Cathy Holley <75204.1515@compuserve.com> asks:
> How do the studios get around buying a book to make into a movie
> or tvshow? And didn't you sell B5 as an idea?
> not a complete story?
> or am I missing the point?

"How do the studios get around buying a book to make into a movie or
tv show? I mean in many cases if you compare the book to the movie,
there isn't a whole lot left except the basic storyline."

They don't get around buying the book; they *do* buy the book.
No, when all is said and done, the result may not look much like the
book, but that's a matter of creative realization of the project --
artistic success or failure
-- not legalities.

"And didn't you sell B5 as an idea? Not a complete story?"

Again, define "idea." The way Chris defined it, an "idea" is,
"Let's do a show on a space station."

You also have to remember that like many other writer/producers,
I'm in a position where I've shown that I'm capable of taking something
and making it into a TV show. But even so, like every other person
there trying to sell a series to PTEN, I didn't just walk in the door
with an idea.

If you're going to sell a series, you need to know the
characters, the situations, the possible additional storylines, the
support network and supporting characters...all of that. What usually
happens is that you go to a network, with a long list of credits, and
spin out a few details of what you have in mind: the central character,
the situation, some additional characters, how you'd get in and out of
stories, and the like. There's been a LOT of prior thought given to
it, it's a LOT more than just an idea. Then the network gives you seed
money (called "development money") to take that proposal and flesh it
out, writing a treatment and series bible, then a pilot script. Based
on ALL THAT, you then get or don't get your series.

When a writer comes in to pitch for a series already on the air,
he or she has the beginning, middle and end of the story worked out,
and some of the high points along the way. Every so often, somebody'll
come in and try to sell an idea, just a notion...and you want to hurt
them. I was working on MURDER, SHE WROTE and a guy came in to pitch
his story. "Okay," I said, "what did you have in mind?"

"Amnesia" he said, then sat back, pleased with himself.

I waited. Glaciers slowly moved across the northern polar
frontier. "What about it?" I asked finally.

"*Amnesia*," he said again, as though repeating it would
suddenly make me understand.

"WHOSE amnesia?" I asked. "Who forgets what, what's been
forgotten, and where do we go with it?"

"Well, we'd work that out after I get the assignment."

He was never invited back.

jms