ATTN JMS: Question and Thoughts regarding show continuity and

[B5JMS Poster]

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From: "Robert Theron Brockman II" <brockmro at io.com>
Date: 21 May 1998 09:46:21 -0600
Lines: 61

Some observations and a question (at the end)


MY THOUGHTS:

>From what I've observed, the main reason why B5 is an advancement over
previous SF shows (and most TV shows in general) is really very simple:

Stuff happens.
Things change.
People in dangerous situations die sometimes.

At the end of a B5 episode, usually there has been a meaningful change in
the situation of the characters and the station.  In later episodes, stuff
that happened earlier is important.  Even the "one-off" or filler episodes
have events that matter later.  Marcus died.  Lord Refa died.  Morden died.

ST:Voyager completely lacks this quality.  This is not a slam on Voyager in
particular -- its true of many, many other shows.

If just 5% of the time a main character stepped in front a phaser blast he
got vaporized, if just 20% of the new alien technology discovered was later
used by the crew, if just a fraction of the incredibly drastic situations
the crew got into they couldn't worm their way out of in the last 10 minutes
of an episode, Voyager would KICK ASS.  Its clear the makers of this show
went to a lot of trouble to think up neat things to threaten the crew with
and spent lots of money making the effects look cool and "realistic".  Its
also clear they spend a lot of creative energy ensuring nothing has happened
at the end of an episode.

Why is this?  One standard reason people mention is that ST is a "franchise"
whereas B5 is not and that this is the reason for the difference.  By
"franchise" I guess people mean that the show is a business designed to make
huge stacks of cash for the producers over long periods of time.  From what
I've gathered, you had to bludgeon, claw, and smash your way into a position
where you could finally get your story put on TV without some @$%^& idiot
messing with your scripts.  I suspect that your personal wealth is of
tertiary importance when it comes to making your show.

Something seems wrong with this reasoning.  If Mr. Berman and Co. want to
make stacks of cash for Paramount, they need a show that attracts the most
viewers.  Making the show more interesting and more exciting should help
attract viewers.  If the characters manage to escape every episode
unaffected, the notion that they are in any real danger starts to wear thin
and this damages the long term viability of the show.

This is why I'm not too concerned when people like P&SC worry about B5
becoming a "franchise."  Even if you woke up tomorrow and became the greedy
bureaucrat he thinks you are, if you were smart you would keep writing and
organizing Crusade in such a way where Things continue to Happen, Stuff
continues to Change, and People Die.  As long as the story remains
internally consistent, continuous, and interesting, the bulk of your
fanatical fans will continue to watch your show and any side stories you
wish to tell.


MY QUESTION FOR YOU:
Is there some sort of endemic problem with actors' contracts or long-term
script coordination which makes the unique quality of your show impractical
to implement in most other shows?  It would be truly sad if this was the
case.

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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 22 May 1998 10:01:02 -0600
Lines: 12

>Is there some sort of endemic problem with actors' contracts or long-term
>script coordination which makes the unique quality of your show impractical
>to implement in most other shows?  It would be truly sad if this was the
>case.

Nope, it's a philosophical thing, not a business thing.

 jms

(jmsatb5 at aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com
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