The Memory of Shadows was canceled in February 2005. Katsulas died in February 2006.
JMS's supposed coming announcement at Comic-con 2012
- Thread starter Lighthammer
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The Memory of Shadows was canceled in February 2005. Katsulas died in February 2006.
She's at SDCC. Probably won't hear from her on this site (or others) until late next week. About the only place she's checking in is the forum on JMSNews.com.
Thanks. Yea, I figured that
JMS's spotlight goes tonight...so I'm sure that if there is any kind of "Babylon 5" announcement from him he will say so during that. I doubt it. I'm sure he'll just be confirming the studio deal and his other comic projects from Legendary Comics that were announced on Thursday.
Comic Book Resources has a video interview up with JMS about the formation of Studio JMS.
I disagree. If anything the world needs more Babylon 5.
Well, that and more BBQ sauce.
Hi folks. Yes, I'm still at the con but I've been going around posting the link to the video of JMS' spotlight panel.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/IeqhQD5F2_c
Watch out for dancing zombies. Really.
Sorry, no news on anything B5 for the moment. The big news is the Studio JMS multi-media company formed by JMS and Pat Tallman. Also another graphic novel for Legendary comics. I think somebody posted above that he's taking on some monthly titles again. As far as I know all of his comic projects are Original Graphic Novels or mni-series.
Jan
http://www.youtube.com/embed/IeqhQD5F2_c
Watch out for dancing zombies. Really.
Sorry, no news on anything B5 for the moment. The big news is the Studio JMS multi-media company formed by JMS and Pat Tallman. Also another graphic novel for Legendary comics. I think somebody posted above that he's taking on some monthly titles again. As far as I know all of his comic projects are Original Graphic Novels or mni-series.
Jan
I was wrong.
Looks like the new JMS comics he's doing for Joe's comics will be monthlies but with breaks, per this interview:Jan
Bah, reading over that interview seems to preclude the possibility of a B5 related series any time soon.
I was really hoping that leading into the 20th anniversary of the series JMS would be making a serious attempt to get a series up and moving. It looks like he's all but ready to push ahead for a few multi year projects that will probably tie him up.
bah :-\
I was really hoping that leading into the 20th anniversary of the series JMS would be making a serious attempt to get a series up and moving. It looks like he's all but ready to push ahead for a few multi year projects that will probably tie him up.
bah :-\
Well, he always said he didn't intend to create a franchise.
Still.
Dammit.
Still.
Dammit.
I have to call shenanigans on that.
I won't dispute he might have said that at some point in some article. I'm not gonna go try to fact check that.
However, you look at the fact JMS wrote *ALL* of Season 3, Season 4 and all but one episode in Season 5 and then you look at all the open hooks he gave himself to branch into other series that were stories obviously too big for B5's main plot.
I'll concede there were a very small number of them in Season 3 and Season 4 was all about making sure the story got told, I'll give you all that, but Season 5 was GIANT line of story hooks for new series.
Yes, JMS never seemed to make use of most these hooks, especially when pitching new B5 related series. Consciously or unconsciously, he made hooks for a very expanded universe.
I guess this is part of the frustration for the fans of the series. In discussing these things over almost the last 20 years, a lot of fans have come to realize how much plot there is to explore in the series and JMS himself might not quite recognize all these elements fans have tugged at almost entirely because of is policy to not take unsolicited story ideas. It's human nature to look for patterns and its also human nature to get frustrated when those patterns lead to nothing.
I won't dispute he might have said that at some point in some article. I'm not gonna go try to fact check that.
However, you look at the fact JMS wrote *ALL* of Season 3, Season 4 and all but one episode in Season 5 and then you look at all the open hooks he gave himself to branch into other series that were stories obviously too big for B5's main plot.
I'll concede there were a very small number of them in Season 3 and Season 4 was all about making sure the story got told, I'll give you all that, but Season 5 was GIANT line of story hooks for new series.
