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The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5
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BABYLON 5: THANK YOU JMS
DATE: FRI OCT 28, 1994 12:21:12 AM #12187
It will definitely do; thank you for your kind words.
They (and all the others noted here) mean a lot. There were
many times, over the five years we worked to sell B5, that we
thought it would never happen; that I was told to just forget
it, move on; that I could've sold 3 other series in the same
amount of time and made big bucks. But there was a story that
I needed to tell. And there have been times of great doubt,
if it would all come together; tough times in particular when
the pilot first aired, and in between that and the first season.
Then you do the best you can, and you begin to wonder if anyone
will ever notice, or care; with the snipes in the trades and
the magazines, you start to wonder if you're crazy.
Very few people *really* understand what goes into the making
of this show, the care and dedication, and the years it took to
get this on the screen. It is nothing less than a labor of love
*for the genre*, which is very important to all of us who work on
Babylon 5.
jms
DATE: SAT OCT 29 1994 6:56:18 PM #13616
Thanks. Overseeing the audio mix are me, John Copeland and
George Johnsen, and the latter in particular is a REAL perfectionist.
We try to use the surround channels to heighten certain effects,
because frankly, we all have killer systems, and WE want to hear it.
jms
BABYLON 5: B5 SOUNDTRACK @ LOSCON
TO: ALL
DATE: TUES NOV 1 1994 8:56:21 #16172
I'm pleased to announce that Christopher Franke's soundtrack
for BABYLON 5 will be available starting around December in most
markets (a great stocking stuffer). In addition, a LIMITED EDITION
version, which I'm told will be different from the mass release
version, will be for sale at LosCon in Los Angeles over the
Thanksgiving weekend. I think only about 500 or 1,000 will be
avilable there, and I expect they'll be grabbed up pretty fast.
(If those here involved with LosCon could get me about fifteen
minutes of open room prior to the start of my Sunday presentation,
I could play about 15 minutes of the CD, assuming a player is
available and hooked up.)
It is, by the way, a *beautiful* album. Chris has done
something quite extraordinary, in that instead of a series of
cuts and snippets, like most soundtracks, he's reorchestrated
all the primary themes in the show into one long symphonic piece.
It's gorgeous and rich and full, non-stop for the length of the CD.
I received an early prototype, and have it on almost constantly
while I'm working. Never get tired of it.
(I also just did the liner notes for the album, I'm that
excited about it.)
jms
BABYLON THE BOOK #14707
DATE: MON OCT 31, 1994 2:29:13 AM
For a while, back a few years ago, when I was working on the
new Twilight Zone, our offices were just a few blocks away from a
B. Dalton Booksellers, which was across the street from the local
Scientology HQ.
Whenever a load of books came into the store, one of the clerks
there told me, they'd come in from across the street and buy them
en masse, to keep the book high on the selling charts. In a few
cases, he said, the new boxes of books had B. Dalton price stickers
on the covers...meaning they took the purchased books inside,
repackaged them, sent them back to the distributing warehouse, which
sent them back to the stores again.
jms
BABYLON 5: B5 RENTAL TAPE SEEN (UK) #9736
RESPONSE-TO: ARWEL PARRY
DATE: TUES OCT 25, 1994 3:12:21 PM
I'd be very appreciative if some willing volunteer
could purchase a copy of the "Voice" tape when it comes
out in the U.K. and send it along to me, in exchange for
an official B5 crew cap.
jms
DATE: TUES OCT 25, 1994 11:46:08 PM #10337
Now, now...just *one* person, please; I don't really
need 30 copies of the tape. If one person commits (and you
were here first, I think), I'll wait and see what happens,
then try another later.
jms
DATE: WED OCT 26, 1994 2:11:07 #10789
No, actually, insofar as I know, there's nothing wrotten
in the UK tape; I'd just like to have a copy for my personal
archives. (See, I don't tend to get sent this stuff otherwise.)
jms
BABYLON 5: B5 SECOND SERIES
DATE: FRI OCT 28, 1994 12:30:26 AM #12200
Arwel: would love to see the full ratings figures for B5's
run in C4.
I think the airings will end up about simultaneous with the
US schedule.
jms
BABYLON 5: SCREW-UP
DATE: TUES OCT 25, 1994 3:12:23 PM #9737
Well, we tracked down more on the screw-up, and that's how
the "To be continued" got in, and there's a second composite shot
missing (from the DownBelow area). We rousted our post production
people out of bed last night, and at 3:30 a.m. had them correcting
the mistakes made by others, reassembling the entire episode. The
correct version is going out on the bird today, tomorrow, and
tomorrow night. It will also be hand-delivered to KCOP here in town
to make sure they get it.
I encourage anyone who saw "Chrysalis" over the last day or so
to look at it again on the rerun; I think you'll find parts of it
much better.
This has been a complete and utter meltdown, and we're all out
for blood at the moment.
jms
DATE: WED OCT 26, 1994 2:41:25 #10541
We sent the refeeds to the stations this afternoon, and will
send again tomorrow. It'll definitely be in your market for the
rebroadcast.
jms
DATE: THURS OCT 27, 1994 12:21:19 #11318
Yeah, it can make you crazy. Y'know that game, where you
have a mallet and your job is to whack the gophers as they
stick their head up out of the ground? That's as good a
description of my job as I've ever seen. And there are always
new gophers....
jms
DATE: THURS OCT 27, 1994 12:21:24 #11321
Odd...one person said WWOR got it right, another that it got
it wrong. Which is which, I wonder...?
jms
DATE: THURS OCT 27, 1994 3:15:25 PM #11673
I wuz confoosed...I mistook WPWR for WWOR. NY got it right,
Chicago got it wrong.
jms
DATE: SUN OCT 30, 1994 12:47:22 AM #13877
Sigh...if anyone needs me, I'll be up on the roof....
jms
===============
QUESTION 14129: <KCOP Channel 13 replaced the *good* version of
Chrysalis with the messed-up version>
===============
DATE: SUN OCT 30, 1994 3:53:01 PM #14251
I know...I know....
Hand me my chainsaw, I'm going shopping for dinner.
jms
DATE: MON OCT 31, 1994 2:16:21 AM #14701
The mistake wasn't made by us. It was broadcast correctly
overseas, in the UK, perfectly. This was done by the video
house that supplied the satellite feed.
jms
NEW SEASON CONFUSION
DATE: SUN OCT 30 1994 6:06:11 PM #14331
You couldn't possibly be less thrilled to see that than I
was. I can only attribute it to a problem with WB PR, given that
we switched publicists and there was a period in between where
no single person was really in charge, and I suspect a lot of stuff
got out.
jms
DATE: MON OCT 31 1994 2:16:18 AM #14699
Mira's accent is quite natural, as a native-born Yugoslavian
who fled her country because of the war.
jms
HUMANS PLACE IN THE GALAXY
DATE: TUES NOV 1 1994 3:30:22 #15915
Basically, I think our strength comes, and will come, from
the fact that we are (in my universe-view, at any rate) the only
species that really tends to build *communities* of diverse groups,
humans and aliens, whereas the other species tend to either
congregate only with their own kind, or conquer, rather than form
communities which, in the long run, become stronger than the sum of
their parts.
jms
BABYLON 5: B5 MOVES?
DATE: THURS OCT 27, 1994 12:42:24 #11344
I think our tags are one of the better things about the show;
I like the sense that, okay, the *incidents* of the story are over,
but life goes on, and there are things yet to delve into, how
the events we've just seen AFFECT our characters. Sometimes we put
major information into the tags, so they're not throwaways; sometimes
we just treat them for fun, or for some nice character moments.
jms
BABYLON 5: NEW SEASON CONFUSION
DATE: THURS OCT 27, 1994 2:53:26 AM #11443
If you heard Sinclair say "Nothing's the same anymore,"
then you saw all of it; act 4 and the tag both end on Delenn.
