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1704 lines
60 KiB
1704 lines
60 KiB
Subj: Re: Cthulu in space
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Date: 95-12-02 05:34:09 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{comparing various B5 characters to Lord of the Rings characters}
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The characters and comparisons you made are basic archetypal characters
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that have long been used in all kinds of sagas...the voice of the wise
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master, the characters of action, the hero on a journey, the smaller wiser
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folk...they extend far beyond Tolkein. We draw on the same archetypal pool,
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but there's no intended parallel between them. What invariably gets lost in
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this is that the LoTR saga was a *quest* story, that is the heart of
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it...ain't no quest here. The characters are part of the saga-structure that
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goes straight back to the Illiad and the Odyssey, Gawain and the Green
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Knight, Jason and the Argonauts and elsewhere. The only common elements come
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from the fact that we have our roots in the same literary garden of
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archetypes and literary symbology.
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I didn't fight for five years to get this show off the ground just to do
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LoTR with the serial numbers filed off.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Hope for Vir, the Furst
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Date: 95-11-30 02:46:24 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{about Stephen Furst's guest appearance on Chicago Hope}
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The Chicago Hope appearance is only a two-parter, nothing beyond that.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Gethsemane
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Date: 95-12-03 06:07:11 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{why did Ivanova tolerate Lyta so readily?}
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Real simple. Lyta has proven that she was telling the proof about the
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traitor; and she's on the run from the Psi Corps herself, putting her and
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Ivanova on the same side; and she helped when she was asked to try and find
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Edward.
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jms
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Subj: Re:X Glen X
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Date: 95-11-28 22:12:43 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Tell me, Blacnignt9, how does it feel to be a racist? Because that's
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what you are. Oh, yes, you can be a non-caucasian and be a racist. And you
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definitely qualify.
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"I must assume that there is a conscious at work and I don't find that to be
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the case." (I assume this is a misspelling of conscience.) If I were to say
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this about any ethnic group as a class, such as african-americans, you would
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call me a racist. And you would be right. And it's just as racist as to
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make sweeping comments about other races such as this.
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"...you are living proof that if I turned my back on you that I would die."
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If I said this about a hispanic, it'd be racist. Same here.
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"I have lived a long time and the one theng that has remain constant is the
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fact the when ever you have a chance you will hurt us, and hurt us badly."
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Here you are speaking of caucasions as a race again. This kind of sweeping
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statement is racist. It is also wrongheaded and offensive.
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What about the half million white folks who died in the Civil war to end the
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brutality and monstrous practice of slavery? More were killed in the course
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of that war than in all of our losses in every war thereafter combined.
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How about the Swedes, who never even *saw* an person of african descent for
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most of their country's history?
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And while we're at it, what about my caucasian friend Lisa, who volunteered
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as a rape counselor in a predominantly black lower-class neighborhood, and
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was murdered for her efforts? Yes, sir, I can sure tell that she was out to
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hurt other people like yourself, wasn't she?
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The heart of racism is stupidity and intolerance and classifying every member
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of an ethnic group as being the same, usually in a negative fashion. By that
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definition, you are a racist, and I suggest before you start correcting
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others on this area, you do a little housecleaning of your own first.
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jms
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Subj: Re:YOU PEOPLE ARE SICK
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Date: 95-12-01 03:45:08 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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The reason Laurel Takashima/Tamlyn Tomita is not currently on the show
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is because the actress didn't feel really comfortable in the role of a
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military commander, and felt she might do better in other kinds of roles,
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such as that which came along about the same time in a major motion picture;
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she is now a highly-sought-after film performer. When she opted out, I went
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instantly after Julie Nickson, an asian actress to play Catherine Sakai,
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Sinclair's love interest, a recurring role in the show.
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And check my message uptopic...there's a racist here, all right, and
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it's you.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Blacnight9
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Date: 95-12-03 05:55:38 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Blacnight: okay, you've been hurt. Three words: deal with it, but
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frankly, if you use this as a motivation to become just as racist in your
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descriptions of caucasians then you have totally and utterly sacrificed the
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high ground in the discussion.
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Lemme explain something to you: I didn't come into the world with a
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silver spoon. We were poor. I'm not talking poor lower case letters, I'm
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talking POOR. We lived in houses without roofs, without heat in the winter,
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always on the run from creditors. You know where poor folks live, Blacnight?
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In the poor part of town, which was usually the ethnic part of town. Most of
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my life I lived in areas that were mainly black, or hispanic, or puerto
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rican. I lived in Newark just before the riots, as a kid, the only white kid
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on the whole BLOCK. I've got class photos from schools as a kid, and you
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look for row after row, and in the lines of brown and black faces, you find
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one -- ONE -- white face. Mine. It ain't a case of "well, sure, some of my
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friends were black," ALL of them were. Or Puerto Rican. Or Hispanic.
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And at those schools, because I was always the new kid, I got the snot
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beaten out of me on a regular basis. Usually by kids with skin color
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different from my own. Because that's usually all there was in the
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neighborhood. So I got hurt, I got beat up, constantly. Now, do I turn
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around and say that all black/hispanic/puerto ricans are bad people? No.
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Some were great, some were real jerks. Some helped me. Some hurt me. I
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deal with it *without* coming up with sweeping generalizations about whole
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groups.
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For as long as you continue to make sweeping statements about caucasians
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-- and you have not responded to one of the responses I made to you before on
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this -- then you are every bit as racist and prejudiced as those you say you
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are against. You come on, make one sweeping generalization, go away, then
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come back with another. You don't listen, you just accuse and take the role
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of angry victim. Well, fine, like I said, I've lost dear friends to people
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of other colors than my own...but I don't turn around and blame the whole
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group for the actions of a few.
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If you're concerned about the well being of other african americans, let
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me ask what you're doing positively about it? Working with inner city kids?
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Neighborhood programs? What? Or are you content to just come on here and
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complain?
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African-americans and hispanics have *got* to be brought into the
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mainstream of american political and economic life; we cannot long sustain a
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disenfranchised class determined by ethnic background. That way lies madness
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and destruction for all parties. On my show, I do as much as I can; on the
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side, I tithe a goodly percentage of my income to charitable causes, AIDS
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research, People For The American Way (which fights tyranny from the left and
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the right in censorhship issues), and other causes. Because it ain't enough
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to complain; you've got to go in and DO something. You talk the talk real
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good; how're you fixed for walking the walk?
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jms
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Subj: Re:B-5 newsgroup
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Date: 95-11-30 02:49:24 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{will you be leaving AOL too?}
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I have no plans for leaving here anytime soon, Angelica. I hope to be
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here for the long haul.
