OnlineHost Welcome, everyone! Tonight, OMNI Online is pleased to present Bruce Boxleitner and J. Michael Straczynski of the syndicated TV series "Babylon 5." OnlineHost Bruce Boxleitner stars as Captain John Sheridan, commander of space station Babylon 5. Bruce is probably best known to television audiences for his starring role in the popular series "Scarecrow and Mrs. King." He also starred in several mini-series, including "Till We Meet Again" and four of the five "Gamblers." Among his numerous telefilm credits are "Wyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone," "Gunsmoke V: One Man's Justice," and "East of Eden." He has also appeared in the feature films THE BABE and KUFFS. OnlineHost J. Michael Straczynski is executive producer and creator of "Babylon 5." He has a long relationship with science fiction and related genres. He was the story editor and primary writer for the syndicated "Twilight Zone" series, and his adaptation of "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" for Showtime earned him both ACE and Writer's Guild Award nominations. He has also written short stories, an anthology, and two dark fantasy/horror novels. Welcome, gentlemen! ErinM It's nice to have you with us tonight! Jms at B5 Glad to be here. BB at B5 It's great to be here. Jms at B5 Glad to be anywhere. Just glad. ErinM Glad to hear it. We've got plenty of questions, so we'll plunge right in. Question Thank you for the rotation of the stars as viewed from the end of the rotating station. How were the technical difficulties you mentioned on the USENET newsgroup overcome? Jms at B5 We yanked out the actual window on the observation dome.... and did the whole thing as a CGI composite, using CGI to create the bars of the.... window. A real pain, but the effect is cool. ga Question For Bruce: With the legacy of "Star Trek," do you find that fans compare you to any of those characters? BB at B5 I don't really think so. Question First, congratulations to Bruce on his recent marriage. I hope Melissa and you have many happy years together. Now to Joe. Having attended a number of SF cons I noted the growing popularity of B5. How about the mainstream audience? Magazines? Jms at B5 We do seem to be crossing over quite a bit; I hear via email and in letters from folks.... who've never watched SF before that they're getting into our show, so I think we're.... definitely getting crossover folks. ga Question Will this years episodes resolve or will this be a carry over in to next year. they are progressing at an exciting level each week. Jms at B5 A lot will be resolved this year, but as this is a novel, you can't resolve too much at... this early a stage; you're only a couple of chapters into the book. ga Question Has the show been officially picked up for another season? Jms at B5 We'll know come April/May. ga Question Hey Bruce, great show, I was just wondering, is it hard for you to remember the script, because of all the alien names and technical jargon? BB at B5 In the beginning it was a challenge... But, I'm much more comfortable with the world of B5 now. ga Question JMS: Is it true that B5 already has an ending written? I Jms at B5 It's absolutely correct; this was written and constructed as a novel, with a beginning,... middle and end. When it's over, it's over. I grew up on the classics of SF literature... FOUNDATION, CHILDHOOD'S END, DUNE, LORD OF THE RINGS.... and wanted to know, why hasn't anyone done this for TV? So I figured I woud. ga Question JMS - how long has each of the races has jump gate technology? Jms at B5 Varying lengths depending on the species. ga Question When will we see the first line of Babylon 5 toys and computer games? Jms at B5 Some is out this month, from Micromachines... small B5 micro machines, some shirts, a screen saver, that sort of thing. The soundtrack from Christopher Franke is out this month. It's nifty. ga Question Do you think our society, right now, either needs a place like B5 or has a place like B5? Jms at B5 Newark? BB at B5 I think it's man's desting to leave the planet and... a station like B5 would be necessary to establish... our foothold in the stars. ga Jms at B5 We have to leave here; the planet will eventually fill up... or die when the sun dies, so we have to leave the cradle and go next door. ga Question Give us some tid-bit on the future of the show? Jms at B5 That would be telling. Okay...things get worse. Then they get better. Then they get worse again... then lots of stuff blows up...people die...others are born...more stuff blows up... and then it ends. ga Question How has Bruce seen his character developing so far, and what is the prognosis? BB at B5 I've gone from being a reactor to an inniator... And have started to experience a spirtaul awakening. ga Jms at B5 We're happy he's been able to save my crappy scripts. Question When will we get to see how the President was assasinated and by whom? Jms at B5 You already have. ga Question How many episodes are left for this year? Jms at B5 Nine more to air, 4 more to shoot. ga Question JMS how did you decide onthe design of the station? Jms at B5 I told Ron that I wanted it to be able to produce gravity