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1060 lines
42 KiB
1060 lines
42 KiB
This file contains messages posted by J. Michael Straczynski on GEnie from
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Sep 15- Sep 30th, 1994. Postings are copyright 1994 by J. Michael Straczynski
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with compilation copyright by GEnie.
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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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26 new messages.
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************
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 781 Fri Sep 16, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:08 EDT
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Don't know how much impact will come from the rerun schedule; you'll know
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when I do.
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And vice-versa.
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Well, I've now seen 3 completed (sans some CGI and other stuff) episodes.
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The first one is very good. I think "Revelations" is even better (#2), mainly
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in that it feels to me a lot like "Chrysalis," lots of *whams* all over the
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place. But curiously, my favorite so far I think is #3, "The Geometry of
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Shadows," and I think it'll become a favorite with viewers as well. It's just
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an *awful* lot of fun. It's very funny in places. And here's something that
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may surprise you: a number of folks didn't much like Vir in year one. I think
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you're going to like Vir a LOT in year two. We're building up his spine, to
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stand up to Londo, and doing a lot more with him. Also, Vir is in the
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unenviable position of being the one who sees where Londo is going, and
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despite his attempts to stop things, can't...like someone seeing a car
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accident in slow motion.
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Anyway, I was watching the producers' cut of "Geometry" tonight and just
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*howling*. It's the kind of show I love most, that's funny one moment, then
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scary and ominous the next. I love that contrast, and it's very hard to pull
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off without seeming forced. This one came out just right.
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 491 Sat Sep 17, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:33 EDT
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We wrap generally by 7:30 p.m. Thus far we haven't gone overtime yet.
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Out of 154 shooting days last year, we went overtime precisely 8 times. We
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sometimes wrap as early as 6 p.m. We generally hit the standard 12 hour day,
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or less.
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jms
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SFRT II RoundTable
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 495 Sun Sep 18, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:41 EDT
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Generally speaking, everyone is on the set by 7:45 a.m., including crew.
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Cast arrives anywhere from one hour to two hours earlier, depending on whether
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or not the actor needs to go into prosthetics. (We try to schedule actors in
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prosthetics later in the day if possible, to give them more time, but it isn't
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always workable.) The camera operator is there from 7:45 until we wrap for
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the day. But there are always down times during the day, times when the
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operator isn't needed on set. Same for other crew members. Some days when
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we're light on aliens, none of the folks from Optic Nerve need to be there at
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all. When we've got a full Council and League of Nonaligned Worlds, and
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they're going all day, then they're there non-stop. It really varies a lot.
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(And we shoot Monday through Friday, with weekends off, and some religious
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holidays.)
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As stated, we're pretty good about getting people out by 7:30 or earlier.
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This past week we wrapped anywhere from 6-7 p.m. most days. (We found
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ourselves in an odd situation for a few weeks last year when some of the
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directors got into a kind of competition to see who could wrap the
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earliest...and it began crawling toward 5:30, 5:00, 4:30...when was when we
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pulled the plug on it.)
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I'd say that the lion's share of the credit for how well the whole
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operation runs has to go to our crew, which is amazing. I've worked on a lot
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of shows over the last ten years, and I've never seen one as fast, as skilled,
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and as able to adapt to circumstances. Every single one of our guest stars
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and visiting directors has commented on them. The heart of the crew on-set is
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John Flinn, our Director of Cinematography, who keeps the whole thing running
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smoothly. You don't have to lean on them to hurry; they *move*, and they're
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proud of their efficiency, and they're good at what they do. We try to
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maintain a good, creative, open attitude on-set.
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Because I'm usually frantic with meetings, or writing, or on the phone,
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or in the editing bays, I only actually get the chance to walk the stage maybe
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3 times a day *at most*; sometimes just once, sometimes not at all, which is
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ironic given that my door is literally 25 feet from stage C. When I do go on-
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set, where many producers make a big deal out of it on other shows, I try to
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keep a low profile...I slip in as quietly as I can, watch for a bit, then slip
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back to my office, trying not to get in anybody's way or be a distraction.
