JMS: Documenting your experiment?

[b5jms-owner at cs.columbia.edu]

Subject: JMS: Documenting your experiment?
 No.   DATE           FROM
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+  1: Apr  7, 1996: dpancost at primenet.com (David Pancost)
*  2: Apr  7, 1996: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)

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From: dpancost at primenet.com (David Pancost)
Lines: 33

First of all a couple of comments, then my question.

On Severed Dreams:  It's already been said, but WOW!  My jaw is
bruised from hitting the floor so many times.  What a fantastic
episode.  IMHO, it's the best you've done so far.  How you are going
to keep going is beyond me, but somehow I think you'll manage. Great
work.

On B5 as a whole:  IMO, it's the best television on television.  I
have never, ever been so loyal to a series as I have to B5.  I've not
missed an episode (although I had to catch a repeat of Mind War
because of a cable flub that knocked out the last half when it was
originally broadcast).  Anyway, a bazillion kudos to you and everyone
that has anything to do with the series.  You all have much to be
proud of.

Question:  There is no question that B5 is unique in many ways.  I
think I remember you once referring to it as an experiment in
television.  I'm wondering if you have considered, or maybe you are
already, documenting the experiment.  By this I mean documenting the
philosophy behind the show, what makes it unique, what works, what
doesn't, etc.  This way others who might want to work toward improving
the quality of TV might have a set of ideas from which to build their
own path.  It is clear that you have a commitment to make quality
television, might such documentation be valuable to others who have
such a commitment also?  I think that TV would do nothing but benefit
from others who would risk experimenting along the lines you have
gone, and maybe such documentation might encourage them to try.  Am I
off base here?

Anyway,  congrats on one h*ll of a show.  

Dave

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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Lines: 32

"Question:  There is no question that B5 is unique in many ways.  I
think I remember you once referring to it as an experiment in
television.  I'm wondering if you have considered, or maybe you are
already, documenting the experiment.  By this I mean documenting the
philosophy behind the show, what makes it unique, what works, what
doesn't, etc.  This way others who might want to work toward improving
the quality of TV might have a set of ideas from which to build their
own path.  It is clear that you have a commitment to make quality
television, might such documentation be valuable to others who have
such a commitment also?"

Yes, it would.  And yes, I am creating such a document.

This is it.  This online interaction is that document.  And as of that
note, you're a part of it.

Between the Lurker's Guide and other archives, this is a *living document*
that chronicles every aspect of the show, good and not so good.  I've
already heard from professors and academicians who've archived the
material for use in classes on television production, students who're
doing term papers based on the material, even a few producers who've used
it as a resource in putting together shows using the Babylon Model, as
it's now being called, to do quality SF for television.

So to anyone looking on...keep up the great quality of the questions.  A
film student at UCLA in 2004 is reading this right now, and he needs the
information for his Master's Thesis.


 jms


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