from jms re: claudia quitting B5
Jms at B5
There have been some questions raised as to what has happened regarding
Claudia Christian and Season 4. In simplest possible terms, which can be
verified through every cast member, and in the press, what happened was
this:
In early June, WB asked for, and received, one-month exensions on their
contract options from all cast members except Claudia, for the purposes of
allowing WB time to work out the co-financing deal with TNT for year 5 of
B5. There was a great deal of red tape left over from the PTEN deal to
finish unraveling, and other business aspects, to work out in going from
syndication to cable, and it was taking longer than expected.
Claudia said, repeatedly, that she was on board for the fifth season, but
that she didn't want to give the extension for business reasons of her
own. We took her at her word and allowed her to not give the extension.
Assurances were made to us, and to her fellow cast members.
While we were all together (cast, some crew, and I) in Blackpool for Wolf
359, word reached us of the articles in Variety and Reuters reporting that
Claudia would not be returning to B5, and was looking for other work.
This was the very first indication we had that she would not be in season
5. TNT was upset by this, WB was upset by this, and we were called on the
carpet asking why we had trusted her about the fifth year. When spoken to
in Blackpool, she was still, at that point, saying that she was going to
be in season 5...but did nothing to address the situation with WB. She
was told that WB had to know, for sure, if she was in or out by last
Friday. All she had to do to be in season 5 was to pick up the phone, or
have her agent do so, and call WB and say, "I'm in."
This did not happen. Friday came, and went. It was clear that she had no
intention of being in season 5, and wanted instead to pursue movies. She
is more well known now after B5, after all.
Cast members prevailed upon her to change her mind over the weekend.
Bruce, Jeff Conaway, others took it upon themselves to try and talk her
back onto the show, tried to get her to call on Monday in case she might
be able to repair the bridges burned the prior week. On Monday, she left
the convention early, and never called WB, never called Doug, never called
anyone.
Bottom line is...she passed on season 5. She chose not to be there. I
know that she has now told some people that WB doesn't want her...but if
that is the case, why the articles planted in Variety and Reuters saying
that the B5 producers were "bummed" that she wasn't available, that she
had chosen not to return to the show? (Again, at the time the articles
appeared, this intent had not even been conveyed to us or to WB; we had to
learn about it by reading it in the trades, in articles no one had even
discussed with us.) Why did she not give the extension, as was also
reported? Why was it announced in the press (in articles reprinted right
here on the nets) that she wasn't coming back and was looking for other
work long before we even knew anything about it?
The offer was on the table. We extended it to the very limit. All the
other actors signed on, and urged her to do the same. She chose not to.
It was never a matter of anyone not wanting her. I personally urged her
Thursday night to call her agent and talk this out and make her intentions
clear if she wanted to come back to the show. She declined. Every cast
member who was there in Blackpool saw what went down, and can verify this.
And that, as they say, is the long and the short of it. While I will not
recast the role, on the theory that she may come around someday and decide
she wants to be in one of the TNT features or one of the movies, we will
be bringing in a new character to fill that position in the B5 command
structure. Fortunately, 421, already filmed, is structured to allow us to
adjust for this without missing a beat, and the story will continue as
planned with only a minor variation in the first two episodes to introduce
the new character.
jms
jms
Terrell J
Bummer! I really liked Ivanova. Would it have killed Claudia to stick
around for the filming of one last season? She must have some firm movie
offers already on the table or something. Or maybe she got fed up with
the last-minute renewals?
Ben Waltenberger
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Terrell J wrote:
Or maybe like actors from MASH and NYPD Blue, she's jumping ship only
to end up in infommercial alley.
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Terrell J wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>Bummer! I really liked Ivanova. Would
it have killed Claudia to stick
<BR>around for the filming of one last season? She must have some
firm movie
<BR>offers already on the table or something. Or maybe she got fed
up with
<BR>the last-minute renewals?</BLOCKQUOTE>
<FONT FACE="Comic Sans MS"> Or maybe like actors from MASH and NYPD
Blue, she's jumping ship only to end up in infommercial alley.</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE="Comic Sans MS"></FONT>
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Michael Blitch
On 19 Jul 1997 15:07:27 -0400, jms...@aol.com (Jms at B5) wrote:
>
>There have been some questions raised as to what has happened regarding
>Claudia Christian and Season 4. In simplest possible terms, which can be
>verified through every cast member, and in the press, what happened was
>this:
<snip>
This isa bit of a surprise. I really enjoyed the humor and depth that she put in the
character. Since, according to the message from JMS, she did not give a definite
answer untill after the last minute, I wonder how much her mind is set on leaving. I
hope she is not planning on going straight to movies in the wake of her B5 popularity
as IMHO it seams like a bad move (besides leaving B5 cast). Would it be in any way
beneficial for us to write a letter to her at the show, assuming we can get an
address where we are shure it will go, hint hint. JMS stated that other cast members
attempted to talk her into signing on witht the show in it's final season. I can jst
imagine a drama (scripted by JMS where she wil be in tears at the end) in "Rudy"
style where cast members come into her office(trailer?) with a bag of fan mail and
laying it on her desk and saying something like "For the fans!" Does anyone agree
(with the theoritical idea at least)? I know the fans banding together in local
letter writing campaigns help the series survive (I certainly called the programming
director each year during renewal crunch time).
Michael J. Blitch
mbl...@chuma.cas.usf.edu (University of South Florida)
USPA A-26568
UIN# 2043106
ChemistGuy
In article <33d279d4...@news.gate.net>, mbl...@gate.net (Michael
Blitch) writes:
>"Rudy"
>style where cast members come into her office(trailer?) with a bag of fan
mail and laying it on her desk and saying something like "For the fans!"
Does anyone agree (with the theoritical idea at least)? I know the fans
banding together in local letter writing campaigns help the series survive
(I certainly called the programming director each year during renewal
crunch time).<<<
Giveme an email address, and I sure drop her a line.
But let us give Claudia a break. Many of us have felt the need to change
jobs and we sure didn't broadcast that we were leaving until we could.
Maybe somebody hurt her feelings or the hours were too long. Maybe she
feels that she has explored Ivonova as far as she can. Although we think
more of it, to an actor the character is a job and we should give her the
grace we'd give anyone in a more routine career.
Chemi...@aol.com
Stef Jones
ChemistGuy <chemi...@aol.com> wrote:
>But let us give Claudia a break. Many of us have felt the need to change
>jobs and we sure didn't broadcast that we were leaving until we could.
>Maybe somebody hurt her feelings or the hours were too long. Maybe she
>feels that she has explored Ivonova as far as she can. Although we think
>more of it, to an actor the character is a job and we should give her the
>grace we'd give anyone in a more routine career.
Guess so, but it doesn't seem like a particularly good career move either.
She would have been much more visible after next season because TNT is
promoting Babylon 5 all over the place.
--
Stef ** rational/scientific/philosophical/mystical/magical/kitty **
** st...@cat-and-dragon.com <*> http://www.bayarea.net/~stef **
--------------------------------------------------------
"Adira, you could stay. Now that we have seen beneath our masks, we could
have great times together; we..."
"Londo -- you're sweet. But the wounds are too fresh."
-- "Born to the Purple"
Baranduyn
>Bottom line is...she passed on season 5. She chose not to be there. I
>know that she has now told some people that WB doesn't want her...but if
>that is the case, why the articles planted in Variety and Reuters saying
>that the B5 producers were "bummed" that she wasn't available, that she
>had chosen not to return to the show? (Again, at the time the articles
>appeared, this intent had not even been conveyed to us or to WB; we had
to
>learn about it by reading it in the trades, in articles no one had even
>discussed with us.) Why did she not give the extension, as was also
>reported? Why was it announced in the press (in articles reprinted right
>here on the nets) that she wasn't coming back and was looking for other
>work long before we even knew a
I'm an adult, and I understand the necessities of looking out for oneself,
making career moves, etc, but this is snaky, IMHO
I'm really disappointed. Ivanova was a great character, and now she will
disappear, with no resolution.
I'm not angry or hurt, just bummed. After all the good news re the show
this is a let down.
Just my $.02
Hal Peterson
terr...@aol.com (Terrell J) writes:
> Would it have killed Claudia to stick around for the filming of one
> last season?
Well, maybe. If she has prospects she has to pursue them quickly.
The careers of actresses age poorly in Hollywood. I wish CC well, but
I'm *really* going to miss Ivanova. Sigh.
--
Hal Peterson Ascend Communications, Inc
email: h...@netstar.com High-Performance Networking Division
voice: +1 612 996 6853 10250 Valley View Rd, Suite 113
FAX: +1 612 943 8939 Eden Prairie MN 55344 USA
Kyle B. Ferrio
Business is business, sure.
But that has to hurt, if indeed she gave her personal word.
Question: Does TNT have an escape clause? Let's hope they
have as much faith in JMS' ability to write his way out of
this pothole in the road as we fans do. After all, not even
Sinclair was indispensable.
The only thing I'm sure of, is that CC will be *very* hard
to watch in anything without remembering this disappointing
moment. Wish her well and move on, I guess.
Kyle Ferrio
Ronald P. Peterson
Eeek!!!! Let me say I'm shocked an disappointed. Oh well. Life happens. I'll
miss here. My question is this. Now that 522 has been shot, with Ivanova I
assume, are you going to say she came back, or need to re-shoot?
Lurker #2
wizheart
Terrell J <terr...@aol.com> wrote in article
<19970719192...@ladder02.news.aol.com>...
> Bummer! I really liked Ivanova. Would it have killed Claudia
to stick
> around for the filming of one last season? She must have some
firm movie
> offers already on the table or something. Or maybe she got fed
up with
> the last-minute renewals?
>
>
Who cares?? This is the best news I've heard since TNT picked up
the 5th season. You flame me all you want. But I'll enjoy the
5th season even more than I thought possible now. And JMS will
never miss a beat. I can't wait to see what he comes pu with to
replace her.
