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1673 lines
44 KiB
1673 lines
44 KiB
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Subj: Re:M.B.Roddenberry Apperance
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Date: 96-02-12 03:49:36 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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She appears in the last episode airing this month, before the rerun break,
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"Point of No Return."
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jms
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Subj: Re:Number of Episodes
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Date: 96-02-12 03:51:07 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Every season of B5 has had 22 episodes, including this one.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Cthulu in B5
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Date: 96-02-12 03:53:37 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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There's a whole tapestry of related fiction of this sort...Lovecraft was one
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practitioner, so was Dunsany, Clark Ashton Smith, August Derleth...it's a
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grand tradition of SF.
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jms
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Subj: Re:JMS: Who was the VofA?
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Date: 96-02-13 05:50:00 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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I figured that some elements of the First Ones should be consistent with one
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another; others should have specific differences. Using Ardwight
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subliminally reinforced some of the consistencies.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Can you rerun B-2?
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Date: 96-02-13 05:50:26 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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We're working on convincing WB to do this.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Susan Ivanova
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Date: 96-02-13 05:51:11 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Yes, she does, including a variation on her father's name as her middle name.
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jms
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Subj: Re:VOA: The "Goods" on Clark
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Date: 96-02-13 05:52:02 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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As it happens, the info about Clark's doctor was also released a bit later,
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which we'll hear about by the end of this month.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Writing for TV
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Date: 96-02-13 05:53:52 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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I think it came out of the fact that Garibaldi doesn't trust ANYthing about
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Bester, and that it's not out of the realm of possibility for Bester to find
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some way to defeat the drug. If not, then his line was basically another way
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of stating "What the ___ are you pulling and why are you doing it and why the
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hell didn't you TELL me you were going to do this before pulling it?"
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jms
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Subj: Re:Help!
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Date: 96-02-13 05:54:32 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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It's my understanding that the station will show the last part of the show it
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clipped right before the next new episode. So tune in early.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Instant Gratification
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Date: 96-02-13 05:55:54 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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What's being lost here, though, is that this show operates on the level of
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metaphor as much as it operates out in the open. The shadow war is also the
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war within ourselves as much as it is Out There. So Nightwatch, the
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political situation back home, are shadow wars of their own.
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That said, however, there's shooting aplenty in the course of this season.
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jms
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Subj: Re:G' kar as a telepath ?
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Date: 96-02-13 05:56:35 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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What, you don't think G'Kar would look good in a bikini...?
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jms
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Subj: Re:Psi Corps ethics
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Date: 96-02-13 05:58:10 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Because it takes a certain amount of power, effort and skill to get detailed
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information about someone. A P5-P7 can get strong emotions, some details, in
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brief bursts, but they're not always as good on the big picture. A P10 is
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needed for strong scans, particularly if the person is resisting. That means
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a psi cop, and they're all registered.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Londo's retribution?
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Date: 96-02-13 05:58:56 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Correction: the terms of the surrender stated that for every Centauri
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*KILLED* 500 Narns would be executed. Londo wasn't killed.
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jms
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Subj: Re:possible plot to come?
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Date: 96-02-15 01:19:55 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Please refrain from posing possible plots to come or story ideas; doing that
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here jeapordizes my ability to stay here, for legal reasons.
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jms
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Subj: Re:posting of common questio
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Date: 96-02-15 01:08:32 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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There's a faq (frequently asked questions) file in the library, I think.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Londo's Dream
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Date: 96-02-15 01:09:01 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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You will learn more about the outcome of that dream, yes.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Halfway Point
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Date: 96-02-15 01:11:52 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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The episode is in the halfway mark, and that IS its significance, because it
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signals a major change.
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When we were midway through that episode, the halfway mark of the whole
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series, John, Doug and I were given these spiffy leather script books with
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silver inlaid initials by the crew, to commemmorate the event. It was really
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nifty.
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jms
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Subj: Re:B5 Problems???
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Date: 96-02-15 01:14:05 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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I frankly have *no* idea what this refers to. Every season we've come in
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slightly under budget, the show is making money for WB, so I don't have a
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clue, unless they're looking for some reason to play it cautious just now in
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their announcements. I'm baffled.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Better and Better
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Date: 96-02-15 01:16:04 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Thanks, Sharon. Funny how some themes never seem to go out of fashion in the
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real world.
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jms
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Subj: Re:attn JMS: Ivanova
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Date: 96-02-15 01:16:34 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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We'll here more about that relationship in due time.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Psi Corp, Shadows, Nightw
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Date: 96-02-15 01:17:11 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{Are Shadows, psi-corp, and Nightwatch working together?}
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You'll know more about this within the next 10 episodes.
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jms
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Subj: Re:JMS-Uploaded Previews
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Date: 96-02-16 04:17:17 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Kung Fu generally has a long promo for B5, whereas B5 gets a shorter preview
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for itself. I think the one here is the longer version shown during KF.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Letterbox format
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Date: 96-02-16 04:18:16 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Can't be done for now, since the majority of the population still uses
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smaller TV sets, you'd lose viewers rapidly.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Money Matters
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Date: 96-02-17 05:20:36 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Basically, it's a weekly bonus added onto their weekly salary; 50 creds is a
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pretty enticing bump, equal to about 50 pounds British.
