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932 lines
38 KiB
932 lines
38 KiB
Babylon 5 posts by JMS for June 1-15, 1994
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This file includes a compilation of posts on GEnie by J. Michael
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Straczynski in the Babylon 5 category. The posts are copyright by JMS
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(and compilation copyright is by GEnie).
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************
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Topic 1 Mon Oct 26, 1992
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SF-MARSHALL [Dave ] at 18:50 EST
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Sub: Babylon 5 - The Series (Non-Spoiler)
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Welcome to the Babylon 5 category and main topic for the new series. Here is
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the place for all general information on the series. Topic 2 is the location
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for SPOILERS. And please, NO STORY IDEAS are to be posted either.
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692 message(s) total.
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************
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 537 Wed Jun 01, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:24 EDT
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Gary: I just don't think that's workable, and in any event, we were
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planning to rotate the voice-over between cast members.
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Brett: the one I wrote while utterly sick with the flu was, as I dimly
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recall, "The Quality of Mercy."
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 550 Thu Jun 02, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:02 EDT
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Note to the above: I most emphatically didn't work on the V series; I
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thought it was awful for the most part, except for the mini-series that
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launched it. (We didn't call it V2 for nothing, he said.) I wrote a new 4-
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hour miniseries that was to have launched a revived syndicated series closer
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in intent and theme to the original minseries. It proved too expensive for
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the syndication market, however, and was never produced (though the first 3
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acts are in one of the libraries hereabout).
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Only marginally appropos to the preceding...I lurk on a lot of BBS
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systems, regional and national, 'cause I find that my presence being known can
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affect the discussion, and it's nice to have a "control group," or two, for
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lack of a better term. And I'm amazed at the amount of misinformation out
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there, preceded by "JMS said...."
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There's "Joe said a homeworld would be destroyed in the cliffhanger,"
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which I didn't say; "Joe said that the Minbari change sex," which I never
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said, and was only implied by our casting initially a female to play a male
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character. It was sorta assumed, and became accepted, but it was never said.
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(Going with this is, "Joe never referred to Delennin the pilot as "she."
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Which isn't correct; a tech calls to Sinclair and tells him Delenn wants to
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see him. "She's in the garden," the tech says.)
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There's the rumor that Sinclair left the show, and I'm trying to cover my
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ass (we have options on all our cast, sorry)...the rumor that Michael was
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fired for bad acting (which is easily enough resolved: we will be shooting a
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scene in the next few weeks with Sinclair, which will show up *midway* through
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the first season, and will lay down the foundation for more in the future,
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something you don't do if it's "bad acting").
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I'm not dismayed, just astonished; it's like the ultimate game of
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telephone, with lots of people wanting to be the *first* to give some kind of
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information, backing it up with vague sources, or attributing them to JMS
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comments that were never made.
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I would love, someday, to diagram all this stuff out and just watch the
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progression of it all....
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Anyway, just woolgathering in-between the religious discussions....
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 567 Fri Jun 03, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:09 EDT
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I spoke incorrectly; the scene will be used in year two, not year one.
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We're trying to get them to move the showing of Chrysalis back into
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August, with the rest of the year 1 episodes, rather than just before the
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start of year two. Warners logic behind that is their belief that a) they can
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generate more publicity for the new season, which will spill into Chrysalis
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and thus get more people to see it, making kind of an event out of it, and b)
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the HUT (households using televisions) for August are notoriously low, so they
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feel it would be wasting what's probably our strongest episodes.
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But I'd still prefer to see it in August, and we're still trying to nudge
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Warners in that direction.
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 590 Sun Jun 05, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:56 EDT
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Cindy...yes, it's the characters that keep us coming back. I created
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Sinclair. I made him interesting to the audience. (I'm not trying to take
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away from the performance of the actor, I'm talking about the *character* per
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se, his dialogue, his past, his phraseology, his interests, everything that
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makes him what he is.) You found him to be of interest. That's good, because
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he didn't just land here on the back of an asteroid, Sinclair was
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*created*...the same way I created Kosh, and Garibaldi, and Delenn, and Londo,
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and G'Kar, and Ivanova....
