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OT: B5 reboot?
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Kim Wall
Sep 27, 2021, 3:20:06 PM9/27/21
to
<https://deadline.com/2021/09/babylon-5-series-reboot-j-michael-straczynski-development-cw-1234845022/>
Does this mean that the cast would all have to be about 12?
Kim.
--
Does this mean that the cast would all have to be about 12?
Kim.
--
Vince M Hudd
Sep 28, 2021, 8:59:34 AM9/28/21
to
On 27/09/2021 20:15, Kim Wall wrote:
>
<https://deadline.com/2021/09/babylon-5-series-reboot-j-michael-straczynski-development-cw-1234845022/>
Ah, you beat me to posting something about this! :)
> Does this mean that the cast would all have to be about 12?
LOL!
FWIW, the Great Maker himself said in a Twitter thread:
'To answer all the questions, yes, it’s true, Babylon 5 is in active
development as a series for the CW. We have some serious fans over at
the network, and they’re eager to see this show happen. I’m hip deep
into writing the pilot now, and will be running the series upon pickup.
The network understands the uniqueness of Babylon 5 and is giving me a
great deal of latitude with the storytelling. As noted in the
announcement, this is a reboot from the ground up rather than a
continuation, for several reasons.
Heraclitus wrote “You cannot step in the same river twice, for the river
has changed, and you have changed.” In the years since B5, I’ve done a
ton of other TV shows and movies, adding an equal number of tools to my
toolbox, all of which I can bring to bear on one singular question: if I
were creating Babylon 5 today, for the first time, knowing what I now
know as a writer, what would it look like? How would it use all the
storytelling tools and technological resources available in 2021 that
were not on hand then? How can it be used to reflect the world in which
we live, and the questions we are asking and confronting every day?
Fans regularly point out how prescient the show was and is of our
current world; it would be fun to take a shot at looking further down
the road.
So we will not be retelling the same story in the same way because of
what Heraclitus said about the river. There would be no fun and no
surprises. Better to go the way of Westworld or Battlestar Galactica
where you take the original elements that are evergreens and put them in
a blender with a ton of new, challenging ideas, to create something
fresh yet familiar.
To those asking why not just do a continuation, for a network series
like this, it can’t be done because over half our cast are still
stubbornly on the other side of the Rim. How do you telling continuing
story of our original Londo without the original Vir? Or G’Kar? How do
you tell Sheridan’s story without Delenn? Or the story of B5 without
Franklin? Garibaldi? Zack?
The original Babylon 5 was ridiculously innovative: the first to use CGI
to create ships and characters, and among the very first to shoot
widescreen with a vigorous 5.1 mix. Most of all, for the first time,
Babylon 5 introduced viewers accustomed to episodic television to the
concept of a five-year arc with a pre-planned beginning, middle and
end…creating a brand new paradigm for television storytelling that has
subsequently become the norm. That tradition for innovation will
continue in this new iteration, and I hope to create additional new
forms of storytelling that will further push the television medium to
the edge of what’s possible.
Let me conclude by just saying how supportive and enthusiastic everyone
at the CW has been and is being with this project. They understand the
unique position Babylon 5 occupies both in television and with its
legions of fans, and are doing everything they can to ensure the maximum
in creative freedom, a new story that will bring in new viewers while
honoring all that has come before.'
Link to the first tweet in the thread:
https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/1442621159221043202
Claudia Christian was a little less verbose. She said:
"Boom"
https://twitter.com/ClaudiaLives/status/1442541373996032007
<g>
Okay, she said a little more later:
'I know some of you saw the announcement that WB is doing a B5 reboot
series and I know you have lots of questions for me like “Are you
playing Ivanova?” “Are there going to be telepaths?” “What year is it
taking place in?”
Well folks, I know nothing…..zip…nada. Joe has kept us in the loop from
day one on this, because he wants us involved with the show, but we have
no idea at this time what's in the script or what the story is. Only
Joe knows that for now, so you should go bug him about it.
He won't tell you, but the results should be amusing. :p :p I personally
am grateful that I will, once again, be uttering the great maker’s
fabulous dialogue….but I know not what that will entail. Exciting, eh?
:D :D :D :D'
https://twitter.com/ClaudiaLives/status/1442541842726260738
And an accidental encounter on Twitter as a result of all this, Morgan
Sales says 'hi' to everyone here who remembers him. He lamented that
newsgroups weren't a thing anymore, so I put him right about that.
So you never know, he may very well show up again.
--
Vince M Hudd - Soft Rock Software - www.softrock.co.uk
RISCOSitory - www.riscository.com
>
<https://deadline.com/2021/09/babylon-5-series-reboot-j-michael-straczynski-development-cw-1234845022/>
Ah, you beat me to posting something about this! :)
> Does this mean that the cast would all have to be about 12?
FWIW, the Great Maker himself said in a Twitter thread:
'To answer all the questions, yes, it’s true, Babylon 5 is in active
development as a series for the CW. We have some serious fans over at
the network, and they’re eager to see this show happen. I’m hip deep
into writing the pilot now, and will be running the series upon pickup.