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jms
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Subj: Re:The Icarus
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Date: 96-02-17 05:21:42 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{Here is a question I've been thinking about for a while. If the Icarus was
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sent to Z'Ha'Dum about 3 years ago, and the Vorlons and Minbari have known
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about the Shadows return now for over 4 years, and it was also suggested
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somewhere else that Earth Gov may be involved as far back as 5 years ago, is
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it possible that Interplanetary Expeditions knew what would be found when
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they sent the Icarus to that planet?}
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The crew of the Icarus may not have known as much as they could've about
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their mission.
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jms
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Subj: Re:MacBeth
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Date: 96-02-17 05:25:23 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{Just curious, but what was with all the MacBeth references in "Exogenesis?"}
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Just figured I'd use that description of it rather than Macbeth, to make it a
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bit more obscure, but also some actors do have a problem saying the name
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Macbeth or being around it when it's said (note: Jason isn't one of them). so
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it was also a courtesy. (Later on, while shooting "A Late Delivery From
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Avalon," one of the hair dressers made the error of referring to Macbeth out
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loud in front of Michael York, and had to go through the whole undo-the-curse
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routine, walking around the stages three times, etc.)
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jms
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Subj: Re:The Capt's facial express
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Date: 96-02-17 05:26:07 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{Is it possible to tour the B5 set?}
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Unfortunately, the B5 stages are off the WB lot, and we're not set up for
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tours.
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jms
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Subj: Re:David Corwin
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Date: 96-02-17 05:26:53 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Yes, David Corwin was named for Norman Corwin, whose work you should
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investigate if you do not know it.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Other TV Shows
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Date: 96-02-17 05:28:48 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Thanks. We have heard that more shows are starting to adopt both our
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production methods, and doing more arc stuff, so that's a good thing.
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Personally, I thought "Exogenesis" was okay, but not one of our best, mainly
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for writing reasons (i.e., my fault). But from here on out, they're spiffy.
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You're in for a real treat in a few more days when "Messages" airs.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Exogenesis: Corwin's name
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Date: 96-02-18 19:17:13 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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"Corwin is the main character in Zelazny's Amber series.) Not that David
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Corwin is very Corwin of Amber-like. That Corwin would more likely be a
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ranger."
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David Corwin was named after my friend and highly-regarded radio drama writer
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Norman Corwin.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Eating Crow...
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Date: 96-02-19 03:51:19 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{A few weeks ago I posted a message stating that it would be nice to have a
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few skirmishes before the final showdown with the Shadows. At the time I
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feared you were saving too much for the end of the season.
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I just watched MESSAGE FROM EARTH.}
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Like we said, we know what we're doing. You just gotta trust us. Sometimes
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we get cranky because someone says "nothing's happening this season with the
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shadows," and we're looking at an episode like "Messages" or others
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forthcoming, and we know what IS coming.
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A little patience is a good thing.
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But you need not eat crow over it; just nibbling at the feathers will
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suffice.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Exogenesis: Corwin's name
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Date: 96-02-19 03:53:29 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Norman Corwin's work is nothing short of superb. I commend it to anyone
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willing to trudge down to the local library and dig it up. It was by hoping
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one day to grow up and become a writer like Norman that Ray Bradbury got
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started as a writer.
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Norman's what you call a Writer's Writer.
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jms
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Subj: Re:B5 vs ST
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Date: 96-02-18 19:15:53 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Just one thing to bear in mind in all this, referring to ST bashing...you
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don't have a situation here of B5 fans "bashing" ST. What you tend to have
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are ST fans who've *always* had some concerns with the shows expressing their
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concerns here, because they also watch B5, and because to express some of
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this in other forums gets them yelled at.
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While there are many ST fans who have not seen B5, there are no B5 fans who
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have not seen ST. What you have here is an internal ST situation, not a case
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of B5 fans hitting a show they don't know about or watch. I'd venture to
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suggest that most of the concerns voiced here are ones they had long, long
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before there WAS a B5.
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That said, I've noted from the beginning that there was no reason to hold the
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shows up side by side; they're different series, and that just puts ST at the
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center of the fictional universe. Let this show be its own creature.
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jms
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Subj: Re:B5 vs ST
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Date: 96-02-19 03:48:10 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Actually, Voyager is not IN the top 50. They're generally in the basement of
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the network ratings.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Babylon 5 The MOTION PIC
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Date: 96-02-18 00:49:27 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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{Why noy free ourselves from syndicators and go for the big screen?}
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At the moment, that's not my choice, you need a big studio backing you for a
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big movie. Also, B5 was primarily *designed* for TV, this is the venue I'd
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prefer to work in for this. You'd have to do 55 movies to tell the whole
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story, and you couldn't do much arc stuff in it, because it would have to be
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fairly self-contained. The good wishes are appreciated, though.
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jms
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Subj: B5 Ratings Info
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Date: 96-02-18 01:00:52 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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The figures have come in for our first non-rerun episode, "Voices of
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Authority." The numbers of any show always drop in reruns; something that
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some folks tend to avoid mentioning when they just post figures without
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noting these things. But moving on....
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While KUNG FU, in its new episode, went from #50 to #61 for the week in
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syndicated shows (this is out of 257 syndicated shows total, btw), B5 surged
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from #54 to #41, with a 3.5 rating, well above that which is guaranteed to
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advertisers.
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(DS9 continues to wobble; #16 last week, and #15 this week; they haven't been
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in the top ten for a while now. This in reply to some who asked for a
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relative positioning.)