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Those, judging from reactions, are interesting characters. What makes
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you think that this new character to enter the mix is going to be a shlub?
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They all come from the same pen. Or keyboard, in this case. YOU, as I
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recall, kept pushing to shove Takashima out an airlock and bring in someone
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else...even though there were lots of people who *liked* Tamlyn in that role.
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They're all replaceable, you said.
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This isn't a case of someone else taking over Person A's show and
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changing everything around. These are my characters. My universe. And you
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can be sure that the new character will be every bit as interesting all all
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the OTHER characters.
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I just kinda wish people would allow the time and space to actually SEE
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what we have in mind before judging if it's going to work or not. A lot of
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people pronounced us dead after the pilot. We made some changes, came back,
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and the series was *considerably* better than the pilot (which you yourself
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said, Cindy, in part because of some character replacements that *you* thought
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would help the show [though that wasn't why they were made]). Even those who
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*liked* Takashima, and Dr. Kyle, and who said that as far as they were
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concerned if those characters were gone the show was gonna be crap, even THEY
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have come around.
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Our first year of the series was a jump in quality over the pilot. And
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our second year will be a jump in quality over the first year. We took a
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blood oath to make this show consistently better. All I can say, again, is
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what was said when we made changes from the pilot: wait and see what it is
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we're doing before you judge.
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I haven't suddenly developed Alzheimer's or gotten stupid or been
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possessed by a moron. The characters that appear in this show will continue
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to be as interesting as the first batch. I don't tend to pull rank very
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often, because it's a stupid and petty and arrogant thing to do...but if you
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like Kosh's enigmatic attitude, it's because I wrote it that way (or my
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writers) and created him to be enigmatic; if you like that Sinclair has a
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missing 24 hours, it's because I decided he did...on and on. Sometimes I get
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a little tired of this sense I get that people see these characters as having
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sprung fully-developed from the brow of Zeus, and that I'm yanking one out to
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put in some dumb character *I* came up with.
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I'm not asking anyone to take my word for anything, only to maybe cut a
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guy a little slack until you actually *see* what's going to be done, and to
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kinda remember that I came up with these guys to *start* with, and that
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nothing new in the show will be any less interesting than that which precedes
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it.
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 595 Sun Jun 05, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:48 EDT
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Thanks, Tom, and really, c'mon, Pee Wee Herman'll make a GREAT
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commander....
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jm(trust me)s
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 616 Mon Jun 06, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:31 EDT
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It's my understanding that some or all of the Lightwave software is being
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adjusted for a Dos platform, and that Foundation will be more or less
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unaffected by the problem in the long run, though I imagine there will have to
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be some short-run transitional hassles.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 628 Wed Jun 08, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:55 EDT
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I've always thought that the kind of people who read the last page of a
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book should have their thumbs pinned into one of those chinese thumb-traps,
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then sent into the Nairobi desert to fend for themselves.
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At least that way, we'll *both* know how it ends....
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 632 Thu Jun 09, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:10 EDT
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I'm still reasonably sure that's what I was told about LW...but then
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again, at many of these discussions, I fall asleep and pitch forward onto the
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desk, so there you are.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 633 Thu Jun 09, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:03 EDT
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Bits and pieces...heard today from Jim Norton, who plays our Ombuds on
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the show, and is currently in England doing a documentary about Gen.
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Montgomery (playing the lead), who was wearing his B5 jacket on Kings Road,
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and just about got mobbed by people. Apparently the show is going over well.
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Assignments are being made, scripts are in the works. First draft on
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"Chrysalis, Part Two" is in (JMS), and Larry's working on "A Trick of the
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Mind" and DC's working on "A Distant Star."
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We're doing a pretty fair amount of rethinking on some of our sets and
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costumes, again looking to improve them as much as we can from season to
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season without making major changes. We'll be doing more with set dressing,
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making it more layered and personal; building some new sets to let us explore
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other sides of our characters' lives; coming up with new costume designs for
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some of the new characters coming in this season, that sort of thing.