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(And the *EXECUTIVE PRODUCER* walking onto a set can be quite a distraction.)
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Sometimes I'll walk out there when I know we're not shooting, just doing
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lighting setups, just to watch them work, and the skill with which they
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approach the task.
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One of the ways we try to keep things smooth (and the reason why I *can*
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only be on set a few times a day) is that the script is worked and tweaked to
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the point where by the time it hits the stage, it's DONE. It requires no
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further tweaking, except for the occasional, rare line change for performance.
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If pages are flying in while you're shooting, and nobody knows what's coming
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next...you're in trouble. So by the time we start shooting, my part is more
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or less over. Script's written, I've met with the director to make sure the
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tone and approach is in sync between us, we've had zillions of meetings...at
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that point, you leave the people who know what they're doing on-set alone to
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do what they do best.
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jms
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------------
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SFRT II RoundTable
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 499 Sun Sep 18, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:56 EDT
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As a rule, no. In some rare cases, if we're hooking a story to something
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close in the actor's background, we'll talk to them a bit, but the cast never
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sees a script until it's hit Final Draft stage, at which point very little is
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changed. Sometimes on set an actor may want a line phrased differently for
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performance, but that too is fairly rare.
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Actors are not writers, and writers are not actors. (In general.)
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There is a gross misunderstanding of the role of the actor in determining what
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happens in a script.
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 524 Thu Sep 22, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:16 EDT
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We've designed much of our medical equipment around suggestions made by
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our medical science consultants, who generally feel that we'll be using more
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light-oriented healing technology and non-invasive procedures. And we used
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the 3D imaging process for the interior of a body cavity in "Believers." A
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few weeks ago we got sent a clipping from some medical newspaper overseas
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showing a new kind of medbed that looks a lot like the one we use in medlab,
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with the monitoring cage overhead.
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We *do* consult in this and other areas. Sometimes what's projected may
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not be what someone else would project, but please don't take that to mean we
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haven't checked. We have.
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Tom: in general, the schedule is comparable to the best situations I've
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found before, if not better, on network shows. The bulk of that due, again,
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to the fleet-footedness of our crew.
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 528 Sat Sep 24, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:19 EDT
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Tonight, at 8:30 p.m. Pacific time, noted author and screenwriter Robert
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Bloch passed away from cancer. He was a kind and generous and good man, and
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one of the brightest lights of his field.
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 541 Sun Sep 25, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:19 EDT
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One of the banes of television, in my humble estimation, is the Focus
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Group. I hate 'em. Hate 'em, hate 'em, hate 'em. (Did I mention I hate
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'em?) But all the studios insist on them, and each new season every show gets
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tested and re-tested the following season. My personal estimation is that in
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terms of accuracy they rank somewhere just below the reading of chicken
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entrails.
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This past week, the first two episodes of B5's second season were shown
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to 40+ people here in LA, a group made up of those who had seen the show but
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tuned out, those who'd watched it a few times, and those who were regular
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viewers. I was very anxious about the whole thing, partly because the
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episodes are still in *very* early stages...producer's cuts, transferred from
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the Avid editing machines, no music, no sound EFX, many unfinished CGI
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effects...but there you are. I was also concerned because they would be
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seeing these *without* seeing "Chrysalis" (though they would be able to infer
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certain things from seeing the repercussions), and I didn't know how or if any
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of them would be thrown by not having seen that.
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Well, though I put no more stock in focus groups now than I did before,
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I'm pleased to state that the screening went over like gangbusters. People
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got *very* caught up in it, they liked Bruce a LOT (even the regular viewers,
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without exception, felt that way)...they had virtually no negative comments at
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*all*. We got the highest ratings we've ever had. Specific things they
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commented on were that the show *looked* much better in terms of sets and
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costumes and lighting, theyh liked the characters a lot more, they got into
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the story bigtime...it really worked for them on every level.
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The good part about this is that a solid focus group report tends to
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encourage networks and studios to push harder to do advertising and promotion.
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And that has definitely happened here.