(Though the tag also has the exec producers' credits.)
jms
DATE: WED OCT 26, 1994 2:42:00 #10543
Good news is that the soundtrack will be out in the next
month or so; I'll have more to say on this shortly.
jms
BABYLON 5: BRUCE ON SNYDER
DATE: TUES OCT 25, 1994 3:12:24 PM #9738
Bruce Boxleitner will be on the Tom Snyder show this evening.
Just FYI.
jms
DATE: TUES OCT 25, 1994 11:40:26 PM #10318
I only know that Walter Koenig will be over in the UK next
week sometime for a convention, and will be bringing some B5
stuff with him.
jms
DATE: TUES OCT 25, 1994 11:46:06 PM #10336
Yep, Synder's on CNBC, though he'll be moving to CBS after
Letterman in December.
jms
DATE: SUN OCT 30, 1994 8:25:02 PM #14440
I think Bruce is on Marilu sometime this week. (And he drank
from the side where the coffee table was located.)
jms
========================
QUESTION #11449: Any plans to be at Intersection (the 1995 World
SF Convention) In Glasgow next August?
========================
DATE: THURS OCT 27, 1994 3:15:22 PM #11670
That's way too far in my personal future for me to plan now;
I would definitely be interested, but it all depends on schedules.
jms
CHRYSALIS SPOILER
DATE: TUES NOV 1 1994 3:30:23 #15916
I like symmetry and mirroring stuff from time to time, but
I don't like to over-do it, so no, we generally won't do it every
season.
jms
DATE: MON OCT 31 1994 3:18:10 PM #14932
The Shadowmen stuff was all CGI, no models. Spiffy stuff.
And yes, we'll find out in time what Delenn asked Kosh. Glad you
enjoyed the episode.
jms
===========
QUESTION #11592: What was the question that Delenn had Lennier
relay to Kosh? What Delenn has done, is it generally not known?
===========
BABYLON 5: CHRYSALIS - WHAM!
DATE: THURS OCT 27, 1994 3:15:24 PM #11672
What Delenn has done is not generally known, but will become
so in time.
The question...is another issue.
jms
DATE: THURS OCT 27, 1994 12:21:22 #11320
Thanks; it's definitely one of my favorites.
jms
DATE: FRI OCT 28, 1994 8:52:06 PM #12848
Yes, in syndication, you're generally free of the restraints
that the networks operate under. Also, you don't need mega-numbers
to be successful.
jms
DATE: FRI OCT 28, 1994 12:21:07 AM #12185
I'd say the next two weeks will have 90% of the answers
you'd like. In the next two episodes alone, we discover
a) why the Minbari surrendered at the Battle of the Line,
b) what happened to Sinclair in the missing 24 hours,
c) where G'Kar went and what he found,
d) what Londo is going to do about his situation,
d) what Delenn becomes,
e) why Sinclair was reassigned and why Sheridan was sent to B5...
and so on.
jms
DATE: MON OCT 31 1994 2:29:14 AM #14708
I wouldn't look for too much of Garibaldi in the first episode;
he was shot in the back...my feeling is that, TV logic to the contrary,
it takes TIME to recover from that. Consequently, this will take a
few episodes to get even remotely back on track.
jms
DATE: FRI OCT 28, 1994 12:21:09 AM #12186
"...found myself with my nose pressed against the screen...."
When you do that, we can see you, you know....
jms
BABYLON 5: KENNEDY AND DOOM #13617
DATE: SAT OCT 29 1994 6:56:19 PM
Well, I appreciate the sentiment, though fortunately living
next door isn't necessary, as we have wired your house for sound
and can pick up just about everything you say or do.
And for god's sake will you PLEASE leave that chicken alone....
jms
BABYLON 5: CHRYSALIS - WOW
DATE: THURS OCT 27, 1994 3:28:15 #11680
Here is Londo's arc through the five year storyline:
Funny and light; then funny and dark; then dark and tragic;
then tragic and light.
jms
DATE: FRI OCT 28, 1994 12:21:05 AM #12184
Yeah, there's hope for Londo...but not in the way I think
anybody will expect, and not in the way Londo would like.
jms
DATE: SAT OCT 29 1994 6:56:16 PM #13615
Londo is a fascinating character to write; there's layers
upon layers, and every time I sit down to write him, he surprises
me with something else. And it's certainly more interesting to
watch someone you like falling into something terrible than to
set up a bad guy from day one; no complexity or sympathy there.
It's kind of like watching an accident in slow motion. But in
the final analysis, all is not dark for Londo.
jms
DATE: TUES NOV 1 1994 12:04:07 #15442
Peter's having the time of his life. He loves where his
character is going, loves the range of emotions he gets to
play...I saw him for a bit on the set today, shooting "Soul Mates,"
and he's just tickled (particularly since he's acting opposite
Lois Nettleton, Jane Carr and Blair Valk as his three wives).
jms
DATE: SUN OCT 30 1994 12:47:27 AM #13879
Basically, yes, the characters are real for me. Having created
all of them, I'm essentially in the position of having Londo, G'Kar,
Kosh, Delenn, Garibaldi, Ivanova and all the rest chasing each other
in circles through my head 24 hours a day...which may explain a lot.
Usually, when I put one of my characters into a situation, I
pretty much know how they're going to respond, though sometimes they
surprise me. I took very much to heart Mark Twain's advice that you
should never sit down to write a scene until you have finished it to
your satisfaction; as a result, I "play" the scene over and over in
my head, sometimes a dozen times or more, until I can see it clearly
from start to finish, THEN I write it down.
It is strange sometimes to read other writers writing my
characters; sometimes they get it, sometimes they don't. But
realistically, you can't expect other people to write someone you
gave birth to with the same degree of familiarity that you bring,
and that applies to any show.
jms
BABYLON 5: MORDEN'S CLOTHES #16171
DATE: TUES NOV 1, 1994 8:56:19
Our sensibility is that men's fashions *really* don't change
that much, in the long run (and to a lesser extent, women's).
Pull out some pictures of the settlers in the 1880s, and you see
button shirts, jeans, shoes, socks, hats...they *really* haven't
altered that much. Some of the lines, yes, but the silver or
spandex jumpsuits that were predicted in the 1930s for the 1980s
have not materialized. Form follows function. People dress in
layers. So we tend to keep the silhouettes pretty much the same,
but adjust the lines and details.
(And yes, G'Kar definitely returns in the second season, in a
big way.)
jms
BABYLON 5: EPISODES TANKED
DATE: FRI OCT 28, 1994 3:09:26 AM #12320
Negative. Absolutely, totally, completely untrue. We filmed
22 episodes last season. We've now aired 22 episodes of season one.
There ARE no other episodes from that season, or from season two,
that have been filmed and not shown. Every episode made has been
shown. Period. (Anyone who has been keeping track of the episodes
during development, as Lee here has, title-by-title, can verify that.)
jms
BABYLON 5: <CHRYSALIS 10/21>
DATE: TUES OCT 25, 1994 11:46:05 PM #10335
All of our writers on B5 are not only welcome on the set, but
even *encouraged* to come to the set during filming. (On ST,
freelance writers are generally discouraged or outright forbidden
to visit the set, and even staff writers labor under this.) The
writer is to be on-set, and if there's a question about a line, if
I or my story editor aren't available, the director is under orders
to take his or her question to the writer for final determination.