She has no class handling this way. Why couldn't she just be
honest? For the same reason she would insult and demean a fellow
actor in a magazine a few months ago. She was no class.
Like I said, flame away; you'll have a hard time hitting me while
I'm doing my happy dance.
CSue
--
"...I plan to live forever." --Cdr. William T. Riker
"There can be only one." --Connor MacLeod
"Not the one." --Zathras
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amy Carpenter
[spoilers for EoVP & FotE, #416-7]
Well, obviously, Claudia Christian's been "reprogrammed" by Bester &
Harlan (see, Harlan Ellison's *real* reason for being "creative
consultant" all these years is his undercover PsiCop assignment...) to
mistrust and turn away from her erstwhile friends and co-workers. How
else to explain her flipping off JMS and the rest of the cast to return
to her flourishing Movie & music career? She turns her back on the best
role she ever had in her LIFE to go do "Bohemians" and make more 2-song
CDs of fairly tame "erotic" music? Or is there a sequel to "Hexed" or "A
Gnome Named Gnorm" in the works? She blows off her entire fan base, AND
gets herself an Industry rep. as an unreliable actress whose word cannot
be trusted... Obviously, the PsiCorp's fucked over her brain but GOOD.
I would like to know how Ms. Christian can *possibly* justify this
behavior...
--AmyCat
p.s. My sympathy to JMS, and to the rest of the cast & crew. Sounds like
a real kick in the teeth...
Ray Martinez
thanks for trying, jms. You did your best. Please
thank the cast members for trying to get Claudia back. You all went
beyond the call of duty, and it is appreciated.
-Ray
Steve Francisco
Jms at B5 wrote:
>
> The offer was on the table. We extended it to the very limit. All the
> other actors signed on, and urged her to do the same. She chose not to.
> It was never a matter of anyone not wanting her. I personally urged her
> Thursday night to call her agent and talk this out and make her intentions
> clear if she wanted to come back to the show. She declined. Every cast
> member who was there in Blackpool saw what went down, and can verify this.
>
This is strange. I heard Claudia speak today at Toronto Trek XI and she
is not telling the same story. She says she very much wants to be on
season 5, and seems pretty sincere. She claims she hasn't heard
anything from you, Joe. Could this just be a case of miscommunication
and there's still hope to patch things up?
-- Steve Francisco
-- In Toronto
Ed Dravecky III
Jms at B5 (jms...@aol.com) wrote:
<snip>
> Cast members prevailed upon her to change her mind over the
> weekend. Bruce, Jeff Conaway, others took it upon themselves to
> try and talk her back onto the show, <snip>
And if ANYBODY should know the hazards of leaving a popular show
for the wrong reasons, it's Jeff Conaway.
Perhaps Jeff could get Shelley Long and David Caruso to give
Claudia a call next week. Perhaps her "Mad About You" (the
crappy movie, not the unrelated hit series) co-star Adam West
could counsel her on the benefits of being on television every
week. Or at least make Claudia sit through "The Adventures of a
Gnome Named Gnorm" and "Maniac Cop 2" until she comes to her
senses!
--
Ed Dravecky III =<*>= This message was part of a complex plot
dshe...@netcom.com = to take over the world. (B5 S5 TNT WH!)
Lisa B.
jms...@aol.com (Jms at B5) wrote:
<too saddened to quote>
It's funny how you can get attached to the characters in a book or
even a silly ol' teevee program, and the parting feels like a little
death.
When Henry Blake went down over the Sea of Japan, I cried. I bawled
when Sam waltzed Dianne goodbye to the tune of "What'll I do." I'm a
softie, Joe, and I think you must be a bit of one also, if you're
lighting a candle in the window for Ivanova.
As one frequent poster here says in his sig: keep the faith, Joe.
This too shall pass.
LisaB <who wishes Ivanova could interject some pithy, fatalistic
comment to cheer us>
Kay Shapero
{JMS post about Claudia Christian passing on season 5}
Botheration. Thanks for telling us.
L. E. McClintock
Jms at B5 wrote:
>
> There have been some questions raised as to what has happened regarding
> Claudia Christian and Season 4. In simplest possible terms, which can be
> verified through every cast member, and in the press, what happened was
> this:
>
> In early June, WB asked for, and received, one-month exensions on their
> contract options from all cast members except Claudia, for the purposes of
> allowing WB time to work out the co-financing deal with TNT for year 5 of
> B5. There was a great deal of red tape left over from the PTEN deal to
> finish unraveling, and other business aspects, to work out in going from
> syndication to cable, and it was taking longer than expected.
>
> Claudia said, repeatedly, that she was on board for the fifth season, but
> that she didn't want to give the extension for business reasons of her
> own. We took her at her word and allowed her to not give the extension.
> Assurances were made to us, and to her fellow cast members.
>
> While we were all together (cast, some crew, and I) in Blackpool for Wolf
> 359, word reached us of the articles in Variety and Reuters reporting that
> Claudia would not be returning to B5, and was looking for other work.
> This was the very first indication we had that she would not be in season
> 5. TNT was upset by this, WB was upset by this, and we were called on the
> carpet asking why we had trusted her about the fifth year. When spoken to
> in Blackpool, she was still, at that point, saying that she was going to
> be in season 5...but did nothing to address the situation with WB. She
> was told that WB had to know, for sure, if she was in or out by last
> Friday. All she had to do to be in season 5 was to pick up the phone, or
> have her agent do so, and call WB and say, "I'm in."
>
> This did not happen. Friday came, and went. It was clear that she had no
> intention of being in season 5, and wanted instead to pursue movies. She
> is more well known now after B5, after all.
>
> Cast members prevailed upon her to change her mind over the weekend.
> Bruce, Jeff Conaway, others took it upon themselves to try and talk her
> back onto the show, tried to get her to call on Monday in case she might
> be able to repair the bridges burned the prior week. On Monday, she left
> the convention early, and never called WB, never called Doug, never called
> anyone.
>
> Bottom line is...she passed on season 5. She chose not to be there. I
> know that she has now told some people that WB doesn't want her...but if
> that is the case, why the articles planted in Variety and Reuters saying
> that the B5 producers were "bummed" that she wasn't available, that she
> had chosen not to return to the show? (Again, at the time the articles
> appeared, this intent had not even been conveyed to us or to WB; we had to
> learn about it by reading it in the trades, in articles no one had even
> discussed with us.) Why did she not give the extension, as was also
> reported? Why was it announced in the press (in articles reprinted right
> here on the nets) that she wasn't coming back and was looking for other
> work long before we even knew anything about it?
>
> The offer was on the table. We extended it to the very limit. All the
> other actors signed on, and urged her to do the same. She chose not to.
> It was never a matter of anyone not wanting her. I personally urged her
> Thursday night to call her agent and talk this out and make her intentions
> clear if she wanted to come back to the show. She declined. Every cast
> member who was there in Blackpool saw what went down, and can verify this.
>
> And that, as they say, is the long and the short of it. While I will not
> recast the role, on the theory that she may come around someday and decide
> she wants to be in one of the TNT features or one of the movies, we will
> be bringing in a new character to fill that position in the B5 command
> structure. Fortunately, 421, already filmed, is structured to allow us to
> adjust for this without missing a beat, and the story will continue as
> planned with only a minor variation in the first two episodes to introduce
> the new character.
>
> jms
>
> jms
It sucks. But, as can be seen by your narrative, the ball was in her
court, and it was her choice. (Her mistake in my view. And her loss.)
And on the bright side, it does open the door to new possibilities with
the new character to come. That should add to season 5's excitment I
think. Ivanova will be deeply missed though, but it's good that "SiL"
is in the can, and that we'll see her at least once in season 5, in the
end.
L. E. M.
Karen Bahnsen
I am very sorry to hear that Claudia won't be in Season 5. I think she
has made a *very* foolish career move, and though her behavior would be
considered normal in Hollywood, you deserved a lot better. I think
we've all gotten to know how well you treat other people, and really
admire you for continuing to do so even when others don't always respond
as they should.
As for the character, I am not ready to join the lynch Claudia brigade,
either. I find, surprisingly, that I really don't care all that much.
I really liked the Ivanova character, but I'm in a state of eager
anticipation to see what you're going to do with this opportunity! Each
character you've introduced has been *SO* interesting, the thought of
getting another one is exciting! I've no doubt that you will introduce
or evolve another character so that we will all be delighted with the
outcome. You even have empty slots in season 5 to develop another
character and further enrich the story line! This is going to be really
cool!
Karen
SCOTT T D
She obviously went to the David Caruso school of Acting, Course entitled
Brilliant Career Moves 101. She knew this was a 5 year series. I'll be
sure to pay 8 bucks to see her in some low budget cop movie or whatever
she thinks she'll get. Personally, IMHO, she isn't that good of an
actress and certainly not ready for any big budget, big screen "starring"
roles.
I welcome a new character to the show. I'm sick of egotistical actors as
much as I am egotistical atheletes.
Signed,
A pissed off fan!
ShutUpRob
In article <19970720183...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
chemi...@aol.com (ChemistGuy) writes:
>In article <33d279d4...@news.gate.net>, mbl...@gate.net (Michael
>Blitch) writes:
>
>>"Rudy"
>>style where cast members come into her office(trailer?) with a bag of
fan
>mail and laying it on her desk and saying something like "For the fans!"
>Does anyone agree (with the theoritical idea at least)? I know the fans
>banding together in local letter writing campaigns help the series
survive
>(I certainly called the programming director each year during renewal
>crunch time).<<<
>
>Giveme an email address, and I sure drop her a line.
>
>But let us give Claudia a break. Many of us have felt the need to change
>jobs and we sure didn't broadcast that we were leaving until we could.
>Maybe somebody hurt her feelings or the hours were too long. Maybe she
>feels that she has explored Ivonova as far as she can. Although we think
>more of it, to an actor the character is a job and we should give her the
>grace we'd give anyone in a more routine career.
