaged very early into production, so the cost was less than the inconvenience. B4 was where they dumped all the money, and it was very iffy if there'd be a 5, until the Minbari came up to the plate and offered to help finance it. For Earth, which was almost wiped out in the war, it's more a matter of self-preservation. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 23 Sep 1994 02:04:20 -0400 Subject: JMS: Questions about the B5 un I've always said that there's a side story that could follow the 5 year B5 storyline, which takes place in the B5 universe, and follows on the heels of the events in B5...but who knows if that would happen? The one thing I would hate is for B5 to become any kind of so-called "franchise." Because as soon as that happens, you're prevented from making any changes, from doing anything that might startle people, cutting into the piggy-bank. Once that happens, you're dead. I've also made no secret of my sense that, should B5 run its full five year course (and assuming the side-story doesn't go, which I would not exactly count on)...I plan to get out of TV. By that point, I would have said pretty much everything I want to say in TV, and it's time to get out, buy a small house somewhere outside London, and spend the rest of my years writing novels, which is kinda where this all began. (I've had 2 novels, 1 anthology, and a bunch of short stories published, as well as 500 or so articles.) I never got into this to make a ***FRANCHISE***, and never really intended to become an executive producer. I just don't like being rewritten...so I climbed higher, until finally there was nobody over me messing with my scripts. Outside of the B5 reality, if someone came to me and offered me *staff writer* on a show -- the lowest position in the TV totem pole -- but with the guarantee that I wouldn't be rewritten, they wouldn't change the words...I'd take it in a hot second. I'm here, now, strictly out of self-defense. Two valuable social skills are knowing when to enter a room, and when to leave a room. At some point, you have to get out or become something you don't want to become. I've never really been part of the Hollywood SYSTEM, and have no desire to do so. In "The Velvet Alley," Rod Serling wrote of a young advertising writer who becomes a success at writing television. At one point, the character says (paraphrased from memory): "Here's the trap...in TV they pay you lots of money for what you do...then, slowly, your standard of living rises until you *need* that constant flow to stay at that level. Then...they threaten to take it away from you if you don't behave. And THAT'S when they've got you." jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 24 Sep 1994 00:30:35 -0400 Subject: Re: To JMS: thanks for honorin The reference in "By Any Means" is to Matewan, where a terrible labor strike took place (and a film was made about it); the other is Matawan, which is where I lived for a while, but the reference is to the former, not the latter. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 24 Sep 1994 00:30:39 -0400 Subject: ATTN JMS: "And The Sky Full of The wisp of smoke is a wisp of smoke, nothing more important than that. If something living in hyperspace bothers you...good, it should. The Psi Corps article is in frame for a reason. Yes, we sometimes put additional or important information in the background, but I don't think we can be fair and assume that everyone sees it, so if you don't see it in one place, it's stated out loud later on...the background stuff is to give the alert viewer a fighting chance to guess some stuff BEFORE it happens; when stuff DOES finally happen, all the required information is supplied at that time. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 24 Sep 1994 00:30:42 -0400 Subject: Story arc question "Mind War" is important to the arc because Psi Corps, and certain aspects of it, is important to the arc. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 24 Sep 1994 18:30:49 -0400 Subject: Candles And Stars in Babylon S The notion of candles and stars in your note (Jason) would also seem to apply, for instance, to the role of Draal in "Voice." jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 24 Sep 1994 18:43:02 -0400 Subject: JMS: Earthdome question Earthdome is in what was once Geneva, and is a domed city similar to some of what's done on Mars, though here it's to protect the city from outside threat. We mainly hear about it because that's where B5's political, military and social ties are, but I'd like to expand outside of that...hear what's new in New York, that sort of thing (though we have heard references to the Russian Consortium, and to poor old San Diego...). jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 24 Sep 1994 18:44:26 -0400 Subject: Re: A "promotion" for Ivanova? Major Krantz wasn't so much in charge of B4 as he was (as noted in dialogue) assigned to oversee the final stages of construction. His job was to get the station finished, then turn it over to someone else to run. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 24 Sep 1994 19:14:01 -0400 Subject: Re: B5 & DS9: Off to War The working name for the sixth race is the Shadowmen. And, as you note, one of things that I like to play with is the layering of ambiguity. Let's say, just for the sake of argument, that we set up two sides: Shadowmen vs. Vorlons, which looks like evil vs. good. Fundamentally, I would find that boring. What you would then have to do is get into WHY they're doing what they do, and HOW they're doing what they do. There is, for instance, the "good" that says, "We know what's best for you, we'll protect you, nurture you, but you'll do it our way, and we'll keep you away from ideas and beliefs you shouldn't be exposed to." Okay, maybe that fits one definition of good...but is it? On the flip side, for instance, there's the "bad" that says "There must be conflict and death, because it's only through conflict and death that we grow stronger, that we can eventually create an ordered universe. The gene pool must be kept strong. To do that, there must be war and strife and death." Okay, maybe that fits the definition of evil, but is it? The key, again and always, is that nothing is what it seems on Babylon 5. And even if it looks like it IS what it is, you have to look at WHY it is what it is...and maybe at that point it isn't. One of the things about this show is that you see as much as you're willing to see. You can gloss over it, say, "Okay, these are the good guys, these are the bad guys." But the closer you look, the more you see the shades. I imagine when the Shadowmen are more fully revealed, some folks'll think we're going for a basic good/evil conflict...but believe me, there's a hell of a lot more involved in it than that. