This file contains messages posted by J. Michael Straczynski on GEnie from May 16 - May 30th. Postings are copyright 1994 by J. Michael Straczynski with compilation copyright by GEnie. NOTE: This file is incomplete. I am attempting to gather the rest of the posts from this time frame. leew ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 517 Wed May 18, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:58 EDT At this juncture, you probably know as much or more about the CD Rom release as I do. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 519 Wed May 18, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:44 EDT "What are you going to tease us with now?" Nothing, I don't tease. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go print up the first few acts of the season two debut script, "Chrysalis, Part Two," which airs in... November. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 532 Thu May 19, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:55 EDT If you mean the planet beside B5, it's Epsilon 3. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 538 Thu May 19, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:53 EDT I'll be happy to answer the question as soon as you can define for me specifically what you mean when you say "soap opera." Because it seems like no two people mean it the same way. What you seem to be referring to in your message is characterization. Maybe you couldn't care less about G'Kar's religious ceremony, but it shows a very different side of G'Kar than we've seen before. That's important. I've said it elsewhere, but I'll say it here: I've never bought into the strict definitions of what SF is. If it happens in the future, on a space station, involving starships, it's SF. And I'd also point out that the solution to G'Kar's and Londo's problem is a scientific solution using lightspeed at its core. Also, I've always considered B5 speculative fiction, which isn't as narrow as hard-core/technobabble science fiction (or, more properly, some aspects of that area, since there has been a goodly amount of hard SF that I've enjoyed and continue to enjoy). To me, SF (either way) isn't about the hardware, isn't about reversing the polarity on the tachyon emitter to reflux the framitz. It's looking to the future, and positing social and political and religious questions. How will society change by the year 2258? How will the government work? How will we handle the development of telepaths? How will we get along with other life forms? What will commerce be like? That is an *absolutely* valid definition of SF that has been showcased in some of the best stories written in the SF genre. I'd point you to "A Canticle for Liebowitz" as just one example of one of the most famous books in SF, without a *lick* of hardware/tech in it. Some SF fans don't like emotion in their stories. They don't like passion or people yelling or extremes. They like their SF quiet and reasonable and comfortable. I don't want B5 to be a comfortable show. I don't want it to be spoken in a calm, reasonable voice. I'm not in my office now, but I have several quotes on my walls there (I note this because I can't put author with quote from memory)..."Be uncomfortable. Be sand, not oil, in the machinery of the world." "The point of no return, that is the point that must be reached." B5 is a show that, at its best, is written at a dead run, that takes us right to the edge. That simply may not be your cup of tea. Which, I suspect, is earl grey. Hot. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 558 Fri May 20, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:38 EDT One thing that got somewhat short shrift this season were the personal stories of the humans. We learn a *lot* more about the Minbari, for instance, than we really learn about Garibaldi, for instance. So we're going to increase that side of things a bit, so people can get to know our characters a little better. It's just doing a bit more for the humans what we did for the aliens. And it's really time for that; we now have a pretty good idea who the alien players are by now...time to bolster the other side a bit. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 560 Fri May 20, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:57 EDT I have some news that must be imparted. I think that the best way to convey that news is to start at the end of the story, make my way to the middle, and end at the beginning. So: the end of the story. Everything is okay. Nothing major really changes. All is well. Now the middle of the story. I've been asked, several times, what happens if something *happens* to me, or one of the cast members, during the five year arc, since this is a fully-worked-out novel. Generally, I blow off the question with humor. But the truth is, obviously, I've taken every possible step to make sure that no one is disappointed. In my case, I've made sure the story is available somewhere. The trouble, of course, is that unlike writing a novel, where the characters exist only on a sheet of paper, actors and writers are some discussion on the best of days). They can get sick, they can get into contract disputes, they can be hit by meteors, they can decide to buy a house in Cambridge and raise hedgehogs under an assumed name. There are, in short, *always* unpredictables in any such endeavor. Consequently, in drafting the story for Babylon 5, I made sure to compensate for any possible changes. For lack of a better term, there is a "trap door" built into the storyline for every character. Obviously, you don't want to lose anyone, but in *every* case any such change momentarily shifts the story about ten degrees to one side for a little bit, and then you're back on track again. Case