JMS on CompuServe (Oct 10, 1996) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*

[Brent Barrett]

 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WARNING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 The following posts may contain SPOILERS for
 upcoming Babylon 5 episodes.

 Continue at your own risk.

 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 S
  P
   O
    I
     L
      E
       R

         P
          R
           O
            T
             E
              C
               T
                I
                 O
                  N

 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL IS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE
 RESPECTIVE MESSAGE AUTHORS AND CANNOT BE 
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 Note that JMS has expressed his public permission 
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 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


 [ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
    Sb: #590248-Say it ain't so, Joe!
    Sb: #590355-<<Walkabout!>>
    Sb: jms in tampa/book out


 #: 590248 S5/Babylon 5: General
    09-Oct-96  18:02:20
Sb: #Say it ain't so, Joe!
Fm: BRENT BARRETT

Howdy, Joe;

You don't know me but from my words here on CIS, so let me tell you that I'm
not one that falls into the rumor trap.  Especially when it comes to B5.
You've been straight-up with us in the past, and I respect that.

So when I heard the latest crop of rumors, starting back before production even
began on the new season, that this would be the final season of Babylon 5, I
looked for your reaction.  At the time, you seemed to indicate (and I think you
even stated at the time) that this year would be just like any other with
regard to the chances of renewal.  I took that and closed the book on the
subject.

But three recent events have me terribly worried:

1. An east-coast representative responsible for distribution told a
   Philadelphia viewer who called concerned about finding a station
   in their area to air B5 that B5 would be seen in Philly for its
   "fourth and final year."

2. There have been reports (second or third hand, mind you) that both
   Andreas Katsulas and Richard Biggs have stated that you know this
   will be the last year of B5.

3. And most important.  I haven't seen you discredit or even comment
   on these latest bits of information.

Number three might be true because you either didn't read/hear them, or they're
flat-out unture and you're just tired of saying so.  But, as I said, I'm
worried.  And I don't think I'm alone.

You told us, back when we were all writing to our stations and worried about
renewal for season four, that you could cram the rest of the story into one
final season if WB could give you early enough warning.  When renewal came, a
few asked you if you had any idea if this would be the last year and the last
thing we read from you, if memory serves, was that you weren't sure yet but
that you were trying to find out.

I only ask you this now, because I want to know if our efforts later this year
to renew B5 will be wasted on deaf ears at WB.  I really want you to be able to
finish this story as *you* intended it to be told.  I don't want to watch
Babylon 5 ten or twenty years down the road and know that the final season was
supposed to be two -- wondering forever what we missed because you were forced
to cram two years of storytelling into one.

So I ask you, at this point, in this public place to please let us know what
you can let us know about the future of Babylon 5.  If this year is just like
all the others, then we'll accept that and drive our point home with letters
and e-mail as we did last year to help support the show.  But if you know that
these efforts will be wasted, or you know that a strong letter campaign now
might alter the fate of the most wonderful thing to ever grace an American
television screen, then I beg you to please, please let us know.

And, in closing, Joe, if I'm full of hot air on this, then just say the word.
Nothing would please me more than to hear that I'm all excited over nothing.
Trust me.

Thanks for everything,

  -- Brent


 #: 590391 S5/Babylon 5: General
    09-Oct-96  22:29:51
Sb: #590248-Say it ain't so, Joe!
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      Obviously there's a lot I can't say...obviously the fact that PTEN as a
functioning entity really no longer exists is a factor...obviously no show ever
gets more than one season's commitment at a time, unless you're a Spielberg or
the like...and there's a lot that I just can't say because of the position of
WB, and because, frankly, I just don't know anything for certain.

      All I can say is this:

      That at the time of renewal, a number of parties at WB assumed that this
would be our final year, in large measure because PTEN was vanishing, and you
simply don't continue to pay out money on an enterprise that no longer exists;
you cash out the assets, stop spending money, and start making profit.  I know
that many people there operated under that assumption.

      Then the later ratings started to come in...and people at WB began to
notice that our reruns were now doing what our first-runs used to do...and
gradually those same people began to say much the opposite.  I can say that, as
recently as last week, WB was asking about a fifth year, and what we would do.
As of 24 hours ago, we've been in considerable negotiations for 2 two hour
original movies for TNT set during the arc, and WB is looking at the
possibility of a sequel...which would, in theory, be set up in part during a
fifth year.

      So you've got some who say there won't be a fifth year, some who say
there might be a fifth year, and some who say there *will* be a fifth year.

      Through all this, I am constructing and honing the story to ensure that
it will get through to its conclusion.

      The assumption in all this is that anybody knows ANYdamnthing out here.
But as William Goldman noted, nobody knows *anything*.  That somehow I have
*THE ANSWER* to the question, and am simply declining to answer.  WB doesn't
know, and I don't know, and anybody who says they *do* know is either woefully
misinformed or deliberately lying.

      "Saying, I would know.  Do not know, so cannot say."  -- Zathras

                                                                    jms



 #: 590355 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
    09-Oct-96  21:18:17
Sb: #589427-#<<Walkabout!>>
Fm: ALAN KATZ

Thanks for the feedback.  Your right on all three counts.

As some of the other messages in this thread indicate, it is interesting that
Lyta needed line of sight but the Minbari telepaths apparently didn't.  And
from your response, the Minbari apparently have the ability to be quite
powerful (stopping the Shadows ships being no mean feat) from quite a distance.
Interesting possibilities there.

Alan


 #: 590393 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
    09-Oct-96  22:29:54
Sb: #590355-<<Walkabout!>>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      Actuallyk, we never showed what the Minbari telepaths were looking at;
for all you could tell, there could've been viewers or other ports above their
beds.

                                                                    jms


 #: 590404 S5/Babylon 5: General
    09-Oct-96  22:56:28
Sb: jms in tampa/book out
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      A couple of quick notices:

      1) I'll be in Tampa, Florida this weekend for Necronomicon, held at the
Chamberly Plaza Hotel and thereabouts.  I'll be bringing bloopers, clips from
upcoming shows, and other Cool Stuph.

      2) My "Complete Book of Scriptwriting" is now hitting the bookstores, in
a totally rewritten/updated and expanded version.  It's $21.99 from Writer's
Digest Books.  Some interesting B5 stuff there....

                                                                    jms



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