B5TV.com Down Since Sunday 6/15. DEAD???

[KoshN]

Anybody know what's going on? Antony pulled the plug? I'm a mod. over there and I guess I missed the memo.

[Jan]

I noticed. I don't know if you can reach Antony through TrekBBS or not?

Jan

[KoshN]

I noticed. I don't know if you can reach Antony through TrekBBS or not?

Jan

Damn, it's been a looooooong time since I thought of TrekBBS. Haven't been there in ages and haven't been a trekkie in waaaaay longer. If you hear squeaking, that's the hinges of the archive vault in my mind being forced open, and it ain't going well or fast. Got a URL?


Scratch that. I tried my luck with google when I had a spare minute. (I worked part of my first "day off" and am now having to work my second "day off.")

http://www.trekbbs.com/

I doubt I'm a member so I'll have to join to send Antony a PM. May get to it by 10PM or so.

[Jan]

They've got whacky rules over there. If you're not already a member you may not be able to send PMs.

I just went ahead and sent him a PM:

Hi Antony,

Sorry to bug you but a few of us were wondering if you still oversee B5TV.com? It's been dead since Sunday.

Thanks for any help you might give.

Jan

Jan

[Ubik]

I joined B5TV a few months back. Had a few nice exchanges there, but must admit it's been very quiet. Still, would be a shame to see it go.

I do wish there were more people active on forums both here and there!

[KoshN]

I joined B5TV a few months back. Had a few nice exchanges there, but must admit it's been very quiet. Still, would be a shame to see it go.

I do wish there were more people active on forums both here and there!

All that would change if Warner Brothers was even the least little bit active on the B5 front.

[Marsden]

All that would change if Warner Brothers was even the least little bit active on the B5 front.

I really wonder if they are waiting for JMS to die, first.

[Ubik]

I really wonder if they are waiting for JMS to die, first.

Sorry, it's a bit morbid... but that really made me laugh.

I wonder what it would take for WB to take B5 seriously again? That said, we are seeing it being picked up by more broadcasters for reruns now, which is positive.

#Freebabylon5 has to be helping, but I'm unsure if the campaign has been integral in getting the show picked up by any specific channels? Apart from Watch directly acknowledging the campaign in their ads. Jan?

There's been little to no letter writing that I'm aware of... I tried with Netflix, but no one seemed interested in supporting a letter writing campaign to that end.

[KoshN]

I really wonder if they are waiting for JMS to die, first.

Heh, not just JMS, but all of the cast, so NOBODY could reprise their roles, and us pesky original fans who want the original actors back (as much as is possible 16 years after the show ended.).

[Jan]

Okay...fair warning, I'm *not* in a good mood today. Sorry, but this place is the only one were I can let my hair down a little. I apologize in advance.

I really wonder if they are waiting for JMS to die, first.

I keep seeing things like this. Seems like the fans are more likely waiting for that.

S
I wonder what it would take for WB to take B5 seriously again? That said, we are seeing it being picked up by more networks for reruns now, which is positive.

#Freebabylon5 has to be helping, but I'm unsure if the campaign has been integral in getting the show picked up by any specific networks? Apart from Watch directly acknowledging the campaign in their ads. Jan?

There's no way of knowing unless a network does acknowledge us. The only other feedback that's concrete, albeit nebulous, is that fans where the literature/buttons have been being distributed have mentioned having heard of the campaign.

There's been little to no letter writing that I'm aware of... I tried with Netflix, but no one seemed interested in supporting a letter writing campaign to that end.

Okay...I just erased a rant because this isn't the proper thread for it. Suffice to say that if you're not writing a letter at least once a week, then, you're right.

As for the forums being slow....yeah, that's true. But people come back any time there's a hint of anything going on in the B5 universe so I think they're out there, just quiet.

Jan

[Triple F]

I really wonder if they are waiting for JMS to die, first.

I know I’m likely to get things thrown at me for this. But as morbid and distasteful as that might appear. It might actually not be a million miles from the truth.