As for season two, I'm currently writing about half the episodes,
12 or so.
jms
BABYLON 5: NEW SEASON
DATE: FRI OCT 28, 1994 8:52:07 PM
There was a new episode aired a few days ago, "Chrysalis," that
was our season ender, which shows Delenn entering the cocoon and we'll
learn more on why later.
jms
===============================================
QUESTION #12550: <poster just saw downlink of PtsOD> Why do the
Minbari bear a grudge against Sheridan, a warrior who killed the
enemy while defending his home?
=================================================
BABYLON 5: POINTS OF DEPARTURE
DATE: FRI OCT 28, 1994 8:52:04 PM #12847
They don't much like the way he did it, which was rather sneaky.
Also, the Minbari do have something of a superiority complex, and that
he got them rankles more than a little.
jms
DATE: MON OCT 31 1994 2:29:16 AM #14709
My sense is that the Minbari have something of a superiority
complex; the idea of being beaten, even briefly, by a technically
inferior race is going to grate on them. Also, bear in mind, that
the military caste has not been fully informed about WHY they were
ordered to surrender...so there's a great deal of animosity just
barely submerged there, which is pointed at the only real human
they know from the war...because he cost them.
jms
DATE: SUN OCT 30 1994 8:25:04 PM #14441
Actually, there have been other times we've shown C&C empty,
or nearly empty. In the first episode, we have Sinclair alone in
C&C the first time we see him, and Garibaldi mentioning that he goes
there when no one's around because it's quiet; also, in "Chrysalis,"
we see Ivanova pretty much alone there, feet up on the console, because
no ships are coming in for now. So we've established it previously,
just didn't button it down here.
jms
DATE: SUN OCT 30 1994 3:53:05 PM #14253
Well, my thought at the time, and I probably should've put this
into dialogue in retrospect, was that there's a window about every 36
hours when the entire C&C system goes through self-maintainance for
about half an hour, backing things up, doing self-repair, filing logs
with Earth Central, that sort of thing. They normally pick a slow
period in docking, and any other routine stuff is handled through the
backup C&C on the other side of the station axis (you can see it
directly above the docking bay when the normal C&C is directly below it).
At first I'd considered putting that in Ivanova's mouth when she
says, "Of all the time he could've picked," but then the reveal of where
he was and what he was doing fell flat; it needed to be a surprise or
it lost its impact and the humor. Ah, well....
jms
DATE: SAT OCT 29 1994 6:56:25 PM #13620
Yes, Delenn's reason for the chrysalis is covered in the next
episode, "Revelations."
jms
DATE: TUES NOV 1 1994 9:02:05 #16184
We will be changing the main title sequence after "Revelations"
airs to include the new version of Delenn. Would be silly of us to
include the new version in episodes prior to her unveiling.
(Jesus...how many producers will sit down and RE-DO their opening,
with all the expense involved, just for two seconds? I gotta be nuts.)
Also touching up a couple of other shots in the opening as well,
just for the hell of it.
jms
DATE: SUN OCT 30 1994 3:53:00 PM #14250
Re: the ever-improving CGI...there's an action scene in the teaser
of the second episode, "Revelations," that is particularly amazing. And
there is one shot of a Narn ship in extreme close-up toward the end of
the scene that looks absolutely *solid*, and every bit as real and
detailed as any model, and then some. It cannot be distinguished from
a physical object.
jms
DATE: TUES NOV 1 1994 8:56:15 #16169
Oh, yeah...there's some shots in the second episode in particular
that are absolutely dynamite, and totally solid. Very cool indeed.
jms
DATE: SUN OCT 30 1994 12:47:21 AM #13876
Thanks. If you think PoD was a "wham," then I can't wait to see
your reaction to "Revelations."
Interestingly enough, I figured on giving Sheridan a tie to the
Civil War through his ancestor, General Philip Sheridan (sometimes
called "Little Phil" by Lincoln). Afterward, I discovered that Bruce
is a big civil war buff, so the Lincoln stuff worked very well.
One of my favorite sequences from this episode is the stuff aboard
the Minbari cruiser during the Battle of the Line; the shots surrounding
Delenn and the other Minbari gives it a very god-like aspect. Just
wonderful.
jms
DATE: MON OCT 31 1994 2:16:19 AM #14700
Chris did interpolate a little of the Battle of the Line music,
but it couldn't build to a cresendo as originally done because the
musical cue had to continue out through the next scene, and had to
operate under dialogue, so it was more restrained.
And yes, the EFX are definitely improving even further.
jms
DATE: TUES NOV 1 1994 8:56:12 #16167
Yeah, Chris Franke is terrific. (And check elsewhere here
for a great announcement regarding this.)
jms
DATE: TUES NOV 1 1994 12:11:31 #15446
Yes, they are the same set, for the most part. Actually, the
series set has been expanded; the CO's "office" adjoining and slightly
above the tech pit, off to one side, was added for the series. We've
also added a lot of additional stations and filled stuff in, though,
which may make it feel smaller.
jms
BABYLON 5: HELPING RATINGS
DATE: MON NOV 7 1994 4:40:06 PM #21671
"I was asked how to show appreciation if the
program is received by satellite."
Tie the letter to a balloon....?
jms
(Or write Warners directly.)
BABYLON 5: B5 AND BALANCE
DATE: SAT OCT 29 1994 6:56:21 PM #13618
Actually, I prefer to think that everyone on B5
is a little unbalanced to start with.
jms
JOE OR JMS
DATE: TUES NOV 1 1994 12:04:05 #15441
I'm usually referred to in third-person as jms
or Joe, but when spoken to directly, Joe is preferred.
Some people, of course, call me Mr. S....and some
people call me the Big S, which I know because I've
heard them refer to me as the biggest S in town, and...
hey, waitaminnit!
jms
--------
RESPONSE: <now that poster knows correct form of address,
gushing praise>
--------
DATE: TUES NOV 1 1994 9:02:06 #16185
You are a woman of inestimable good taste...
jms
BABYLON 5: POINTS OF DEPARTURE
DATE: FRI NOV 4 1994 3:28:04 PM #18745
People have been removed, and that's all I'll say
about it for now.
jms
DATE: FRI NOV 4 1994 3:28:08 PM #18748
Not only is Harlan still our consultant in our second year,
that's his voice over the end credits on the show.
jms
B5 STAR SYSTEM
DATE: TUES NOV 8 1994 11:04:12 #23192
I'll have to go check my notes, but I
believe it's Epsilon Eridani.
jms
------------------
REQUEST: <publish B5 bible at the end of the 5-yr run>
------------------
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 11:40:30 #18266
One crisis at a time....yikes.
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 9:50:23 #18114
Thank you. Granted, sometimes it's tough to hang out
as openly as I do, but I think overall, the experiment and
the conversation is eminently worth the effort.
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 12:16:02 #17370
The only software that we use is a word processing program
called Movie Master, that's it, so I don't really know what he's
referring to other than that.
jms
B5 RATINGS
DATE: MON OCT 31 1994 2:16:24 AM #14703
We're doing pretty good. Only complication is that
right now, pretty good (which would've once been nothing
less than wonderful and a guarantee of future seasons)...
is not a guarantee. First Fox grabbed a bunch of CBS
stations. Then CBS grabbed a bunch of independent stations
to fill the gap. Then Paramount grabbed some stations, and
now there are VERY few berths left for syndicated shows,
and the only ones who will survive are those that can pull
in BIG ratings. So we'll see...I'd say that we and every
other syndicated show are right up against the wall just now....
jms
DATE: MON OCT 31 1994 3:18:13 PM #14934
PTEN will never be bought by Paramount, believe me.
jms
DATE: TUES NOV 1 1994 8:56:17 #16170
It's not something I let myself think about. If I
ever thought about this stuff, this show never would've
gotten made.
