Archive-name: tv/babylon-5-faq Last-modified: 3 July 1994 Frequency: Bi-monthly The BABYLON 5 Frequently Asked Questions List The latest version of this file can be retrieved via anonymous ftp at ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/babylon-5-faq. (This URL shorthand describes the ftp site, ftp.hyperion.com, along with the appropriate directory and file name.) World Wide Web users can point to http://www.hyperion.com/lurk/lurker.html IMPORTANT: DO NOT POST STORY IDEAS to the Babylon 5 newsgroups. Since the show's creator/Executive Producer is online, he would have to withdraw for legal reasons. We don't want that! ------------------------- Contents of this FAQ List ------------------------- This FAQ list is a "launching point" to the many questions and answers about Babylon 5. More detailed resources are available online and in the print media. See topic 16 of this list or follow the cross-references for more in-depth information. *** By popular demand, changed areas are marked by "*" (in the first column). 1. What is Babylon 5? 2. Who is behind Babylon 5? 3. What makes JMS think he can do a good science fiction TV show? 4. How much of the series is planned out already? 5. Where can I see Babylon 5? 6. What is Babylon 5 About? 7. Who are the characters in the show? a. The Main Cast for the Series b. Supporting and Recurring Cast 8. What kind of Special Effects does Babylon 5 have? 9. Babylon 5 Episodes 10. How has Babylon 5's development progressed? 11. Who can you write to show support for Babylon 5? 12. Now that Babylon 5 is a series, can I submit a script? 13. Appearances a. Science Fiction Conventions b. Babylon 5 Newsletter c. Publications 14. One-Liner FAQs 15. Miscellaneous Info a. Merchandising b. Fans' influence on the show c. Awards d. Babylon 5 References in other JMS works e. Miscellaneous Production Info f. Production Order vs. Airing Order g. Changes 16. Where to find online information a. Internet b. GEnie c. Other 17. Credits and Legaleze ----------------------- ~1. What is Babylon 5? ----------------------- Babylon 5 is a new science fiction television series that is set on a space station in the mid 23rd Century. After the two hour pilot movie in Feb. 1993, the series started the week of Jan. 24, 1994, with a season of 22 episodes. The series is planned for a five year run. It has been renewed for its second season, which will start Nov. 1994. It is part of the Warner Bros. Television Consortium, called the Prime Time Entertainment Network (PTEN), syndicated to stations across the USA and internationally. ----------------------------- ~2. Who is behind Babylon 5? ----------------------------- The show was created by J. Michael Straczynski (JMS), who is co-executive producer on the show along with Doug Netter. It has been in development since 1987, the last few years with Warner Bros. JMS has been involved with genre television for many years, as story editor and writer for the Twilight Zone TV series (syndicated version), Captain Power, and the animated The Real Ghostbusters. He has also written for Jake and the Fatman and Murder, She Wrote. JMS has also had many published short stories, an anthology, and two fantasy/horror novels. Until recently, he was co-host of Hour 25, a Los Angeles area science fiction radio talk show. Doug Netter is an equal partner in Babylon 5 and has been in the business for a long time, at one time being the head of MGM wherehis nickname was Rattlesnake, thus Rattlesnake Productions, his production company. Doug mainly handles the business side and leaves the creative work to Straczynski, which is how they first worked together on Captain Power. Harlan Ellison is the Conceptual Consultant for the series. He has also written a "manifest" for the show that will explain to other writers how to write science fiction for television and Babylon 5, in particular. * Well-known science fiction writers, including Ellison, David Gerrold, and D.C. Fontana, and Peter David are contributing scripts to the show. Christopher Franke, formerly of Tangerine Dream, does the soundtrack. ------------------------------------------------------------------- ~3. What makes JMS think he can do a good science fiction TV show? ------------------------------------------------------------------- JMS has been on many panels at science fiction conventions dealing with what's wrong with science fiction on television. He has also been active on various computer networks getting feedback from science fiction fans. His main criteria for a good science fiction television series include that it must be good science fiction AND good television (both are rarely combined together in one show); it would be geared towards adults, not kids ("No Cute Kids, No Cute Robots. Ever!"), doing for science fiction what "Hill Street Blues" did for police shows. It would also have to be done on a reasonable budget and it should look like nothing ever seen