Contents: Where to Write - Scripts - Effects of Fan Input - Fan Clubs

Where to write to show support for Babylon 5

To reach Warner Bros., which distributes the show, write to either or both of:

Dick Robertson
President
Domestic Television Distribution
Warner Bros. Television
4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91522
USA

Robert Daly, Chairman
Warner Brothers, Inc.
4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91522

But remember, Warner Bros. already wants B5 to succeed. It's the local stations that determine whether the show will be made -- if enough of them sign up to buy it, it'll continue to be produced, and if they don't, it won't, no matter how many letters Warner Bros. gets from fans. So please write your local station first if you want to support B5.

To reach JMS or other members of the cast and crew, write to:

J. Michael Straczynski
C/O BABYLON 5
14431 Ventura Blvd., Suite 260
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423-2606
USA

The "c/o Babylon 5" is very important -- your letter may be discarded in the mailroom if that's not there.

JMS is also reachable online at straczynski@genie.geis.com. Please check the Guide before asking about a particular episode; your question may already be answered. JMS gets a lot of mail, so don't expect a personal reply. Also, if you have a question of general interest, please post it to rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5 instead of mailing it to JMS; that way everyone can benefit from the answer.

How do I submit a script?

All current stories are developed by JMS, because only he knows where the overall story is going. JMS is looking at spec scripts, selecting writers based on their talent and understanding of the Babylon 5 universe, then giving out assigned stories. Babylon 5 is not accepting outside stories. Scripts not submitted through an agent will be returned unopened, as is standard practice.

What effect have fans had?

Partially due to fan response from those who saw the pilot movie or clips, some things in the pilot movie were changed before broadcast, and the series has been affected as well:

• The voice of Delenn is Mira Furlan's voice without any processing and Delenn is female to begin with. Original plans were to electronically process her voice and have Delenn change sex during the series.
• Some additional voice-over was done by Patricia Tallman to clarify one scene in the show with Kosh in the Medlab.
• The use of ISN to provide exposition about events outside the station was suggested by Colin Stobbe on GEnie.
• The branding of a Minbari that had similarities to a DS9 episode was kept after feedback from fans about it. It had been considered removing the branding scene and electronically wiping the brand from the rest of the episode. (This occurs in "The War Prayer").
• When names submitted for a mega corporation and a mineral were rejected for legal reasons, JMS went to the GEnie B5 Category and asked for suggestions. The resulting names used are Quantium-40 for the mineral and Universal Terraform for the company. Q-40 is mentioned in "The Parliament of Dreams" and "Mind War". The waiter mentioned in "Parliament" is named for David Strauss, who submitted Q-40.
• Likewise, the name of the prospecting company in "Mind War," Universal Terraform, was suggested by a sysop on GEnie.
• The denizens of "Downbelow" are called "lurkers," a term for users of computer bulletin-board systems who read messages but never post. The idea was originally suggested, in an indirect way, by Rob Furr on GEnie.
• JMS is considering revamping or killing off n'grath based partly on the reaction by viewers.
• Based on interest in the legal aspects of the Psi Corps, JMS indicated how some of this works in "The Quality of Mercy."
• In recognition of the Internet Babylon 5 archive, the first-season episode "A Voice in the Wilderness, Part 2" features an Earth Alliance ship called the Hyperion. (The Lurker's Guide was originally located on www.hyperion.com; the name had to change to www.midwinter.com in March 1997 after a legal dispute over the Hyperion name.)

Fan Clubs

This list is organized according to where the fan club is based. Many fan clubs accept international memberships.

USA

• The Official B5 Fan Club, no longer in operation, was run by the folks who make the show. The following is for historical interest only:

  Note that the fan club's Web site is currently only accessible using Netscape 2.0 or higher. The fan club Web site is not maintained by the same people as the Lurker's Guide, so please direct your comments about it to the fan club.

  Membership: $17.95 US, $19.95 Canadian, $24.95 foreign memberships. For information on the Club, you can send e-mail to membership@thestation.com.

  The Fan Club web site, www.thestation.com, has a wide range of merchandise available -- posters, trading cards, soundtracks, clothing and other collectibles.

  Membership form and other information.

• Earthforce is a fan-operated club. For more information, E-mail erisian@netcom.com or send postal mail to Earthforce, 2607 Welsh Rd., Apt. E-303, Philadelphia, PA 19114.