"Never tell me the odds."
jms
---------------
QUESTION #15549: Why don't we see more B5 coverage on the
entertainment shows? <ET owned by Paramount, but Extra
owned by Warner>
---------------
DATE: TUES NOV 1 1994 3:30:23 #15583
Re: coverage...I dunno, we just can't get a break.
jms
EPISODE LENGTH?
DATE: TUES NOV 1 1994 8:40:00 #16150
Negative. ST and B5 have *exactly* the same number
of commercials; the difference is in how we break them up.
The amount of program time is the same.
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 11:57:01 #18276
As I understand it, here's the difference.
B5: teaser, four acts, tag, then right into the
credits. You get five commercial breaks from start
of teaser through end of credits.
ST: teaser and five acts: you get six commercial
breaks before you get the end credits. So you get fewer
commercials per break, but more breaks. In B5, you get
fewer breaks, but more commercials.
I believe that our running time is 41:42 total,
with a fairly short opening. The ST opening title
sequences tend to run longer, which may account for
the difference in time; but the "dry" time (meaning
that spent on story) is pretty much the same.
jms
MERCHANDISE
DATE: TUES NOV 8 1994 12:08:08 #22227
Yes, I believe the opening theme is interpolated
into the CD.
jms
DATE: SUN NOV 6 1994 4:35:26 PM #20794
I've just seen the B5 CD (well, the case,
artwork, interior booklet and everything but the
CD proper, though I have an advance copy of the
prototype which I play *constantly*), and it's
a gorgeous presentation, full color photos in
a foldout book...just nifty stuff.
(For those needing the ID number of the CD
to order it from Sonic Images or your local store,
it's SI 8402-2.)
BTW, starting next week or so, Mira Furlan
will be appearing in an alternative-theater
production of Brecht's "Baal," at the Second Stage
Theater on Santa Monica Boulevard in LA. She will
also be appearing at a Creation Convention in New
York in about a week.
jms
DATE: TUES NOV 8 1994 11:04:09 #23190
No, the CD is a basic audio CD. The picture on
the cover is of, big suprise, Babylon 5.
jms
DATE: SUN OCT 30 1994 4:10:28 PM #14259
It's always best to simply contact your local
TV station, in writing, and express your thoughts
to them directly.
jms
FRIEND LOST B5!!
DATE: FRI NOV 4 1994 11:02:16 PM #19200
Alas, there's nothing I can do at that level.
If enough folks petition another local station, they
might pick it up.
jms
KUDOS ON SEASON 2
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 4:00:17 #17548
Thanks. Much appreciated.
Re: Sci-Fi Channel...they can just afford to buy old
show, and can't afford to produce any new dramatic series
programming.
jms
-------------------
QUESTIONS: (1) <poster thought Garibaldi had been killed off,
saw credits, what's going on??> (2) Will we ever find out
what Kosh looks like & the identity of the assassin or helper?
------------------
DEATH OF MAJOR CHARACTER
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 9:50:21 #18113
The only question that I can answer is #2, and yes,
this season you will discover what Kosh looks like. (The
assassin was the Minbari with the changeling net in the
pilot movie, and the helper was Takashima.)
jms
FREEZE-FRAME CLUES
DATE: SUN OCT 30 1994 3:06:09 AM #13920
Yep, that's exactly what it was. We even based it
on the photograph. (We shot it, by coincidence, the same
day as the anniversary of LBJ taking the oath. Very
weird atmosphere on set that day.)
jms
SEASON 2 MONOLOGUE
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 4:04:26 #17551
The voice-over is by Captain Sheridan this season;
it'll probably change again next season, to continue our
tradition of changing points of view as we go.
jms
DATE: FRI NOV 4 1994 3:28:06 #18746
Actually, the 5 transition is something that, when
I first discussed it with Kevin Kutchaver, was considered
almost impossible to do because of the elements: it's a
raised etch, which dissolves into a cutaway, then a fade,
then a wipe, all in one continuous move. (I don't actually
remember whether it was me or Kevin who suggested the move,
or both, so I'll assume it was him for the moment.) Kevin
had to come up with some real tricks to make this work.
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 9:59:22 #18125
There's a reason for this: due to time constraints,
we have to get Bruce to do the narration *without* having
the images in front of him; he had no way of knowing where
beats would go with the images, or what would be under it
(since we were still putting the new opening together), so
we had to artifically build in pauses when we did the final
transfer (as opposed to year one, where we had the images
assembled long before we had Michael do the narration).
What took forever was that 5 fade/dissolve/wipe, which just
killed us time-wise, but is spiffy to look at.
Now that it's all together, we plan to have Bruce re-do
the narration with the images in front of him, so he can
respond naturally and make it flow, the way he would've been
able to do had we had the material ready in time.
jms
DATE: FRI NOV 4 1994 3:28:09 #18749
Actually, we just redid the narration with Bruce
yesterday, and it's MUCH better. We'll be able to get
it in starting in episode #4.
While we were at it, btw, we took the opportunity
to re-do the faceplate shot in the main title sequence.
It was fine, but it could've been better. Now it is.
Expect it around the same time as the new VO.
jms
DATE: SUN NOV 6 1994 1:41:11 AM #20282
Actually, Kevin works closely with Ron, and many
of the better effects in the show are collaborations.
Nowhere is this more evident than in two episodes to
come, "The Geometry of Shadows" (my personal favorite
of the first six), and "The Long Dark," where they've
done some real landmark work.
jms
DATE: TUES NOV 8 1994 11:04:11 #23191
Exactly. That's something that a lot of folks haven't
noticed (or at least haven't commented upon). We had to
digitally isolate the moving (sometimes a little, sometimes
a lot) head shot within the larger picture, bring in the
five between that, and frame-by-frame continue the digital
isolation, the fade, and the push-in. It was a real headache,
but I love the effect, and Kevin did a great job on it.
jms
DATE: FRI NOV 4 1994 11:02:18 PM #19201
I think the movie will be out on video sometime
winter/spring.
jms
B5 SOUNDTRACK @ LOSCON
DATE: TUES NOV 1 1994 8:56:21 #16172
I'm pleased to announce that Christopher Franke's soundtrack
for BABYLON 5 will be available starting around December in most
markets (a great stocking stuffer). In addition, a LIMITED EDITION
version, which I'm told will be different from the mass release
version, will be for sale at LosCon in Los Angeles over the
Thanksgiving weekend. I think only about 500 or 1,000 will be
avilable there, and I expect they'll be grabbed up pretty fast.
(If those here involved with LosCon could get me about fifteen
minutes of open room prior to the start of my Sunday presentation,
I could play about 15 minutes of the CD, assuming a player is
available and hooked up.)
It is, by the way, a *beautiful* album. Chris has done
something quite extraordinary, in that instead of a series of
cuts and snippets, like most soundtracks, he's reorchestrated
all the primary themes in the show into one long symphonic piece.
It's gorgeous and rich and full, non-stop for the length of the CD.
I received an early prototype, and have it on almost constantly
while I'm working. Never get tired of it.
(I also just did the liner notes for the album, I'm that
excited about it.)
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 12:15:26 #17369
My rule is that my appearances can be taped, but not
any material that I bring with me to show.
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 12:15:15 #17367
The soundtrack will be coming out from Christopher's
own label, Sonic Images.
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 11:48:29 #18265
I imagine that the soundtrack will be available
in Canada, through Christopher Franke's label, Sonic
Images.
