David Cerreta <72630.3433@compuserve.com> asks:
> That is what I've always assumed, but my wife wonders if they
> might not actually be a cross purposes to the others? You really
> used the entire cast, didn't you?

Thanks...we keep working to make the show better each season.

jms

Gerard Keating (Ireland) <71154.3423@compuserve.com> asks:
> Will Marcus's "French" comment be change for the French Language
> Version???

No idea....

jms

{original post had no questions}

Who said they didn't recognize it?

jms

{original post had no questions}

The other part, I think, is that they were kind of amused to see
this dinky little ship getting in their face, when they *knew* the
First Ones could blast 'em to bits....

jms

Toni Muller <75223.1575@compuserve.com> asks:
> Were you _bemused_ by the fact that people actually have pet
> rats?

"they'll work for sunflower seeds."

Ah...I see they have the same agent I do.

jms

{original post had no questions}

On the other hand, Zack *didn't* rat out the code 7-R stuff to
her in any detail. He's absolutely caught between the two sides, and
not sure which way to jump.

jms

John R. Finnan (Ireland) <100012.3073@compuserve.com> asks:
> how were the ribs that day?

The ribs were great. What can I say...barbeque day here at the
stage is every Friday. Choosing between ribs and a naked
woman...that's hard after age 40.

jms

Stephen C. Smith <76150.1170@compuserve.com> asks:
> Why didn't Garibaldi just remind him that Garibaldi got shot in
> the back when he uncovered the conspiracy? Or was Zack not around
> then and they've kept it from him because of his Nightwatch
> involvment?

You have to remember that all Garibaldi's people knew was that a
few guys came through the station that may have been involved in the
assassination. That is NOT the same thing as showing that Clark is
involved. There was no apparent connection. We the audience suspect
it, from what happens, but until now there has been no evidence of it.
So yes, they know that Santiago is dead; that there's some indication
that he may have been assassinated...but that's a long way from
pointing to Clark.

jms

{original post had no questions}

Thanks. Yeah, everyone involved did a great job on that episode.
It was a lot of fun.

jms

Tom Knudsen <72347.1626@compuserve.com> asks:
> Is that Eeep related to the message, or something else entirely?

It's somebody else's eep, not mine.

jms

Philip Hornsey <74053.2101@compuserve.com> asks:
> Why are these officers not *screaming* to *everyone they know*
> that they *KNEW IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN*!?!? Is Sheridan/Sinclair's
> report what cause General Hague to become suspicious? Am I simply
> wrong, and this Conspiracy of Light is simply the reaction I am
> asking for?

With Clark removing all the evidence, and others giving orders to
drop it, and knowing Clark would stop any kind of investigation, what
is there for them to do officially? They had to begin working covertly
to prove it, which is what they've been doing ever since "Hunter,
Prey." If you're a military officer, and you're given a direct order
from your commander in chief or the Senate Oversight Committee to drop
something, and you violate those orders, you're up on charges or fired.

jms

David DeRubeis <75221.2351@compuserve.com> asks:
> Or how many *years* was it before Frederic Pohl's Heechee series,
> Roger Zelazny's Amber series, or Poul Anderson's Flandry stories
> played out?

RE: the arc...the way it's always been structured, given the need
to ease viewers slowly into it, is that season 1 had maybe 4-5 really
strong arc episodes; season 2 had maybe 8; season 3 is almost equally
50/50; season 4 will have an even higher number of arc episodes; and
season 5 is nothing BUT arc stories.

jms

Neil Blevins <102226.3566@compuserve.com> asks:
> What more can we do?

It takes us no longer to make the episodes or the EFX really
than it did before. But PTEN will not air shows out of sweeps periods,
for the most part. The episodes on hand now were finished weeks, and in
a couple of cases over a month ago. They sit on the shelf until PTEN
decides to air them. The only thing we did was swap "VoA" with
"Passing Through Gethsemane" to give that one a little bit more time.
That's it.

jms

Randy Upshaw <75464.1275@compuserve.com> asks:
> So does that mean we have 4 more episodes untill a rerun cycle
> and how many of these will deal directly with the story line?