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At #41 out of 257 shows, B5 is in the top 1/6th of all syndicated shows
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overall, about the top 16% or thereabouts. In terms of drama shows, B5 is in
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the top 10 of all drama shows for that period, at #8.
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So far, so good.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Trek
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Date: 96-02-18 19:10:32 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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"...without Star Trek there probably wouldn't be a Babylon 5...."
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This is one of the biggest misperceptions we've had to try and correct over
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time; if anything, ST has been an obstacle to getting B5 on the air. The #1
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reason we were given, time and again, during the 5 years it took to sell B5
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for not going ahead with it, was that "There isn't room in the marketplace
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for another space show other than ST. There's not an SF marketplace; there's
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a ST marketplace, but that's all. ST doesn't create more SF, ST creates more
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ST."
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Right up until the day we aired the pilot, some folks at WB were saying,
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"This isn't gonna work, there's not enough room in the market for another SF
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space show other than Star Trek." And suffice to say that Paramount didn't
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make things any easier for us in their inimitable fashion.
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If the premise as advanced in the first line were true, then why in the 30
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years since ST:TOS has there not another space-SF series that's lasted more
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than three seasons? Why have there been so very few shows even TRYING this
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venue? In those 30 years, with the exception of Quantum Leap, which was more
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an anthology show really, no hardcore SF series has gone beyond 3 years; that
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alone mitigates against SF being a viable market.
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Trust me on this; for the five years it took us to sell B5, ST was one more
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obstacle to overcome. It's not their fault, it's the fault of the
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marketplace that doesn't understand SF. It's unfortunate that, when a cop
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show fails, industry folks just say, "Well, that show didn't work," but when
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an SF series fails, they say, "There's no market for SF."
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jms
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Subj: Re:Psi Corps and the Shadows
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Date: 96-02-18 00:43:56 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Wait and see...but you're close to some stuff.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Costuming
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Date: 96-02-18 00:44:35 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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We have used them a bit, just haven't had to use them much until now.
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That's about to change.
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jms
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Subj: Re:sending artwork
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Date: 96-02-18 00:47:43 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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Thank you. In general, the best contact for now on B5 is the mail drop,
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which is located at 14431 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 260, Sherman Oaks, CA
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91423. Send it along to my attention. If it's show-related, I'll try to
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find a nice home for it at the stage.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Was Exo censored?
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Date: 96-02-18 19:19:32 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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No, the only graphic scene is in the beginning, at the end of the teaser.
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Nothing was cut that I know of.
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jms
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Subj: Re:Addition to Pilot
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Date: 96-02-18 19:20:29 EST
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From: Jms at B5
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All the narratives are from a future point in time, but no one lives forever.
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How far into the future that person is telling the story will vary.
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|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS, Night Watch, etc.
|
|
Date: 96-02-18 19:24:01 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
DLyulkin...exactly. You don't just take something and transplant it
|
|
wholecloth...you change and modify it. Nightwatch was never meant to be on a
|
|
one-to-one corrolation to the SS, or Stasi, or McCarthy...the whole POINT is
|
|
that this kind of mentality crops up in new forms from time to time, in
|
|
different names, different approaches, but at its heartmeat core the same
|
|
thing. By saying it's "That over there," we can relax, since that specific
|
|
incident can't recur...making us vulnerable to the next version.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS:Ivanova's left earrin
|
|
Date: 96-02-18 19:24:40 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
It's a tribute to her dead brother, both as a character, and in real life.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re: JMS
|
|
Date: 96-02-19 03:43:37 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{Ivanova is supposed to be Jewish, right? ( Tells you I haven't been
|
|
watching all of your episodes-grin ). Then how come her last name is
|
|
Ivanova as opposed to Greenberg or something?}
|
|
|
|
She was born in the Russian Consortium, to Russian parents, with Russian
|
|
surnames. No big mystery there.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re: preview
|
|
Date: 96-02-19 03:44:16 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Many things are inserted into previews by WB that aren't actually in the
|
|
shows. We have no control over what they put into the previews.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
----
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Steven and stims
|
|
Date: 96-02-22 00:52:52 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{Did I miss an episode? (I can never get our stations right out here) Last I
|
|
saw, Steven was getting hooked on stims, than last week he's happy go lucky
|
|
chattin with Marcus and being a lovable goof.}
|
|
|
|
It hasn't come to a head yet. Any abuser of substances has moments when he's
|
|
up, and moments when he's down, moments when he seems fine, moments when he's
|
|
not.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Norman Corwin
|
|
Date: 96-02-21 01:48:17 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
I'd suggest to start with ON A NOTE OF TRIUMPH, and THE PLOT TO OVERTHROW
|
|
CHRISTMAS.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Random thoughts
|
|
Date: 96-02-21 01:51:27 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Thanks. It is, I think, a uniquely American concern, since it's long been
|
|
common for writers in the UK to write a goodly portion of any season;
|
|
McGoohan did much of The Prisoner (under a variety of names), and Terry
|
|
Nation wrote the entire (and some say best) season of Blake's 7, though that
|
|
was only 13 episodes. (I believe the adaptation of I, Claudius, at 12 hours
|
|
or so, was done by one writer...and it's the best thing ever made for TV, I
|
|
think.)