on TV. And to make it a series, it would not be just individual stories (alien attack/ possession/ misunderstanding of the week), the stories would be part of an overall larger story, but still watchable each week as a separate chapter. JMS is also in tune with the viewing audiences of his show, still maintaining a presence on several computer discussion boards on the topic of the Babylon 5. --------------------------------------------------- ~4. How much of the series is planned out already? --------------------------------------------------- Unlike most television series, an overall story arc has been planned for Babylon 5 as if it were a five year miniseries. Events have been planned for each season which will tell a larger story over time; hints are dropped along the way that foreshadow events to come. There is plenty of room for individual stories within each season and each episode can be viewed alone. There is also a writer's guide (in-house) as well as much backstory on the Babylon 5 universe. ------------------------------- ~5. Where can I see Babylon 5? ------------------------------- USA --- In most areas, Babylon 5 airs WEDNESDAY NIGHTS AT 8 PM ET/PT on stations that are part of the Warner Bros. Prime Time Entertainment Network (PTEN) consortium, generally made up of independent stations. (These stations also air Time Trax and Kung Fu: The Legend Continues.) Stations with other affiliations may broadcast the show at other times. Check your local listings, get the document referenced here, or call your local station. ## Station List: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5tvlist.txt SATELLITE --------- Babylon 5 is fed on satellite several days before airing dates on Galaxy 4 Channel 21. Audio is 5.8 left, 6.2 right, 6.8 mono. Fridays, 10-11 AM Eastern Fridays, 2-3 PM Eastern Saturdays, 5-6 AM Eastern (combo feed with Kung Fu following) Sundays, 8-9 AM Eastern " PTEN Promo feed: Wednesdays, 11:30 PM Eastern UK -- Starting May 16, 1994, Babylon 5 airs Mondays, 6 PM, Channel 4. S4C (Wales) airs Babylon 5 Sundays at 10:50 AM. ELSEWHERE --------- The following sites may have already started or should start soon. Confirmations requested; please send e-mail to FAQ list moderator. France: Canal Plus Germany: Set Eitz (SAT 1 or Sat Eins?) Philipines: RCTI Trinidad: AUM Europe(?): Sky-TV * Singapore: Channel 5, Sundays Australia: 7 Network -- starting in the Fall Other info is just station IDs or areas): Taipei, TV3, TVNZ, TTV, IBC, BEC, Canal Sinco, ICP, Proziba, and Italy. VIDEO ----- In Europe, Australia, and Japan, the Babylon 5 pilot movie has been released on home video (and on laserdisc in Japan). There are NO immediate plans for a U.S. home video release of the pilot or the series. ----------------------------- ~6. What is Babylon 5 About? ----------------------------- ## Detailed backstory: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5log.txt ## More information: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5_jms_answers.txt Babylon 5 is set in the years 2257-2262 A.D. on a 5 mile long space station in neutral space. It was constructed by the Earth Alliance to help keep the peace between the EA and four other alien alliances of which Babylon 5 is centrally located between. Each of the alliances has an official representative on the station. These include the Earth Alliance, represented by Commander Jeffrey Sinclair, who is in charge of Babylon 5. The Minbari, represented by Ambassador Delenn. The Minbari waged a war with the Earth Alliance 10 years earlier and mysteriously surrendered on the brink of victory. The Centauri Republic, represented by Londo Mollari. The Centauri Republic was the first to make contact with Earth and helped advance their technology. However, they are really on the decline, much like the decline of the British Empire. The Narn Regime, represented by Ambassador G'Kar. The Narn were previously under the control of The Centauri Republic but rebelled and are now independent and growing in influence. The Vorlon Empire, represented by Ambassador Kosh Naranek. The Vorlons have avoided contact with the other alliances and are a mystery. They have agreed to participate with Babylon 5. Vorlons breath a methane atmosphere and are VERY alien aliens. Several other races form the League of Non-Aligned Worlds. There also appears to be another major race in the shadows.... ---------------------------------------- ~7. Who are the characters in the show? ---------------------------------------- ## Cast Info: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5actors.txt ## Characters Info: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5log.txt and ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5_jms_answers.txt ## Guest Stars: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/Guide/ (see appropriate episode guide) ## Appearances: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5appearances ======== a. Main Cast COMMANDER JEFFREY DAVID SINCLAIR Michael O'Hare The current commander of Babylon 5 and representative of the Earth Alliance. His rank doesn't seem high enough to warrant such a lofty position; his past involvement in the Earth-Minbari war seems to be a factor. LT. COMMANDER SUSAN IVANOVA Claudia Christian Of Russian descent, a commanding presence, and quirky at times, somewhat pessimistic. Second in command and in charge of day-to-day operations on Babylon 5. TALIA WINTERS Andrea Thompson Babylon 5's resident telepath, PSI-corps level 5. SECURITY CHIEF MICHAEL GARIBALDI Jerry Doyle In charge of security on Babylon 5. He has a troubled past but was picked by Sinclair for the job. AMBASSADOR LONDO MOLLARI Peter Jurasik Represents the Centauri, a decadent and fading republic. Appearances aside, Londo is a "romantic" character with disparate official and personal sides, who wants back the glory days of the republic. AMBASSADOR DELENN Mira Furlan Represents the Minbari. Delenn is a member of the Minbari Grey Council and why she is on Babylon 5 as an ambassador is one of the many mysteries on the station. AMBASSADOR G'KAR Andreas Katsulas Represents the Narn Regime. G'Kar is a patriot, always looking for ways to turn situations to the Narn's advantage. DR. STEPHEN FRANKLIN Richard Biggs Middle thirties, dedicated and self-assured. His background is mainly in experimental medicine so does not have a good "bedside manner." VORLON AMBASSADOR KOSH NARANEK animatronics Native voice designed by Chris Franke "There's simply nothing that English translation: Ardwight Chamberlain I can say about Kosh just now." -- J. Michael Straczynski ======== b. Supporting And Recurring Characters >>> Assistants to the Ambassadors: VIR COTTO Stephen Furst Centauri assistant to Londo. Timid and given no respect by Londo, so far. NA'TOTH Caitlin Brown A female Narn, assistant to G'Kar. She replaced Ko'Dath, who had an accident with an airlock shortly after her duties began. LENNIER Bill Mumy A monk-like male aide for Delenn, having lived a monastic life, will be a true innocent on B5. One of the few who knows Delenn's important title. >>> Other Characters: CATHERINE SAKAI Julia Nickson She works for an Earth company that surveys asteroids and planets for mineral exploitation. Runs the survey ship Skydancer. She is a past and current flame of Sinclair's. N'GRATH animatronics An insect-like non-humanoid alien, who can arrange or fix things for a price. DR. MAYA HERNANDEZ Silvana Gallardo A Doctor under Dr. Franklin. SENATOR HIDOSHI Aki Aelong The station's contact with the Earth Alliance Senate. TECH #1 Marianne Robertson One of the many unnamed technicians at work in Babylon 5's Command and Control (C&C) center. ------------------------------------------------------ ~8. What kind of Special Effects does Babylon 5 have? ------------------------------------------------------ ## More Info: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5_jms_answers.txt ## Also see: Section 13c. ## or read articles listed in ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5.media * All special effects for Babylon 5 are computer generated. Foundation Imaging, headed by Ron Thornton, is utilizing Lightwave 3D and specialized software in conjunction with NewTek's Video Toaster (running on the Amiga platform) to design and render the visual effects. Space scenes are clearer and more realistic than Model shots. Some interior shots such as docking bays are "virtual sets" combining live action with computer imagery. Macintoshes and PCs are used occasionally for 2-D effects and painting packages. ----------------------- ~9. Babylon 5 Episodes ----------------------- ## FULL Schedule and episode synopses: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5episodes ## Past episodes: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/Guide/ (This ABRIDGED list includes only _upcoming_ rerun schedules.) PILOT MOVIE 02/22/93 The Gathering (title not shown on-screen) by JMS, director RC SEASON ONE Airing Order (JMS's blanket season title: "Signs and Portents") Week of No. Title Writer Director -------------------------------------------------------------------- 01-24-94 103 Midnight on the Firing Line JMS RC 01-31-94 102 Soul Hunter JMS JJ 02-07-94 104 Born to the Purple LD BSG 02-14-94 101 Infection JMS RC 02-21-94 108 The Parliament of Dreams JMS JJ 02-28-94 110 Mind War JMS BSG 03-07-94 107 The War Prayer DCF RC 03-14-94 106 And the Sky Full of Stars JMS JG 04-18-94 113 Deathwalker LD BSG 04-25-94 105 Believers DG RC 05-02-94 111 Survivors MSZ JJ 05-09-94 114 By Any Means Necessary KD JJ 05-16-94 116 Signs and Portents JMS JG 05-23-94 119 TKO LD JF 06-20-94 106R And the Sky Full of Stars 06-27-94 113R Deathwalker 07-04-94 109 Grail CM RC 07-11-94 122 Eyes LD JJ 07-18-94 115 Legacies DCF BSG 07-25-94 120 A Voice in the Wilderness I JMS JG 08-01-94 121 A Voice in the Wilderness II JMS JG 08-08-94 118 Babylon Squared JMS JJ 08-15-94 117 The Quality of Mercy JMS ?? The rest of the schedule is tentative, and subject to change. 