Season 2 DVD Boxed Set PREVIEW HERE

[Recoil]

While this was stated and linked in another thread, seeing as we are just over a week away, I thought it might be worth putting on a thread of its own. The clips are pretty cool. Enjoy!

Babylon 5 Season 2 Boxed DVD Set Preview Clip Site

 

[Nancy]

Nice. thanks for the link!

 

[KoshFan]

Ah, very cool. Good to hear Bruce's voice again. I am eagerly expecting the arrival of my copy.

 

[zantarous]

Just checked the status of my order and its in packing, hopefully it will be here mid week.

 

[FlipperPA]

Its hard to tell from those shots, but it looks to me like they've done a bit more than they did with the S1 release. It looks less like they recorded it in someone's basement, much more professional. Now I'm really psyched!

 

[Lyta]

It looks like they are doing a better job advertising it as well. Last year, they contacted fan sites (like mine) and gave them links to the promo clips and production photos which we could post on our site. I wish they had contacted us again, but I am glad to see the set up at Yahoo!.

Has anyone seen any online or print ads for it?

 

[Lyta]

I guess I spoke too soon because my contact at WB Online sent me a whole bunch of promotional items to post on my web site.

I have the press release, banner ads, video clips (3 formats in 3 download speeds) and more promotional photos than the ones posted on Yahoo!

For more information, visit:
http://abyss.hubbe.net/b5/dvds/boxed-s2promos.html

 

[Miche]

I like the press release
"fan requests for a new Babylon 5 television series is growing"

So WB do actually know that people want to see more of the B5 universe. Now can they get off their asses and make one is the question!

 

[A_M_Swallow]

I like the press release
"fan requests for a new Babylon 5 television series is growing"

So WB do actually know that people want to see more of the B5 universe. Now can they get off their asses and make one is the question!

That may just be a fan in Warner Brother's PR Department trying to give a hint to his bosses. Lets hope that they take the hint.

Note: An unwritten part of the job of people at our level is to help managers 2+ levels up the hierarchy win their battles by leaving easily found evidence.

Alternatively this may be an "R.S.V.P.". So when, in 2 or 3 years time, Big Suit says "What shows shall we make this year?". The Little Suit can say "How about a Babylon 5 spin off, sir? I have 5 filing cabinets full of letters asking for one.". So when we get our DVDs we had better write to Warner Brothers and say how much we enjoyed the season and can we have some more Babylon 5 please. Include a line giving occupation, gender, approx age and favourite TV channel.

 

[hypatia]

You think that could help at this point? I sent out a lot of "Save Crusade" letters. To this day I say I don't hate TNT because they cancelled Crusade. I really don't.

I hate TNT because it killed any realistic chance Crusade might have had to go on to another network. Like the Sci-Fi channel which at the time had real interest in it IIRC. But only if they could get the first 13 episodes with the rights to the series.

Bah! If there is even a chance, though, I'd write one more letter to Warner Brothers. Don't know if I even still have their address.

 

[KoshN]

You think that could help at this point? I sent out a lot of "Save Crusade" letters. To this day I say I don't hate TNT because they cancelled Crusade. I really don't.

I hate TNT because it killed any realistic chance Crusade might have had to go on to another network. Like the Sci-Fi channel which at the time had real interest in it IIRC. But only if they could get the first 13 episodes with the rights to the series.

Bah! If there is even a chance, though, I'd write one more letter to Warner Brothers. Don't know if I even still have their address.

Warner Bros. Domestic Television Production
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91522


RESTART CRUSADE.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

So WB do actually know that people want to see more of the B5 universe. Now can they get off their asses and make one is the question!

So when, in 2 or 3 years time, Big Suit says "What shows shall we make this year?". The Little Suit can say "How about a Babylon 5 spin off, sir? I have 5 filing cabinets full of letters asking for one

The problem with both of these hopes is that they're based on a complete misunderstanding of how TV works in the U.S. Studios do not simply "decide" what programs they feel like producing. They pitch ideas to networks and make the shows that the networks are willing to buy. Warner Bros. would have been delighted to continue Crusade, and would probably be happy to have ten B5 spin-offs in production. Making TV shows is a big part of how they make their money. But they can't make a show they can't sell to somebody.

Networks, in turn, make their buying decisions based on the demographics a show is likely to attract, the per episode licensing fee and - now that various FCC rules have changed - how much, if any, of the series they will own. (Rangers didn't become a series because Warner Bros. would neither lower Sci-Fi's licensing fee to a point below their production costs, nor give Sci-Fi part ownership of the series in return for a higher license fee.) Warner Bros.'s own network, The WB, rejected both B5 itself (S5) and any sequel or spin-offs a priori, initially based on internal corporate politics. But in the years since The WB has also carved out an audience niche that would make B5 a pretty poor prospect for the network. So that's another option not available.