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New production schedule came out, and it looks like if we begin shooting
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on July 18 we'll be delivering episodes several months before they're due to
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air. So we're giving some thought to starting filming a couple weeks later,
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just to give us more time to tinker with the sets and costumes without having
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to rush. There's a couple of sets in particular that we'll be creating for
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the first couple of episodes we shoot, and the extra time could be useful in
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getting them just right, since they're fairly elaborate. (And Londo gets a
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new coat this season!)
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I'll probably have a bit more to say about the new additions to the cast
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later on. Not regulars, but recurring (6 episodes or so) characters.
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Today went down to Sotheby's in Beverly Hills to look at their stuff for
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their newest auction, mainly comics stuff. Got the auction catalog, brought
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it home, started marking pages...wish lists...walked out to where Kathryn was
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watching the NBA game..."So, like, exactly how do you feel about a second
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mortgage?"
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Such a look.....
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Sigh...I've long described myself as a collector of Superman stuff.
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HAH! Trinkets. There's some SERIOUS stuff out there, boys and girls.
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Bottom line...I'm doomed as doomed can be....
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 638 Thu Jun 09, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:50 EDT
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BTW, for those in the San Diego area, Harlan Ellison will be signing
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books this coming Saturday from 2-5 p.m. at Mysterious Galaxy Books, in the
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Claremont Square Shopping Center, 4679 Claremont Square. And at 6 p.m., he
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will read a new short story to an audience of those who've bought Mephisto in
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Onyx or Mind Fields *and* purchased $25 in books from the store.
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I'll be there as well, on and off starting about 2, though Harlan is the
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main show. Any GEIs who want to buy some stuff and come by are of course
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welcome.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 642 Fri Jun 10, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:55 EDT
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Alas, corridor walls that curve in make lighting and setting up camera
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angles VERY difficult.
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At this point, not much in the way of new aliens planned; we'd like to
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get away from the alien-of-the-week story (which though we didn't do it a
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*lot*, we did it enough that I want to edge away from it a bit), and
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concentrate on the aliens we already have. If you just keep on throwing new
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aliens into the mix, soon it loses all impact. We decided to try a whole
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bunch of aliens over season one, and pick the ones that worked, which we would
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then work to refine and integrate more fully into the storyline. Right now,
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I think we've got about 15 races in addition to our primary groups (Narn,
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Minbari, Centauri). Concomitant with this, we'll be working to make the
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prosthetics far more detailed and better able to be used in a dramatic
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context.
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We scattergunned a lot in season one; now is the time to adjust, refine,
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focus and improve. We'll still do the occasional new group, I just don't
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want that to begin driving the show.
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 645 Fri Jun 10, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:59 EDT
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The vaguely cthulhoid creature to which you refer is a pak'ma'ra.
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 657 Sat Jun 11, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:39 EDT
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The only things we're doing to the uniforms is adjusting the dress
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uniforms a bit, and adding a bit of seam to the back of the class-A day
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jackets to help them fit a little better, and a bit of slightly different
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piping along the leather collars so they'll read better on camera. Also we'll
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be making a new set out of a slightly more durable and comfortable gabardine
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than last season.
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Re: production...each episode shoots in 7 days, and yes, when one show
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comes in under the pattern budget (which often happens), we then apply that
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to other shows. We came in a bit under budget for the full season, and have
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applied that bit to next season's budget to give us a bit more room to play.
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I write 10-20 pages a day, usually on more than one script or project at
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the same time. Net messages in total add proably another 5-7 pages a day to
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the list. (Currently doing 2 B5 scripts, revising a 2-hour pilot for another
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series, editing others, awaiting word on an outline for a third pilot, and
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some other stuff.)
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 674 Sun Jun 12, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:26 EDT
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Argus: of course there are capital ships. We never said otherwise.