08-22-94 105R Believers 08-29-94 * To Be Announced * 09-05-94 111R Survivors 09-12-94 116R Signs and Portents 09-19-94 114R By Any Means Necessary 09-26-94 109R Grail 10-03-94 122R Eyes 10-10-94 120R A Voice in the Wilderness I 10-17-94 121R A Voice in the Wilderness II 10-24-94 112 Chrysalis JMS JG ### NOTE: Chrysalis may be rescheduled to end-october so Warners can promote ### the episode along with the new season. We'll keep you posted. SEASON TWO Airing Order * 10-31-94 201 Points of Departure JMS ?? * The second season begins shooting August 1. * Other scripts confirmed as being written for season two include a sequel to the the _Outer Limits_ episode, "Demon With A Glass Hand" by Harlan Ellison (unofficially called "Demon on the Run"), "A Trick of the Mind" by Larry DiTillio, "The Long Dark" by Scott Ross, "Pestulance, Famine, and Death" by Peter David, and "A Distant Star" by D.C. Fontana. JMS has indicated he will be writing 10-12 scripts, similar to the first season. WRITERS: LD = Larry DiTillio; KD = Kathyrn Drennan; DCF = D.C. Fontana; DG = David Gerrold; CM = Christy Marx; JMS = J. Michael Straczynski; MSZ = Marc Scott Zicree. DIRECTORS: RC = Richard Compton; JF = John Flynn; JG = Janet Greek; BSG = Bruce Seth Green; JJ = Jim Johnston. ------------------------------------------------ ~10. How has Babylon 5's development progressed? ------------------------------------------------ 1987 Spring/Summer Babylon 5 treatment created by J. Michael Straczynski, also writer's bible 1988 May Artist Peter Ledger hired to design a Babylon 5 logo, and to do a series of paintings based on the treatment and bible, which were then used for various presentations 1988 Summer/Fall Babylon 5 pitched to CBS, HBO, ABC, and others 1989 March Babylon 5 pitched to Chris-Craft Television, a consortium of stations. CCT pledges support of B5, and attempts are made throughout 1988 and 1989 to create co-production deals with foreign investors 1989 June/July Babylon 5 submitted/pitched to Paramount 1989 December Babylon 5 receives additional pledge of support from Warner Bros., which begins working with CCT to form fifth network at same time 1991 November Babylon 5 announced as one of three flagship projects for Warners' Prime Time Entertainment Network (PTEN). The trades carry the story extensively. 1992 June/July Casting for the pilot movie 1992 August 10 Filming on the pilot movie begins 1992 Sept. 4 Filming ends on the pilot movie 1992 Nov. 7 First showing of pilot movie to a convention audience at Wishcon II in Springfield, Mass. 1992 Nov. 28 First announced showing of pilot movie to a convention audience at Loscon 19 in Los Angeles, CA 1993 Jan. 14 Final edit of pilot movie completed 1993 Feb. 19/20 Satellite feed of pilot movie to local stations. 1992 Feb. 22 week TV debut of the pilot movie. It achieved a 10.3 GAA national rating, which was better than the two hour premieres of "Kung Fu: The Legend Continues" (10.2), "The Untouchables" (10.2) and "Time Trax" (8.3). 1993 April Series Pre-production starts 1993 May 28 Formal announcement by Warner Bros. of a series order 1993 Mid-July Filming starts on the series 1993 Late Summer Parts of the first three episodes are previewed at San Diego Comic Con, WorldCon and CopperCon 13 1993 Mid-Sept. Foundation Imaging awarded Visual Effects Emmy for the Babylon 5 pilot movie at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards 1993 Mid-Oct. First fully completed episode delivered to Warner Bros 1993 Oct./Nov. PTEN rebroadcast of Babylon 5 pilot movie 1993 Nov. 26 "Midnight on the Firing Line" screened at LosCon 20 1994 Mid-Jan. "Making of Babylon 5" airs (hosted by Walter Koenig) 1994 Jan. 20 Satellite feed of first episode 1994 Jan. 26 Start of weekly series on PTEN 1994 Mar. 23 Filming ends for first season 1994 May 12 Announcement of renewal for second season * 1994 Aug. 1 Filming starts for second season 1994 Nov 2 (appx). Premiere of second season with "Chrysalis, Part II" ----------------------------------------------------- ~11. Who can you write to show support for Babylon 5? ----------------------------------------------------- PTEN is a consortium of stations where each station has a say in what gets produced. JMS has requested that if you would like to write in support of the show and to encourage renewal, write your local station. For Warner Bros. write to: For the show's creator, as well as the cast and crew: Dick Robertson Vice President J. Michael Straczynski Domestic Television Distribution 14431 Ventura Blvd, Suite 260 Warner Bros. Television Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 4000 Warner Boulevard Burbank, CA 91522. ----------------------------------------------------------- ~12. Now that Babylon 5 is a series, can I submit a script? ----------------------------------------------------------- All