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Once we've finished the episodes, added all the sound and music and CGI,
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we should be pretty solid.
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(Oh, and just last night watched the director's cut of D.C. Fontana's
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script, "A Distant Star." Looks *very* good.)
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 580 Thu Sep 29, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:42 EDT
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It's my understanding that B5's second season will start in the UK in
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December/January.
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Bruce will be on the Mike and Maddy (Mike and Matty?) show this Friday
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morning; a couple hours later, for those in LA, he'll also be on Good Day LA.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 587 Thu Sep 29, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:31 EDT
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Here's something to consider. I pass this along for whatever use it may
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be down the road a piece.
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Apparently, the contract for B5 and the stations expires at the end of
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the year, with a few exceptions. What this means is that, for all intents and
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purposes, the decision on whether or not to pick up the show will be made
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based on the November sweeps.
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We've done well this year; they're expecting us to do even better next
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year. To be precise, they'd like us to be a bona fide hit. What's the reason
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for this? The syndication market is going through MAJOR changes. Networks
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and fledgling networks are grabbing up stations by the handful, making lots of
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elaborate promises, bringing highly-rated network shows in many cases in as
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inducement. Robocop is, apparently, already either dead or near-death. Other
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series will be falling in the next few weeks.
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When running new episodes, we're come in around a 5.3 rating, which puts
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us at about #17 in the ratings overall, and #4 in dramatic series. Our
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demographics, btw, are nothing less than *amazing*. But because we're making
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the show better, and doing more, and with the shape of the market for
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syndicated TV changing, more is expected. What we hear is that the stations
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would like us to bring in a rating between 6.0 and 7.0, which would put us at
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about #10 in the overall rankings, #3 in dramatic series overall. If we can
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do that, we're golden. If not...I don't know.
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Point being, if there's any last-minute conversions anybody wants to do,
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now's the time to do it. November will be very important to the whole fate of
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Babylon 5.
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 593 Thu Sep 29, 1994
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P.DAVID2 at 17:30 EDT
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Actually, Joe, what you're really saying is...if anyone out there knows anyone
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who is a Nielsen family...GET 'EM TO WATCH THE SHOW!!!!
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PAD
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 594 Thu Sep 29, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:37 EDT
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Ladies and gentlemen...the world famous Peter David, whose script
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for B5 goes into production in a few weeks....
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^^^
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 612 Fri Sep 30, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:01 EDT
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Let me be absolutely clear: if B5 should fall in the syndicated market,
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the WB network will *not* pick it up. Neither could we take it to any other
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network for a period of 2 years (by contract), which is the same as preventing
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it altogether since you'd lose your cast and crew in that amount of time.
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jms
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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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17 new messages.
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************
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Category 18, Topic 2
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Message 363 Sat Sep 17, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:30 EDT
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Re: two contradictory spoilers...what, you think this sort of thing
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happens by accident? Simple: just use the old "blind men describing an
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elephant" trick. Gets 'em every time.
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Dave: I think that covers the really essential episodes from 1. The
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essentials so far for season two are "Points of Departure," "Revelations," a
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goodly portion of "The Geometry of Shadows," snippets of other episodes, with
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the next big bang being "The Coming of Shadows," which like "Signs and
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Portents" carries the overall season title, and is another blow-out.
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jms
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------------
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SFRT II RoundTable
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Category 18, Topic 2
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Message 367 Sun Sep 18, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:53 EDT
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Telepathic scans of suspects in a criminal case are *absolutely NOT
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admissible* in court. They are prohibited from it. Because it puts FAR too
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much power in the hands of telepaths, power that the judicial system would
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never, ever in a million years part with. It destroys the idea of due
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process. You have to be sure that the telepath isn't lying, which means you
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bring in a second telepath to verify the first, and a third to verify the
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second. Further, a person may feel responsible for someone's death ("I said,
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`I hate you, I hope you did,' and then she did, it's my fault!"), without
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being so.