- We firmed up the story of the Telepath War first introduced in Season 2.
- We firmed up many story hooks related to the fall of Centuari Prime.
- We firmed up many hooks for stories related to the Draak looking for vengence (including but not limited to the Draak plague that led to the Crusade series).
- We firmed up various hooks for stories related to Lyta and G'Kars traveling antics.
- We firmed up a whole potential series focused on David Sheradin (which Legend of the Rangers may or may not have been leading towards).
- We firmed up a metric ton of stories related to Mars (including interloping stories related to the Telepath War).
- There were some interesting hooks that could have been explored for a series focused on the Dilgarde war.
Yes, JMS never seemed to make use of most these hooks, especially when pitching new B5 related series. Consciously or unconsciously, he made hooks for a very expanded universe.
I guess this is part of the frustration for the fans of the series. In discussing these things over almost the last 20 years, a lot of fans have come to realize how much plot there is to explore in the series and JMS himself might not quite recognize all these elements fans have tugged at almost entirely because of is policy to not take unsolicited story ideas. It's human nature to look for patterns and its also human nature to get frustrated when those patterns lead to nothing.
What JMS said at Comic-Con is that he has talked to WB about something but that he's not going to say anything at all about it because any time he does, it's like Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown at the last second and it doesn't happen. You can see for yourself in the video from his spotlight panel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeqhQD5F2_c The question is pretty early in the Q&A portion.
You can "call shenanigans on that" (whatever that means) all you like but no, he never set out to create a franchise, and yes, season 5 definitely included set-up for the sequel series. The sequel series that was shot in its cradle before a single episode aired.
A lot of the questions you mention above have already been answered in the three B5 trilogies. They're not easy to find but they're well worth the effort.
I'm not sure what you mean about JMS not making use of the hooks you mentioned when pitching new B5 related series? The closest thing that comes to mind is the Lost Tales which WB refused to fund properly. Yes, there was the proposed reboot but if you know anything about what exactly JMS planned for that, I'd love to see it.
Jan
You can "call shenanigans on that" (whatever that means) all you like but no, he never set out to create a franchise, and yes, season 5 definitely included set-up for the sequel series. The sequel series that was shot in its cradle before a single episode aired.
A lot of the questions you mention above have already been answered in the three B5 trilogies. They're not easy to find but they're well worth the effort.
I'm not sure what you mean about JMS not making use of the hooks you mentioned when pitching new B5 related series? The closest thing that comes to mind is the Lost Tales which WB refused to fund properly. Yes, there was the proposed reboot but if you know anything about what exactly JMS planned for that, I'd love to see it.
Jan
The point that I was trying to make is, overall, I can absolutely accept that he might not have had intentions to create a franchise, but I think if you read between the lines, you can either see one of two things going on.
Either:
#1.) He got really deeply involved in the writing process and as he was writing the series, a bunch of "what ifs" drifted into his thoughts and he subconsciously had ideas for other stories that manifested themselves in the series as early as season 2 (and of course played on more and more throughout the series).
#2.) After season 4 wrapped up and TNT agreed to fund Babylon 5's 5th season, we pretty clearly already know that JMS was playing with ideas for a new series taking place in the same universe. IIRC, we knew we were getting a new series at the same time season 5 was announced. Therefor, season 5 may have served more as a test bed for new series concepts then we know. Season 5 notably has the most plugs for potential spin offs.
I actually never heard that JMS may have been planning a reboot, but as is clear from my other related threads on this topic, I think that is a course of action that has a lot of neat potential.
As far as not making use of hooks in the series --- I'll admit, that's one of my biggest frustrations. There are a lot of great hooks that can be spun off into another series. My last post illustrated a lot of them. I'm not sure why every time a new B5 project comes out it feels like its attempting to start a whole new story instead of firmly clamping on one of the great threads that exists from the original Babylon 5 series.