current stories are developed by JMS, because only he knows where the story is going. JMS is looking at spec scripts, selecting writers based on their talent and understanding of the Babylon 5 universe, then giving out assigned stories. Babylon 5 is not accepting outside stories. Scripts not submitted through an agent will be returned unopened, as is standard practice. All freelance scripts will have the original writer as the sole credit. Any rewrites or additions (such as a "B" plot or additional scenes) by Babylon 5 staff will not add to the writing credit. This will allow the freelancer to get full royalties for the episode. ---------------- ~13. Appearances ---------------- ======== a. Science Fiction Conventions ## More Info: Con information is often posted on the USENET groups such as alt.fandom.cons, rec.arts.sf.announce, rec.arts.sf.fandom. J. Michael Straczynski has been attending science fiction conventions when possible. Past convention appearances have been Loscon 19, and 20; Gallifrey One in 3D, Gallifrey One Goes Forth, A Fifth of Gallifrey One, WesterColt .45; the San Diego Comic Con; WishCon II; Con-Dor; Baycon, Phil and Ed's Excellent Convention. Upcoming con appearances planned by J. Michael Straczynski include: San Diego Comic Con (August 4-7, 1994) -- B5 panel probably Sat. PM Most Likely, Loscon 21 (November, 1994) Arne Starr, Artist on the DC Comics Star Trek series has been making Babylon 5 presentations at cons he has appeared at. Adam "Mojo" Lebowitz (B5 visual effects) has been making some convention appearances. ======== b. The Official Babylon 5 Newsletter A Babylon 5 newsletter is being produced with the cooperation of J. Michael Straczynski by Christy Marx. The first issue was made available for free and copies are still available. To receive the additional issues, send a $5 check or money order to Christy Marx, Editor - BABYLON 5 NEWSLETTER, P.O. Box 2325, Oakhurst, CA 93644. (In Canada $7 and $9 elsewhere). Make check out to "C. Marx" (IMPORTANT!) If you want to just get issues 4-6, which will deal with the series, send $3.00 ($5.00 Canada) If you send in for all issues, you get issues 1-3 right away (although #2 is available only as a copy) and the rest as they are issued. Issue #4 is in process and is supposed to appear sometime REAL SOON NOW. ======== c. Publications ## More Info: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5.media The April 1994 issue of _CineFantastique_ has a major feature article on Babylon 5. Half of the issues have a Babylon 5 cover, while half have "The Stand" on the cover. Adam "Mojo" Lebowitz, who works with Ron Thornton on the visual effects, has an article in the June 1994 _Toaster User_. Call AVID publications at 800-322-2843 from the USA. ------------------- ~14. One-Liner FAQs ------------------- ## More Info: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5_jms_answers.txt (or retrieve other archives, episode guides, etc.) Following are some of the questions asked a lot by newcomers to Babylon 5 and brief answers to those questions. Misc: Q: How come [insert name] is in the opening credits but not in the show? A: Characters that appear in 7 or more episodes are in the opening credits. Q: Which came first, Deep Space 9 or Babylon 5? A: B5 was pitched to Paramount in 1989, two years before DS9 was created. Q: Has B5 been renewed a second season? A: Yes, thanks in part to fans writing their local stations (see sec. 11.) Q: Why are they using paper in the 23rd century? A: Paper is convenient. It's a recycleable, synthetic material. Q: Why is Sinclair, only a commander, running the station? A: The Minbari rejected all choices, down the line, and accepted Sinclair. Q: What does the "Third Age" of mankind mean? What are the 1st and 2nd? A: Joe ain't telling. To reveal the 1st and second would give away the 3rd. Q: What has happened with Harlan Ellison's scripts this season? A: They've been delayed due to poor health and earthquake injuries. Q: How is the "sound in space" issue dealt with? A: You hear music in the space shots, some sounds are part of the music. Aliens: Q: What's with the Centauri Hair? A: Hair is a measure of status: more elaborate = higher status. Women go bald. Q: What is that thing on Minbari heads? A: It's a bone, which grows with age and differs among individuals. Q: Is Bill Mumy (Lennier) the same guy from _Lost In Space_? A: Yes. Only much older. Q: How did the war between Earth and the Minbari start? A: A misunderstanding on first contact. * Q: What was it that the Minbari found with Sinclair which stopped the war? A: Still quite a mystery; will be revealed by "Points of Departure." * Q: What is known about Vorlons? A: Very little. Reclusive, and may be hiding something under those suits. (We'll see a what a Vorlon looks like in season two.) Q: Why are we always seeing aliens speaking English to each other? A: As in WWII movies, we