JMS on CompuServe (Jan 16, 1997) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
bbarrett at speedlink.com
bbarrett at speedlink.com
Thu Jan 16 19:10:52 EST 1997
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 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
REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED
PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR.
Note that JMS has expressed his public permission
that all of his messages may be reproduced freely.
I give permission for my summaries to be reposted in
any form, however I reserve all rights to them and
the right to revoke this permission at any time.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Archives of this material may be found at:
ftp://ftp.speedlink.com/pub/bbarrett/cis/
- or -
http://www.speedlink.com/bbarrett/b5/
**********************************************
###### Support Babylon 5! ######
## To get a fifth season of this ##
# ### wonderful epic, we need to # ###
. ## let local stations and Warner . ##
## ## Brothers know we want it! ## ##
##### www.babylon5.com/cmp/support #####
**********************************************
[ Subjects in this section: ]
Sb: #638136-From jms re: yr 4/5
Sb: #638107-From jms re: yr 4/5
Sb: #638108-From jms re: yr 4/5
Sb: #638133-#From jms re: yr 4/5
Sb: #638137-From jms re: yr 4/5
Sb: #638243-From jms re: yr 4/5
Sb: #638258-From jms re: yr 4/5
Sb: #638109-B5 TV ratings?
Sb: #638173-B5 TV ratings?
Sb: #638340-#From jms re: yr 4/5
#: 638136 S5/Babylon 5: General
15-Jan-97 14:24:34
Sb: #635677-#From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: CARL CANTARELLA
>>Two novels, DEMON NIGHT and OTHERSYDE, an anthology, TALES FROM THE TWILIGHT
ZONE, all out of print, and short stories in AMAZING SF, PULPHOUSE and
others.<<
Joe,
If they're out of print, then how might we get them? <g> After all, I'd
like to read one of your novels, and this "out of print" business stinks!! <bg>
:\
#: 638324 S5/Babylon 5: General
16-Jan-97 02:07:43
Sb: #638136-From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Some libraries and SF oriented bookstores still carry them.
jms
#: 638107 S5/Babylon 5: General
15-Jan-97 13:15:06
Sb: #638100-#From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: SCOTT BAKER
So I take it this is an industry standard set up?
So how would you, in the future, get a bigger piece of the pie you've created
(such as with Crusades)?
--Scott
#: 638325 S5/Babylon 5: General
16-Jan-97 02:07:45
Sb: #638107-From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yep, that's how they get you, and yes, I hope that the success of B5 will
allow for a slightly better deal on the new show, though again the definition
of net profits will almost certainly still be such that it adds up to
oh...about zip....
jms
#: 638108 S5/Babylon 5: General
15-Jan-97 13:15:09
Sb: #638100-#From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: SCOTT BAKER
One other question,
>> I do not personally own B5 in any way, not in copyright, licensing, any of
that. WB owns all rights. <<
So when you pitched it to them and they agreed to make the show, did you get
paid for the rights, or do they get the rights in exchange for making the show?
--Scott
#: 638326 S5/Babylon 5: General
16-Jan-97 02:07:48
Sb: #638108-From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
They get the rights for financing and distributing the show; we make the
show.
jms
[ Summary: Asks if the popularity of SF in the media today might be the
result of more and more people who grew up with good SF getting into
creative positions. Also, comments on how networks and studios see
viewers. ]
#: 638327 S5/Babylon 5: General
16-Jan-97 02:07:50
Sb: #638133-#From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yes, more writers and folks at the studio/network levels do know a little
from SF, but not as much as should be. I think that will continue to change
with time. Now that B5 has broken the strangle hold of "no other SF than Star
Trek has ever been profitable on TV," I think maybe it'll have a positive
effect.
