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346 lines
22 KiB
346 lines
22 KiB
IRC chat with JMS on Thursday, January 23, 1997 at 19:00 PST (0300 UTC)
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on channel #Babylon5 of server irc.warnerbros.com (and connected servers)
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Transcript captured and edited by Tim Eliseo <tim@quiknet.com>. Chatter and
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irrelevant IRC administrivia have been deleted. Only intro, questions,
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answers, and messages JMS responded to are included. If you *really* want my
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raw transcript, mail me.
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*** jms is B5Online@ip006.lax.primenet.com (JMS)
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*** Moderator is mec@cumulus.org (mec)
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*** BluKnight is mec@cumulus.org (Unca' Blu)
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*** B5Online is B5Online@ip006.lax.primenet.com (Troy Rutter)
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<BluKnight> Thank you for coming to the Warner Brothers IRC servers this evening. My
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<BluKnight> name is BluKnight, and I am your primary host this evening... We are very
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<BluKnight> glad you stopped in, and hope you enjoy the show this evening.
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<BluKnight>
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<BluKnight> As you may or may not know, the creator, executive producer, and all around
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<BluKnight> God of the hit television series Babylon 5, J. Michael Straczynski, is
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<BluKnight> coming here this evening, through the auspices of B5Online at Warner Bros
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<BluKnight> Online.
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<BluKnight>
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<BluKnight> This is a moderated chat event. Questions can be submitted through sending
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<BluKnight> a private message to Moderator with the text "@submit (question here)",
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<BluKnight> without the quotes. On most IRC clients, the command would look like this:
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<BluKnight>
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<BluKnight> /msg Moderator @submit Why doesn't Kosh make any sense?
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<BluKnight>
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<BluKnight> Please submit your question ONLY ONCE. You will get a message when your
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<BluKnight> question has been recieved. After your question is recieved, it will be put
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<BluKnight> in a queue to be reviewed by one of our ops. If it is rejected (probably
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<BluKnight> due to story ideas, bad taste, or other "forbidden topics"), you will
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<BluKnight> recieve a message back saying that your question has been rejected.
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<BluKnight> Again, we thank you for your participation.
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<BluKnight> BluKnight, IRC Coordinator
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<BluKnight> B5Online, IRC Operator, Webmaster, babylon5.com and Babylon 5 Online host (AOL)
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<BluKnight> Ok...
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<BluKnight> Some other things: too many nick changes, or ones to take advantage or saying rude
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things, will be IMMEDIATELY /killed by an operator.
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/msg StelarCom help
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*StelarCom* Help for JMS Chat
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*StelarCom* to submit questions for JMS, /msg moderator @submit <question>
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*StelarCom* your question will be submitted for processing. It may be rejected
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*StelarCom* due to content. (Such as story ideas, or bad taste.) Questions will
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*StelarCom* be asked in the order they were recieved. Please send your question only once.
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*StelarCom* The moderator will notify you when it recieves your question. Thank you.
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*StelarCom* If you need help, please contact your server admins, which are listed in the server MOTD.
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*** jms (B5Online@ip006.lax.primenet.com) has joined channel #babylon5
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<BluKnight> Ok...
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<BluKnight> B5Online: are we ready?
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<BluKnight> B5Online: Lets rock and roll....
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<jms> We don't need no stinking rules as long as everyone understands I run the universe.
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<jms> How come no one ever Big Bands, only Rocks and Rolls?
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<Moderator> Question from War_Maker: Now that Lyta is no longer employed by the Vorlons will we
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learn about her tripp to the vorlon homeowrld?
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<jms> I think that's something she's averse to talking about unless she has to. Certainly now...
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<jms> that the Vorlons are no longer employing her, she'll have to find ways to get along...
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<jms> no Vorlons, outside the Psi Corps, she's very much on her own now, and vulnerable.
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<Moderator> Question from Gargoyle: Sir, thank you for making such a wonderful show, and my
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question was, would you ever write a sequel to Babylon5? (I.e. another series, or can
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you confirm the movie?)
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<jms> Well, WB is currently negotiating for a sequel, so we'll see...and the two TNT movies are
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<jms> definitely on, pending being able to make our deals with the cast and the like.