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The recent introduction of telepaths into the military is a very
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controversial decision, and is being fought vigorously. It was put in on the
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theory that in wartime, soldiers do not have quite the same rights as
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civilians. This is being contested hotly back in the Earth senate, and I
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wouldn't be surprised to see it overturned.
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jms
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------------
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SFRT II RoundTable
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Category 18, Topic 2
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Message 369 Sun Sep 18, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:47 EDT
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Can I dive in here for just a second to say that this is one of those
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accepted cliches that has nothing whatsoever to do with reality? It's like
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the other one, "All these cartoons are violent," but when you ask the person
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to show which ones, they can't back it up.
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The *norm* in television is to NOT script religious people as loonies.
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I'm sorry, I know that's generally what one's told, but that's simply not the
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case. Religious people have gotten FAR better treatment in general than
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atheists, that's for certain. FATHER MURPHY, THE FATHER DOWLING MYSTERIES,
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HELLTOWN, HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN...there have been *many* series headlined by
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religious people, or in which religious people appear in a favorable light.
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(DR. QUINN in particular comes to mind.)
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It seems like if you show *one* religious nut, suddenly it's taken as a
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statement that ALL are like this. No, it's not, that's just that one person.
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And religion has gotten PLENTY of good air on TV. Some groups just don't
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think it's enough yet, want to feel persecuted, exaggerate the situation,
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publicize inaccuracies and misinformation, and generally won't be happy until
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such figures are everywhere.
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jms
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------------
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SFRT II RoundTable
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Category 18, Topic 2
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Message 384 Tue Sep 20, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:44 EDT
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Re: religious people not necessarily *acting* religious, or doing a
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religious thing in the course of a show...hey, I was on Murder, She Wrote for
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two years...don't recall one episode where we showed Jessica Fletcher typing
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for any period of time.
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ST's treatment I would put in a separate category, because there does
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seem to be some element of an agenda there (or, stated less pejoratively, a
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different point-of-view on the subject). Mainstream TV has, I think, done
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very well in this area, all things considered.
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jms
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------------
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SFRT II RoundTable
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Category 18, Topic 2
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Message 387 Tue Sep 20, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:40 EDT
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Speaking as a writer, I *am* defined in many ways by my keyboard; it is
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in my lap nearly every hour of the day when I'm not eating or sleeping.
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jms
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------------
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SFRT II RoundTable
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Category 18, Topic 2
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Message 391 Tue Sep 20, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 16:15 EDT
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Yes, Ivanova is already second in command; she gets promoted to Commander
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rank in episode 3. They got it wrong. Also...lemme see if I've got this
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straight...we put 50 ships in an episode, introduce new Earthforce ships,
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carriers, you name it...TVG doesn't blink...DS9 puts ONE new ship in their
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show and they get a two-page spread?
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Linda: thanks. "Stupid fan remarks" are always welcome, just as one hope
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stupid producer remarks are sometimes welcome.....
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 2
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Message 413 Sat Sep 24, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:27 EDT
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Keffler should be Keffer.
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Kevin Cremins will be directing "A Spider in the Web."
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Mario DiLeo is directing "The Long Dark."
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Jim Johnston will be directing "A Race Through Dark Places."
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"Pestilence, Famine and Death" has been retitled "Soul Mates."
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Jessica Walters also appears in "Spider," with Barbeau and Beck.
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"The Coming of Shadows" will receive a new director, either Janet Greek
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or Jim Johnston.
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"Unnatural Selection" is being retitled; current working title is "All
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Our Songs, Forgotten," though that may change; being written by D.C. Fontana.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 2
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Message 422 Sat Sep 24, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:59 EDT
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I've tentatively spiked "The Customer is Always Right" (a non-arc story)
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because ST did something on a similar topic, and I think I've got something
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better for that slot anyway.
