JMS on CompuServe (Aug 22, 1997) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*

[bbarrett at speedlink.com]

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 [ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
    Sb: #694539-UT vs. Shadow Within
    Sb: #694548-#B5 sims
    Sb: #694617-#B5 sims
    Sb: #694674-#TLN - Minbari phrase
    Sb: #694838-The Big Picture
    Sb: #694768-The Gathering done?
    Sb: #694842-#Angela
    Sb: #694859-'Science Fiction Age'Mag


 #: 694539 S5/Babylon 5: General
    20-Aug-97  13:20:45
Sb: #UT vs. Shadow Within
Fm: JONATHAN KASS

sir,

just received the latest Universe Today - looks great!

Raised a curiousity question on my part - the UT sidebar profile of Captain
John Sheridan indicates that he performed that little "mining maneuver" during
the Earth Minbari war as Captain of the Agammemnon.  This sort of agrees with
my recollection of the way its discussed in the series.  However, in Shadow
Within, it seems like he just got command prior to the B5 dedication, and
specifically that crew is not the crew he served with during the war.

Could you shed some light on which way this really works?  Thanks

Jonathan


 #: 694560 S5/Babylon 5: General
    20-Aug-97  15:40:27
Sb: #694539-UT vs. Shadow Within
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

       Nuts...I missed that when I went over the text.  I guess I got so used
to seeing him in relation to the Aggy that I just went past it.  No, the mining
incident took place when he was first officer on the Lexington, under Captain
Sterns.

                                                                       jms



 #: 694548 S5/Babylon 5: General
    20-Aug-97  14:00:21
Sb: #B5 sims
Fm: JOEL  ARAUJO

Do you have any opposition if I started a B5 sim or do you not allow it

I guess what I'm really asking for is your blessing to start one

Thanks for Replying,

Joel Araujo


 #: 694561 S5/Babylon 5: General
    20-Aug-97  15:40:32
Sb: #694548-#B5 sims
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

       No, it's WB's position that sims constitute copyright infringement.

                                                                       jms



 #: 694617 S5/Babylon 5: General
    20-Aug-97  19:51:45
Sb: #694561-#B5 sims
Fm: JOEL  ARAUJO

      <<No, it's WB's position that sims constitute copyright infringment>>

I suppose that the copyright rules don't change when the show goes to TNT

Joel Araujo


 #: 694749 S5/Babylon 5: General
    21-Aug-97  11:39:29
Sb: #694617-#B5 sims
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

       Since the copyright rules are made by Congress, no, I'd imagine not.

       "Whenever a copyright law is to be made or changed, the idiots
assemble."

       "One thing is impossible for god: to make sense of any copyright rule in
any country in the world"

                                       (both from Mark Twain)

                                                                       jms



 #: 694674 S5/Babylon 5: General
    21-Aug-97  02:06:03
Sb: #TLN - Minbari phrase
Fm: NEVILLE WHITE

Having just watched The Long Night in the UK - I hate to sound
gushing but you have excelled yourself with these opening episodes
to year 4 - I thought the end to year 3 was tense, but never
expected it to be a mere appetiser for this stuff!

I really like the reference back to that poem by Tennison that
Sinclair quoted way back when... it was nice to have a link back
to the Sinclair character in that way.

In fact, a lot of this episode seemed to be reminding us of the
roots of characters - Ivanova reminiscing (sp?) about her mother,
Londo speaking about when he first met Vir, the Narn in the palace
expressing the thoughts of the 'old' G'Kar in his determination to
destroy all the Centauri. I hope that this isn't another
"Chekov's Gun"!

Interesting too in G'Kar saying that Londo's heart was empty, while
Londo said that Vir's heart was full.

Could you tell me what the minbari phrase was that Ericsson used at the
end of the conversation, and again just before he died? (I'm used to
seeing subtitles for minbari now, and I wondered if there was any
particular significance in the somewhat shocked expression on Delenns
face when she heard it. Was it the equivalent of Neroons shock when
hearing Marcus invoke Valens name, or is it something different?)

Regards,
Neville White
UK


 #: 694750 S5/Babylon 5: General
    21-Aug-97  11:39:30
Sb: #694674-#TLN - Minbari phrase
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

       The Minbari phrase was the standard way for Rangers to end a
conversation, with a salute to the Entil-zha, the head of the Rangers, which is
Delenn in this case.

       And thanks....

                                                                       jms



 #: 694838 S5/Babylon 5: General
    21-Aug-97  19:31:01
Sb: #692301-#The Big Picture
Fm: RICK COREY /NY

RE: Marcus and Susan

>>       There will be closure provided to that relationship. <<


THAT has a grim and foreboding sound to it!