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<Moderator> Question from DocSane: <When all is said and done, and the series ends either this
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year or next, will you finally let us in on what the original story structure was
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going to be?>
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<jms> A painter begins a painting. As he goes along, he makes modifications, decides that B is...
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<jms> better than A in terms of serving the purpose of the art...would it be appropriate to...
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<jms> skin back the layers of paint and see what steps the artist went through to get to where...
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<jms> he finally ended up believing was the right place? In this case, I think that the B5...
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<jms> story is best just being what it *is* rather than what it *isn't*.
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<jms> (The question also proceeds from the assumption it changed a lot...it didn't, not that much)
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<B5Online> We have temporarily lost the moderator... so... JMS, you said you are holding out on
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the title of season 4 until episode 15 or 16...
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<B5Online> Can you let us in on when we might find out the 3 ages of mankind?
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<jms> You'll get the info on the 3 ages in the next batch of new eps; and I'm not holding off...
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<jms> on the title of S4 until 15 or 16, the title *is* episode 15. And much as it annoys me...
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<jms> that this was broken outside because I trusted a reporter with the info (who then...
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<jms> promptly printed it in the UK)...the S4 title *is* "No Surrender, No Retreat."
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<Moderator> Question from Rathenn: Are the Minbari particularly 'obligated' to side one way or
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the other in the onslaught of the Vorlons?
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<jms> Well, for the time being they're certainly aligned with Entil'zha, which would be Delenn.
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<Moderator> Question from Jkay: you use a 'painter' analogy, and I would agree .. but it
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certainly would be FUN to see what the 5 year plan looked like when you submitted it
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to WB, all the same :)
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<jms> WB never saw the full 5 year plan...I wouldn't show it to anyone except a very few...
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<jms> carefully chosen people; not even Doug knew how it would all come out. And yeah...
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<jms> I can see how it'd be fun on one level...but it's also kinda like the magician showing you..
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<jms> which sleeve he used to hide the rabbit he removed from his hat.
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<Moderator> Question from Reese: Sir, what gave you the idea for Babylon 5?
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<jms> People almost always assume there is one thing that gives you the idea for something...
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<jms> I could say, "what gave you the idea for your marriage?" It's much the same thing; it's a..
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<jms> process, no one single thing, that cumulatively comes together. With B5, it came...
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<jms> from wanting to do an SF show responsibly, and trying to figure out how I'd do that...
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<jms> which led me to a space station notion..and I always wanted to do a big SF saga, but I...
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<jms> thought those were two different stories, until one day in the shower they just collided...
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<jms> and I realized they were the same story, and it went on from there.
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<B5Online> Rabbit? Sleeve? My whole life is ruined now.
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<jms> Troy, That happened long before I logged on.
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<B5Online> Oh thanks. :D
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<Moderator> Question from Scorp666: If you could classify the Babylon 5 Universe in one word,
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what would it be?
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<jms> AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
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<jms> (Next question?)
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<jms> (And yes, that *was* the word.)
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<Moderator> Question from Zack: First, I would like to thank you for answering my questions
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last time at www.thestation.com Secondly, I apreciate the series, and I was wondering
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if the relationship between Babylon5 and Earth will get worse.
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<jms> not a prob
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<jms> (smiles evilly) ....oh....I'd say so.....
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<Moderator> Question from MrSpark: [truncated at start of chat, re-asking] is the character of
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Zack Allan more than a minor player?
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<jms> Well, he certainly becomes more important in this next batch of episodes, moving to...
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<jms> the foreground in some very important ways, developing and changing the nature of some...
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<jms> relationships, and so on. I've kind of kept him in my back pocket until now.
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<Moderator> Question from ^Lorien^: Will you continue into season 5 or end it all in season 4?
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<jms> We'll know that when Warner Bros. tells us; we have still not heard definitive word.
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<Moderator> Question from Innfinity: Any plan to overdub Ivanova's "Nook-you-ler" mistake in
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HoTW?
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<jms> No, mainly because 99% of the time a dub *sounds* like a dub, and it brings...
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<jms> you out of the scene, and for one word it ain't worth it. You also have to then change...