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There's one later this season, for instance, the EAS Hyperion, a heavy Earth
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cruiser. There aren't as many as they'd like -- the majority having been
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wiped out in the war -- but they're building 'em as fast as possible. (The
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Hyperion, though it's never mentioned, is one of the leftover capital ships,
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not one of the newer ones.)
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The uniforms are *not* being changed dramatically, only nipped and tucked
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and tweaked slightly to make them fit better and come across slightly better
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on-camera, so some details that're being lost now pop better.
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Re: starfury pilots...some of it is actors in cockpit against a blue
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screen, some of it CGI pilots with faces mapped onto them.
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 679 Mon Jun 13, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:34 EDT
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We do see some EA military types from time to time (it was an EA marine
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who kept trying to pick up on ko'dath in "Purple"). And next season there'll
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be a bit more of that, with more supplies and people being moved out to the
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Rim, and stopping off at B5 en route.
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Re: Babylon...while it didn't end up well, for a long time Babylon was a
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center of commerce and industry, an important crossroads. The name translated
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means "the Gate of God," which has double meaning when attached to the
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jumpgate outside.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 686 Wed Jun 15, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:54 EDT
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BTW...appropos of nothing...I would urge all and sundry to check out the
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CBS special, "Murrow Vs. McCarthy," Wednesday night at 10/9 central. If you
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don't know who those two people are/were, all the more reason to watch. Some
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lessons must never be forgotten.
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jms
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------------
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************
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Topic 2 Wed Nov 20, 1991
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STARR [Arne] at 19:41 EST
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Sub: Babylon 5 -- The Series!! >>SPOILERS<<
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Babylon 5 offically became a series on May 28 '93. There will be 22 hour eps
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for season one (in addition to the pilot). Airs Wednesdays at 8PM in most
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places starting Jan. 26 '94. This is the SPOILER topic where anything goes.
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810 message(s) total.
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************
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 2
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Message 701 Wed Jun 01, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:27 EDT
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Err...insofar as I know, "I'm Thinking of Thinking" was not an old music
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hall song. It was composed by Christopher Franke for us.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 2
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Message 704 Wed Jun 01, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:47 EDT
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I'll probably be able to say more about the new actor in a couple of
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weeks.
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And yes, Ivanova was born on Earth, in the Russian Consortium, though she
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was educated in large measure overseas.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 2
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Message 724 Fri Jun 03, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:13 EDT
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A *lot* of background on the characters appears in the faq file, which I
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believe is available here.
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Wouldn't be surprised to see a B5 tech manual sometime next year os (or)
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so.
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Workers employed on B5 earn a weekly salary, paid in earth standard
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credits. Anyone coming from another culture/system with a different financial
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structure is handled as you would handle going from the US to Germany. You
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turn over your Drazi currency, and are given a credit chit which is charged
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with X-amount of EA credits, based on the current rate of exchange. If your
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system is not recognized by EA, things get a little dicier, and you may be
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forced to resort to barter.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 2
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Message 735 Sat Jun 04, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:21 EDT
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dj...you can tell your spouse that one of my pet bugaboos is loose
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threads left dangling. I tend to write pretty tightly, and don't like to
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leave things unresolved too long.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 2
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Message 769 Thu Jun 09, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:54 EDT
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I read Bugs' note, and to his considerable credit, he had pieced together
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a *lot* of stuff. Moreso than has just about anyone else to date. It
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ultimately led him to make one final leap that took him onto the wrong track,
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so the destination was in error, but he had done his homework, thought things
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through, and was very much on the right track. There's just some stuff that
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can't be predicted because the necessary pieces aren't all on the table yet.
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So good thinking, excellent deductions, careful consideration, just off
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by a few decimals. It is, I suppose, the difference between E=MC2 and E=MC3;
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you kinda had to know where you were going and what you were doing to get that
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far, but the bomb still ain't gonna work.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 2
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Message 796 Sun Jun 12, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:36 EDT
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I don't think I've really said that much about "Grail." The trick,
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though, is that I don't approach the episodes in quite the same way that a
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viewer does. I have somewhat different agendas and goals, and there are times
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when hassles in *doing* the episode -- which in no way affect the show itself -
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- affects my *perception* of the episode.