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 4:04:25 #17550
The theme of the first part changes as the show
changes, to reflect the tone of the season.
Re: the closing music not matching the original
closing music...er, they're exactly the same....
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 12:15:19 #17368
We tend to use the full surround whenever we
humanly can. Ah likes surround....
jms
DATE: FRI NOV 4 1994 3:17:05 AM #18448
The scores in B5 are done by Christopher Franke,
of Tangerine Dream, working with the Berlin Symphonic
Film Orchestra. We're *very* happy with the work he's
been doing for us; it's inventive, imaginative, moving
and at times very touching and personal.
Chris composes here in LA, faxes the score to Berlin,
watches and conducts the orchestra over two-way closed
circuit video over high compression phone lines, they
record it there, the music is then sent digitally back here
over the same high-compression fiber optic lines, and
delivered to us.
As for how it's determined where music goes...for
every episode, we have a "spotting session," which is
where I get together with Chrisopher, our sound effects
and post-production people, to go over the sound for the
episode. As part of this, I sit and watch the show with
everyone else, and when I think a music cue is called for,
say, "Music in." We note the time code on the episode
there, and at the point where I say "Music out." Chris
then finds the core of the scene, its meaning, and finds
ways to illuminate it through music.
jms
NEW SET LIGHTING
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 4:13:30 #17795
You didn't see moving spotlights because we weren't
in the sets that use them, like the Zocalo, Central Corridor,
DownBelow, others. Believe me, they're there.
jms
BABYLON 5: POINTS OF DEPARTURE
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 4:04:29 #17552
What you have to understand is that we figured we're going
to be getting a lot of people sampling the show in its first
episode, year two. We were therefore a bit heavy on exposition,
telling rather than showing, because there's so MUCH to tell,
particularly for a new audience.
If we don't get that new audience, I don't know if
there will be a third season, given how competitive the
marketplace is getting, so we have to be careful how we
bring them in. Yes, that means explaining a bit more
than long-term viewers have been accustomed to in the first
episode; I think it's a relatively small price to pay. The
next episode, "Revelations," is really the culmination of
the events of "Chrysalis," and shows more than tells...and
it does a lot of it.
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 4:26:31 #17800
The soul hunter glimpsed her plans re: the chrysalis.
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 12:16:14 #17372
You'll note, if you check your tape, that the
middle-section of the Agamemnon (the officer's section
and the bridge) rotates, thus creating gravity.
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 12:16:17 #17373
The Agamemnon was constructed after the Earth/Minbar
War; the Hyperion was a survivor of that war.
And yes, ships can sit in hyperspace (something also
mentioned by Laurel Takashima in the pilot, "If I were the
Vorlons, I'd have a warship standing by in hyperspace just
waiting to attack."
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 9:50:25 #18116
Heads definitely rolled (figuratively speaking) in
the Minbari warrior caste after the Black Star incident.
They allowed themselves to get cocky, and didn't do a
proper job, which was more than an embarrassment to them.
jms
DATE: TUES NOV 8 1994 11:23:09 #23243
Yes, you can go in and shoot at a Minbari
*cruiser* visually...but the reality is that any
long-range weapon will be intercepted by targeting
fire, and if you get up real close and personal...
well, actually, you *can't* get up real close and
personal because, as Mitchell learned in "Sky,"
you get shot by the fighters.
What the fighters tend to remain engaged with
are the Minbari fighters, which are *incredibly*
fast...much too fast to target visually.
And believe me, as Sheridan stated, Earth's
been *trying* to break the stealth tech for a while,
just hasn't been able to.
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 4:26:01 #17801
Yes, the closure is the same as male/female
garments today, reversed.
And the flagship Sheridan destroyed was the
Black Star, hence the term Starkiller.
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 9:59:20 #18124
Actually, it was my decision. The original costume
designer on the pilot asked if I wanted all the fasteners
to be uniform, or if we'd go the traditional way (which
is true of military uniforms today). I figured, again,
that the key to B5 is more how we're alike than how we're
different, and said to keep it. We'd've saved some money
if we'd made them all fasten the same way, design-wise,
but it made more sense this way.
jms
DATE: FRI NOV 4 1994 11:13:15 PM #19221
Let me get into this for a second. A lot of people,
in the beginning, said they didn't see "a lot of depth"
to Sinclair when he first came on the screen, just as you
did with Sheridan. Later, the majority of these changed
their minds. Why? Because you don't get depth from spending
one hour with somebody. It's like any friendship; after
knowing that friend for several months or years, you don't
ever *see* your friend quite the way you did at first. You
now have layers of familiarity.
A number of folks said that they liked how much Michael
had settled into his role by "Infection," only to learn that
that was the first one shot. It wasn't that Michael had
settled into the role, it was that the audience had finally
settled into Michael.
We are a nation hooked on instant gratification; an
impatient nation. As with Sinclair, there's a lot of depth
to Sheridan, but you only get to see that, as with any show,
over *time*.
jms
DATE: SAT NOV 5 1994 1:11:29 #19368
Re: Foxworth...he was someone we spoke to in case Bruce
turned out not to be available, and we liked him instantly,
and he liked the show. So for good luck, we had him come in
for this role, which may appear again. He's a terrific actor.
jms
----------------
QUESTION #20121: <What were all those ribbons on General
Hague's chest awarded for?><curiosity about what it takes
to earn a decoration in B5's universe>
----------------
DATE: SUN NOV 6 1994 1:41:09 AM #20281
I'll have to check, but probably most of those medals
are for actions during the Earth/Minbari War, and during
the Dilgar War. I'll have to check to get anything more
specific than that.
jms
DATE: SUN OCT 30 1994 4:10:29 PM #14260
Yes, Mira Furlan definitely returns next season as Delenn.
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 4:00:16 #17547
The new character is Warren Keffer, a Starfury pilot who
we'll see in several episodes (I think 8 or so) this season.
Given the logic that you'd have lots of folks other than the CO
and XO leading missions, we're filling in that gap now.
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 4:13:28 #17794
Note that Lennier says he wishes he could have
told them (us) the *rest* of the prophecy...and there's
definitely more to Sinclair, as will be seen later in
the season. Remember, the Grey Council never tells
anyone the whole truth (note how Kalain asks that question
upon being told that Sinclair is just an ambassador).
jms
CATHERINE SAKAI
DATE: FRI NOV 4 1994 3:28:07 PM #18747
This is the one thread that I'm still trying to
decide about.
jms
DATE: FRI NOV 4 1994 11:02:11 PM #19199
Let's just say for now that Londo's eventual fate
is kind of everything at once....
jms
LONDO/SIR JOHN FALSTAFF
DATE: FRI NOV 4 1994 11:13:17 PM #19222
I'd have to agree with the sentiment that Londo is
a classic romantic figure, odd as that may sound. And
Falstaff isn't a bad analogy.
jms
FIRST HUMAN CONTACT
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 12:16:20 #17374
Sinclair was the first human the Minbari (or at
least the Grey Council) had ever met, having come this
far for the final victory. The Earth Explorer vessel
was part of a military fleet that encountered a Minbari
convoy, there was a miscommunication, a misperceived
threat, and our ships opened fire. There was no
person-to-person contact.
jms
--------
QUESTION: Is it true that humanity was responsible for
Dukhat's death?
--------
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 11:48:28 #18264
This is true, yes.
jms
DATE: FRI NOV 4 1994 3:28:03 PM #18744
Thing is, I don't think that those two elements --
the "hard SF standard that (we've) maintained through
season 1," and "the concept of Minbari souls being reborn
as humans" -- are in any real conflict.