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jms
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Subj: Re:B5 Universe Questions
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Date: 95-12-01 03:53:56 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Mass drivers use asteroids freely available in space, accelerated and fired
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into a planetary atmosphere. EA non-rotational ships have zero g. EA tech
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is generally much lower in weapons tech and other areas than the Minbari and
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Vorlons, among others.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Licensing & Your Audience
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Date: 95-12-01 03:59:02 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{you're letting Creation do B5 merchandise?}
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We're aware of the rep that Creation has, and I've been very open in my
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criticism of them when they've done something dumb, both in my talks with
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them privately, and on the nets. They know that if they do a Dumb of Bad
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Thing, I'm going to call them on it. I'll also note when they do things
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right. And thus far, for the most part, they've done okay by B5. I've
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worked closely with them on the licensing aspects, and some of it is really
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quite cool, and the rest is fine. (They have come out with two recent items,
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a B5 leather jacket (a bit over-priced, I think, but extremely cool
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nonetheless), and B5 mugs with the logo on one side, and the silhouette on
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the other in silver against black that's just *killer*.)
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I don't feel sufficiently comfortable at this time to do a B5 convention
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with them; but I have made an occasional personal appearance, and found that
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they are genuinely interested in trying to straighten out their rep. A great
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deal of the problem stems from the fact that they often work with local folks
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in the area as hosts who often don't know what they're talking about. So now
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they're cutting back a little, trying to do fewer, better, than a lot, less
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efficiently.
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jms
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Subj: Re:To JMS
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Date: 95-12-01 17:52:49 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Hogan: thanks. And at this point, we're in no particular jeapordy of
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being canceled; the ratings keep improving, slowly, but it's there, and the
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folks at WB have openly discussed the notion of our fourth season long before
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those words would usually ever come out of their mouths, so we'll probably be
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okay.
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jms
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Subj: Re:VIDEOS
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Date: 95-12-02 01:49:28 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{about video releases}
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The difference is that we want them to do it, and they don't think that
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there's a market. You tell me how to resolve that difference, and I'll go
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for it.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Without Makeup
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Date: 95-12-02 01:50:31 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{will actors appear without makeup?}
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It's been discussed, but the actors, particularly Andreas, are dead
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against the idea, on the theory that it ruins the illusion.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Schedules and Reruns
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Date: 95-12-02 05:27:09 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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The rerun schedule is to accommodate the PTEN desire to have new eps
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for sweeps periods, and nothing else. I'm sitting on a bunch of new episodes
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that're just gonna sit on the shelf until January. (Hey, everybody come on
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over to my house, we'll have a viewing party....)
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jms
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Subj: Re:Episode #4
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Date: 95-12-02 05:28:20 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{"Passing Through Gethsemane" -- the interrogation scene was disquieting.}
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Yes, that's definitely the sense I was going for. That scene frankly
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unsettles and scares me a little, because it does show our characters
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skirting the line...yes, it's absolutely necessary, every moment is precious
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if they're going to try to save Edward's life...but it's still a bit creepy.
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jms
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Subj: Who Works For Whom
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Date: 95-12-03 05:33:02 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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I post this here only because this was forwarded to me in private mail,
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and if this utter and absolute lie is being circulated, best to quash it
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right here and now.
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The email comes originally from a certain individual on usenet who does
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not merit his name being mentioned, and this is, as stated an absolute and
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total and complete lie of the worst sort I have seen in a while. It concerns
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my departure from rastb5, predicated in large part by actions taken by this
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individual who is running like mad to find some other reason to attribute
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this to. The relevant quote follows:
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"And his retreat just happens to correspond to the introduction of the
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new Babylon 5 area on AOL. And isn't it amazing how his "formal
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termination" of his presence on this group is 30 November. Bet it
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corresponds to his new contract on AOL which starts on 1 December, and
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includes a clause regarding his participation on the Internet."
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1) I have no contract whatsoever with AOL concerning my presence here.
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2) I am not being paid one thin dime for my participation on AOL. 3) Not
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only do I not receive anything for being here, I pay for my subscription here
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just like everybody else on AOL, no freebie account, nothing.
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There is no contract, and no cause in that contract. I'm happy to bring
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my AOL bill to the next convention to prove this. (I think it was $80 last
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month.)
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It's this kind of lying behavior by a certain few demented individuals
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that made my departure from rastb5 inevitable. This particular lie is made
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more disgraceful by the fact that it is stated as cold fact, not speculation,
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not rumor, but cold fact...and is utterly, 100% untrue.
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If you folks have to pay to be here, then I'll pay to be here. (Though,
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granted, I do have freebie accounts on GEnie and in one or two forums on
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CIS.)
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Sorry for the interruption; just felt this was necessary to nip in the
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bud. As you were.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Videos
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Date: 95-12-03 05:34:14 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{who do we write about videos?}
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That info has been given out elsewhere, and it hasn't done any good, so
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we're looking into the possibility of releasing them ourselves.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Rangers
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Date: 95-12-03 05:35:06 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{how long have the Rangers been around?}
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Yes, there'll be other Rangers in episodes here and there. There was a
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kind of loose-knit Rangers notion back on Minbar but it didn't come into full
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bloom until Sinclair arrived and took charge of the operation.
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jms
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Subj: Re:JMS:Writing
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Date: 95-12-03 05:36:54 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{about writing plays}
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The play format varies a little here and there; I'm addressing this in a
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rewrite I'm finishing now of the writing book.
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Re: the number of episodes I write...basically, it's just the number I
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feel is right to communicate the sense of the show in that season. One of
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the main reasons I *created* B5 in the first place was to make a show I'd
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like to watch, and to write for. So now that it's here, I'm following up.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Q about season schedule
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Date: 95-12-03 05:38:09 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{reruns before "Severed Dreams"?}
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At this point, it looks like there may be a break before #10, though I
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haven't seen a final schedule on this. It ain't what I would do...but it
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ain't my call, alas.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Coming Changes: JMS
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Date: 95-12-03 05:38:40 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{changes in the EA uniforms?}
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Yeah, there might be some changes here and there....
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jms
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Subj: Re:Who's Garibaldi's Second?
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Date: 95-12-03 05:39:11 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Zack.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Episode #4
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Date: 95-12-03 05:41:23 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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How Sheridan and Garibaldi got away with it?
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"Telepath? What telepath? Never happened. Can you describe her? No?
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I see. Well, I don't remember seeing anyone in there, Mr. Garibaldi, do you?
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We'd check the logs to be absolutely sure, because we'd hate for this sort of
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thing to happen, but we had a small glitch in the software, and the recorders
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didn't work...still, we're working on it, and we hope to have it taken care
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of in the next few months. Would you like some more tea, Ambassador?"
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jms
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Subj: Re:Star trek still rules
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Date: 95-12-03 06:05:13 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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"'Without ST none of these other series would have been born."
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Sounds good. Only thing wrong with it is that it ain't true.
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Prior to ST, there were the SF anthology shows such as the Outer Limits
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and Twilight Zone and One Step Beyond and Men Into Space and many others;
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just prior to ST there was Lost in Space. (And by the way, most critics at
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the time panned ST because they said it was just a cheap attempt to cash in
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on LiS's popularity.) So you could easily say that ST wouldn't be on the air
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except for LiS, if you're going to follow your logic to its ultimate
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conclusion. And let's not forget Forbidden Planet, which is almost a
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template for ST.
