JMS: Why doesn't PTEN sell B5 to WB?

[B5JMS Poster]

Subject: JMS: Why doesn't PTEN sell B5 to WB?
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 No. | DATE        |  FROM
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s  1: Mar 10, 1997: dan.luther at dfrontiers.com
*  2: Mar 10, 1997: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)

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From: dan.luther at dfrontiers.com
Lines: 51

Joe, 

A few things have been bothering me about the whole PTEN/WB/TNT 
rigamarole, and you could straighten them out. 

>From what you've said about PTEN, they're kind of in limbo right now. 
They are wanting to close the books on that consortium, but can't as 
long as B5 is still around making money.

WB wants to do a fifth season, but the syndication market is 
shrinking. So even if there is enough public interest in B5, there 
wouldn't be much point to making the show if there aren't enough 
stations picking it up in favor of new shows from the other networks. 

My question is this: If PTEN is so anxious to close up for good, why 
not simply renegotiate the original contract and sell to WB, who can 
then consign the fifth season to TNT for production? 

It seems that something along these lines had to happen already for 
the two movies, and this is seems to be a five-way win: Season 5 
happens, markets that currently aren't getting B5 will, PTEN can die 
in peace, TNT gets an extra shot in the arm, and WB comes out 
smelling like a rose.

Eh?

Okay, one other thing...

At this point, you've already got at least half of season four pretty 
much in the can. Given that last year, word on renewal didn't come 
out until the season was already finished, have you set a point where 
you start finishing up the story because you can't afford to make the 
big bet on renewal? A better question would be: Have you been writing 
double scripts for both cointingencies?

Thanks for making the show. Regardless how it ends, you have 
certainly made your mark on the minds of several million people. And 
I am very impressed.

-- Dan Luther @Home
-- Technology Developer
--
-- WilTel Advanced Products
-- dan.luther at dfrontiers.com

-- "One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice president,
-- and that one word is 'to be prepared'."
--                 -- Vice President Dan Quayle, 12/6/89




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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Lines: 16

"My question is this: If PTEN is so anxious to close up for good, why not
simply renegotiate the original contract and sell to WB, who can then
consign the fifth season to TNT for production?"

The show cannot appear in first-run on cable; the PTEN agreement
specifically precludes this, it turns out.




 jms





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