Claudia Christian B5 Novel?

[Republibot 3.0]

Over on my site, one of my readers commented on how Claudia Christian wrote (Or attempted to write) a B5 novel, and that JMS legally blocked her.

This is the first I've heard of it. He definitely wasn't talking about her fanfic story. Do any of you guys know anything about this?

 

[Jan]

She did write it but JMS had nothing directly to do with the book not getting published. It was one of a series of books scheduled by Mongoose Publishing who'd done a bunch of B5 role-playing books and wanted to try novels. There was a major kerfluffel over things the president of Mongoose said which weren't true but the final result was that JMS agreed to review the books and see about allowing them to be canon and they were...really bad (I read a couple and that's my opinion as well as JMS') and he wouldn't endorse them. In the end, Mongoose decided to drop the novels and they weren't made available widely, although I gather that Claudia did sell some advance copies at one point.

Jan

 

[Republibot 3.0]

She did write it but JMS had nothing directly to do with the book not getting published. It was one of a series of books scheduled by Mongoose Publishing who'd done a bunch of B5 role-playing books and wanted to try novels. There was a major kerfluffel over things the president of Mongoose said which weren't true but the final result was that JMS agreed to review the books and see about allowing them to be canon and they were...really bad (I read a couple and that's my opinion as well as JMS') and he wouldn't endorse them. In the end, Mongoose decided to drop the novels and they weren't made available widely, although I gather that Claudia did sell some advance copies at one point.

Jan

Thank you!

Hunting around on that info, I stumbled across this in an interview where Ms. Christian is plugging her new tell-all, and the interviewer asks this:

VENTRELLA: More importantly, do you think that happened to you? You did not date him as he apparently wanted … I know the 5th season was not close to that incident, but do you think that he might have fought more for your return otherwise?

What the hell? Where did that come from? Is she going around claiming she got canned because he wanted to dip his wick? The interview is online here
http://michaelaventrella.com/tag/claudia-christian/

 

[Jan]

No, not that I'm aware of. She did go on record as having an awkward date with him during (I think) the 3rd season but never made any slightest hint that there was any animosity, only that there wasn't as much friendship afterwards. At least that's what I got from her "Babylon Confidential" book.

Looking at that interview, it seems that the interviewer was looking for some dirt and didn't get it.

Jan

 

[JonFrain]

No, not that I'm aware of. She did go on record as having an awkward date with him during (I think) the 3rd season but never made any slightest hint that there was any animosity, only that there wasn't as much friendship afterwards. At least that's what I got from her "Babylon Confidential" book.

Looking at that interview, it seems that the interviewer was looking for some dirt and didn't get it.

Jan

JMS, who was married, had a "date" with Claudia?

I believe JMS as far as him stating that she and her agent wanted to get paid for a full season but have her contract guarantee she wouldn't be needed for the weeks required to film a movie. Something that none of the other actors had in writing.

I have no idea why she refused to accept the same rate per episode for fewer episodes. I know she had her heart set on a Highlander spinoff but that never happened, so I guess she figured her star was rising?

I haven't liked Claudia since she said some terrible things about Michael O'Hare and later about men in general.

 

[Republibot 3.0]

No, not that I'm aware of. She did go on record as having an awkward date with him during (I think) the 3rd season

What the frack? Or in B5 parlance, "What the frag?" JMS was married during the entire run of B5, and way before, and way after. I think like 25 years or so, all told. Him and the missus were separated the last year or two, but that was like 2009 or so.

 

[Republibot 3.0]

I believe JMS as far as him stating that she and her agent wanted to get paid for a full season but have her contract guarantee she wouldn't be needed for the weeks required to film a movie. Something that none of the other actors had in writing.

*SHE* says basically that she would have been able to do 10 or 15 episodes of the season (Depending on when she's doing the telling), she says she didn't feel she was being utilized becuase she didn't get enough episodes dedicated to her. She says she felt she said her goodbyes in "Sleeping in Light" and didn't care all that much. She says that there really wouldn't have been all that much for her to do in season 5, and that there was no truth to the her-being-paired-up-with-Byron thing, and that there'd be no resolution to her telepathy. She says that including Lochley was "A great big F.U. from Joe." It should be noted that she's a long-term substance abuser and maybe prone to making some bad decsions, she probably was tired of being on the show, she thought her star was on the rise and could get away with it. Any number of things, really.

