Niners Unite...around Babylon 5! - The Lost Threads

[Jan]

The circumstances that combined to allow B5 to be so much of JMS's own vision were something that's not likely to happen again. And business execs aren't going to change and the trend will unfortunately they'll always be catering to the lowest common denominator.

That said, creative folks are still working to get quality out there. Late last year JMS wrote about a proposed TV show that he and some others had put out for auction:

[FONT=Courier New]On the TV project I co-wrote and would produce with the two mega-film
makers (henceforth just "the group"), we took the first three scripts
out to auction in the weeks leading up to the strike. Everybody
wanted to be in business with the group given the massive reps of the
film-makers (and me, I suppose).
.
The up-side of the project was that everyone agreed that they had
never seen anything like it before. The down-side was that they had
never seen anything like it before. This is a business where people
are comfortable with what they've seen. Some found it too
controversial/weird. Some wanted it and made offers, but only on the
condition that we tone it down a bit and make it more conventional.
At the eleventh hour, one that had passed turned around to say
yes...but by then it was too late and everyone stopped buying things
with the strike about to happen.
.
So the group conferred, and what we'll probably end up doing is
financing the project ourselves, first as a ten hour miniseries, and
take it from there. There's no question, given the names involved,
that we can turn around and get financing from a studio and/or DVD
distributer and from worldwide television pre-sales. So when the
strike is over, we'll pick up that thread again, write the next 7
episodes, shoot the thing, then sell it to whichever network wants it
the most.
.
This means we won't have to compromise anything creatively, it'll be
exactly what we want it to be. [/FONT]

Jan

 

[Harvey]

^^
So, Jan, has anything come of this idea since the strike is now over?

 

[Jan]

He didn't mention anything about it at the San Francisco convention a couple of weeks ago, Hirogen Alpha. Well, possibly connected is that he is forming his own production company but I don't know for sure. If we don't hear anything before, I'll try to remember to ask him at the Seattle con in May.

For those interested in the projects JMS did talk about, my convention report is here. Apologies in advance if it's bad form to link to other forums.

Jan

 

[Harvey]

^^
Thanks for the report, Jan. I'm excited about World War Z (though I couldn't care less about Silver Surfer). And the lack of movement on further Lost Tales is a little annoying, but I assume we'll get some sort of word sometime soon...

 

[Neroon]

Better yet, instead of watching and reading sludge, I'd suggest that they turn the TV off and read some sci-fi, so that they can understand the tecnological world they live in, and to not fear it so much.

Now there's an idea whose time has come ...... multiple times over.

 

[Jan]

It was quiet...too quiet... Isn't anybody watching any B5 at the moment? Word should be coming out shortly about ordering the final, 14th volume of the B5 script books.

Jan

 

[S'kai]

I would like to join the discussion, and introduce myself by way of one of my favorite quotes (please to forgiving the foggy memory of aging the brain):

"Repeat after me the Babylon 5 Mantra !! 'Ivanova is God. i will listen to Commander Ivanova. I will follow Ivanova's orders!' And if you ever try anything like that again, I will personally rip your lungs out ! Ivanova out."

 

[Lindley]

It was quiet...too quiet... Isn't anybody watching any B5 at the moment? Word should be coming out shortly about ordering the final, 14th volume of the B5 script books.

Jan

My watch-through with my roommate (1 episode per night, most nights) just passed No Compromises.

 

[Unicron]

I wish I still got B5 here.

 

[Jan]

Any reactions from your roommate to pass along about anything s/he's seen so far, Lindley?

Hi, S'kai. That's a favorite quote of mine, too.

Jan

 

[Harvey]

It was quiet...too quiet... Isn't anybody watching any B5 at the moment? Word should be coming out shortly about ordering the final, 14th volume of the B5 script books.

Jan

I left my DVDs at home, and have been pretty much without any free time besides a few minutes here or there on these boards the past month or so.

I hope that script book gets delayed, myself. I have volumes, 1, 10, 12, and 13, but certainly won't be able to afford 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, and 14 in order to get volume 15 if it hits the proverbial shelves in May.

