"Missing" JMS Posts from '92-'93?

[NotSoWize]

I posted this to "Site Issues" (or something like that) but have not had any response yet, so I thought I'd try this more active forum.

I am just wondering about the "blank spots" as far as JMS posts back in the early 90's. I'm really enjoying reading all about the pre-production days on The Gathering, but there must be a bunch of missing posts from July and October of 1992 and a bunch of early 1993. I haven't found any info on these "missing posts" in the FAQ. Are all of those posts gone forever?

[WorkerCaste]

Welcome, NotSoWize. Glad you joined us.

I for one don't really have an answer for you. I always assumed that the gaps were simply when JMS got busy and didn't post. I can't say for certain one way or the other, though. I never really considered "lost" posts. If there are missing messages, I wouldn't have any idea of where else they might have been archived.

[Dr Maturin]

I posted this to "Site Issues" (or something like that) but have not had any response yet, so I thought I'd try this more active forum.

I am just wondering about the "blank spots" as far as JMS posts back in the early 90's. I'm really enjoying reading all about the pre-production days on The Gathering, but there must be a bunch of missing posts from July and October of 1992 and a bunch of early 1993. I haven't found any info on these "missing posts" in the FAQ. Are all of those posts gone forever?

He was probably busy developing a little series called Babylon 5.

[AaronB]

He was probably busy developing a little series called Babylon 5.

Really? I thought that it Rove who had the posts removed...

[NotSoWize]

Well, to go from 300+ posts in the month before "The Gathering" aired to ZERO posts in the month it aired and the four or five afterwards doesn't seem likely to me. JMS was posting while filming "The Gathering" and while working very long days on the final editing of the pilot, so I don't think he just was overwhelmed with his workload. And he sure seemed psyched to hear what folks thought of the show. Maybe someone, somewhere knows what happened?

Anyhow, thanks for the welcome! I first came across B5 somewhere in the middle of season 3 during its first run on PTEN. Even though I really liked it, for some reason I stopped watching at the beginning of season five (maybe I was crushed by the loss of Ivanova?) and never watched most of that season. I've been watching the whole series on DVD over the past few months and still have about 10 episodes from season 5 to go. The cool thing is that I've never seen those episodes before so I have really been having a great time watching a "new" season of B5!

I will probably post more often here once I've finished season 5 as I really do not want to run across any spoilers before I finish the saga.

[Jan]

Hi, NotSoWize, and welcome.

I saw your post but thought it was more of a question for DougO to answer. He's traveling this week, too, and might not have seen it.

I know that JMS's posts weren't gathered here from the beginning. I think that it was after a number of people had begun mailing lists of posts around that this site came to be (Memo to self: get the story from DougO). Once JMS gave his permission, it became necessary for the folks who'd been doing the mailing lists to compile the posts for archiving and I think some just weren't saved. I know that quite a number of JMS's AOL posts are missing here because that's where I first encountered him online and began asking him questions.

This is just guesswork, though. I'll ask DougO if/when I see him here at the convention.

Oh...and I SO envy you actually having 'new' B5 episodes to see for the first time. Lucky, lucky thing!

Jan

[NotSoWize]

Oh...and I SO envy you actually having 'new' B5 episodes to see for the first time. Lucky, lucky thing!

Jan

Well, pending JMS' "big" announcement at the convention, maybe we will ALL get some new B5 episodes before too long!

[Dr Maturin]

I really hope that it will not be a series. Whedon was sensible in saying that he'd never do a revival of Firefly because it'd only get canceled. A trilogy of movies would be the way to go.

[FuryPilot]

Well, pending JMS' "big" announcement at the convention, maybe we will ALL get some new B5 episodes before too long!

Considering the venue I'm presuming it is going to be a comic series or a graphic novel.

FP

[Jan]

Considering the venue I'm presuming it is going to be a comic series or a graphic novel.

I don't have any new news but don't let the 'Comic Con' name fool you. It's probably at least 50% media and 50% comics.

Jan

[FuryPilot]

I don't have any new news but don't let the 'Comic Con' name fool you. It's probably at least 50% media and 50% comics.

Jan

True, but I'm still going with my guess, but I would welcome almost any B5 project.

Hope you're having fun.

FP

[Kloreep]

I really hope that it will not be a series. Whedon was sensible in saying that he'd never do a revival of Firefly because it'd only get canceled. A trilogy of movies would be the way to go.

The original B5 somehow made it through.

It's true that shows are getting cancelled in ridiculously short order, though. Just look at Crusade or Firefly...

[Dr Maturin]

The original B5 somehow made it through.

It's true that shows are getting cancelled in ridiculously short order, though. Just look at Crusade or Firefly...

B5 wasn't on a major network. Plus, TV would be hard for JMS since he likes to be independent, and TV people do not like that trait in their writers/producers. A movie would be the way to go.

[Joseph DeMartino]

Just look at Crusade or Firefly...

Crusade is a unique case though, as it wasn't "cancelled" after it aired, it was shut down over creative differences months before then. TNT only burned off the finished shows to recoup some of cost of making them and there was never any intent on the network's part of continuing the series - nor on JMS's part of working with TNT again.

Regards,

Joe

[vacantlook]

Just for the sake of having it easily accessible in this thread: Hawthorne High School Comic Con transcript

JMS:... I ran into some guys who worked for TNT about two years after Crusade went down. And they said, "Did you ever hear the rest of the story?" JMS: "What rest of the story?" TNT guys: "We found out, we did a research survey, a five year long study of our ratings. This was just after Crusade got going. And, we found out that the audience for B5 came for B5, then left afterward. And the TNT regular viewers didn't stick around for B5 and went away and came back. B5 wasn't adding to our viewer base." So...they decided to pull the plug on Crusade for that reason and use the money to buy another show. But they couldn't say that because they'd be in breach of contract with Warner Bros. So their job was to make it impossible for us so they could then say, "We aren't getting the show we want, our notes aren't being dealt with, therefore we aren't responsible, we're canceling the show, this is your nut Warner Bros., you take care of it." That is why all the notes became so egregious. If I had given them everything they wanted, they still would have pulled the plug. They just wanted out....