JMS's supposed coming announcement at Comic-con 2012

[Lighthammer]

Comic-Con starts tomorrow and there's rumors spiraling regarding JMS's supposed upcoming announcement on Saturday.

I've been doing some detective work. There's absolutely no concrete or even summary evidence of what it might be, but I'm starting to wonder if it wouldn't be a B5 project.

Here's some of the main points I've found over the last few days doing some reading.

Jerry Doyle has dropped some hints over the last year that he's been considering taking on a new acting role. He seems to avoid or ignore questions related to B5 on this matter.

Walter Kroneig seems to be involved or at the very least, has been in contact with JMS about it and has some knowledge of what's going on. Some of his more recent public comments have been dubious.

Billy Mummy was on Coast to Coast a few months back and has suggested he has a new role coming up. At the time I thought it was a voice acting gig he was referring to, but now I am wondering.

So with these three actors seemingly having "something coming up", it got me thinking: These are three principle characters in a story related to B5 --- I'm of course referring to the telepath war.

So after seeing some of these connections blooming, I went and looked up Patricia Tallman's current status. There's not a bunch to be said about her, but she appears "available" --- as in not locked into anything long term.

Tracy Sogins, another character who could easily be involved in the story, also appears currently "available".

The only actor that we know is involved in this conflict who isn't available is, sadly, Andreas Katsulas, God rest his soul. G'kar could very likely be written out of the plot, but its still sad to see the possibility of this story without him in it.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I assume the announcement is something separate from this?

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/07...udio-jms-to-produce-comics-tv-film-and-games/

 

[Lighthammer]

Maybe, its hard to say.

Although this move seems like its a serious attempt for JMS to build his own resources.

This could be a first project.

Like I said before launching into my theory, there's no concrete evidence from my research either way. Its all speculation on the totality of the evidence.

TBH, I'm really hoping it just doesn't end up being something Marvel or DC related. JMS has too many neat things to work with that he does need to get away from both.

This link is very promising at least for that notion. It also does add some strong potential into something else big coming.

 

[Agenda]

The last thing this world needs is more B5.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I really don't think it's going to be "Babylon 5" related to be honest. You never know though.

 

[Guy Gardener]

The "last best" thing this world needs if more Babylon 5.

 

[Yoda]

The last time they threw some B5 on our screens it was total shit though, and that even had Andreas Katsulas in it. If you want to save yourself some frustration, don't wait on JMS proclamations. Over the last decade none of his B5 teases have gone anywhere.

If some B5 by some miracle shows up in the future I will check it out, but till then JMS isn't worth much to me except quality joke fodder. Just look at how ridiculous he looks in that stupid hat in the bleedingcool.com link above

 

[Sho]

^ Seems to me that photo might be a deliberate parody of the hat-endowed look Orson Welles used to sport ...

 

[Frodo Lives]

Oh, another vampire show. Hooray.

Though it's not like the alien war story is anything original either, but Steven S DeKnight's fantastic work on Spartacus has me very excited for Incursion; the alien planet per season sounds like a very interesting concept.

Wonder if they'll film it in Auckland too?

Also, alien boobies. You know it'll happen.

 

[Yoda]

^Incursion sounds promising, Space Above and Beyond with DeKnight's ultrapornoviolence? I'm in.

^ Seems to me that photo might be a deliberate parody of the hat-endowed look Orson Welles used to sport ...

You're doing it wrong. Orson Welles is awesome. Clearly JMS in his insufferable arrogance thinks he is in the same league. What a jerk.

 

[Sho]

Err, dunno, he never seemed all that arrogant to me. That said, I can't say I have any interest in that Dracula show ... loved Babylon 5 and Jeremiah though, probably the best genre stuff on TV other than Trek in my book, so maybe I'll at least give it a look to give him a chance to convince me otherwise.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I'm a big Dracula fan so I'll probably end up checking that out.

 

[Saga]

The only actor that we know is involved in this conflict who isn't available is, sadly, Andreas Katsulas.

Richard Biggs passed away as well.

 

[DWF]

The only actor that we know is involved in this conflict who isn't available is, sadly, Andreas Katsulas.

Richard Biggs passed away as well.

So has Jeff Conway.

 

[Lighthammer]

It was sad when both did, but in respects to this story, to the best of my knowledge, neither are really big parts of this story and certainly not to the point that that their roles couldn't be allocated to others.

 

[PsychoPere]

I assume the announcement is something separate from this?
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/07...udio-jms-to-produce-comics-tv-film-and-games/

I doubt it's anything separate from this.

Of all the spotlights I've done, this may be the single most important...something I've been working toward for over a year now.

This description sounds like it would fit quite well the announcement of a new media company for his various outputs.

 

[Kegg]

The last thing this world needs is more B5.

That was really the dilemma about being excited about this message at all. On the one hand, there's the tantalizing possibility of more Babylon 5 - on the other hand, there's the acknowledgement that the various attempts to spin off or reboot B5 haven't been that good (The Lost Tales, Legend of the Rangers and yes Crusade)... and on the third hand (insert joke about three-edged swords) there's the reality I really couldn't care less about anything JMS has worked on that isn't Babylon 5. Underworld movies? Ninja Assassins? Thor? Dear lord.

JMS can when you get down to it be a pretty hacky writer. At his best he makes really good TV and at his worst - as in many episodes of Crusade (and any Galen dialogue) - he's that special mixture of smug, insufferable and tedious, sometimes using a bad medley of really trite TV cliches. As much as I love B5 and I love it enough to have seen it all the way through more than once, it's not really enough to run down other JMS projects to see whether or not smarmy characters like Season 5 G'Kar show up in them.

Still his post made it sound like it wouldn't be B5 because he phrased it as an invitation to anyone who liked anything he wrote, which suggested it would be a brand new project of some kind, like this sort of creator thing he's got going and also:

Oh, another vampire show. Hooray.

Yes. Another vampire show. On Starz (if Blood and Sand didn't have the worst pilot episode I've seen in my history of television watching I must have blanked a more egregious premiere). Riiight.

Also with the same 'combine the character created from Bram Stoker's undeniably shaky knowldge of Romanian history with the actual Vlad Tepes like what Francis Ford Coppola did in that movie we'll all pretend doesn't exist' hook.

Honestly Incursion sounds like the more promising show.

As far as his comic/movie/TV label goes? Let me know if and/or when he makes some B5 with it.

 

[JoeD80]

I really couldn't care less about anything JMS has worked on that isn't Babylon 5. Underworld movies? Ninja Assassins? Thor? Dear lord.

Some of us actually enjoy his writing and I look forward to new stuff.

 

[Kegg]

Some of us actually enjoy his writing and I look forward to new stuff.

...so do I, indeed I noted as such. If I didn't enjoy his writing, I wouldn't care that he's making a vampire show.

 

[doubleohfive]

The "last best" thing this world needs if more Babylon 5.

Oh, another vampire show. Hooray.

Yes. Another vampire show. On Starz (if Blood and Sand didn't have the worst pilot episode I've seen in my history of television watching I must have blanked a more egregious premiere). Riiight.

Your mileage varies. I can't remember much about the pilot for Spartacus: Blood and Sand; what I do remember is that the succeeding three seasons of television that followed were incredibly structured, paced, and powerfully written. Is it Shakespeare? No. But is it good, entertaining fun? Absolutely.

You're missing out, man.