My newsreader was down for a couple days, and I've been hunkered down writing,
so I'm just now getting a chance to get out and address some of the stories
going around. Best way to do that is with a quick overview....

We're still set to go back into filming on October 19th. As I mentioned in a
prior post, TNT felt the need for an actual introductory episode, one that sets
the story by bringing together our characters together for the first time, more
of a conventional pilot in that respect. "Racing the Night" was written to
take place about 5 months after the Drakh attack, so that we got right into
things. The "bringing people into the story" story will, therefore, take place
shortly after the Drakh attack, two-three days later, to be precise.

Since we're doing a first introductory episode, TNT kinda wanted to have the
new sets in place for the first few eps (though they can't appear in the first
one for story reasons), and since we're making some wardrobe adjustments, they
figured they may as well have those in place as well.

Nothing in the story has been changed. The five episodes already made will be
aired, and you will see that the characters, the story, the feel of the show is
*exactly* the same between those first 5 filmed, and those that follow. What
it comes down to are some cosmetic changes, some new sets, and an episode that
sets things in place.

As we come back, the first two episodes up to be shot will be scripts we
already had in hand, then the new introductory episode, "War Zone," another one
we already have, one new one, then another one from on-hand, which will take us
through into the Christmas break.

No scripts are being thrown out, no episodes are being scrapped...none of that
has taken place, or is taking place. The show is the show is the show.

(And on the costumes themselves...no, they're not going to be "skin tight"
things; we're actually kinda going in the opposite direction. They're more
typically military jumpsuits, black, neatly tailored, similar to some Air Force
or Marine uniforms. And the only people who will be wearing these are the
basic technical crew, Captain Gideon (Gary Cole) and Lieutenant John Matheson
(Daniel Dae Kim); the others are civilians, and thus are not affected.

Regarding air dates...we have thus far not been told if they want to push for a
January airdate or not. Part of the complication to all this is that if we
make #8 in shooting order the first aired, we have to do a hideous amount of
post-production on CGI to get it ready in time. Rather than make us rush it,
they have said they might consider waiting until the February sweeps. Another
option is to go in March, if they don't want to go up against the Network
sweeps period (which is traditionally death for basic cable)...but the problem
*there* is that you can only air 4 episodes and then TNT would go into the NBA
playoffs, which means it would be another 6 weeks or so until any new eps could
be shown.

So on that score, nobody's decided anything yet, we don't know and haven't been
told because they haven't decided where will best serve us, so we hit the
ground with the least network opposition.

Anyway, that's where things are. Hope this puts to rest some of the rumors out
there.

jms

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

>How much of the CGI could be done "speculatively", concurrent
>or even before the filming of the episode?

Zip. Because until it's edited, you don't know how long to make the shots, or
how they'll intercut with the live action...and there's all the stuff from
other eps to deal with as well.

jms

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