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I love "The Coming of Shadows." It's one of those episodes that just
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knocks the breath out of you. You know those moments when you're in the
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passenger seat of a car, and the person driving is doing something crazy, and
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your foot automatically keeps searching for a brake pedal that isn't there
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because you know something awful's going to happen? That's the feeling you
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get all through that script. This episode, like "Sky," "Signs," "Chrysalis"
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and "Revelations" again changes the direction and ratchets everything one
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notch tighter. It's also a very visual script, and I like that, since I
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sometimes do rely too much on dialogue from time to time, and it's good to go
|
|
in a different direction.
|
|
|
|
Kosh has just two words in this episode...and, again, they'll send a
|
|
chill right down the spine.
|
|
|
|
Ah loves it....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 2
|
|
Message 441 Thu Sep 29, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:32 EDT
|
|
|
|
You'll note, btw, how the "new planetary leader" (meaning a leader of the
|
|
Grey Council) dovetails with "Babylon Squared." As I promised, we're trying
|
|
for real continuity here....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
|
|
|
|
Category 18, Topic 2
|
|
Message 448 Fri Sep 30, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:05 EDT
|
|
|
|
The comic should be out in late November/early December.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
************
|
|
Topic 23 Fri Feb 12, 1993
|
|
V.VAIDY1 [Vijay] at 23:00 EST
|
|
Sub: "OtherWorks" by JMS
|
|
|
|
Before there was "B5" and when "JMS" was just another Plain Joe, there was
|
|
OtherSyde
|
|
[A discussion of the other works of J. Michael Straczynski]
|
|
226 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 23
|
|
Message 206 Fri Sep 16, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:02 EDT
|
|
|
|
EEK!
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
412 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 25
|
|
Message 309 Thu Sep 15, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:24 EDT
|
|
|
|
I have to have the next essay in by end of this month, so it should be
|
|
shortly thereafter.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 25
|
|
Message 319 Wed Sep 21, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:28 EDT
|
|
|
|
Thanks; some of the writing for the column on the personal side was very
|
|
difficult...glad to hear it was useful. Re: OK cons...nothing at this time
|
|
scheduled. I try to keep it down to a minimum, usually maybe 5-6 in a year,
|
|
not much more than that. I just don't think I have that much of interest to
|
|
say to folks....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 25
|
|
Message 325 Thu Sep 22, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:23 EDT
|
|
|
|
I had heard that, yes...and discouraged our cast from signing any
|
|
exclusive deal with ANYbody, for any reason.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 25
|
|
Message 337 Tue Sep 27, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:37 EDT
|
|
|
|
Hard to confirm much of anything, since I was only just notified of the
|
|
presentation late this evening; nobody had said boo to me about it prior to
|
|
this. So my info is as good as yours at this point, so thus far, yes, it'll
|
|
be Sunday (hadn't even *heard* about anything Saturday).
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
************
|
|
Topic 30 Mon Jul 04, 1994
|
|
D.KAUFFMAN5 [CyberDad] at 13:14 EDT
|
|
Sub: Nods, In-Jokes, and References
|
|
|
|
Post any nods, in-jokes, or references you have seen here. For example,
|
|
Babylon 5 refers to the Babylon of ancient Earth; the location of B5 is at
|
|
Grid Epsilon 470/18/22, the location of the original B5 topic on GEnie.
|
|
281 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 30
|
|
Message 193 Thu Sep 15, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:34 EDT
|
|
|
|
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven
|
|
|
|
Eleventy-one, eleventy-two, eleventy-three, eleventy-four, eleventy-five,
|
|
eleventy-six, eleventy-seven, eleventy-eight, eleventy-nine, eleventy-ten,
|
|
twelfy
|
|
|
|
Twelfty-one, twelfty-two, twelfy-three, twelfty-four, twelfty-five, twelfty-
|
|
six, twelfty-seven, twelfty-eight, twelfty-nine, twelfty-ten.
|
|
|
|
And so on.
|
|
|
|
Who here still has a problem with this?
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 30
|
|
Message 206 Sat Sep 17, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:35 EDT
|
|
|
|
I hate to mention this, but ALL language consists of made-up words.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
************
|
|
Topic 31 Sat Jul 09, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:23 EDT
|
|
Sub: Really Stupid Questions from JMS
|
|
|
|
Every so often, I need Information. (You won't get it!) Technical stuff,
|
|
research or reference stuff...and given the brain trust here, I figured this
|
|
could be a useful resource from time to time. With appreciation.
|
|
168 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 31
|
|
Message 135 Fri Sep 23, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:12 EDT
|
|
|
|
In an active-matrix notebook computer screen, what's the difference
|
|
between TFT and STN?