in point: Dr. Benjamin Kyle and Lyta Alexander. Here are the only two humans who have seen or scanned a Vorlon. This is Very Important to the storyline. Alas, as later events unfolded, things did not work out, and the characters were dropped...but their story remained important, in that it was established that they were soon afterward recalled to Earth under mysterious circumstances (as noted in "War Prayer"), which actually *helps* the storyline in many ways. This is not meant to sound callous. As a writer, and as a producer, it's my job to tell the story, to be responsible, and to make sure every possible contingency is covered. To do anything less would be simply irresponsible. Now to the beginning of the story. Over the last few weeks, we've been re-activating our cast, making the deals for the coming season. One aspect of this has been a series of conversations with Michael O'Hare. Having produced one full season, and having learned a lot, and having fine-tuned the "saga" along the way, it was our goal to expand the show, bring in some new characters, and take the show in some new directions, which will prove quite interesting, I think. (One sidelight to all this: now that we've established the series, we'll be able to spend a bit more time on personal stories, to let our audience learn more about the characters, particularly the humans, who kinda got short shrift this season.) There is also the question, from an actor's point of view, about other opportunities, any possible concern about typecasting, the limitations of a continuing role (and the role of the commander does have some definite "walls," giving more freedom in many ways to other characters). Now is the point where one needs to take a breath and assess one's future, because the deeper we get into the story, the more problematic it is to change things (though, again, it's do-able, as noted above). As a result of these discussions, it has been agreed that we will have a separation, in the role of the commander. Let me emphasize this very clearly, so there is no chance of miscommunication: this is a mutual, amicable, and friendly separation. This isn't a Tasha Yar situation. Moreover, we will be handling this in such a way that, down the road, Sinclair could potentially return to the story. The character of Sinclair will achieve an important destiny, and the mystery of the Battle of the Line will be explained, both in the first episode of the new season. His story will still track. And the series will still track precisely as planned. I take pains to mention this because both Michael and I want it clear that we both believe in the show, and want this in no way to interfere with the series. He has asked me to convey for him his encouragement, his best wishes, and to emphasize that this is, again, an amicable and friendly separation. He has said that he is happy to continue to do the conventions, to promote the show, because he believes in it, and because he is an important part of this season's success. We can think of no finer ambassador for Babylon 5 at conventions than Michael O'Hare. He is a dynamite speaker, he cares about the fans of the show, and his compassion shows. We think he's a nifty guy. On our part, we wish Michael only the very best. We know that he is very much in demand, and look forward to seeing him in other projects over the next year. This will also allow us to pursue some new directions avenues for the show that will help to expedite the overall story. Sinclair disappearing for an indeterminate period after the events of "Chrysalis" will allow us to tighten the screws of the story, and heighten the tension of things going on in the storyline. If I can speak personally for a moment...those of you reading this on-line know that I've always talked straight with you. If I thought this in *any* way would interfere with the story, you'd hear about it from me loud and clear. When problems have arisen in the past, I've always spoken about them quite bluntly here (much to the chagrin of some people). This is okay. We're all still very much friends. I speak frequently to Michael, and consider him a friend, just as he considers me a friend. This was a hard decision, but we both knew that it was the right decision, for very different reasons. We both kinda came to the same place at the same time from different directions. We've got to do what's right for the show, and for each other, and in many ways, this does just that. So both we on the show, and Michael are served by this mutual and amicable separation. We will go our separate ways for now, with the possibility of meeting Sinclair again down the road a piece, as Gandalf disappeared for a time into Mordor, only to return when needed most. (We will also be keeping the character of Sinclair alive in the comic, and some of the planned novels, to keep that option available to us.) Once again, let me emphasize that the story continues on the path that has been set for it, everything you learn this season sill obtains, the show remains solid, with all of the other cast members coming back for a new season, and that the saga of Babylon 5 will continue to reveal itself exactly as planned. And I hope you will continue to stay with us for that journey. Sincerely, Joe Straczynski Creator/Executive Producer BABYLON 5 ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 561 Fri May 20, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:17 EDT BTW, could some friendly soul please repost the preceding message to Internet? I've tried to do it from here, and can't get the darned interface to work. Many thanks. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 565 Fri May 20, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:10 EDT The arc remains untouched. For starters, the arc as written was designed to emphasize the aliens and the Battle of the Line in season one; build the universe and set the pieces in motion. Year two brings the humans into play in the universe that season one created. There's a reason Morden didn't go to the Earth Alliance. Let me be clear on this: *no* arc-related stories will be sacrificed, at all. We're talking mainly in terms of B stories, not A stories. Most of our season 1 B stories concentrated on the alien ambassadors; Ivanova really gets only two strong B stories, and some smaller ones; Delenn gets something like six. It's just a question of finding the balance. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 574 Fri May 20, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 15:29 EDT Thanks to all. I'll convey what I can of this to Michael when I next speak to him. Wayne...if your friends feel that way, then they must not like any show ever produced in the history of television, because *all* series get five year options on their cast. That's considered pro forma. What they, and to some extent you, fail to understand is that there is a difference between a *contract* for five years, and an *option* for five years. The former is a guarantee; the latter is at the discretion of the producers, though in some cases, as we've just seen, an accommodation can be reached. An option means that the producer has the right, but not the obligation, to pick up an actor for another season. There's plenty of room for random events. Other than that, you can tell your pessimistic, insulting friends to get a life. And I mean that in the best possible sense of the word. I see no reason why I have to justify my show to them. It is what it is. If they like it, fine, if not, still fine. If they don't like it, tell 'em to stop watching. Nothing make me crazier than what I've seen on the Trek forums for all these years, of people who *hate* the show, but still watch every single episode just so they can go online and grump about it. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 579 Fri May 20, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:30 EDT I note this here only because it came up on CIS, and I'd kinda like to nip this in the bud. Please don't take out any part of this on Michael. If you're going to be upset with anyone, be upset with me, since in the final analysis, it's Doug and I who have to implement any decision, even when mutually made. What happened at the beginning of the process is that we looked at the coming season, and said (as I've noted on another system), that in the second year, we can do X and Y, both of which are very cool. But what if we did something unexpected? What if we took a chance, and tried a slightly different direction, and set Sinclair aside for a while? If we did that, we could still do X and Y...and we could *also* do Z...and Z is very, VERY interesting. It opened up some very dramatic possibilities, allowing us to expand the series and heighten the tension level. We talked to Michael, and he had some thoughts on this as well. The result was, as stated, a *mutual* decision. People here know how much B5 means to me. I would never do anything, or allow anyone else to do anything, to harm it. This is my baby. And this is being done not because we will have to overcome this now somehow, but because in the final analysis we think this will help the show, and give Michael some flexibility as a side-effect. I won't ask anyone to trust me, because in Hollywood, "trust me" is a euphemism at best. But this will all work out. In any event, though, if anyone's going to be upset in any way by this, please direct it toward me, not toward Michael. Fundamentally, the responsibiliy rests on my shoulders, and Doug's. But since Doug's not here, I'll take it. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 594 Fri May 20, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:22 EDT Obviously I can't say much about season two plans at this time, since doing so would destroy the intent of doing some things folks may not expect. All I can say is that the deeper we got into the series, and the more I *saw* the dynamics of the characters, the more I kept looking back and forth, from the Minbari to Sinclair, Sinclair to Minbari, and thinking...hmmm...y'know what'd be *real* neat...? Which is all I can say on that for now...except to add that in any novel, there's always some surprises that the author didn't plan for, and the key is to be open to that. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 607 Sat May 21, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:51 EDT Delenn staying while Sinclair goes is part of WHY Sinclair goes and Delenn stays. It's absolutely part and parcel. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 610 Sat May 21, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:27 EDT Linda, you have not been suckered. Whether or not you believe this, is something I can't help. The story has not been sacrificed. I would not be sitting here as calmly as I am if that were true. I understand that you are upset. But if you were caught up in the character, it's because the story *worked*. You saw that there is a bigger story here, you saw the bits and pieces coming together. So there *is* a story, and that story will continue. All I can ask is that you see what we're going to do, and judge that. If I genuinely thought that the story was screwed, I'd leave the show. Because the only reason to DO the show is to tell this story. You have invested 13 hours into this story; I have invested seven *years*. And you don't toss aside 7 years because of an inconvenience. The concept *is* what was sold to you. But again, nothing that I can say will likely convince you of this...just as nothing that I could say at the beginning could convince many people that we were serious about doing an adult SF series, that would rank with Trek. (One person, prior to the election, upon hearing that ambition, snorted, "Yeah, right, and Clinton will be president.") What I said then, I say now: watch, and judge from the reality. Don't take my word for it. And I'm still standing beside that promise to tell the story that I intend to tell. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 624 Sat May 21, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:11 EDT Which is one of the interesting things I thought could be explored here...up until now, Garibaldi has always had someone who would believe him, back him up...how does he deal with someone new? (Especially after the events in "Chrysalis;" you'll understand when you see it.) For the most part, Garibaldi has been pretty self-assured; this, and one other incident, will knock the pins out from under him a little, which gives us some *very* interesting dynamics to explore, just for starters. for a while. He has to go somewhere. And at some point, at least in my planning, he will return from there. This is far more about the character, and the characters *around* him. Cyberdad: thanks. That means a lot. It's always interesting, if you have one character upon whom everyone else leans, even depends, to *remove* that character for a time. Because then those characters have to *react*...to either stand or fall on their own. It shakes things up a little...and vastly intensifies the characters. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 722 Wed May 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:29 EDT KB: thanks. Rhonda: Claudia Christian's done a *lot* of stuff, mostly film, including "Hexed." As for why Russian...that's in my blood, and I've rarely seen a Russian character really done *right*, not a cliche, not "Yes, ve invent everytink goot in world, da?" but the dark, pessimistic humor, the introspection, the formality, the heart and the doomed viewpoint that is so uniquely Russian. So if you can't find it anywhere else, do it yourself. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 739 Wed May 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:40 EDT Boy, I'm not sure where to start on all this. So I'll take this in reverse order. Tom, I'm not sure I see what your problem is. The situation concerning O'Hare is one that needed to be approached in a constructive fashion, not to alarm people, and to set the record as straight as possible. Perhaps I've sounded like I'm trying too hard to be polite. This is the only way I know how to react. Perhaps I'm over-thinking the writing. I don't see a problem with this; it's just who and what I am. And sometimes I have a tendency to respond to posters in the same tone of voice in which they address me. I probably should be better about this, but when someone gets on and leaves an insulting or patronizing message, I fire back. There is nothing in any agreement with GEnie in which it says I must be a sitting target. I have never had a problem with constructive criticism -- and there's been a lot of it -- or questions of any sort. People here know that. And I don't think I have to defend myself on that issue. The rest of your concerns I really can't suss out from your message (which got rather pedantic itself in places, btw; be sure your own stuff doesn't do something before you take someone else to task on it) except that you don't like people reacting like people. Now to turn my attention to Wayne's message.... Wayne, I don't mean this to sound harsh. But I could give a flying f' what your friends think. There is this small faction of SF, and of anime fans, who simply like to rag on other shows. They sound very much like this group who will never, ever be satisfied by anything other than the one small narrow area which they have selected for legitimacy, and in whose relative (in American terms) obscurity gives them some kind of cachet. I will not revise this show to appeal to Wayne's friends, and I will most *certainly* not doing anything as stupid (I'm simply being honest here with you, not attacking) as using gamers dice to determine who lives or dies in a show. I'd much rather let the *story* do that. What your friends don't seem to grasp is that there is a quantum difference between a live-action series and a cartoon. (Call it anime all you want, it's still a cartoon.) You can kill off a cartoon character, and it's not the same as killing a human character, which puts the actor out of work (whereas a voice actor dubbing someone just takes on another character), and more intimately violates the relationship between viewer and character. I will admit that I have not seen as much japanese animation as I probably should, but I have found it singularly uninvolving and the characters flat, wrapped mainly around one or two characteristics, making them archetypes rather than real characters. Live action and anime/cartoons are separate forms, with very different requirements. I've worked in both, and the differences are profound. You might as well start comparing stage plays with movies, and complaining that there aren't as many sets and exteriors in the stage play, and thus it can't compete with "world theater." We're talking apples and oranges here. You (or your friends) think that characters dying makes the show more real. Wayne, it's *not* real. It's a TeeVee show. It's an illusion. It's not real. And maybe your friends (who are a touch macabre) think that dying makes a show real. Well, that's their opinion, and they're entitled to it -- whacky as it sounds -- but people also live, too, in real life. Police veterans