Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5,alt.tv.babylon-5,rec.arts.sf.tv,alt.answers,rec.answers,news.answers Subject: Babylon 5 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Approved: news-answers-request@mit.edu Organization: Babylon 5 Psi Council Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5 Reply-To: danwood@netcom.com Summary: This posting contains a list of Frequently Asked Questions (and their answers) about the television series, _Babylon 5_. It should be read by anyone who wishes to post to the groups rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5, alt.tv.babylon-5, or rec.arts.sf.tv, regarding the show. Archive-name: tv/babylon-5-faq Last-modified: 15 Sept 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! ************ CHANGES and NEWS (changed sections are marked with a "*") * * Newly scheduled season two episodes are listed here * Much updated and new information of upcoming CON appearances * News on B5 comics and novels * Organizational changes * * "The Parliament of Dreams" awarded an EMMY for Best Makeup Design * * NEWSWEEK and EMMY Magazines, coming out soon, will have B5 articles. * Broacasting & Cable, Aug. 29, has a B5 article with a Sheridan picture. * * Channel 4 in the UK may show the pilot sometime in the next week or so. * * The Babylon 5 soundtrack needs your help! The decision on the label * to release the B5 soundtrack will be made end of September, and at * stake is whether the CD is created by Christopher Franke himself, or * merely culled, patchwork-style, from music cues already submitted. * PLEASE take the time to write to express your support and opinions to: * Babylon 5 Soundtrack, c/o Sonic Images, Box 691626, W. Hollywood, CA 90069 * ------------------------- 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. 1. What is Babylon 5? 2. Who is behind Babylon 5? * 3. What other SF projects has JMS been involved with? 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. Babylon 5 online c. Fans' influence on the show d. Awards e. Babylon 5 References in other JMS works f. Miscellaneous Production Info g. Production Order vs. Airing Order h. Changes 16. Where to find online information a. Internet b. GEnie c. Other 17. Credits and Legalese ----------------------- ~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. 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 where his 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 other SF projects has JMS been involved with? ------------------------------------------------------- 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. * Though Babylon 5 is his main activity right now, JMS has also been working on some other projects. A feature film adaptation of the Grimjack books by John Ostrander will begin shooting in 1995, and will be written by JMS. Fall 1994 will also see the production of a two-hour pilot for a contemporary SF series that JMS has created and written, executive produced by JMS and Doug Netter. The title has not yet been announced. He will not be involved in these projects in the day-to-day operations as he is with 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 -- Babylon 5 airs Mondays, 6 PM, Channel 4. First season started 16 May 1994. The second season will start sometime after 1 December 1994. Note: UK episodes are often censored; TKO will not be shown at all. 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?) Philippines: RCTI Trinidad: AUM Europe(?): Sky-TV Singapore: Channel 5, Sundays Australia: 7 Network -- starting in Fall 1994 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, available as an import in the USA). According to JMS, videotapes of the series should start appearing sometime in Fall of '94. Widescreen laserdiscs should appear some unknown time later. ----------------------------- ~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 Federation, 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 breathe 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 ## More Characters: http://web.uml.edu/Babylon-Enc/enc.html or: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5encyc.txt ======== 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 ALFREDO GARIBALDI Jerry Doyle In charge of security on Babylon 5. He has a troubled past but was picked by Sinclair for the job. His title is "Chief Warrant Officer." 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 Aleong 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 (year 2257) 02/22/93 The Gathering (title not shown on-screen) by JMS, director RC SEASON ONE (2258) Airing Order (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 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 LSF 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 SEASON TWO (2259) Airing Order (Season title: "The Coming of Shadows") Week of No. Title Writer Director -------------------------------------------------------------------- 10-31-94 201 Points of Departure JMS JG * Forthcoming episodes airing in this order, but not officially scheduled: 202 Revelations JMS JJ 203 The Geometry of Shadows JMS MV 204 A Distant Star DCF JJ 205 The Long Dark SF 206 A Spider in the Web LD 207 A Race Through Dark Places JMS 208 The Coming of Shadows JJ2 The second season began shooting August 10. * Other scripts confirmed as being written for season two include a sequel to the _Outer Limits_ episode, "Demon With A Glass Hand" by Harlan Ellison (unofficially called "Demon on the Run"), and "Pestilence, Famine, and Death" by Peter David. Larry DiTillio will be writing "Gropos." JMS has indicated he will be writing 10-12 scripts, similar to the first season. David Gerrold and DC Fontana will be starting new scripts soon. Kevin Cremin and John Flinn will both direct an upcoming episode. 