I'd give her a break as a fan (since season 1 yet!) and as a
Stage Management major who occasionally takes my own
forays into acting (albeit on the college theater stage)
except that, a) given the implications of JMS' announcement,
it appears to me that Claudia's mind was made up before the
effort to extend the renewal options began and b) she gave
her word that she was on for season 5. If she had just said,
"No" in the first place, I would be understanding and
accepting. However, given the graceless method she
chose to remove herself from the show, I can only take
her leaving as a betrayal from artistic, business and fannish
perspectives.
There's a reason why the vast majority of stars who
leave shows in the middle of their runs *fail* miserably
when they shoot off on their own, whether at the box
office, or on the small screen (David Caruso, Denise
Crosby, Thomas Haden Church, MacLean Stevenson,
Rob Morrow): They lose the good will of their fans
and have to start all over again to build their acting
reputations.
However, I sincerely hope that she develops second
thoughts about the mistake she is making.
-- Rob Jensen
"Soon after producers of Chicago Hope announced plans for an
all-musical episode of the popular drama, Joe Straczynski
announced similar plans for his ground-breaking science-fiction
opus. Coming Soon: Beach Blanket Babylon 5." Ekojasisiht!
Walter Luffman
Ben Waltenberger <b...@geog.ucsb.edu> wrote:
>
>--------------31EBD3F438B140EFD22C2E89
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>
>Terrell J wrote:
>
>> Bummer! I really liked Ivanova. Would it have killed Claudia to
>> stick
>> around for the filming of one last season? She must have some firm
>> movie
>> offers already on the table or something. Or maybe she got fed up
>> with
>> the last-minute renewals?
>
> Or maybe like actors from MASH and NYPD Blue, she's jumping ship only
>to end up in infommercial alley.
I like CC, I love Ivanova . . . but if she turns up doing some other
SF (or skiffy) project, I'll be very disappointed with her.
Walter Luffman, wluf...@usit.net Forked Deer River Ilks, PB"
Unless otherwise stated above, I speak only for myself, but all
are welcome to share my views; in fact, I often recommend it.
T.Chai
On 20 Jul 1997 19:00:10 -0400, "wizheart" <wizh...@bigfoot.com>
wrote:
>For the same reason she would insult and demean a fellow
>actor in a magazine a few months ago. She was no class.
Today at Toronto Trek she still maintains that she was FIRED. They
said they posted her rebuttal letter on the net; haven't seen it yet.
And the audience wanted to hear the dirt behind the scenes, so she
made fun of some of the other cast members, I'd say rather cruelly.
The audience edged her on saying "what d'ya think they do, FIRE YOU?"
I'd say after seeing her doing this my respect for her as a person has
gone down the toilet.
L. E. McClintock
Amen to that...
ShutUpRob
One! Year! Left! Talk about jumping the PPG!
Geez, do you think someone could hand Claudia the
countless articles about MacLean Stevenson in which
he admitted that leaving MASH was a mistake?
For that matter, perhaps she should be reminded of
the fate of Denise Crosby after she walked away from
Star Trek. Just where *is* she now, anyway?
Put me down as another one who would hope for a return of
Tamlyn Tomita as a possible resolution to this turn of events.
While I'm at it, would now be a good time to flood Claudia
with a letter-writing campaign? =)
Mark Lucas
ON THE SUBJECT OF CLAUDIA LEAVING:
If its to pursue movie roles I can not but think of a major
cast member of another long running SF series, who through the
frustration of not 'getting the lines' decided to jump ship.
I don't remember what happend to her, I think she made two movies in
five years, then returned in cameo parts on the original show.
Ultimately all the cast must have been force to plan for alternate work
over the last six months, I guess there was going to be an even chance
that one of the main crew got so used to the idea, that when renewal was
confirmed, they had already decided to make a fresh start.
We have already seen from the beginning of season two that B-5 is bigger
than any one character,at that time we lost Sinclair. Without him, the
series was not diminished in the least. I do not think, however much I
will miss Ivanova, that her absence will do any lasting damage to the
saga.
--
Mark Lucas
Candide
Jms at B5 (jms...@aol.com) wrote:
: There have been some questions raised as to what has happened regarding
: Claudia Christian and Season 4. In simplest possible terms, which can be
[snip]
Ummm... no, something is very wrong with this whole situation. Before
coming on to USENET, I read both the letter from JMS and Claudia's
response, and something doesn't make sense here. The simple fact that
Ms. Christian did the TNT promos says that she wants to do B5.
So, it sounds to me like someone other than Joe and Claudia f***ked
things up Real Bad. It also sounds to me like some power-crazed suit
at WB decided to make something of an example of CC and fed Joe some
misinformation. Or, at the very least, both Joe and CC have just
gotten smooshed by the Hollyweird machinery.
Well, whatever the reason for this FIASCO, I'm curious to see how
things work out. It'd be interesting to see what other cast members
say about this, as that might help us get a bit closer to the truth of
the whole matter. Well, if Joe doesn't at least sit down with Claudia
in the next couple of days and the two of them talk things out, he'll
lose a good deal of my respect. Claudia Christian - well, I'm waiting
to see how all of this plays out before drawing any conclusions. JMS,
on the other hand, I've come to expect a great deal more from,
including the willingness to fight the good fight, to not let the
suits and the nonsense beat him. From what he's been told, and from
what Ms. Christian says she's been told, it sounds like, at the very
least, Joe's been fed some misinformation about CC's commitment to
B5. If he doesn't remedy this situation, he'll have given in to the
studio nonsense I've come to expect him to be above, and that'll be a
long, long fall for him in my eyes.
--
-Candide [wei...@ucsub.colorado.edu] http://ucsub.Colorado.EDU/~weissjp/Home.html
"Save the family, they say -- to them that means beat the wife into
hamburger, but return to traditional values." - Harvey Fierstein
Nora K. Loyd
On 19 Jul 1997, Jms at B5 wrote:
> Claudia said, repeatedly, that she was on board for the fifth season, but
> that she didn't want to give the extension for business reasons of her
> own. We took her at her word and allowed her to not give the extension.
> Assurances were made to us, and to her fellow cast members.
> TNT was upset by this, WB was upset by this, and we were called on the
> carpet asking why we had trusted her about the fifth year.
Oh well, so much for "trust Ivanova." I guess the operative phase now
is, "trust yourself, anyone else, get it in writing." After all,
we're talking Hollywood, which seems even more precarious of a place
than deep space (and a lot weirder, too).
> [...]
> Bottom line is...she passed on season 5. She chose not to be there.
> [...]
> And that, as they say, is the long and the short of it. While I will not
> recast the role, on the theory that she may come around someday and decide
> she wants to be in one of the TNT features or one of the movies, we will
> be bringing in a new character to fill that position in the B5 command
> structure. Fortunately, 421, already filmed, is structured to allow us to
> adjust for this without missing a beat, and the story will continue as
> planned with only a minor variation in the first two episodes to introduce
> the new character.
>
> jms
I was up late last night (okay, early this morning) trying to catch up
with the ng. When I woke up this morning I was hoping that this was
just a bad dream and wasn't real. Unfortunately I'm too well-grounded
in reality to deceive myself like that, even temporarily.
What I'm most disappointed by is not so much that she left, but the
last minute nature of it. JMS keeping the door open seems above and
beyond. But we don't know her reasons for leaving, so who am I to
judge?
As for the story, in real life military folks move around a lot; it
comes with the job. Personally I'd love to see Corwin get the chance
to pop up from the 2-D world, but although he does have some
responsibility, he doesn't have much experience in his current job.
So I'm going to be positive and look forward to the new character.
JMS seems to manage juggling chainsaws with incredible ingenuity, and
I imagine he'll take this opportunity to throw us some new curves
(what a mixed metaphor!).
Maybe that line ought to be, "trust JMS, trust yourself, anyone else,
get it in writing."
--norak
(Cynical enough that I don't even trust myself.)
Kevin Munoz
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Joe, are you interested in telling us how you feel about all this? If not,
perfectly understandable, just curious. I'm not looking for vitriol or
anything. Actually, I'm more interested in what kind of character
you're going to fit into the space Claudia's leaving behind.
--
Kevin Munoz
Tesarta Industries, Inc.
http://www.tesarta.com/
Home of the Gamer's Resource Page
Joe Othello
On 19 Jul 1997 15:07:27 -0400, jms...@aol.com (Jms at B5) wrote:
(SNIP)
Jms on what happen.
Claudia Christian is an actor, Ivanova was a job. She choose not to
continue with that job for her own reasons. For some reason which we
do not know (nor is our business) she decided to leave.
As for what JMS said, they are a string of events. I'd like to remind
people that her FOUR year contract was up. She show immense dedication
to the show from the begining and was great at portraying Susan
Ivanova. I would like to critize JMS for his lack of diplomacy in
explaining what happen. Since basicly he couldn't answer the question
of why she left, just how events went down. Since the why is more
important then the how (IMO)
Joe
Eddie Auerbach
Steve Francisco wrote:
>
> I heard Claudia speak today at Toronto Trek XI and she
> is not telling the same story. She says she very much wants to be on
> season 5, and seems pretty sincere. She claims she hasn't heard
> anything from you, Joe. Could this just be a case of miscommunication
> and there's still hope to patch things up?
The script for this situation looks pretty simple, assuming at least
some of the existing information is true:
WB: OK, TNT picked up the fifth season, and we'd like to sign you
to another 22-episode contract.
CC: Great. Oh, by the way, I asked JMS if I could have 4 episodes
off to work on a movie. Could I have that in writing?
WB: Uh, no, it's a 22-episode contract. If TNT wants you in all
22 episodes, you are obligated to be in all 22 episodes.
CC: B-b-but nobody else is ever in all 22 episodes!
WB: Everybody signs a 22-episode contract. What you are asking
for is an 18-episode contract. We're offering a 22-episode
contract. Take it or leave it.
CC: [Leaves it; complains she was fired.]
So, my impression is that while she may have wanted to sign for the
fifth season, she wanted to dictate her terms. While JMS might have
worked things out informally, WB simply wasn't going to write a special
contract just for her. This, if it is true, I can understand.