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re: Great Show!
|
|
Date: 96-02-21 01:51:49 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Thanks...actually, to you and to Blair.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:ATTN: JMS, B5 Fans
|
|
Date: 96-02-21 01:55:36 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Eventually, yes, we do hope to sell B5 eps via the fan club. As for UPN, we
|
|
were never a part of UPN, though we're aired on some UPN stations, so they
|
|
can't actually drop us.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Exogenesis question?
|
|
Date: 96-02-21 01:56:21 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
It was Ranger One.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:B5 C.D rom
|
|
Date: 96-02-21 01:57:57 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
There's the screensaver CD rom from Sound Sources currently; the company that
|
|
was going to do the encyclopedia cut down its list from 300 to 40 per year,
|
|
and we were in those cut. We're now taking bids from other companies
|
|
interested in locking this down.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Hey JMS...
|
|
Date: 96-02-22 00:58:51 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
The vorlons were never intending to hide themselves from the shadows; they
|
|
both know where the other can be found. The concern was in the vorlons
|
|
potentially revealing themselves to others, and standing openly as what they
|
|
were.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:ATTN: JMS, B5 Fans
|
|
Date: 96-02-22 00:59:10 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
It's up, should be "and running" soon.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS: haitus
|
|
Date: 96-02-22 00:59:36 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{Is B5 on haitus? If not , when do you stop filming?
|
|
If so , when do you go back?}
|
|
|
|
Filming wraps April 9th. In theory it would begin again around late July.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Messages - Fantastic
|
|
Date: 96-02-22 01:00:13 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
I think this is one of the best of the series to date. I think there are a
|
|
couple coming up later in the season though that will give it a run for its
|
|
money.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Messages - Fantastic
|
|
Date: 96-02-22 01:01:12 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Oh, and a PS..."does it get even better?"
|
|
|
|
It kinda has to. We took a blood oath that each season must be better than
|
|
the one preceding it.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:" Original Ideas ", etc.
|
|
Date: 96-02-22 01:04:51 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{Yes, there are plenty of fans who would sign a waiver to give JMS free
|
|
ownership of story ideas, but that still doesn't matter. *Someone* would
|
|
bring suit. Someone, maybe, who holds a grudge for a real or imagined slight,
|
|
or just because it's easy money...}
|
|
|
|
The probelm is not just one fan. People are *constantly* suing because they
|
|
think their idea -- sometimes just that, an idea -- was stolen. Steven
|
|
Spielberg was sued by *three people* each one independently claiming that ET
|
|
was based on their story. Obviously, that three different people say the
|
|
same thing means they're mutually contradictory...it can't be based uniquely
|
|
on all three. Two of them have to be wrong at minimum (and as it came out,
|
|
all of them lost). But they were True Believers.
|
|
|
|
And yes, 98% of these cases are nonsense, and are eventually won by the
|
|
original writer; but the process of defending such a case can literally
|
|
consume *years* of your life.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:" Original Ideas ", etc.
|
|
Date: 96-02-22 01:07:54 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Here's an example of this, btw. On another service, someone without
|
|
considering what he was saying (not his fault, it just happened) said, in
|
|
essence, "What if somebody on B5 found out that he had been mind-wiped, and
|
|
used to be something awful previously?"
|
|
|
|
Well, I'd had "Passing Through Gethsemane" on the wire at that time, but when
|
|
I saw this, I had to scuttle the story. It lay there, untouched, for over a
|
|
year, until I could finally meet the fellow and get a signed release
|
|
indicating what'd happened. If that fan had not been fair and reasonable,
|
|
that episode -- which many consider one of our best -- would never have been
|
|
made.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:The Screen Saver
|
|
Date: 96-02-22 01:08:43 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Yes, I hear the Mac version will be out in April.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Original Ideas, etc.
|
|
Date: 96-02-23 03:30:08 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
I've been over all this a hundred times with others, on other forums. Or
|
|
forii. Yes, all of the reasons that you cite could be used in winning a
|
|
lawsuit. But I have no desire to spend the two years of my life fighting
|
|
such a lawsuit. If story ideas get posted, I turn to vapor, it's that
|
|
simple.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Messages - Fantastic
|
|
Date: 96-02-23 03:31:33 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Thanks. I find relationships fascinating, in how they grow, change, develop,
|
|
veer right or swerve left. The ones we're seeing here are fun to play with,
|
|
and I tend to avoid the saccherine.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:messages
|
|
Date: 96-02-23 03:33:10 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
1) There was an outsider, Kirkish, in the room. Yes, she's helped him, but
|
|
he's still going to hold back some info because he doesn't know what impact
|
|
it might have on Sinclair. He's protective of him.
|
|
|
|
2) Yes, Kosh should've been there. Kosh wasn't. Kosh hasn't been carrying
|
|
his weight, if you ask me. I hope this doesn't cause a problem somewhere....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Spoilers Please
|
|
Date: 96-02-23 03:34:05 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
I wish I could, but they're just very cool, and I wouldn't want to give
|
|
anything away....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Hey...that guy over there
|
|
Date: 96-02-23 03:34:52 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Can't do it. A cameo would destroy (for me) the illusion that is B5. So you
|
|
won't see me in a B5 episode.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:MFE -WHOA!!!
|
|
Date: 96-02-23 03:37:03 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
"Was the "package" mentioned in Exo the blonde woman giving us the Mars
|
|
Shadow info? Or was it the eggs and bacon? Or have we not seen it yet?
|
|
|
|
Yes, the package referred to Kirkish.