The definition of hard SF is a technical solution to
a technical problem. But now does that mean that everyone
in the story has to be an atheist? Not at all.
You have to separate *hardware* from *people* to make
the SF equation work. Your hardware has to be as rigorously
based in fact as possible; that's the science part of SF.
But the people have to be people. And that means that they
will, sometimes, believe things that may seem foolish. But
that is not a contradiction in the approach.
Back as far as "Believers," we've always set belief
against science, and generally tried to avoid making ANY
pat statement about either. Whether or not the part about
souls is true is secondary to whether or not some of the
characters *believe* that it's true. Some will, some won't.
Will I, as the Old Fart of the Galaxy, say in the series
*THIS* side is correct? No. My job is to start arguments,
not resolve them.
jms
DATE: FRI NOV 4 1994 3:05:18 AM #18444
It has been established, in prior episodes, that there
are brief periods when C&C is in "standby mode," during which
time no ships are due, the station is in "night" cycle, and
the operational equipment in C&C goes through routine backup
and maintenance. In "Midnight on the Firing Line," our first
episode, Ivanova is told by Garibaldi that Sinclair is in C&C
when it's in standby mode because he likes the quiet during
those brief periods (usually only about an hour or so); in
"Chrysalis," Ivanova asks Tech 1 if any more ships are due in
for a while, is told no, and she puts her feet up on the console,
watching the news, with the place pretty much deserted.
This isn't the bridge of a starship; this is mainly a
center of operations for docking and other station activities
requiring command personnel. Every separate department --
environmental, other resources -- has its own separate control
center, with lots of redundency.
In addition, there's always somebody monitoring stuff
as it comes through, so if there *were* any kind of problem,
there'd be somebody on site in C&C in thirty seconds. Basically,
we're talking an hour or so once every 36 to 48 hours. I
could've explained this in dialogue, but it would've taken the
edge off the revelation and humor, and I figured we'd done this
before enough times that it wouldn't be an issue.
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 9:51:09 #18118
Argh...I can't lay my hands on the specifics on the
Lincoln speech, as to where and when, and it just fell out
of my head. (I was just talking about this yesterday, too.)
Will try to pull it out.
And thanks for your kind words; we've had some bumpy
times, and it's rewarding to know that we're getting our
intent across.
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 12:16:09 #17371
Yes, the quote definitely comes from Lincoln. I hated
the old Babcom logo, so we dumped it.
jms
DATE: SUN NOV 6 1994 1:41:13 AM #20284
Actually, we kept the phrase BabCom, but got a much
better screen for it. We also divided it up: BabCom is
JUST for internal B5 communications; StellarCom is for
communications outside B5.
jms
DATE: MON NOV 7 3:38:24 AM #21324
StarCom was also the name of an animated series;
and it's a real corp name, so we can't use it.
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 12:35:01 #17417
Re: yankeecentrism...we always strive for balance.
Yes, he quoted Lincoln, but he also noted that on his
21st birthday, he flew to see the new Dalai Lama being
sworn in.
jms
BABYLON 5: BESTER'S LEFT HAND
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 12:35:31 #17416
Walter decided that an interesting character trait for
Bester would be if this skilled psi cop had a useless left
hand.
jms
B5 ON LASERDISC?
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 4:04:23 #17549
While B5 will eventually be out on disk, the chances
of including extra scenes is zilch, since that would mean
re-editing and rescoring all of our shows so intended, and
we don't have the resources for that.
jms
NEW SEASON CONFUSION
DATE: TUES NOV 1 1994 3:12:17 #15889
You may want to avoid seeing the photo until after
the *second* episode, not just the first.
jms
BABYLON 5: REVELATIONS
DATE: FRI NOV 4 1994 11:02:20 PM #19202
I started writing "The Customer is Always Right," and
partway through discovered that ST had trod upon similar
terrain, story wise, and thus opted to shelve the story.
It wasn't an arc-story, just something kinda fun, but my
feeling is that if they did something close to it on ST,
I'd rather not come anywhere near that particular pond.
Oddly, the new makeup takes *longer* for Mira than
the old, which went on in a couple of fairly straightforward
pieces. Now there's a lot more detail work and more pieces.
Also, the intent is that G'Kar looked at both Sheridan
and Londo, not sure which of them may have leaked the info,
though I think the editing may have focused too much on
Londo in that shot.
jms
BABYLON 5: B5 BOOK COMING
FROM: JOHN VORNHOLT
DATE: FRI NOV 4 1994 4:28:10 PM #18786
Ken, what a nice message. I'll correct one thing -- I'm writing
the first and third of the books. Lois Tilton is writing the
second of the three original novels; I think it's called ACCUSATIONS.
I think the books are going to be real successful, beyond the
initial expectations. But the first three have to do well for
there to be more. The first book, VOICES, is a story featuring
the telepaths, Talia, Bester, Gray, and many more. In fact,
there a Psi Corps conference on B5. My other book features
G'Kar and the Narn.
I was just in Louisiana for World Fantasy Con in New Orleans,
and I could definitely be coaxed back. <g>
John
DATE: THURS NOV 3 1994 9:59:17 #18123
Shon'Kar.
jms
FROM: JOHN VORNHOLT
DATE: FRI NOV 4 1994 4:11:04 PM #18771
Joe, thanks.
John
FROM: JOHN VORNHOLT
DATE: FRI NOV 4 1994 4:17:26 PM #18779
Jason, my TNG books are MASKS, WAR DRUMS, CONTAMINATION,
one classic Trek, SANCTUARY, a DS9 book, ANTIMATTER,
Starfleet Academy CAPTURE THE FLAG. And the novelization
for kids of GENERATIONS.
John
FROM: JOHN VORNHOLT
DATE: FRI NOV 4 1994 4:33:17 PM #18793
Larry, I just remembered that BLOOD OATH was a DS9 episode.
But they still owe me a title as DS9 used SANCTUARY and TNG
used MASKS, both from older Trek books of mine. <g>
John
Altho I wouldn't be adverse to using the Narn word, SHON'KAR.
NEW WATCHER
DATE: TUES NOV 8 1994 12:08:18 #22231
Eventually the tapes will be released commercially.
My theory on the B5 universe is much akin to a
spider's web; we are at the center of the web, and if
something happens, it may happen well out at the fringe
of the web, but we sense the vibrations, and it affects
the whole web. We should always get a sense of things
going on elsewhere, that there's a real world out there;
and a sense that there is something dark and menacing
gliding just beneath the surface, ready to come out at
any second.
jms
PTEN CANCELLATIONS????
DATE: MON NOV 7 1994 4:40:07 PM #21672
Can you give me the specifics of which station
this is? Fox 66 doesn't give me the market/call
letters. Would definitely appreciate this, and I'll
try and look into the situation.
jms
POINTS OF DEPARTURE
DATE: TUES NOV 8 1994 12:08:12 #22228
I've been trying to figure out exactly what it is
about this season's graphics that's so much better than
last season's (the folks at Foundation try to explain it
to me, but generally there's math involved, at which
point I get confused and fall down), and I think that
it's the way they've managed to separate the background
from the foreground images.
Last season, the images were superlative, no
mistake; sometimes, though, they had the sense of
moving matte paintings, more or less all at the
same focal distance. Now they've somehow been able
to clearly delineate foreground stuff (ships) from
background stuff (nebula/stars), giving it all a
more three-dimensional appearance.
Or it's pixie dust.
jms
DATE: TUES NOV 8 1994 11:23:07 #23242
You're forgetting several elements.