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Finally, I'd note that if ST was responsible for other shows coming
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along in that same vein, why have there been no others in 25 years until B5
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(in terms of series set in our future, with us as a spacefaring civilization,
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with a fully worked out cosmology/universe)? Do you know why it took 5 years
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to sell B5? Because we were told, by execs at CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, Showtime,
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HBO, and elsewhere that -- and this is a direct quote -- "There's no room for
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any other SF show of this kind other than ST. The market won't sustain it."
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ST has been used as a rationale NOT to do space SF for *years*. We had
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to fight like mad to overcome that notion. So you'll understand why, having
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fought for years to overcome the roadblock that ST was in terms of selling
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B5, why I can only shake my head when someone tries to attribute the presence
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of this show to ST.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Vorlons as Angels
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Date: 95-11-30 02:39:56 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Also, it has not been stated anywhere that the Vorlons created the
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angel element; they could easily just have come in and tried to exploit
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it....
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jms
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Subj: Ratings
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Date: 95-12-02 01:46:18 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Every so often, this flares up, and I have to kind of get into it. Yes,
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Bruce would like the ratings to get better, because he feels that this show
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is at least as good as ST, if not better, and thus deserves the same ratings.
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This is not a reasonable expectation, I think; ST has almost 30 years of
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presence in the public consciousness. You can't beat that.
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What *is* important is that we have continued to get the level of
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ratings required for renewal. You don't have to be a top-10 show, or even a
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top-20 show; that's only the very tip...there are about 250 syndicated shows
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out there, and we are invariably in the top 35-40 out of 250, the ratings are
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either constant or growing in various markets, and the demographics (the kind
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of people watching the show) are exactly what the advertisers want.
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Consequently, the ads sell for very good prices to the sponsors...and WB is
|
|
making money on the show.
|
|
|
|
There's this recurrent wave of panic about the ratings that's really not
|
|
merited. The fact is that Space Rangers is off the air, Time Trax is gone,
|
|
SeaQuest has sunk, Earth 2 has fallen out of orbit, Sliders is gone, VR5 is
|
|
gone...of all the SF shows introduced the same time or after we were, only B5
|
|
and DS9 are still here. They're gone because they didn't get the ratings
|
|
necessary for renewal. We're here because we do. It's really that simple.
|
|
|
|
I've never intended this show to be a Huge Landslide Success, a
|
|
*FRANCHISE* a la ST. I want to tell this story, and it's the kind of story
|
|
that kinda grows on you. If you want to get the really big numbers, you have
|
|
to dumb up the show, bring in kids, have lots of women in skimpy outfits, and
|
|
make it into something other than what it is. And once you *become* a
|
|
franchise, you get Noticed by the studio types...when you get Noticed by the
|
|
studio types, suddenly they want to protect you...protect the show...and any
|
|
stories with teeth in them get knocked down, all the corners get filed
|
|
off...and you've got something soft and inoffensive and essentially
|
|
meaningless.
|
|
|
|
If I for a *moment* genuinely thought that this show was in any measure
|
|
of jeapordy, I'd be right here banging the drums and sounding the clarion
|
|
call and urging everyone to go out there and move and start letter campaigns
|
|
and make lots of calls. You'll notice I'm not doing that. Because it's not
|
|
necessary. The show is doing well enough to go on, and that means the story
|
|
will be told, the way I feel it has to be told.
|
|
|
|
If that should *ever* change...believe me, you'll hear about it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:ATTN JMS: Feeelthy Pirate
|
|
Date: 95-12-07 05:31:04 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{about pirated merchandise}
|
|
|
|
All info on feelthy pirates gladly accepted so that we may go and whomp
|
|
them.
|
|
|
|
Thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Epic Parallels
|
|
Date: 95-12-07 05:25:59 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{Similarity to La Morte D'artur: Arthur's and Mordred's armies are poised
|
|
for battle but make one last attempt to negotiate, but a soldier raises
|
|
his sword to kill a snake and everyone attacks. Compare this to the
|
|
emperor's peace overture in "The Coming of Shadows."}
|
|
|
|
There's another applicable metaphor for the sword story; you'll see it
|
|
a little later this season. Very good catch, btw.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:The "Core"
|
|
Date: 95-12-07 05:28:11 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{God is the core of Christianity, not an emotion or a moment.}
|
|
|
|
Filops: take it to the religion topic. That's what it's there for. If
|
|
you wish to write long polemics on religion, that's fine, but do it in the
|
|
appropriate place. I really don't want bunches of topics to get filled up
|
|
with rehashings of this stuff. Thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Show me to my ghetto?
|
|
Date: 95-12-09 02:17:58 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
The issue at hand is courtesy. I know that a lot of people here want
|
|
to discuss other areas than religion; there is a religion topic that is where
|
|
religion messages should go, just as notes on merchandising go in
|
|
merchandising, and items on ratings go in ratings...it makes it easier to
|
|
find the topics that interest you, and keeps the conversation from being
|
|
monopolized across various folders.
|
|
|
|
As I told you in private mail, very often your messages on religion
|
|
really have *nothing* whatsoever to do with B5, but rather with the issues
|
|
that are of importance to you about religion, gays, whathaveyou...and you
|
|
thus shoehorn them in...you do it here, you've done it over in the B5 folders
|
|
in the SF-Television areas...and what happens is that the religion wars that
|
|
erupt, due in some measure to some of the rather inflammatory tone you use,
|
|
tend to keep other users away who just don't want to see it One More Time.
|
|
|
|
But there are religious elements in the show that can be
|
|
discussed...hence I made it a point to open such an area. Use it. That's
|
|
what it's there for. If someone were to put up a long note on ratings, I'd
|
|
point them to the ratings folder, simple as that. Yes, it is your right to
|
|
say anything you so choose...and it is the right of myself and others to ask
|
|
you to show courtesy to your fellow users by doing so in the appropriate
|
|
forums. Is not courtesy usually considered the christian thing to do?
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Show me to my ghetto?
|
|
Date: 95-12-09 02:22:17 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Mythopile: okay, maybe you don't care about keeping topics to their
|
|
intended use. That's fine. I have received mail from people who stress that
|
|
they are on limited incomes, and when they come in here, they only go into
|
|
specific forums because they can't afford to spend a lot of time on AOL. And
|
|
they like to be able to know that when the click into a topic on Clams In B5
|
|
that they won't have to wade through a bunch of messages on other subjects to
|
|
find what they're looking for.
|
|
|
|
I have never, at any time, "thrown some guy" out of a folder. I have
|
|
asked, simply, and only in a very few cases, that people try the folders
|
|
where their comments will reach the widest audience, since someone interested
|
|
in religion will go there first, and someone interested in ratings will go to
|
|
tha topic first, as a courtesy to the other users here. Nobody here is going
|
|
to force you to be courteous. I cannot do anything about it. I can only
|
|
suggest courtesy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:This folder's name again.
