This file contains messages posted by J. Michael Straczynski on GEnie from Sep 15- Sep 30th, 1994. Postings are copyright 1994 by J. Michael Straczynski with compilation copyright by GEnie. ************ Topic 1 Mon Oct 26, 1992 SF-MARSHALL [Dave ] at 18:50 EST Sub: Babylon 5 - The Series (Non-Spoiler) Welcome to the Babylon 5 category and main topic for the new series. Here is the place for all general information on the series. Topic 2 is the location for SPOILERS. And please, NO STORY IDEAS are to be posted either. 26 new messages. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 781 Fri Sep 16, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:08 EDT Don't know how much impact will come from the rerun schedule; you'll know when I do. And vice-versa. Well, I've now seen 3 completed (sans some CGI and other stuff) episodes. The first one is very good. I think "Revelations" is even better (#2), mainly in that it feels to me a lot like "Chrysalis," lots of *whams* all over the place. But curiously, my favorite so far I think is #3, "The Geometry of Shadows," and I think it'll become a favorite with viewers as well. It's just an *awful* lot of fun. It's very funny in places. And here's something that may surprise you: a number of folks didn't much like Vir in year one. I think you're going to like Vir a LOT in year two. We're building up his spine, to stand up to Londo, and doing a lot more with him. Also, Vir is in the unenviable position of being the one who sees where Londo is going, and despite his attempts to stop things, can't...like someone seeing a car accident in slow motion. Anyway, I was watching the producers' cut of "Geometry" tonight and just *howling*. It's the kind of show I love most, that's funny one moment, then scary and ominous the next. I love that contrast, and it's very hard to pull off without seeming forced. This one came out just right. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 491 Sat Sep 17, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:33 EDT We wrap generally by 7:30 p.m. Thus far we haven't gone overtime yet. Out of 154 shooting days last year, we went overtime precisely 8 times. We sometimes wrap as early as 6 p.m. We generally hit the standard 12 hour day, or less. jms ------------ SFRT II RoundTable Category 18, Topic 1 Message 495 Sun Sep 18, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:41 EDT Generally speaking, everyone is on the set by 7:45 a.m., including crew. Cast arrives anywhere from one hour to two hours earlier, depending on whether or not the actor needs to go into prosthetics. (We try to schedule actors in prosthetics later in the day if possible, to give them more time, but it isn't always workable.) The camera operator is there from 7:45 until we wrap for the day. But there are always down times during the day, times when the operator isn't needed on set. Same for other crew members. Some days when we're light on aliens, none of the folks from Optic Nerve need to be there at all. When we've got a full Council and League of Nonaligned Worlds, and they're going all day, then they're there non-stop. It really varies a lot. (And we shoot Monday through Friday, with weekends off, and some religious holidays.) As stated, we're pretty good about getting people out by 7:30 or earlier. This past week we wrapped anywhere from 6-7 p.m. most days. (We found ourselves in an odd situation for a few weeks last year when some of the directors got into a kind of competition to see who could wrap the earliest...and it began crawling toward 5:30, 5:00, 4:30...when was when we pulled the plug on it.) I'd say that the lion's share of the credit for how well the whole operation runs has to go to our crew, which is amazing. I've worked on a lot of shows over the last ten years, and I've never seen one as fast, as skilled, and as able to adapt to circumstances. Every single one of our guest stars and visiting directors has commented on them. The heart of the crew on-set is John Flinn, our Director of Cinematography, who keeps the whole thing running smoothly. You don't have to lean on them to hurry; they *move*, and they're proud of their efficiency, and they're good at what they do. We try to maintain a good, creative, open attitude on-set. Because I'm usually frantic with meetings, or writing, or on the phone, or in the editing bays, I only actually get the chance to walk the stage maybe 3 times a day *at most*; sometimes just once, sometimes not at all, which is ironic given that my door is literally 25 feet from stage C. When I do go on- set, where many producers make a big deal out of it on other shows, I try to keep a low profile...I slip in as quietly as I can, watch for a bit, then slip back to my office, trying not to get in anybody's way or be a distraction. (And the *EXECUTIVE PRODUCER* walking onto a set can be quite a distraction.) Sometimes I'll walk out there when I know we're not shooting, just doing lighting setups, just to watch them work, and the skill with which they approach the task. One of the ways we try to keep things smooth (and the reason why I *can* only be on set a few times a day) is that the script is worked and tweaked to the point where by the time it hits the stage, it's DONE. It requires no further tweaking, except for the occasional, rare line change for performance. If pages are flying in while you're shooting, and nobody knows what's coming next...you're in