Maybe its a case that JMS himself doesn't see something in his works that its obvious to some, but I suspect its more likely that some where, at some point someone made the observation to him that X thread could create Y story and he went "Gee, now I can't do it because someone suggested it and I heard it therefor they could ask for money if I do it down the road". I know he's very firm in never allowing himself exposure like that. Heck, I remember a very long rant he wrote years and years ago how he had a great idea for a story and someone wrote him a long story idea that in a round about way said exactly what his plan already was. Because of that, he ended up scrapping the idea just in fear of possible legal issues.
Whatever the real reason is, It's still saddening to not see things like a TV series focused on the Telepath War or a TV series focused on David Sheridan, etc.
Either:
#1.) He got really deeply involved in the writing process and as he was writing the series, a bunch of "what ifs" drifted into his thoughts and he subconsciously had ideas for other stories that manifested themselves in the series as early as season 2 (and of course played on more and more throughout the series).
#2.) After season 4 wrapped up and TNT agreed to fund Babylon 5's 5th season, we pretty clearly already know that JMS was playing with ideas for a new series taking place in the same universe. IIRC, we knew we were getting a new series at the same time season 5 was announced. Therefor, season 5 may have served more as a test bed for new series concepts then we know. Season 5 notably has the most plugs for potential spin offs.
I actually never heard that JMS may have been planning a reboot, but as is clear from my other related threads on this topic, I think that is a course of action that has a lot of neat potential.
As far as not making use of hooks in the series --- I'll admit, that's one of my biggest frustrations. There are a lot of great hooks that can be spun off into another series. My last post illustrated a lot of them. I'm not sure why every time a new B5 project comes out it feels like its attempting to start a whole new story instead of firmly clamping on one of the great threads that exists from the original Babylon 5 series.
Maybe its a case that JMS himself doesn't see something in his works that its obvious to some, but I suspect its more likely that some where, at some point someone made the observation to him that X thread could create Y story and he went "Gee, now I can't do it because someone suggested it and I heard it therefor they could ask for money if I do it down the road". I know he's very firm in never allowing himself exposure like that. Heck, I remember a very long rant he wrote years and years ago how he had a great idea for a story and someone wrote him a long story idea that in a round about way said exactly what his plan already was. Because of that, he ended up scrapping the idea just in fear of possible legal issues.
Whatever the real reason is, It's still saddening to not see things like a TV series focused on the Telepath War or a TV series focused on David Sheridan, etc.
I actually don't remember the time table exactly, but didn't LotR take place after the Telepath War, but not long after (maybe less then a year)?
That being said, as I've suggested before, I think the Telepath War is a great place to really play with a really good story. There's already some really good back story on it in the form of books that serve as guides for the overall plot, but it gives JMS the ability to play with themes related to corporate and political corruption, oppression and a few other themes closely tied to today's world.
JMS does love his subtle messages and a Telepath War story today would give him a really good way to do that.
Beyond that, one of the main themes SDCC for JMS was "Safe Harbor". If you want to talk about Safe Harbor in terms of B5 stories, there is no safer harbor then doing the Telepath War. Since its already very well documented, he's absolutely free from any allegations that he gleamed the idea off someone else.
That being said, as I've suggested before, I think the Telepath War is a great place to really play with a really good story. There's already some really good back story on it in the form of books that serve as guides for the overall plot, but it gives JMS the ability to play with themes related to corporate and political corruption, oppression and a few other themes closely tied to today's world.
JMS does love his subtle messages and a Telepath War story today would give him a really good way to do that.
Beyond that, one of the main themes SDCC for JMS was "Safe Harbor". If you want to talk about Safe Harbor in terms of B5 stories, there is no safer harbor then doing the Telepath War. Since its already very well documented, he's absolutely free from any allegations that he gleamed the idea off someone else.
IIRC LotR was in 2265, about two years before Crusade, so it's either right before, or during the Telepath War. That's just off the top of my head though.
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