B5:TLT Actual DISCUSSION Thread

[PillowRock]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

what do you mean by "It was also explicit that there were no aliens, period"? Explicit in what way?

It's pretty clear that humanity has no contact with any aliens in the Firefly universe. (Whether any *exist* somewhere outside the range of human travel is, naturally, an open question.)

There are no possible places to trade with non-humans if think through the implications of some of the stuff that is said; neither are there any areas to avoid because they are alien (and considering how the crew constantly moves around out on the far fringes of Alliance space, if either existed within travel distance, Serenity would be a prime candidate to deal with it). Carnival sideshows are still using cow fetuses as stand-ins for alien corpses ....... and getting away with it because nobody has ever seen even a news broadcast photo of an actual alien to compare that fetus to.


And, though I can't cite the specific quote off hand, I do believe that Whedon did say that there were no aliens around in the show.

 

[vacantlook]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

And, though I can't cite the specific quote off hand, I do believe that Whedon did say that there were no aliens around in the show.

I can't remember where he said it either, but I too remember Whedon saying there were no aliens.

 

[PillowRock]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

I think TNG also had an episode in which it emerged that something exactly like that had happened in their universe, explaining why aliens in Star Trek look human..

Yes there was, though I don't recall the episode name. (I *think* that it was 2-parter.)

Muppets are a nice compromise actually - recognisably not human but still able to emote just as well if done skillfully.

I think that would something more like "emote almost as well" instead of "just as well". As skillful as the Henson puppeteers are, Rygel and Pilot were never going to have as many facial "muscles", creating as much subtlty, as a good actor.

(Although acting *through* prosthetics, especially full prothetics such as G'Kar, is also a skill all its own ..... somewhat separate from "normal" acting.)

 

[RMcD]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

And, though I can't cite the specific quote off hand, I do believe that Whedon did say that there were no aliens around in the show.

I'm sure I've heard this too.. Maybe he says it somewhere on the Firefly DVD extras - where incidentally he makes a very disparaging remark about sci-fi shows with 'Ambassadors'

 

[vacantlook]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

I think TNG also had an episode in which it emerged that something exactly like that had happened in their universe, explaining why aliens in Star Trek look human..

Yes there was, though I don't recall the episode name. (I *think* that it was 2-parter.)

It was a single episode called "The Chase".

 

[RMcD]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

I think that would something more like "emote almost as well" instead of "just as well". As skillful as the Henson puppeteers are, Rygel and Pilot were never going to have as many facial "muscles", creating as much subtlty, as a good actor.

Agreed, I should have said 'nearly'. Another nice compromise is fully-CG-but-based-on-a-human-performance like Andy Serkis as Gollum or Bill Nighy as Davy Jones.

 

[KoshFan]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

Carnival sideshows are still using cow fetuses as stand-ins for alien corpses ....... and getting away with it because nobody has ever seen even a news broadcast photo of an actual alien to compare that fetus to.

Yeah, the sideshow guy is probably the best internal evidence, because his patter includes "aliens among us," a phrase right out of today's speculation about aliens. Aliens are still something shrouded in mystery, enough that a not-even-born cow fetus can get into show business, not something commonplace or something you could double-check on.

 

[GaribaldisHair]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

I'm sure I've heard this too.. Maybe he says it somewhere on the Firefly DVD extras - where incidentally he makes a very disparaging remark about sci-fi shows with 'Ambassadors'

Although according to everything I have read Whedon was a big fan of B5.

 

[Shabaz]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

Although according to everything I have read Whedon was a big fan of B5.

That's pretty interesting. I, however, have never read about it. I don't suppose you have any reference links to satisfy my curiosity? Can't find anything on him being a B5 fan or not after googling a bit.

 

[vacantlook]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

Well, at least one of the main characters on Buffy (Xander) was a big enough fan of B5 to own some B5 paraphernalia that wasn't ever actually produced (collectors plates). Another reoccurring character (Jonathan, I think) complained about another character writing in his copies of the B5 novels, as well.

 

[Shabaz]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

Ah, I didn't know that. That's pretty neat. To be honest, I haven't really watched Buffy beyond some stray episodes here and there. I do have Firefly and Serenity on my DVD shelf here, but still on the "to watch" stack.

 

[vacantlook]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

Buffy has some not so stellar episodes, but on a whole, it's awesome (as is the Buffy spin-off Angel), and best watched in progression from start to finish.

 

[GaribaldisHair]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

That's pretty interesting. I, however, have never read about it. I don't suppose you have any reference links to satisfy my curiosity? Can't find anything on him being a B5 fan or not after googling a bit.

No I don't ... because said reading was done in the dim and distant from actual magazines like Starburst, TV Zone and SFX not from websites.

Not everything is available on the web you know ..

By all accounts, said reading always indicated to me that JW and JMS have some sort of mutual admiration society going.

 

[RMcD]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

By all accounts, said reading always indicated to me that JW and JMS have some sort of mutual admiration society going.

Would be awesome if they ever got to collaborating on something then..

 

[KoshFan]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

That, I'm afraid, wouldn't be quite as good as you might think... both of them are such strong personalities and creators that I think disputes would arise, and both of them are used to getting their way. Violence would ensue, to use the words of them.

Ever since my parents dreamed up a Tom Stoppard/Stephen Sondheim collaboration, I've been excited by the possibilities of such collaborations, but afraid they'll collapse in flames.