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<jms> all the international versions, the domestic broadcast tapes, int'l tapes...
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<jms> it's hideously expensive just for one word.
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<Moderator> Question from Tykers: JMS: What were some of your reasons for allowing ppl to make
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their own B5 pages, and not go after them like Viacom is going after Star Trek pages?
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<jms> I talked to WB about it, and our sense, which WB agreed with, was that if fans cared..
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<jms> enough about the show to want to expend that kind of effort to support it, it would be...
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<jms> monumentally rude of us to go after them AS LONG AS the sites contained the correct...
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<jms> copyright information on our images and the like. It just seemed the sensible approach.
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<Moderator> Question from GaiusXVII: Compared to the first season, how much has the per show
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budget gone up in this past season?
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<jms> It goes up a few percentage points each season...the overall increase from season one...
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<jms> to now has been about $150,000 per episode total over 4 years.
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<Moderator> Question from Eagle^1: Will any B5 episodes ever make it to the Museum of Radio
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and Television?
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<jms> That's kind of up to the Museum of Radio and TV.
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<B5Online> Sounds like a letter-writing campaign... ;>
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<Moderator> Question from Keffer: Why are the Vorlons so upset?
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<jms> They think they know how everyone should behave, how things should run, and we're...
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<jms> not doing it right fo starters, and the shadows continue to take the diametrically opposite.
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<jms> approach, and now they see a chance to shut down the opposition...
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<jms> and they're taking it. I'm not sure that "upset" is the word...more like "determined."
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<Moderator> Question from uzun: The plan to forcefully eject Kosh2 seemed more to be the
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premeditated murder of Kosh2, while Kosh2 attempted to flee. Is Lorien more a
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malevolent force on Sheridan than we now realize?
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<jms> We'll see soon on Lorien. But understand that Kosh2 had refused to leave, had assaulted...
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<jms> and injured a security team; his continued presence would jeapordize the mission to save...
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<jms> several billion people's lives, and he would've turned to kill them in that hall if he had..
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<jms> the chance to do so (as he tried lashing at Delenn). He was given a chance to leave in...
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<jms> peace, he declined, so he left in pieces. He only tried to run with Kosh1 came out.
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<Moderator> Question from ZogLite: Is Franke signed to submit work for the TNT movies and
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Crusades?
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<jms> He hasn't been signed yet because we don't have a deal for the series yet, but we have...
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<jms> every intention of using him no both the movies and the series.
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<jms> ON both, that is.
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<Moderator> Question from Shadows: what i was wondering about if the good guys will ever have
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to ally with the shadows... excuse me if the question sounds lame but... i would just
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like to know
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<jms> That would require telling you how the story goes...but bear in mind also that we're not...
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<jms> necessarily dealing in good vs. evil, as order vs. chaos, and you can find men and women...
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<jms> of good and bad virtues on either side of that line.
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<Moderator> Question from NarnBoy: Dreams and prophecy are useful instruments in telling the B5
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story. Have you had any personal experience with these, such as a clairvoyant friend
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or precognitive dreams?
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<jms> Nope. And as an atheist, I don't believe in those things. I don't need to...
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<jms> believe in Minbari to write about them, or Shadows (though they do live under my bed).
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<Valen> Troy: didn't you say you were clairvoyant?
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<Valen> :)
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<B5Online> Heh. I said I was psychotic.
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<Valen> oh
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<Valen> Psychotic, psychic, I gte them mixed up
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<Valen> :)
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<jms> "And suddenly the conversation took an ugly turn..."
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<Moderator> Question from Mo: Will it still 'end in fire' or has that all been averted by
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Sinclair's time travel?
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<jms> If you're referring to the Emperor's question...he/we didn't define what "it" is...for his..
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<jms> homeworld, as we saw in WWE2, a lot of Centauri Prime *does* end in fire. And that...
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<jms> will still take place. That appointment is now firmly on the books.
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<Moderator> Question from WildMan: are the TNT moives going to be on any other networks?
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<jms> Not that I'm aware of, no.
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<Moderator> Question from ^Lorien^: When are you comming to Australia? :)
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<jms> As soon as you get rid of all those great big rats with the pouches....