the old fashioned way... via rotation, have different levels, all that...he and Steve (T2) Burg came up with the... preliminary design, as did Peter Ledger, and it looked cool, my first requirement. ga Question will there be any love interests for sheridan?? Jms at B5 god i hope not. ga BB at B5 Hopefully a nice labrador retreiver. ga Jms at B5 JUST KIDDING Jms at B5 So you dumped the german shepherd? ga Question Will we be seeing any Vorlons outside they're "Encounter Suits" this season? Jms at B5 Yup. ga Question Will Michael O'hare ever figure prominently in the show again? BB at B5 Come on no gossip on the board.:) Jms at B5 We'll see him again, but not in the same capactity, or the same extent. ga Question Several times we've heard reference to 3 Minbari castes, yet in "Grail," Lennier says there are two. Was this a clue or an oversight? Jms at B5 He was being snobbish and forgot the 3rd caste. fa Question Is B5 doing well in the ratings and if so, do you still see the series going all five years? Jms at B5 (Can't be writer error) Ratings are good, and we are cautiously optimistic. ga Question Will there be more Peter David episodes? I really liked the last one. Jms at B5 One more this season, "And There all the Honor Lies"...it's about Judge Ito. ga Question Are the books and comics considered canon? Jms at B5 Mostly, yes; though the details will get fuzzy, of necessity, with divers hands. ga Question Are you bringing back Chekov in the finale? ErinM Chekov = Walter Koenig :) Jms at B5 we'll see...nothing's set. I know Bruce enjoyed working with Walter, yes, Bruce? ga BB at B5 It's an honor to work with an icon of scifi tv. ga Question How did the departure of the previous commander alter your intentions for the series? BB at B5 $Very funny we'll come down an unplug your computer. Jms at B5 Not at all; with the original commander, we could do a, b and c; now we can do... a, b, c and D, and D is *very* cool; also remember that his connection was mainly... to the Minbari; I needed someone with a connection to the shadows, and making... Sinclair that person would be too much to believe, with all the rest. ga Question For Bruce, Do you have any desire to go up in the Space Shuttle or otherwise leave the Earth? BB at B5 Definitely, whose got a ticket. Jms at B5 I think there's a ga there. Hell, Erin, I get scared crossing the street. ga Question To BB...TRON was a technically innovative film for its time 15 years ago. How did you feel about doing that film? BB at B5 Very excited. Though unsure of what the final film would look like... and very surprised that it's still popular today. ga Question What romantic possibilities do you have in store for Delenn? Jms at B5 Just one. ga ErinM No hints, Joe? Jms at B5 What? Did I say something? ErinM About the one romance? Jms at B5 What? ErinM OK, I guess no hints about the romance. :) Question Do the actors have much imput to plot or dialog? BB at B5 Not really. If there's a question about dialogue or character, Joe is always receptive. ga. Jms at B5 Good answer. You'll actually get paid this week. ga Question JMS, are you ever worried about looking too much like all the other Sf shows? Jms at B5 What other SF shows? There are other SF shows? Not really.... we have a unique look, and feel, and our story is unlike anything else on the air... I don't think you can live your life or make your show by worrying about the other guy... follow the quiet turning of your own considered conscience. ga Question I love Girabaldi-is he patterned after anyone/character? Jms at B5 There's a lot of me in Garibaldi; I never have known when to shut the hell up. ga Question Bruce, congratulations on your marriage. I would like to know if you and Melissa are planning to make another movie together? BB at B5 Yes. This summer we will be in a miniseries for NBC that will be shot in Europe. ga Question Star Trek has had 3 spin-offs And seven movies, Will we be seeing more B5 related series or maybe even a movie? Jms at B5 While there's always been one possible offshoot of the B5 series, I really don't... want to create *A FRANCHISE* (tm)...I want to tell THIS story, about THESE people... and once finished, get off the stage. ga Question JMS: You have said that the characters reflect some aspects of your personality. Have you ever made a deal as bad as Londo's? Jms at B5 Ask Bruce's agent. JUST KIDDING. My family history is notorious for bad deals. Me, I keep it in the mattress. ga BB at B5 Just wait til next year, Joe. Motorhomes and hot and cold running blondes. Jms at B5 Your point being...? BB at B5 Deals, we're talking deals..not telepaths. ga Jms at B5 (dial tone) Oh, hi, is Melissa there? Never mess with a writer in a written forum, actor-boy! DOES ANYONE HAVE A QUESTION TO SAVE US FROM OURSELVES? ErinM We've got one right here: Question JMS - how hard was it to pitch the show with ST:DS9 already being made/shown? Jms at B5 We didn't. B5 was created 1986/87, and was being pitched years before there was DS9. We even pitched it to Paramount in 1989. There has never been an overlap. ga Question Jm, how do you feel about being compared to George Lucas as regards to your depth