RE: how the networks view viewers...lemme quote something to you a suit
at one of the networks said: "Our sense is that most of the viewers with money
or an education have cable, VCRs, laserdisks, and they watch those instead of
the networks. Our programming more and more will have to turn to those who
don't have any real education or money for other programming options."
jms
#: 638137 S5/Babylon 5: General
15-Jan-97 14:24:36
Sb: #From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: CARL CANTARELLA
>> I think the impact of the show will only continue to grow with time. In a
few years, we'll be discovered, as though suddenly we materialized on
TeeVee...but that's okay. It's the doing that matters.<<
Joe,
I think perhaps you underestimate the size of your audience. <g> Sure,
I know it's not easy being a syndicated sci fi show that doesn't have the name
"Star Trek" attached to its title, but I see attention paid to B5 in places no
syndicated show would ordinarily ever be mentioned. Take Stern for example
--the guy raves about your program, and did you see that silly Dilbert nonsense
in TV GUIDE this week? The caption to your show was amusing in its own way, but
the fact that the show got any focus at all like that is extraordinary! And all
of this says nothing about how popular the show is in the UK, or the noteworthy
awards you've been receiving for B5 on a seemingly regular basis since last
year. <g> The critical acclaim just keeps adding up. No doubt this will be an
influence once the program goes into its rerun stage from start to finish.
I don't doubt that B5 will grow once it goes into syndication in much
the same way TOS Trek did during the early 70's.
#: 638328 S5/Babylon 5: General
16-Jan-97 02:07:53
Sb: #638137-From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Our visibility is increasing, no mistake, but we still haven't hit
critical mass, and most viewers/reviewers are still largely unaware of us. But
that's okay, I went into this figuring this would be a long haul. Once the
show is done, it's done, and nothing will ever change that; the only thing that
will change is the size of the audience.
jms
[ Summary: "But you have some kind of influence when it comes to
merchandising arrangements, right?" ]
#: 638329 S5/Babylon 5: General
16-Jan-97 02:07:55
Sb: #638243-From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I have approval over what gets licensed, and the form it takes. I work
closely with all our licensees.
jms
#: 638258 S5/Babylon 5: General
15-Jan-97 20:07:22
Sb: #637538-#From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: RAY PELZER
A piece of the NET profit? Gadzooks, so you and James Garner will be spending
a lot of time together at the accountants' offices, eh?
#: 638330 S5/Babylon 5: General
16-Jan-97 02:07:57
Sb: #638258-From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Bingo.
jms
#: 638109 S5/Babylon 5: General
15-Jan-97 13:15:13
Sb: #637879-#B5 TV ratings?
Fm: SCOTT BAKER
For my two cents worth...
The only ratings I've ever found even slightly useful were the ones that
HBO/Showtime/etc. put up before their shows (Violence, Nudity, Adult Language,
etc.) and only then when I was a teenager to know what movies were going to
show some flesh <g>.
As a parent, I'd review a show first, then decide, and forget the anoying
little box in the corner. Personally, if my children want to watch B5 (they're
14 months old now so they're usually asleep when it on :-) ), I have no
problem, I have a bigger problem with some of the garbage on the news than
what's on other shows.
--Scott
ps. What kind of a show would get a TV-M?
#: 638331 S5/Babylon 5: General
16-Jan-97 02:07:59
Sb: #638109-B5 TV ratings?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Apparently, the TV 14 is not a permanent thing...whether this changed
after we complained, or it was always going to happen, I dunno...it'll change
from episode to episode. Funny thing is, NObody at WB knows who assigned it
that rating.
jms
[ Summary: Asks if the new ratings are episode by episode or for the whole
series. ]
#: 638332 S5/Babylon 5: General
16-Jan-97 02:08:02
Sb: #638173-B5 TV ratings?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Just replied on this...it's ep by ep.
jms
[ Summary: About the quote from a network executive, this poster says,
"That's the most self-destructive quote I've ever heard from a network
executive, and I've heard plenty." ]
#: 638570 S5/Babylon 5: General
16-Jan-97 14:06:27
Sb: #638340-#From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Exactly. And of course what they tell the advertisers is likely a very
different story. I just about fell down when I heard this one.
jms
[END]
-***
-*** B5JMS SUBSCRIBERS: Replies to messages in this list go to the list
-*** maintainer, <b5jms-owner at cs.columbia.edu>. If you want to reply
-*** elsewhere, adjust the "To" field. The best way to reach JMS is to post
-*** to rastb5m, which can be done by sending email to <rastb5 at solon.com>.
More information about the B5JMS
mailing list