{original post unavailable}

I think they have the potential to become very popular, if done
right; if they're treated as novels, which means you're going to be
tied to the quality of the person telling the story. If it's just done
as a gimmick, then arc-series won't hit it. My sense is that since
over the next few years series may end up having shorter runs due to
the massive amount of available programming, why not build it to turn
that to an advantage?

jms

{original post unavailable}

If B5 goes its full five years, I think I'd probably prefer to
get out of TV and go back to writing novels and plays.

jms

Theo Thourson <73214.2131@compuserve.com> asks:
> Full length or one act?

I tend to write both full-length and one-act plays, depending
on the requirements of the topic. I've had about a dozen produced (a
mix of both lengths), and one published (and no, I won't tell you
where, because I was only 18-19 when I wrote it, and that it's still in
print leave me chagrined no end).

I actually tend to write just about anything; I enjoy working
in, and have sold in, every form of prose: short stories, novels,
anthologies, articles, investigative pieces, nonfiction books, even
songs. The one thing at which I'm *truly* awful however is poetry.

jms

{original post unavailable}

I can't even consider the question at this point; I can only
focus on telling the story now and finishing it for TV, rather than
alternate routes.

jms

Philip Hornsey <74053.2101@compuserve.com> asks:
> More seriously, if you were to suddenly discover that Warner
> would only pony up for 88 eps (like they did for Kung Fu), but
> *would* do that to get a good syndication position, could you
> finish out the story with 21 more and a movie?

Yes, if WB said there's no 5th season, period, end of
discussion, the market has gotten too glutted, it won't sustain
it...yes, the story could be collapsed into year four. It would just
mean omitting some of the personal non-arc episodes, and some segues.
There are basically three major movements or themes that occupy the
last two years; best is to let them play out at a reasonable pace over
two years, but it could be collapsed into one, if that were to ever
become necessary.

But obviously that would not be my first choice.

jms

Daniel M. Upton <75442.1331@compuserve.com> asks:
> What are your chances of finding out in time?

No way of telling...we'll have to see.

jms