|
|
|
|
"It seems Sheridan is destroying his Shadow ships by using tricks - not a
|
|
straight up battle. At some point won't he be one on one with a Shadow and
|
|
have to deal with it?"
|
|
|
|
Sooner or later. Right now he's outgunned hideously. He'll have to find a
|
|
way.
|
|
|
|
"At some point won't Sheridan have to fight Earth? (I really don't expect an
|
|
answer to this one)"
|
|
|
|
Stick around.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Two Questions for JMS
|
|
Date: 96-02-23 03:39:16 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{2) With six appendages for the males and six slots for the females, I kinda
|
|
wonder if the Centauri are capable of multiple births on a regular basis.
|
|
Care to comment on that?}
|
|
|
|
No multiple births, in that sense, not any different than humans.
|
|
|
|
{1) Although the capital of the Earth Alliance (Earthdome) is located in
|
|
Geneva, it seems to me the basic legislative structure is like the United
|
|
States, albeit in a unicameral setting (I see only the Senate). Did you plan
|
|
it this way, and have you ever thought about doing a historical
|
|
article/presentation on Earth history until the Babylon 5 setting?}
|
|
|
|
Your analysis on the governmental situation is pretty accurate; the Senate in
|
|
this case comprised of member nation/states, with smaller ones having less
|
|
voice than the bigger ones (like the Russian Consortium, the North American
|
|
Federation, and so on).
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Love the Show!
|
|
Date: 96-02-23 03:40:14 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Thanks. Eventually eps and the pilot will be on video, it's simply a matter
|
|
of time.
|
|
|
|
To the rest...wait and see. And thanks.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Fan Fiction
|
|
Date: 96-02-24 03:50:10 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{You could create a file entitled, "NO JMS Allowed". That should cover the
|
|
legal stuff}
|
|
|
|
1) Simply saying "NO JMS" on a folder is not sufficient; I could still go
|
|
into any area to which I have been proven to have access. Having access to
|
|
the general area (AOL) access to the specific material is *automatically
|
|
assumed* in any court of law. Instant loss should someone post a story and
|
|
decide later that something we did was too close to their story.
|
|
|
|
2) I have asked, as a courtesy, for people to refrain from fan fiction until
|
|
the 5 year story is over. There are only 2 years remaining on this request.
|
|
ST fanfic was developed as a way to keep the characters alive while the show
|
|
was gone. There is no such need at this time.
|
|
|
|
3) If fanfic is posted to AOL, I will have to withdraw from AOL. That
|
|
simple. It's even worse than posting a story idea, it's a whole *story*. I
|
|
have no desire to scuttle another story, or a major part of an arc, to avoid
|
|
somebody thinking I swiped it.
|
|
|
|
4) Be advised that the names, situations and characters are all copyrighted
|
|
by Warner Bros., and if courtesy is not sufficient, any infringement of that
|
|
copyright by fanfiction will be conveyed to the legal eagles for action.
|
|
|
|
Don't do it. I *mean* it.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:O'Hare, a bad guy?
|
|
Date: 96-02-24 23:28:35 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{The real reason Sinclair is gone? RATINGS! WB didn't feel he was helping the
|
|
ratings. They wanted a better known actor. An old story, but true.}
|
|
|
|
There were only the following people in the room when Michael and I discussed
|
|
the prospect of his leaving the show to return in another capacity at a later
|
|
date: me, Michael, Doug Netter and John Copeland. You are none of these.
|
|
|
|
Further, at the time we had this conversation, the ratings were on one of
|
|
their usual upswings after reruns.
|
|
|
|
You know *nothing* of this situation. You're just going off what you assume
|
|
to be true. But assuming it and saying it doesn't make it true.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS. life for B5 after B5
|
|
Date: 96-02-24 23:37:56 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{I am interested in your thoughts as to whether the will be a life
|
|
for the surviving B5 charcters after the 5yr story arc. You have created a
|
|
universe that is rich and varied, and it would be a shame to see it just end
|
|
after this much creative talent has been lent to it's birth }
|
|
|
|
There's always been a side-story that could go off after the 5 years, though
|
|
the odds are slim and none.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Thanks for the ride!
|
|
Date: 96-02-24 23:38:35 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{Thank you for the delicious thrill I get each week from your incredible
|
|
show/universe/mind! You have tapped brilliantly into the mythic themes of
|
|
the great epic tales - and whether I feel caught up in the great "resistance
|
|
struggle", moved by the profound choices which degrade Londo or ennoble
|
|
G'Kar, thrilled by encounters with Beings of Light, horrified by though
|
|
control police or}
|
|
|
|
Thanks....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Poetry guidelines (?)
|
|
Date: 96-02-24 23:40:49 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
As long as new elements aren't introduced into the piece, we're fine. "Oh, I
|
|
remember when you found the space duck / We said you were really a big shmuck
|
|
/ The bombing of Earth was a crummy notion / Now Detroit is just a great big
|
|
ocean."
|
|
|
|
That sorta thing.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Waiting for June...
|
|
Date: 96-02-24 23:42:49 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Some themes are universal and timeless. In the case of Bosnia, more's the
|
|
pity.
|
|
|
|
Yes, I'll be at Blackpool.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:To JMS: Re: How we doing?
|
|
Date: 96-02-24 23:45:03 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
So far, I hear we're doing well with the station-by-station renewals. Won't
|
|
know anything for sure for about a month or so.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Hats off, JMS!!
