James R. Kapesis <104154.27@compuserve.com> asks:
> Two questions about it, was Delenn in the Whitestar when she came
> to defend B5? Also, are any of the new fighters that B5 is taking
> on the new starfuries?

Yes, the push in on Delenn revealed her in the White Star, and
yes, a fair number of the new 'furies B5 inherited are Thunderbolt
class.

jms

(blocked) asks:
> Are the Thunderbolt class Starfuries as durable as the "Thuds"
> proved themselves in 'Nam??

The new fighters are pretty solid.

jms

{original post unavailable}

Thanks; it's a great sequence for Delenn.

The next episode is kind of clean-up time for some loose threads
still lying about, then a couple of smaller stories to give us
breathing space before the next big wave (and it's a doozy).

jms

(blocked) asks:
> Out of curiosity, however, was Ta'Lon killed in the attack on the
> station, or was my nearsightedness just flaring up?

Thanks, and Ta'Lon is still alive and well.

It's a good episode, no mistake.

jms

{original post unavailable}

Thanks. We have to keep shooting ever higher or we're dead.

jms

{original post unavailable}

Yes, the Thunderbolt furies were seen both on Mars and
attacking B5.

A normal Starfury can't function in an atmosphere environment.
The new Thunderbolt models have airfoils/wings that are folded back
over the body of the ship for non-atmospheric maneuvering, and then
extend out to full sized wings when entering an atmosphere. (You'll
get to see in detail how this works back and forth in "Ship of Tears.")

jms

{original post unavailable}

Well, at this kind of range, they could eyeball the targets for
the most part, as far as the big ships are concerned; the smaller ones
would be much more difficult.

jms

SysOp Dupa T Parrot <70040.104@compuserve.com> asks:
> Has Ron and the folks at Foundation picked up some new rendering
> iron (or silicon)?

No, I just think they're getting better at using what they have.

jms

Randy Upshaw <75464.1275@compuserve.com> asks:
> So Is "Ship of tears" the next big arc episode?

Exactly. If you're going to do something as monumental as what
Sheridan does here re: B5's status and Earth, it can't be done lightly
or frivolously or without sufficient cause. It has to be an absolutely
last resort. If we'd done it any sooner, it would've been less
effective, and more of a cheat.

And yes, after two breather stories, "Ship of Tears" starts the
arc moving again, and with very few exceptions doesn't let up for the
rest of the season.

jms

{original post had no questions}

Thanks, I agree, I think it is our best work.

So far.

jms

(blocked) asks:
> done, is this do?

Yes, this one had more CGI than anything we've ever done before.
And thanks.

jms

{original post unavailable}

All of them....

jms

{original post unavailable}

Thanks. I agree, Bruce has definitely made the role his own.
It's a slow and difficult process for any actor, but he's done very
well at it.

jms

{original post unavailable}

"JMS is on an anti-typcasting crusade."

That's actually true, in a lot of ways. My sense is that here
we have many actors who created enduring works because they were good
at what they did; they're *good actors*. But because they were so good
at it, they got typecast as only able to play that. How many people
snickered, wrongly, when they heard Walter was going to be Bester?
"Chekhov in the Psi Corps," was the usual lament.

Until they *saw* him. And saw what he could do.

To work against the typecasting is simply payment on a debt to
those who created enduring characters. And I'll continue to do it
wherever and whenever I can. (Look for Robert England in an upcoming
episode playing a very different sort of character than he's played
elsewhere lately.)

jms

(blocked) asks:
> Also, was his arm in a cast during that scene at the end?
> Was General Hague played by Robert Foxworth in earlier episodes?

Because we shot the cane scene *before* the fight scene.

jms

{original post unavailable}

Yeah. Bill kept bugging me to put him in a scene with June, but
I just felt it'd get in the way.

jms

Rebecca Eschliman <76072.2345@compuserve.com> asks:
> Because of the success of your anti-type casting, has there been
> any kind of surge of actors wanting to be included in the B5
> epic?

No, not really...mainly because we're still not very visible to
most agents.

jms

Philip Hornsey <74053.2101@compuserve.com> asks:
> Did you ever actually write for "V" other than the script posted
> here?

No, I had no involvement in V2 (which is simultaneously and
appropriately the term for the series, and the German rocket-bomb that
plagued Britain). I just knew of Robert's work in general.

jms

{original post had no questions}

It would've worked, but the scene would've forever been about
the mini-LIS reunion. If it isn't important to the story, it shouldn't
be there.

jms

{original post unavailable}

Yup. Cool shot. Thanks.

jms

{original post unavailable}

Yeah, it's a long way from Captain Power.

No, no direct involvement with Hypernauts, though they're one of
several shows now on the air or in development that are now using the
Babylon 5 model for producing TV shows.

jms

Dimitri M LaBarge <71501.3353@compuserve.com> asks:
> Any others that you can mention offhand?

Space Cases uses a variation on the 5-year arc, a lot of what
they're doing with their sets and CGI and other areas nods to B5...and
there are two new shows in the works that very definitely rely on the
B5 model, though I'm not at liberty (as a courtesy to them) to discuss
them at this time.

jms