The Deconstruction of Falling Stars. ( *Spoilers* )

[B5JMS Poster]

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From: Dan <dannye at erols.com>
Date: 26 Nov 1997 00:41:59 -0500
Lines: 96

Spoilers for The Deconstruction of Falling Stars.

























I totallJ.M.Egolf wrote:
> 
> In article <650d60$mhh$1 at news2.cais.com>,
> Pietrasanta, Mark V. <mark at pietrasanta.com> wrote:
> >
> >Yes.  And he's turning B5 into a franchise, whether he admits it or not.
> 
> Could you please define what you mean by "franchise"? and "selling out"?
> 
> It's a little tough to have a "franchise"  with only one program (or
> store, or whatever). You could at least wait until we have a "go" on
> "Crusade" before you accuse JMS of having created a "franchise, don't you
> think? or does his taking the opportunity TNT offered him, of telling a
> couple of the B5 stories that didn't fit into the 5-year arc, by creating
> made-for-TV movies, constitute a "franchise" in your book?
> 
> And what do you mean by "selling out"? If you are implying that JMS has
> changed his story line under pressure from an *outside* source, (not to
> accomdate actors leaving, etc.) what proof do you have? What *evidence* of
> any kind do you have, other than your own dissatisfaction with the
> resolution of the Shadow war? If that's your problem, go back and read the
> archives. JMS said some time ago that B5 was a story about "killing your
> parents" (i.e., the Shadows and the Vorlons).  If you have a problem with
> that storyline, fine, say so, but don't accuse JMS of having changed where
> the story was going -- 'cause it just ain't so.
> 
> >I can't really blame him.  Here's someone who has worked in this apparently
> >nasty industry for most of his life, and he finally gets his art out there.
> >About half way through, he is handed a big pile of gold, and told there is a
> >lot more where that came from if he just sells out, a little.  Then they
> >give him more gold for just a little more sell out.  And so on.  So each
> >step seems okay, but we're now at a point where he seems to have sold out a
> >little too much (at least for my tastes).
> 
> Again, go back and read the archives. JMS is very aware of this phenomenon
> -- he quotes from (IIRC) a TZ episode quite early on -- I think it was
> called "The Velvet Alley" -- saying that "they pay you a little money, and
> then a little more, and a little more, until you get used to living a
> certain way, and you *need* that much money. Then they have you."
> 
> Again, I ask you, what has he done that makes you say he's "sold out"?
> If it's not the story line -- maybe the merchandising? maybe the handful
> (comparitively speaking) of B5-related items made available only in the
> last 12-18 months? What would you have JMS do? ignore *all* the requests
> for merchandise related to his creation? requests from the *fans* -- from
> the people who gave him the grassroots support to get his story told?
> 
> JMS has had money,, and he's not had money. He's said over and over that
> he's not in this for the money, and I still believe him.
> 
> --
>     J.M. ("Jamie") Egolf                          jegolf at mcs.com

I'm not sure what you mean by selling out.  Please give specific 
examples.  I think that there have been several threads regarding the  
fast pace of the last several episodes of the 4th season. i.e the 
reconciliation of Sheridan and Garibaldi, J'kar and Londo, etc, but this 
is a television show after all and things need to get wrapped up.  I 
think we forget that 80% of the story has now been told and loose ends 
need to be closed down.

I believe that from a purely sci-fi point of view Deconstruction was one 
of the top five episodes yet.  The image of the Vorlon like suit at the 
end was utterly erie and startling, and the show is definitely entering 
the 5th season on a grand note.

Getting back to the topic at hand, I don't think that a little success 
for B5 should cause you to think that JMS is selling out.  Does a show 
have to be on the brink of cancelation for people to think that he is not 
selling out ????

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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 27 Nov 1997 00:14:55 -0700
Lines: 17

Re: the whole money thing...if I'd been in this for the money, I would've
stayed where I was on Murder, She Wrote.  I took a substantial pay cut to come
do B5, even though the position here was higher than my position on M,SW.

The script fees for syndication are a little over half what they are for a
network show; the residuals are more in network; the producing fees are double
what I'm getting in network...there ain't no pile of gold in syndication, boys
and girls.  If I was in this for the money, I'd go back to nework TV.

Thing is, I can't tell these kinds of stories in network TV.  So I'm here. 

Nobody's put a pile of gold in front of me yet.  Not that I'm opposed to the
idea, it'd be nice if someone did it, I'd certainly be inclined to be
grateful...but it just hasn't happened.


 jms
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