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I did a small screening of "Grail" here about a week ago, to get some
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other reactions, and they were all very positive; they enjoyed the episode
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quite a bit. (Similarly, there were people who thought that "Infection" was
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one of the best of the season.) There is *no one* who is harsher in
|
|
critiquing the episodes than I am. I want each one to be absolutely perfect.
|
|
And sometimes that means that I see flaws that no one else ever will.
|
|
|
|
In any event, I definitely want people to come at this from an open
|
|
minded point of view. For reasons that have nothing to do with Christy's
|
|
script, it still isn't one of my all-time favorite episodes; if I said
|
|
otherwise, I'd be lying through my teeth. But different opinions are what
|
|
makes horse races, and as stated, most of those who've seen it so far *do*
|
|
like it, so at the moment I'm considerably outnumbered....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
************
|
|
Topic 3 Tue Nov 03, 1992
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:09 EST
|
|
Sub: Babylon 5 - Computer SFX Tech-Talk
|
|
|
|
Some of the new computer EFX used in BABYLON 5 will be revolutionary, a new
|
|
approach never seen before on this scale. It's all new tech, and this topic
|
|
will try and address the new technologies involved.
|
|
600 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 3
|
|
Message 594 Sun Jun 12, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:43 EDT
|
|
|
|
Arne, let me respectfully disagree with you. An occasional typo is one
|
|
thing; sometimes there can be SO many typos in someone's message that it
|
|
becomes twice as hard to read, it can get annoying, and if the author's intent
|
|
was to say X, a lot of typos can result in communicating Y, or people simply
|
|
not bothering to read it at all.
|
|
|
|
"core shuttkle...lety me anylyse...teh shodows...seeming huige...on te'he
|
|
ground...there was abotyher...teh distant...prettyh bnut...."
|
|
|
|
Granted, it's a prejudice, but this sort of thing also makes the writer
|
|
look illiterate, though clearly he is not, but that nonetheless prejudices the
|
|
reader, and diminishes the impact of the message. There is nothing wrong with
|
|
occasional correction; that's one of the problems with SF fandom in general, I
|
|
think...no one ever dares to correct anyone else.
|
|
|
|
If I can come on here and take comments criticizing my show, then I think
|
|
that someone critiquing the effects in my show can take a little critiquing of
|
|
his message, done in a positive way. If he can't take a note or two, then he
|
|
can tell us.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
************
|
|
Topic 4 Tue Nov 03, 1992
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:12 EST
|
|
Sub: Babylon 5 - Cast & Characters
|
|
|
|
For discussion of the actors who will be bringing BABYLON 5 to life with their
|
|
performances...for information before, and discussion after the airing of "The
|
|
Gathering" pilot.
|
|
656 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 4
|
|
Message 591 Fri Jun 03, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:14 EDT
|
|
|
|
Yes, insofar as can be determined (deals are finalizing tomorrow), all
|
|
other cast members are returning.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 4
|
|
Message 631 Thu Jun 09, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:34 EDT
|
|
|
|
Desiree...you were in *second grade*?
|
|
|
|
I suddenly feel very, very, very old....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 4
|
|
Message 640 Fri Jun 10, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:27 EDT
|
|
|
|
Ivanova is exactly who she is; she's not being feminine or tough because
|
|
somebody told her to be. To call her a "women's liberation activist" in this
|
|
context, where it isn't an issue anymore, is like pointing to any african-
|
|
american without shackles and saying he's an "anti-slavery activist." Any
|
|
chains she has, she forged herself; they are not the ones society on one side
|
|
or the other forced on her.
|
|
|
|
Re: space exploration...I feel much the same way. Thing is, of course,
|
|
the SF of the 50s and early 60s, really the golden age of SF, fed the popular
|
|
consciousness with the idea of space travel, which culminated in a general
|
|
awareness, and an urge to try it. It's the role of SF to nudge people in the
|
|
right direction. If more and more TV and print points to the future, and to
|
|
the stars, it may help wake people up to that possibility.