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 31
|
|
Message 144 Sun Sep 25, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:38 EDT
|
|
|
|
So in other words...TFT is, like, better than STN...okaydoke.
|
|
|
|
jm(who likes to boil it down to terms he understands)s
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 31
|
|
Message 147 Mon Sep 26, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:42 EDT
|
|
|
|
How does the Dell notebook TFT (Latitude) compaare with the Stager?
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
319 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 3
|
|
Message 152 Fri Sep 16, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:59 EDT
|
|
|
|
Of course, let's remember the extensive use of CGI in Jurassic Park.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 3
|
|
Message 160 Sat Sep 17, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:37 EDT
|
|
|
|
Insofar as I know, the objects are all entered into the computer in their
|
|
correct size ratios. Sometimes perception can be tricked depending on the
|
|
position of the camera, the proximity of the interim object, and the
|
|
background. I'll check on this, but insofar as I know this is SOP.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 3
|
|
Message 165 Sun Sep 18, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:50 EDT
|
|
|
|
That is, unfortunately, the problem with "filming" in space; it's ALL in
|
|
focus because of the lack of atmosphere, which provides a slight haze that
|
|
cues us to distance. (Which was why they put the Hubble in space, after all.)
|
|
If you look at footage from the Apollo missions, or the joint Soyuz missions,
|
|
when one ship moves to dock with the other, it's very disturbing visually
|
|
because from a distance, to close up, the other ship is crystal clear. It's
|
|
also very difficult to judge size when there's nothing of absolute size beside
|
|
it. If B5 were floating next to a football field, you'd know instantly how
|
|
big the thing was. We're trying to find ways to work around this....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 3
|
|
Message 175 Tue Sep 20, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:45 EDT
|
|
|
|
Showman...the end of "Survivors," where Kemmer enters her ship...in
|
|
reality there is only a ladder there. The ship, the walls, the door she
|
|
enters, all that is CGI/virtual set.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 3
|
|
Message 199 Sat Sep 24, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:00 EDT
|
|
|
|
My info comes from some folks at Amblin', and yes, the same folks do the
|
|
SeaQuest EFX.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 3
|
|
Message 202 Sun Sep 25, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:05 EDT
|
|
|
|
I know Foundation is working on some other projects, so there is time for
|
|
that, they just assign different animators to different projects. I think ST
|
|
would never come to Foundation.
|
|
|
|
Lately the CGI work has been fairly intensive because of some very
|
|
effects-intensive shows, specifically parts of "Geometry" and "A Distant
|
|
Star."
|
|
|
|
A number of people have asked if we'll ever see the inside of hyperspace,
|
|
or the POV of a starfury pilot as he drops...and the answer to both is yes.
|
|
Ron's first pass at hyperspace was, I thought, a bit too
|
|
Spielberg/Disney/pretty pictures. I really felt strongly that hyperspace
|
|
should be a *scary* looking place, a dangerous place. And Ron came back with
|
|
some really nifty stuff, a vaguely dream-like/nightmarish quality to it.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 3
|
|
Message 206 Sun Sep 25, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:31 EDT
|
|
|
|
Yes, you do see a jump point forming from within hyperspace.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 3
|
|
Message 210 Tue Sep 27, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:26 EDT
|
|
|
|
Not a problem of any kind.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
543 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 4
|
|
Message 172 Fri Sep 16, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:01 EDT
|
|
|
|
Centauri were available to be slapped under a microscope if they WISHED
|
|
to be slapped under a microscope. To them, we were the ones they chose to
|
|
study, and wouldn't be so undignified to submit to our examination. They're
|
|
rather haughty sometimes. It was a long time before we were able to get some
|
|
decent material to examine.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 4
|
|
Message 177 Sat Sep 17, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:32 EDT
|
|
|
|
Other actors: Michael Beck, Anna Marie Johnson, Adrienne Barbeau.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 4
|
|
Message 182 Sat Sep 17, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:41 EDT
|
|
|
|
Kiwi: "heh" yourself...it's Ladira, not Akira.