Take a look around. How many relatively expensive, space-based TV series do you see on the air? I think the current total is two - and one of those is a deficit-financed vanity production running on a studio-owned network that is much less independent of the parent company than The WB is. It isn't like the networks are lining up to buy this type of show - so how can Warner Bros. produce a new B5 series?

It is simply false for people to imagine that Warner Bros. could start cranking out new B5 universe stuff all on its own anytime it feels like it.

Regards,

Joe

 

[hypatia]

Thanks. I'll compose something this weekend. I can afford less than half a buck in a stamp and a few minutes writing a letter. Especially if it helps to disprove the "only boys like science fiction" lie.

And yes, I always know to give a brief description of myself, especially my age and my sex.

I see Amazon will ship my Babylon 5 season 2 between May 6 and May 12. That's pretty sweet for me. I have a weird set of finals this semester, they are all on Wed. the 7th or Saturday the 10th it looks like. So I can powerhouse on finals and then watch B5 season 2.

And I will look for the gag reel right away.

 

[KoshN]

People asked for the addy., so I gave it to 'em. Besides, maybe this will cause something good to happen, somehow.

 

[A_M_Swallow]

The problem with both of these hopes is that they're based on a complete misunderstanding of how TV works in the U.S. Studios do not simply "decide" what programs they feel like producing. They pitch ideas to networks and make the shows that the networks are willing to buy. Warner Bros. would have been delighted to continue Crusade, and would probably be happy to have ten B5 spin-offs in production. Making TV shows is a big part of how they make their money. But they can't make a show they can't sell to somebody.

Networks, in turn, make their buying decisions based on the demographics a show is likely to attract, the per episode licensing fee and - now that various FCC rules have changed - how much, if any, of the series they will own. (Rangers didn't become a series because Warner Bros. would neither lower Sci-Fi's licensing fee to a point below their production costs, nor give Sci-Fi part ownership of the series in return for a higher license fee.) {Snip}

This may not be how TV Shows are made but it is how films are made.

The Networks will have to learn to look at their own demographics, rather than that of the entire county. They can be very different.

A change of direction. Here is what is going on in British TV at the moment.
http://www.femail.co.uk/pages/standard/article.html?in_article_id=178245&in_page_id=119

 

[Cerberus]

That may just be a fan in Warner Brother's PR Department trying to give a hint to his bosses. Lets hope that they take the hint.

I think companies spend a lot of time on the wording of Press Releases. I work for a small company (it may be different with a very large company) but the wording is very important and the document is viewed and discussed by multiple people before the final release is sent out to the public. I would think someone in Public Relation would have o.k. the wording before sending it out; just my 2 cents.

Cerberus

 

[PillowRock]

Now can they get off their asses and make one is the question!

The will, and always would, make any show that a broadcaster is willing to pay them to make. The real question is: Are there any programming departments willing to put their money up in order to have a show in the B5 universe on their air?

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

The Networks will have to learn to look at their own demographics, rather than that of the entire county. They can be very different.

??? I'm not sure I understand what you mean here. Geographically the demographics of the networks and the demographics of "the entire country" are the same because networks in America are, by definition, national in scope. Now, it is true that different networks do tend to attract slightly different demographics in terms of age, sex, income, etc. CBS skews older and more suburban/rural, UPN younger and more urban. And they do look at these differences - which was precisely the point I was making in discussing The WB's reasons for rejecting a show like B5 or Crusade. (Their audience skews younger and more female than the typical B5 demographic - despite the fact that B5 itself seems to do better among women than most fairly "hard" SF.)

Regards,

Joe

 

[FlipperPA]

Its a shame. The greatest space sci-fi show of all time, "Homeboys in Outer Space", didn't even get renewed for a third season! I've been crushed ever since.



-Tim

 

[A_M_Swallow]

The Networks will have to learn to look at their own demographics, rather than that of the entire county. They can be very different.

??? I'm not sure I understand what you mean here. Geographically the demographics of the networks and the demographics of "the entire country" are the same because networks in America are, by definition, national in scope. Now, it is true that different networks do tend to attract slightly different demographics in terms of age, sex, income, etc. CBS skews older and more suburban/rural, UPN younger and more urban. And they do look at these differences - which was precisely the point I was making in discussing The WB's reasons for rejecting a show like B5 or Crusade. (Their audience skews younger and more female than the typical B5 demographic - despite the fact that B5 itself seems to do better among women than most fairly "hard" SF.)

Regards,

Joe

There is Warner Brothers the studio (who made Babylon 5) and Warner Brothers (WB) the network. I have no relationship with the WB Network.

I have an indirect relationship with the Sci-Fi network since they show Babylon 5 in the USA.