Finally! B5 Bible/Treatment Available!
Jms at B5
For the last six years, I've been asked repeatedly -- in email and at
conventions -- "Are you ever going to make the original B5 series writers'
bible available?" My general reaction was to simply say...maybe someday.
After considerable reflection, and as a Solstice present to B5 viewers...we're
finally going to make it available.
TWO such *its*, to be precise.
First: The original Babylon 5 Series Treatment
This is the 23 page document, written in September 1988, that was used to sell
the series for the five years it took to find a buyer. It has different
characters than were ever seen in the show, such as Dr. Chakri Mendak (a role
that later became Dr. Stephen Franklin) and more background on Vice-Commander
Laurel Chang... Sinclair's background is also quite different from what we
eventually ended up with (including the fact that he was widowed, a piece I
pulled away from his character for the series and held for someone like
Sheridan)....the Vorlons were warlike, squabbling aliens....
This was the first attempt to put B5 down on paper, in a process that would
change and evolve over the next 5 years. Ideas that were never used,
characters who would never be seen again, the first stirrings of the Minbari
War story (including a never used alternate explanation for why they
surrendered), Delenn was a male character... Kosh had a mate who came with him
to B5...on and on and on.
Second: The original Season One Babylon 5 Writer's Bible
This massive tome weighs in at over 60 pages, with comprehensive backgrounds on
all the characters as well as guidelines for writing SF for TV in ways that
would be different than all of our predecessors. It lays out the first year of
the arc and warns potential writers away from areas we plan to explore in later
years, has additional backgrounds on regular characters never actually used in
the series (such as a strange fellow named Mr. Jones who would have been
alternately a bane and ally to Garibaldi), stories that would eventually be
filmed, other stories that would never be used, information on the the history
and technology of the B5 universe, Psi Corps, Earthforce, the various
governments, and other areas...this is the Big One, the Grail of the B5
fictional world. The table of contents alone covers 2 pages.
This bible was ONLY given to prospective writers, who were in turn asked to
keep the material totally confidential. The treatment was ONLY given to
network/studio. heads and others in a position to buy the series.
In addition, BOTH of these documents will be peppered with the original
illustrations by Peter Ledger used to sell and visualize the series in its
earliest stage, including the original keyhole logo, many of them reproduced in
full color, others b&w. Some of these images have shown up in various places,
but others will be seen here by the world at large for the first time.
(Note: the page counts given do NOT include the pages of artwork, which expand
the length further.)
I debated long and hard about whether or not I would ever make these available,
but finally decided to give in to the many requests for the release of this
material.
This material will shortly be made available at www.thestation.com and via
phone orders. I don't know how long we'll make them available, but I suspect
it may not be very long.
In reading through the documents, it's like taking a trip back through time to
what was, to the very beginnings of the series, what would be, what might've
been, what never was...what got abandoned on the side of the road, what was
kept. At times the material is coy, informative, deliberately misleading in a
couple of places where I wanted to avoid leaks, rude and sometimes it actually
makes a rough kind of sense.
They're going to cost a bit more than the scripts, because at 60+ pages in the
case of the bible, and with the color illustrations, they're more expensive to
produce, and we're only doing a limited number of these.
Expect the full info to go up on thestation.com in a few days.
jms
(jms...@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com
D. Farrer
Derek Beebe
really REALLY want to own this! If scripts are $20, then I HOPE this 60 pager will
be under $50.
Oh, and the '80s Treatment... this will be cheap right? Script priced say?
Lee Hutchinson
jms...@aol.com says...
> Folkses:
>
> For the last six years, I've been asked repeatedly -- in email and at
> conventions -- "Are you ever going to make the original B5 series writers'
> bible available?" My general reaction was to simply say...maybe someday.
>
> After considerable reflection, and as a Solstice present to B5 viewers...we're
> finally going to make it available.
<snippage>
Wow...<head explodes>
Sign me up! Have you given any thought to making special, "limited-
edition" signed copies available? I'd buy one signed by you and maybe
even some cast members, no matter the cost.
Well, maybe not no matter the cost...I mean, if it was like $500, it'd be
a bit out of my reach, but under that...hmmm.
Damn, I'm a sucker...
--
Lee Hutchinson
pokr...@texas.net
http://pokrface.home.texas.net
"It's a hundred and six miles to Chicago; we got a full tank of gas,
half-a-pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses."
"Hit it."
Angela Hays
After posting my query about getting the B5 bible earlier today, I also sent
an e-mail to Sandra Bruckner. Here's her reply:
********
Angela,
Hi there.
JMS just made the announcement yesterday on CompuServe about the B5 bible
and
thestation.com hasn't yet posted the information about it's availability.
What you probably saw was the initial page that will go up after the
announcement -- readying the Emporium for direct ordering.
The Crusade Bible has been on sale for quite a while. So if you haven't
seen
that you might give it a look. I enjoyed it.
As soon as the information goes up at thestation.com, I'll post a note over
at the Zocalo as well. I don't want anyone to miss this opportunity. I
can't wait myself!
