For as long as I've been writing, I've had a very simple belief that
comes across with B5 as well: try to get in one really great action moment,
minimum one real nice character moment, one solid dramatic moment...and
one moment or scene that's fall-down funny.

I like humor. I like that characters can show another side of
themselves. If there is any real test of sentience, one of them must
surely be the possession of a sense of humor, since it requires self
reflection. And there is always unintentional (on the part of the
character, at least) humor.

SF-TV has generally taken itself either too seriously, with rods up
butts, the humor forced...or it's not taken itself seriously at ALL, and
gone campy. This show takes itself seriously, but not in quite a way that
lets it fit in either category.

For me, as a viewer, I enjoy the shows that are roller-coasters, that
take you from something very funny...and slam you headfirst into a
very dramatic scene. Hill Street was like that, Picket Fences is like
that now...why not SF? I've also found that humor can help you reveal
things about the characters. The Londo/G'Kar scene at the elevator in
"Signs and Portents," for instance. It says something about both of them
without coming out and *saying* it.

jms