Warner's is playing the spoilt child. "it's mine and you can't have it even if it's not doing anything and I don't want it"
IIRC, the killer issue was that they were willing to omit her from episodes so she could do other projects, but couldn't officially state that, whereas the other producers would only hire her if it was officially guaranteed that she would be free. Impasse. But there is immense fog over the entire issue... and I say that as someone who was dealing with all the relevant people at Blackpool on the weekend the balloon went up.
Wow, that must have been something else. One point to add to the 'fog', though. Of the entire cast, Christian was the only one who failed to sign a one-month extension of the option pick-up and that was before any discussion of time off being needed. So she was unemployed already even though she was offered a contract. All of which is water under the bridge almost 2 decades ago. One gathers that relations between JMS and Christian are at least civil these days.
We didn't really know anything about it at the time; too busy trying to keep the con and the awards on the rails. In hindsight though it explains moments when Joe and Claudia were suddenly prickly.
They might be thinking it'll be worth something at some point in the future given all the remakes/reboots/reimaging/film adaptations of 70's/80's shows we have been getting recently. Give it another 5-10 years and it'll be the 90's stuff doing all that. And I was at that Blackpool con all those years ago. Where they had just about everyone who had recieved main title credit billing as well as most key guest stars.
Maybe. But they also seem to be leaving money on the table deliberately. Word (and mind, this isn't anything I've personally verified) is that during the #FreeBabylon5 campaign, some local stations asked about getting the show for reruns and were told that it wasn't available. It seems that one has to ask the division that made B5 for permission (as Go90 did) rather than the usual WB division-pure politics. Likewise, I've heard from two reputable sources that Big Finish asked about licensing the show to do audio dramas and they were also told that no license was available. So the question is, why would they seemingly want the show to fade from the public consciousness?
And speaking as a sci fi model builder, I'd sure love it if a model company like Moebius was able to get a license to produce new, quality, plastic model kits.
That is weird. I know the show isn't quite at the Star Wars or Star Trek level, but I would still think there would be enough fans out there that they could make some money off of it.
You’re assuming it was Warner Brothers decision. Maybe it was jms himself who didn’t want anyone else to play in his universe. He does have a thing about having full creative control. He also appears to have a significant say in what gets produced – and if he isn’t involved, it don’t happen. Part of the pie fight that broke out between jms and Jerry Doyle back in 2003 when Doyle claimed he was in talks about a new tv show, and Straczynski said he knew nothing about it. http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-4377 Back in 2009 – Replying to a fan question about a facebook rumour than new B5 was in the pipeline. This was a year after HE cancelled the Lost Tales by walking away from it and saying that he wanted to only do a big budget movie or nothing in the future. http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-3594 The thing which often gets forgotten in these kinds of discussions is that we (as fans) are in a play pen where you have a studio who makes no public comments, and you have an executive producer who has made tens of thousands of public comments over a 20+ year period. Not all of them relate to WB of course. But everything that we’ve been told about the situation is only coming from one side. As B5 fans one of the quotes which many like is “Understanding is a three edged sword: your side, their side, and the truth.” Maybe that should be at least considered some times when attributing blame or trying to figure out what 's going on.
Even if JMS does indeed have to be involved for somebody to do something new (and there's no reason to doubt, only to question how much involvement), there's no indication that he has to be consulted in order for WB to refuse point blank. JMS doesn't have any say at all whether WB licenses reruns which have reportedly been repeatedly declined. Most recent case in point: he found out about Pick TV in the UK picking up the show from a fan. Much earlier, he was also unaware of Mongoose licensing (and then having that license withdrawn) comic books. My source for that is Sprange himself. It was DC comics that put the kibosh on that project. As for the kerfuffel with Jerry Doyle...well, one shouldn't speak ill of the dead. Suffice to say that his behavior left much to be desired.
I wasn’t referring to reruns, but the lack of new content mentioned a few posts up – such as Big Finish asking if they could do audio dramas but were told no. That’s the exact sort of new material – according to his posts – which jms would have to be involved with, and which he would have to authorise or it doesn’t happen. The point I’m making is that most folks believe something like that decision only rests with Warner. But clearly – assuming that he’s not talking out his backside – jms HAS to also be involved in some way if a new product is proposed AND he has to give his authorisation or it ain’t happening. Remember, even though Warner wanted to do more, he was the one who walked away from the Lost Tales stating big budget movie or nothing in the future, as he was fed up with cheap arse games and ideas. So the Big Finish audio drama that you cited as being turned down hardly meets jms’s criteria for any new Babylon 5 project. So maybe, just maybe, it isn’t as simple as pointing at Warner Bros. and saying they’re the ones stopping new stuff from coming out over the last 10 years. I mean, his statements are pretty unambiguous – nothing new will be made “until and unless I authorize it” and “By contract, if it doesn't happen with me, it doesn't happen.”
Exactly - and where are they getting that from. You/we are only ever hearing one side for the last 20+ years - jms’s side. Warner has never released a comment or statement. I’m not saying jms is lying, but to get a more balanced and accurate view of things – or at least to discuss what’s going on in a more informed manner – you really do need to hear from the others involved rather than just focusing on some aspects of what one side is saying, and ignoring stuff like he can basically veto new material from being made. . . . . I mean, him being able to do that is at least worth mentioning in this kind of conversation.
I personally tried to get WB to make any kind of statement about allowing B5 in reruns about 25 times during the #FreeBabylon5 campaign. Their side of the story is that they refused to answer in any way, shape or form.
Which is their right. Just like it’s jms’s right to say, reveal or imply whatever he wants. I’m not saying Warner HAVE to make comments or give statements. But without them we’re all left with an incomplete picture. So speculation becomes the norm, and almost inevitably that will result in some degree of bias and/or inaccuracy in perceptions – especially if things like this are left out the discussion. I mean, does this sound like a studio who have abandoned their IP (emphasis added by me). 2006 San Diego Comic Con when jms announced the Last Tales He then goes on to talk about the idea behind the Lost Tales and Warner saying sure to his requests to have full creative control, no interference and for him to direct it. . . . . Another thing that most folks don’t know is that a figure of five million (10 years ago) was mentioned for the second disc when they asked him to do another. But right or wrong, he felt that wasn’t enough and that’s when he said big budget movie or nothing. From the 2008 San Diego comic con when he explained why he wouldn’t do any more. . . . . . and then jms tried, and failed to acquire the TV rights from Warner Bros. and nothing new in the B5 verse has been created since. Are we, the fans, seeing one side of a power struggle between him and Warner over Babylon 5. . . . I dunno. Are Warner stopping jms from making a movie by withholding the tv rights – and is jms stopping Warner from making new tv, online or audio material by witholding his authorisation. . . . . Again, I dunno, but it’s potentially an interesting question.
You keep conflating that JMS said he had to be involved with his having veto power over any new projects and there's no basis for that assumption at all. The only thing we know he had veto power over was the quality of merchandise. For all we know, under most circumstances his involvement would be to collect a check as creator.
What?! He’s made it perfectly clear himself in a number of posts over the years. I don’t understand why you can’t see that. I’m not quoting him again.