|
|
|
|
I don't much like japanese animation, don't watch it.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 4
|
|
Message 193 Sun Sep 18, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:58 EDT
|
|
|
|
Definitely human, though raised on Mars.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 4
|
|
Message 194 Tue Sep 20, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:41 EDT
|
|
|
|
Did I mention that Robert Foxworth is also in our first episode?
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 4
|
|
Message 200 Sat Sep 24, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:31 EDT
|
|
|
|
Hawk: exactly.
|
|
|
|
I think that if somebody is bad or good from day one, there's no real
|
|
interest in what happens to them on one level. But take someone who you kinda
|
|
liked, and thought was fun....and slowly they begin to slide into something
|
|
dark and terrible...you *feel* for them, you worry about them, you're watching
|
|
it like a car accident in slow motion. And then there's the one you thought
|
|
was rotten to the core...and now that character seems to be moving toward
|
|
something noble, but tragic...again, you get caught up in it.
|
|
|
|
Life, and good storytelling, is about *change*. Or as Mr. Dylan said,
|
|
"Any man not busy being born is busy dying."
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 4
|
|
Message 208 Sun Sep 25, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:06 EDT
|
|
|
|
Y'know what it'll take? It'll take one well-known, nationally recognized
|
|
reviewer to come up to the plate and say that this is something *different*.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 4
|
|
Message 210 Sun Sep 25, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:32 EDT
|
|
|
|
Would love to hear any more detailed reports from folks who were
|
|
there....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 4
|
|
Message 214 Mon Sep 26, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:42 EDT
|
|
|
|
Meatloaf *again*?!
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 4
|
|
Message 216 Mon Sep 26, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:31 EDT
|
|
|
|
Tape hell...laserdisk. (Also a big Meatloaf fan.)
|
|
|
|
First time I ever saw "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" it was in college,
|
|
with a young woman who dragged me to it. As we stood in line, a cool but not
|
|
terribly cold night, I noted that she was wearing a rather large overcoat.
|
|
She explained that it was the kind she tended to wear to TRHPS
|
|
screenings...she showed me how she'd cut the ends off of the pockets, allowing
|
|
her hands to come through to the inner part of the coat. I inquired about why
|
|
this was done. "So I can diddle myself while I watch the movie," she said.
|
|
|
|
I have absolutely no recollection of the rest of the evening.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 4
|
|
Message 225 Fri Sep 30, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 15:38 EDT
|
|
|
|
Let me repeat again what I said before: we've *already shot* a sequence
|
|
with Michael to be used later in season two.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
422 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 5
|
|
Message 110 Sat Sep 17, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:33 EDT
|
|
|
|
Yeah, it really is a cool book. It's a very personal way of doing a bio,
|
|
and at the same time providing a good look at America from 1927 through
|
|
1994...through wars, and blacklisting, and social changes. The fake letters
|
|
sent to the DGA documentary committee alone are worth the price of
|
|
admission....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 5
|
|
Message 117 Wed Sep 21, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:30 EDT
|
|
|
|
The command would be REA ALL NEW AUT=LOUDMOUTH.HOTAIR
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 5
|
|
Message 122 Thu Sep 22, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:27 EDT
|
|
|
|
And add Jessica Walters.
|
|
|
|
(Y'know, this is starting to shape up as a pretty good list of guest
|
|
stars...Jessica Walters, Dwight Schultz, Robert Foxworth, Adrienne Barbeau,
|
|
Russ Tamblyn, Michael Ansara, Walter Koenig, others...and that's just in the
|
|
first 7 episodes or so.)
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 5
|
|
Message 130 Sat Sep 24, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:05 EDT
|
|
|
|
Trying to decide which makes a better Kosh....
|
|
|
|
* or ?