Of course, we don't really know about the money. She claims she didn't
ask for more money, but by demanding a 4-episode break, was she
effectively doing so? WB may have seen this as, "Well, I'll take your
money for 22 episodes, but I'm only showing up for 18." I could see how
a studio would take exeception to that, if it were true.
Nevertheless, does any of this really matter? I liked the character of
Ivanova, but I don't see CC as a particularly good actor. She fits the
role well, but she's the only actor on the show this side of Harlan
Ellison whose acting I don't find particularly natural. Case in point,
the recently re-run scene with the new Zathras. I think that one looks
worse each time I watch it, and it isn't exactly the only one.
Now, if PJ or AK left, that would be cause for mourning. CC just isn't
in the same league. She has a certain presence which makes me want to
like her, but she doesn't deliver. I tend to think there are hundreds
of more able people out there who would love to take the role -- and do
a much better job. I thought I heard Jennifer Lien left ST:V due to the
quality of the writing. Now, while I don't think she's headed for an
Oscar either, she is a better actor with a similar strong presence, and
the irony of her leaving ST:V and ending up on B5 for arguably the same
reason CC wanted to leave B5 for ST:V (the Borg Babe, et. al.) would be
precious.
One might even wonder if someone like JL, upon reading of CC's rumored
departure, took it upon herself to contact WB about the prospective
opening. This would make WB much more receptive to letting CC walk
(perhaps overjoyed at their good fortune), and CC would then only have
the recourse of inciting a letter writing/faxing campaign to get her job
back. She *did* say WB ultimately pulled the offer from the table, and
that would be as good a reason as any. (Like, oh darn, CC wanted to be
difficult with us, but all these more famous, more beautiful, and more
talented actresses just lined up begging us for the job. What horrible
luck.)
Just my (mostly unfounded) thoughts...
--
Eddie Auerbach, University of Florida, Gainesville FL
WWW - http://www.chem.ufl.edu/~eja/
email - e...@iname.com
Kevin Munoz
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Okay, so we have heard from JMS that the offer was on the table longer than
it should have been and that she let it go.
We have heard through others here that she maintains she was fired and that
she has in the past and is now badmouthing her ex-coworkers.
At first, I was shocked. Then, I was dismayed. Then, I was depressed. This
took about 20 seconds. After that, though, I was a bit relieved for both
sides.
What she did was obnoxious, but I can't blame her for it; it's something
I'm set to do in my own job fairly soon. It happens all the time---protect
your prospects, secure them, then cut the line to the old job. IF she has a
firm project, then she made what many would see as a smart move. If she
doesn't, well, she made a bad judgment call and will start saving face
soon. We'll know which one it is fairly quickly, I suspect.
On the B5 side, though, we have to take into account the matter of Ivanova
the character. True, she's had some great lines. True, we all love her.
However, I'm sure as an actress she may easily have felt the character
wasn't going anywhere. It's really hard to fit so many stories into a
48-minute show, and one or two characters is bound to be left out. I
haven't seen an Ivanova story in a while (at least not one where there is
character growth, just a number of events she had to play out). Talia's
gone, so there can't be any story there, and so on.
For one, I'm glad for the civil reactions here on the net. We're pretty
much the only ones to have this inside knowledge and *care* about this
inside knowledge, or any inside knowledge about B5. The other fans will
probably wonder for 5 seconds why she left, and then not worry about it
once the new character enthralls them.
When O'Hare left, things got damn ugly. Accusations of poor acting,
disingenuous behavior on Joe's part, etc. I've seen a bit of that here re:
Claudia, but not as much, and in this case it looks worse than the
"Sinclair Event" even on the surface. It looks like we've matured as a
group, then.
So, whether Joe is telling us the right story or Claudia is, remember that
it really doesn't matter. If we dig too hard into this, one of the
pedestals is going to fall. We should wait it out another year before we
break out the axes.
Brian Rauchfuss - PCD
In article <19970721053...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
ShutUpRob <shut...@aol.com> wrote:
:except that, a) given the implications of JMS' announcement,
:it appears to me that Claudia's mind was made up before the
:effort to extend the renewal options began and b) she gave
:her word that she was on for season 5. If she had just said,
:"No" in the first place, I would be understanding and
:accepting. However, given the graceless method she
:chose to remove herself from the show, I can only take
:her leaving as a betrayal from artistic, business and fannish
:perspectives.
Hasn't anyone read Claudia's statement (posted to this group)?
She wants to do season 5! Her only request was that she have
4 episodes off to do a movie, which doesn't seem too bad. She
said that JMS said that he was willing to work with this, but
that she got an ultimatum from the higher ups at WB. She
requested a meeting to discuss it, but the deadline passed
before anything happened, so now she is out!
I think that we as fans should support Claudia, and request that
they consider her request for an 18 episode contract rather than
a 22 episode one. At least they should give her a reasonable
chance to decide between B5 and the movie contract!
: However, I sincerely hope that she develops second
:thoughts about the mistake she is making.
Unfortunately, they are not letting her have second thoughts!
BDR
Rick Haugen
Claudia Quits ... chooses not to renew.
While there have been several eps in which Claudia played a
believable part, for the most part I found her machine gun dialect and
limited character portrayal mostly forgettable. I'm looking
forward to the plot nuances that will happen as a result of this
change.
Just look at all the good stuff that came from Sheridan!!!
ChemistGuy
In article <19970721024...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
sco...@aol.com (SCOTT T D) writes:
>
>I welcome a new character to the show. I'm sick of egotistical actors as
>much as I am egotistical atheletes.
>
>
Why are you calling Claudia Christian these things: Were you there to
know what really happened? I personally think that the post by Claudia is
more credible than JMS's. No where did he mention not agreeing to a very
simple request for a written guarantee of her being let off for a mere
four episodes . I don't believe that he could be as detached from the
situation as his post made him out to be. He claimed that they extended
the offer, but he didn't say whether it was a deal she could accept.
As fans of B5 would should not jump to ATTACK JMS nor Claudia Christian.
This is an unfortunate situation for all concerned. We fans should do our
mourning and then get over it. B5 is a business, and this sort of thing
does happen in business. The truth is that we will likely never know the
full truth of the situation. We are hurt by it, but it really isn't our
business.
Claudia Christian is a very talented actress and I fully expect that she
will have a successful post-B5 career. So stop nailing her career-coffin
shut already. As great a show as B5 is, it still has a niche following:
Claudia is not type-cast.
There is no reason that we can't continue to be fans of Claudia and B5
even though they have gone their separate ways.
The complete text of her response to JMS's post can be found elsewhere on
this group.
IF JMS READS THIS: GIVE CLAUDIA A CALL, MAYBE YOU CAN SALVAGE THIS
SITUATION.
IF CLAUDIA READS THIS: GIVE JMS A CALL, MAYBE YOU CAN SALVAGE THIS
SITUATION.
Cole
shut...@aol.com (ShutUpRob) wrote:
> For that matter, perhaps she should be reminded of
>the fate of Denise Crosby after she walked away from
>Star Trek. Just where *is* she now, anyway?
Heh, well, ironically enough, Denise is making documentaries about --
wait for it -- Star Trek! Bwah ha ha!
Cole
Mr Psychoholic
I find it strange that after all the wrangling and torment that went on
for Season 5 this problem with Mrs. Christian happened at all. One would
think she'd be happy to sign on. Its more than a paycheck, its being part
of something huge, something that will be remembered, something wonderful.
Not only is she burning her bridge with the show, but alienating legions
of fans. May not end up being as welcome on the convention circuit as in
the past to say the least.
Between what JMS and Mrs. Christian have said, all *I* have to say is
quote Kosh, "understanding is a three-edge sword"
Perhaps Mrs. Christian, being prudent given the fact that season 5 was
far from a done deal, sought work elsewhere. Maybe she signed a deal, in
writing<cough>, and had to take the 4 eps off. At that point she was
obligated to B5 but signed to whatever else she had agreed to. Before
someone quotes this out of context 20 msgs down the thread, this is
speculation on my part. I do also recall her in print talking about how
she had signed contracts previously for past seasons with B5 and how other
actors had told her that was not the best way to go about it. Maybe she
asked for more money. Maybe she felt like she had been screwed and wanted
a little back. I dont know but I seriously doubt she was simply being
greedy. For all those that want to burn her at the stake, just remember
that this is a job for her and she's just taking whatever course of action
best suits her goals. I want her to come back because she is Ivanova and
she does it well but it will not be the end of B5 as we know it if she
doesnt. Maybe she was just jealous of Lyta, heh. Through all of this, I
believe JMS is doing the best he can for the show, the cast and the fans.
Mr. P
Cole
ky...@acpub.duke.edu (Kyle B. Ferrio) wrote:
>Question: Does TNT have an escape clause?
I've been wondering this. If they have a contract for *this* show,
featuring *these* characters, with *these* actors -- who we/they
thought were all signed -- they could say "We don't want it no more".
Highly unlikely, sure, but stranger things have happened.
Cole
L. E. McClintock
Now, why is everyone seems to assume that an actor cannot lie? Why does
everyone seem to think C.C. is telling the truth?
Turning the question around: Why would one think JMS is telling the
truth? Answer: Because he's a writer, and the most important thing to a
writer is honesty, truth.
If C.C. wanted to stay, she could have signed the one month contract
extension just like every other cast member. If W.B. and TNT had gotten
the deal done back in mid June, without needing the actors to extend a
month, this would have never happenend because she would have been still
attached to her original 5 year contract.
That's it, end of story. She left, and didn't have to. Let's move on,
and see what kind of interesting new character comes in.