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<jms> Eventually, I'm sure, when there's an invite to a good sized convention.
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<Moderator> Question from Lorien: Is the third Age about Humans, Mimbari, and the younger
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races developing their own sense of purpose, away from the guidance of the Shadows
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and Vorlons?
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<jms> Could be something like that...we'll see shortly.
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<Moderator> Question from JamesC: Are human telepaths capable of precognition, limited or
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otherwise?
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<jms> Nope, that's one facet we didn't get.
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<Moderator> Question from Grond: Anything new on the spin-off series?
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<jms> There are intense negotiations going on, and it's now all a question of making the deal...
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<jms> with all the parties involved; they want to do it, now we have to make the deal work
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<Moderator> Question from CrazyLrry: I really loved Othersyde and Demon Night, do you plan to
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write any more novels? And if so what do you want to write about??
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<jms> I'm actually in the early stages of my next novel right now, which is a nifty SF concept...
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<jms> contemporary setting, can't say much more about it. I'd like to continue to do...
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<jms> a wide range of stuff: SF, dark fantasy, horror, nonfiction, the whole thing.
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<Moderator> Question from Dave: So, we're not going to find out what Lyta's errands were?
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<jms> You want to go interrogate the vorlons, go ahead, I don't want to annoy them.
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<Moderator> Question from Delenn: Will Vir himself end up killing Cartagia? (it has symmetry)
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<jms> Who can say?
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<jms> General note: if you ask me "will X happen" or "when will Y happen" you will almost always..
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<jms> get an evasive answer; if I were going to just tell y'all I wouldn't make the show.
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<Moderator> Question from Redag: Having just seen the promo for The Long Night: Why doesn't
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Harlan design some more weapons? A *lot* more weapons?:)
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<jms> Because he might decide to start *using* them, and the world would tremble.
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<Moderator> Question from Dalenn: Can we expect alot of big surprises in the next batch of
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episodes?
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<jms> No. I think that surprises are a bad idea. I think that having the shows as dull and...
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<jms> unpredictable as possible is the way to go. I don't want to startle anybody. (sigh...
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<jms> well, what can one expect from someone who spells it Dalenn...?) So yes, we will.
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<jms> (sigh2...that should've been dull and predictable above...I'm such a meroon...)
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<B5Online> I believe the nick Delenn was taken and thats why it was spelled that way. :)
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<Moderator> Question from EUHese: when did you first decide to write B5 ?
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<jms> 5 minutes after I saw the whole story explode in my head in the shower, I decided that...
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<jms> this story *would* get told, it *would* get made, and we'd tell it all. That was 1986/87.
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<jms> (Okay, then the Delenn thing isn't that person's fault...it's the universe's sense of humor.
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<jms> hat I would gig somebody on spelling and then screw up the sentence I write...
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<jms> and people wonder where I get this weird sense of humor; the universe considers me its..
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<jms> personal cat toy.)
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<jms> (You have ANY idea what it's like to go through life covered in cosmic cat spit?)
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<Moderator> Question from ge: is babylon5 is going to decay after the 5th season(i would like
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to think it wont)(if the 5th season will even be) or will it become more?
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<jms> well, since B5 can't *go* beyond 5 years, that's a moot question.
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<Moderator> Question from GaiusXVII: When you get ideas for a plot or episode, what is the
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wierdest or funniest thing or inspiration you have had...
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<jms> I think that would have to be Londo's six genitalia; I was working out that script where...
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<jms> it was first introduced, and I was writing in bed because I had a 104+ temperature, on a..
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<jms> notebook computer, and I came up with this, and I just started laughing...and...
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<jms> laughing...and I started coughing and laughing so hard I literally fell out of bed.
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<Moderator> Question from Greyleaf: What will become of you and B5 after the 5 year arc?
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<B5Online> I think we answered that, didnt we?
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<Moderator> Question from DarkJedi: Are the episode ever gonna be put into book or novel form...
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<jms> That's a question for some years from now; right now my main obsession is getting it all...
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<jms> done and out in video form. The idea of telling the whole story again, in novel form, is...
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<jms> enough to send me into a coma.
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<Moderator> Question from lar1: how lnog does it take to write a scrips?
