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JMS, WB and Forbidden Planet on SciFiWire

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Jeffrey Kaplan

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Nov 23, 2009, 10:02:27 AM11/23/09
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http://scifiwire.com/2009/11/babylon-5-creator-reboots.php

Well, we've know about this for a while. Maybe, if this one does well
enough, WB will give him the budget necessary to do another chapter in
the B5 universe?

--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
Double ROT13 encoded for your protection

Peter's Top 100 Things I'd Do If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord, #53.
If the beautiful princess that I capture says "I'll never marry you!
Never, do you hear me, NEVER!!!", I will say "Oh well" and kill her.


Matt Ion

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Nov 23, 2009, 12:54:18 PM11/23/09
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On 23/11/2009 7:02 AM, Jeffrey Kaplan wrote:
> http://scifiwire.com/2009/11/babylon-5-creator-reboots.php
>
> Well, we've know about this for a while. Maybe, if this one does well
> enough, WB will give him the budget necessary to do another chapter in
> the B5 universe?

Be interesting to see what happens with Robby, given Joe's "no kids or
cute robots" stance ;)


M.J. Sammon

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Nov 23, 2009, 1:10:52 PM11/23/09
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I never really considered Robby as "cute" in FP. I think Joe's comment was
perhaps directed at Hume's other film, "The Invisible Boy" in which Robby also starred.

Mike

Joseph DeMartino

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Nov 23, 2009, 1:46:08 PM11/23/09
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On Nov 23, 1:10 pm, "M.J. Sammon" <mjps1...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> I never really considered Robby as "cute" in FP.  I think Joe's comment was
> perhaps directed at Hume's other film, "The Invisible Boy" in which Robby also starred.

JMS didn't make the comment in reference to "FP" or Robby at all. In
creating "B5" he said he would not include any "kids or cute robots"
in the regular cast. (A comment that has been used to beat him over
the head everytime anyone under 18 appeared on the series, by people
who forgot he said "regular cast".) He no doubt had shows like "Lost
in Space", "Buck Rogers" and (the original) "Battlestar Galactica" in
mind, as well films like "Star Wars", "The Black Hole" and others that
just could not resist the cliches of "cute" robots, precocious kids or
both.

Robby was NOT a cute robot in the mold some of these. (Robot B-9,
from "Lost in Space", was actually anything but cute in the early
episodes, but was later ruined along with the rest of the show.)

Regards,

Joe

Jan

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Nov 23, 2009, 2:13:54 PM11/23/09
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In article <heei8u$c26$1...@news.eternal-september.org>, Matt Ion says...

Is there anything really 'cute' about Robby other than his name?

And what JMS was directing that comment to was:

>Re: kids/robots...the exact phrasing of that has gone through various
>permutations and paraphrasings; the specific line is "No kids or cute robots."
>The latter specifically entails entities such as Twiki (got the spelling right
>this time, thanks to whoever corrected me), who should be run down by a truck
>at the first opportunity. (In fact, I can say without hesitation that if you
>ever DO see what passes for a cute robot on this show, keep a close eye on it,
>because you'll probably see somebody drop an anvil on it REAL fast.)

Jan


--
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Check out http://wedreamforjeanne.blogspot.com/ for ways to help Jeanne Robinson
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Matt Ion

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Nov 23, 2009, 4:11:51 PM11/23/09
to
On 23/11/2009 11:13 AM, Jan wrote:
> In article<heei8u$c26$1...@news.eternal-september.org>, Matt Ion says...
>>
>> On 23/11/2009 7:02 AM, Jeffrey Kaplan wrote:
>>> http://scifiwire.com/2009/11/babylon-5-creator-reboots.php
>>>
>>> Well, we've know about this for a while. Maybe, if this one does well
>>> enough, WB will give him the budget necessary to do another chapter in
>>> the B5 universe?
>>
>> Be interesting to see what happens with Robby, given Joe's "no kids or
>> cute robots" stance ;)
>>
>
> Is there anything really 'cute' about Robby other than his name?
>
> And what JMS was directing that comment to was:
>
>> Re: kids/robots...the exact phrasing of that has gone through various
>> permutations and paraphrasings; the specific line is "No kids or cute robots."
>> The latter specifically entails entities such as Twiki (got the spelling right
>> this time, thanks to whoever corrected me), who should be run down by a truck
>> at the first opportunity. (In fact, I can say without hesitation that if you
>> ever DO see what passes for a cute robot on this show, keep a close eye on it,
>> because you'll probably see somebody drop an anvil on it REAL fast.)