|
|
Date: 95-12-09 02:24:35 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{this is the B5 themes topic; religion is a theme in B5.}
|
|
|
|
Yes, religion is a theme in B5, Filops...unfortunately, you never
|
|
*address* it...you only use this as a pretext to get into one of your long
|
|
diatribes about what you consider acceptable behavior, acceptable social and
|
|
sexual mores. You use this only as a way to springboard into those
|
|
discussions. I've seen you do it repeatedly over on the SFTV forums, and it
|
|
troubles me to see you doing it again here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS: TNT syndie question
|
|
Date: 95-12-05 03:31:37 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{any cuts being made for second-run syndication?}
|
|
|
|
I don't know; my guess is that we're pretty close to the right time as
|
|
it is, so I can't see what would be accomplished by cuts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Post to rastb5 (re:Who Wo
|
|
Date: 95-12-05 03:36:02 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{about the bogus "JMS is being paid to be on AOL" message}
|
|
|
|
Yeah, I suppose it can be reposted. May stop some of this. I hear
|
|
people are saying, "Hey, it's okay if he makes money being on AOL," defending
|
|
it, when it isn't true to *begin* with. If I were doing so, if AOL thought a
|
|
B5 presence were important enough to pay for it, heck, I'd be taking out ads
|
|
in the Times. But as far as AOL is concerned, I'm just one more subscriber,
|
|
and I pay my way same as everybody else.
|
|
|
|
I just hope somebody's called the little twit on the fact that he went
|
|
around calling others liars, then went out and posted his message about my
|
|
alleged "contract with AOL" as though it were an absolute fact, even referred
|
|
to a clause *within* that contract...and clearly, obviously, flatly lied
|
|
about the existence of a document that isn't there. It's a *deliberate*
|
|
lie...it isn't a speculation, wasn't phrased in the form of a question, he
|
|
deliberately went out and posted an out and out *verifiable lie* to the
|
|
entire usenet, knowing it was a lie.
|
|
|
|
Never ceases to amaze me....
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:jms:X-files w/ B5
|
|
Date: 95-12-07 05:05:41 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{B5 reference in the X Files?}
|
|
|
|
Don't know if the beacon reference was toward us or not; but it's
|
|
still a great show, though it's getting a little convoluted even by their
|
|
standards lately. Still, I'll keep watching....
|
|
|
|
Re: elevators...at risk of repeating stuff I've said elsewhere...every
|
|
so often, I'll see a note from somebody saying that this show only gets by
|
|
because of its effects, that without that part it ain't nothin'...and just to
|
|
honk 'em off I'll sit down and write a killer scene with just one or two
|
|
characters in a room, no EFX, sometimes not even any music...and I often go
|
|
for the smallest room in the station...and that happens to be the transport
|
|
tube.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Who Works For Whom
|
|
Date: 95-12-07 05:08:37 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
"(still not sure which name to call you)"
|
|
|
|
It's just Joe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS:Matters of Honor
|
|
Date: 95-12-07 05:09:28 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{Shadows at the bar in "Matters of Honor?"}
|
|
|
|
Yes, that was a little hint of the shadows around Morden for those
|
|
sharp enough to catch it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:A very different question
|
|
Date: 95-12-07 05:12:24 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
I'm working on a Dell Dimension 90mhz Pentium, 2 1-gigabyte drives, 4x
|
|
CDrom, 32 megs memory, 17" Nanao monitor, Soundblaster sound card, #9GXEpro
|
|
64 bit video (identical system in office, I'm at home now, except office
|
|
system has 128-bit Imagine video card)...and I'm using a US Robotics
|
|
v.Everything Courier modem at 28.8 speed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Question about the actors
|
|
Date: 95-12-07 05:14:43 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{how often are actors paid?}
|
|
|
|
In the case of the regular actors, and the producers, you are paid a
|
|
certain fee per episode contracted for (22 episodes for regulars, 13 or 8 for
|
|
recurring cast members, 22 for producers). That amount is then broken up
|
|
into about 50 weeks (I think maybe 40 or so weeks for actors, John Copeland
|
|
can probably be more specific on this), and you thus get a weekly check based
|
|
upon that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:B5 and DS9
|
|
Date: 95-12-07 05:16:48 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{White Star related to DS9's Defiant?}
|
|
|
|
The White Star was always in the plans for the series; it's an
|
|
outgrowth of everything that has gone before. We've seen big warships,
|
|
dreadnoughts, smaller ships, and personal fighters. This fits right in. If
|
|
you're going to have a war over a long distance, you kinda need something to
|
|
get in and out with.
|
|
|
|
I actually don't watch DS9 as a rule, so I really can't comment on its
|
|
current storylines.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:To JMS
|
|
Date: 95-12-07 05:20:30 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{Don't let the Usenet folks annoy you.}
|
|
|
|
Thanks. If it were just me, I could try to ignore some of the
|
|
nonsense; but the problem was that it soon involved vast numbers of other
|
|
people, who were being flamed or driven off the system, and every thread was
|
|
contaminated by it. A number of folks came to hang out at rastb5 because I
|
|
was there, as many of them have stated since; that wasn't/isn't the only
|
|
draw, theres' lots of good conversation, but that was a component...so my
|
|
being there put people in the position of being available to be attacked,
|
|
derided, flamed, insulted and assaulted, and I can't allow that to happen.
|
|
And it began to have an impact on my writing, and that I *definitely* can't
|
|
afford.
|
|
|
|
One way or another, that particular chapter in the experiment will find
|
|
a way to continue, in the fullness of time. I'm a patient man.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS:- Throwaway Dialogue
|
|
Date: 95-12-07 05:21:18 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{You mentioned awhile back that some very important throwaway dialogue
|
|
was coming up. Was it Ivanova's "know all, see all" line, or Lennier's
|
|
"Minbari, but not born..." line?}
|
|
|
|
Ah, now I can't make it *too* easy, now can I...?
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS, I commend you...
|
|
Date: 95-12-09 01:09:27 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Thanks, though I'm not entirely sure I emerged from all this totally
|
|
sane...if I had, I wouldn't be working in TV....
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Star trek still rules
|
|
Date: 95-12-07 04:59:35 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
FWIW, I've seen most of the episodes of Space, and I quite like it.
|
|
The last one was especially good, in that I couldn't figure how they were
|
|
going to get out of this one, and I like being surprised. Well done; the
|
|
show has promise.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS Rocks
|
|
Date: 95-12-09 01:07:11 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
In general, I've really had to stay away from anything even resembling a
|
|
story idea on the nets, so I don't use them, and haven't. As for other
|
|
shows, my sense as a fan myself is that the more quality SF on the air, the
|
|
better; we've actually given tours and provided information on how we make
|
|
this show to other producers so that they can use the "Babylon 5 Model" in
|
|
helping to bring more SF to television. The more the merrier.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Ratings and Bruce
|
|
Date: 95-12-06 04:00:30 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Just a note to mention that due to the lengthy lead times required by
|
|
national magazines, espeically those with an entertainment bent, that some
|
|
pieces are considered evergreens, and can be published anytime. You build up
|
|
material until you're ready to go. The piece in EW with Bruce came via an
|
|
interview conducted toward the end of the long summer slump caused by reruns.