trouble. So by the time we start shooting, my part is more or less over. Script's written, I've met with the director to make sure the tone and approach is in sync between us, we've had zillions of meetings...at that point, you leave the people who know what they're doing on-set alone to do what they do best. jms ------------ SFRT II RoundTable Category 18, Topic 1 Message 499 Sun Sep 18, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:56 EDT As a rule, no. In some rare cases, if we're hooking a story to something close in the actor's background, we'll talk to them a bit, but the cast never sees a script until it's hit Final Draft stage, at which point very little is changed. Sometimes on set an actor may want a line phrased differently for performance, but that too is fairly rare. Actors are not writers, and writers are not actors. (In general.) There is a gross misunderstanding of the role of the actor in determining what happens in a script. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 524 Thu Sep 22, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:16 EDT We've designed much of our medical equipment around suggestions made by our medical science consultants, who generally feel that we'll be using more light-oriented healing technology and non-invasive procedures. And we used the 3D imaging process for the interior of a body cavity in "Believers." A few weeks ago we got sent a clipping from some medical newspaper overseas showing a new kind of medbed that looks a lot like the one we use in medlab, with the monitoring cage overhead. We *do* consult in this and other areas. Sometimes what's projected may not be what someone else would project, but please don't take that to mean we haven't checked. We have. Tom: in general, the schedule is comparable to the best situations I've found before, if not better, on network shows. The bulk of that due, again, to the fleet-footedness of our crew. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 528 Sat Sep 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:19 EDT Tonight, at 8:30 p.m. Pacific time, noted author and screenwriter Robert Bloch passed away from cancer. He was a kind and generous and good man, and one of the brightest lights of his field. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 541 Sun Sep 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:19 EDT One of the banes of television, in my humble estimation, is the Focus Group. I hate 'em. Hate 'em, hate 'em, hate 'em. (Did I mention I hate 'em?) But all the studios insist on them, and each new season every show gets tested and re-tested the following season. My personal estimation is that in terms of accuracy they rank somewhere just below the reading of chicken entrails. This past week, the first two episodes of B5's second season were shown to 40+ people here in LA, a group made up of those who had seen the show but tuned out, those who'd watched it a few times, and those who were regular viewers. I was very anxious about the whole thing, partly because the episodes are still in *very* early stages...producer's cuts, transferred from the Avid editing machines, no music, no sound EFX, many unfinished CGI effects...but there you are. I was also concerned because they would be seeing these *without* seeing "Chrysalis" (though they would be able to infer certain things from seeing the repercussions), and I didn't know how or if any of them would be thrown by not having seen that. Well, though I put no more stock in focus groups now than I did before, I'm pleased to state that the screening went over like gangbusters. People got *very* caught up in it, they liked Bruce a LOT (even the regular viewers, without exception, felt that way)...they had virtually no negative comments at *all*. We got the highest ratings we've ever had. Specific things they commented on were that the show *looked* much better in terms of sets and costumes and lighting, theyh liked the characters a lot more, they got into the story bigtime...it really worked for them on every level. The good part about this is that a solid focus group report tends to encourage networks and studios to push harder to do advertising and promotion. And that has definitely happened here. Once we've finished the episodes, added all the sound and music and CGI, we should be pretty solid. (Oh, and just last night watched the director's cut of D.C. Fontana's script, "A Distant Star." Looks *very* good.) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 580 Thu Sep 29, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:42 EDT It's my understanding that B5's second season will start in the UK in December/January. Bruce will be on the Mike and Maddy (Mike and Matty?) show this Friday morning; a couple hours later, for those in LA, he'll also be on Good Day LA. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 587 Thu Sep 29, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:31 EDT Here's something to consider. I pass this along for whatever use it may be down the road a piece. Apparently, the contract for B5 and the stations expires at the end of the year, with a few exceptions. What this means is that, for all intents and purposes, the decision on whether or not to pick up the show will be made based on the November sweeps. We've done well this year; they're expecting us to do even better next year. To be precise, they'd like us to be a bona fide hit. What's the reason for this? The syndication market is going through MAJOR changes. Networks and fledgling networks are grabbing up stations by the handful, making lots of elaborate promises, bringing highly-rated network shows in many cases in as inducement. Robocop is, apparently, already either dead or near-death. Other series will be falling in the next few weeks. When running new episodes, we're come in around a 5.3 rating, which puts us at about #17 in the ratings overall, and #4 in dramatic series. Our demographics, btw, are nothing less than *amazing*. But because we're making the show better, and doing more, and with the shape of the market for syndicated TV changing, more is expected. What we hear is that the stations would like us to bring in a rating between 6.0 and 7.0, which would put us at about #10 in the overall rankings, #3 in dramatic series overall. If we can do that, we're golden. If not...I don't know. Point being, if there's any last-minute conversions anybody wants to do, now's the time to do it. November will be very important to the whole fate of Babylon 5. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 593 Thu Sep 29, 1994 P.DAVID2 at 17:30 EDT Actually, Joe, what you're really saying is...if anyone out there knows anyone who is a Nielsen family...GET 'EM TO WATCH THE SHOW!!!! PAD ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 594 Thu Sep 29, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:37 EDT Ladies and gentlemen...the world famous Peter David, whose script for B5 goes into production in a few weeks.... ^^^ | jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 612 Fri Sep 30, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:01 EDT Let me be absolutely clear: if B5 should fall in the syndicated market, the WB network will *not* pick it up. Neither could we take it to any other network for a period of 2 years (by contract), which is the same as preventing it altogether since you'd lose your cast and crew in that amount of time. jms ************ Topic 2 Wed Nov 20, 1991 STARR [Arne] at 19:41 EST Sub: Babylon 5 -- The Series!! >>SPOILERS<< Babylon 5 offically became a series on May 28 '93. There will be 22 hour eps for season one (in addition to the pilot). Airs Wednesdays at 8PM in most places starting Jan. 26 '94. This is the SPOILER topic where anything goes. 17 new messages. ************ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 363 Sat Sep 17, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:30 EDT Re: two contradictory spoilers...what, you think this sort of thing happens by accident? Simple: just use the old "blind men describing an elephant" trick. Gets 'em every time. Dave: I think that covers the really essential episodes from 1. The essentials so far for season two are "Points of Departure," "Revelations," a goodly portion of "The Geometry of Shadows," snippets of other episodes, with the next big bang being "The Coming of Shadows," which like "Signs and Portents" carries the overall season title, and is another blow-out. jms ------------ SFRT II RoundTable Category 18, Topic 2 Message 367 Sun Sep 18, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:53 EDT Telepathic scans of suspects in a criminal case are *absolutely NOT admissible* in court. They are prohibited from it. Because it puts FAR too much power in the hands of telepaths, power that the judicial system would never, ever in a million years part with. It destroys the idea of due process. You have to be sure that the telepath isn't lying, which means you bring in a second telepath to verify the first, and a third to verify the second. Further, a person may feel responsible for someone's death ("I said, `I hate you, I hope you did,' and then she did, it's my fault!"), without being so. The recent introduction of telepaths into the military is a very controversial decision, and is being fought vigorously. It was put in on the theory that in wartime, soldiers do not have quite the same rights as civilians. This is being contested hotly back in the Earth senate, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it overturned. jms ------------ SFRT II RoundTable Category 18, Topic 2 Message 369 Sun Sep 18, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:47 EDT Can I dive in here for just a second to say that this is one of those accepted cliches that has nothing whatsoever to do with reality? It's like the other one, "All these cartoons are violent," but when you ask the person to show which ones, they can't back it up. The *norm* in television is to NOT script religious people as loonies. I'm sorry, I know that's generally what one's told, but that's simply not the case. Religious people have gotten FAR better treatment in general than atheists, that's for certain. FATHER MURPHY, THE FATHER DOWLING MYSTERIES, HELLTOWN, HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN...there have been *many* series headlined by religious people, or in which religious people appear in a favorable light. (DR. QUINN in particular comes to mind.) It seems like if you show *one* religious nut, suddenly it's taken as a statement that ALL are like this. No, it's not, that's just that one person. And religion has gotten PLENTY of good air on TV. Some groups just don't think it's enough yet, want to feel persecuted, exaggerate the situation, publicize inaccuracies and misinformation, and generally won't be happy until such figures are everywhere. jms ------------ SFRT II RoundTable Category 18, Topic 2 Message 384 Tue Sep 20, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:44 EDT Re: religious people not necessarily *acting* religious, or doing a religious thing in the course of a show...hey, I was on Murder, She Wrote for two years...don't recall one episode where we showed Jessica Fletcher typing for any period of time. ST's treatment I would put in a separate category, because there does seem to be some element of an agenda there (or, stated less pejoratively, a different point-of-view on the subject). Mainstream TV has, I think, done very well in this area, all things considered. jms ------------ SFRT II RoundTable Category 18, Topic 2 Message 387 Tue Sep 20, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:40 EDT Speaking as a writer, I *am* defined in many ways by my keyboard; it is in my lap nearly every hour of the day when I'm not eating or sleeping. jms ------------ SFRT II RoundTable Category 18, Topic 2 Message 391 Tue Sep 20, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 16:15 EDT Yes, Ivanova is already second in command; she gets promoted to Commander rank in episode 3. They got it wrong. Also...lemme see if I've got this straight...we put 50 ships in an episode, introduce new Earthforce ships, carriers, you name it...TVG doesn't blink...DS9 puts ONE new ship in their show and they get a two-page spread? Linda: thanks. "Stupid fan remarks" are always welcome, just as one hope stupid producer remarks are sometimes welcome..... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 413 Sat Sep 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:27 EDT Keffler should be Keffer. Kevin Cremins will be directing "A Spider in the Web." Mario DiLeo is directing "The Long Dark." Jim Johnston will be directing "A Race Through Dark Places." "Pestilence, Famine and Death" has been retitled "Soul Mates." Jessica Walters also appears in "Spider," with Barbeau and Beck. "The Coming of Shadows" will receive a new director, either Janet Greek or Jim Johnston. "Unnatural Selection" is being retitled; current working title is "All Our Songs, Forgotten," though that may change; being written by D.C. Fontana. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 422 Sat Sep 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:59 EDT I've tentatively spiked "The Customer is Always Right" (a non-arc story) because ST did something on a similar topic, and I think I've got something better for that slot anyway. I love "The Coming of Shadows." It's one of those episodes that just knocks the breath out of you. You know those moments when you're in the passenger seat of a car, and the person driving is doing something crazy, and your foot automatically keeps searching for a brake pedal that isn't there because you know something awful's going to happen? That's the feeling you get all through that script. This episode, like "Sky," "Signs," "Chrysalis" and "Revelations" again changes the direction and ratchets everything one notch tighter. It's also a very visual script, and I like that, since I sometimes do rely too much on dialogue from time to time, and it's good to go in a different direction. Kosh has just two words in this episode...and, again, they'll send a chill right down the spine. Ah loves it.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 441 Thu Sep 29, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:32 EDT You'll note, btw, how the "new planetary leader" (meaning a leader of the Grey Council) dovetails with "Babylon Squared." As I promised, we're trying for real continuity here.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 448 Fri Sep 30, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:05 EDT The comic should be out in late November/early December. jms ------------ ************ Topic 23 Fri Feb 12, 1993 V.VAIDY1 [Vijay] at 23:00 EST Sub: "OtherWorks" by JMS Before there was "B5" and when "JMS" was just another Plain Joe, there was OtherSyde [A discussion of the other works of J. Michael Straczynski] 226 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 23 Message 206 Fri Sep 16, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:02 EDT EEK! jms ------------ ************ Topic 25 Fri Mar 12, 1993 S.SHELLENBAR [>> SHANE <<] at 08:47 EST Sub: J. Michael Straczynski Speaks in Public This is the place to find out where and when JMS will be appearing next. JMS has honed his skills as a public speaker and is taking his act on the road. 412 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 309 Thu Sep 15, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:24 EDT I have to have the next essay in by end of this month, so it should be shortly thereafter. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 319 Wed Sep 21, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:28 EDT Thanks; some of the writing for the column on the personal side was very difficult...glad to hear it was useful. Re: OK cons...nothing at this time scheduled. I try to keep it down to a minimum, usually maybe 5-6 in a year, not much more than that. I just don't think I have that much of interest to say to folks.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 325 Thu Sep 22, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:23 EDT I had heard that, yes...and discouraged our cast from signing any exclusive deal with ANYbody, for any reason. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 337 Tue Sep 27, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:37 EDT Hard to confirm much of anything, since I was only just notified of the presentation late this evening; nobody had said boo to me about it prior to this. So my info is as good as yours at this point, so thus far, yes, it'll be Sunday (hadn't even *heard* about anything Saturday). jms ************ Topic 30 Mon Jul 04, 1994 D.KAUFFMAN5 [CyberDad] at 13:14 EDT Sub: Nods, In-Jokes, and References Post any nods, in-jokes, or references you have seen here. For example, Babylon 5 refers to the Babylon of ancient Earth; the location of B5 is at Grid Epsilon 470/18/22, the location of the original B5 topic on GEnie. 281 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 30 Message 193 Thu Sep 15, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:34 EDT One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven Eleventy-one, eleventy-two, eleventy-three, eleventy-four, eleventy-five, eleventy-six, eleventy-seven, eleventy-eight, eleventy-nine, eleventy-ten, twelfy Twelfty-one, twelfty-two, twelfy-three, twelfty-four, twelfty-five, twelfty- six, twelfty-seven, twelfty-eight, twelfty-nine, twelfty-ten. And so on. Who here still has a problem with this? jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 30 Message 206 Sat Sep 17, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:35 EDT I hate to mention this, but ALL language consists of made-up words. jms ------------ ************ Topic 31 Sat Jul 09, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:23 EDT Sub: Really Stupid Questions from JMS Every so often, I need Information. (You won't get it!) Technical stuff, research or reference stuff...and given the brain trust here, I figured this could be a useful resource from time to time. With appreciation. 168 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 31 Message 135 Fri Sep 23, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:12 EDT In an active-matrix notebook computer screen, what's the difference between TFT and STN? jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 31 Message 144 Sun Sep 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:38 EDT So in other words...TFT is, like, better than STN...okaydoke. jm(who likes to boil it down to terms he understands)s ------------ Category 18, Topic 31 Message 147 Mon Sep 26, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:42 EDT How does the Dell notebook TFT (Latitude) compaare with the Stager? jms ------------ ************ Topic 3 Tue Nov 03, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:09 EST Sub: Babylon 5 - Computer SFX Tech-Talk Some of the new computer EFX used in BABYLON 5 will be revolutionary, a new approach never seen before on this scale. It's all new tech, and this topic will try and address the new technologies involved. jms 319 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 152 Fri Sep 16, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:59 EDT Of course, let's remember the extensive use of CGI in Jurassic Park. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 160 Sat Sep 17, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:37 EDT Insofar as I know, the objects are all entered into the computer in their correct size ratios. Sometimes perception can be tricked depending on the position of the camera, the proximity of the interim object, and the background. I'll check on this, but insofar as I know this is SOP. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 165 Sun Sep 18, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:50 EDT That is, unfortunately, the problem with "filming" in space; it's ALL in focus because of the lack of atmosphere, which provides a slight haze that cues us to distance. (Which was why they put the Hubble in space, after all.) If you look at footage from the Apollo missions, or the joint Soyuz missions, when one ship moves to dock with the other, it's very disturbing visually because from a distance, to close up, the other ship is crystal clear. It's also very difficult to judge size when there's nothing of absolute size beside it. If B5 were floating next to a football field, you'd know instantly how big the thing was. We're trying to find ways to work around this.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 175 Tue Sep 20, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:45 EDT Showman...the end of "Survivors," where Kemmer enters her ship...in reality there is only a ladder there. The ship, the walls, the door she enters, all that is CGI/virtual set. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 199 Sat Sep 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:00 EDT My info comes from some folks at Amblin', and yes, the same folks do the SeaQuest EFX. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 202 Sun Sep 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:05 EDT I know Foundation is working on some other projects, so there is time for that, they just assign different animators to different projects. I think ST would never come to Foundation. Lately the CGI work has been fairly intensive because of some very effects-intensive shows, specifically parts of "Geometry" and "A Distant Star." A number of people have asked if we'll ever see the inside of hyperspace, or the POV of a starfury pilot as he drops...and the answer to both is yes. Ron's first pass at hyperspace was, I thought, a bit too Spielberg/Disney/pretty pictures. I really felt strongly that hyperspace should be a *scary* looking place, a dangerous place. And Ron came back with some really nifty stuff, a vaguely dream-like/nightmarish quality to it. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 206 Sun Sep 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:31 EDT Yes, you do see a jump point forming from within hyperspace. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 210 Tue Sep 27, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:26 EDT Not a problem of any kind. jms ------------ ************ Topic 4 Tue Nov 03, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:12 EST Sub: Babylon 5 - Cast & Characters For discussion of the actors who will be bringing BABYLON 5 to life with their performances...for information before, and discussion after the airing of "The Gathering" pilot. 543 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 172 Fri Sep 16, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:01 EDT Centauri were available to be slapped under a microscope if they WISHED to be slapped under a microscope. To them, we were the ones they chose to study, and wouldn't be so undignified to submit to our examination. They're rather haughty sometimes. It was a long time before we were able to get some decent material to examine. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 177 Sat Sep 17, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:32 EDT Other actors: Michael Beck, Anna Marie Johnson, Adrienne Barbeau. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 182 Sat Sep 17, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:41 EDT Kiwi: "heh" yourself...it's Ladira, not Akira. I don't much like japanese animation, don't watch it. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 193 Sun Sep 18, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:58 EDT Definitely human, though raised on Mars. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 194 Tue Sep 20, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:41 EDT Did I mention that Robert Foxworth is also in our first episode? jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 200 Sat Sep 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:31 EDT Hawk: exactly. I think that if somebody is bad or good from day one, there's no real interest in what happens to them on one level. But take someone who you kinda liked, and thought was fun....and slowly they begin to slide into something dark and terrible...you *feel* for them, you worry about them, you're watching it like a car accident in slow motion. And then there's the one you thought was rotten to the core...and now that character seems to be moving toward something noble, but tragic...again, you get caught up in it. Life, and good storytelling, is about *change*. Or as Mr. Dylan said, "Any man not busy being born is busy dying." jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 208 Sun Sep 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:06 EDT Y'know what it'll take? It'll take one well-known, nationally recognized reviewer to come up to the plate and say that this is something *different*. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 210 Sun Sep 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:32 EDT Would love to hear any more detailed reports from folks who were there.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 214 Mon Sep 26, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:42 EDT Meatloaf *again*?! jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 216 Mon Sep 26, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:31 EDT Tape hell...laserdisk. (Also a big Meatloaf fan.) First time I ever saw "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" it was in college, with a young woman who dragged me to it. As we stood in line, a cool but not terribly cold night, I noted that she was wearing a rather large overcoat. She explained that it was the kind she tended to wear to TRHPS screenings...she showed me how she'd cut the ends off of the pockets, allowing her hands to come through to the inner part of the coat. I inquired about why this was done. "So I can diddle myself while I watch the movie," she said. I have absolutely no recollection of the rest of the evening. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 225 Fri Sep 30, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 15:38 EDT Let me repeat again what I said before: we've *already shot* a sequence with Michael to be used later in season two. jms ------------ ************ Topic 5 Tue Nov 03, 1992 T.ORTH [Mr. Rico] (Forwarded) Sub: Grid Epsilon Irregulars - News & Info. This topic is for information about Babylon 5 fan groups, newsletters, fanzines, get-togethers, B-5 at conventions, and other general fun. 422 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 5 Message 110 Sat Sep 17, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:33 EDT Yeah, it really is a cool book. It's a very personal way of doing a bio, and at the same time providing a good look at America from 1927 through 1994...through wars, and blacklisting, and social changes. The fake letters sent to the DGA documentary committee alone are worth the price of admission.