Randy, I honestly don't think, after episodes 8-10 have aired,
that you're going to have any problems with how fast the main story is
progressing. And do bear in mind that the "main story" isn't just the
war; if you wanted to do that, you'd just do Space A&B. It's operating
on a whole lot of other levels. Nonetheless...this entire season is
much faster overall in developing than the two before. The first two
seasons we were mainly putting the guns into position. Now we're
pulling all the triggers.

jms

{original post had no questions}

If you're talking about the conference room scene...Draal wasn't
put into the scene digitally. You do a split screen, with the camera
locked off. In one Delenn walks over to a point just short of the
line; in another you get a shot just of the wall; then Draal walks up.
You then use a dissolve technique to fade him into the room on his side
of the split screen. But he's not being put *into* the room, he's
already there, so he's neither bigger nor smaller than he is in real
life, since he IS in real life there, not added in.

jms

Randy Upshaw <75464.1275@compuserve.com> asks:
> Perhaps you and everyone else are correct and I am so invloved in
> this story that I can't wait (which is the case)? Are we going to
> see these before another rerun cycle? Are B5's ratings in an area
> that are going to support a 5 year run?

We'll see 8 and 9 in this current cycle, yes. #10 will be aired
in the next batch, in late April/first of May.

jms

David DeRubeis <75221.2351@compuserve.com> asks:
> How does that work?
> Do the stations order the show, and then if there are enough
> orders Warner renews the series?

Correct. There's a certain number of stations you have to have
to make the syndication deal work financially. You get that number,
you get the pickup; you don't, you don't.

jms

Elizabeth <76202.563@compuserve.com> asks:
> Is there going to be another rerun break after these, or do you
> know yet?

I think there's a break until late April/first week of May.

jms

Neil Blevins <102226.3566@compuserve.com> asks:
> Was he digitally added at any point in that episode?

We shot two plates, first with him in the machine, then him out,
never moving the camera, so it matched exactly.

jms

Neil Blevins <102226.3566@compuserve.com> asks:
> Did you do exactly the same thing in The Long twilight struggle?

Don't really remember....

jms

Tom Knudsen <72347.1626@compuserve.com> asks:
> Can I infer from that statement that by the time we reach season
> 5 we'll actually know just what that arc is?

You'll pretty much have a sense of the overall arc's direction by
the end of this season.

jms

Tom Knudsen <72347.1626@compuserve.com> asks:
> WHEN!!???!!!!
> That means that after this group of 5 episodes we're going to
> have NINE more weeks of reruns?? How many episodes are they going
> to save till next year THIS time??? Seven???
> Eight??
> How can WB expect this show to get any decent ratings whatsoever
> if they never show any fraggin new episodes? Can they really
> believe that they can show 8 weeks of reruns at a time and then
> bang, show new episodes only during sweeps periods, and expect
> the ratings to be there as soon as new episodes start?? Why the
> hell can't they show B5 episodes in groups of 7 or 8?? Would it
> help if us, the fans, started a write in campaign to Dick
> Roberton (I think that's his name) and give him a wake up call?

Dick Robertson isn't to blame for the schedule, apparently; it's
a decision made jointly by the stations.

jms

Burhaan Ahmad <75754.3065@compuserve.com> asks:
> Joe, does the change in the structure of PTEN affect how their
> control of the show?

I've no idea...TV business deals not Zathras' strength....

jms

Philip Hornsey <74053.2101@compuserve.com> asks:
> Netter join us for a bit to explain why 9 week dry spells are
> good for the show and such?

Doug doesn't like it either. Not our choice.

jms

Walter F. Hern <74201.2063@compuserve.com> asks:
> Season 6?
> Was it?

Some was new, some old.

jms

{original post had no questions}

Good to know. Thanks.

jms

AsstOp Pam Jernigan <75540.2554@compuserve.com> asks:
> PJ ^^^^ President, Southern Combine; Having an Out-of-Forum
> Experience FAQ or Fiction?

Thanks. At least it's a shorter wait this time than last.

jms

Deonaha M. Conlin <102531.2627@compuserve.com> asks:
> Joe, At the risk of asking a silly question, in light of the
> technical explaining going on here, am I correct in assuming that
> Drall is just plain a big man?

He's a tall, stout fellow.

jms

Deonaha M. Conlin <102531.2627@compuserve.com> asks:
> Are we allowed to be having this much fun?

"Are we allowed to have this much fun?"

No. Report to your nearest Night Watch office at once and turn
yourself in.

You'll feel better for it.

jms

Jonathan Hoopingarn <73172.1065@compuserve.com> asks:
> Will we see more First Ones in upcoming episodes?
> Will we find out what these First Ones have against the Vorlons?
> Will we see more of Susan using the Great Machine, will her
> experience (other than finding First Ones) become a factor in the
> Great War, and will those experiences color her perceptions and
> attitudes? On a general Ivanova note: Will any more come out about
> her relationship (if any) with Talia and will that affect any
> relationship with Marcus ?

I think the answers to all of those tend to be yes....

jms