Generally speaking, I agree with the sentiments expressed, and what
you've picked up on are the reasons that I decided against using this
particular form, even though there are things I like about it. What was, for
me, the #1 reason for not using it is that it's...for lack of a better term,
fairly prosaic. A news cast as opposed to the voice of the story teller, a
sense of future-history you get through Londo's voice and the identification
of him as the storyteller.

Although I agree about the Kennedy tie, and that it can be somewhat
problematic, what I like about it is that it fed into what I've been after
with this show from day one...to tie our past, our present and our future.
Done properly, it could've been fairly classy, I think. And there's Kennedy's
voice -- I have the tape of his speech -- which rings powerful and true in
that speech. It set a tone. But as has been noted here before, writing and
acting and directing are fundamentally about making choices...this move rather
than that, this attitude over that attitude. The Londo choice was the
*better* of the two, even though there's much about this version to commend
it.

(A quick aside re: the MURDER question...the episode you cite was one
done under my watch, but not the one I mentioned as the last I'd have anything
to do with for this season. That one, which I wrote, aired about two weeks
ago. The one you saw this weekend was from last season, as is the one coming
up this Sunday, an episode of mine called "The Committee," a fairly gothic
episode that actually came out quite well. The mystery element may or may not
be that strong, but for me, MURDER was always a character story first, onto
which you graft a puzzle.)

Well, review copies of the pilot are going out, and have gone out. I
heard through back channels that a major reviewer for a major magazine saw the
pilot on Thursday last and his head exploded, thought it was terrific. The
one comment that I keep hearing back from people is that it redefines SF on
television. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean it's the best thing since
sliced bread, but in terms of character and SFX and the general, more adult
approach, it redefines what you can get away with. Which is all to the good.

As for what I'm doing now...writing a script for a friend who's in a
bind, ratcheting up the PR on the show a little more, giving interviews and
suchlike, trying to get a leg up on my next novel so I'll be able to continue
with it once this thing gets going to series, and some other stuff that, for
the moment, is classified.

It's now less than a month until this thing shows nationally. And just a
tick over two weeks until those with satellite dishes pull the show out of the
general ether. By February 22nd, I fully anticipate being a complete and
total basket case.

Fortunately, it's unlikely anyone will notice....

jms