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; SF = Scott Frost. DIRECTORS: RC = Richard Compton; LSF = Lorraine Senna Ferrara; JF = John Flinn; JG = Janet Greek; BSG = Bruce Seth Green; JJ = Jim Johnston; JJ2 = Jerry Jameson; MV = Mike Vejar. ------------------------------------------------ ~10. How has Babylon 5's development progressed? ------------------------------------------------ 1986 First notes and drafts on the Babylon 5 story 1987 Spring/Summer Babylon 5 treatment created by JMS; 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. 1993 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. 10 Filming starts for second season 1994 Sep. 10 Emmy awarded for makeup design in "Parliament" 1994 Nov 2 (appx). Premiere of second season with "Points of Departure" ----------------------------------------------------- ~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. 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 also been making some convention appearances. Upcoming con appearances planned by JMS or B5 cast/crew include: * Dallasfor Stellar Occassion, Oct. 22-23, 1994. Executive Hotel -- Love Field, 3252 W. Mockingbird Ln., Dallas, TX 75235. (214) 357-5601 Claudia Christian, JMS, and D. C. Fontana are schedule to appear. Pre-registration $20; $15 at the door. JMS will be offering a screen writer's workshop. Cost for workshop is $10, going to charity. For Tickets and Info: Stellar Occasion, PO Box 472456, Garland, TX 75047 * LOSCON 21, November 25-27, 1994. Airport Hilton, Burbank CA. Likely to feature _many_ B5 guests due to its location. Info: LASFS, 11513 Burbank Blvd., N. Hollywood CA 91601. LASFS Phone: 818-760-9234. LASFS BBS: 818-985-7848 (14000 8-N-1) * Iowa State University, Spring 1995, Ames, IA. JMS will be featured at a seminar to speak on technology in popular culture, and how science fiction affects today's technology. Info: Theresa M Benson * Toronto Trek IX, August 4-6, 1995, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Everett Burrell, makeup effects designer will be Tech Guest of Honor Mira Furlan will be a guest. More guests to be announced later. Info: e-mail vonthorn@io.org or C.LYON4@genie.geis.com, or mail Toronto Trek IX, Suite 0116, Box 187, 65 Front Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5J 3G2 Phone: (416) 699-4666 Fax: (416) 699-5512 ======== 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. No, really.... ======== 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 actually a recyclable, 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. Q: Why is Ivanova called "Lieutenant Commander" instead of "Commander"? A: To distinguish between her and Sinclair; so both don't answer to "Cmdr." Q: What are the Three Ages of Mankind? A: JMS ain't telling yet. To know #1 and #2 would give away #3. * Q: Will the pilot air again? A: It is expected to eventually, though JMS doesn't know when. 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; it grows with age and differs for individuals, sex, and caste. 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 super-heated 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. Video releases (in widescreen on LaserDisc), and technical manuals are being explored or developed although nothing has yet been announced. Creation Entertainment has T-shirts and photos available -- (818) 409-0960 * Two T-shirt designs are now available from "800-TREKKER" -- two designs: the logo, and the station/season 1 cast (as seen in the TV Guide ad). $13.95 each; call 1-800-TREKKER or fax 1-800-FAXTREK or write to: Box 13131, Dept. T-2, Reading, PA 19612-3131. An interactive CD-ROM has been announced for release early 1995 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 with the first issue released December 6, 1994, showcasing stories that occur in parallel with the main television story. Stories will be divided into four-issue cycles featuring different writers and artists. The first cycle is drawn by Michael Netzer and Rob Leigh. Issue number one, written by JMS, is entitled "In Darkness Find Me" and features the inverse side of the story of "Points of Departure." The rest of the cycle will be written by Mark Moretti, based on a JMS premise. Possible upcoming writers include Peter David, John Ostrander, Bill Mumy, and Neil Gaiman. * Dell publishing will be releasing four Babylon 5 novels starting late November/early December 1994, featuring stories which will be connected with the events in the series. John Vornholt will write the first, called _Voices_; the cover will feature Talia Winters, Garabaldi, and Psi Cops Grey and Bester. The new commander, and trips to Earth and Mars will be featured in the book. Lois Tilton will write the second novel. A soundtrack by Christopher Franke should be available by November 1994. * (New section) ======== b. Babylon 5 online 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. JMS is very active on the Usenet (since July 1993). He reads Usenet messages through a news to mail gateway, so his messages are not threaded and often do not appear alongside the messages to which he is responding. The software he uses makes it difficult to quote messages to which he is responding, so if the meaning of a post is not clear, you can search for messages with the same subject with your news reader to get the context. JMS is also active on BIX, on CompuServe, and several other systems. (He also "lurks" on a few systems to get a sense of how Babylon 5 discussions go without his presence known.) What JMS gets out of his participation online, is, as he puts it, a "sense of the room." Being a writer means coming up with questions to strengthen characters and the world of the story, but nobody could ever come up with every conceivable question. The nets are