 

[RMcD]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

That, I'm afraid, wouldn't be quite as good as you might think... both of them are such strong personalities and creators that I think disputes would arise, and both of them are used to getting their way. Violence would ensue, to use the words of them.

Perhaps something simple, like each of them writing or directing an episode of each other's shows, under the strict understanding of who has executive control in each case, so if it doesn't work out, no one loses.. JMS allowed Neil Gaiman to write an episode of B5. Kind of the equivalent of a handshake for strong creative types. Next time they both have shows, of course..

 

[Shabaz]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

No I don't ... because said reading was done in the dim and distant from actual magazines like Starburst, TV Zone and SFX not from websites.

Not everything is available on the web you know ..

By all accounts, said reading always indicated to me that JW and JMS have some sort of mutual admiration society going.

I'll just take your word for it then. And yeah, some small collaboration between the two could be pretty neat, I suppose.



Ok, let me post something slightly more on topic than Whedon's tastes in this thread of "Actual B5:TLT News".

I don't think this has been posted in here yet, but after TLT wrapped, apparently Jeffrey Willerth chatted Bruce Boxleitner up a bit to see if he wanted to talk about the Tales on the Babylon Podcast. Which he apparently was in for, but for him to actually talk about it without upsetting someone at WB they first want to get permission from their publicity department. So I'm guessing Jeffrey and Bruce are still trying together to make that happen.

However, Jeffrey did talk about how positive Bruce was to him about the TLT shooting experience in Show 46, and how he just couldn't stop raving about the writing and the production and the general atmosphere on set. I thought it was pretty cool to hear that, and it made me feel pretty positive about this project too.

For your convenience, a short transcript of some of Jeffrey's remarks regarding his post-TLT chat with Bruce:

Jeffrey: So, with respect to the things that he told me that I can't tell you guys because that would be inappropriate, let me at least summarize by saying that Bruce had an outstanding time. It was just truly a great production experience for him. He loved the idea that he was back in this universe. Loved the opportunity to work with Tracy Scoggins, who he says just looks absolutely sensational. And loved the opportunity to work with Peter Woodward again, who is just such an amazing talent. Could not stop saying enough great things about Joe's script, and how terrific Joe was about everything about the production. How exciting; what a positive energy there was about everything that was going on. I mean, it was a half hour of me just listening to him just go on, and on, and on, and on, and on before I got a word in edge wise. I mean, he is just so jazzed about it. And, I can tell you after having known Bruce for as many years as I have, to hear him that excited about something is really good. Because, if he is milktoast about something, he'll let you know. And if he's unhappy, he'll let you know. And, it was just a great experience; he said that he has never seen a show quite so... I guess the right word be kinda relaxed, and comfortable, and enjoying the whole experience.

There must have been a whole level of... He was very clear about how the Joe we worked with on Babylon 5 was not the Joe he had just got to work with. In terms of just his overall confidence, and just the way he... that Joe was just having a great time with it. They were all having a great time with it. And Bruce couldn't stop saying enough wonderful things about Doug Netter, and how, what an amazing man Doug still is at his... still young years. That Doug just hung right in there with them, and was having dinner with them late at night, and slamming down cappuccinos at midnight after a long day of shooting. And getting there, and boom, he was on set the next morning ready to rock. And still, just, right there, shoulder to shoulder with everybody else. It speaks volumes about Doug Netter.

So, that's the buzz from Canada. It has been going great, a super crew. He also, I will tell you that Bruce said the crew was sooo enthusiastic. That they were so excited that they were getting to do anything that was B5, and be a part of it. That that was just a super, super positive experience, and everything went terrific.

If you want to actually listen to it, go to the above link. The full podcast also contains an interesting, well... something, with Robin Atkin Downes, who apparently is having a bit of a bad day while being driven around town by Pat Tallman.

 

[AnlaShokGrey]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

Well, at least one of the main characters on Buffy (Xander) was a big enough fan of B5 to own some B5 paraphernalia that wasn't ever actually produced (collectors plates). Another reoccurring character (Jonathan, I think) complained about another character writing in his copies of the B5 novels, as well.

I wouldn't necessarily take that as meaning that Whedon is a B5 fan; after all, the point with Xander and Jonathan (although I think it was Andrew, actually), is that they were terrifically big ol' geeks. Not that there's anything wrong with that from where we sit, but to the average viewer, it isn't a particularly flattering character trait that someone has Babylon 5 collector plates...

 

[vacantlook]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

and Jonathan (although I think it was Andrew, actually)

Andrew is the one who wrote in Jonathan's copies of the novels, much to Jonathan's anger.

they were terrifically big ol' geeks [...] but to the average viewer, it isn't a particularly flattering character trait that someone has Babylon 5 collector plates...

But we're not talking about the average viewer's perception of it, we're talking about Whedon's perception of his characters, and Whedon himself is most definitely a big ol' geek.

 

[AnlaShokGrey]

Re: Actual B5:TLT News

Andrew is the one who wrote in Jonathan's copies of the novels, much to Jonathan's anger.

Ah, yes -- now that you say that, I'm sure that's correct. Thanks for the reminder.

But we're not talking about the average viewer's perception of it, we're talking about Whedon's perception of his characters, and Whedon himself is most definitely a big ol' geek.

No, we're talking about Whedon's desire to manipulate the audience's perception of his characters. Big ol' geek he may be, but he is also a television writer, writing for a (roughly) mainstream audience (yes it was a genre show, but it was a much more mainstream phenomenon than most genre shows, as apparently 'Heroes' is turning out to be, too). I'm just not convinced that was intended to be a fond homage.