of story line and the vision you have of B5? Jms at B5 I think I'm slightly taller, but he has a GREAT beard. Hey, it's a great compliment, and if I can create something that will endure as has... his work, that's terrific, but for me to consider it now would be delusions of adequacy. g Question To Bruce: How would you compare working on B5 to scarecrow or Bring'em back alive? Jms at B5 but for me to consider it now...delusions of adequacy. Jms at B5 echo echo BB at B5 Each series has its own unique distinctions... Babylon 5 is different experience, but it has some of the same... elements as the others, action, adventure, and intriquatly woven plots and depth of character. ga Question Why not have a lighter theme on the show from time to time, as in "The Trouble With Tribbles"? It seems so heavy at times. Jms at B5 We have always alternated a bit; SOUL MATES was a light ep; so was... GEOMETRY...I just don't want to get too camp or funny. ga Question To JMS: What are the chances of seeing episodes from the first season showing up in reruns sometime soon? Jms at B5 I haven't a clue; probably after this season has run ful length. ga Question Bruce, did you train as an actor and if so,, where? BB at B5 At the Goodman Theatre in Chicago for three years... then with one of the top acting coaches here in Hollywood. ga Question you have both had experience with SF before... are you guys into SF outside of your work on B5, or is it just what you do best? Jms at B5 Bruce, you're from Chicago, yes? BB at B5 Yes, northwest of the city. Jms at B5 I've always been an SF reader, plus horror, dark fantasy, you name it; I think... it's vitally important, if you're going to do an SF show, that you hire somebody who... KNOWS SF. This generally isn't done. I grew up on Matheson, Bradbury, Ellison... Lovecraft, Bloch, Clarke, Asimov, Serling...name it. I love it. ga BB at B5 Yes. I'm reading the works of Arthur C. Clark right now. $ga Question For Joe: I was in England in Feb, and noticed there were a number of B5 conventions scheduled, as opposed to few here. Any comment on B5's popularity there vs. here? Jms at B5 I've found that B5 found an immediate home in the UK because some of what we're... doing here has already been done there, in such continuing shows as THE PRISONER... and our approach is somewhat British in nature; I"m VERY pleased by the... reception the show has found over there. But what can one expect from a country... where they actually eat something called Bubble and Squeak? ga Question JMS: when did Minbari stride into your mind? How long have you known your various aliens? Jms at B5 1986/87. They've always been there in the story. Minbar I named after... the pulpit in a mosque. Delenn comes from delen, Middle English for divided. ga Question I've heard that some people are having a hard time locating the show, that it's been pulled on some stations. Are there any plans or rumors of being picked up by network, maybe Warner Bros? Jms at B5 Nothing has been discussed there; we'll see, but they're competitive, so I wouldn't... count on it. ga Question with the sudden rush of SF projects now, is there a possibility of bad SF like the sitcom deluge of the 70's or is it too expensive to make bad SF? Jms at B5 Bad SF/good SF cost the same. It's the people who make the difference, and the... stories. I think we may see a bit more, but not a lot. ga Question Jms, what can you tell us about the "GrimJack" project? Jms at B5 Not much at this time; I'll be doing the script after we finish this season's B5. ga Question Bruce: Have you had many scenes in which you had to interact with CGI sets or characters, and if so, do you find it challenging? BB at B5 Yes, yes, yes, yes. ga Question To Bruce... Would you if the show has the longevity as Star Trek mind the kind of fan attention and following such as Patrick Stewart BB at B5 Not at all, it would be quite flattering. ga Question When writing novels many writers say the characters take over the plot - has this happened in B5 yet? Jms at B5 To some extent, yes... when you only have the characters in your head, they sound like who you've made;... after a while, actors get into the picture, and then the characters start to sound like... the actors, and the actors sound like the characters...and elements of personality... begin to infuse your brain, and somewhere along the line you're writing a script,... minding your own business, when a characters says, HEY! I AIN'T DOING IT! And then you see someone for serious therapy.... But it's a sign that the characters are alive, and feisty, and fun, and they can... surprise you; and if they can surprise ME, they'll surprise YOU. ga Question It was interesting that the Narn were cast this season as sympathetic characters, when in the previous season we were primed to prefer the Centauri. Who's idea was this? I like this plot arc a lot. Jms at B5 Divine revelation.... I was walking down the street and a bag person said, "Hey, change your characters.. all around." That was always the intent when I created the show; come up with... what appears to be the standard SF line: bad guy, good guy, ally...and then start.. moving the chairs