Babylon 5 Script Books lottery - get in quick!
- Thread starter Candlelight
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^ Exactly. It has a cult following. A small but passionate group of hardcore fans. Then again BSG got a reboot after twenty something years lol.
Given the total lack of quality in all it's reboot attempts (Crusade, The Lost Tales, etc), I'd agree. Babylon 5's very nature, A specific story with a defined beginning, middle, and end, precludes any more story.
As much as I loved the original B5 show, it isn't Star Trek and shouldn't try to be.
I wonder, though. It is "a novel for television." It may not be a reboot or remake as we tend to think of them, but perhaps a new adaptation will come down the pike. Maybe for television, maybe for some other medium (video games?) but one that tells substantially the same story. Less Battlestar Galactica, and more True Grit.
I'm totally on the fence about the odds Babylon 5 will ever receive an attempted reboot. For one thing, it really isn't all that popular. It's just a cult show with a dedicated following. And JMS... I don't see him getting behind the idea.
OTOH, BSG was effectively around B5's popularity level and it got one.
OTOH, BSG was effectively around B5's popularity level and it got one.
@Professor Zoom...budget probably does have a great deal of influence which is why JMS has decided that only a theatrical medium is suitable for another attempt. He's stated as much, so I agree with you there.
^ Same here.
I disagree on Lost Tales. There seemed to be tremendous potential there technically, with a more polished special effects and a nicely upgraded musical score. While the stories may not have been up to par, I still felt there was potential there as well. Then again I was happy to have anything back, so maybe I'm more forgiving. Still I am happy to have them on DVD and enjoy watching them every so often. Not the best, but farm from "stinking" imho
I would have really loved to have seen the Londo and Garibaldi Lost Tales that JMS had planned.
There was a Garibaldi Lost Tale segment actually written but shelved due to budgetary constraints. While JMS had apparently talked to Peter Jurasik about possibly returning to the Londo character for future disks, there's no indication that any story was ever written. Darn the luck. I'd love to see Londo again somehow.
Jan
^Indeed. They were advertised as a pair of short little vignettes and that's exactly what they got. Anyone expecting "Sleeping in Light: Part 2" was clearly not paying attention.
They actually reminded me of the short stories JMS and others wrote for the B5 Mag back in the day. Nothing world changing, just brief little character pieces.
Of course if he had then it'd require treading in the chronological minefield that is the Legions of Fire trilogy! Seriously, I'm near the end of the second book and still have trouble keeping track of the dates.
JMS owns the movie rights to B5 so JMS could take an idea he had for a feature film to anybody. It would pretty much have to be one of the majors (as witnessed by the failure of the TMoS optioners to end up with a finished product) but for that one aspect, JMS doesn't need WB to greenlight it.
Lately, when asked about future B5 prospects, JMS consistently replies: "Ask me again after April."
Jan
^ Now it's AFTER April?
^ Now it's AFTER April?
Yeah...He's never been very accurate about when news might be announced, has he?
In other (completely off topic for the thread - sorry) news, he's announced that he's optioned and written a screenplay for Harlan Ellison's '"Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman". As of last night he says other (non-B5 or Ticktockman) big news should be coming out within a few days (there's that prediction thing again.) that he seems very jazzed about.
Jan
You know what I would love to have? Big Finish do Babylon 5.
For over a decade now, Big Finish has been releasing audio dramas on cd with the original cast of Doctor Who in new stories. They've brought back all of the surviving Doctors (except Tom Baker, who has dropped hints he may now be up for doing some stories) as well as one who had sadly already passed, along with companions and others, in new extremely well-written adventures, at least once per month.
With the success of the Doctor Who brand, they've done StarGate (SG1 and Atlantis), Highlander, Dark Shadows, and Robin Hood. They've taken great pains to bring back the original actors in stories that are exciting for them, and make them want to come back for more.
Peter and Claudia have both worked on these audios already, so they are familiar with the process.
Claudia also has done her own range of audio dramas with Pat Tallman.
These aren't like the Star Trek books-on-tape/cd, abridgments of existing novels, they're all new, and the writers take great pains to make sure they are consistent with existing continuity.
Wouldn't it be wonderful to hear new tales in the Babylon 5 universe with Londo, Kosh, Sheridan, and the others every month or so?
^ Now that is a wonderful idea. I'd be sold on that.
So would I. Indeed there's already plenty of material ready and waiting in the form of the canon novels. I'd love to hear Walter Koenig and/or Pat Tallman narrate the Psi Corps novels; to have Peter Jurasik and/or Stephen Furst narrating the Legions of Fire books; to have Peter Woodward and Michael Ansara (if he wasn't retired) doing The Passing of the Techno-mages; or even getting Michael O'Hare, Julia Nickson-Soul and Jason Carter to do To Dream in the City of Sorrows. I'd love it, but I can't see it happening.
The problem I think is the same as getting any new novels done, which is that JMS has ZERO influence in making such projects happen. Admittedly my knowledge of how these things work is very limited, but from what I gather it'd either be up to WB to commission such a project off their own backs (not very likely) or Big Finish to approach WB for a licence to do it. While the latter would probably be be more likely, they'd still require someone at BF to 1) Be aware of Babylon 5 2) Like it 3) Have reason to believe they'd make a profit on the endeavour and 4) Have a gap in their budget and schedule in which to do the thing.
The only thing fans can really influence in this matter is points 1 & 3 and only then by writing to the company to request it in sufficient numbers.
Also as one of those RPG companies discovered when they tried their hand at some B5 novels, "taking pains to adhere to canon" isn't as straight forward as it sounds. To be B5 canon it need JMS to says it's canon. For that, he needs ot be on board as a consultant in the very least and be willing to basically do as he says.
One thing I do wonder about though is what it'd take for the B5 books to be released on Kindle...
The problem I think is the same as getting any new novels done, which is that JMS has ZERO influence in making such projects happen. Admittedly my knowledge of how these things work is very limited, but from what I gather it'd either be up to WB to commission such a project off their own backs (not very likely) or Big Finish to approach WB for a licence to do it. While the latter would probably be be more likely, they'd still require someone at BF to 1) Be aware of Babylon 5 2) Like it 3) Have reason to believe they'd make a profit on the endeavour and 4) Have a gap in their budget and schedule in which to do the thing.
The only thing fans can really influence in this matter is points 1 & 3 and only then by writing to the company to request it in sufficient numbers.
Also as one of those RPG companies discovered when they tried their hand at some B5 novels, "taking pains to adhere to canon" isn't as straight forward as it sounds. To be B5 canon it need JMS to says it's canon. For that, he needs ot be on board as a consultant in the very least and be willing to basically do as he says.
One thing I do wonder about though is what it'd take for the B5 books to be released on Kindle...
With Big Finish, I have no doubt whatsoever that they'd do exactly that. They'd work with JMS every step of the way.
You know, I don't think JMS has any problem with others playing in the B5 universe, as long as he's there and consulted ... You know, working with him instead of against him.
A new Londo Mollari audio drama, outline by JMS, performed by Peter ...
Oh, sorry. I'll be in my bunk.
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