*sigh* My comment WAS tongue-planted-firmly-in-cheek of course (notice
the winky emoticon). I mean, come on, "Changeling" was all ABOUT the kid!

Joseph DeMartino

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Nov 23, 2009, 4:16:40 PM11/23/09
to
On Nov 23, 2:13 pm, Jan <janmschroe...@aol.com> wrote:


> >...if you ever DO see what passes for a cute robot on this show, keep a close eye on it,


> >because you'll probably see somebody drop an anvil on it REAL fast.)

Probably the closest they ever got to a "cute robot" was the AI
routine in the main B5 computer (voice by Harlan Ellison, to reference
a couple of other threads.) And he got a metaphorical anvil dropped
on him pretty quickly, although it took awhile to do its job. Then
there were the ISN floating cameras, which only became "cute" when
someone (like Lennier) reacted to them *as if* they had
personalities.

Regards,

Joe

Jeffrey Kaplan

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Nov 23, 2009, 4:27:41 PM11/23/09
to
Previously on rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated, Matt Ion said:

> Be interesting to see what happens with Robby, given Joe's "no kids or
> cute robots" stance ;)

That wasn't an "at all" statement, it was in relationship to regular
cast/characters in "Babylon 5" only. Context as I recall was primarily
in response/reaction to TNG ("Wesley Crusher"), the original BSG
("Boxie" and "Moffet"), and probably Star Wars ("C3PO" and "R2D2").

--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol

"If I am ever the Hero top 100 list: #92. I will begin my lifelong
fight against crime immediately upon discovery of my powers, instead
of withholding my assistance from the police, thereby allowing a minor
criminal to escape and murder one of my loved ones.

Dan Dassow

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Nov 23, 2009, 4:31:44 PM11/23/09
to
On Nov 23, 3:11 pm, Matt Ion <soundy...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 23/11/2009 11:13 AM, Jan wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > In article<heei8u$c2...@news.eternal-september.org>, Matt Ion says...

Matt, without the winky emoticon, YOU would need to watch out for
falling anvils. ;-)

Dan Dassow

SLerman

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Nov 23, 2009, 5:49:45 PM11/23/09
to
On Nov 23, 4:16 pm, Joseph DeMartino <jdema...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
> On Nov 23, 2:13 pm, Jan <janmschroe...@aol.com> wrote:
>
> > >...if you ever DO see what passes for a cute robot on this show, keep a close eye on it,
> > >because you'll probably see somebody drop an anvil on it REAL fast.)
>
> Probably the closest they ever got to a "cute robot" was the AI
> routine in the main B5 computer (voice by Harlan Ellison, to reference
> a couple of other threads.)  And he got a metaphorical anvil dropped
> on him pretty quickly, although it took awhile to do its job.

First thing I thought of was the JS bear. Seemed like that was the
best example of what happens to "cute".

voxwoman

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Nov 23, 2009, 6:25:40 PM11/23/09
to
On Nov 23, 4:16 pm, Joseph DeMartino <jdema...@bellsouth.net> wrote:

There was also that teddy bear. Which got spaced.

-Wendy

David E. Powell

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Nov 23, 2009, 7:22:37 PM11/23/09
to

I think we're safe. The Forbidden Planet robot wasn't exactly all
about being a cute character.

Kay Shapero

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Nov 24, 2009, 2:14:43 AM11/24/09
to
In article <03vlg51ofp8c8enu1...@gordol.org>,
gor...@gordol.org says...

> Previously on rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated, Matt Ion said:
>
> > Be interesting to see what happens with Robby, given Joe's "no kids or
> > cute robots" stance ;)
>
> That wasn't an "at all" statement, it was in relationship to regular
> cast/characters in "Babylon 5" only. Context as I recall was primarily
> in response/reaction to TNG ("Wesley Crusher"), the original BSG
> ("Boxie" and "Moffet"), and probably Star Wars ("C3PO" and "R2D2").
>
And let's not forget 7 Zark 7... On second thought, lose the "not".
--
Kay Shapero
http://www.kayshapero.net

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