around. ga BB at B5 Nothing is what it seems on B5. Question who could we contact to make sure B5 is renewed??? Jms at B5 Your local station. Write 'em. ga Question do you have any plans to continue the story when the first 5 yrs gave been completed? I hope so!!! Jms at B5 Bruce: what do you like most/least about your role? BB at B5 Most - my nifty uniform and starfury... Least, the food in the Zocalo restaurants. ga Jms at B5 And when did you first fall in love with my writing? never mind. BB at B5 Before the wardrobe fitting....oh, great writer-boy. ga Jms at B5 (Memo: tighter pants for captain.) ga Er...not really; nothing firm (re: the story continuing)...one crisis at a time. (Was having too much fun and missed the question) ga ErinM Folks, it seems like Joe and Bruce are having way too much fun back in the B5 offices... right now. :) Jms at B5 (checking contract to see if the term writer-boy is present) ErinM Back to the questions... Question Considering the high skills of the design department for creating (and making reality) new alien species, can we expect any mechanical type characters in the future? Jms at B5 Nothing planned at the moment, no. ga Question How did you get Harlan Ellison on as a consultant to the show? Jms at B5 I asked him. ga (He's a buddy.) Question What is the Minbari chain of command ?Satai on down Jms at B5 That's classified. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. ga Question Congratulations on yesterday's (today's) #1 rating. We fans are busting our tails trying to recruit new vewers. How does this feather affect the syndication advertising and visibility? Jms at B5 Every little bit helps; and we're very pleased and gratified. ga BB at B5 We need the support of all our viewers. ga Question When does the big war really break out? All this build up is making me bite my nails. Jms at B5 Later this sesaon, and bigtime next season. ga Question Will we eventually find out more about Kosh? In which season? Jms at B5 This sesaon. Bigtime. ga Question For BB..You've done Sci-Fi before (Tron) and Westerns. Which is more difficult and why? Or are they similar in some ways? BB at B5 Very similar in that both deal with stories set on frontiers... it's hard to say what is more difficult. Each has its own distinctive challenges... whether it's mounting a horse and riding out of a scene... or flying a starfury and doing battle in space. ga Jms at B5 And get that damned horse off stage A, by the way. ga BB at B5 Ok, I'm bringing in to your office. :) Jms at B5 Who would notice one more horse's ass in my office? Question JMS, will the Vorlons play a role larger than what they have now? Jms at B5 Most definitely. ga Question Will we be seeing any more of Ngrath in future episodes? He just kinda seemed to drop out of sight. Jms at B5 not planned for now, no. ga Question Bruce, does JMS share future plot developments with you, or do you just have to take each script as it comes, and try to build on your character episode by episode? Jms at B5 (This I gotta hear.) BB at B5 From time to time, during the season, we talk about where Sheridan is going as a character... on the day to day, week to week, I try not to think too far ahead... because in actuality I try to *be in the moment* with my performance. ga Question JMS-Welcome, I've heard that you previously wrote a novel unrelated to B5-fact or fiction? And if so where is it? Jms at B5 I've written two published novels; OTHERSYDE and DEMON NIGHT, plus an... anthology of short stories, TALES FROM THE NEW TWILIGHT ZONE, both now... out of print; I have my next novel planned, and will write it when B5 is done. ga Question JMS, love the show. Has anything surprised you during the creation of the series? Jms at B5 Everything has surprised me. Mainly that it's as good as it is, that we've had such... terrific actors, the sets and efx are better than I'd ever hoped... it's just been a nice surprise on just about every level (until tonight's conference.) ga Question Bruce, did you find it difficult coming in to an already established show? BB at B5 Not really. I was received warmly and everyone is very professional and we got on with the work. ga Question BB: What is the most challenging aspect of your role? BB at B5 Maintaining the authority of command that is Sheridan's everyday experience. Also... drinking the morning coffee. ga Jms at B5 (Also the hassle of translating the scripts from Urdu into English.) BB at B5 You said it no me, Bwahana Jms at B5 By the way, anyone looking on should see right off that we have a lot of... fun here at the show; it's a good, loose bunch... And I'm calling Bruce's agent tomorrow. ErinM Uh-oh. Back to the questions... Question JMS: The show is excellent! Will Harlen Ellison write any episodes? Jms at B5 In the fullness of time, he tells me. And by an act of faith I've come to believe him ga Question Joe, what do think of Newsweek's naming you one of the fifty most influential people in cyberspace? Jms at B5 Well, it's nice, but that + 5$ will get me a cup of coffee at... the Fame is Fleeting Cafe. Still, they noticed the show, and that's good. ga Question Bruce: what has the most challenging