#FreeBabylon5 Campaign

[Triple-F]

Asking people on a forum called the (Star) Trek Bulletin Board System to vote for Babylon 5, when a variety of trek shows are on the *same* list is . . . . . . . . . . . interesting, I guess. Might explain why B5 has lost some of the ground it made up recently.

 

[Jan]

Asking people on a forum called the (Star) Trek Bulletin Board System to vote for Babylon 5, when a variety of trek shows are on the *same* list is . . . . . . . . . . . interesting, I guess. Might explain why B5 has lost some of the ground it made up recently.

Yeah, because I'm *sure* that bunches of them are avidly reading the #FreeBabylon5 thread, right? </sarcasm>

Did you have anything of substance to contribute to the discussion? A letter you've written that you'd like to share? Contact info for a TV station you think might be a good candidate?

On a different note, is anybody here going to be at the Space City Con? Do you have a video camera (or is Santa bringing you one)? I'm looking for a volunteer to film the Free Babylon 5 panel and perhaps film fans a little bet at the table. You can PM me here. Thanks!

Jan

 

[Triple-F]

Substance? Nothing more than I already did to help get the campaign noticed by some fans. Though, and it’s just an observation. On this board there are plenty of sci-fi fans who like various things, and don’t buy into ancient rivalries or dipshit like that. So while there are plenty of people who enjoyed B5 kicking around, I’m willing to make a seriously large bet that there’s a LOT more who enjoyed one Star Trek or another kicking around as well.

So while letting folks know about the #freebabylon5 campaign makes perfect sense on forums like here, and ideally as many others as you can find. Asking to vote for B5 when it’s also up against every trek show is probably counter productive, as far as that poll goes, and trying to get the show up the list. Just an opinion.

 

[Reverend]

As I said, you can vote for multiple shows on that list and rank them in your own order of preference, so it doesn't really matter if people also vote for Trek, or Firefly, Futurama, Doctor Who etc. etc. The point is keeping B5 visible.

As for posting about it here...you do realise that in order to spread awareness effectively you can't be too picky about where said awareness gets spread, yes? It's not like TrekBBS is some den of B5 hating nutjobs out to sabotage the campaign.

Also, this is the Entertainment & Interests > Science Fiction & Fantasy board. People who are *only* interesting in Star Trek have a dozen other boards to visit and mostly likely don't even read these threads.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I think the way it works is that you thumbs up the ones you like and thumbs down those you don't then make your own list in order of preference. In fact, now that I look again, it says more people have B5 at the top of their lists than any other show.

Okay, thanks for pointing that out. I voted-- up for a few things, down for a few things, and left most alone. I noticed that Briscoe County was on there twice.

 

[DimesDan]

Asking people on a forum called the (Star) Trek Bulletin Board System to vote for Babylon 5, when a variety of trek shows are on the *same* list is . . . . . . . . . . . interesting, I guess. Might explain why B5 has lost some of the ground it made up recently.

Yeah, because I'm *sure* that bunches of them are avidly reading the #FreeBabylon5 thread, right? </sarcasm>

Did you have anything of substance to contribute to the discussion? A letter you've written that you'd like to share? Contact info for a TV station you think might be a good candidate?

On a different note, is anybody here going to be at the Space City Con? Do you have a video camera (or is Santa bringing you one)? I'm looking for a volunteer to film the Free Babylon 5 panel and perhaps film fans a little bet at the table. You can PM me here. Thanks!

Jan

You know, I'm sure posts like this and a few others in the thread are really helping the cause.

 

[Jan]

You're right, Dimesdan, and I apologize. Sometimes it seems like too many people enjoy posting criticism more than helpful encouragement. And Triple-F's comment that posting about the poll here on TrekBBS hurt the Babylon 5 results rather then helped them rubbed me the wrong way.

Still hoping to hear from folks who might be attending the Space City Con in a (yikes!) week and a half.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it!

Jan

 

[Reverend]

^I'm pretty sure everything Triple-F posts rubs you the wrong way.

But then it's always been easier to criticise than to take a risk and actually do something constructive. A critic after all, risks nothing and gains even less.

Oh and Merry Pagan Winter Solstice Feast to all!

