>However, creators such as Chris Carter (of X-FILES fame) are notorious
>for "teasing" fans and then either not delivering or deliver something
>totally different altogether, sometimes being more disappointing than
>not. Or saying "we'll never do this on our show" and then a season or
>two later, do it.

Well, I don't really know if that's necessarily true of Chris, I think he
always tries to be straightforward with folks.

>How do you feel about this? Do you think this way of "teasing" the fans
>is good or would you rather be upfront and truthful? And are your fans
>important enough to you that you know if you cry "Wolf!" too many times
>they won't believe/respect you?
>
I think you have to be careful to always be as accurate as possible. (And bear
in mind that one of the whole reasons for this exchange is to provide an
accurate transcript of how a show is made, to help folks better understand the
process and thus get better TV and have more input into that process...and that
process is compromised if bad data is entered into the system.)

I take some small pride in the fact that in 6 years of having this on-line
conversation, when it comes to talking about this show, I have never once been
caught out in a prevarication.

Which is why I was kinda frustrated when the whole Claudia Christian situation
went down, when she was saying she was fired when in fact she walked away over
money. People said "Well, who should we believe here?" At that moment, to be
honest, it felt to me like, "Why have I bothered to establish this reputation
and conversation all this time if suddenly my word doesn't mean anything?"
Later, of course, Claudia came out and said, well, yeah, she did walk away, and
it was over money, which is of course utterly her right, I just wish she'd said
that at the start rather than much later...since the situatoion led to threats
against me and abusive email and the like.

So really, some people will believe what they choose to believe no matter how
straight you've been with them in the past...that's been a hard lesson that
I've had to learn. All I can do is to keep doing what I've been doing, talking
straight about the show to the best of my knowledge and ability. And if I'm
wrong about something, I cop to it instantly.

What's good about that is that if I think a show didn't live up to
expectations, I'll *say* so...quite bluntly sometimes. But that way, when I
say that show X is really, really *good*...fans know I ain't blowing smoke up
their collective butts.

jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com

>"Will you ever do a cameo on Babylon 5?"
>
> "No."
>
>Ahem.
>

I said as straight as I can be about what happens in the show on the production
side to within my knowledge and ability. That means mainly what happens behind
the scenes. I a) consider the cameo to be a story thing, and b) what was I to
say to that question? "Oh, yes, I intend to be in the last episode shutting
off the lights before B5 blows up"...? That would be a massive spoiler. And
it ain't the point.


jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com

>Well, no speaking role, and really, who better to be the one to pull the last
>switch to shut down B5?
>
>

Besides, it was supposed to be a *surprise*. There's a qualitative difference
between talking about what's happening, and something planned for down the road
(if I had the courage at the last to do it, which I was never sure about).


jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com