episode been for you so far, and why? Jms at B5 (Someone is singing outside my office. How weird.) BB at B5 The episode we just finished filming today. It's called In the Shadow of Za'Ha'Dum and my character deals with some very... personal issues. ga Question Will there be any novels telling us about the past of the B5 universe so we have the background of the series? Jms at B5 I wouldn't mind seeing them one of these days, but again there are no plans for them... again, remember, I've generally held back on ancillary stuff; let's get THE SHOW right... then the rest will attend to itself. ga Question will there be soundtracks for each of the seasons? I'd be very happy if there are, because I like the music for second season as much as for the first. Jms at B5 BY HAPPY COINCIDENCE...the first soundtrack comes out this month... and if it sells well, I'm sure there will be more. (Hint, hint.) ga Jms at B5 And Chris Franke does GREAT work for us. Question What efforts have been made to design the alien languages and symbols that we see every week? Jms at B5 Y'know, John Copeland is lurking on BB's computer.......oh, John, you wanna do this? BB at B5 Weeellll, we invested quite a bit of effort during the making of the pilot at creating the alien... languages. We're still working on refining them from season to season. But they do make sense if... you know how to translate them. ga Jms at B5 (BB=Bruce...so is a PPG a BB gun?) ErinM That was producer John Copeland speaking through Bruce's screen name. BB at B5 $Look out Joe he's coming down the hall. Question How did you come up with the configurations for the ships on B5, especially for the race of the people who destroyed the Narn Colony? Jms at B5 Also Judge Crater speaking through John. Tha's a Ron Thornton deal; he designs our ships, and where he gets his ideas... only Ron and his therapist know for sure. ga Question SO the files I see on the internet forum for B5 are the stories there from you (the creator??) or is that just some hoax,......and is it just someone claiming to be you..? Jms at B5 Depends on what files you're referring to; I"m there a lot, and my stuff has been... archived to within an inch of its life. ga Question When will we see the return of Babylon 4. Jms at B5 Next season. Probably. ga Question JMS: The character of Ivanova seems to be used more to balance the other character changes..i.e. picking up some "Sinclair" type lines and more Londo of old type humour. Is this deliberate on your part to help balance the scripts? Jms at B5 Ivanova is in general something of a fulcrum upon which elements turn; I don't thnk I... created her with that specific role in mind, that's just the way she is; there's a lot of. the standard russian humor I grew up with in her, so that bleeds over. Equal... parts astonishment and horror. ga Question Is the pilot going to be reshown or available on video anytime? Jms at B5 One certainly hopes so. ga Question Years ago, Battlestar Galatica had the most expensive budget on air ($1 mil/episode)... How does yours compare for today? Are the comp. anim. effects going down in cost, or up? Jms at B5 Without giving out details, we do our show for about 1/2 the DS9/Voyager budget. ga Question JMS: Thank you for B5. How long does it take to complete an episode from begining to completion? Jms at B5 A couple months,factoring in editing, writing, filming, scoring and mixing. ga 52 days, John tells me. (feels like months.) And couynting weekends, that IS two months. Question What planet is shown behind the B5 Station? Jms at B5 Epsilon 3. In the Epsilon Eridani system. ga Question Will you put out a technical manual? Jms at B5 We've discussed it, nothing firm. (See above.) ga Question Will Mira Furlan's makeup as Delenn change any further? Jms at B5 Lord I hope not. ga We love it as is. Question I know on the newsgroups there is a lot of carrying on (and on and on) about scientific accuracy -- does it upset you when they do this? I really like the CHARACTERS, and prefer that and the story aspects of the show far more than the science. Jms at B5 We try to be as accurate as we can; generally it helps the drama; if it gets in the... way, we pretend we don't see the science and hope it'll go away. ga Question What are the chances of an animated series in the coming years? Jms at B5 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! Zip! None! Nada! El-nopo! (calming self down...an animated Londo...isn't that redundent?) ga ErinM Folks, that was our last question of the evening... ErinM I'd like to thank Joe Straczynski and Bruce Boxleitner... ErinM for being OMNI Online's guests this evening! Jms at B5 Glad we could be here. BB at B5 Thanks very much. This was fun. ErinM I'd also like to thank our industrious usher, OMNI Muse... ErinM and I'd like to thank all of you for attending... ErinM The transcript of this conference will be available... ErinM tomorrow in OMNI Online's Conference Logs Library... ErinM To get there, type keyword: OMNI... ErinM click on File LIbraries in the scrollbox ... ErinM and then on Conference Logs Library. ErinM AGain, thank you and good night! OnlineHost Copyright 1995 America Online, Inc.