|
|
Date: 96-02-24 23:46:25 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Thanks, we try....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Messages from Mars?
|
|
Date: 96-02-24 23:47:35 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{6. And isn't Sheridan the least bit upset that Kosh wants him to do
|
|
everything without help, even if it costs him his life?
|
|
7. Can you tell me the dimensions of a Shadow ship or the WhiteStar? I'm
|
|
guessing that a Shadow Mother-Symbiotic-Terror Ship has a 'spine-span' of
|
|
about 2 kilometers at least, maybe even two miles; is this close?}
|
|
|
|
Don't have the shadow dimensions offhand; and yes, you'd think Sheridan might
|
|
begin to wonder about Kosh's level of involvement.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:By the way...
|
|
Date: 96-02-24 23:48:30 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{We haven't heard squat from the Grey Council since Delenn was removed, and
|
|
replaced by Neroon. Are they talking behind closed doors about...Londo?...
|
|
In other words, will they show up again this season sometime?}
|
|
|
|
At least one of them will show up again, yes.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:IPX Question
|
|
Date: 96-02-24 23:49:07 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{How long has Interplanetary Expeditions been a going concern?}
|
|
|
|
IXP has been in business, in one form or another, for between 50-80 years.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:"Message" Question & Comm
|
|
Date: 96-02-24 23:50:49 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{1) I didn't notice Lennier or Delenn doing any translations on the White
|
|
Star. Has the Minbari crew learned to speak English now?}
|
|
|
|
Lennier was muttering his translations off-screen.
|
|
|
|
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Praise for MfE & N Staffo
|
|
Date: 96-02-27 01:52:17 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{So if you have the opportunity, please pass along to Ms. Stafford my
|
|
appreciation of her performance. }
|
|
|
|
I entirely agree; I think she did a dynamite job as Kirkish. Totally
|
|
convincing. When she walked into the audition, and did the part, there was
|
|
no question...it was her.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Military Strength
|
|
Date: 96-02-25 19:42:18 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
I'd put Shadows and Vorlons at the top, then Minbari, Centauri, with Narns
|
|
and Humans at about the same level, give or take.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:To: JMS and DLyulkin
|
|
Date: 96-02-25 19:43:28 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
We've already established in the episode that the bodyguard is the same as in
|
|
"All Alone." We did that when the two had a drink in the zocalo. It was in
|
|
dialogue.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS: TENTACLES!!!!!!
|
|
Date: 96-02-25 19:43:52 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Those are his...erm...reproductive organs....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Major Plot Twist Ahead?!
|
|
Date: 96-02-25 19:44:39 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
The third age is involved, yes...and if I told you the first two, that would
|
|
give you the third.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Sinclair?
|
|
Date: 96-02-25 19:45:10 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Sinclair appears in the 2-parter airing the last 2 weeks of May.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS: One Word for MFE
|
|
Date: 96-02-25 19:46:15 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
....i don't remember anymore....
|
|
|
|
Senility is a terrible thing, but I suppose it happens to us all after a
|
|
while.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Questions, questions
|
|
Date: 96-02-25 19:48:41 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Yes, Howard Stern has repeatedly endorsed the show; and yes, the shadow
|
|
vessel was still a little wobbly from its long hibernation and the improper
|
|
melding. As for the title...I'm trying to avoid saying anything about it
|
|
yet.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Particular politicals
|
|
Date: 96-02-27 01:41:52 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{Are the rights suspended during times of martial law similar to our own
|
|
(freedom to gather, habeus corpus (sp?) etc.) ?}
|
|
|
|
Yes, right to assemble, free speech rights, they're all open to abridgement.
|
|
Travel can also be restricted.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Messages from Earth
|
|
Date: 96-02-27 01:43:17 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Certainly G'Kar has had...a revelation, I suppose is the best way of putting
|
|
it, and that tends to transform you. What form emerges from this remains to
|
|
be seen.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Bwok, bwok...huh?
|
|
Date: 96-02-27 01:44:14 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{It did raise one little question: if Earth is only a two-day voyage away, why
|
|
can't they get fresh eggs and bacon?}
|
|
|
|
Mainly it's the expense involved per volume. It still costs big bucks, and
|
|
you generally need refrigeration.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Messages from Earth
|
|
Date: 96-02-27 01:45:40 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
So what *was* that blue goop everyone else had to eat in lieu of bacon and
|
|
eggs?}
|
|
|
|
Actually, I think it was blueberry yogurt.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Lady Morella's Speech
|
|
Date: 96-02-27 01:46:27 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{One question, was Lady Morella's speech regarding the emperor ment as a
|
|
tribute to Gene Roddenberry?}
|
|
|
|
There's probably a fair amount there that could apply to Gene, yes...