L. E. M.
Louis-Dominique Dubeau
wei...@ucsub.Colorado.EDU (Candide) writes:
> Jms at B5 (jms...@aol.com) wrote:
>
> : There have been some questions raised as to what has happened regarding
> : Claudia Christian and Season 4. In simplest possible terms, which can be
>
> [snip]
>
> Ummm... no, something is very wrong with this whole situation. Before
> coming on to USENET, I read both the letter from JMS and Claudia's
> response, and something doesn't make sense here. The simple fact that
> Ms. Christian did the TNT promos says that she wants to do B5.
Or that she kept her options opened.
Regards,
ldd
Larry Caldwell
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In article <5qro3o$f8b$1...@gte1.gte.net>,
Ben Waltenberger <b...@geog.ucsb.edu> wrote:
> Or maybe like actors from MASH and NYPD Blue, she's jumping ship only
> to end up in infommercial alley.
CC is going to be eminently replaceable. She really isn't a very good
actress, and butchered about half her lines. You can't help wishing her
well, but she's unlikely to make much money as a free agent. She may
get a role or two on name familiarity, but before long it will be back
to B movies and bit parts.
I can't believe an actor stupid enough to quit a steady job with a growing
fan base and guaranteed residuals. It reminds me of when Leonard Nimoy
bailed out on Star Trek. Two guest shots on "Mission, Impossible" and
he was ready to be resurrected.
-- Larry
Gary Farber
In <stefEDn...@netcom.com> Stef Jones <st...@netcom.com> wrote:
[. . .]
: Guess so, but it doesn't seem like a particularly good career move either.
: She would have been much more visible after next season because TNT is
: promoting Babylon 5 all over the place.
While the track record for success of actors leaving tv shows to pursue
feature roles is a poor one, you've actually just made a case in favor of
her decision: now she'll be available *while* her visibility is at an
all-time high, and B5 is being promoted, as you say -- rather than a year
later, post-peak.
--
-- Gary Farber gfa...@panix.com
Copyright 1997 Brooklyn, NY, USA
Kevin Munoz
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In article <19970719185...@ladder02.news.aol.com>, jms...@aol.com
(Jms at B5) wrote:
> And that, as they say, is the long and the short of it. While I will not
> recast the role, on the theory that she may come around someday and decide
> she wants to be in one of the TNT features or one of the movies, we will
> be bringing in a new character to fill that position in the B5 command
> structure.
Any chance of her guesting as Ivanova in the 5th season? I know I asked
this elsewhere, but I was rambling at the time and I'm sure no one read
that far.
Kevin Munoz
TII
http://www.tesarta.com/
Kevin Munoz
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In article <kevin-ya02408000...@news.wired2.net>,
ke...@tesarta.com (Kevin Munoz) wrote:
> Okay, so we have heard from JMS that the offer was on the table longer than
> it should have been and that she let it go.
>
> We have heard through others here that she maintains she was fired and that
> she has in the past and is now badmouthing her ex-coworkers.
I think I spoke too soon. It appears now that she maintains that she was
trying to get a few episodes off so she could do other projects, and that
Joe said yes but others said that he didn't have the authority to say yes.
I don't know about that, but if it's true, Joe will have to find out who
they were and take their jobs. ;)
Anyway, it looks like this was a case of "O SHIT! Ooops!" on a number of
persons' parts. I think if we want to look for a scapegoat, it should be
the powers that be above Joe and the cast and crew, but we'll see how
things develop. I guess it would be nice if something could be reworked to
fix this, or bring her back in for guest shots or something next
season---any idea, Joe, on the possibility of this? If it's true she didn't
want out, and bears no ill will toward any of the B5 crew, I can't imagine
she'd have a problem with this.
This is really depressing. I hope something can be worked out so that we
don't have to go Claudia-less (I give more of a damn about going
Claudia-less than about going Ivanova-less, especially if she really wanted
to stay on) for the entire 5th season. Bugger.
Kevin Munoz
SSmith1701
The more I've thought this through, the more I'm convinced that JMS
is in the right and Claudia is not exactly being forthright.
Let's consider some basic facts -- and these *are* facts, agreed upon
by all sides:
(1) The actors' contracts expired on June 15. That's standard in the
TV industry. It frees the actors to go elsewhere if the show isn't
renewed; a production studio can't hold them captive ad infinitum.
(2) The contracts are with WB. Not with Babylonian. Not with JMS.
Not with TNT. Any contractual negotiations are between the actor and WB.
(3) Additional time was required to extract B5 from PTEN so it could
be distributed on TNT. WB asked all the cast members to agree to a 30-day
extension on their contracts. All agreed, except one -- Claudia
Christian.
(4) June 15 came and went. On June 15, Claudia became a free agent.
She knew that when she declined to extend her contract. As of June 15,
she was no longer employed by WB. Neither owed anything to each other.
It's no different than when a ballplayer becomes a free agent.
(5) As Claudia was no longer an employee, JMS had no choice but to
start writing scripts for the fifth season without the Ivanova character
in them. He's contractually required by WB to provide scripts by specific
dates. He couldn't simply sit around and wait for Claudia to make up her
mind. Pre-production for episodes starts weeks before filming.
(6) Claudia expressed a desire to return, if WB would put in writing
that she could have four episodes off to do a movie. (I haven't seen any
indication that she was willing to accept a commensurate pay cut.) WB
made a counteroffer. She chose not to accept it. WB chose not to accept
her terms.
(7) Even though he was in pre-production for Season 5, JMS bent over
backwards to give Claudia a chance to come back with enough time to
rewrite the scripts. His drop-dead date was last Friday, July 18. She
didn't reach an agreement with WB, so that was that. JMS had to move
forward.
Reviewing these facts, I see no way that Claudia can legitimately
claim that she was "fired." She declared herself a free agent on June 15.
She had every right to do so under the terms of her contract. When a
ballplayer declares himself a free agent, he might strike it rich, he
might have to take a pay cut elsewhere, or he might find himself out of a
job. Those are the risks.
Claudia was the only B5 actor to allow her option to expire. She
knew what she was doing. It's time that she accept responsibility for
what she did.
Stephen
Kevin Munoz
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In article <33D31B7B...@iname.com>, Eddie Auerbach <e...@iname.com> wrote:
> One might even wonder if someone like JL, upon reading of CC's rumored
> departure, took it upon herself to contact WB about the prospective
> opening. This would make WB much more receptive to letting CC walk
> (perhaps overjoyed at their good fortune), and CC would then only have
> the recourse of inciting a letter writing/faxing campaign to get her job
> back. She *did* say WB ultimately pulled the offer from the table, and
> that would be as good a reason as any. (Like, oh darn, CC wanted to be
> difficult with us, but all these more famous, more beautiful, and more
> talented actresses just lined up begging us for the job. What horrible
> luck.)
I don't know, but the above diatribe just looks to me like sour 20/20
hindsight grapes.
SGWM
On 19 Jul 1997 15:07:27 -0400, in rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
jms...@aol.com (Jms at B5)wrote:
>
>There have been some questions raised as to what has happened regarding
>Claudia Christian and Season 4. In simplest possible terms, which can be
>verified through every cast member, and in the press, what happened was
>this:
>
> stuff about Claudia quitting B5 for season 5.
Anyone want to take bets that she'll appear in some production by the
franchise on a TV near you?
And Joe, as for Claudia, great as she was, no one actor or participant
is bigger than the story or the show. It survived Michael O'Hare
asking to leave, it survived Andrea Thompson asking to leave. It
survived Foundation Imaging leaving and going to the franchise. It
survived having the arc crushed into 4 seasons.
But look at what we got - Sheridan, the return of Lyta, FX that were
no worse than Foundations and a perfectly good season that actually
benefited in its first 6 episodes from the relentless pace of the
story. Basically, I'm looking forward to a new character - new life
has been breated into the show on previous occasions, so why not now?
Lisa B.
ke...@tesarta.com (Kevin Munoz) wrote:
>When O'Hare left, things got damn ugly. Accusations of poor acting,
>disingenuous behavior on Joe's part, etc. I've seen a bit of that here re:
>Claudia, but not as much, and in this case it looks worse than the
>"Sinclair Event" even on the surface. It looks like we've matured as a
>group, then.
Well there's *that*, and then of course there's moderation...
;^D
LisaB
Harry McDow
Mark Lucas wrote:
> ON THE SUBJECT OF CLAUDIA LEAVING:
> will miss Ivanova, that her absence will do any lasting damage to the
> saga.
I will miss Ivanova. She is one character that I've grown to admire and
for a male like me [let your imagination run wild] that is saying a
lot. (yeah, yeah... I know. I'm a baaaaad boy.)
ut I agree with you, though she will be missed (regardless of what
happened with CC) "the show must go on". I'll miss Ivanova "she who
walks in independence", but I for one will look forward to see how the
Great Maker weaves his new web...
--
- Harry
Woogazoid
mbl...@gate.net (Michael Blitch) wrote:
[snip]
Mike, I misread your name and thought you were making a personal
assessment about her, though probably a wrong assessment.
If the con thing is true, then screw WB. If it's wrong, then she had her
own reasons, albeit misguided. I hope she wises up real soon.
Woogie
Links and homemade pages!
Actors and Actresses! Music! Television! The Paranormal! Leisure Activities!
Sports (including every Houston sports team)! Writing coming soon!
The Woogazoid's Homepage -- http://members.aol.com/Woogazoid/woogie.htm
FPP
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In article <33D2EC...@ix.netcom.com>, LEM...@ix.netcom.com wrote:
-> SCOTT T D wrote:
-> >
-> > She obviously went to the David Caruso school of Acting, Course entitled
-> > Brilliant Career Moves 101. She knew this was a 5 year series. I'll be
-> > sure to pay 8 bucks to see her in some low budget cop movie or whatever
-> > she thinks she'll get. Personally, IMHO, she isn't that good of an
-> > actress and certainly not ready for any big budget, big screen "starring"
-> > roles.
-> >
-> > I welcome a new character to the show. I'm sick of egotistical actors as
-> > much as I am egotistical atheletes.
-> >
-> > Signed,
-> > A pissed off fan!
->
-> Amen to that...
You know, you might want to wait until you've heard her side of the
story... It's been posted here - and it does give a different slant on the
subject.
