A late word from JMS

[frulad]

Originally posted by Joseph DeMartino
You must have blinked. That show has aleady been aired and cancelled. I think it lasted about three episodes and it went by so fast that I don't even remeber the name.

Regards,

Joe

Century City- Not bad but I think the concept might have been a little too esoteric for your average Joe Six-Pack...

[Capt.Montoya]

I blinked.

Or more like "I closed my eyes" I barely watch network TV anymore.
The idea seemed interesting but hard to pull off in a way satisfying as quality SF and wide appealing drama. I guess it was worse than my low expectations would have had it...
Now I know. Thanks.

That leaves me with no speculation.

Anyway, JMS has confirmed that is a new series... and mentioned a treatment that could save Star Trek if he was allowed to make it happen. Intriguing.

[frulad]

This just in...

No, just to clarify, though I got a call last year about coming onto Enterprise, offering an EP position, and declined, the series I mentioned has nothing to do with any current series, it's a new show. As for Manny, he's a good writer, and left to his own devices, I think he could be a big help over there without the other powers that be impeding the process.

Amusingly enough, on the Trek front, Bryce Zabel (the creator of Dark Skies) and I got together and wrote a treatment earlier this year that specified how to save ST and develop a series that would restore the series in a big way. I actually think it could be a hell of a show. Whether that ever goes anywhere with Paramount, who knows?

jms

Well, with Enterprise out of the picture, I'm at a loss as to what the show could be. The only new genre show I can think of is Lost on ABC but that's from JJ Abrahms and I'm sure they'll have him EP-ing it.

[deelsee7]

I believe it was called 'Century City' and I'm sure the ethical and moral issues which would be the series bread & butter, made the PTB's uncomfortable. The current political regime considers stem cell research the equivalent of satanic sacrifice, and they can whip the conservative masses into a *patriotic* frenzy over almost anything. No surprise that the network pulled the plug.

I wouldn't be surprised to see it resurface if the liberals come out of the closet and Kerry wins the election. And I think JMS could have GREAT fun with it.

Century City aside, I think the most likely candidate is 'Enterprise', especially since it's on the WB. Warner Brothers has stood by JMS through thick and thin, even if it is a different department.

Also saw a guess that it could be another WB series, about a boy from another planet with a cape and tights in his future. Although I haven't watched it as much this season, I do enjoy it, and would make a point of watching if JMS is involved.

[deelsee7]

Ooops. Well so much for my guesses of Enterprise & Smallville...

[Dr Maturin]

<<believe it was called 'Century City' and I'm sure the ethical and moral issues which would be the series bread & butter, made the PTB's uncomfortable. The current political regime considers stem cell research the equivalent of satanic sacrifice, and they can whip the conservative masses into a *patriotic* frenzy over almost anything.>>

Yep. Conservatives are ignorant rednecks who just vote for Bush because of his pro-gun stance. They don't like his overtaxing of the poor and middle class, but they want their damn guns, so they vote for him. I fucking hate those immoral conservatives.

Heh.

[Dr Maturin]

<<Arab female doctor that was oh-so-cute.>>

Phil Hartman Sinatra Voice: Lilian Hobbs or Sarah Chambers...who would ya rather nail?

[Ben-Thayer Dunnthaedt]

Phil Hartman Sinatra Voice: Hey, I done 'em both!

Sorry, couldn't resist the punch line

[Andrew_Swallow]

Originally posted by Capt.Montoya
"River of Souls" was only a telemovie. The one that was a sort of "backdoor pilot" for Crusade was "A Call To Arms."
There will be no "B5 Next Generation" direct sequel type of series with the same characters. That is clear (unless JMS has changed his mind to a diametrically opposed point). Both Crusade and the never produced "Legend of the Rangers" series happened on the B5 universe but were not a direct continuation of the series, more like side-stories. The characters from the original B5 series (excepting Lochley) were meant to appear only in cameos or as guest stars, and only if the storylines crossed enough.

I know I'm nitpicking and assuming you meant only a direct sequel with the same characters, apologies in advance if I misread you.

I am fully aware that Star Trek the Next Generation had different characters. Babylon 5 the Next Generation would also have different characters. After all it is the NEXT Generation.

When Sheridan left Babylon 5 in Objects at Rest a new crew was in place. These characters plus Garibaldi were the people used in River of Souls.

Any spinoffs would come from the people who left the space station.