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
344 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 11
|
|
Message 151 Fri Sep 30, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:14 EDT
|
|
|
|
"You have forgotten something." Kosh
|
|
|
|
"Nothing's the same anymore." Sinclair
|
|
|
|
"If the primates we descended from had known that politicians would
|
|
someday come out of the gene pool, they would've stayed in the trees and
|
|
written evolution off as a bad idea. Hell, I always thought the opposable
|
|
thumb was over-rated." Captain John Sheridan
|
|
|
|
"The universe works through the complex interaction of three things:
|
|
energy, matter, and enlightned self-interest." G'Kar
|
|
|
|
"I work for Ambassador Mollari. After a while, nothing bothers you."
|
|
Vir Cotto
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
(Numbers 3 and 5 are from season two)
|
|
------------
|
|
************
|
|
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.
|
|
217 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 12
|
|
Message 101 Wed Sep 21, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:26 EDT
|
|
|
|
Should be an article on Michael O'Hare coming out in this month's Starlog
|
|
(out now in some places) that should put to rest a lot of the rumors.
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
556 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 17
|
|
Message 193 Sat Sep 17, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:39 EDT
|
|
|
|
Did you get hardcopy copies of my notes, or did they just read 'em to you
|
|
over the phone? (Wasn't much, really, mainly just a few line changes, some
|
|
background stuff, and how the Psi Corps does and doesn't work.)
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 17
|
|
Message 212 Thu Sep 22, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:21 EDT
|
|
|
|
BTW, a company named All-U, which does t-shirts and other stuff, has
|
|
signed on to do some B5 shirts as well...and I gotta tell you, these are
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|
really very cool. Nicely done, well designed...a lot of thought went into
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|
them. And what's really amazing is that they've come up with some process
|
|
that lets them put down photographic-level images, and lots o white (and color-
|
|
on-white) WITHOUT bulking up the colors so that you can feel them stubbing out
|
|
from the shirt. The designs feel like any other part of the shirt. *Very*
|
|
nice (in fact, I'm wearing one as I type, a multicolor shot of the station,
|
|
the nebula, the logo, and "The Last, Best Hope...Babylon 5"). Really nifty.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 17
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Message 217 Thu Sep 22, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 16:47 EDT
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|
|
I know the guys from All-U are over on Prodigy, looking for some quotes
|
|
for shirts (or AOL, I can never keep them separate), so someone from there
|
|
probably has more info. But they should be generally available soon. The
|
|
one I nabbed was the prototype.
|
|
|
|
To try and keep the novels canon, I'm going to *try* and work in a brief
|
|
reference to the event on B5 that takes place in "Voices," made after the
|
|
fact, just a throwaway.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 17
|
|
Message 228 Mon Sep 26, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:54 EDT
|
|
|
|
Aside from mentioning in the first novel that everyone in the show dies
|
|
in the end, what could remotely be considered a spoiler?
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
************
|
|
Topic 16 Sun Apr 17, 1994
|
|
STARR [Arne] at 23:42 EDT
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|
Sub: #116 - "Signs And Portents"
|
|
|
|
by JMS. Directed by Janet Greek. Co-starring Gerrit Graham.
|
|
291 message(s) total.
|
|
************
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 19, Topic 16
|
|
Message 223 Sat Sep 17, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:47 EDT
|
|
|
|
No, no funky pyramid stuff. The mural that dominates the casino traces
|
|
human history/technology. It goes from the beginnings of civilization in
|
|
Egypt, the "cradle" of civilization in that region (left hand corner) and as
|
|
it moves left-to-right shows horse-drawn carriages then villages then cities
|
|
then megacities, planes, jets, starships, and finally ends with B5 up in the
|
|
right-hand top corner.
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|
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|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 19, Topic 16
|
|
Message 247 Thu Sep 22, 1994
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|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:33 EDT
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|
|
|
Ron chose a blue nebula because you can't do bluescreen effects with a
|
|
blue nebula background without showing hideous matte lines; he knew it was
|
|
something a Certain Other Show couldn't do. "Look, ma, no matte lines!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|