JMS on Compuserve: October 6, 1995
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Thu Oct 19 17:00:50 EDT 1995
Subject: JMS on Compuserve: October 6, 1995
* 1: Oct 6, 1995: The Green Meddler <kilgalen at tde.com>
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From: The Green Meddler <kilgalen at tde.com>
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Subj: Major B5/ST News Section: Star Trek
To: JOE M VANCE, 74203,1254 Thursday, October 05, 1995 10:58:26 PM
From: J. Michael Straczynski, 71016,1644#358419
Thanks, and I think they already have picked up a few lessons; which is the point of the exercise...we should
challenge one another to constantly improve, or what's the point of being here?
jms
Subj: KCOP & B5? Section: Babylon 5
To: Stephen C. Smith, 76150,1170 Thursday, October 05, 1995 10:58:17 PM
From: J. Michael Straczynski, 71016,1644#358416
Well, y'know...it's gonna be interesting. I was pleased to note that TV Guide gave B5's return next week a listing
in the evening's highlights.
jms
Subj: Shadow Ship Progression Section: Babylon 5
To: John M. Kahane, 102664,773 Thursday, October 05, 1995 10:58:20 PM
From: J. Michael Straczynski, 71016,1644#358417
Yes, the first batch of eps from season 3, up through 9 or so, give a lot more background on the shadow ships,
what they are and how they work. And as you say, virtually everything in this show is here for a reason; there's an
offhand remark from Garibaldi in "Infection" about his long struggle out of the Martian desert that pays off in both the
comic, and in a third-season episode. So some of the year three stuff was being set up as early as episode 2 of year
1, in what was designed to look like just plain old throwaway dialogue.
jms
Subj: Major B5/ST News Section: Star Trek
To: David Scarpa, 73672,2136 Thursday, October 05, 1995 10:58:28 PM
From: J. Michael Straczynski, 71016,1644#358420
Yeah, the rerun schedule was a pain in the butt. And because of it, lots of stations began moving us around. It's
my hope that that'll change now that we're back with new eps, and showing 9 eps in a row without a single break.
jms
Subj: Episodes Evaluation Section: Babylon 5
To: John M. Kahane, 102664,773 Thursday, October 05, 1995 10:58:06 PM
From: J. Michael Straczynski, 71016,1644#358421
If I had to look back at season 2 and pick favorites, they'd probably be "The Long, Twilight Struggle," "Comes the
Inquisitor," and "The Coming of Shadows." "Coming" is probably the one episode I'd say is most perfect, the most
purely B5.
In year one, I thought there were a couple/three eps that just lay there and begged to be shot and put out of their
misery. But I don't think we had even one like that in year two. Some were stronger than others, but not one
dropped below a certain median high point over year one.
So far, year three is another general step up, with our least episode this season so far being the equal of some of
the better year two episodes.
What makes for a perfect episode of B5 in my view? It's kinda hard to define. It's an episode where major and
irreversible events take place, which were absolutely set up from what went before, and which turn on the individual
choices made by our characters; episodes that have about them the feel of a car absolutely out of control, that
ANYthing could happen...the kind of episode that makes you start insinctively reaching for the brake pedal, but it
doesn't do any good. And, finally, those that have a nice visual sense of style. I've gradually grown more
consistently fond of the montage as a dramatic device, though I'm being careful not to over-use it. (I *really* liked the
intercutting in the Emperor's fall in "Coming.")
I'd rather not say anything at all about "Gethsemane," because a large part of the plot turns on something you
need to discover mid-viewing, and anything I might say would only detract from it. It's a lovely, sad, very moving
story; it's kind of my Twilight Zone story in the B5 universe, with some very strong emotional twists as we go along.
It's not the kind of story I get to do within the B5 structure very often, and I'm extremely pleased with this one (and
Adam Nimoy did a *bang-up* job directing it; he thinks it may be his best work ever).
We're now shooting episode #7, "Exogenesis." So far, to give my own reactions to the year 3 episodes so far:
"Matters of Honor," somewhat of a continuation of the year two season ender, picking up the pieces, with some
great action pieces, mainly a fair amount of fun, which is necessary given what precedes it..."Convictions," a moody,
atmospheric, driving piece, stylistically very different for us, with some hysterically funny scenes juxtaposed against
some deadly serious and gritty drama..."A Day in the Strife," a fair number of threads, a day in the life episode with
everything that can go wrong going wrong, some elements of humor but mainly a straight-ahead kind of
episode..."Voices of Authority," you'll see some of our characters doing stuff they've never done before, and we get
into the whole question of the First Ones, also fairly straightfoward in storytelling and direction..."Passing Through
Gethsemane," which again is just an utter knockout episode, which with "Convictions" comes close to being a
perfect episode..."Dust to Dust," haven't seen the director's cut yet, but the dailies looked great...and "Exogenesis,"
which we just started filming this week, is probably our most "ordinary" story of the batch, though it puts a new spin
on several traditional story elements.
On just about every level, I'd say that the year three episodes are an improvement on the year two episodes, and
we've got a lot more this season that should be equal to or better than "Coming" and the other top three mentioned
earlier, at least based on how they look pre-shooting..."Messages From Earth," and "Severed Dreams" are massive
action/character set pieces on the scale of "The Long, Twilight Struggle"...only bigger, and more personal.
It's going to be great.
jms
Subj: VitW pt2 - Delenn/Londo? Section: Babylon 5
To: Richard M. Perry, 76461,2737 Thursday, October 05, 1995 10:58:07 PM
From: J. Michael Straczynski, 71016,1644#358422
The favor he calls in is not on his behalf, but on behalf of an associate.
jms
Subj: Rick Berman Section: Star Trek
To: Michael Ogrinz, 71573,3153 Thursday, October 05, 1995 11:25:16 PM
From: J. Michael Straczynski, 71016,1644#358450
"The ratings for B5 never get close to the ratings for the Trek shows."
Actually, not true. The Neilsens have often posted the B5 ratings as asometimes equal to or slightly above the
ratings for "Voyager."
jms
Subj: VOYAGER'S BAD TREK Section: Star Trek
To: Mary Taylor, 75530,2650 Thursday, October 05, 1995 11:25:18 PM
From: J. Michael Straczynski, 71016,1644#358451
Speaking of TPTB, here's an interesting angle on the whole Voyager/DS9 dynamic.
Recently, more and more, the ST execs (people like Berman and Pillar) have been commenting publicly about the
factionalization of the SF TV marketplace, and how this has diminished the numbers for the ST shows overall. Most
interestingly, one of them commented in an LA Times article this past week that a big problem for them is the
factionalization *within* ST...that people may only have time to watch one version of ST that week, and they're being
forced to choose. And, of course, there are the debates between the two sides on quality.
Which dovetails precisely into the rumor running around town that Paramount is considering giving the axe to DS9
after this season, in order to force folks who want their ST to watch Voyager...because they have more money
invested right now in Voyager, particularly in start-up, and they have their hopes for the Paramount network pinned to
Voyager as their center. They don't like the idea of a syndicated show out there causing problems for the network on
which they've spent millions and millions of dollars. And DS9's ratings have been steadily on the decrease since the
debut. So the logic goes: take away DS9, and make those who want Trek go to Voyager as the sole provider of that.
Given the sources from whom this has come, I give very high credibility to the notion that this *is* being
discussed; whether or not it will be implemented, that only time will tell. If Voyager continues to decrease,
threatening the foundations of Paramount's bid for a network, I'd think the chances of this happening will continue to
rise.
jms
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