 

[Neroon]

You're right, Dimesdan, and I apologize. Sometimes it seems like too many people enjoy posting criticism more than helpful encouragement. And Triple-F's comment that posting about the poll here on TrekBBS hurt the Babylon 5 results rather then helped them rubbed me the wrong way.

Still hoping to hear from folks who might be attending the Space City Con in a (yikes!) week and a half.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it!

Jan

Good on both of you for smoothing things out. Now off I go to celebrate the day with a Rebo & Zooty marathon ...

 

[DimesDan]

You're right, Dimesdan, and I apologize. Sometimes it seems like too many people enjoy posting criticism more than helpful encouragement. And Triple-F's comment that posting about the poll here on TrekBBS hurt the Babylon 5 results rather then helped them rubbed me the wrong way.

Still hoping to hear from folks who might be attending the Space City Con in a (yikes!) week and a half.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it!

Jan

He has a point though. It's a Trek board, it's highly likely that most if not all but only a few people who post here would vote for a Trek series in a poll like the one you asked people to vote for Babylon Five.

I like Babylon Five, it's good yes, it has some very good episodes, especially the Messages from Earth, Point of No Return and Severed Dream three-parter, but I come onto a Trek board, not a B5 board and the four spin off Trek incarnations beat out Babylon Five for my affections.

 

[Jan]

^I'm pretty sure everything Triple-F posts rubs you the wrong way.

We've actually had some pretty decent conversations from time to time. It would be easier for me if it were everything.

I figured that those who don't care for B5 at all would skip a thread so obviously dedicated to it. But really 'hurt' it in the poll? I doubt it. I never expected B5 to end up as #1. The point is to keep B5 in the public mind. The only one on that list I'd really like off the first spot is Firefly - not that I don't love it, I do. I just don't think it was around long enough to prove long-term worth.

Jan

 

[Reverend]

Firefly is an odd case in that it was clearly a ground breaking show right from the off and was never afforded the opportunity to be crap. It never got to jump the shark in season 3 when they killed off Simon, and River started communicating only in iambic pentameter Chinese pop-culture references.

Just like in horror where there's nothing you can show or describe that is more horrific or terrifying than what a viewer/reader concocts in their own brain, likewise there's nothing more awesome or deeply lamented in the mind of a fan as a show that never was.

So yeah, I wouldn't expect that to shift any time soon.

 

[shivkala]

I just don't get the mentality of people. I liked Firefly, but to me, it was never this shining beacon (see what I did there?) of sci-fi that is superior to other shows. But, even then, when "save Firefly" type posts appear, I don't pop into them to state my opinion as to why I don't think anyone should be expending energy to save it.

I wonder, too, how many people here actually come to these boards to discuss Star Trek and maybe one or two other things. Personally, the only time I really venture into the Star Trek specific boards is when I'm doing the caption contests or when a thread on the front page looks interesting.

Yes, Trek is in the name of the board, but that doesn't necessarily mean those who come into a thread like this one and see the link will automatically vote for a Trek series over Babylon 5. I don't remember seeing in the sign-up for this board that I had to love Trek over everything else.

 

[RJDiogenes]

It shouldn't be a competition. I love a lot of different things equally. Variety is the spice of life.

 

[shivkala]

I don't view it as a competition, I view it as a way to support a show I like, where the creator has called for fans to help spread the word about it.

And it drives me nuts when people pop into threads just to say they don't like what's being discussed or like it but other things are better.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I know. I was agreeing with you.

 

[shivkala]

Ah, gotcha. I guess I sometimes get very passionate about Babylon 5.

 

[Jan]

Ah, gotcha. I guess I sometimes get very passionate about Babylon 5.

Hey, I resemble that remark!


Jan

 

[RJDiogenes]

Same here. When B5 was on the air, I used to tape it for my brother and badger him into watching them. Luckily, after a while, I didn't have to badger.

 

[Jan]

Let's do a BIG letter writing push this coming week! A bunch of the folks at the Space City Con last weekend wrote letters while there and I'm mailing them off. Now it's your turn. Targets are the CEO of WB Entertainment and the Chairman of NBC Universal:

Kevin Tsujihara, CEO
Warner Bros. Entertainment
4000 Warner Blvd
Burbank, CA 91505

Bonnie Hammer, Chairman
NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Group
14th Floor
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608

Please post here when you've written and mailed your letter!

Jan