I think most of that is just crap, but I'll give her this one: She didn't get enough of her own episodes. Conversely, Talia and Lyta got too damn many. Lyta I don't mind much, but Talia was just a terrible character, and a disagreeable actress who got way too much screen time that really would have been better used to showcase the adventures of Lou Welch.

>>I have no idea why she refused to accept the same rate per episode for fewer episodes.<<

I'm about 10 years past really caring much, but if I had to bet, I'd say it was all about money. She said in an interview that she was making less money as a popular principle cast member on B5 at age 30 than she was making on The Colbys when she was 19. And actresses tend to have short careers. And hot actresses tend to have shorter careers.

You know how Kirsty Alley asked for some insane amount of money to do Star Trek III? And of course the producers said 'no.' Ally honestly didn't want to do the movie, so she made demands she knew they couldn't meet. Likewise, I think that's ultimately what was going on with B5 and Ms. Christian. But I honestly don't know.

I haven't liked Claudia since she said some terrible things about Michael O'Hare and later about men in general.

What'd she say? Bearing in mind that Jerry Doyle said some fairly awful things about O'Hare, which I presume he thought were true at the time. I have no idea if he's taken any of 'em back now that he knows the truth, but I'd imagine he probably has. He seems like a stand up guy.

What'd she say about guys in general?

 

[Jan]

What the frack? Or in B5 parlance, "What the frag?" JMS was married during the entire run of B5, and way before, and way after. I think like 25 years or so, all told. Him and the missus were separated the last year or two, but that was like 2009 or so.

JMS and Kathryn were separated at the time, from what I understand (not that it's any of our business, really). He posted that they were divorced in 2009 but he'd mentioned being single at conventions for at least a year or so before that. He's always kept his private life pretty private. The nice thing is that they're still good friends.

As for Doyle, after JMS' promise panel in May, I made a point of sending him via his website a link to the video in case he wanted to ensure the information was publicized and heard nothing back (and yes, he does monitor that email himself).

Jan

 

[JonFrain]

What'd she say? Bearing in mind that Jerry Doyle said some fairly awful things about O'Hare, which I presume he thought were true at the time. I have no idea if he's taken any of 'em back now that he knows the truth, but I'd imagine he probably has. He seems like a stand up guy.

What'd she say about guys in general?

Unfortunately I don't remember the specifics anymore. I just remember being really bothered with the things she said. I used to eat up any interview with the cast members.

I love Garibaldi but really dislike Jerry Doyle. He ruined the commentaries he was on and he just seems to crave being the center of attention way too much.

I'm not sure why any of them had to publicly badmouth other actors from the show.

 

[JonFrain]

What the frack? Or in B5 parlance, "What the frag?" JMS was married during the entire run of B5, and way before, and way after. I think like 25 years or so, all told. Him and the missus were separated the last year or two, but that was like 2009 or so.

JMS and Kathryn were separated at the time, from what I understand (not that it's any of our business, really). He posted that they were divorced in 2009 but he'd mentioned being single at conventions for at least a year or so before that. He's always kept his private life pretty private. The nice thing is that they're still good friends.

As for Doyle, after JMS' promise panel in May, I made a point of sending him via his website a link to the video in case he wanted to ensure the information was publicized and heard nothing back (and yes, he does monitor that email himself).

Jan

It's really kind of sleezy to ask out an actress from your show while it's still on the air. So if it was an awkward date, I can sort of understand Claudia being unhappy with the lack of episodes centering around her. But the show was a very different beast in seasons 3 and 4 that really didn't cater to specific characters. And frankly her character wasn't important or interesting enough to get stand alones.

Season 5 would have given her the opportunity for episodes focused on her and I'm not sure how she knew that that wouldn't of happened.

 

[Republibot 3.0]

JMS and Kathryn were separated at the time, from what I understand (not that it's any of our business, really). He posted that they were divorced in 2009 but he'd mentioned being single at conventions for at least a year or so before that. He's always kept his private life pretty private. The nice thing is that they're still good friends.

I knew someone who knew someone who knew them who said that they'd maintained separate households for quite some time prior to actually 'separating', but I never mentioned it because (A) it's none of my business and (B) it makes things look more salacious than they probably were. I mean, I had a college professor who just COULD NOT live with other people. Him and his wife loved each other, but they ended up getting divorced, realized they were still in love, re-married, and lived in houses with adjoining back yards because he was just a bit of a whacko and couldn't live with other people. So that was ODD, but not, y'know, unsavory or anything. When they actually divorced, I was quite surprised. (JMS and KD, not the prof and his wife. They're still happily married neighbors) Tim Burton lives in the house next to his wife and family for similar reasons. Go figure. Some people are just wired differently, I guess.

