>Could you PLEASE say a word or two about the direction of B5, and what
>your attitude towards B5-the-series and B5-the-brand-name are? I.e.
>could you take a shot at killing off some of this "franchise" bitching
>and moaning?

>Specifically: many, many quotes in the Lurker's Guide, esp. on the SiL
>page, talk about how you didn't want to turn B5 into a franchise. Some
>people are now pointing at the books, comics, and WB's efforts to shut
>down fan sites and shouting "the sky is... er, *ahem*, I mean,
>FRANCHISE!!! run!!".

Bear in mind that nearly all of those people are the same ones who said B5
wasn't as good as Trek because it didn't have the same power in the
marketplace...so now they try the other avenue to criticize.

It's kinda hard to say there's a B5 franchise since the series is now OFF THE
AIR, and I've already said to Doug that I don't want to even think about a
feature for a while.

They're also distorting the record. What I have said at conventions since the
dawn of time, or at least the dawn of B5, was that I didn't want to rush into
merchandise, that I'd seen the tail wag the dog too often. "If the show is a
success, there's plenty of time down the road for merchandising...let's make
the show first and worry about the rest later."

Well, we did that. We made the show. So what is the problem exactly? Are
they saying that having sweated blood to make the show for 5 years, I shouldn't
be entitled to earn a living from it? That fans who want to see parts of the
story shouldn't be allowed to?

You shouldn't fall for these guys...these are primarily people have no
interest in a reasoned argument, they're just looking to make trouble. At the
beginning, they pointed to the dearth of B5 merchandise and said the show had
to be crap...now they're pointing to a few things that have gone on the market
and saying it's a franchise and now therefore it's crap.

Same song, different tune. Trolls, nothing more.

In a few cases, you run into the folks who are well-intentioned, but come from
the "SF is in the gutter and needs to stay there and never be successful or
it'll lose its artistic integrity" school of thought.

jms

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