helpful because, as JMS puts it, "on the nets, you get questions you never *dreamed* of." One topic of discussion that arises frequently is the request that no story ideas be suggested in the online forums. This request is in place because if somebody suggests a story, and it happens to be one that JMS is working on already, that JMS is potentially open to lawsuits if the poster were to suspect that her story idea were stolen. Recently, for instance, JMS had to scrap a B-story he was working on because somebody asked 'What if Joe wrote a story in which a "memory-challenged" person DISCOVERED records of who he or she was?' Often there are suggestions that the poster could include with their ideas a "disclaimer" or a "release." This has been debated over and over again, but the issue boils down to the problem that no matter what, the B5 production would be exposed to lawsuits, which, even if frivolous and unwinnable, would shut down production of the show while in litigation. Television producers in general must go to great lengths to keep themselves protected, so JMS's presence online hangs in a delicate balance. If you do wish to suggest story ideas, you can use the creative mailing list described in section 16a. Online lore: On usenet, a running joke is the Sinclair's "Duck." This reference came about because of rude postings about male and female anatomy, which became censored to words "T*TS" and "D*CK," which evolved into "tots" and "duck." Now you know. ======== c. 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 indicates how some of this works in "The Quality of Mercy." An EA ship in "A Voice in the Wilderness" is named "Hyperion" in acknowledgment of the Babylon 5 ftp site at ftp.hyperion.com. ======== d. 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" * 1994 - Winner of the Emmy award for makeup in "The Parliament of Dreams" ======== e. 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. ======== f. 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. ======== g. 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. Michael O'Hare has already filmed segments to be used throughout the second season. * Most of the first half or so of the second season is being produced in the same order as airing. ======== h. 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 departure of Sinclair has been likened to Galdalf in _Lord of the Rings_ and the title character in _Dr. Zhivago_, in that their absence is necessary but temporary. ## More information: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/OHare.Leave The commanding officer, starting in the second season, will be Captain John Sheridan, played by Bruce Boxleitner, an American actor who has appeared in movies such as _The Babe_, _Tron_, the TV series _Scarecrow and Mrs. King_, and miniseries _East of Eden_, and several _The Gambler_ TV Movies. * The part of Na'Toth is being recast for season two. Caitlin Brown wanted to work on other projects that didn't require extensive alien make-up; she was the only cast member which the B5 producers did not have options on since she was cast at the last moment. The character will remain the same (her role in "Chrysalis" is important to the story), just played by a different actress with a similar look and delivery. Mary Kay Adams will play Na'Toth in the second season. A new recurring character will be Warren Keffer, Squad Leader for the Zeta Squadron. he will be played by Robert Russler. * The introduction will be new for year two. The narrator will be Captain Sheridan. Though shorter, there will be one added line in the narration: "It was the dawn of the Third Age of Mankind...the year the Great War came upon us all." Several new sets will be used, including a bazaar and an officer's lounge. > 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 Resurrectionist" --> "The Quality of Mercy" "Chrysalis, Part II" --> "Points of Departure" "A Trick of the Mind" --> "A Spider in the Web" > 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 "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) To subscribe to the gateway, send e-mail to listproc@news.vt.edu, with the message "subscribe babylon5 Your Name" (fill in your name). To post a message, send mail to babylon@news.vt.edu. 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. STORY An outlet for creative "fan fiction" has been set up as a mailing list IDEAS in order to keep JMS from being exposed to any story ideas. As above, LIST E-mail to listserv@netcom.com. In the body, enter following 2 lines: subscribe babylon5-creative your-email-address end 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 MR Information about each episode: analysis, backplot, unanswered questions, and JMS utterances. 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 characters 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 b5encyc.txt BABYLON 5 ENCYCLOPEDIA (best accessed through the WWW site) Extremely useful encyclopedia listing recurring and 1-time BO characters, aliens, planets, technologies, events, etc. 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 BO = Brian O'Neill, oneill@cs.uml.edu PP = Phil Posner, P.POSNER on GEnie TR = Troy Rutter, techy@iastate.edu MR = Matt Ryan, mbr2@kimbark.uchicago.edu DS = David Strauss, dss2k@virginia.edu, REPLAYER on GEnie LW = Lee Whiteside, leew@indirect.com DW = Dan Wood, danwood@netcom.com MZ = Michael "The Admiral" Zecca, zecca@ncar.ucar.edu ======== b. GEnie * The two Babylon 5 topics are located at Page 471, Category 18 (general series-related) and 19 (episode-specific). 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. ======== 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 Legalese ------------------------- 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)