More B5 on the way?

[hypatia]

I was wondering the other day if a Re-boot of the series per-se might work...

I would love to see a reboot if they went back to the original plan of Sinclair being the one and only 'The One', who
survives all the events of the series. But I'm porbably in the minority there!

Not at all. It would have been interesting if the series had been able to unfold the way JMS originally envisioned.

But didn't JMS claim that he's always have needed a character like Sheridan, even if Sinclair had been available for the entire serie's run? It certainly seems that the perfect end of the series would be the return to/of Valen, but is that actually a known fact (that it was written to be the last episode in the series)?

 

[A_M_Swallow]

But didn't JMS claim that he's always have needed a character like Sheridan, even if Sinclair had been available for the entire serie's run? It certainly seems that the perfect end of the series would be the return to/of Valen, but is that actually a known fact (that it was written to be the last episode in the series)?

Each Babylon station would need its own captain. I believe the original idea was for B4 to be brought forward in time.

 

[hypatia]

Oh, is that how it was going to be, before plans had to change? So Sinclair's departure would have happened while Sherridan was handling the more direct fighting? And as the war ended, he'd go back in time at that point?

I would have been one hell of a packed finish.

 

[Jan]

In the memo published in Volume 15 of the script books, there's no mention of Sinclair becoming Valen at all. It was very early in the process, written between 'The Gathering' and the beginning of filming Season 1.

Jan

 

[JoeD80]

But didn't JMS claim that he's always have needed a character like Sheridan, even if Sinclair had been available for the entire serie's run?

Sort of. What he said was:

Sheridan, or more specifically the need for someone *like* Sheridan began to get through clearly toward the latter part of [season one], as I began planning out season two's progression, and kept looking at elements of the story and trying to find ways to get Sinclair into the heart of them. They felt contrived, for the most part;
...
[I have to] bring in someone who has a direct, personal connection with the storyline emerging in season two, so it's not contrived or forced.

and

Sheridan, or someone like him, would've been brought in around this time regardless, yes...but knowing this would happen, I was able to skew the new character to have the elements, and be in the position, that would most help me move the story along.

So what I think he was referring to was there was always going to be a character connected to the Shadows, but moving Sinclair off the board allowed him to make the Captain of Bablyon 5 have that connection without making every single plot point run through Sinclair. Note this interesting line of character description about Sinclair from the treatment:

Commander Sinclair is quite attractive, a man widowed some years ago. He doesn't talk about it.
....
one sometimes gets the impression that he has never quite gotten over the loss of his wife.

Makes for interesting speculation.

 

[hypatia]

That is fascinating, thank you for posting Jan and JoeD. Yes, that may give a glimpse at what may have been closer to the original vision of the series?

I do also understand that no one goes into a pilot for a series with the entire thing figured out in detail, obviously life would make that almost impossible to produce. But it sounds as if Sinclair was going to be one heck of a busy character.

I actually have to say I think it worked out the better way. But it must be fascinating for young authors to see a bit of how this idea progressed until it became the B5 we all know.

 

[Republibot 3.0]

As likely as not, he might just say "I bought B5 from Warners, I now own it completely, and it's done. Thank you very much for coming out, don't forget to tip your waitresses." I mean, we have *NOTHING* to go on.

Assuming he *IS* planning on more B5, though, it'll be interesting to see how much of the allegedly-canonical books he intends to stick with. I can't imagine him holding of of a particular story or plot because it contradicts something J. Gregory Keys wrote, or whatever. Likewise, I have no trouble imagining him jettisoning everything he did from 1999-present on film as well.

The objections Warners had to a movie are still basically valid, but unpleasant, so I'm thinking that's not it. A miniseries? That might be a good way to go.

Actually, I wonder if he might just sign the whole thing over to some new show runner and writers, and stay on board merely as quality control. That might be the way to go, really. Veto power pays just as well, and involves a lot less work.

 

[JoeD80]

Actually, I wonder if he might just sign the whole thing over to some new show runner and writers, and stay on board merely as quality control. That might be the way to go, really.

I can't imagine Joe taking any job where he was just approving stuff and not writing. All he does is write. The man can't not write. He mentioned before in interviews how when he went on his one vacation and his wife told him to take a break from writing that he ended up buying a spiral notebook two days in and spent time outlining a new novel every time he had a chance.

Veto power pays just as well, and involves a lot less work.

I think this probably depends on how good your agent is. Script fees are separate from the salary though, so if you're writing scripts you're going to be making more than if you're not.

 

[Republibot 3.0]

Actually, I wonder if he might just sign the whole thing over to some new show runner and writers, and stay on board merely as quality control. That might be the way to go, really.

I can't imagine Joe taking any job where he was just approving stuff and not writing. All he does is write. The man can't not write. He mentioned before in interviews how when he went on his one vacation and his wife told him to take a break from writing that he ended up buying a spiral notebook two days in and spent time outlining a new novel every time he had a chance.