|
|
|
|
If you make them *want* it today, they will build it tomorrow.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
************
|
|
Topic 5 Tue Nov 03, 1992
|
|
T.ORTH [Mr. Rico] (Forwarded)
|
|
Sub: Grid Epsilon Irregulars - News & Info.
|
|
|
|
This topic is for information about Babylon 5 fan groups, newsletters,
|
|
fanzines, get-togethers, B-5 at conventions, and other general fun.
|
|
542 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 5
|
|
Message 497 Sun Jun 12, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:45 EDT
|
|
|
|
If it were me, and I wanted to have a bit of fun with this, I'd use:
|
|
|
|
"Sooner or later, everyone watches Babylon 5."
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 5
|
|
Message 525 Wed Jun 15, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:42 EDT
|
|
|
|
They are...all around you.
|
|
|
|
And if they ate more fiber, they wouldn't *have* this problem.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
************
|
|
Topic 9 Wed Nov 11, 1992
|
|
T.RESTIVO [Little Guy] at 18:27 EST
|
|
Sub: Babylon 5 Humor
|
|
|
|
From *Beep Beep*, to Top Ten Lists, to full-blown parodies, this is where to
|
|
put your funny bone in writing!
|
|
565 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 9
|
|
Message 517 Sun Jun 05, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:25 EDT
|
|
|
|
I keep constantly fighting the urge to have G'Kar return from a trip to
|
|
the Narn homeworld with a limp, a cane, and a (temporary) eyepatch, muttering,
|
|
"Boy, the Thenta Makur have *no* sense of humor."
|
|
|
|
(Now we'll see how many get *that* one.)
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 9
|
|
Message 543 Fri Jun 10, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:58 EDT
|
|
|
|
I dread the very idea of what will happen in this topic after folks
|
|
discover what the pak'ma'ra are....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 9
|
|
Message 563 Mon Jun 13, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:39 EDT
|
|
|
|
In the two-parter, Delenn has quite a few moments when she's laughing,
|
|
and funny, but always in a dignified fashion; it's a strange but very
|
|
appealing combination. (And there's one scene she's in that is played
|
|
*absolutely* straight, but is fall-down funny.)
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
************
|
|
Topic 11 Sat Nov 14, 1992
|
|
J.SHEEN1 [Leviathan] at 18:09 EST
|
|
Sub: B5 Adrift!
|
|
|
|
BABYLON 5 Topic Drift
|
|
If you feel like talking about it, but it doesn't fit anywhere else... If its
|
|
only connection to B-5 is that you thought of it in this CAT...
|
|
This is where to come and get it out.
|
|
496 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 11
|
|
Message 456 Tue Jun 07, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:03 EDT
|
|
|
|
I think that the point he was going after in his original posting is that
|
|
some -- a very few -- take a *proprietary* stance, which I would differentiate
|
|
from criticism (pro or con) in terms of the sense of perceived ownership.
|
|
There are a few ST fans, for instance, who feel, and even state to the effect,
|
|
that as fans they *own* the show. There was the person who said that he has
|
|
the *right* to *dictate changes* in the show (B5) because he watched it. And
|
|
the answer to that in both cases is, No, you don't.
|
|
|
|
There is a small section of the fan community that will applaud you for
|
|
standing up to and resisting input from the suits, the studios, and the
|
|
network, and then turn *very* cranky when you similarly resist THEIR input,
|
|
because THEY own the show.
|
|
|
|
This line becomes somewhat easier to cross when someone from the show
|
|
makes himself available for such things.
|
|
|
|
I think that this was the point at hand, rather than criticism vs.
|
|
praise.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 11
|
|
Message 459 Tue Jun 07, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:38 EDT
|
|
|
|
I agree, it isn't prevalent. Sometimes though it can be noisy out of all
|
|
proportion to its size.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 11
|
|
Message 468 Wed Jun 08, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:11 EDT
|
|
|
|
Re: authors here "inhibiting" criticism by virtue of their presence....