and soldiers and ordinary folks very often live to a ripe old age. It's also a question of what the show is *about*. This show is not about who's going to die next. This show is about how people react to some monumental changes around them. It's the journey and the process. Death is a rather abrupt end to the process. Sure, you could've killed Aragon halfway through Lord of the Rings, but frankly I think that seeing him go all the way, and seeing his character change, and become the King, is one hell of a lot more interesting. Dead is dead. Dead is wormfood. Anyone can kill a character. That's the easiest, and cheapest way to pump up false drama in a story. For me, it's more interesting to see someone stay alive and *deal* with problems rather than just die. They are trying to apply their own arbitrary quotas to this show that have *nothing* to do with the story that I'm trying to tell. Personally, I think you're *far* too worried about what your friends think. Finally, on the ethnic casting question...same thing. You're trying to apply geopolitical and population survey figures to telling a story. We don't cast *anyone* based on ethnic background. We cast the best person to walk in the room. Period. Which has led to just about every romance on the show being between two different ethnic groups. Further, Wayne, we don't *cast* out of the Whole World Population. We make our show in Los Angeles, and our acting pool is drawn out of Los Angeles. And sometimes you go around looking for an Indian actor, and you find a few good ones, but none of them are quite right for the part. Now, do you cast someone who's wrong for the part, or adjust the part to the best actor? I'm a writer. I tell stories. Your friends, and by proxy you, want to randomize, politicize, and make arbitrary how a story is done. You (and/or they) want me to compare my show to Japanese cartoons, and try to play in their field rather than making our own playing field. I'm not here to compete with japanese cartoons, or live up to your friends' notion of what is "World Television." I'm telling my story, my way. And I encourage them to find a venue where they can tell their story their way. But it's got nothing to do with me. I hope this did not sound pedantic, or hostile, it's simply the reality of the situation. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 753 Thu May 26, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:33 EDT Kiwi: I was referring to killing a major (or substantive) character, not killing a character in the course of a given story. Rhonda: no, not Russian Jew. Background is byelorussian, White Russian, with some polish in there somewhere. Family came from a village named (I believe) Bogdanova, between Minsk and Pinsk (I wouldn't like about that) in the Carpathian mountains. Anyway, that general area. The family was catholic, not jewish. I'm actually one one-and-a-half generation American. My grandparents came here from Europe, fleeing the Russian revolution, my father was born here, but lived much of his early life in Germany, Poland and Russia when he got caught there at the start of WW II in the blitzkrieg (on the run for years as an american). Harlan keeps telling me that mine is a Horatio Alger story...kid from nowhere, immigrant family, goes to Hollywood and makes it big. Sounds more exciting than it is, I suspect.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 762 Thu May 26, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:45 EDT Mr. T...actually, yes, we did audition a *lot* of Russian actors for the part. And we had to go back and forth, do we want an accent or do we not want an accent? Which kind of russian do we do? Finally we simply fell back to our position of "Whoever walks into the room and blows us away gets the job." Claudia did that. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 763 Thu May 26, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:56 EDT BTW...while I'm on the topic...for anyone who wonders why I just sit and despair some days...I pass along to you the following, from the June 1994 issue of Satellite ORBIT magazine, page 23, in a roundup of SF series. "Deep Space Nine is remarkably close in theme and premise to another recent syndicated series, Babylon 5, probably because in Joe Straczynski, they share a writer-producer." So just for starters, now I'm a writer-producer working on DS9. "Michael O'Hare plays the station's commander, in the words of one wag, as if he were 'Lorne Greene under hypnosis.'" This should start to give you a clue: if a reviewer has to quote another reviewer (I think that one came from People), it probably means he hasn't seen the show he or she is reviewing. How can we now verify this? "Even the presence of Claudia Christian, who plays Babylon 5's second in command with the worst Russian accent you've ever heard, can't redeem this one." Okay, now, folks, maybe I'm confused, what do I know, I just created the show, I just executive produce the thing, I just see every frame of film a zillion times...but...am I nuts or am I correct in the notion that Claudia doesn't PLAY the part with an accent? She doesn't DO a Russian accent. Anywhere. Anytime. This reviewer-critter, Art Durbano, has clearly never even SEEN an episode of the show, and can't even be bothered to get his facts straight. We never get a break. Ever. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 793 Sun May 29, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:00 EDT I have *always* considered life to be composed of equal parts terror, hope, pain and silliness. So it shows in B5. Janice: that's a *very* good question, and I think maybe we should answer it sometime. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 805 Mon May 30, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:53 EDT I'm going to test myself, and see how much I can say without saying too much. You have X-number of characters. They're all in the same place. You're trying to tell a story that has a great deal of scale, and covers all kinds of worlds, changing politics, alliances, on and on. The question becomes, how do you *illustrate* that? To use a line from the original Trek, when a mob guy is brought aboard the Enterprise, he says later, "All I saw was a room and five guys." So now you start saying, "Hmmm...what if I remove Character A from the chessboard, and move him over *here* for a while? He wasn't going to be doing much for the next little bit anyway. And we won't just "deal" with that change, it's part of the story...it broadens out the story to include Place A *and* Place B. It has repercussions down the road. It comes up again in the future. Elements from Place B now become known on Place A. Character A may even make an occasional reappearance to keep us even more closely connected with Place B, which is necessary because Place B is very, very important." What we have in mind here isn't quite comparable to anything that's been done before. The character will still be alive. The character will continue to have an impact on the story. The character will be spotted from time to time. The character will continue to show up in the comic and the novels. And through this move, you have the benefit of substantially opening up the B5 universe, you help create the realignment of characters and loyalties that was anticipated for this season, and it helps kick over the tables, as we did in Chrysalis. Just a slight refinement on the argument. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 688 Mon May 30, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:57 EDT Here's a little sidelight for you. As I've noted before, over the long haul, as you watch episodes, you will see things you didn't see before. Sometimes they're clues, and sometimes they're comments which now read a different way than they did the first time you saw them. There's been a number of the latter very subtly sprinkled through the episodes aired so far...lines that everyone jumped on as meaning one thing, but which will mean something else, and lines which nobody thought much of the first time out...but which will elicit a wince of irony later on. There's a corker in "TKO," but at the moment, it's absolutely invisible. It's not a clue, it's not necessary for the story, it's just one of those things that, after you've seen all the rest of this season's episodes, you will go "Ouch," when you see it next. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 812 Mon May 30, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:44 EDT David: "The Quality of Mercy" title is drawn from the same source as Compton's book, Shakespeare. It has a lot to do with that episode. Probably the pilot movie won't be shown again this year, which again is actually to the good. Not much you really need to know from that one to enjoy the rest. (And I think it'll be out on tape eventually.) Haven't heard final word yet on the schedule, but that looks right so far. A little something for your perusal, given recent discussions on religion. Here's something interesting for y'all...and I wonder very much if the news media is gonna cover this or not. Before I retire at the end of the day, I go out and watch TV to come down a bit. I cannot just go from the keyboard to bed, I *hate* that. So about 1:45 this morning, I settle down in front of the set, and I'm flipping channels. I come across the Trinity Broadcasting Channel, and I stop, because the three guys on the screen look actually honestly *scared* by something. I pause and listen. One of them is saying that they should pray for the president. Now my first thought is, "Ohmygod, something's happened to Clinton." But it doesn't feel right, so I stay a bit longer. Now I had to put a lot of this together from the pieces of what they were saying, but after about half an hour, enough pieces were there to make sense of the conversation. Apparently, an hour or two before, they had had a guest evangelist on (whose name was *never* used during the period I was watching, they would only refer to him as their distinguished brother), giving his guest speech. Well, apparently the evangelist was decrying the state of the country, and Clinton signing the anti-abortion protest bill, and declared something to the effect that Clinton was the manifestation of the evil in the land, and that God had given this evangelist a prophecy that on June 9, the evil in the White House would be struck down. He was saying that on June 9, Clinton would be killed in answer for his crimes against christianity, as near as I could determine. My jaw is now squarely on the floor. And these three guys who followed that segment are doing damage control. And they're clearly scared, because making a threat against the president is a federal offense, "prophecy" or no. They had to find ways to diminish the prophecy without diminishing the prophet, their "distinguished brother." So they brought Nehemiah into the discussion, and how his prophecy that the city would fall in 40 days turned out not to happen because the people repented, and so some prophecies And one of the three was saying that the worst thing for the church in this country would be for some "religious nut" (his own words) to decide that he was the instrument of this prophecy, and kill or try to kill the president. He also seemed upset with some groups in the christian community who had gone too far, and were going to have to be slapped down. It was the single most riveting forty-five mintutes I have spent in front of the TV, watching these people, knowing who their audience is, knowing that if anything happened they'd be called to task for it, knowing the possible consequences, *trying* desperately to talk some of the more, shall we say, eccentric viewers of this kind of programming out of killing the president. *Without* saying that the "prophet" who after all they just put on their network...was a nutcase. Now, again, this went out on national TeeVee last night/early this morning. I'm gonna be REAL curious to see if the news media picks up on this one. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 821 Tue May 31, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:30 EDT Actually, we kinda thought that major intersections like that would have light-grids in the floors (there are arrows pointing the way to various intersecting corridors) all over the place. Hence why we didn't change them. One problem with putting in a different, replaceable "floor" is the noise hassle. The natural floor is reinforced, and *quiet* when you walk on it. Any overlay (or underlay) is going to result in bounceback and creaking and other audio problems that'll require dubbing in post. But we'll look at it again, and see what else we can do here. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 665 Thu May 26, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:49 EDT "Chrysalis, Part Two" will probably be the first shot, and it will be 201. None of the scripts mentioned were actually completed last season, and will have to be considered. Certainly Harlan's working on his "Demon" script even as we speak. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 668 Fri May 27, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:34 EDT I probably could've tried to sell it as just part of the story...and would be lying if I said I hadn't briefly considered it. But it's just what it is: a fabrication. Better to take it on the chin and get it over with.... jms Category 18, Topic 2 Message 670 Fri May 27, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:31 EDT We won't know more about casting until we've got scripts in hand to begin that process. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 476 Wed May 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:36 EDT That's a long trip, and we ain't gonna get the Hugo, so I may not make the trip, since we'll be hip-deep in production at the time. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 15 Message 294 Sat May 28, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:52 EDT Mutari are aliens who fight in the Mutai. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 16 Message 170 Thu May 26, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:40 EDT He didn't exactly become a disembodied voice...he moved away down one of the two intersecting corridors, and called back. jms ------------ ------------ Category 18, Topic 17 Message 580 Mon May 30, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:00 EDT Since apparently this info was broken in the latest June Locus, I can now mention that Dell will be doing the first batch of B5 original novels later this fall. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 17 Message 582 Tue May 31, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:33 EDT I'm working to develop outlines/premises for the novels that will allow them to be part of B5 canon, same as the comic. These will then bde (be) assigned out. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 17 Message 585 Tue May 31, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:02 EDT I suggested a novel set in the Line, but the editor felt that at first, to help marketing the novels should be set in the B5 present; that fans will be disappointed and not buy books if they're not using all of the characters in their current situation. At least, that seems to be her take for the first batch, but down the road she has no problem with the idea. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 21 Message 22 Wed May 25, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:06 EDT Zima didn't pay us any money to do that, we just kinda thought it was funny.... jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 21 Message 38 Thu May 26, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:41 EDT BTW, that's not just a painting. If you look at the garden shot after Ivanova leaves, you can see motion in the upper right corner, as garden trackers move along the inner hull. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 21 Message 58 Fri May 27, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:29 EDT Larry wrote the shiva stuff all on his lonesome. As for being an abbreviated version...apparently shiva lasts 3 days for someone recently deceased. If it's been months since the death, the service is usually much shorter, and again, there was only Ivanova and Koslov who actually were part of or knew the deceased. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 21 Message 67 Sat May 28, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:49 EDT BTW, there's an interesting couple of articles about this episode in this week's Jewish Journal, for another perspective on the show. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 21 Message 93 Mon May 30, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:58 EDT There were a number of reasons for changing prosthetics people, the main one being that we felt that Optic Nerve could deliver more reliably on a series basis, given the size and scope of this project. And you've got at least two more really alien aliens coming up this season.... (I'm told that shiva need not last 7 full days, if the death was not recent, and if the body has already been buried.) jms