Unless, of course, you think it's better to jump to conclusions before
you've even bothered to see both sides...
ba...@primenet.com
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Now, I don't *particularly* care about this Claudia Christian situation
either way. She was cool as Ivanova, but she's not a particularly good
actress. She was a nice part of the show, but it'll go on. And as far
as the Babylon 5 "Big Picture," well, I'll watch the show as long as I
like it, and stop when I don't.
But all things being equal, I read that post by JMS, and I just don't
know.... It seems to me that, despite the talk (hopefully sincere)
about B5 being a heartfelt project for everyone involved, and that
everyone is a big ol' family, etc., etc., B5 is a business. Each
episode costs, what?, $800,000 - $900,000, they've just been picked up
by TNT in a move that everyone is hoping will be lucrative to all
parties, and the scuttlebutt I've heard is that the reason for the
renewal delays is that WB wanted to scrap the show (and avoid all the
PTEN breakup headaches) and make *movies*. Babylon 5 is
(as far as a lot of people are desperately wishing), turning into big
money.
B5 is a *business*. Now, I don't work in the show business, nor do
many/any of the rest of us, (which is why we all get such a thrill when
JMS deigns to speak to us), but I've read (and now reread) JMS' account
of what went on, and I have to ask:
Is this how a business is run?
I don't think so. Hollywood, as the trade papers and apparent
creativity suggest,, is nowadays run by accountants and lawyers. I
distrust both Claudia's and JMS' stories, because all of this "I trusted
him and he fucked me over," and "I trusted her and all she had to do was
make a phone call," sounds like a lotta crap. This junk doesn't pass
for conflict resolution among the employees of a Wal-Mart, let alone the
employees of a multi-million dollar TV production. Either these stories
represent the truth in some way (which would be pathetic) or they're
just a sloppy attempt at spin-doctoring.
I think the latter.
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<HTML>
Now, I don't *particularly*<I> </I>care about this Claudia Christian situation
either way. She was cool as Ivanova, but she's not a particularly
good actress. She was a nice part of the show, but it'll go on.
And as far as the Babylon 5 "Big Picture," well, I'll watch the show as
long as I like it, and stop when I don't.
<P>But all things being equal, I read that post by JMS, and I just don't
know.... It seems to me that, despite the talk (hopefully sincere)
about B5 being a heartfelt project for everyone involved, and that everyone
is a big ol' family, etc., etc., B5 is a business. Each episode costs,
what?, $800,000 - $900,000, they've just been picked up by TNT in a move
that everyone is hoping will be lucrative to all parties, and the scuttlebutt
I've heard is that the reason for the renewal delays is that WB wanted
to scrap the show (and avoid all the PTEN breakup headaches) and make *movies*.
Babylon 5 is
<BR>(as far as a lot of people are desperately wishing), turning into big
money.
<P>B5 is a *business*. Now, I don't work in the show business, nor
do many/any of the rest of us, (which is why we all get such a thrill when
JMS deigns to speak to us), but I've read (and now reread) JMS' account
of what went on, and I have to ask:
<P>Is this how a business is run?
<P>I don't think so. Hollywood, as the trade papers and apparent
creativity suggest,, is nowadays run by accountants and lawyers.
I distrust both Claudia's and JMS' stories, because all of this "I trusted
him and he fucked me over," and "I trusted her and all she had to do was
make a phone call," sounds like a lotta crap. This junk doesn't pass
for conflict resolution among the employees of a Wal-Mart, let alone the
employees of a multi-million dollar TV production. Either these stories
represent the truth in some way (which would be pathetic) or they're just
a sloppy attempt at spin-doctoring.
<P>I think the latter.</HTML>
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SCOTT T D
I, as is apt to my personality, emotionally reacted to bad news. It is
true that I have not heard her side of the story. But in all fairness to
ALL sides, and business sides, this does not/will not help the show.
Erik Selberg
Hiya,
First off, there's nothing here about you or CC being to blame,
etc. etc. Just some "answer it here before you get cornered at a
convention" type questions! :)
1. Are there plans, contingency or otherwise, for inviting CC back as
a guest star? Esp. considering a "What ever happened to Ivanova" may
now make a good episode (if you're looking at having one :)
2. One of the more interesting characters who's developed over the
past few seasons is Zack Allen, esp. since he's taken on being
Chief. Have you thought of giving the XO's mantle to Lt. Corwin
(Joshua Cox) rather than bring in someone new as you have stated?
3. Presumably Ivanova is in ep. 422. Does CC's departure mean that
there will need to be some new shots and re-editing? Perhaps the
entire episode will be redone with the new cast members? Or will CC be
in the final episode, returning from whereever you send her character
this season?
Thanks,
-Erik
pica
>There have been some questions raised as to what has happened regarding
>Claudia Christian and Season 4. In simplest possible terms, which can be
>verified through every cast member, and in the press, what happened was
>this:
>
[snip]
>
> jms
So, how about having her guest star on 18 episodes in S5?
Does WB have any say on who guest stars?
Christopher Hanlon
On 20 Jul 1997 20:06:07 -0400, Karen Bahnsen
<Support...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>I am very sorry to hear that Claudia won't be in Season 5. I think she
>has made a *very* foolish career move, and though her behavior would be
>considered normal in Hollywood, you deserved a lot better. I think
>we've all gotten to know how well you treat other people, and really
>admire you for continuing to do so even when others don't always respond
>as they should.
I'm not sure if she made abad career move, or if her agent didn't push
too hard. Claudia was genuinely surprised at Toronto Trek, where she
got the news.
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
Christopher T. Hanlon
cha...@mergetel.com
http://www.mergetel.com/~chanlon
Support Babylon 5!
Be Seeing You...
Shannon Sudderth
I'm afraid at the moment I must agree that Ms. Christian's
prospects aren't the best right now. While B5 has an extremely loyal fan
base and has gotten some good publicity with the TNT deal, it is still a
syndicated program. For every Robin Williams (remember "Mork & Mindy"?)
there's a dozen David Carusos and Shannen Dohertys who return to TV after
crashing and burning at the box office. And all of those examples had the
exposure of a major network show.
Also, I've seen bits of the dreck (IMHO) that was her film career,
in the constant reruns on Comedy Central. I have yet to see her play any
type of character other than Ivanova: a hard-bitten and no-nonsense woman
in charge of her own fate. Maybe whatever film she presumably has time to
do now will alter my opinion, and I hope she can forge the career she
wants for herself. But I am very sorry to see her go.
Shannon
--
_________
Shannon W. Sudderth
pu...@email.unc.edu
The One
On 21 Jul 1997, L. E. McClintock wrote:
> SCOTT T D wrote:
> >
> > She obviously went to the David Caruso school of Acting, Course entitled
> > Brilliant Career Moves 101. She knew this was a 5 year series. I'll be
> > sure to pay 8 bucks to see her in some low budget cop movie or whatever
> > she thinks she'll get. Personally, IMHO, she isn't that good of an
> > actress and certainly not ready for any big budget, big screen "starring"
> > roles.
> >
> > I welcome a new character to the show. I'm sick of egotistical actors as
> > much as I am egotistical atheletes.
> >
> > Signed,
> > A pissed off fan!
>
> Amen to that...
>
First of all, I agree that egotistical actors have to place on show such
as B5. However, what the originator of this thread seems to lack is
the insight to Claudia's side of the story.
I am not suggest what CC side of the story is the absolute truth, nor do I
suggest the same for the Great Maker's comments. Even though, they story
does not complete contridicate each other, there are thing that seems to
be missing (or intentionally left out) of the what really happened.
What I as a fan would like to see is to have CC back on the show for S5
without making it impossible for Babylonian production for produce the
next season. Having that said, I urge all fans to take an active role in
getting the best result for the next season. Let it be CC's return or a
great new character, but as JMS said before, "let the story be told as it
should be told."
And if we can, we should incourage CC and WB to bury the last couple of
weeks and work out an solution without compromising the quality of B5.
And please, stop bashing actors, actesses or producers before there is a
chance of salvaging the future.
Just my two cents as a B5 fan.
- Zhinian Shu -
"I have always been here."
JamesS1889
The interesting part to me is that even in JMS's followup, now
also posted at midwinter, he didn't address her claim that the
Variety article was news to her.
On the other hand, her attitude expressed in her letter about
that article sounds a bit cavalier to me. If she knew about it,
I would think she'd be kicking herself now for not calling Joe
and WB up and disavowing any knowledge of it.
That is, of course, unless she's fibbing about not knowing
about it.
Jim Squire
James...@aol.com
WWW: http://members.aol.com/jamess1889
Friends: http://members.aol.com/jamess1889/friends.html
"I went to a hockey game and a basketball game broke out"
Dianne Heins
Nora K. Loyd (nl...@mailer.fsu.edu) wrote:
: As for the story, in real life military folks move around a lot; it
: comes with the job. Personally I'd love to see Corwin get the chance
: to pop up from the 2-D world, but although he does have some
: responsibility, he doesn't have much experience in his current job.
Given the occasional talk about Corwin and why he *hasn't* been developed,
"Corwin as the Ivanova trap door" would certainly answer a number of
questions...
--
Dianne <*>
Dianne Heins
ShutUpRob (shut...@aol.com) wrote:
: While I'm at it, would now be a good time to flood Claudia
: with a letter-writing campaign? =)
Um, no.
--
Dianne <*>
Spike White
L. E. McClintock (LEM...@ix.netcom.com) wrote:
: Now, why is everyone seems to assume that an actor cannot lie?
Good question.
: Turning the question around: Why would one think JMS is telling the
: truth? Answer: Because he's a writer, and the most important thing to a
: writer is honesty, truth.
Uh, excuse me. All of B5 is a total fabrication. Never existed, never
will. I think more important to a *fiction* writer than truth or honesty
is the entertaining story.
I don't believe that JMS has prevaricarated at all, but not because he's
a writer. Being a writer doesn't grant him special immunity from being
human.