|
|
Hence his comments. They improved once the new episodes came back on again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Ratings
|
|
Date: 95-12-06 04:03:34 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{Don't call Star Trek a franchise. They take big risks.}
|
|
|
|
AcDec...all I can say is that you should talk sometime behind closed
|
|
doors, as I have, with many of the writers and producers who have worked, and
|
|
still work, on the various ST versions, who WANT to tell stories with teeth,
|
|
that challenge, but who are prevented from doing so by the suits eager to
|
|
preserve ST as an inoffensive franchise. Sorry, but the logic still parses.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Why I watch
|
|
Date: 95-12-09 01:03:00 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Lisala: Thanks. We try to emphasize the voice of the storyteller as
|
|
much as possible, that we are creating...well, I don't want to say creating
|
|
new mythologies, because I don't think they are really created, they stretch
|
|
back to the foundations of civilization, and show up repeatedly in works of
|
|
literature...but reinterpreting and reinventing and clarifying the structure
|
|
of myth for a new generation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: B5 *is* shot widescreen
|
|
Date: 95-12-07 04:55:04 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Two series, and insofar as I know, *only* two series are currently being
|
|
shot widescreen: B5 and Lois and Clark. Here's easy verification: fire up
|
|
the first season tape of "The Parliament of Dreams." Fast-forward to the
|
|
Minbari ceremony that's also used in the main title sequence. Now compare
|
|
the two; you see more of the shot in the widescreen opening than in the
|
|
regular shot.
|
|
|
|
We generally compose for widescreen but protect for regular aspect
|
|
ratio, which is how the show is broadcast currently in the US. Sometimes it
|
|
gets a little glitchy; in "Matters of Honor," when Marcus hands off the
|
|
minbari fighting pike to Delenn, it's very visible in the widescreen shot,
|
|
but you barely see it on the edge of the regular shot.
|
|
|
|
BTW, Germany and France have signed on to follow us through the
|
|
post-production process for (trying to remember now) either season 3 or
|
|
season 4, re-telecineing the negative stock back to the original widescreen
|
|
aspect ratio for broadcast in letterbox format in those countries. The UK,
|
|
via Channel 4, is still in negotiations over this.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Story Arc
|
|
Date: 95-12-12 19:16:26 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{Too many filler episodes.}
|
|
|
|
I just posted a lengthy reply to this basic thread over in the Season 3
|
|
topic (which is where I first encountered it). That says pretty much
|
|
everything I wanted to say on the issue.
|
|
|
|
This happens every season. Some people like shoot-em'ups and don't want
|
|
to see any other stories, deriding them as "filler" and let's get to the
|
|
blow-stuff-up stuff. They seem to think that anything else is "lead" which
|
|
has to be gotten out. Every season begins with standalone stories, from year
|
|
one to now. Year two has The Long Dark and A Distant Star and Soul Mates in
|
|
the first batch up. Then we hit the big arc stories, and everybody forgot
|
|
about the "lead."
|
|
|
|
In season one, we had six or seven strong arc stories. In season two,
|
|
there were about 9 really strong arc episodes. In season 3, as of right now,
|
|
there are 13-14 very strong arc episodes. In year 4, there will be about 17,
|
|
and in year 5 they're pretty much ALL arc episodes.
|
|
|
|
The series is moving as fast as possible, and as fast as intended.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Harlan Ellison Signs
|
|
Date: 95-12-11 03:56:20 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
To avoid duplication, check out the message in B5 Merchandising about
|
|
Harlan signing stuff on the West Coast this coming week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:The Last, Worst Hope for
|
|
Date: 95-12-13 01:48:45 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Yeah, but it's very hard to do a story about preparation in the sense
|
|
you suggest. "Well, let's go check out the White Star."
|
|
|
|
"Well...sure is a fast ship, all right...so, what're the Rangers doing?
|
|
Keeping an eye on stuff? Good..good...so, what's for dinner?"
|
|
|
|
Each individual episode must be *about* something, must have a story
|
|
that can stand on its own, separate from the arc, while adding to it. For
|
|
what it's worth, "Voices of Authority," which was originally slated to run in
|
|
the first 4, *is* a preparation kind of story...it gets into how they should
|
|
be gearing up for what's coming, the accumulation of allies and resources,
|
|
all that. Had it run as planned as #4, this would be answered. But the
|
|
sheer volume of CGI required, which was pretty hideous, put it into the #5
|
|
slot, which we thought would still be in the first block of episodes. Then
|
|
we found that #4 was the cutoff point.
|
|
|
|
All I can tell you is that what you're asking for is *there*, plain as
|
|
can be, right in the very next batch of episodes. (Also, do bear in mind
|
|
that the "shadow war" referenced in the show operates as more than just
|
|
discussing the shadows themselves, but what's going on back home as well.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:The Last, Worst Hope for
|
|
Date: 95-12-15 02:21:31 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Thanks. No, you can't please everyone, I learned that lesson a long
|
|
time ago. What you have to look at are the percentages. No matter *how*
|
|
wonderful the work, there will always be a certain portion who won't like it
|
|
because it isn't to their tastes. That simple. (I like bluegrass,
|
|
classical, Japanese music, celtic music, hard rock, and others...can't abide
|
|
straight-ahead country music or opera. That's just how I'm hardwired.) So
|
|
basically, a work of superior quality will get about 40% who love it, 50% who
|
|
think it's good, and 10% who hate it. A middle of the road work gets
|
|
30/30/30. A flop gets the first breakdown but in reverse. There's never
|
|
been a novel, story, song or painting that everyone on the planet thought was
|
|
nifty, without dissent. So as long as the percentages favor the notion that
|
|
we're doing right, I'm okay with it.
|
|
|
|
As far as the assessment of this latter stuff being my best work...god,
|
|
I hope so. I've been writing and selling since I was 17; in TV for a tick
|
|
over 10 years, and the absolute honest truth is that I think I'm just now
|
|
*starting* to get halfway decent as a writer. So many years you spend just
|
|
pumping out the bad stuff, the cliche characters, the implausible plots,
|
|
until you finally get to the good stuff. I write 7 days a week, 10 hours a
|
|
day, 52 weeks a year, except for my birthday, my spousal overunit's birthday,
|
|
christmas and new year's. I'm in constant battle with the English language,
|
|
slamming together different combinations of verbs and nouns and adjectives,
|
|
hoping to provoke an explosion whose flare can illustrate a notion, or incite
|
|
a moment of reflection. And half the time I feel like it's a losing battle;
|
|
the language beats you every time. But if script #152 is just 1% better than
|
|
script #151, well, that's progress.
|
|
|
|
And then I make the mistake of sitting down and watching something by
|
|
Serling or Chayefsky or Rose or Corwin, and conclude instantly that I should
|
|
get out of the profession before somebody discovers I'm a fake. THOSE guys
|
|
could WRITE. Hell, they didn't just write, they thunder'd and lightning'd
|
|
over the typwritten page, and the echoes have followed us down for decades.
|
|
So maybe someday, if I work hard, and write to the best of my ability, and am
|
|
sufficiently honest in what I write, I'll be good enough to carry their
|
|
pencil cases....
