JMS on CompuServe (Jan 31, 1997) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*

[bbarrett at speedlink.com]

 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 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  #####    
 **********************************************


 [ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
    Sb: #643107-Harlan on 'PI'
    Sb: #643132-Season 5 Cancelled?
    Sb: #643141-Heroes
    Sb: #643142-#NATPE & Rumors
    Sb: #643182-JMS' scriptwriting book
    Sb: #643405-Writing
    Sb: #643393-#Catherine Sakai
    Sb: #643417-><The Long Night>>


 [ Summary: Thinks that Bill Maher did understand the McCarthy 
   blacklisting. ]

 #: 643249 S5/Babylon 5: General
    30-Jan-97  12:31:55
Sb: #643107-Harlan on 'PI'
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

       He didn't know what the blacklisting was...if he did, he'd know that 90%
of those called before HUAC had *nothing* to do with the "Evil Empire" of
communism, and have been shown to have been innocent.  If anything, the
hearings gave aid and comfort to the other side.

                                                                       jms



 #: 643132 S5/Babylon 5: General
    30-Jan-97  06:36:05
Sb: #Season 5 Cancelled?
Fm: ALAN MULVIE

Joe,

Regarding all the rumours re season 5.

>       If I had anything to say on this, I would've said it.  All I know is
that this exact thing has happened before >in previous seasons.

I'm sure you would keep us well informned, but on a metter of
copyright/ownership if the worst came to the worst and Warner Bros pulled the
plug on Season 5, would you be able to take it to another station/production
company?

I don't know how this all works, but for instance could Paramount or Fox legaly
allow you to finish the five year arc?

Mlv


 #: 643250 S5/Babylon 5: General
    30-Jan-97  12:31:56
Sb: #643132-Season 5 Cancelled?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

       No, the show can't leave WB for any reason.  It's this or nothing.

                                                                       jms


 [ Summary: Worries about Sheridan as the hero, as most heroes are tested
   by hubris when they've become confident in their abilities. Asks JMS for
   his comments. ]

 #: 643251 S5/Babylon 5: General
    30-Jan-97  12:31:57
Sb: #643141-Heroes
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

       No, I think you nailed it pretty well, anything I could add would just
be lagniappe.

                                                                       jms



 #: 643142 S5/Babylon 5: General
    30-Jan-97  06:48:28
Sb: #643073-#NATPE & Rumors
Fm: ANNE L. WARNER

Joe,

 >>  I understand...thing is, people carried back the same reports from the
same NATPE convention *last* year...so where does one start?   <<

Well, that leaves me with the same question.  Is this enemy action, or a
devious friend?  I don't know what you can do at this late date, though.  You
might want to arm yourself against similar treatment of Crusade, though...

Anne


 #: 643252 S5/Babylon 5: General
    30-Jan-97  12:31:58
Sb: #643142-#NATPE & Rumors
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

       Neither...I think it's just people talking to talk, to show they may
have some inside information, whether such exists or not....

                                                                       jms



 #: 643182 S5/Babylon 5: General
    30-Jan-97  08:34:30
Sb: #642186-#JMS' scriptwriting book
Fm: JOHN YUEN

Joe:

  >>>>       Ah hates cute....

  After rewatching the last seven episode with a friend from Hong Kong that was
visiting here last weekend, I would say that the little girl that was playing
with Franklin in the beginning of "The Summoning" could fall into the "Cute"
Category, and you let her live.:-)

Regards


 #: 643253 S5/Babylon 5: General
    30-Jan-97  12:32:00
Sb: #643182-JMS' scriptwriting book
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

       Yeah, well, when they're that small and young, they move fast, I
couldn't get a bead on her.

                                                                       jms



 #: 643405 S5/Babylon 5: General
    30-Jan-97  18:41:42
Sb: #Writing
Fm: JEAN S MCKNIGHT

Can you recommend any books on writing?


 #: 643489 S5/Babylon 5: General
    30-Jan-97  22:42:05
Sb: #643405-Writing
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      I don't keep up with the general writing books, I'm afraid.

                                                                    jms



 #: 643393 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
    30-Jan-97  18:03:29
Sb: #643100-#Catherine Sakai
Fm: JONATHAN KASS

Message text written by J. Michael Straczynski
>The fate of Catherine Sakai will be revealed in a coming B5 novel from Dell.

                                                                    jms<

And I was gonna say that I thought the old answer was "they went their separate
ways when Sinclair was reassigned to Minbar"... I like your (new) answer
better!

While I've got you, whats your opinion on the novels to date... I haven't read
any yet (haven't been reading alot lately period), but this story sounds
intriguing... any that are out that you might recommend especially?

Looking forward to TLN tonite!

Jonathan


 #: 643490 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
    30-Jan-97  22:42:07
Sb: #643393-#Catherine Sakai
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      Basically, my opinion on the novels is that they've been wildly uneven.
Some were pretty good, some just fell down, for me.  A large part of the
problem was that we went through the notion of taking proposals for books, and
9 times out of 10 the writer wanted to tell the story about his guest
characters, and the main characters took a back seat.  I protested and yelled,
and finally decided that the only way out was to pull novels out of my notes,
and out of the series itself.

      So novel 1 of the next batch is about Anna, Morden and the Icarus; in my
view it's the best of the line published so far, I worked very hard with the
author to keep it in line with the series; the second novel is set on Centauri
Prime, from a short premise from me, during the time when G'Kar is kept
prisoner in Cartagia's cells, and again our characters are in the center,
though I think it isn't as strong as the first one in this batch of three; the
third novel, which I haven't yet read in manuscript form, again from an
assigned premise, follows Sinclair and Sakai to Minbar and the creation of the
Rangers.

      With any luck, this batch will be very strong.

                                                                    jms



 #: 643417 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
    30-Jan-97  19:05:29
Sb: #><The Long Night>>
Fm: DEONAHA M. CONLIN

Hi Joe!

        Just saw The Long Night.  D at mn.  Wow.


SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
        (pass this line at your own risk, readers)
1
2
3
4
5

        I had decided not to be surprised at anything you pulled out of your
hat.  Blown away, startled, shocked, but not surprised.  Because ANYTHING can
happen, and nothing is ever as it seems.

        But when you chose Cartagia's assassin..............jumpin' jeez h.
And I really should have seen it coming.  And I managed to get most of the soda
out of the carpet.....
The can just fell out of my hand, my mouth fell open.  I was watching while on
the phone with a friend who was watching.  "Di.....?'  "Uh-huh."  "Wow."
"uh-huh".  Meanwhile, diet Dr. Pepper is soaking into the rug.  Joe, that
was....unexpected.  Had I been on a normal phone, it would have gone the way of
my soda......

        As usual, this was worth the wait.  And if the previews are any
indicator - I may want to leave sodas and such in the kitchen next week.

        Thanks so much.  I am STILL having too much fun.

Di Conlin, Minister of Paranoid Development &
Personality Reconstruction, RMES
Wielder of the Lesser Salmon of Discipline


 #: 643491 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
    30-Jan-97  22:42:10
Sb: #643417-><The Long Night>>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      Thanks...I'm quite happy with this episode.  It's fun.

                                                                    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>.