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I was irritable about it at first. Very much so, since it
jeapordized B5 ever being picked up as a series. We had a huge battle
to fight on the premise that there was room enough for two space SF
series (virtually all the studios had conceded that one), then to say
that there was room for, and the market could sustain, two *space
station* SF series, well, suffice to say it caused us a lot of hassle.

But in the final analysis, you come down to some basic
fundamentals. First, it comes down to making a good show. I'd rather
compete in the marketplace of free ideas; if we make a good show, it'll
succeed...if not, not, and it's a moot point. Second, as much as I may
suspect that the development of DS9 was guided by some of the execs at
Paramount who had access to all our material, I don't *know for sure*
that it was...and if you're going to be fair you *have* to allow for
the possibility of simultaneous, independent creation. So I'm fairly
sanguine about it, as much as can be, anyway.

jms