assume they are speaking in their native tongue. Technology: Q: How do jump gates work? A: Ships enter one and exit another. Large ships can make their own points. Q: What's the size and capacity of the station? A: 5 miles long, holding as many as 250,000 beings (many in transit). Q: How do PPGs (Phased Plasma Guns) work? A: A superheated burst of plasma, burning through the air. Q: How does communication with Earth work? A: Tachyons, giving instantaneous communications; problematic in jump gates. Q: Where in the galaxy is the station? A: Approximately 25 light years from earth, at an as-yet-undiscovered star. Q: Why doesn't JMS quote people when he responds to messages online? A: His news->mail gateway doesn't have the technology. Live with it. :) ----------------------- ~15. Miscellaneous Info ----------------------- ======== a. Merchandising ## More Details: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5_jms_answers.txt Babylon 5 products will be arriving, but not for a while, to prevent the problem of "the tail wagging the dog." Licensing Company of America, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. is handling the licensing of Babylon 5 products. Creation Conventions has licensed some products already, like T-shirts, hats, etc. Electronic Arts has licensed the rights to a computer game based on Babylon 5. Novelization (perhaps one per season tying together main story arc ideas), video releases (in widescreen on LaserDisc), and technical manuals are all being explored or developed although nothing has yet been announced. Creation Entertainment has T-shirts and photos available -- (818) 409-0960 * An interactive CD-ROM has been announced for release next year (?) by Compton's. The CD Rom will feature sections on the universe of Babylon 5 as well as very educational and interactive sections that takes you from script to editing to final cut. Encoded sections of the disc which contain spoilers for future storylines will require unlocking by entering the appropriate keywords which will not be known until later events are revealed in the show. * A Comic adaptation with DC comics will commence November 1994, showcasing stories that occur in parallel with the main television story. Issue number one, written by JMS, is entitled "In Darkness Find Me" and features the inverse side of the story of "Midnight on the Firing Line." Stories will be divided into four-issue cycles featuring different writers and artists. * Dell publishing will be releasing four Babylon 5 novels next year, featuring stories which will be connected with the events in the series. A soundtrack by Christopher Franke should be available by November 1994. ======== b. Fans' influence on the show The location of Babylon 5 is at Grid Epsilon 470,18,22 which corresponds to the original location of the Babylon 5 topic on GEnie (Page 470, CAT 18, Topic 22). The first mention of a planet's coordinates in "Mind War" were Grid Epsilon 471,18,25 which corresponds to a topic in the Babylon 5 Category on GEnie. Partially due to fan response from those who saw the pilot movie or clips, some things in the pilot movie were changed before broadcast. The voice of Delenn is Mira Furlan's voice without any processing and Delenn is female to begin with. Original plans were to electronically process her voice and have Delenn change sex during the series. Some additional voice-over was done by Patricia Tallman to clarify one scene in the show with Kosh in the Medlab. The branding of a Minbari in "The War Prayer" that had similarities to a DS9 episode was kept after feedback from fans about it. It had been considered removing the branding scene and electronically wiping the brand from the rest of the episode. When names submitted for a mega corporation and a mineral were rejected for legal reasons, JMS went to the GEnie B5 Category and asked for suggestions. The resulting names used are Quantium-40 for the mineral and Universal Terraform for the company. Q-40 is mentioned in both "The Parliament of Dreams" and "Mind War" and Universal Terraform in "Mind War". The waiter mentioned in "Parliament" is named for David Strauss, who submitted Q-40. The denizens of "Downbelow" are called "lurkers," a term for those on the newsgroups who read messages but never post. JMS is considering revamping or killing off n'grath based partly on the reaction by viewers. Based on interest in the legal aspects of the Psi Corps, he will indicate how some of this works in "The Quality of Mercy." A ship in "A Voice in the Wilderness" will be named "Hyperion" in acknowledgment of the Babylon 5 ftp site at ftp.hyperion.com. ======== c. Awards Emmy Award in 1993 for Special Visual Effects for the Babylon 5 Pilot movie. March, 1994 - Space Frontier Foundation award for "Best Vision of the Future" ======== d. Babylon 5 References in other JMS works In the Captain Power episode "Final Stand," Tank mentions that he's from the Babylon 5 