|
|
nope. There's generally 50% more criticism of B5 on those systems where I'm
|
|
known to be present than on those systems where I just lurk.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 11
|
|
Message 473 Thu Jun 09, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:37 EDT
|
|
|
|
Not true; I am as gentle as a kitten just as long as someone doesn't go
|
|
out of his way to fuq with me.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 11
|
|
Message 489 Wed Jun 15, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:03 EDT
|
|
|
|
The extra footage helps the Abyss a *lot*.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
************
|
|
Topic 12 Wed Nov 18, 1992
|
|
B.WIST [Brad] at 18:12 EST
|
|
Sub: Babylon 5 Sightings
|
|
|
|
Post here when you've spotted Babylon 5, whether it be on Television,
|
|
Magazine, or somewhere else. Let us know where we can find it/see it, too.
|
|
591 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 12
|
|
Message 569 Wed Jun 01, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:24 EDT
|
|
|
|
We're discussing it in-house. Claudia's willing to do it.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 12
|
|
Message 575 Wed Jun 08, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:58 EDT
|
|
|
|
Yeah...well...we went a little nuts....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 12
|
|
Message 579 Thu Jun 09, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:17 EDT
|
|
|
|
I don't think they have time for that kind of heavy-duty rendering; the
|
|
closest they ever got (at least that *I'm* aware of) is a composite shot
|
|
looking through the observation dome window from the outside, to where Ren
|
|
Hoek is strangling Stimpy inside. (It's a gif.) And no, you can't have it.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 12
|
|
Message 588 Mon Jun 13, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:40 EDT
|
|
|
|
"Terminal Velocity," a newspaper-stock magazine published out of San
|
|
Diego, and available free there, just did a cover story on B5's EFX. For more
|
|
info, call 619-487-9589.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
************
|
|
Topic 13 Mon Nov 23, 1992
|
|
T.ORTH [Mr. Rico] at 21:00 EST
|
|
Sub: Babylon 5 - Science & Technology
|
|
|
|
Jump gates, nanotech, high-tech weapons, starship drives, sound in space, and
|
|
other subjects of science and technology in Babylon 5.
|
|
428 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 13
|
|
Message 368 Fri Jun 03, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:14 EDT
|
|
|
|
Yikes...and people say *I've* got an evil mind....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 13
|
|
Message 378 Sun Jun 05, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:08 EDT
|
|
|
|
Jump gates are formed in a particular location within a margin of error;
|
|
it's not like throwing a newspaper at a door. The gate might form in front or
|
|
behind.
|
|
|
|
How many ship-mounted generators (which are inside the hull) have you
|
|
seen to be able to say that they can be of any shape? How do you know they're
|
|
different shapes? To my knowledge, we've never shown a ship-mounted
|
|
generator.
|
|
|
|
A ship-mounted generator can open a fairly small opening, and do it maybe
|
|
twice or three times within a 24 hour period or so, because of the massive
|
|
energy requirements involved. The rails and chargers along the way are
|
|
designed to facilitate a *lot* of travel in and out during a day, and to make
|
|
the entry a little easier, not as abrupt as a ship-mounted jump.
|
|
|
|
We simply haven't shown a jump gate from the side or back yet. We have
|
|
talked about this at some length, and probably will do so at one point next
|
|
season.
|
|
|
|
Why doesn't it manifest itself as a sphere, and why a vortex? Because
|
|
the rails are at opposite sides one from the other. They project out opposing
|
|
lines of force which in repelling one another create a tunnel into hyperspace.
|
|
The lines of force on a ship-mounted system are not visible to the human eye,
|
|
and are less stable, hence more uncomfortable when entering (see above).
|
|
|
|
In-gates and out-gates *are* identical. The only difference is in
|
|
coloration, based on red-shift.
|
|
|
|
The vortex is *not* an energy booster, which answers that question.
