I think this is the first time an American series has been worked out in
this much detail. PICKET FENCES often has threads that recur, but they're
more catch-as-catch-can, not so much a cohesive story as the recurring of
character arcs. In the case of TWIN PEAKS, I've talked to several staffers on
the show, and they really didn't have *any* idea where they were going, they
were making it up on the fly and hoping for the best. Some elements of X-
FILES come close, but again it's more one or two individual character arcs
(Mulder's sister, for instance) than a cohesive structured story (though if it
keeps getting tighter, that may change, though it doesn't have an end that I
know of).

EARTH 2 apparently has a *destination*, but I don't believe its
continuity is stressed at all. More of, When we end up, this is where we'll
be. THE PRISONER is probably the closest parallel structurally to B5, and
thus something of a template. I don't know if BLAKE'S 7 started OUT plotted
like a novel, but it ends up feeling like one, so the difference may be no
difference.

The difference, I think, beyond having a definite beginning, middle and
end (which is substantial in itself), is the approach using years as chapters;
tracking one year of story time equalling one year of real time; and
foreshadowing, setting up something in episode 7 that won't pay off until
episode 14 or later. Little things like putting in a Ranger in shows long
before they're revealed, or planning ahead to change Londo's wardrobe to
reflect a darker attitude, even throwaway dialogue lines...as well as the
larger foreshadowings.

I can't think of any American show that has done any of those things
consistently, or even *tried* to do all of them at once.

So, bottom line, we're kinda out here on the edge all by ourselves.

Re: Kosh's lines...the best part of working with the actor is that
between takes, since he's locked in the audio booth, but doesn't want to break
character, he'll mutter to himself in Kosh's voice...so there I am outside,
hearing Kosh's voice on the speaker, "Bugger off, Sheridan... Have I told you
I find you very attractive?...Oh the pain, the pain...."

jms