Genetic Engineering Colony. In the JMS Novel "Othersyde," Babylon 5 is mentioned as one of the characters favorite TV series. ======== e. Miscellaneous Production Info Babylon 5 is being filmed in the 16:9 aspect ratio, trimming it for broadcast. Plans are for the episodes to later be available in widescreen on laserdisc and when HDTV happens. The opening titles are in letterbox format. Audio is being done in full Surround Sound. Larry DiTillio is writing background dialogue (known as "walla"). Alien makeup and such for the series is being done by Optic Nerve Studios (Everett Burrell and John Vulich) which is a change from the pilot. The early episodes had some video and audio degradation due to the manner in which commercials, closed captioning and such were being added using analog transfers and used tape. Some was corrected by the broadcast of "The War Prayer" with more improvements in time. ======== f. Production Order vs. Airing Order The production of episodes started far enough in advance that the airing order of the episodes could be arranged as the producers and network decided, allowing for additional post-production time and cost reduction. For example, the season finale was filmed 12th but will air last. Micheal O'Hare has already filmed segments to be used throughout the second season. ======== g. Changes > Between pilot and first season: Due to reworking and recasting after the pilot, Lt. Cmdr. Laurel Takashima, Dr. Benjamin Kyle, and telepath Lyta Alexander were replaced. Kyle and Alexander were sent back to Earth under "mysterious circumstances"; Takashima is on a classified mission, and may return someday. Most of the character stories and back-histories were transferred to their replacements. Make-up for G'Kar was improved; Delenn's look was substantially modified once it was established that the character would be female. > Between first and second season: Director Richard Compton left the show after "Grail." Due to a mutual, amicable decision between producers and Michael O'Hare, the character of Cmdr. Sinclair will be leaving the show's main cast in the beginning of the second season. This is an adjustment but JMS has assured us it will not hurt and should even improve the show's five-year storyline. Sinclair will still be an important part of the show and should return later. The introduction will be new for year two; hopefully shorter. The narrator has not yet announced. > A list of episodes that have been mentioned online and later retitled. "Blood and Thunder" --> "Midnight on the Firing Line" "Amaranth" --> "Born to the Purple" "Carnival!" --> "The Parliament of Dreams" "A Knife in the Shadows" --> "Survivors" "Backlash" --> "By Any Means Necessary" "Raiding Party" --> "Signs and Portents" "The Ressurectionist" --> "The Quality of Mercy" * "Chrysalis, Part II" --> "Points of Departure" > David Gerrold scripts not used in Season 1: "Target Unknown" and "Metaphors and Body Counts" > Harlan Ellison scripts not completed due to health problems and the '94 L.A. Earthquake: (May be used in the second season.) "Midnight in the Sunken Cathedral" and (not officially) "Demon on the Run" ------------------------------------- ~16. Where to find online information ------------------------------------- ======== a. INTERNET WORLD go to URL: http://www.hyperion.com/lurk/lurker.html WIDE NOTE: This page contains LOTS of images! WEB USENET rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5 This group was created in late Mar. '94 and is now the main Babylon 5 newsgroup. Via a mail gateway, JMS participates in this group. VERY IMPORTANT: Do NOT post any story ideas (for legal reasons) alt.tv.babylon-5 The original Usenet B5group, created Feb. 1993. Still online for now. rec.video.satellite, rec.arts.tv, and rec.arts.sf.tv may also contain Babylon 5 discussion and announcements. REVIEW The Babylon 5 Reviews Electronic Forum, moderated by Michael S.Shappe LIST To subscribe, e-mail the automated list server, LISTSERV@cornell.edu. Put a single line into the BODY of the message, reading: SUBSCRIBE B5-REVIEW-L Firstname Lastname This is processed by machine, so do not include a signature. FTP ftp.hyperion.com (192.65.216.1) is the official site from which you can retrieve Babylon-5-related files via anonymous FTP. For now, it is preferred to use its faster echo side, ftp.uml.edu. HIGHLIGHTS OF FILES AVAILABLE AT FTP.HYPERION.COM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ File Description Maint ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bibliographies REFERENCES (dir) References to newspaper/magazine articles about cast/crew TR Credits (dir) CREDIT LISTINGS Ju Specific credits from each episode GEnie (dir) GENIE POSTINGS OF JMS Archive of JMS's postings on GEnie on the B5 topics Guide (dir) EPISODE GUIDES AT Information about each episode Pictures (dir) GIF AND JPEG IMAGES (see "Index" file within) Along with a number of TV image scans, this