It’s more a feeling than anything else. But try and step back a bit and look at some of what’s been going on in recent years..

jms has said that it’s in his contract that anything new for Babylon 5 HAS to include him, and if it doesn’t happen with him, it doesn’t happen. The details of what his involvement has to be is anyone’s guess. But the key phrase here is, “if it doesn't happen with me, it doesn't happen.” That sounds pretty final, and why that’s potentially quite significant is that jms has been trying for years to buy back control of Babylon 5 – or at least some aspects of it.

Remember when Walter Koenig let the cat out the bag about negotiations, he seemed to be under the impression things were going quite well. then jms dismissed the idea, Walter misspoke, etc. etc. Then a little later he’s telling people at conventions he really is trying to buy it back.. The reason for mentioning that about Walter, and jms’s intial response, is it’s an example of how - for perfectly good and valid business reasons - what jms tells the fans isn’t necessarily always the truth.

Anyway. Warner Bros. wanted to do more Lost Tales. jms has been his usual ambiguous and suggestive self when talking about the budget for those new episodes. As a result most people immediately say Warner wanted to do it on the cheap - just another 2 million per disc - and he was right to walk away. But jms let slip that the figure on the table was at least FIVE million dollars for the next chapter of the Lost Tales – that’s two and half times the budget with the costly 3D model of the station and some ships already built, along with other assets and contracts already in place from making the first disc!!

Now consider this. If he hadn’t walked away from making more of the Lost Tales, what might have happened? It seems the sales of the discs greatly exceed Warner Bros. expectations, they certainly wanted to make more, so there’s a fair chance we’d be on the 8th or 9th disc by now. Which means Warner has a nice profitable show that’s currently in production………. And only a studio run by idiots would sell control of a profitable show which had a huge scope for expansion into a regular tv series and possibly movies and spin-offs.

But that’s not what happened. jms, by waking away, prevented any new Lost Tales from being made – it’s in his contract. Remember Joe Straczynski is not only a writer, but also an executive producer within Hollywood – he knows how to play the game and make a buck. It just feels a bit like he was deliberately trying to lower the value of the B5 brand by not letting Warner Bros. make any REAL money from it. Which in turn would make it easier for him to purchase. Trouble is, it didn’t work.

Rather than not knowing the value of B5, I suspect Warner know EXACTLY what it’s value is and are holding onto it until whatever it is in jms contract is no longer an issue…….

Remember he’s also mentioned that WB periodically ask him if he wants to do something new with B5, and they even approach him with new ideas. Regardless of why these things come to nothing, that doesn’t sound like a studio that’s not interested in the property.

[Ubik]

Okay...fair warning, I'm *not* in a good mood today. Sorry, but this place is the only one were I can let my hair down a little. I apologize in advance.


Okay...I just erased a rant because this isn't the proper thread for it. Suffice to say that if you're not writing a letter at least once a week, then, you're right.

Jan

I know the letter writing thing is not seen as not overly effective. I just struggled to get ANY support from other fans. It was like herding cats. Most people seemed more content to bicker about whether Netflix or TV was more important.

You're doing a great job with #FreeBabylon5, but I can't imagine any gains are easy, or quantifiable!

[Jan]

I just struggled to get ANY support from other fans. It was like herding cats. Most people seemed more content to bicker about whether Netflix or TV was more important.

You're doing a great job with #FreeBabylon5, but I can't imagine any gains are easy, or quantifiable!

Thanks for the kind words. As for cats...oh, yeah!! Everybody wants their own thing and only that thing, not acknowledging that there might be steps that come before that.

Jan

[KoshN]

Okay...fair warning, I'm *not* in a good mood today. Sorry, but this place is the only one were I can let my hair down a little. I apologize in advance.

I keep seeing things like this. Seems like the fans are more likely waiting for that.