Veto power pays just as well, and involves a lot less work.

I think this probably depends on how good your agent is. Script fees are separate from the salary though, so if you're writing scripts you're going to be making more than if you're not.

Well, he's always said that he ended up writing more of the shows than he really wanted to, that he had no intention of writing 97 episodes or whatever, but it just kind of got away from him. I could see him just assigning tasks to writers he trusted. "You, David, I need this, this and this to happen. Write a script" "Sure thing, boss!"

(I wonder if there's some kind of syndrome that he and Stephen King have? Scribophilia? Calustrophilia? Stylophilia? <G>)

But now that everyone is pretty sure it's a 20th anniversary movie, I find I've got my stupid hopes up again.

 

[garak0410]

I saw an article for the first time today about JMS's call from WB, so I am excited but cautious about it...

 

[ALeafOnTheWind]

I saw an article for the first time today about JMS's call from WB, so I am excited but cautious about it...

Care to share a link???

 

[garak0410]

Well, it was from the standard entry in Wikipedia for Babylon 5...old news but the first time I saw it.

 

[Bester]

The more I think about it, the more I would rather have a new TV series/mini-series/movie rather than a full-blown feature film.

B5 just wouldn't feel right on the big screen. Especially so long after completion of the series proper. It doesn't lend itself well to the tick-all-the-boxes mainstream middle-of-the-road crowd-pleasing attitude that Hollywood has these days.

I think what I'm trying to say is that I would rather have a new story that pleases the fans, rather than one that tries (and most likely fails) to please Joe Bloggs and his band of newcomers.

 

[garak0410]

I'd like to see another 5 year story between the last regular episode and sleeping in light...I know Peter Jurasik said he would come back in a heartbeat, so I say make him one of the main characters and build a new story around that. I guess they could still have Babylon 5...it just needs to respect the original story.

 

[Jan]

I saw an article for the first time today about JMS's call from WB, so I am excited but cautious about it...

Care to share a link???

I don't have a link but I was at the NYCC where JMS retold the story of how he'd told WB that he wasn't interested in doing any more low-budget projects and that when they were ready to do a big-budget film or series with creative control to him, they should call. I believe it was not too long before that con that WB did make the call. JMS couldn't say anything further except that there was 'movement in the tall grass'.

Lately, when asked about more B5, JMS replies "Ask me again after April." and when he recently posted that he'd be appearing at SDCC and I asked him if there would be any big announcements, he posted back that it depends on what happens in April.

So, we wait.

Are we there yet? Huh? Huh? Are we there yet?

Jan

 

[A_M_Swallow]

{snip}
Are we there yet? Huh? Huh? Are we there yet?

No. So you will just have to March on.

 

[Republibot 3.0]

I saw an article for the first time today about JMS's call from WB, so I am excited but cautious about it...

Got a link?

 

[Sindatur]

And, ya know the whining about the dragging on and the lack of answers will start on April, 1, despite him saying "Ask me after April

I hope we do have some kind of good news after April, (that doesn't fall apart )

[/Sindatur goes to back to not getting worked up and excited]

 

[Republibot 3.0]

As I get older and older, I find I'm more convinced that the *real* home for SF is on TV, not movies.

Take any long-running SF series: there's simply so much more you can do, so many more levels of complexity you can enjoy when you've got hundreds of hours to play around in (Though in general, most SF shows don't really make use of this, and Trek generally goes out of its way to avoid making use of it). Conversely, a 90 or 120 minute movie can't really measure up.

It's like when they were talking about doing a "24" movie for a few years there. Why? What are you gonna' call it? "2?" How could you make a movie that *didn't* seem like Jack Bauer's lunch break?

 

[KoshN]

As I get older and older, I find I'm more convinced that the *real* home for SF is on TV, not movies.

Take any long-running SF series: there's simply so much more you can do, so many more levels of complexity you can enjoy when you've got hundreds of hours to play around in (Though in general, most SF shows don't really make use of this, and Trek generally goes out of its way to avoid making use of it). Conversely, a 90 or 120 minute movie can't really measure up.

It's like when they were talking about doing a "24" movie for a few years there. Why? What are you gonna' call it? "2?" How could you make a movie that *didn't* seem like Jack Bauer's lunch break?

I agree except for that on TV anymore you get bad writing (e.g. V, No Ordinary Family, etc.) and/or meddling (by braindead, malevolent, duplicitous, network suits like the bunch at TNT circa 1998~1999, or FOX). Because of that, TV is pretty much out (exceptions are Eureka, Warehouse 13 and Sanctuary on Syfy). Like you say, movies are too short form. Novels are hard to get started (no new B5 universe novels).

The only hope, and it is at best the slimmest of hopes, is that a feature film success could spark a return on TV, with minimal meddling by braindead, malevolent, duplicitous, network suits.