• Richard Biggs Fan Club, c/o Shirley Didemoico, 1133 Uptegraf Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15218

• Bruce Boxleitner's Official Fan Club, P.O. Box 57593, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 Bruce Boxleitner Fan Club, c/o Darla Vasilas, 230 Denfield Dr., Alexandria, VA 22309

• Julie Caitlin Brown Fan Club, e-mail Dkountz@aol.com for information.

• International Robin Atkin Downes Fan Club. For more information contact club president Jennie Spencer (radfanclub@bigfoot.com), or write PO Box 780975, Orlando, FL, 32878-0975.

• Garibaldi & Company, 12865 NE 85th St., Suite 267, Kirkland, WA 98033 e-mail: Flashdanze@aol.com.

• The Unofficial Garibaldi Appreciation Society

• The Mira Furlan Fan Club, PO Box 523093, Springfield, Va., 22152-9998. Contact eqris@aol.com for more information. Membership is $10/year US, $15/year overseas.

• The Circle of Friends, a fan club sanctioned by Michael O'Hare (Commander Sinclair,) is a charity organization which raises money to support his chosen charities. For more information, contact Sandy Bruckner at sgbruckner@aol.com or 5022 Geronimo Street, College Park, MD 20740.

• The Pat Tallman Fan Club, c/o Barb Powell, 1661 South Bend Dr. #5, Rocky River, OH 44116. Proceeds benefit the Penny Lane Home for abused children. For more information visit the Web page or contact Barb Powell at PTFanClub@aol.com.

• The Ed Wasser Fan Club. Bi-monthly electronic newsletter. E-mail subscribe@wasser.com to join.

• B5MD is a fan group with members from suburban Maryland.

• The District of Columbia Babylon 5 Fan Club is open to viewers in the Washington DC area.

• pdx-b5 is a group of B5 fans in the Portland, Oregon area. The group meets monthly.

• Valen's Rangers is based in Nashville, Tennessee. For details E-mail Michael Harper at mpvorkosigan@hotmail.com or write him at 308 S. 11th #1, Nashville, TN 37206.

Australia

The Babylon 5 OZ Fan Club, PO Box 161, Adamstown NSW 2289. AUD$20/year, AUD$35/2 years. (Sanctioned by Network 7.) Contact Aaron Brockbank <shadow@scorch.hna.com.au> for information.

Also, there's The Australian Babylon 5 Fan Club, PO Box 41, West Brunswick, Vic 3055. $10/single, $12/ family per year.

Germany

Crossroads / Journey to Babylon. Contact Steffen Maier, Friedenstrasse 11, D-66978 Donsieders, Germany, or E-mail StefMaier1@aol.com. The membership fee is 30 DM/year, more for foreign. Include 2 international reply coupons when writing.

German Babylon 5 Fanclub. Contact Daniela Ricci, Mindenerstr.7, 40227 Düsseldorf, Germany, or E-mail wizart@NetCologne.de. The membership fee is 50 DM a year and includes 4 issues of the club's magazine.

Projekt Babylon, c/o Karsten Ehlers, Zum Erlengrund 6, 13587 Berlin, Germany. E-mail: LadyMorel@aol.com or dbayerl@ukrv.de.

Italy

Babylon 5 Italian Fan Club. Contact Massimo Martini, mmartini@italway.it. Membership is L. 20000 domestic, L. 25000 for European members, and L. 30000 for the rest of the world and includes a quarterly fanzine and membership card.

Netherlands The Babylon Project is a Dutch B5 fan club.

Norway

The B5 Alliance, c/o Inge Carlen, Vogts gate 10, 0474 Oslo, Norway. Contact ingec@powertech.no or call 22 71 64 25 for more information. The club has a monthly newsletter.

UK

B5 UK Fan Club, unofficial, though sanctioned by JMS. #12.50 per year UK; #22/2 years UK; add 50% overseas, payable to "Questing Beast Ltd." Babylon Five UK Fan Club, PO Box 1147, London W3 7ZT.

The Edinburgh Alliance is a fan club for Scottish viewers.

Garibaldi's Security Squad, approved by Jerry Doyle. Three newsletters a year. £8/year for UK/Europe, £20/year for other countries. Write to Garibaldi's Security Squad, c/o Caroline Griffin, 54 Wimpole Street, London W1M 7DF, England.

Koenig Kontinuum, official UK fan club for Walter Koenig. Four newsletters a year. £8/year for UK members, £12/year foreign. E-mail CAROLEHESLOP@compuserve.com for details.

Last update: March 19, 2006