The network understands the uniqueness of Babylon 5 and is giving me a
great deal of latitude with the storytelling. As noted in the
announcement, this is a reboot from the ground up rather than a
continuation, for several reasons.
Heraclitus wrote “You cannot step in the same river twice, for the river
has changed, and you have changed.” In the years since B5, I’ve done a
ton of other TV shows and movies, adding an equal number of tools to my
toolbox, all of which I can bring to bear on one singular question: if I
were creating Babylon 5 today, for the first time, knowing what I now
know as a writer, what would it look like? How would it use all the
storytelling tools and technological resources available in 2021 that
were not on hand then? How can it be used to reflect the world in which
we live, and the questions we are asking and confronting every day?
Fans regularly point out how prescient the show was and is of our
current world; it would be fun to take a shot at looking further down
the road.
So we will not be retelling the same story in the same way because of
what Heraclitus said about the river. There would be no fun and no
surprises. Better to go the way of Westworld or Battlestar Galactica
where you take the original elements that are evergreens and put them in
a blender with a ton of new, challenging ideas, to create something
fresh yet familiar.
To those asking why not just do a continuation, for a network series
like this, it can’t be done because over half our cast are still
stubbornly on the other side of the Rim. How do you telling continuing
story of our original Londo without the original Vir? Or G’Kar? How do
you tell Sheridan’s story without Delenn? Or the story of B5 without
Franklin? Garibaldi? Zack?
The original Babylon 5 was ridiculously innovative: the first to use CGI
to create ships and characters, and among the very first to shoot
widescreen with a vigorous 5.1 mix. Most of all, for the first time,
Babylon 5 introduced viewers accustomed to episodic television to the
concept of a five-year arc with a pre-planned beginning, middle and
end…creating a brand new paradigm for television storytelling that has
subsequently become the norm. That tradition for innovation will
continue in this new iteration, and I hope to create additional new
forms of storytelling that will further push the television medium to
the edge of what’s possible.
Let me conclude by just saying how supportive and enthusiastic everyone
at the CW has been and is being with this project. They understand the
unique position Babylon 5 occupies both in television and with its
legions of fans, and are doing everything they can to ensure the maximum
in creative freedom, a new story that will bring in new viewers while
honoring all that has come before.'
Link to the first tweet in the thread:
https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/1442621159221043202
Claudia Christian was a little less verbose. She said:
"Boom"
https://twitter.com/ClaudiaLives/status/1442541373996032007
<g>
Okay, she said a little more later:
'I know some of you saw the announcement that WB is doing a B5 reboot
series and I know you have lots of questions for me like “Are you
playing Ivanova?” “Are there going to be telepaths?” “What year is it
taking place in?”
Well folks, I know nothing…..zip…nada. Joe has kept us in the loop from
day one on this, because he wants us involved with the show, but we have
no idea at this time what's in the script or what the story is. Only
Joe knows that for now, so you should go bug him about it.
He won't tell you, but the results should be amusing. :p :p I personally
am grateful that I will, once again, be uttering the great maker’s
fabulous dialogue….but I know not what that will entail. Exciting, eh?
:D :D :D :D'
https://twitter.com/ClaudiaLives/status/1442541842726260738
And an accidental encounter on Twitter as a result of all this, Morgan
Sales says 'hi' to everyone here who remembers him. He lamented that
newsgroups weren't a thing anymore, so I put him right about that.
So you never know, he may very well show up again.
--
Vince M Hudd - Soft Rock Software - www.softrock.co.uk
RISCOSitory - www.riscository.com
Morgan
Sep 28, 2021, 9:32:46 AM9/28/21
to
<Snip>
> And an accidental encounter on Twitter as a result of all this, Morgan
> Sales says 'hi' to everyone here who remembers him. He lamented that
> newsgroups weren't a thing anymore, so I put him right about that.
>
> So you never know, he may very well show up again.
Yay, google groups is still a thing. Turns out Virgin Media no longer has a Usenet server so it's this or pay.
> And an accidental encounter on Twitter as a result of all this, Morgan
> Sales says 'hi' to everyone here who remembers him. He lamented that
> newsgroups weren't a thing anymore, so I put him right about that.
>
> So you never know, he may very well show up again.
Morgan
Sep 28, 2021, 9:35:58 AM9/28/21
to
Vince M Hudd
Sep 28, 2021, 11:31:38 AM9/28/21
to
On 28/09/2021 14:35, Morgan wrote:
> On Tuesday, 28 September 2021 at 14:32:46 UTC+1, Morgan wrote:
>> <Snip>
>>> And an accidental encounter on Twitter as a result of all this, Morgan
>>> Sales says 'hi' to everyone here who remembers him. He lamented that
>>> newsgroups weren't a thing anymore, so I put him right about that.
>>> So you never know, he may very well show up again.
