B5 PR

 Posted on 3/3/1996 by J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com> to CIS


Cherns Major <75026.3723@compuserve.com> asks:
> This discussion (about a spoiler for Point of No Return) brings a
> question to my mind: where do TVGuide and other publications get
> their little capsule descriptions, anyway? I don't presume that
> TVGuide has a screening room where they watch all programs that
> will be aired in a month or so, just to come up with little
> five-line descriptions; wouldn't there be some sort of system in
> which the station provides these descriptions along with their
> schedules? And, assuming that stations themselves don't have
> description-writing screening panels (or even advance access, in
> many cases, I imagine), wouldn't these descriptions come from the
> program source itself? Which brings up another question: are
> episode titles usually provided for shows that have them, and why
> aren't these listed? Or am I 'way off track in all this supposing?

Synopses come from one of two places: 1) a two-page synopsis
from the studio/network, or 2) scripts provided to TV Guide by same.

jms