 

[Neroon]

I posted this over in the SFF forum: . The long-awaited Vol. 14 of the JMS scriptbooks is now available for order. As you've head numerous times before, that means the 15th volume will be delivered with it, if you've ordered the previous 13.

Yeah.... I've already ordered mine.

 

[Jan]

Neroon's a little excited so here's the link to order your volume 15.

Read the whole page for information about filling out your Proof of Purchase form...when the books will ship...why it won't be right away...and (IMO) some very cool extras that have been added.

Jan

 

[Lindley]

Any reactions from your roommate to pass along about anything s/he's seen so far, Lindley?

Well, he's enjoyed the whole thing pretty much so far. I haven't warned him about Byron; his initial reaction to his appearance in No Compromises was noncommittal, but he recognized that the telepath colony was a bad idea due to Deconstruction.

Given his positive reaction even to some of the weaker episodes of Stargate SG-1, I doubt he'll find Byron quite as distasteful as some others do.

 

[Neroon]

Neroon's a little excited so here's the link to order your volume 15.

Read the whole page for information about filling out your Proof of Purchase form...when the books will ship...why it won't be right away...and (IMO) some very cool extras that have been added.

Jan

Yeah, I meant to post the link to the thread in SFF..... ahhh, Zathras in need of much helpings.

 

[Neroon]

I'm preparing a B5 panel for an upcoming convention, and I wonder if I might have a bit of your help here. The title is "The University of Babylon 5", with the gist being "what are the essential elements to the series?"

 

[Jan]

Sounds like fun. Elements such as 'the power of one mind to change the universe' or story elements like the wars and alliances?

Jan

 

[chrisspringob]

"what are the essential elements to the series?"

Most critical element for me: Action scenes in which random thugs use martial arts. Didn't one of the guys chasing Marcus in the teaser for "Messages from Earth" actually pull out nunchucks or something? Lol.

No seriously, I'd offer suggestions, but I'd like to hear (er, read) the answer to Jan's question: Can you be more specific about what you mean by "the essential elements"?

 

[Neroon]

Defining those "essential elements" is part of what I want the attendees to do. It's a panel discussion and not so much a presentation. There will be 5 - 6 people on the panel, and we will have our own ideas. Materials to use if it's tough to get the audience engaged. Many will seem VERY basic, I suppose. But what I'm after are those items which pop into your mind when someone says "Babylon". If you think of "Babylon 5" when someone just says "Babylon", that implies that certain of those "essential elements" are deeply embedded in your memory, that you find integral to the series.

However, to expand upon your questions, I'd say elements like this:
- the advantages to community building, compared to the power of the individual.
- extended story arcs encompassing long periods of time
- uniting against darkness
- "not everyone is exactly what he appears to be"
- eminently quotable lines
- extensive use of CGI

But your joke chrisspringbob is actually another aspect to bring out. Not the individual mistakes necessarily, but the tendencies that didn't work:
- dimensionally limited bad guys (not all of them, but many)
- (I'm having trouble coming up with more here, but feel free to suggest more)

 

[Smiley]

I just completed my first viewing of the five seasons of B5 on Monday. It was quite a ride, to say the least. Here are some of my random thoughts about the show:

The characters are the best thing about the show. My favorites are G'Kar, Londo, Vir, Ivanova, Marcus, and Garibaldi, although I like almost everyone.

I love the first season, and I would rather watch Sinclair than Sheridan.

The fifth season is a mixed bag, although I understand the reasons now after listening to the commentaries. The Byron plot is not bad, but it needed some refining. What brings it down is that we lose Ivanova and Marcus and get Lochley in return.

I didn't cry during "Sleeping in Light," but I came close during the montage of the cast with their beginning and ending photos.

I don't feel I'm missing much by skipping the B5 telefilms boxed set, The Lost Tales, Crusade, or The Legend of the Rangers. All of the essentials are in the show. That said, I am very interested in the novels, and I plan to read all of them, unless any are hated to the level of Planet of Twilight or The Crystal Star from the Star Wars novels.

I don't have a favorite episode, but a few that I really enjoyed are "Signs and Portents," "The Geometry of Shadows," "Into the Fire," and "Endgame."

I look forward to further discussions in this forum and GSF&F.