1) It would be in the VP's best interests to go
along on the trip, to help defuse any suspicion ("Boy,
was I lucky.").
2) Going a few hours out of the country is one
thing; you're not looking at the aspect that traveling
in normal space takes a lot of time and expense...a
ship as massive as EF1 is hideously expensive; two
would be a major waste of government money, and they'd
both be traveling side by side, further wasting money.
Also, whereas Air Force 1 travels nominally alone, EF1
has a full escort of fighters, with a minimum of four
in the "air" at any one time, plus another batch inside.
Going between planets is a much different process
than going between here and London; and if both parties
are required at the other end, the only sensible way is
to have them go together.
jms
DATE: SUN NOV 6 1994 4:03:27 PM #20757
Thanks. And yes, Sheridan was Santiago's first
choice to replace Sinclair. Clark has no problem with
that decision, given Sheridan's record; he's just the
sort he'd like to have in that place.
jms
DATE: SUN NOV 6 1994 4:03:30 PM #20759
Let's just say for now that there's a lot more to our
captain than meets the eye. You'll get a much better sense
about what's going on with him after episode 11.
jms
DATE: SUN NOV 6 1994 8:02:09 PM #20961
The correct phraseology would be, "I'm Captain
Sheridan, commander of Babylon 5." He is the station
commander, and his rank is captain.
jms
DATE: SUN NOV 6 1994 8:03:17 PM #20962
1) Captain Sheridan will retain command of B5
and not give it over to Ivanova unless he is
off-station. First, he's the ranking officer.
Second, Earth currently doesn't much care if the
Minbari are mad.
2) C&C stands for Command and Control. Since
Sheridan is in command and in control, thus he is
in C&C a lot. I'm also trying to get Ivanova out
from time to time to explore other aspects of her
character.
3) No, you wouldn't put someone who's not a
main character making contact with ships because
in many cases, you need a command officer making
decisions. Routine communications with incoming
ships are already being handled by lower-ranking
officers, the dome techs located in the pit and
around the edges of the dome.
jms
DATE: MON NOV 7 1994 4:46:10 PM #21675
John Iacovelli worked up a kind of Esperanto for
some areas of B5; you can spot it from time to time.
SECUR AREA for Secure. Mainly to help newcomers. Me,
I'm not entirely sure it's successful, so it may be
dropped after a while.
jms
DATE: MON NOV 7 1994 4:40:09 PM #21673
We have a *lot* of sets...I think 16-20 standing
sets, and something like 59-60 swing sets, more than
just about any other show I can think of.
As we were making some minor modifications to the
costumes, such as putting some red piping along the
edges, it came up that if you're a qualified fighter
pilot, you generally get wings. Thus, we added them.
The chrysalis is virtually all prop, with some roto
work to enhance the glow in "Chrysalis."
In syndication, it takes a while to get in the final
ratings, because it's aired over the course of a week;
we should know more by this Thursday or Friday.
jms
DATE: SUN NOV 6 1994 4:35:21 PM #20792
You're going to see more of the "grunts" here
and there on the show; more of the Starfury pilots,
and in one episode, "GROPOS," you'll meet the
equivilant of EA Marines. (GROPOS is slang for
Ground Pounders.)
jms
DATE: SUN NOV 6 1994 4:03:28 PM #20758
Re: the rotating section...at first Paul didn't
want to do the design, but I kinda pressed the issue.
I think it looks terrific.
jms
DATE: SUN NOV 6 1994 4:03:25 PM #20756
I understood the question; it's just that it
strikes me as Trek-think; "Here's this alien civilization
that worships the great god Bobabloo, but we discovered
that what they call Bobaloo is actually a scientific
device left behind by a greater civilization to guide them...."
Feh. When you reduce everything like that, where's
the mystery? Where's the ambiguity? To do this is to
pluck the teeth of the lion, and I much prefer it with
its teeth intact, however more dangerous it makes the journey.
jms
EPISODE TYPES
DATE: SUN NOV 6 1994 11:55:26 #21167
Yes, we definitely show the episode titles at the top
of each show, in the first act. As for introducing a lot
of new aliens, the danger in that is that soon the show
becomes the Alien of the Week, and given where the story
is going, I think it'll be a long time before any of our
current alien characters gets boring. That can only happen
if the character simply is what he is, and never surprises
you. Not much chance of that here.
jms
DATE: SUN NOV 6 1994 8:03:19 PM #20963
"Which course will Babylon 5 follow later on this season?"
Both, as usual.
jms
DATE: TUES NOV 8 1994 12:08:15 #22230
I tried, I *really* tried to get through Earth 2, but
after about 45 minutes just ran screaming from the room.
But who knows, the series may be better...because after all,
who am I to complain about pilot movies...?
jms
REVELATIONS
DATE: SUN NOV 6 1994 1:41:12 AM #20283
Generally speaking, yeah, I tend to end up writing
most of the arc related stuff, though I give Larry some
of it from time to time, and a bit gets filtered out to
the freelancers from time to time, but not much major
stuff as a rule. On the other hand, though, sometimes
I do so much arc stuff that I *have* to do some fun
stuff to balance it out, like "Parliament" last year,
and "Geometry" this year.
jms
DATE: SUN NOV 6 1994 4:03:04 PM #20762
Thanks. The humor will *definitely* continue,
as you'll see in "The Geometry of Shadows."
Again, good points.
jms
DATE: FRI NOV 11 1994 12:05:16 AM #25196
The Star Wars X-wing fighters are not really efficient
within space; you need something with thrusters on all sides --
front, back, top, bottom -- to facilitate movement along an
XYZ axis. This is the most sensible, non-aerodynamic version
we could develop. (We've heard from a number of scientific
types at JPL and Nasa and elsewhere commending us on the
design, btw.)
jms
WHITHER ELLISON?
DATE: WED NOV 9 1994 2:03:16 #23449
Harlan's script for us for last season encountered
trouble when he was injured in the earthquake, and other
health problems associated with his heart cropped up.
He is currently working on one now for us.
Harlan's role on the show is basically under the category
"free floating agent of darkness." He's free to get involved
with anything he chooses; he can wander into wardrobe (and has
made many useful suggestions there), props (ditto), gives
suggestions to outside writers like David Gerrold and Peter David
and D.C. Fontana, contributed to the narration last year, and
did the closing narration (over end credits) on the show this year.
Primarily, though, I liken him to Jiminy Cricket, perched
on my shoulder...someone who's been through the wringer (on
Starlost) and can point out the potholes in the road and help me
avoid the same things that caused him grief.
jms
DATE: WED NOV 9 1994 2:14:24 #23475
My brief take on Spielberg: the man is a *terrific*
director. But he doesn't know what makes a *story*. He
knows images, knows how to bring your emotions right to
the front, but a story is a very different creature. When
he has done his best -- Duel, Jaws, Schlinder's List -- he
has always been working from someone else's story. Whenever
he has personally gotten into the writing process, he slips.
Take the highly-touted debut episode of "Amazing Stories,"
as an example. Old man's saying that the Ghost Train is gonna
come by, pick up Grandpa, and take him to the Other Side. This
is in the very top of the first act. They talk about this a lot.
Lots of nice shots. And then, at the end of the episode, the
Ghost Train comes by, picks up Grandpa, and takes him to the Other Side.
One of the most common errors directors make in trying to
create stories is that they get caught on the image...and as a
result, the stories they become involved with END ON THEIR
PREMISE. The premise should be where you START, not where you
finish. This problem has nowhere been more obvious than in the
series work he's been involved with.
There's no real direction, nothing to *say*, just images and
moments that don't entirely add up. So they pour money into it
to make it look spiffy.