>> Yay, google groups is still a thing. Turns out Virgin Media no longer has a Usenet server so it's this or pay.
Welcome back, Morgan! :)
> On Tuesday, 28 September 2021 at 14:32:46 UTC+1, Morgan wrote:
>> <Snip>
>>> And an accidental encounter on Twitter as a result of all this, Morgan
>>> Sales says 'hi' to everyone here who remembers him. He lamented that
>>> newsgroups weren't a thing anymore, so I put him right about that.
>>> So you never know, he may very well show up again.
>> Yay, google groups is still a thing. Turns out Virgin Media no longer has a Usenet server so it's this or pay.
I think there are some free servers around - Eternal September springs
to mind as one, but I could be wrong.
> So it's been what? 15-20 years? Is Aidan Brack still about and is he still so 15?
occasionally pop up here. However, ISTR hearing from another source[1]
that he is indeed still *so* fifteen.
[1] John Duffey. John's no longer on the group, but we play Wordfeud so
chat via that, and we've met up for a bite to eat a couple of times when
he's been in Bristol. My recollection is that he did say he'd been in
touch with Aiden at some point, and that description still fits.
Steveski
Sep 28, 2021, 11:34:44 AM9/28/21
to
On 28/09/2021 14:35, Morgan wrote:
--
Steveski
FP
Sep 29, 2021, 6:55:55 PM9/29/21
to
On 27/09/2021 20:15, Kim Wall wrote:
watching television again.
Frank
Steveski
Sep 29, 2021, 8:15:48 PM9/29/21
to
--
Steveski
Daniel65
Sep 30, 2021, 4:12:09 AM9/30/21
to
Steveski wrote on 30/9/21 10:15 am:
'OT' can mean 'On Topic' can't it?? ;-P
--
Daniel
--
Daniel
Steveski
Sep 30, 2021, 6:33:55 AM9/30/21
to
--
Steveski
Daniel65
Oct 1, 2021, 5:44:32 AM10/1/21
to
Steveski wrote on 30/9/21 8:33 pm:
Yeap, I knew as much, hence my Smiley!! ;-)
--
Daniel
--
Daniel
Steveski
Oct 1, 2021, 11:53:59 AM10/1/21
to
--
Steveski
Daniel65
Oct 2, 2021, 5:33:40 AM10/2/21
to
Steveski wrote on 2/10/21 1:53 am:
Don't you worry about it, Steveski. I'm well aware that a lot of people
don't 'get' my sense of humour! ;-P
--
Daniel
don't 'get' my sense of humour! ;-P
--
Daniel
FP
Oct 7, 2021, 6:55:31 PM10/7/21
to
OT usually meant "off-topic" for most groups, but because everyone was
talking about everything *but* B5, it is usually used to indicate "On
topic" here.
Frank
Daniel65
Oct 9, 2021, 4:46:29 AM10/9/21
to
FP wrote on 8/10/21 9:55 am:
Yes, it's a bit unfortunate that the one term,. 'OT', can mean either of
two diametrically opposite things!
--
Daniel
two diametrically opposite things!
--
Daniel
FP
Oct 9, 2021, 5:14:12 AM10/9/21
to
--
Frank
Daniel65
Oct 10, 2021, 2:57:25 AM10/10/21
to
FP wrote on 9/10/21 8:14 pm:
That's good! ;-)
--
Daniel
--
Daniel
Jeremiah Holt
Oct 20, 2021, 2:42:41 PM10/20/21
to
people return. The facebook group for B5 has devolved into infighting
about the reboot.
FP
Oct 31, 2021, 8:53:01 AM10/31/21
to
mellow and chill and... not here.
Steveski
Oct 31, 2021, 12:52:56 PM10/31/21
to
On 31/10/2021 12:52, FP wrote:
> On 20/10/2021 19:42, Jeremiah Holt wrote:
>> On 9/27/21 15:15, Kim Wall wrote:
>>> <https://deadline.com/2021/09/babylon-5-series-reboot-j-michael-straczynski-development-cw-1234845022/>
>>>
>>>
>>> Does this mean that the cast would all have to be about 12?
> On 20/10/2021 19:42, Jeremiah Holt wrote:
>> On 9/27/21 15:15, Kim Wall wrote:
>>> <https://deadline.com/2021/09/babylon-5-series-reboot-j-michael-straczynski-development-cw-1234845022/>
>>>
>>>
>>> Does this mean that the cast would all have to be about 12?
>> I'm holding out hope that it will be good and maybe this place will
>> see people return. The facebook group for B5 has devolved into
>> infighting about the reboot.
>
> Well, that infighting shouldn't happen here. Everyone is too nice and
> mellow and chill and... not here.
Bugger, bugger, shit, damn, sod and &duffeyword.
>> see people return. The facebook group for B5 has devolved into
>> infighting about the reboot.
>
> Well, that infighting shouldn't happen here. Everyone is too nice and
> mellow and chill and... not here.
Got to keep the quota up :-)
--
Steveski
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