As for the monks, it would depend on how much the film rights to Walter M. Miller's "A Canticle for Leibowitz" would cost. Particularly since they are using different characters.

[Ben-Thayer Dunnthaedt]

I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss any possibility, especially when ample time has passed and money is involved. For example:

1) After TNG Michael Dorn SWORE up and down he would NEVER do another series where he had to get back into "the chair" every day, that is until DS9 offered him an obscene amount of money to do it. He changed his mind.

2) The Eagles SWORE that Hell would freeze over before they got back together, that is until they were faced with making an obscene amount of money to regroup. They changed their minds.

3) According to Majel Barret at a convention in DC, Gene SWORE he would never do another series (he had problems with network brass and censors), that is until he discovered he could make the series independent of any network interference, syndicate the finished product, and make a boatload of cash in the process. (Majel's words, not mine) He changed his mind too.

So only time will tell. Once again, no predictions.....just a generalization.

[colonyearth]

Originally posted by frulad
This just in...




Well, with Enterprise out of the picture, I'm at a loss as to what the show could be. The only new genre show I can think of is Lost on ABC but that's from JJ Abrahms and I'm sure they'll have him EP-ing it.

Ummm....we don't even have any clue if this new show has been announced as of yet. And yes it is a new show. JMS said so:

the series I mentioned has
nothing to do with any current series, it's a new show.

Given that it's a new show, seasons have already been announced by the Nets, and JMS is only just now mentioning it...there is a good chance that this is a show set for mid-season replacement or next season and it is still in development. Especially considering how much else is on his plate right at the moment, I don't see him trying to run a show right away.

Therefore, we probably have heard nothing on what this new show is from anyone. So guessing which one it is is most likely futile.

And no one said this new show is SF/Fantasy. There is no reason to assume so, and JMS himself would probably be upset to find his fans see him as another form of a one-trick pony (something he hates the thought of being seen as).

At least, that's my take on it.

CE

[AmyG]

BTW: I don't think we'll ever see a series with the Ranger/Monks rebuilding Earth. That situation is too similar to Walter M. Miller's classic novel "A Canticle for Leibowitz" to be considered original (whoever has the film rights could sue, or Miller's state could ask for licensing of the rights).

Everybody always _says_ this, but I don't see much of a similarity at all. They both have monks, and they're both set in a post-apocalyptic future. And there end the similarities.

The monks in "Liebowitz" are actual members of the Catholic Church, with all of its boring details of hierarchy (which Miller seems to delight in spending as much time on as possible). They have an underlying fear and loathing of science and technology because of the devastation it ultimately caused, and that underlies the entire book, IMHO.

The "monks" (quotes used on purpose) in "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars" are either only pretending to belong to some church or other (and no specific denomination was named, although I do think they mentioned Rome in the episode which would necessarily lead us to right back to the Catholics), or only passingly associated with it as a way of furthering their _real_ work: that of rebuilding society and bringing back technology.

The difference in my mind is that the monks in Liebowitz have a holy calling, and are devoted to the relics of the previous scientific age in a fanatical religious way; the Ranger-monks seem to be more interested in actually using the technology, and just getting things back up to speed.

The other difference is that the monk segment in DoFS was interesting, and "Canticle" was just dead boring!

Aisling

[Joseph DeMartino]

Yeah, a series based on the monks in "Deconstruction" would be a show about Rangers working undercover disguised as monks. And if there were going to be legal problems with Miller (or his estate) over "Canticle" they would have cropped up when the episode first aired (or when the script cleared the Warner Bros. legal department - because you can bet they checked.)

The "monks" (quotes used on purpose) in "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars" are either only pretending to belong to some church or other (and no specific denomination was named, although I do think they mentioned Rome in the episode which would necessarily lead us to right back to the Catholics)

Er, Aisling, other Christian denominations don't have monks.

And yes, they discussed waiting for their formal recognition from Rome, but JMS has strongly implied that the folks actually running the place had never petitioned for such recognition, and that Rome had no idea who they were or what they were doing. That's the sort of thing you can pull off in the absence of long-distance communications.

Regards,

Joe

[Andrew_Swallow]

Originally posted by Joseph DeMartino
Er, Aisling, other Christian denominations don't have monks.

The Church of England does.

[jlinos]

Originally posted by Andrew_Swallow
The Church of England does.

Also The Orthodox church.