I sometimes think what I could do on B5 with the budget of
DS9 or DSV or E2 or ST:V...then, sometimes, I think maybe it's
better this way. We don't have a lot of money...so we have to
be creative instead. Works for me.
jms
---------------
QUESTION: <What do you think of Reservoir Dogs/Pulp Fiction?>
---------------
DATE: THURS NOV 10 1994 4:30:24
Sadly, I haven't seen either film (no discernible life
here), so can't really comment.
jms
BABYLON 5: "BE SEEING YOU"
DATE: FRI NOV 11 1994 12:05:13 AM #25194
Thanks. Lines in scripts don't generally get there
by accident. Somebody writes 'em. Very little in this
show happens by accident.
jms
DATE: FRI NOV 11 1994 12:05:04 AM #25189
The "Be seeing you" is a kind of nod to the Prisoner, yes.
As for Kosh, when it came time to design the character,
I gave very specific instructions to, first, Peter Ledger
(the artist who did the early conceptions of Kosh for artwork
for the studios), and then our costume designer and prosthetics
people. I had very detailed elements that had to be included,
given what's inside, so everything kind of had to bend to that.
jms
NA'TOTH
DATE: FRI NOV 11 1994 12:04:25 AM #25186
The actor wanted to pursue other avenues. She'd
primarily worked as a romantic lead in films, then came
in at the last minute to help with season one. She then
wanted to go back to that. The character stayed because
we need the character to have some prior knowledge of the
situation, rather than bringing in somebody new.
jms
EPISODE LENGTH?
DATE: WED NOV 9 1994 2:14:22 #23474
Usually, stations can't afford compression; it's
done at the network level, cable or broadcast, or point
of distribution. Thus, insofar as I know, it isn't
happening and won't be happening with B5.
jms
PTEN CANCELLATIONS????
DATE: FRI NOV 11 1994 12:05:02 AM #25188
I've heard about the Channel 66 situation, and
unhappily it's one of those things that I can't do
anything about, much as I'd like. This is something
that has to happen at a local level. It's certainly
a pain in the butt, though....
jms
DATE: THURS NOV 10 1994 1:44:30 #24276
The executiver producer's job is to make sure
the script is as good as it humanly can be. If it's
not good, he's to either rewrite it, or cause it to
be rewritten. An unsuccessful script is the executive
producer's primary responsibility. If a B5 script
doesn't work, it's fundamentally my fault, regardless
of whether I wrote it or not; ditto for Earth 2.
Otherwise, what the heck is the producer drawing
a salary *for*?
jms
REVELATION
DATE: THURS NOV 10 1994 2:14:19 #24302
I don't think *anyone* really knows the amount
of tap-dancing that goes on to get this show made
the way I want, or the even greater amount that was
required to get it on the air in the first place.
Nor, in the final analysis, should they, I suppose;
my problem is my problem and nobody else's.
jms
DATE: FRI NOV 11 1994 12:05:08 AM #25191
Yes, generally stories are self-contained, but
in the case of season endings like "Chrysalis," it
takes time to get everything back up and running
again. The bigger the explosion, the longer it takes
to clean up the mess.
jms
DATE: FRI NOV 11 1994 12:05:18 AM #25197
All of the characters' personality traits remain
there. Some move forward or backward into the light,
depending on the situation, but they all are there. I
think it's more interesting if someone does have these
traits, because then it opens the arena for self-doubt,
angst, and inner conflict.
To tell you Londo's fate would be like opening the
last page of the book before buying it.
jms
B4 ON B5
DATE: FRI NOV 11 1994 12:05:09 AM #25192
No, it's not Babylon 4. Definitely.
jms
SHOWERS
DATE: WED NOV 9 1994 2:03:17 #23450
A vibe shower would theoretically use sonic
waves (in combination with other elements, like
disinfecting lighting, as seen in "Signs") to
remove dirt and kill bacteria.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
jms
DELENN'S REASON
DATE: FRI NOV 11 1994 12:23:11 AM #25223
Mind, however, that Delenn might have known Sinclair
was going to be leaving. Remember, "If you come, it must
be soon; certain things have been set in motion, and we
do not have much time." That she went into the chrysalis
prior to his leaving doesn't preclude prior knowledge by
any stretch of the imagination (as we'll discover).
All of which is, of course, a separate issue from
whether or not she is telling the *whole* truth for the
reason behind the transformation....
jms
GOOF IN PTS OF DEPARTURE
DATE: THURS NOV 10 1994 12:29:04 #24203
Nope. Not a good recover. That's what's in the
script, and that's what's on the audio.
jms
POINTS OF DEPARTURE
DATE: WED NOV 9 1994 5:20:12 #23825
Just to clarify: in Soul Hunter we set in place
the question of what these things are, and do not
resolve that question. Dr. Franklin offers that
with the correct technology, it might be possible to
make (for lack of a better term) a clone of someone's
neural patterns, copy his personality and memories
into a storage device...but also dismisses the notion
of soul stealing.
I traffic in ambiguity.
jms
REVELATIONS-NARN HIST.
DATE: FRI NOV 11 1994 12:05:11 AM #25193
Let's just say for now that about a thousand years
ago, Narn was used as a lay-over and supply spot for a
Shadowman group that landed there for a time, and used
it briefly as a base of operations.
jms
GARIBALDI'S AIDE?
DATE: FRI NOV 11 1994 12:05:14 AM #25195
There was a bit of bleed-over in the audio track
from the high intensity lights needed to make that
scene pop.
jms
DATE: FRI NOV 11 1994 12:23:14 AM #25225
No, Jack wasn't *seduced* at that time...but he WAS
there to meet them, and escort them to see Sinclair. Why
him? Perhaps a contact there...?
jms
DATE: WED NOV 9 1994 2:03:18 #23451
The only time a name is associated with his aide
is when Garibaldi refers to him later, at which time
he just says Jack.
jms
REVELATION
DATE: WED NOV 9 1994 5:20:14 #23826
Re: "switching places"...this is *exactly* what I noted
early on; the intent to set up in the very beginning a
situation where those who've seen basic SF before on the tube
will go, "Oh, okay, I got it...this is the Bad Guy, this is
the Good Guy, this is the Comic Relief, this is the Ally,"
and so on, because that's generally what's been the case in
TV SF; you set up the various sides from day one, and virtually
nobody moves.
So you get them to rely on their conditioning, then you
begin to move the chairs around, so suddenly what you THOUGHT
was the good guy is maybe something else; and what you THOUGHT
was the comic relief is a tragic and dark figure; and what you
THOUGHT was the bad guy is maybe one of the real heroes of the
story. And you try and make the path that results in those
changes as interesting, moving, or scary as possible.
jms
DATE: FRI NOV 11 1994 12:05:07 AM #25190
Of course Londo realizes he's being...not exactly set up,
but that he's getting into a very bad situation. But on the
other hand, he sees that perhaps this is his last chance to
grab for something more than what he is; he's not a young man
anymore, and offers such as this, even though he knows there
will be a price someday (as he states to Morden), do not come
along every day.
Here is the key to characterization: who is your character,
what does he want, how far will he go to get it, and what is he
prepared to lose in that process?
jms
-----------------------
QUESTION: Was the rebirth ceremony to welcome a soul into Sinclair? And
what ever happened with Talia's new power?
-----------------------
DATE: FRI NOV 11 1994 12:23:13 AM #25224
Re: the rebirth ceremony actually tied more into
Delenn's comking change. Note the repetition of "and
so it begins" both times, and the use of the same white
robe, the same unveiling.
Re: Talia...you'll get more on this by episode 8.
jms