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:The Last, Worst Hope for
|
|
Date: 95-12-16 03:18:33 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{how can people be interested in a show that's getting cancelled all over?}
|
|
|
|
Kydreamer: what you have to remember is that the syndication marketplace
|
|
is undergoing *huge* changes right now, and has been for the last year. In
|
|
most markets, you're lucky if you've got even one or two independent stations
|
|
(non-CBS, NBC or ABC). Between the growth of Fox, and UPN, those stations
|
|
are now almost all locked down, and are required by contract to give
|
|
preference to programming made by their affiliated networks. Now you've got
|
|
2 hours a day that are available for prime-time programs, 8-10, that's it
|
|
(most indies usually show news from 10-11). That's a grand total of 14 hours
|
|
a week, and there are currently about 250 syndicated shows all competing for
|
|
those 14 available hours.
|
|
|
|
Usually, we rate between 30 and 50 overall, which is very good in that
|
|
crowd of 250, so in most cases holding onto the station isn't hard. But in
|
|
some markets, where the squeeze is on, and there's only one station
|
|
available, if UPN or FOX pushes hard enough...the show goes. This has,
|
|
however, happened in only about a handful of places out of something like 198
|
|
total stations, so we're still pretty solid. The problem comes when 15
|
|
people in one area all post messages that their station has dropped B5, and
|
|
what people tend to see is that there are 15 messages about this, so it must
|
|
be a big problem. (And in at least two, possibly three of those cases
|
|
another station, sometimes a *better* station, has leapt in to pick up B5's
|
|
contract.)
|
|
|
|
We've had a number of preliminary conversations with the folks at WB to
|
|
determine how best to adjust to this in the fourth season, which at this time
|
|
is looking very encouraging. Several notions have been suggested by them to
|
|
help counter or work with the changing syndication marketplace. Some of them
|
|
are quite interesting, though it's too early to comment much more than that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Other Theme Possibilities
|
|
Date: 95-12-12 18:42:08 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Basically, any attempt to break down the B5 story into pure good vs.
|
|
pure evil is going to fall apart sooner or later. The thematic elements
|
|
point to greyer areas: will you lead, or will you be led by others? What is
|
|
your responsibility to the world around you, and how far will you go before
|
|
you do something drastically wrong? The key themes in this show are choice,
|
|
and responsibility.
|
|
|
|
How different would this story be if Londo had simply chosen *not* to go
|
|
the easy way and go to Mr. Morden? We are here because he made certain
|
|
choices, and now he has to live with them. Actions have consequences.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Oedipus Rex and Shadows
|
|
Date: 95-12-13 01:43:47 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{CJ Cherryh deals with similar themes. Will scripts be made available?}
|
|
|
|
Actually haven't read much if any of CJ's work, though I really should
|
|
have. The notion of hard choices, and responsibility, of course goes way
|
|
back through early literature and into myth.
|
|
Re: scripts...we do hope to make a limited number of them available
|
|
through the fan club, once that gets going, but that's about it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Other Theme Possibilities
|
|
Date: 95-12-14 17:11:48 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{The Shadows probably don't consider themselves evil}
|
|
|
|
Good point. The monster almost never sees a monster in the mirror.
|
|
There can be all kinds of justifications for what one does....
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Other Theme Possibilities
|
|
Date: 95-12-14 17:15:29 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
I think that in the larger scope, many things are going to happen
|
|
regardless...World War One would've almost certainly happened even without
|
|
the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, but it might have happened later,
|
|
might have taken on a different form....
|
|
|
|
But there's a great deal over which we *do* have free will. Things
|
|
*can* be changed; if they can't, then there's not much point to living. The
|
|
characters like to think they have no choice to comfort themselves with the
|
|
decisions they've already made.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Beauty in the eye...
|
|
Date: 95-12-17 02:28:42 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{The Vorlons aren't good, the Shadows aren't evil.}
|
|
|
|
On the other hand, to say the Vorlons are not good may also be to miss
|
|
the point, which comes closer to the issue of control, and the question of
|
|
being led vs. leading.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Franklin and Ivanova
|
|
Date: 95-12-11 21:16:39 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
"...each of the alien groups have only one religion, one government, one
|
|
appearance...."
|
|
|
|
Actually, this is quite incorrect. It's been established that the
|
|
Narns have competing religions (G'Quan vs. G'Lan vs. other systems), the
|
|
Centauri have a whole pantheon of different deities -- I seem to recall the
|
|
number was in the 70s -- with each having their own household god, certainly
|
|
the Minbari have three very distinct castes (with some differences in
|
|
appearances, the warrior caste having more threateningly-spiked crests, vs.
|
|
more rounded for religious caste), so there are definitely differences within
|
|
our various alien races. And, of course, we've go the green drazi vs. purple
|
|
drazi situation to contend with, and accents vary as well...not every
|
|
Centauri has the same accent as Londo (which is more of the Old School of the
|
|
Centauri hierarchy), and not every Minbari speaks with Delenn's accent (which
|
|
is more from the southern region of the planet).
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:THE REAL WORLD
|
|
Date: 95-12-12 18:37:18 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Blacnight...this is really becoming pointless. For one thing, you're
|
|
not listening to anyone else. You come on here, and point to A...people
|
|
answer you, and explain or respond to some of your concerns about A, but then
|
|
you've moved on, you don't even deal with the question of A anymore, you've
|
|
moved on to B...and people try to respond to B, and now you point over there
|
|
to C. You plainly have no interest in a conversation or a discussion, you
|
|
haven't answered any of the objections to your prior messages, you just come
|
|
in here to state and restate your position. You're all over the place.
|
|
First you bring up Baywatch, then you say you don't care about Baywatch, you
|
|
flip all over the place.
|
|
|
|
My bottom line, frankly, is that yes, of course there's racism in
|
|
society, nobody's debating that. If that's the point you're trying to
|
|
communicate, then nobody here is going to dispute it. But by speaking of all
|
|
caucasian people the same way, accusing them of all having the same behavior,
|
|
you are every bit as racist as those you complain about, and that's another
|
|
issue you've danced away from. If I came on here and said about african
|
|
americans the kinds of things you've said about caucasians I'd be branded a
|
|
racist, and they'd be right.
|
|
|
|
In an early episode of season one (at risk of actually mentioning B5 in
|
|
this conversation), Sinclair makes the comment that "when you become obsessed
|
|
with the enemy, you become the enemy." You have become obsessed with the
|
|
enemy.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, this is the last response you'll get from me. It's painfully
|
|
apparent by now, having given you every opportunity to show otherwise, that
|
|
you are not interested in a conversation, only in stating and restating your
|
|
position. So the exercise becomes pointless.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Well done, Michael
|
|
Date: 95-12-10 21:22:00 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{About the B5 presentation at Westercon in Phoenix, 1992}
|
|
|
|
I remember that presentation, and it shares something special with
|
|
LosCon right before that. At the time of the convention, all I had was my
|
|
word on the kind of show I wanted to do, my rep, and about 30 seconds of a
|
|
clip showing a ship docking at a beta version of B5. That's it. And even
|
|
though producers for TeeVee series are always coming in proclaiming that
|
|
their new show is the best thing since sliced bread, even though time and
|
|
time again we (speaking as a fan myself) it ends up being just another awful
|
|
show with genius kids and cute robots...even with all that, and so little to
|
|
show for what I had in mind...fans both in Phoenix and at LosCon sidled up to
|
|
the video clip, considered it, and the few other elements I brought to the
|
|
table...and said, basically, "Let's give the kid a chance." It speaks
|
|
volumes of the willingness of SF fans to extend themselves, despite getting
|
|
repeatedly burned, when most needed.