|
|
|
|
Seems to me that most of your questions come from incorrect assumptions
|
|
and insufficent consideration of the issues at hand, not really thinking
|
|
things through, rather than logical or scientific flaws on our part.
|
|
|
|
Just one man's opinion.
|
|
|
|
But it's canon.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 13
|
|
Message 395 Mon Jun 06, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:32 EDT
|
|
|
|
Absolutely.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 13
|
|
Message 408 Sat Jun 11, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:43 EDT
|
|
|
|
Explorer ships *are* jump-capable. And they survey areas that look like
|
|
they have good resources to exploit. The problems at Sigma 957 come and go at
|
|
irrgular intervals, and wasn't there when the explorer vessel came, saw a lot
|
|
of good worlds to exploit, and left a gate.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
************
|
|
Topic 17 Tue Jan 19, 1993
|
|
C.STOBBE [Colin] at 21:02 EST
|
|
Sub: Babylon 5 - Merchandising
|
|
|
|
A place to discuss all the neat Babylon 5 merchandising coming out (hopefully)
|
|
soon
|
|
595 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 17
|
|
Message 589 Sun Jun 12, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:51 EDT
|
|
|
|
Currently, to the best of my knowledge, no company has officially
|
|
licensed a B5 RPG, but I'd definitely be interested in seeing it happen.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
************
|
|
Topic 24 Fri Jun 04, 1993
|
|
J.ROY18 [Jonathan] at 21:11 EDT
|
|
Sub: Babylon 5 - Weapons and Warfare!
|
|
|
|
For discussion about the weapons, counter weapons, armor, shielding, tactics,
|
|
logistics, and so forth, of small combat and large scale war in the Babylon 5
|
|
universe.
|
|
296 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 24
|
|
Message 280 Fri Jun 10, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:31 EDT
|
|
|
|
Yeah, those senatorial funding committees are a real pain in the
|
|
ass...the station doesn't have *half* of what it should have. Now, B4 had
|
|
EVERYthing...too bad it disappeared....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 24
|
|
Message 283 Sat Jun 11, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:45 EDT
|
|
|
|
Bear in mind, though, when suggesting all this heavy weaponry, that
|
|
Babylon 5 is not a warship. It's not that major a target. It generally has
|
|
enough to protect itself against small forces. If full-scale war were to
|
|
break loose, *nothing* could protect it from a fleet of ships, since it can't
|
|
maneuver and is basically a sitting duck.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 24
|
|
Message 291 Sun Jun 12, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:52 EDT
|
|
|
|
This season you will see missiles, more Narn heavy cruisers, more Narn
|
|
capital ships, a Narn military outpost, and lots of closer shots of a Minbari
|
|
cruiser.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 24
|
|
Message 295 Mon Jun 13, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:41 EDT
|
|
|
|
No, only some of it....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
************
|
|
Topic 25 Fri Mar 12, 1993
|
|
S.SHELLENBAR [>> SHANE <<] at 08:47 EST
|
|
Sub: J. Michael Straczynski Speaks in Public
|
|
|
|
This is the place to find out where and when JMS will be appearing next. JMS
|
|
has honed his skills as a public speaker and is taking his act on the road.
|
|
513 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 25
|
|
Message 497 Mon Jun 06, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:36 EDT
|
|
|
|
It's just that I *hate* losing in public. I've now been nominated for
|
|
four awards: an Ace Award, a Bram Stoker award, a Gemini award, and a Writers
|
|
Guild award, each for writing. And you just go nuts, you at first don't even
|
|
want to consider winning, then the closer you get to the event you think,
|
|
well, hell, I've got as good a chance of winning as anybody else...then you
|
|
wait...and you're there, they're opening the envelope...and you're thinking
|
|
maybe, maybe it IS me...no it's not...but it might be...and it ain't...and I
|
|
just *hate* that.
|
|
|
|
On the other hand, as I think about it, you go through the same thing
|
|
winning in public.
|
|
|
|
That's it. I'm doomed. The universe hates me.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
|