JMS Speaks (again)

We are edging ever closer:

The latest issue of Dreamwatch says that the B5 office is at Elstree Film Studios.

They also say that the production is being led by Peter Heslop. No word on an official announcement though.

Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2004 11:55:11 +0000 (UTC)
Lines: 12

t.k. wrote:

>(he did apparently
>get his way on the commentaries though--I look forward to hearing that).

I've listened to the commenary and features but I haven't heard anything really
about what happened. Certainly not anything like the story we were told at
Hawthorne. One wonders if they gave in and let JMS talk about what happened
and then simply edited it out.

Jan


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
From: [email protected] (Jms at B5)
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2004 10:10:05 +0000 (UTC)
Lines: 51

>I've listened to the commenary and features but I haven't heard anything
>really
>about what happened. Certainly not anything like the story we were told at
>Hawthorne. One wonders if they gave in and let JMS talk about what happened
>and then simply edited it out.

Yes, that's exactly what happened.

I sat down to watch the DVD set yesterday, having picked it up at the local
store, and went to the commentary. I'd put that information at the very start
of my commentary.

Now, understand: what I'd told WB was this....if you want me to do the
commentary, my requirement is that you let me tell what really happened. If
you want to use the commentary, you have to leve that in. If you don't want to
have that in, then don't use the commentary at all. Everybody agreed.

So I started it up...listened...and it was gone.

In its place is a segment taken from the on-camera interview.

This was the one tape they didn't send me for approval, which being busy I
didn't track back, but I was always told there wasn't a problem. At no time
did ANYONE from WB or New Wave Entertainment tell me that this was being done.

Doing these DVDs was the only way I had to date to get the bad taste of that
experience out of my mouth, the sheer dishonesty and rudeness of it all.

So much for that goal.

The term "furious" doesn't even begin to cover it. I'm normally a very quiet,
soft spoken kind of guy.

But last night I broke the sound barrier and the dictionary all at the same
time.

Furious.

You have no idea.


jms

([email protected])
(all message content (c) 2004 by synthetic worlds, ltd.,
permission to reprint specifically denied to SFX Magazine
and don't send me story ideas)

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ December 13, 2004 01:35 PM: Message edited by: ianviking ]</font>

I'm confused, what was left out of the commentary? JMS has so many disputs, I'm not sure which one this is? Anyone know?

Hi All,

It's with a heavy heart I bring you the following rumor, which surfaced right after the rumor above. Neither has been officially confirmed, but, B5 sites are on fire with the this latest rumor.

The latest rumor is that WB is trying to force JMS to recast the B5 roles in TMoS with big names. The answer to the rumor above, is that JMS agreeing to center TMos around a new character would be a compromise (Bring in a big name for the role of Diane Baker, and leave the other existing roles intact with their original actors.

A letter writing campaign is beginning to take shape. If you visit sites that ceneter around another Scifi show such as Farscape, Star Trek, Stargate, etc, please post something on those sites that would have B5 fans on them as well. This part is important, as the hard core B5 fans will most likely get the word through osmosis, but fair weather fans who are more into other shows may also jump on the bandwagon.

If you do write letters (which all B5 fans who are concerned would appreciate) be polite and thankful for the DVD releases, and for the possibility of a feature film (TMoS). But be clear that if the actors for existing roles are replaced that you wouldn't be interested in seeing it, and believe it would be a grand mistake. Be sure to also include that you realize it is a rumor, and that it concerns you.

This information comes from people who know people, who know things. Logic says that by now, if there is no truth to these rumors, that JMS would have squashed them, as he could say something like "There are no discussions to recast any existing roles in any future B5 projects". If it's true, JMS is between a rock and a hard place, if he says it's true, he will be breaking his "gag order". If he denies it and it's true, he would be lieing to us fans, and we all know that is not something JMS will ever do, even with a gun to his head.

So get the word out, and I will update with addresses to mail concerns to. If someone else can post those adresses before I am able to, that would be terrific.

Mailing information

if you want, you can snail mail to WB at the main address and make it attention development department or even be bold and make it attention Babylon 5 or TMoS.

Warner Bros.

Features Development Dept.
4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91522


And thanks to z^3 over at JMSNews we now have the Elstree address!

Elstree Film Studios
Shenley Rd
Borehamwood, Hertfordshire
WD6 1JG
United Kingdom

You can also make it?

Attn: Babylon 5: The Memory of Shadows

or

Attn: Babylon 5 Production Offices

or since we?ve been told that Peter Heslop is the Production Manager?something like:

Elstree Film Studios
Babylon 5 Production Offices
Borehamwood, Hertfordshire
WD6 1JG
United Kingdom
Attn: Peter Heslop, Production Manager

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ December 13, 2004 12:37 PM: Message edited by: sindatur ]</font>

Yeah, big ole "HUH?" from me too. What was JMS wanting to vent about?

He told WB, the only way he would do a commentary on Crusade, was if he could tell the whole story about how TNT Atlanta Suits jacked around and sabotaged Crusade. He told them they could use the commentary intact or not at all, and if anything changed they needed to let him know.