directory holds a number of official high-quality GIF files (mainly of ships, from the pilot and the first episodes), and Electronic Trading Card GIF files. Synopses (dir) EPISODE SYNOPSES Detailed synopses of each episode SB Usenet (dir) USENET POSTINGS OF JMS Archive of JMS's postings in the alt.tv.babylon-5 group babylon5faq FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) LIST LW Answers to frequently asked questions. VERY useful intro- duction to Babylon 5, with pointers to additional info. b5actors.txt ACTORS' OTHER ROLES LIST Listing of film, TV, stage roles of actors from Babylon 5 LW b5appearances CHARACTER APPEARANCES CHART DH A list of which charaacters appeared in which episodes, broken down into Humans, Aliens, and a Reference Chart. ELECTRONIC PRESS KITS b5demo.zip for Windows 3.1 (PKZIP compressed; retrieve BINARY) B5-Interactive.cpt.hqx for Macintosh (Binhexed and stuffed; retrieve ASCII) Interactive "multimedia" presentations introducing the series b5episodes UPCOMING EPISODES Contains spoilers: general descriptions of upcoming DS episodes, as gleaned from JMS postings J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI'S ANSWERS b5_jms_answers.txt An indexed & sorted file (over 250K of text) of DW comments by JMS on Babylon 5 & related topics - VERY good collection of B5 info. Updated May 1994. b5log.text BABYLON 5 GRID EPSILON LOG Detailed information, backstory and character profiles PP compiled from postings by JMS on GEnie before the pilot aired. Not yet updated for the series; it contains a few obsolete references (eg, replaced characters, a male Delenn). Updated 12 Jan 1992. B5quotes.tar The Babylon 5 Quote Fortune Generator (for Unix). MZ Fetch the file "B5quotes.FAQ" for instructions, or read URL: http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/cms/zecca/b5/b5quote.html Version 1.1 (June 1994) includes quotes through "TKO". b5.tech TECHNICAL FAQ LIST Technical descriptions of various things in B5's universe. H b5tvlist.txt BABYLON 5 / PTEN STATION LIST A list of stations known to show Babylon 5, w/ schedules LW HISTORY OF ANCIENT BABYLONIA SB History.Babylonia A brief history of ancient Babylonia. Babylon 5's Parallels.History broad storyline is based at least in part on real events of ancient Earth history. Possible parallels between our history and the upcoming story arc are explored. MAINTAINERS/CONTRIBUTORS ------------------------ SB = Shawn Bayern, bayern@cshl.org H = The Harlequin, mdig8154@uriacc.uri.edu DH = David Henderson, davidh@camelot.bradley.edu Ju = Jackutis, genoa@mit.edu PP = Phil Posner (B5REVISE.TXT on GEnie) TR = Troy Rutter, techy@iastate.edu DS = David Strauss, dss2k@virginia.edu, REPLAYER on GEnie AT = Anthony Taylor, FNATT@elmer.alaska.edu LW = Lee Whiteside, leew@indirect.com DW = Dan Wood, danwood@netcom.com MZ = Michael "The Admiral" Zecca, zecca@ncar.ucar.edu ======== b. GEnie Because JMS has been on GEnie talking about Babylon 5 since late 1991, GEnie is a choice place to be for a Babylon 5 fan. On the GEnie Science Fiction RoundTable, there are two Babylon 5 categories where JMS talks with the fans about the show, both production and story info. Most of the information in this FAQ came from this category. They are located at Page 471, Category 18 and 19. Archives of past messages are available in the GEnie SFRT files areas, along with graphics files and the interactive demos are also available in the file area. In honor of the fans who are involved with this group, the specific location of Babylon 5 corresponds to the original location of the GEnie topic (Grid Epsilon 470,18,22). A split of the GEnie SFRT in November, 1992 created the Babylon 5 category, moving the original topic into the new category. ======== c. Other JMS also frequents Compuserve and BIX; there are Babylon 5 sections on America Online, Compuserve, and other networks; These and other networks and BBSs contain Babylon graphic files, text files, and forwarded JMS postings. ------------------------- ~17. Credits and Legaleze ------------------------- Feel free to distribute this text file online. The Babylon 5 Frequently Asked Questions List is Copyright 1994 by Lee Whiteside and Dan Wood. Acknowledgement is made to excerpted contributions from the Babylon 5 online libraries. Some of the information contained in this FAQ list is based on posts by J. Michael Straczynski in the Babylon 5 category in the GEnie Science Fiction Roundtable (Page 471; Cat 18), the USENET groups alt.tv.babylon-5 and rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5, and the CompuServe Babylon 5 topic. Currently maintained by Dan Wood (danwood@netcom.com) Originally compiled by Lee Whiteside (leew@indirect.com; 76044,502 on CIS) Fine-Tooth-Comb edited by David Henderson (davidh@camelot.bradley.edu) HTML formatting by Steven Grimm (koreth@hyperion.com) Auto-posting by Troy Rutter (techy@iastate.edu) --========================_9647132==_--