|
|
|
|
I've always been very moved by that, and whenever I've gone back (though
|
|
I forgot this last time), I've always asked, "Did I keep the promises I made
|
|
back then?" The answer has always been yes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Divided Loyalties
|
|
Date: 95-12-10 21:23:31 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{Was Garibaldi at Lyta's ship because the Rangers told him she was coming?}
|
|
|
|
No, Garibaldi was there because the ship's ID# didn't check out, as he
|
|
stated, and it could've been in the process of smuggling or who knows what.
|
|
The "soldier/diplomat" comment came more from shaping where this season is
|
|
going.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Mira's Past
|
|
Date: 95-12-10 21:24:19 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{What name did Mira Furlan use in earlier work?}
|
|
|
|
No, her credit there reads Furlan; that's her name. Her husband's name
|
|
is Goran Gajic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS: Spousal Overunit's n
|
|
Date: 95-12-10 21:27:40 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{Who's your SO? Has she written for B5?}
|
|
|
|
Her name is Kathryn M. Drennan, and yes, she wrote "By Any Means
|
|
Necessary" for B5. She has written for other shows, mainly in the animation
|
|
area, and has worked as a journalist or feature reporter for newspapers and
|
|
magazines, including Twilight Zone Magazine, Women's World, and others.
|
|
|
|
It was difficult at times with her doing a B5 script because I kept
|
|
second-guessing myself too much on my reactions, and I ended up making her
|
|
jump through a lot of hoops that nobody else had to go through because I have
|
|
a real problem with even the *appearance* of nepotism, so she ended up
|
|
working twice as hard as was probably necessary. So far this season she
|
|
hasn't come across a story she'd like to write, so it's a moot point.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:To Jms
|
|
Date: 95-12-10 21:28:59 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Only a very few stations have dropped B5, mainly because there isn't
|
|
room any longer on their schedules due to an influx of UPN and FOX shows to
|
|
which they have prior commitments. These number less than about 5 or so out
|
|
of something like 198 stations, and in several cases other stations have
|
|
jumped in and happily picked up the contract.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:actors
|
|
Date: 95-12-11 21:05:49 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Generally speaking, very few actors are online; Pat Tallman is over on
|
|
Compuserve here and there, Stephen Furst and one or two others come online
|
|
here from time to time...bits and pieces here and there. Mainly, if there's
|
|
a message of interest, cast members find out by its being posted on the News
|
|
From The Nets wall over on stage A.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:To JMS re.the women
|
|
Date: 95-12-11 21:11:04 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{Will there be more female leads? Will we see the Talia/Ivanova relationship
|
|
mentioned again?}
|
|
|
|
I do see Lyta's role growing in the show, in the hopes of her becoming a
|
|
recurring character (main title) in time, and there are a couple of other
|
|
female characters I'm thinking about, but I don't generally think in terms of
|
|
quotas, 4 to 2 or 5 to 3 or whatever...you have to decide what works best for
|
|
the show and the story.
|
|
|
|
As for Talia/Ivanova...there's some closure to that right around
|
|
mid-season, which definitely clarifies their relationship. Suffice to say I
|
|
think you'll be pleased.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:ATTN: JMS Morden?
|
|
Date: 95-12-12 18:30:25 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Well, to the question of where the shadows are, I think that just got
|
|
answered...they're right here....
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS - thanks
|
|
Date: 95-12-13 01:41:44 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{Which episode will shed more light on the Talia/Ivanova relationship?}
|
|
|
|
Stacey: thanks, and look for something very significant to that
|
|
relationship in "Ceremonies of Light and Dark." (Not as if it'll take much
|
|
attention...it kinda jumps out at you....)
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS: Questions on Pilot A
|
|
Date: 95-12-14 17:10:29 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{Re. "The Gathering," you said the person standing outside a door in one
|
|
scene would turn out to be important. How?}
|
|
|
|
I'm not entirely sure what this refers to; the only possibility that
|
|
comes to mind is that when the assassin finds Del Varner, he gets access via
|
|
a panel outside the door, and we either hear or see "Laurel Takashima,
|
|
Cleared To Enter."
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Jms RE: Ivanova
|
|
Date: 95-12-13 21:26:13 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{You should use Claudia Christian more.}
|
|
|
|
You're absolutely correct, which is why in the very first episode up in
|
|
the next batch, we send Ivanova off in the White Star as its commander, and
|
|
we involve her and her charactder more strongly in subsequent episodes as
|
|
well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS: Kudos and a Question
|
|
Date: 95-12-13 21:35:52 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
One of the hardest questions for any writer to answer is where did the
|
|
story come from. It's often a synthesis of lots of elements that sometimes
|
|
bursts through all at one shot, other times trickles out a bit here and
|
|
there.
|
|
|
|
With B5, I started from wanting to do a saga, wanting to produce an SF
|
|
show in a fiscally responsible manner (thus encouraging more of it), and to
|
|
do real SF. The usual strategy used by other shows is the man or show on the
|
|
run...going in search of new worlds, or escaping from something, or trying to
|
|
get somewhere. The Immortal, Battlestar Galactica, the various Treks, The
|
|
Hulk...all these and others used that approach, 'cause it's the easiest kind
|
|
of story to construct, and needs the least amount of work. The downside,
|
|
though, is that you end up creating a venue in which you are constantly
|
|
distracting your story from your main characters by having to introduce the
|
|
Alien Of The Week, or the Planet Of The Week, establish them, their culture,
|
|
the problem they bring in...which leaves you very little room for real
|
|
character development. And I wanted also to get into some of what's
|
|
happening on Earth, do a little extrapolative writing in politics, law,
|
|
criminal justice, sociology, religion, and other areas.
|
|
|
|
This led me to the notion -- used in shows like LA Law or St. Elsewhere
|
|
-- of creating a place where the stories came to you, rather than vice versa.
|
|
This led me to the notion of a space station, a freeport in space. Onto
|
|
this, I began to stitch the notion of a saga, a war, certain mythic and
|
|
archetypal constructs...anyway I was playing with all this, when one day the
|
|
whole story just sorta exploded in my head. I saw the whole B5 sage, start
|
|
to finish, in one big flash. I then spent the next year, as I gathered my
|
|
notes, and wrote the pilot screenplay, trying to write down and clarify what
|
|
I saw in that one moment of absolute clarity.