WB agreed to let him tell the whole story. JMS popped in the DVD with the commentary on it, and discovered that they had edited it, without letting him know.

<font=georgia><font color="red">
Do you have a transcript of the original that you can send out to whomever will take it (Cinescape, SciFiWire), or better yet (though unlikely), the audio?

</font>

No, though it's mainly what I've said online, I just wanted it to be available to a wider audience, all in one place.

jms
<hr width="50%">
<font color="red">I guess noone at WB would admitt that they basicly had lied to Joe. But I do hope that the truth will come out one way or another.

Joe, will there ever be a conversation between you and WB about this "faux-pas"?</font>


Oh, that conversation has already begun.

My latest email reads as follows:

"Scott --

Since you have not replied to my email asking why the bait-and-switch was done in regards to my commentary, I have no idea why this was done or how you plan to rectify the situation.

Many fans are asking the same questions of me, but since I don't have this information, I though the simplest and most efficient solution would be to give them your email address so they can inquire of you directly. If I don't hear back in a couple of days, I'll assume you don't mind."


jms</font>

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ December 20, 2004 10:01 PM: Message edited by: Wizz ]</font>

<font face="georgia"><font color="red">I would like to ask you why in the world you would play insult toward the Holy See; I am a big fan of your show, but after watching Crusade for the first time, you made on purpose a female Pope; this does NOT even in the slightest coincide with our beliefs nor would cannon change. We are not protestants, nor do we get along with them when it comes to dogma.</font>

Two things....

First, as you probably know, the Roman Catholic Church has been hoping for a long time now to re-unite with the other churches that broke off from it long ago...which do, in many cases, recognize female priests.

If the church achieves its goal, then it will probably have to make that adjustment over time. That being the case, the possibility of a female pope is altogether reasonable.

Second, are you aware that during the Black Plague, when the ranks of priests had been decimated by illness and death, the church allowed the ordination of female priests to minister to the sick? Because if they didn't, they wouldn't HAVE anybody else.

Further to this point...for centuries, Catholic priests were allowed to marry. This only changed when the children of priests began to make the claim that they, not the church, owned the land on which the churches were built. When this became too problematic, they passed the rule that priests could not marry.

The church's dogma has always been flexible when it was politically or financially expedient. Those who think otherwise have no familiarity with history.

jms

<hr>

Re: Danger folks.. Warner Bros is screwing with TMOS Casting..

I would like to be able to comment on this, but for the time being I am not able to do so.

jms

I believe that last line is pretty damn telling. If there was no truth to the rumors of recasting, JMS could simply say, "There are no discussions of replacing original B5 characters in any forthcoming projects" (or something like that) and easily get around the gag order. So, there's no reason why he couldn't shoot down the rumors if they are false. Since he says he can't comment, that pretty much says he's bound by the gag order, which leads me to believe the rumors are true.

I've sent my letter to WB already.

<font face=georgia>
I know I've been hunkered down a bit of late, and there have been very good reasons for it...which someday I suspect I will be able to tell, perhaps in the form of another fairy tale....

So in the interim, a quick roundup.

I'd say that the next two weeks are going to be critical for the future of TMoS. There have been a variety of conversations about a variety of things and people, and some offers are starting to go out to various individuals...so we shall see what we shall see.

On the subject of the Crusade DVD commentary...I see another fairy tale looming in the future...WB has agreed, after quite a bit of noise, to remove the commentary that I did from all future pressings of the set, since that was the deal that we had made: use it all, including the explanation of what happened, or use none of it. So those of you who have your DVDs now, and for the next bit, will have that commentary. Those afterward won't. I don't know when the next pressing will be, but whenever that is, is when the change takes place.

AOL as some have noted is closing down its newsgroup system, so I'm going to have to retrench. Consequently, I may be offline for a bit...though I'll likely be off regardless for the next bit while the dust settles on TMoS.

I've added a comics convention appearance in Canada this summer, but I'll let the con in question do the announcing at the proper time rather than pre-empting them.

In February at one point I'll also be in Toronto to co-direct my radio drama series "The Adventures of Apocalypse Al" for CBC Radio. It should be a great deal of fun. It's kind of Monty Python Meets The Maltese Falcon En Route To the End of the World.

In relation to the comics stuff...my first issue of Fantastic Four (entitled "Distant Music") will be coming out in June, the same month that my graphic novel Dream Police *finally* hits the stores. Mike Deodato has had to squeeze in the artwork between issues of Amazing Spider-Man, but it's been worth the wait. It's just gorgeous...very film noir but also very funny.

We've also found an artist finally for The Book of Lost Souls, which will be debuting from Marvel in September. I can't reveal her name yet, because that has to come through Marvel, but she's a very well known and popular artist.

Finally, for those of you who know Fiona Avery's work from Crusade, B5 and her own comics, I'm informed that her first novel, "The Crown Rose," is due to come out in hardcover from Prometheus Books. It's a historical fantasy set in Medieval France and quite good. You can locate the book at:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846

It would be great if the B5 fans out there could give this book a great send-off.

More on other stuff when I can post it.
jms

</font>