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 24 Sep 1994 19:14:05 -0400 Subject: Next on Geraldo-- Is Morden Re Morden tried to find out what the ambassadors would like. Morden arranged to rescue an important Centauri artifact. Morden helped wipe out the crooks. Morden saved Londo's career, and asked for nothing in return. And yet we get the sense that Morden is a bad guy. Kosh destroys our chance for immortality. Refuses to get involved in the affairs of others. Is plainly studying us. Terrorizes one of our main characters, Talia, for unknown reasons. And yet we get the sense that Kosh is a good guy. If anyone should ask, I really *love* writing this show.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 24 Sep 1994 19:30:16 -0400 Subject: Morden = Rod Serling? You noticed that too, huh? Surprise me, too. We'd cast him in the part of Morden, then the first day's dailies come in, and his stance, his manner, the way he looks...we all looked at the TV and said, more or less at once, "Holy shit, it's Rod Serling!" jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 24 Sep 1994 19:30:19 -0400 Subject: Re: B5 acknowledging religion "...you're claiming that an *atheist* is proselytizing for judaism." Hey, it's a new organization, haven't you heard? Atheists for Yahweh. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 25 Sep 1994 05:54:31 -0400 Subject: ATTN JMS (part III) More Neve We'll see more on Talia's additional talents in year two. Yes, that is a triluminary on the grey council staff in "Sky." No current plans for Ben Zayn to reprise. Did I say something about the development of psi talent...? The rest will have to wait. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 25 Sep 1994 19:37:35 -0400 Subject: info, was Re: B5 & DS9: Off to Correction: Jeri Taylor isn't full-time on DS9; she ran TNG, and is now co-running Voyager, which she co-created. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 25 Sep 1994 19:37:40 -0400 Subject: Re: ATTN JMS (part III) More Ironheart was created, as one of many reasons, to exemplify a problem that is growing within Psi Corps. There will be other symptoms, though not as grand as that one. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 26 Sep 1994 20:39:16 -0400 Subject: JMS: Origin of name Giribaldi Garibaldi was nameed after the famous Italian war hero of the same name. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 26 Sep 1994 20:43:27 -0400 Subject: Los Angeles losing Babylon-5 ( The Sunday 11 p.m. rerun has been moved to Saturday nights at midnight. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 26 Sep 1994 20:43:36 -0400 Subject: How is Claudia? Thanks; Ivanova's a lot of fun to write for. Re: Claudia...she's up and running around, though still wearing her cast. We worked it into the script following the one she was shooting when it happened, and shot around her for the balance of that. It's come up in a total of two episodes in dialogue, but otherwise hasn't affected the show; she's been great about it. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 27 Sep 1994 04:50:59 -0400 Subject: Loscon Babylon 5 Presentation Well, I'm certainly glad to hear about the B5 presentation being scheduled for that Sunday; it's the first I'd heard of it. I hadn't been notified or invited prior to this. (Though in fairness, just after I read this here, I found a note on CIS from Lyon doing just that.) In any event...yes, I'll be there. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 27 Sep 1994 05:05:52 -0400 Subject: Re: Morden = Rod Serling? His name is in the credits; it's Ed Wasser. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 28 Sep 1994 02:47:25 -0400 Subject: ATT JMS : Question on Rules... Actor suggestions are fine. As for Chrysalis, there's about 8 to 10 days in "story time" between it and the events in "Points." The next few shows track in real-time. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 29 Sep 1994 05:50:25 -0400 Subject: JMS: Seen at a convention.... Insofar as I know, those are bogus items. All such items must go through my office for approval, and no one's sent those through yet. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 29 Sep 1994 05:50:35 -0400 Subject: UK: B5 ratings There's some chance that I may be in London within a week or so of "Chrysalis" airing there. Anything I should know about, any London conventions? How's the weather out there this time of year (October)? Anything doing in London that's worth checking out? (Plays in particular.) jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 29 Sep 1994 05:50:44 -0400 Subject: How do you write for B5? I appreciate your interest; at this time, we're fully booked on scripts for B5. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 29 Sep 1994 10:01:58 -0400 Subject: Truth on Ohare Mellissa Gilbert didn't state things exactly right, and was being provoked by Stern to say something controversial. O'Hare already is slated to appear later in season one, so that alone takes care of the issue. I'd also suggest the current Starlog interview with Michael, which also confirms stuff. (Oops, typo above, I meant to type later in season *two*.) jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 30 Sep 1994 01:01:23 -0400 Subject: Re: Truth on Ohare Michael O'Hare had *absolutely* no such "in-first-episode, so in for all" clause in his contract. Not only that, but insofar as I know such clauses don't *exist* in ANY SAG contract. This in particular is one of the most astonishingly stupid things I've heard in ages. We gave some serious thought to having Michael in the first episode, except as I got into the story, it really slowed things down...and I'm kinda partial to mysteries. I like *doing* something...and then a bit down the road you find out what it's all about. (Like this is news to anyone here.) And Sinclair *does* appear later on this season. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 30 Sep 1994 01:01:42 -0400 Subject: Effect of Earth-Minbari War on You don't need to cut off every limb if you cut off the head. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 30 Sep 1994 01:02:01 -0400 Subject: JMS: Babylon 5 and DSS! I'll pass it along, but hey, if people listened to me, you think we'd have to wait until October 24th to see "Chrysalis"....? jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 30 Sep 1994 01:02:25 -0400 Subject: JMS: what other kinds of warsh At various points I think you'll probably see all those various classes of ships. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 30 Sep 1994 23:09:31 -0400 Subject: JMS: the common cold? Yeah, the common cold is still around. Have been playing around for a while now with a story using that. We'll see. jms