I really doubt that B5 fans are waiting for that/looking forward to that, I KNOW that I'm certainly not in that group. I just wish that WARNER BROTHERS would take Babylon 5 and Crusade and the fans a HELLUVA LOT more seriously and show some FAITH and BACK Babylon 5 and Crusade projects.

[Ubik]

I know I’m likely to get things thrown at me for this. But as morbid and distasteful as that might appear. It might actually not be a million miles from the truth.

It’s more a feeling than anything else. But try and step back a bit and look at some of what’s been going on in recent years..

jms has said that it’s in his contract that anything new for Babylon 5 HAS to include him, and if it doesn’t happen with him, it doesn’t happen. The details of what his involvement has to be is anyone’s guess. But the key phrase here is, “if it doesn't happen with me, it doesn't happen.” That sounds pretty final, and why that’s potentially quite significant is that jms has been trying for years to buy back control of Babylon 5 – or at least some aspects of it.

Remember when Walter Koenig let the cat out the bag about negotiations, he seemed to be under the impression things were going quite well. then jms dismissed the idea, Walter misspoke, etc. etc. Then a little later he’s telling people at conventions he really is trying to buy it back.. The reason for mentioning that about Walter, and jms’s intial response, is it’s an example of how - for perfectly good and valid business reasons - what jms tells the fans isn’t necessarily always the truth.

Anyway. Warner Bros. wanted to do more Lost Tales. jms has been his usual ambiguous and suggestive self when talking about the budget for those new episodes. As a result most people immediately say Warner wanted to do it on the cheap - just another 2 million per disc - and he was right to walk away. But jms let slip that the figure on the table was at least FIVE million dollars for the next chapter of the Lost Tales – that’s two and half times the budget with the costly 3D model of the station and some ships already built, along with other assets and contracts already in place from making the first disc!!

Now consider this. If he hadn’t walked away from making more of the Lost Tales, what might have happened? It seems the sales of the discs greatly exceed Warner Bros. expectations, they certainly wanted to make more, so there’s a fair chance we’d be on the 8th or 9th disc by now. Which means Warner has a nice profitable show that’s currently in production………. And only a studio run by idiots would sell control of a profitable show which had a huge scope for expansion into a regular tv series and possibly movies and spin-offs.

But that’s not what happened. jms, by waking away, prevented any new Lost Tales from being made – it’s in his contract. Remember Joe Straczynski is not only a writer, but also an executive producer within Hollywood – he knows how to play the game and make a buck. It just feels a bit like he was deliberately trying to lower the value of the B5 brand by not letting Warner Bros. make any REAL money from it. Which in turn would make it easier for him to purchase. Trouble is, it didn’t work.

Rather than not knowing the value of B5, I suspect Warner know EXACTLY what it’s value is and are holding onto it until whatever it is in jms contract is no longer an issue…….

Remember he’s also mentioned that WB periodically ask him if he wants to do something new with B5, and they even approach him with new ideas. Regardless of why these things come to nothing, that doesn’t sound like a studio that’s not interested in the property.

Intersting points. Bring on the controversial posts, it generates interesting discussion! It’s very hard to say what actually goes on behind closed doors. We can speculate to our heart’s content, which is always fun, but it’s speculation at the end of the day.

I kinda respect JMS’ decision to step away from Lost Tales. Whilst I loved seeing B5 with those splended new VFX, the episodes themselves felt a bit lacking… and B5 looked depressingly deserted without enough extras to fill its corridors. It might have very well improved had it continued, but I wasn’t exactly chomping at the bit for more Lost Tales. JMS was right that much of the spin off material had been doing the B5 universe more harm than good. He may be shooting himself in the foot having principles and high standards, but I’d rather he did that than churn out half arsed spin offs (Cough! LOTR Cough! I know some folks liked it, but I thought it was pretty weak).

Strategically, it does make more sense for JMS to leave well B5 alone, especially if he does want the rights back. Ramping up the popularity wouldn’t exactly loosen WBs grip on the series. Although, playing devil’s advocate for a minute, him calling on fans to promote the show and ‘get loud’ seems to go against this idea!