JMS Appearance on "Hour 25" 5/31/96

[B5JMS Poster]

Forwarded message to B5JMS list.
Originally From: David Yamanishi <yamanish at ix.netcom.com>

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New news from JMS's visit to Hour 25 on KPFK (5/31/96) in Los Angeles:

 1. It doesn't save him any time to use external writers, given
    drafts and rewrites.   

 2. His response to the idea of watching the show religiously? 
    "Facing Mecca?" 

 3. Harlan is "just ducky." He's up and about, driving and 
    seeing movies and everything. "He can't be stopped. Many
    have tried."  

 4. Backstory on Harlan's B5 episode. Based on his Outer Limits
    episode, Trent could still be around in 2259, so he could
    appear on B5. 

 5. Backstory on B5. The show is about "choices, consequences
    and responsibility." Londo chose to go the easy way to get
    the eye back, and has moved from being a buffoon to being a 
    dark, menacing, "Greek tragic" character. G'Kar looked like
    the expected bad guy at first, but is now a heroic tragic
    figure, almost a "Gandhi-like religious figure." Sheridan
    is on the hero's journey, a la Gilgamesh. 

 6. The next major change. "Who is the character who hasn't
    really changed yet?" 

 7. Ivanova has had a quiet time this season. She'll be changing
    next year. She "always has and always will" have all the 
    best lines.

 8. The fourth act of Severed Dreams, with the combat, has the 
    longest music cue of any episode so far. Warners cuts out 
    quite a bit of the highs and lows in the sound mix of the
    episodes. The second soundtrack album will come out in 
    July.

 9. Warners has run the numbers and they're happy with the 
    chances of profit. It will take an "act of God" to stop
    renewal at this point.

10. He was so nervous during the initial presentation to PTEN
    that he cracked a tooth grinding his teeth. They didn't
    have any of the baseball caps, music scores, etc., that
    other shows bought. He just told the story, and got the
    contract after making the pilot.

11. The biggest problem with the pilot was that it was 
    overlong. Twelve minutes were cut by the director, 
    and JMS was so new to the process of editing that he
    didn't take out the slow bits or add the extra bits.
    It would be a very different episode if redone now.
    The music and CGI might be changed.

12. The future in WWE. Having done what the characters did
    in B5, that future is set. We now know the end of the
    story and we will now see how we get there. It really
    is the future that will happen.

13. JMS works on all of the artwork, even amusing the 
    costume designers by handing them his rather sloppy
    drawings. Even species' costumes, ships, etc. all are
    mean to be consistent.

14. Everyone eats together for lunch -- cast, crew, office
    staff, etc. People mix. This generates a very happy
    work environment. About 80% of the crew who worked on the
    pilot are still with the team.

15. JMS played the songs he wrote for the episode "Walkabout"
    (sketch versions, not the finished bits from the episode).
    "Walkabout" concerns Franklin falling for a singer in 
    Downbelow. She will be played by Erica Gimbel (sp?) from 
    "Fame". The songs played were preliminary versions used
    for approval. Lyrics and music by JMS (with help from 
    Chris Franke). The music is kind of country-rock. Gaps 
    indicate missed lines, sorry (my tape of the show is
    bad, so I can't fill in the blanks):

    (1)	Do you remember when you told me you loved me?
	Do you remember when you told me you cared?
	Now I'm standing on the edge of forever
	And for the first time I confess I'm scared.
	It's our last night and our last kiss, so
  	turn out the lights and hold me.
	And lie to me until I believe
	that promises mean what they say and tears aren't
	meant to deceive.
	I remember the first time you touched me.
	I remember the first time I cried.
	I remember every minute, every hour.
	And I remember the first time you lied.
	So throw out the pictures, clean out the room,
	turn out the lights, and leave me too.
	It's our last night and our last kiss,
	so turn out the lights and hold me,
	and lie to me until I believe 
	that promises mean what they say and tears aren't
	meant to deceive.
	I know, I hear you, I understand completely,
	it's over, I love you, good-bye...

    (2) I think about the things we lost,
	and I think about the things we had.
	It's funny for as I long as I had you
	then I guess it wasn't so bad.
	Now we're running out of time and
	dancing on the wire.
	The engine's showing empty, and I think
	I'm smelling fire.
	I gave you love, you gave me fire.
	I took you in, you took me higher.
	If I wasn't what you wanted, then
	tell me what it was.
	Lost yourself in yesterday, forget about
	tomorrow. 
	Now there's not another minute left 
	to beg, or steal, or borrow.
	All of me I gave to you,
	All that I believe.
	I'm standing here without a clue.
	Can't you tell me what it is you need?
	I gave you love, you gave me fire.
	I took you in, you took me higher.
	If I wasn't what you wanted, then
	tell me what it was.

16. The original, historical Babylon began as a place
    for commerce and diplomacy and culture. Then it
    became bad and corrupted. The show is popular in
    Iran and Iraq because both lay claim to Babylon.
    JMS has a recurring dream that Dan Rather will
    say on the evening news that Babylon 5 is Saddam
    Hussein's favorite show. 

17. He played the music for act four of Severed Dreams
    without any vocal or other interruptions to allow
    us to watch the show and appreciate just the music
    and images (too bad I wasn't set up to capture it
    digitally).

18. We'll see more of the future scene with Delenn and
    Sheridan following G'Kar and Londo fighting this
    season! JMS will say nothing more about it than
    that. (I actually got on the air to ask this one.)

19. The "last commander" bit in the first season
    prologue doesn't actually say Sinclair. That's 
    JMS's story and he's sticking to it.

20. We haven't seen the last bit of Lady Morella's
    prophecy yet.

Good program!

David
yamanish at ix.netcom.com

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