Talk to you soon.
Sandy
********
Just thought you'd like to know.
Angela
Kevin Kenney
items, during your presentation at Loscon in Burbank over Thamksgiving???
(and do you have a date/time for that presentation yet?)
Thanks,
KpK
Angela Hays
B5 Bible. Nothing yet in the main thestation.com section. Then I went to
the Emporium section, did a search for "bible" and three items came up: 1)
the Crusade Bible, 2) the B5 Bible and 3) the B5 Bible Autographed by JMS.
When I clicked to add either B5 Bible to my cart, it gave me the "We're
sorry, but this product is not currently available with the attributes you
selected." message.
Does this mean that it's not yet available for purchase or that it's already
sold out?
Angela
----------
In article <19991109225552...@ng-fo1.aol.com>, jms...@aol.com
(Jms at B5) wrote:
>Folkses:
>
>For the last six years, I've been asked repeatedly -- in email and at
>conventions -- "Are you ever going to make the original B5 series writers'
>bible available?" My general reaction was to simply say...maybe someday.
>
>After considerable reflection, and as a Solstice present to B5 viewers...we're
>finally going to make it available.
>
Jms at B5
>sorry, but this product is not currently available with the attributes you
>selected." message.
The info is *just now* starting to go up, so I imagine they are still adding in
the info to the system.
GaryG4430
at B5) writes:
>The info is *just now* starting to go up, so I imagine they are still adding
>in
>the info to the system.
>
>
> jms
>
Hello Joe:
Can we assume that:
BB-01A Babylon 5 Autographed Bible $45.00
BB-01 Babylon 5 Bible $35.00
173-CB-01 Crusade Writers Bible $20.00
Are the items in question?
Thanks,
Gary G.
--
Gary Grossoehme - GaryG4430 "at" aol "dot" com
Oregon Electronics - 503-239-5293
935 NE Couch St. - Computer Cable Specialists
Portland, Oregon - Member: AfterBurner Fan Club.
Jms at B5
>BB-01 Babylon 5 Bible $35.00
>173-CB-01 Crusade Writers Bible $20.00
>
>Are the items in question?
>
The Crusade bible is a different thing; it's the additional B5 treatment that's
being made available starting right now. The Crusade bible was made available
a bit ago.
Chris Huston
Thanks, Joe. :)
--CH
Neil Ottenstein
In his message JMS said: "They're going to cost a bit more than the
scripts, because at 60+ pages in the case of the bible, and with the
color illustrations, they're more expensive to produce, and we're only
doing a limited number of these."
I guess a hope is that they will be cheaper than you could get by making
color copies of every page and with better production values. Remember
also that there will probably be no fan club discount as usual. Also
remember that the shipping charges will be higher than needed due to the
high base cost. On the other hand if you haven't used the up to $8
dollars left from a $20.95 wasted membership renewal you might be able
to reduce the total cost (if that is still available - the information
on that isn't on the web page anymore).
Still, it is exciting that there might be some new material to be seen
even if it will cost a lot to see.
Neil Ottenstein
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
RPavelle
bible change year to year? I would think it would, if only to take into
account everything that is revealed in past seasons and to point out which
directions you want the show to go, but this is just guesswork.
Roger Pavelle
Jms at B5
I think we did a supplementary thing to the bible for year two, but that was
it, and my memory could be off about that.
Mark D. McKean
<jms...@aol.com> wrote:
> >I've been meaning to ask this since I got the Crusade Bible...Does the
> >writers
> >bible change year to year? I would think it would, if only to take into
> >account everything that is revealed in past seasons and to point out which
> >directions you want the show to go, but this is just guesswork.
> >
>
> I think we did a supplementary thing to the bible for year two, but that was
> it, and my memory could be off about that.
Makes sense, actually, considering that after that, you wrote almost
the entire rest of the series yourself. No outside writers, no need for
an updated series bible.
--
Mark D. McKean - The Quantum Panda - qpa...@iwaynet.net
Jms at B5
>season 2 through 5 bibles of Babylon 5 for sale on The Station, now that the
>S1 bible is up for sale?
>
I very much doubt it; there was just minor tinkering done to the thing.
John W. Kennedy
>
> >On that note, do you plan on releasing the supplementary things or
> >season 2 through 5 bibles of Babylon 5 for sale on The Station, now that the
> >S1 bible is up for sale?
> >
>
> I very much doubt it; there was just minor tinkering done to the thing.
Perhaps, then, deltas could be included with the S1 book?
--
-John W. Kennedy
-rri...@ibm.net
Compact is becoming contract
Man only earns and pays. -- Charles Williams
Derek Balling
bible.
Just a thought. :)
D
On 14 Nov 1999 23:02:13 -0700, jms...@aol.com (Jms at B5) wrote:
>>On that note, do you plan on releasing the supplementary things or
>>season 2 through 5 bibles of Babylon 5 for sale on The Station, now that the
>>S1 bible is up for sale?
>>
>
>I very much doubt it; there was just minor tinkering done to the thing.
>