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 5 Message 117 Wed Sep 21, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:30 EDT The command would be REA ALL NEW AUT=LOUDMOUTH.HOTAIR jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 5 Message 122 Thu Sep 22, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:27 EDT And add Jessica Walters. (Y'know, this is starting to shape up as a pretty good list of guest stars...Jessica Walters, Dwight Schultz, Robert Foxworth, Adrienne Barbeau, Russ Tamblyn, Michael Ansara, Walter Koenig, others...and that's just in the first 7 episodes or so.) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 5 Message 130 Sat Sep 24, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:05 EDT Trying to decide which makes a better Kosh.... * or ? jms ------------ ************ Topic 11 Sat Nov 14, 1992 J.SHEEN1 [Leviathan] at 18:09 EST Sub: B5 Adrift! BABYLON 5 Topic Drift If you feel like talking about it, but it doesn't fit anywhere else... If its only connection to B-5 is that you thought of it in this CAT... This is where to come and get it out. 344 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 11 Message 151 Fri Sep 30, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:14 EDT "You have forgotten something." Kosh "Nothing's the same anymore." Sinclair "If the primates we descended from had known that politicians would someday come out of the gene pool, they would've stayed in the trees and written evolution off as a bad idea. Hell, I always thought the opposable thumb was over-rated." Captain John Sheridan "The universe works through the complex interaction of three things: energy, matter, and enlightned self-interest." G'Kar "I work for Ambassador Mollari. After a while, nothing bothers you." Vir Cotto jms (Numbers 3 and 5 are from season two) ------------ ************ Topic 12 Wed Nov 18, 1992 B.WIST [Brad] at 18:12 EST Sub: Babylon 5 Sightings Post here when you've spotted Babylon 5, whether it be on Television, Magazine, or somewhere else. Let us know where we can find it/see it, too. 217 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 101 Wed Sep 21, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:26 EDT Should be an article on Michael O'Hare coming out in this month's Starlog (out now in some places) that should put to rest a lot of the rumors. jms ************ Topic 17 Tue Jan 19, 1993 C.STOBBE [Colin] at 21:02 EST Sub: Babylon 5 - Merchandising A place to discuss all the neat Babylon 5 merchandising coming out (hopefully) soon 556 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 17 Message 193 Sat Sep 17, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:39 EDT Did you get hardcopy copies of my notes, or did they just read 'em to you over the phone? (Wasn't much, really, mainly just a few line changes, some background stuff, and how the Psi Corps does and doesn't work.) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 17 Message 212 Thu Sep 22, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:21 EDT BTW, a company named All-U, which does t-shirts and other stuff, has signed on to do some B5 shirts as well...and I gotta tell you, these are really very cool. Nicely done, well designed...a lot of thought went into them. And what's really amazing is that they've come up with some process that lets them put down photographic-level images, and lots o white (and color- on-white) WITHOUT bulking up the colors so that you can feel them stubbing out from the shirt. The designs feel like any other part of the shirt. *Very* nice (in fact, I'm wearing one as I type, a multicolor shot of the station, the nebula, the logo, and "The Last, Best Hope...Babylon 5"). Really nifty. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 17 Message 217 Thu Sep 22, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 16:47 EDT I know the guys from All-U are over on Prodigy, looking for some quotes for shirts (or AOL, I can never keep them separate), so someone from there probably has more info. But they should be generally available soon. The one I nabbed was the prototype. To try and keep the novels canon, I'm going to *try* and work in a brief reference to the event on B5 that takes place in "Voices," made after the fact, just a throwaway. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 17 Message 228 Mon Sep 26, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:54 EDT Aside from mentioning in the first novel that everyone in the show dies in the end, what could remotely be considered a spoiler? jms ************ Topic 16 Sun Apr 17, 1994 STARR [Arne] at 23:42 EDT Sub: #116 - "Signs And Portents" by JMS. Directed by Janet Greek. Co-starring Gerrit Graham. 291 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 19, Topic 16 Message 223 Sat Sep 17, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:47 EDT No, no funky pyramid stuff. The mural that dominates the casino traces human history/technology. It goes from the beginnings of civilization in Egypt, the "cradle" of civilization in that region (left hand corner) and as it moves left-to-right shows horse-drawn carriages then villages then cities then megacities, planes, jets, starships, and finally ends with B5 up in the right-hand top corner. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 16 Message 247 Thu Sep 22, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:33 EDT Ron chose a blue nebula because you can't do bluescreen effects with a blue nebula background without showing hideous matte lines; he knew it was something a Certain Other Show couldn't do. "Look, ma, no matte lines!" jms