--
Spike White http://chistech.com/users/spike| Math like sux 'n' shit
Chisholm Technologies | sp...@chistech.com | cuz it's got like numbers.
Austin, TX | '87 BMW K75S (motorcycle)| -- Beavis
Disclaimer: The guys down the hall disagree with everything I say. Guess
who speaks for the company!
Christopher Horn
JamesS1889 wrote:
>
> The interesting part to me is that even in JMS's followup, now
> also posted at midwinter, he didn't address her claim that the
> Variety article was news to her.
>
> On the other hand, her attitude expressed in her letter about
> that article sounds a bit cavalier to me. If she knew about it,
> I would think she'd be kicking herself now for not calling Joe
> and WB up and disavowing any knowledge of it.
>
> That is, of course, unless she's fibbing about not knowing
> about it.
Or maybe her agent was playing games neither she or JMS and Warner Bros
knew about...
Cheers,
Chris
Michael Stoodt
In article <5r16n2$r65$6...@news.dscga.com>, col...@aeneas.net (Cole) wrote:
>shut...@aol.com (ShutUpRob) wrote:
>
>> For that matter, perhaps she should be reminded of
>>the fate of Denise Crosby after she walked away from
>>Star Trek. Just where *is* she now, anyway?
>
>Heh, well, ironically enough, Denise is making documentaries about --
>wait for it -- Star Trek! Bwah ha ha!
There's a bit of difference between Claudia's four years on B5 and
Denise's two-thirds of a year on ST:TNG. (Or David Caruso's
year-and-a-half on NYPD Blue.) The writers and actors at ST:TNG had
hardly begun to settle into and really define the roles; the revolving
door at Sick Bay and Geordi's relocation show that. Who knows what Tasha
might have been like by season 3, if Denise had been more patient?
Claudia gave us four seasons, and JMS made them good ones for her
character from day one.
(Star Trek followups don't belong here...)
--
Michael A. Stoodt [MaS] <*> Mashed potatos can be your friend!
UMassDartmouth, CompInfoSci -- "Weird" Al Yankovic
mumble mumble disclaimer mumble...
ShutUpRob
In article <5r0l0a$ng1$1...@news.fm.intel.com>, brau...@pcocd2.intel.com
(Brian Rauchfuss - PCD) writes:
>Hasn't anyone read Claudia's statement (posted to this group)?
>She wants to do season 5! Her only request was that she have
>4 episodes off to do a movie, which doesn't seem too bad. She
>said that JMS said that he was willing to work with this, but
>that she got an ultimatum from the higher ups at WB. She
>requested a meeting to discuss it, but the deadline passed
>before anything happened, so now she is out!
I've now read her statement. I've vacillated somewhat on the
subject in emails, but having had the time to digest both sides,
I stand by my original assessment. If she didn't want in
unreservedly and couldn't remember that JMS worked around
Stephen Furst's desire to go off and do a sitcom last year,
then I'm thinking that she really didn't want to do the show,
despite the fact that she was still doing promos before the
whole thing blew up.
>I think that we as fans should support Claudia, and request that
>they consider her request for an 18 episode contract rather than
>a 22 episode one. At least they should give her a reasonable
>chance to decide between B5 and the movie contract!
22 episode (full season) contracts for leads is the standard
of the industry. And, since both CC and JMS have stated, basically,
that he was going to work around her even though she was going
to be required to sign the standard contract, she was cutting off
her nose to spite her face. She was going to have gotten what
she ostensibly wanted! As a fan, I don't support Claudia in this
and I think that she needs to fire her agent for allowing her to
hyperfocus on short-term gains to the detriment of her career.
-- Rob Jensen
"Soon after producers of Chicago Hope announced plans for an
all-musical episode of the popular drama, Joe Straczynski
announced similar plans for his ground-breaking science-fiction
opus. Coming Soon: Beach Blanket Babylon 5." Ekojasisiht!
David Samuel Barr
Larry Caldwell wrote:
>
> I can't believe an actor stupid enough to quit a steady job with a
> growing fan base and guaranteed residuals. It reminds me of when
> Leonard Nimoy bailed out on Star Trek. Two guest shots on "Mission,
> Impossible" and he was ready to be resurrected.
>
> -- Larry
Just to set the record straight. Leonard Nimoy never "bailed out" on
Star Trek. He did not join the Mission: Impossible series -- in which
he was a regular cast member for several seasons, not an occasional
guest star -- until after Star Trek had been cancelled and production
ended.
If you're referring to the question of the Spock character being killed
off in the second ST movie, you should know that (a) the idea did not
come from Nimoy, and (b) the decision to resurrect Spock was made even
before the death scene was filmed (and so required some script and
staging revision on the set to accommodate it).
The myths of his dissatisfaction with the character and his desire to
walk away from the franchise are both false and have been soundly
debunked in numerous published sources, including Nimoy's own book,
"I Am Spock".
As to Claudia Christian's supposed decision to leave the series for
movies, it's not exactly a David Caruso move, where an unknown actor
left a hit series in its first season because he overestimated his own
importance and fan following. Claudia did movies before she joined B5,
and I doubt she has any expectations that her B5 role will now get her
superstar roles. Her departure is regrettable in terms of series
continuity, but just as with Capt. Sinclair, I'm sure JMS can find a way
to work around her disappearance.
Praetor Kh'arna
In article <19970719185...@ladder02.news.aol.com>,
Jms at B5 <jms...@aol.com> wrote:
|
|There have been some questions raised as to what has happened regarding
|
|And that, as they say, is the long and the short of it. While I will not
|recast the role, on the theory that she may come around someday and decide
|she wants to be in one of the TNT features or one of the movies, we will
|be bringing in a new character to fill that position in the B5 command
|adjust for this without missing a beat, and the story will continue as
|planned with only a minor variation in the first two episodes to introduce
|the new character.
One further question: How, if at all, does this affect 522 (formerly known
as 422)?
Also, can you reveal which episode the shot in TV Guide portrays (showing
Marcus looking over Ivanova on the bridge of a White Star)? This picture
would almost seem to be a spoiler, but if it occurs in 522, that would
appear to be a slight continuity problem.
Thank you in advance for your answers.
--
Praetor Kh'arna \
Warbird Zha'sa <*> + --
Romulan Fleet /
Andrew Brecher
>When spoken to
>in Blackpool, she was still, at that point, saying that she was going to
>be in season 5...but did nothing to address the situation with WB. She
>was told that WB had to know, for sure, if she was in or out by last
>Friday. All she had to do to be in season 5 was to pick up the phone, or
>have her agent do so, and call WB and say, "I'm in."
>
>This did not happen. Friday came, and went. It was clear that she had no
>intention of being in season 5, and wanted instead to pursue movies. She
>is more well known now after B5, after all.
I am very disturbed by this passage. This is what miscommunication looks
like from the miscommunicator's end, folks. "She was told that..." by
whom? TNT or WB or someone else? "All she had to do was call..." did she
know that? Did she know who to call? Where was her agent in all this?
And what would saying 'I'm in' have done if they didn't have a contract
yet? On whose terms would she be 'in'? "This did not happen...It was
clear that..." clear to whom? Who's in charge here?
It sounds clear to me that both CC and WB thought the ball was in the
other's court, and in the end both sides are blaming the other for
dropping it. Someone was not trying hard enough to resolve this.
I've been involved in way, way too many miscommuncation situations in my
life. This has all the warning signs of someone not making the effort to
get things done right- whether it was WB or TNT or JMS I don't know, but
I'm taking CC's side on this one. I'm seeing too many signs of good faith
from CC, and too many signs that someone at WB/TNT didn't put in the
effort to work things out and was content to just let her go.
--
Andrew Brecher (abre...@erols.com)
Billie Hackney
I'm an Ivanova fan (Ivanova and Delenn are my favorite B5 characters) and
I'm really sorry that Claudia has gone the way of Denise Crosby and
Michelle Forbes. But I don't think it will affect how I feel about B5.
Haven't all of the best story lines for the past two years centered around
G'Kar, Londo, Sheridan, and Delenn? (and maybe that's one reason she
left?) The *story* is what hooked me on B5, not the actors and actresses
or the special effects.
I have every confidence that B5 and its sequel will be fine without
Claudia. It's a shame to lose a strong female character (yes, I'm one of
them feminist types) but JMS doesn't seem to have any trouble creating
good female characters and there are several still around. :) And we
still have The Creator at the helm, and the fifth year is coming. Life is
good!
Billie
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
bil...@gslis.utexas.edu
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Judith R. Conly
In article <5qv3u9$7...@lace.colorado.edu>,
wei...@ucsub.Colorado.EDU (Candide) wrote:
<snip>
>So, it sounds to me like someone other than Joe and Claudia f***ked
>things up Real Bad. It also sounds to me like some power-crazed suit
>at WB decided to make something of an example of CC and fed Joe some
>misinformation. Or, at the very least, both Joe and CC have just
>gotten smooshed by the Hollyweird machinery.
<snip>
Thank you! That's the way I read the situation. There's certainly more to
the story than we've seen. Here are a few offside observations of my own:
Speaking as an actress, the only way I would have held out for the time off
would be if I had a very good movie offer on the table, for which I needed
to be able to make a firm commitment to take the time off from B5.
Otherwise, yeah, I would give up a role like Ivanova -- when you pried the
script out of my cold, dead fingers.
If you've read CC's official statement, you'll have noted that at no time
does she have anything bad to say about JMS. Quite the contrary. The
people she refused to take on faith were the suits at WB, who -- among other
things -- wanted her to break union rules to communicate with them. If
there's anything worse than angering JMS, it's angering the union.
It wouldn't surprise me if someone at WB took exception to JMS's adamant
independence and decided to take advantage of the opportunity to sow discord
between him and one of his leading actors. Even in this day of almost
instant communication, it is too easy to arrange for information to arrive
too late (as in the CC "reply by Monday" scenario).