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:writing and spfx
|
|
Date: 96-02-27 01:47:18 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{Joe, Do you take into account the ability of the SPFX crew to realize a
|
|
shot when you are writing an episode ?}
|
|
|
|
Generally, I write whatever the scene requires; most times, I find out that
|
|
the efx folks can deliver *more* than what I had in mind. I don't think I've
|
|
had to pull back once yet.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS:HDTV Question
|
|
Date: 96-02-27 01:47:52 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{I've read that B5 is shot in widescreen to be used later for HDTV.}
|
|
|
|
Yes, we film widescreen and crop for regular aspect ratio; eventually it'll
|
|
be released that way.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Michael York
|
|
Date: 96-02-27 01:49:13 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
York finished with us quite some time ago. Great episode, and a nice man.
|
|
Very friendly, very polite, nothing of the "I'm a STAR" attitude one often
|
|
gets with...well, *stars*. He was even very nice when I gleepily asked him
|
|
to sign my laserdisk of CABARET.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Soundtrack #2
|
|
Date: 96-02-25 19:40:20 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
No idea yet, though I should be getting a preliminary CD from Chris soon with
|
|
his thoughts.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Ike and Abe
|
|
Date: 96-02-28 04:31:14 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Evan: what a *great* analysis. I'd nudge you in the direction of the
|
|
Politics and History folder here in this area; I think you could add a lot to
|
|
that one, which just started up. Anyway, very well considered.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS: White Star Symbols
|
|
Date: 96-02-28 04:31:56 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
They're Minbari letters; yes, each race does have its own symbol or logo;
|
|
we've used them here and there. Will see if I can post them sometime.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Katsulas honored?
|
|
Date: 96-02-28 04:32:57 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
No, I don't believe he has won an emmy...and he's long overdue given his
|
|
skills.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS: A few questions...
|
|
Date: 96-02-28 04:34:53 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
1) Who writes the blurbs each week in TV Guide? Is it someone involved with
|
|
the show, or someone at PTEN, or just some shadow somewhere?
|
|
|
|
If by this you mean the actual listings themselves...they're written by TV
|
|
Guide staffers, as I understand it.
|
|
|
|
2) Is there a timeline that lists the approximate day/month/year that each
|
|
episode takes place? If so, could you post it?
|
|
|
|
I don't have one available outside the show, since it's very detailed and
|
|
has, well, EVERYthing in it, past and future...but there's one at the
|
|
hyperion website (available here via the www jumpgate) that's pretty darned
|
|
thorough.
|
|
|
|
3) You say that after B5 ends, there is a possible "spin off" that _could_
|
|
happen, but probably won't be made into a TV series. Have you considered
|
|
either a novel or a series of novels?
|
|
|
|
Considered and considering...but for now, I have to focus on this.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS: Film Stock Question
|
|
Date: 96-02-28 04:35:48 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
No, we shoot in super 35 millimeter, which gives us a widescreen image which
|
|
we crop for current domestic aspect ratio TVs.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:The Shuttle Dyson
|
|
Date: 96-02-28 04:36:16 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Just a guy in the walla group who happens to sound kinda like Sean....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS: Tentacles again
|
|
Date: 96-02-28 04:36:52 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Well, Londo did use them once to cheat at cards...so they're fairly
|
|
dexterous....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS thankyou
|
|
Date: 96-02-28 04:37:48 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
The thanks are entirely mine....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:More inquiries
|
|
Date: 96-02-29 20:16:58 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{Many, many questions}
|
|
|
|
I think you just won the prize for most questions that I absolutely can't
|
|
answer at one time....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Frankly, You Amaze Me
|
|
Date: 96-02-29 20:31:19 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Cristine: thanks. You're right, in many ways it is personal to me. I tend
|
|
to get passionate about the job because I never taken on any job unless I
|
|
feel passionately about it, if that makes any syntactical sense whatsoever.
|
|
Life's too short. B5 is a particular case in that this is something that
|
|
everyone involved -- from the cast, through to the crew, directors, others --
|
|
is absolutely dedicated to. They believe that we're creating something
|
|
rather extraordinary here, something that'll be talked about for a long time
|
|
after we're gone.
|
|
|
|
It took me five years to sell this show, after everyone else told me to
|
|
forget it, that it'd never happen, that it was too ambitious...said that I
|
|
*could* sell it if I made it sexier, less aimed at the "smart" viewers and
|
|
more accessible to folks who just want plain action and a smattering of sex.
|
|
I could've sold a more mainstream series with far less hassle, to any of the
|
|
networks. But I have to tell *this* story.
|
|
|
|
So when you're obsessed with something, it's easier to spend 24.9 hours a day
|
|
working on it. (I cobble up the extra 9/10ths of an hour from a
|
|
fourth-dimensional gate in my office.) As for the online time...that ties
|
|
into the obsession part, in some ways, but beyond that, it's a chance to keep
|
|
working at my #1 bugaboo, demystifying TV, being responsive (and answerable)
|
|
to fans when it works or doesn't work...actually, it works out for me because
|
|
when I have to stop writing and think through a story point, I don't just get
|
|
up and walk into the living room to watch TV, where you can lose a couple
|
|
hours at a time. I stay at the keyboard, do a quick pass through one of the
|
|
nets, kill 15 minutes...by which time I've worked out the story point, and I
|
|
get back to work. It keeps me at the computer.