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<jms> Depends. When it's a white-heat situation, when it's all Right There in my head, I can...
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<jms> write the whole thing in 2 days. (And oddly enough, those are almost always the best ones..
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<jms> the ones I work on for 2 weeks are never quite as good.) The average is 7 days.
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<Moderator> Question from NarnBoy: Thank you Mr. S for such a fascinating story as is B5. It
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brings out the writer in some of us. Do you have any advice for those that now have
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the inspiration to write since being touched by B5?
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<jms> I'll give you the best advice I ever got: "Never let anyone stop you from telling the...
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<jms> story you want to tell. And cut every third adjective." Write from passion, write...
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<jms> what moves you, don't worry about formulas, just *write*. (I have a whole book...
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<jms> out on this, btw..."The Complete Book of Scriptwriting," available from Writer's Digest...
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<jms> Books, or via www.amazon.com.)
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<Moderator> Question from uzun: The unnamed first ones that Ivanova contacted a year or so
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ago, are they of the same race as Lorien?
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<jms> No, younger. But you'll see them again soonish.
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<Moderator> Question from Innfinity: Who does the closed-captioning? Lately on cc I've seen
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the intro-voiceovers attributed, but to all the wrong people.
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<jms> A company contracted by WB. We provide them with scripts, and they take it from there...
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<jms> so it ain't our call.
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<Moderator> Question from MarkChase: How much did HP Lovecraft influance the story line?
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<jms> Only in the sense that his work contained hints of ancient mysteries, beings billions of...
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<jms> years older than us, these vast, cyclopean places and things...it's that kind of...
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<jms> ambiance more than anything else.
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<Moderator> Question from Antony: <Are th evorlons truly the evil ones?>
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<jms> Again, this ain't about good or evil. You're also putting human notions on aliens who...
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<jms> don't think as we do. The Vorlons think they're doing the right thing, as do the shadows...
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<jms> But what may be right for them, may be wrong for us.
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<Moderator> Question from MrTim: We know the Walkers didn't think highly of the Vorlons. Does
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that mean they agree with the Shadows?
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<jms> Not necessarily. I may dislike Troy, that doesn't mean I automatically like Blu. Or...
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<jms> vice versa. The vorlons are just an annoying race to some of them.
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<B5Online> Ill try to figure out if thats good or bad for me.
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<jms> Yes.
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<jms> (to Troy)
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<Moderator> Question from Misty: with the sequal you were just talking about, does this mean
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anything about season 5?
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<jms> No, the sequel would either follow a final year 4, or be simultaneous with season 5, which..
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<jms> would enable crossovers. It can go either way.
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<Moderator> Question from Mo: Will we ever find out who built the Great Machine?
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<jms> Probably not. Not all mysteries have answers. And if I said, "A guy named Bob...
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<jms> built the machine," does that add to or diminish the mystery? (I think it would diminish...
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<jms> the mystery of the machine, but on reflection add to the mystery of Bob.)
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<BluKnight> JMS: do you want to continue, or stop here? We just lost the moderator due to
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massive use.
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<jms> Just to add a thought or two, since we just seem to have lost our question ability...
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<jms> the new episodes start next week, which signal a major change in the show and the war and
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<jms> many of our characters and how they relate to one another. The February sweeps will also...
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<jms> be crucial to determining the year 4/5 question. As well as the B5 WB site, there is also..
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<jms> the B5 fan club site, btw, which is at www.thestation.com, and a fun place.
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<jms> One way or another, this story will be finished, and the episodes we have in hand now are...
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<jms> some of the best we've ever done. One suggestion: watch "Into the Fire" with a friend who..
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<jms> owns a REALLY cool video/sound system, as this is a real blow-out.
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<jms> Anyway, I'm told that this is about it...I just wanted to close by thanking everyone for...
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<jms> coming and for supporting the show; you will never know how much the support has meant to...
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<jms> those of us working on the show, and continues to mean. It's because of you that this..
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<jms> show has stayed on the air, and we never forget that.
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<jms> Thanks again, and g'night all.
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<BluKnight> JMS: Thank you, on behalf of all of the ops and regulars of irc.warnerbros.com for
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coming.
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