|
|
|
|
It's those notes, written in 1986/87, which formed the basis for the
|
|
arc, and which I'm still using with some modifications today.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Previews
|
|
Date: 95-12-14 03:52:18 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Since the question of what's coming up in the next batch of episodes has
|
|
arisen, I thought I'd go through and, while avoiding spoilers as much as
|
|
possible, give some glimpses into what's yet to come.
|
|
|
|
This list is for the new episodes beginning in late January through the
|
|
end of February, in order.
|
|
|
|
"Voices of Authority" - Earth begins tightening the screws on the folks
|
|
at B5 to try and exert more control there. Steps are taken to help prepare
|
|
for the shadow conflict. (Here, again, the "shadow war" means both the
|
|
obvious, and the more subtle conflict brewing at home; it's description and
|
|
metaphor.) The White Star voyages to some territory not seen since the first
|
|
episode, Ivanova helms the ship, a major dramatic turning point is reached,
|
|
and there is the single funniest scene in probably the series to date. A
|
|
strong arc story.
|
|
|
|
"Exogenesis" - The last non-arc episode for some time. Puts Dr.
|
|
Franklin and Marcus together investigating some odd happenings in DownBelow
|
|
that may indicate some kind of alien influence. Does, however, introduce a
|
|
thread that will play out over time.
|
|
|
|
"Dust To Dust" - Looks like a non-arc episode initially, but by the end
|
|
it has a strong effect on the overall storyline, and makes some permanent
|
|
changes in one of our characters. Combines Bester, the telepathic-assault
|
|
drug Dust, weapons dealers, and brings to a head a major part of the
|
|
G'Kar/Londo thread.
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"Messages From Earth" - This begins the three-episode min-arc within the
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larger arc that, by its conclusion, totally changes the structure of the B5
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universe. A mega-wham episode. Because so much comes to a head so quickly,
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little can be said about it without spoiling stuff. Our characters begin
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making the final and irrevocable steps that will put them on a collision
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course with everything they have believed in until now. There are four or
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five episodes this season that push the limits of our effects and CGI to the
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absolute wall; this is one of the biggest.
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"Point of No Return" - The same, but moreso. Internal strife threatens
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to tear apart the command structure of B5. The Nightwatch thread comes to a
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crisis point. And Majel Barrett Roddenberry guest-stars in a B-story
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involving Londo's destiny.
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jms
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Subj: Re:To JMS re.the women
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Date: 95-12-15 02:00:56 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{Where are the lesbians on B5?}
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Y'know, it kinda seems to me that if two women have a relationship, and
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one leaves, the other still remains, so that answers at least one of your
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questions....
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jms
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Subj: Re:Q: Parliament of Dreams
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Date: 95-12-15 18:50:07 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{How is "The Parliament of Dreams" an important arc story?}
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Well, certainly, the rebirth ceremony is a direct antecedent to
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Delenn's rebirth in "Chrysalis," and we'll hear about the ceremony again.
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Mainly, I think of it as a slight arc story in terms of the Delenn stuff.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Pets
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Date: 95-12-15 18:51:29 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{Why no pets on B5?}
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Where would you put pets there? Noplace would really be safe. It's
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really more like a very large airport than a city...most people are just
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passing through.
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jms
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Subj: Re:World Series
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Date: 95-12-15 18:53:43 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{Who won the sixth game of the "59 series?}
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Mars won the sixth game, but it was a squeaker, 5-4. That tied it up
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going into the seventh game, which Earth won on an RBI that Mars is still
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challenging on the belief that the guy was really out at home, but that the
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umpire was catering to pressure.
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jms
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Subj: Re:To JMS re.the women
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Date: 95-12-15 18:56:02 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{If Ivanova is with a man, she'll be perceived as straight instead of bi.}
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Which, of course, is exactly *why* one cannot write to the current
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political agendas on any side of the issue, because they're transitory,
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they'll change in two weeks. If you start saying, "Well, this kind of person
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is *now* perceived THIS way this week, so I should change the story," you'll
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end up chasing your tail (also chasing your tale) and soon you lose all sense
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of direction. So you do what's right for the story, and let the chips fall
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where they may.
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jms
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Subj: Re:B5 Universe Questions
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Date: 95-12-15 18:57:45 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{There are no shock waves in space.}
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Okay, then 'splain me this: when the Pioneer space probe moved past the
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speed of sound while it was in space, the monitoring station at JPL recorded
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a *sonic boom* as the shock wave rolled over the probe as it broke the sound
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barrier.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Garibaldi Left Handed!?!
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Date: 95-12-16 03:08:18 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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I believe Jerry is left-handed, yes; doesn't really matter to me if
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Garibaldi is a southpaw or not, it wasn't a stipulation ahead of time.
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(Actually a number of our cast members are lefties; funny how that happens.)
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jms
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Subj: Re:Quest/suggest
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Date: 95-12-17 02:21:56 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{Lots of questions about future episodes}
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Unfortunately, the answer to virtually all of your questions is no, with
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a few being "I can't tell you at this time."
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jms
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Subj: Re:Experiencing Deja Vu...
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Date: 95-12-17 02:22:27 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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The next batch of new eps begins airing around January 22nd.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Harlan Ellison
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Date: 95-12-17 02:23:54 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{Is Ellison still working on his Dream Corridor books? Did his story "Kadak"
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inspire Ivanova's Chanukah celebration?}
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Last I heard, the Dream Corridor books will be coming out in a different
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form, in larger trade editions, with new stuff.
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No, "Kadak" had nothing to do with Ivanova celebrating Chanakuh on B5;
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the ceremony far predates Harlan's story....
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jms
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Subj: Re:B5 vs Star Trek
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Date: 95-12-16 03:07:15 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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We've finally received the paperwork on the fan club, and one of the
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things we plan to do is sell replica communication Links manufactured by the
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same sub-contractor company that produces the actual props, so they're 100%
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authentic; same with the EA pins and patches and some other stuff. So hang
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tight, you may get your wish.
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jms
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Subj: Harlan Ellison in SF/LA
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Date: 95-12-11 03:51:44 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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B5's own Conceptual Consultant will be signing copies of his new CDrom
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game, "I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream," based on his award winning short
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story of the same name, at Tower Records/VIdeo this coming week: on
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Wednesday, December 13, in Los Angeles from 6-7:30 p.m. at 8801 Sunset
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Boulevard, and in San Francisco at 3205 20th Avenue on Thursday, December
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14th, from 6-8 p.m.
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jms
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Subj: Re:different=same?
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Date: 95-12-11 03:49:20 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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"But what is truth? Is truth unchanging law? We both have truths. Are
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mine the same as yours?" Pontius Pilot to JC in "Jesus Christ, Superstar,"
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third act.
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For whatever reason, I know just about every line of that rock opera.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Goodbye Babylon 5
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Date: 95-12-13 01:38:40 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{Too many filler episodes.}
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Thank you, Posti. You have now posted your departing message in at
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least three different folders, probably more. We kind of get the point.
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And it's story *arc*, not story *arch*.
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Jms
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