|
|
|
|
But yeah...in every conceivable sense, the work comes first in my life. This
|
|
is the single biggest thing I've ever attempted in my life, in terms of sheer
|
|
scale and scope and hours. It has a finite lifespan. So during that time,
|
|
it owns me. I can give it nothing less. When it's finally done, then I can
|
|
rest. Selling and running the show is like being yoked to a train; you pull
|
|
real hard for a long time, for five years, until it finally moves. Then it
|
|
picks up speed. And then you spend the next five years of your life running
|
|
as fast as you can in front of it, because if you slow down, it'll run over
|
|
you.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Hyperion Website
|
|
Date: 96-02-29 20:32:44 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
No, I had and have nothing to do with the Hyperion website, except to look at
|
|
it with awe and wonder. It's quite a site.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Hour 25
|
|
Date: 96-02-29 20:35:52 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
I followed Harlan as host. After Mike passed away, he gave it to Harlan, who
|
|
did it for a year, then Harlan passed it to me, and I managed to stick with
|
|
it for five years. I'm trying to remember when I finally left...I think it
|
|
was around 1992-ish. I opted out for many reasons, among them that I felt it
|
|
was a conflict of interest to be making an SF series at the same time that I
|
|
was hosting a radio show that covered stuff like SF TV series. I enjoyed
|
|
doing the show -- a 2-hour weekly gig on a high-power radio station in LA, no
|
|
commercials, doing anything I wanted -- but ethically I had a real problem
|
|
continuing when B5 became a reality.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Many thanks great show
|
|
Date: 96-02-29 20:37:23 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
No, the thanks are entirely mine, for your support and kind words. This is
|
|
the kind of show that will never come around for me again, and it wouldn't be
|
|
here without viewers.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:JMS: Lyta to appear ???
|
|
Date: 96-02-29 20:38:12 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{In which episode will we see Lyta again?}
|
|
|
|
You'll see Lyta again in Interludes and Examinations, then again this season
|
|
in Walkabout.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:nightwatch
|
|
Date: 96-02-28 04:29:16 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
Here's something to consider in this.
|
|
|
|
It's easy -- safe and reassuring -- to dismiss Nightwatch and the whole
|
|
political climate on Earth at this time as referring to Nazi germany...SS,
|
|
Stormtroopers, informers...but if we know our history, it shows that this is
|
|
not so isolated as we might think. If we say it was just the Nazis, then
|
|
it's a non-repeatable phenomenon, we needn't worry about it again.
|
|
|
|
But, of course, it does happen again...it did, and it will, to varying
|
|
degrees. Go back to the Inquisition, and forward to Joe McCarthy and the
|
|
House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) which destroyed lives and
|
|
reputations based on association, past history, social contacts and party
|
|
affiliations (the items specified by Musante to the EA folks in Nightwatch).
|
|
Stalin and to a lesser extent Lenin would have been right at home in
|
|
Nightwatch. Several of the leaders speaking for parties in the ruins of what
|
|
was once Yugoslavia would also fit.
|
|
|
|
It's easy, and safe, for us to say, "Oh, we would never do that, only THEY
|
|
did that." But the "they" in this ARE the we on the other side...and "we"
|
|
have done it, are doing it now, and will continue to do it. Only when we
|
|
*know* the history of such things, when we recognize the rhetoric of control,
|
|
when we oppose blacklisting and scapegoating and dead-catting do we help to
|
|
assure that they *won't* arise again. Remember the quote: "Those who do not
|
|
remember history are condemned to repeat it."
|
|
|
|
There's a great deal of generalized historical and political metaphor in the
|
|
show, never one-to-one because that's too easy, but disguised in one form or
|
|
another, transumted. The Centauri Republic isn't a real republic by any
|
|
stretch of the imagination...any more than the Roman Republic from which it
|
|
draws some of its political structure, particularly the Centarum, the ruling
|
|
body. There's a great deal of Japanese political and social structure to the
|
|
Minbari, in their culture and art and some of their philosophy. You can find
|
|
parallels to the story in World War II, and the bible, among a few dozen
|
|
others.
|
|
|
|
Too little of TV these days is *about* anything...it's all context, no
|
|
subtext. This show is about a lot of things...but never in the mode of
|
|
telling you what to think. We'll ask *that* you think, that you consider the
|
|
world around you, and your place in it...but defining that is your business,
|
|
not ours.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:The enemy is us.
|
|
Date: 96-02-29 20:08:57 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
"Zack is the key figure here. He's the one questioning if he's on the right
|
|
side and just what his allies are up to. I've heard some good analogies to
|
|
present days situations kicked around on these boards, but It seems mostly
|
|
Republicans want to accuse democrats and vice versa. What we need is more
|
|
Republicans willing to criticise fellow republicans and democrats willing to
|
|
criticise fellow democrats."
|
|
|
|
A very good point. Zack is, to all intents and purposes, the Everyman
|
|
character in this; he wants, desperately, to do what's right. But he doesn't
|
|
exactly *know* what's right, because he's getting conflicting
|
|
information...or rather, a lack of *real* information and a plethora of
|
|
agendas. Who is he to believe? Which wasy does he jump when he's not sure
|
|
which pit holds the lion?
|
|
|
|
When a culture become factionalized, when it becomes us vs. them, everyone
|
|
starts setting up consistently smaller camps...first it's democrats vs.
|
|
republicans...then it's mainstream republicans vs. conservative
|
|
republicans...then it's conservative republicans vs. religious right
|
|
republicans (with the democrats having equal problems on their side). As
|
|
soon as we forget that we're *all* US, it begins to fall apart.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subj: Re:Psuedo-intellectual babble
|
|
Date: 96-02-29 20:13:15 EST
|
|
From: Jms at B5
|
|
|
|
{B5 sucks, people only want to talk to JMS to feel like they are in the
|
|
"inner circle", your lives are pathetic, etc}
|
|
|
|
Yes, Sandie, that's very nice, but you still have to finish your brussel
|
|
sprouts or you can't stay up and watch Baywatch.
|
|
|
|
Your mother and I are *very* concerned.
|
|
|
|
jms
|