Following B5, I've felt as if I were in a very swiftly-running river that keeps
pulling me over rocks and waterfalls, never letting me catch a breath or get my
feet under me, but not quite killing me.  It's been hard for me to speculate
beyond "Oh, wow!" since third season.

I expect that new fans who are introduced to the show by 522 sequential
episodes - daily - are going to be in dire need of industrial strength
tranquilizers.

Minister of the Cathode Ray


 #: 694867 S5/Babylon 5: General
    21-Aug-97  22:58:37
Sb: #694838-The Big Picture
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

"I expect that new fans who are introduced to the show by 522 sequential
episodes - daily - are going to be in dire need of industrial strength
tranquilizers."

      Cool....

                                    jm(getting kickbacks from the AMA)s


 [ Summary: "I assume the re-editing and re-scoring is complete and
   you have delivered it to TNT?" ]

 #: 694868 S5/Babylon 5: General
    21-Aug-97  22:58:39
Sb: #694768-The Gathering done?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      No, TNT still hasn't commissioned the re-edit and re-mix of the pilot.

                                                                    jms



 #: 694842 S5/Babylon 5: General
    21-Aug-97  20:11:45
Sb: #Angela
Fm: ROSEANN M. CAPUTO

Hey Joe,

This is a question that I never got around to asking at Icon.  What was it like
working with Angela Landsbury?  I like MSR and her  as well.  I had heard that
the show improved when she took over producing.  Had you heard that too?  Would
you work with her again?  Any chance she could do B5 or Crusade?

Thanks,

Roseann


 #: 694869 S5/Babylon 5: General
    21-Aug-97  22:58:42
Sb: #694842-#Angela
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      The improvements were instituted when David Moessinger was brought on as
Executive Producer.  He did a year of the show and then left when Angela was
named exec.  The improvements were already in place by then.

      Re: Angela...I have to say I enjoyed working with her.  She struck me as
a woman of tremendous integrity and honesty, not to mention skill.  As an
example...when she took over as exec, there was one episode being directed by
her son, who had been doing them here and there for about a year.  As I watched
the dailies, I found he had gotten the episode *completely* wrong and was, in
my view, undercutting the whole episode.

      I went out, very upset and angry, and confronted him in front of the
whole crew.  Suffice to say it's bad form (I was angry, it was stupid, I make
no excuses) to do after a director in front of his crew in *any* event, even if
you are a writer/producer but to go after the *son* of the *star and executive
producer*?

      I got back to the offices and everybody was just dead-white...they said,
"You're going to be fired the second she hears about this."  About an hour or
two later, the phone rang, and she wanted to see me.  I went to her office, and
she asked, "What happened, and why did you do what you did?"

      I explained the situation, why I was upset, and explained how the episode
was being killed in the directing because he didn't understand a large part of
it.  She considered it for a moment...and finally nodded.  "You did the right
thing," she said, and that was the end of it.

      That took a lot of guts and integrity on her part.  She knew me well
enough to know that I leave my ego at the door, and all that concerns me is
doing what's best for the show, and the story.  Sometimes, on some shows, that
ain't enough.  With her, it was.  'nuff said.

                                                                    jms



 #: 694859 S5/Babylon 5: General
    21-Aug-97  21:55:53
Sb: #'Science Fiction Age'Mag
Fm: CARL CANTARELLA

Joe,

        "Science Fiction Age" Magazine published a beautifully written
editorial by Scott Edelman in its September issue that is a true tribute to
both your show and you as a writer.  You've probably read it yourself by now
and already know that "Babylon 5" made their cover, and the main article
featured inside was wonderful. I really enjoyed it, but I must say that I
enjoyed Edelman's 1 page editorial a whole lot more because it described
precisely how I also feel about the show. Edelman refers to it as 'the wonder
of youth' --that awe we're able to experience at a tender young age because it
stirs that aspect of our imaginations which is so hard to reach in adulthood,
once we've grown accustomed to knowing what the genre is all about and have
experienced a great deal of what it has to offer us. B5 is able to reach that
part of our psyche --he's right, and it's why the show has enabled me to feel
like the 12 year old Trekkie I used to be two decades ago. I find that amazing,
and it's precisely why Edelman's article grabbed me and why I was able to
identify with it so much.
        I hope Season 5 shooting has started off smoothly now that you guys are
at it from what I understand.  ;)


 #: 694870 S5/Babylon 5: General
    21-Aug-97  22:58:46
Sb: #694859-'Science Fiction Age'Mag
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      It was a very flattering editorial, and they are very kind over at SFA.
As are your comments.

      Re: shooting...yes, it started on Monday the 18th and is proceeding
apace.

                                                                    jms



[END]

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