As for Doyle, after JMS' promise panel in May, I made a point of sending him via his website a link to the vi.deo in case he wanted to ensure the information was publicized and heard nothing back (and yes, he does monitor that email himself).

THat's disappointing.
Jan[/QUOTE]

 

[Republibot 3.0]

Unfortunately I don't remember the specifics anymore. I just remember being really bothered with the things she said. I used to eat up any interview with the cast members.

I love Garibaldi but really dislike Jerry Doyle. He ruined the commentaries he was on and he just seems to crave being the center of attention way too much.

I'm not sure why any of them had to publicly badmouth other actors from the show.

Well, the rumors that she's unhinged aren't exactly new. Read the comments on her tell-all book. There's one from a radio DJ that made me question if anything about her is on the level.

As for Doyle: Dude's a classic "Look at me, Ma!" personality: he was an ace stock broker, an ace jet salesman, the most popular co-star of a huge series pretty much from his first audition ever, he ran for office, and he's a talk-show pundit type. In his mind, it *IS* all about him.

Talking trash about the others: that seems disquieting to me, too. I mean, he never said anything bad about Tallman, though they evidently had a pretty acrimonious divorce. OTOH, he talked a lot of trash about O'Hare. I can sort of cut slack for that, as he lists a lot of stuff O'Hare did that made it look like he had drug problems and he was treating the crew badly, and also Doyle isn't *REALLY* an actor, so he doesn't know the whole 'don't take a dump where you eat' thing from their POV. Christian, however....hm.

You'll note the old pros never said anything bad about him.

 

[Republibot 3.0]

It's really kind of sleezy to ask out an actress from your show while it's still on the air. So if it was an awkward date,

Yeahhhhhh....it's majorly uncomfortable and uncool and frankly Roddenberry-like. ("Q: How do women get speaking parts on TOS? A: Lay on the couch and pretend you like it.") Especially with him being married at the time (Separate households or not).

I can sort of understand Claudia being unhappy with the lack of episodes centering around her. But the show was a very different beast in seasons 3 and 4 that really didn't cater to specific characters. And frankly her character wasn't important or interesting enough to get stand alones.

Well, firstly, she's by definition a second-bananna character. It's not like Vir or Na'Toth ever got a ton of episodes revolving around them. It's unreasonable to assume "Everyone gets a couple episodes every year!" She had a good part, and she was considerably better used and written than, say, Riker on TNG, or Commander Ford on Seaquest, or Bekka Valentine on Andromeda, which are apples-to-apples comparisons.

Secondly: She had shitloads of screentime! She had the big bohonkin' battle with the shadow omegas, and one of the best badass solliliques of all time. She had the arc with Talia. She had her half of TKO, she had the final narration in SiL,

Season 5 would have given her the opportunity for episodes focused on her and I'm not sure how she knew that that wouldn't of happened.

It *COULD* have given her that. We really don't know. She claims that she wasn't involved in the Byron arc, and that the season wouldn't have touched on her latent telepathy. I don't know how she'd know that for sure, but it's not impossible that JMS might have given her a brief overview of her role in the season. We'll never know. I don't think she can be taken at her word, and I don't think JMS will ever tell.

While I think S5 would have been better with her in it, the fact is I'm increasingly of the opinion that it would have been fairly lame just the same. There's a lot of wheel-spinning going on for the first 14 episodes or so, even in storylines that have no apparent connection to anything she might have done. It's not unreasonable to assume that the same basic stuff Lochley did was the same basic stuff Ivonova would have been doing had she been there. Which is to say: not much.

 

[Jan]

Talking trash about the others: that seems disquieting to me, too. I mean, he never said anything bad about Tallman, though they evidently had a pretty acrimonious divorce.

You're thinking of Andrea Thompson, not Pat Tallman. Jerry was never married to Pat.

Jan

 

[Republibot 3.0]

Talking trash about the others: that seems disquieting to me, too. I mean, he never said anything bad about Tallman, though they evidently had a pretty acrimonious divorce.

You're thinking of Andrea Thompson, not Pat Tallman. Jerry was never married to Pat.

Jan

Aghhhh. You're right and I'm an idiot. I transposed their names. Sorry.

 

[RW7427]

I hate when I transpose names. It happens to the best of us.