Judith
Catherine Deville
On 21 Jul 1997 14:32:40 -0400, wei...@ucsub.Colorado.EDU (Candide) wrote:
>Jms at B5 (jms...@aol.com) wrote:
>: There have been some questions raised as to what has happened regarding
>: Claudia Christian and Season 4. In simplest possible terms, which can be
>[snip]
>Ummm... no, something is very wrong with this whole situation. Before
>coming on to USENET, I read both the letter from JMS and Claudia's
>response, and something doesn't make sense here. The simple fact that
>Ms. Christian did the TNT promos says that she wants to do B5.
>So, it sounds to me like someone other than Joe and Claudia f***ked
>things up Real Bad. It also sounds to me like some power-crazed suit
>at WB decided to make something of an example of CC and fed Joe some
>misinformation. Or, at the very least, both Joe and CC have just
>gotten smooshed by the Hollyweird machinery.
yep! yep! that's what I figure! listening to both stories that's sure what it
sounds like.
As usual, trust the suits to f*ck up good programming!
grrrrrr...
and no... I don't understand the "well... everyone else is signing for 22 eps,
so you have to too" viewpoint. studios have to make exceptions for artists
every day. *GOOD* studios do so, knowing that they are investing in the artist.
But more and more every day we are seeing studios and networks that just have
absolutely *no* concept of the give and take appropriate to a good
*employee/employer* relationship.
Chris Andersen
col...@aeneas.net (Cole) wrote:
>ky...@acpub.duke.edu (Kyle B. Ferrio) wrote:
>
>>Question: Does TNT have an escape clause?
>
>I've been wondering this. If they have a contract for *this* show,
>featuring *these* characters, with *these* actors -- who we/they
>thought were all signed -- they could say "We don't want it no more".
>Highly unlikely, sure, but stranger things have happened.
No doubt they probably could make that argument. But TNT appears to be
smart enough to realize that B5 is more than the sum of its
characters. Besides, they've already invested way to much hype into
this to back out now.
Chris Andersen
chemi...@aol.com (ChemistGuy) wrote:
>In article <19970721024...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
>sco...@aol.com (SCOTT T D) writes:
>
>>
>>I welcome a new character to the show. I'm sick of egotistical actors as
>>much as I am egotistical atheletes.
>>
>>
>
>
>Why are you calling Claudia Christian these things: Were you there to
>know what really happened? I personally think that the post by Claudia is
>more credible than JMS's. No where did he mention not agreeing to a very
>simple request for a written guarantee of her being let off for a mere
>four episodes . I don't believe that he could be as detached from the
>situation as his post made him out to be. He claimed that they extended
>the offer, but he didn't say whether it was a deal she could accept.
So you expect Joe's first statement on the matter to be perfect and
air-tight in every way?
>As fans of B5 would should not jump to ATTACK JMS nor Claudia Christian.
>This is an unfortunate situation for all concerned. We fans should do our
>mourning and then get over it. B5 is a business, and this sort of thing
>does happen in business. The truth is that we will likely never know the
>full truth of the situation. We are hurt by it, but it really isn't our
>business.
I agree. It sucks. But then sometime life sucks. I'd be more depressed
if we'd never gotten season 5.
Actually, what bothers me even more than Claudia not being on the show
any more is the potential this has for really dividing the people
involved in this show (both production and fans).
>IF JMS READS THIS: GIVE CLAUDIA A CALL, MAYBE YOU CAN SALVAGE THIS
>SITUATION.
>
>IF CLAUDIA READS THIS: GIVE JMS A CALL, MAYBE YOU CAN SALVAGE THIS
>SITUATION.
I'd like to see both of them agree to stop the public side of their
debate and perhaps issue a joint statement saying the matter is
closed. Then I'd like to see if they could possibly discuss her making
guest appearances later on down the line. As it is, Claudia needs to
give up on the hope of still being a regular. It just isn't going to
happen. And Joe needs to give up on trying to get everyone to
understand what "really" happened because he'll never succeed.
Chris Andersen
SGWM <lor...@maitreya.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>And Joe, as for Claudia, great as she was, no one actor or participant
>is bigger than the story or the show. It survived Michael O'Hare
>asking to leave, it survived Andrea Thompson asking to leave. It
>survived Foundation Imaging leaving and going to the franchise. It
>survived having the arc crushed into 4 seasons.
>
>But look at what we got - Sheridan, the return of Lyta, FX that were
>no worse than Foundations and a perfectly good season that actually
>benefited in its first 6 episodes from the relentless pace of the
>story. Basically, I'm looking forward to a new character - new life
>has been breated into the show on previous occasions, so why not now?
I agree with all this, but I would like to correct one misconception
that still seems to be running rampant out there: the end of the
Shadow War was not compressed because of the questionable nature of
season 5. JMS has maintained repeatedly that "Into The Fire" came out
nearly excatly where he always intended it to come out.
Larry Caldwell
[The following text is in the "ISO-8859-1" character set]
[Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set]
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In article <33D5B3...@mindspring.com>,
David Samuel Barr <dsb...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> The myths of his dissatisfaction with the character and his desire to
> walk away from the franchise are both false and have been soundly
> debunked in numerous published sources, including Nimoy's own book,
> "I Am Spock".
Ah, the idealism of the young! Don't believe all those wonderful
Hollywood press releases, boy. Nimoy screamed like a raped eagle
about being typecast as a Vulcan and stuck in a nowhere role. He
even refused to do con appearances, and his bottom line for the
later movies was that they had to let him direct. He actively
*despised* Trek, and badmouthed it any chance he got.
After he got older and residuals started putting beans on the table,
he became a big booster. From reading the promo material, you would
swear the guy had never changed his mind in his life. :)
It's going to be interesting 30 years from now to see what the spin
on this little CC episode is.
-- Larry
Rhudson765
>
>The interesting part to me is that even in JMS's followup, now
>also posted at midwinter, he didn't address her claim that the
>Variety article was news to her.
>
>On the other hand, her attitude expressed in her letter about
>that article sounds a bit cavalier to me. If she knew about it,
>I would think she'd be kicking herself now for not calling Joe
>and WB up and disavowing any knowledge of it.
>
>That is, of course, unless she's fibbing about not knowing
>about it.
>
>
Personally, I think that both Claudia and JMS have been led around the
bend and some asshole of an excitive at Time Warner
is reading this newsgroup and snickering at all of us.
GREAT MAKER, IF YOU CANT SIGN UP CLAUDIA FOR SEASON FIVE, COULDN'T YOU
SIGN HER AS A DAY PLAYER FOR ALL 22 EPISODES?
Richard Hudson
G'Rick Sergeant Major of the Narn bat Squad
Im only here for 50 hours. Please email me at richard...@pwrhouse.com.
[ NOTE: The answer to your question is NO. The SAG forbids an actor
to appear in more than 6(?) episodes without being on the
credits. - JAD ]
Michael Furlan
On 21 Jul 1997 03:21:29 -0400, shut...@aol.com (ShutUpRob) wrote:
> Put me down as another one who would hope for a return of
>Tamlyn Tomita as a possible resolution to this turn of events.
I always liked her better anyway...
Juanma Barranquero
Con fecha 22 Jul 1997 03:53:09 -0400, "L. E. McClintock"
<LEM...@ix.netcom.com> dijo:
>Answer: Because he's a writer, and the most important thing to a
>writer is honesty, truth.
Yeah, say that to a certain SF writer turned religious guru.
--
/L/e/k/t/u
L. E. McClintock
Now, is that a nice thing to say about Gene Roddenberry?
:-)
(Yes, yes, I presume you are talking about L. Ron Hubbard, but anyway,
Trekkie-Dom is probably a more dangerous cult than Dianetics.)
LEM
Sam Kessler
>Juanma Barranquero wrote:
(cut for brevity)
>(. . . Trekkie-Dom is probably a more dangerous cult than Dianetics.)
>
>LEM
Probably not; in a Trekkie's mind, the lack of continuity from week to week
makes planning an insurrection difficult. : )
Samuel Kessler
skes...@dialnet.net
"Make it idiot-proof, and someone will make a better idiot."
LFrench106
>>Juanma Barranquero wrote:
>
>(cut for brevity)
>
>>(. . . Trekkie-Dom is probably a more dangerous cult than Dianetics.)
>>
>>LEM
(That's Scientology, you door!)
>Probably not; in a Trekkie's mind, the lack of continuity from week to
week
>makes planning an insurrection difficult. : )
Am I the only one who is reminded of Orwell's doublethink when he reads
this?
Timothy Burke
In article <33D420...@ix.netcom.com>, LEM...@ix.netcom.com wrote:
> Now, why is everyone seems to assume that an actor cannot lie? Why does
> everyone seem to think C.C. is telling the truth?
> Turning the question around: Why would one think JMS is telling the
> truth? Answer: Because he's a writer, and the most important thing to a
> writer is honesty, truth.
I have no idea who is telling the truth in this rather interestingly messy
situation. It's possible that both parties are telling a version of truth,
as it looked from their viewpoint. But the idea that writers are somehow
unique apostles to truth is frankly a silly one, and completely
unsupported by even a casual survey of twentieth century writers (ranging
from heavy-duty novelists to screenwriters to genre hacks): liars of all
varieties abound. Some lied in their writing, some lied in their lives,
and some lied with cheerful abandon in both arenas.
Florian Kuehnert
*tbu...@cc.swarthmore.edu (Timothy Burke)* schrieb:
>I have no idea who is telling the truth in this rather interestingly messy
>situation.
I totally agree with you. For me it looks like that CC wanted to have
too much money and JMS wanted her for all the season or give her not
all the money. What happened then seemed to be just miscommunication
of both sides.
Florian
Juanma Barranquero
Con fecha 3 Aug 1997 11:21:30 -0400, lfren...@aol.com (LFrench106)
dijo:
Er... Both you and Sam Kessler are quoting something by me that I
don't remember writing... Maybe my neurones are failing me, or perhaps
the original quoter wasn't careful enough when quoting?
--
/L/e/k/t/u