The Lost Tales (new B5 episodes)

djclark

Mongoose
These are set in the B5 and Crusade era mostly. They are being shot in groups of 3 to be released as 4 dvd box set (one full of extras). Each group of three is based on a theme. IE Leadership , Sacrfice etc. They are just starting shooting the first 3. JMS was offered a B5 movie but due to his script selling success in Hollywood couldn't commit enough time. This is all down to the excellant sales of the DVD sets. JMS will finish off the crusade arc in one of the 3 episode sets. We will also see Sinclair's early struggles on Minbar and what happens to David Sheridan, What Claudia was upto in Season 5 on the warlock etc. We won't see the telepath war (this is reserved for a film or new series)
 
Yeah. There are a bunch of posts about this. All the B5 sites I belong to are buzzing.

djclark said:
These are set in the B5 and Crusade era mostly. They are being shot in groups of 3 to be released as 4 dvd box set (one full of extras). Each group of three is based on a theme. IE Leadership , Sacrfice etc.

This is new to me. Thanks.

djclark said:
They are just starting shooting the first 3. JMS was offered a B5 movie but due to his script selling success in Hollywood couldn't commit enough time.

He also said with the recent deaths of Richard Biggs and Andreas Kast(???) [sorry, I don't want to butcher his name] that he was going to hold off kn new movies. He also noted that they would NEVER be recast. Period.

djclark said:
This is all down to the excellant sales of the DVD sets. JMS will finish off the crusade arc in one of the 3 episode sets.

Good... I paid $100 for mine. I hope they see some note-whorthy returns.

djclark said:
We will also see Sinclair's early struggles on Minbar and what happens to David Sheridan, What Claudia was upto in Season 5 on the warlock etc.

I heard otherwise. Although I don't have sources. Do you, by chance? Was this from JMSnews or whatever that website is?

djclark said:
We won't see the telepath war (this is reserved for a film or new series)

Thank God. If that got squeezed into 20 minutes I would tear my hair out.
 
Two weeks ago Claudia Christian was at a local convention. During her Q&A event I asked about the DVD thing and at least at that time, according to her, Peter Jurasik has been the only one contacted about it. I don't know how much has changed since then but that would lead me to assume that a Londo story is probably going to be done first.
 
Sounds like a load of spoo.
20 minutes episodes! lol

Clever marketing gimmick anyone? Cheap money making scheme?

Its long past time when JMS should have passed the baton on, instead of stifling any further series and movies.
 
each episode is 30 mins. Which is the length of a B5 episode if you remove the B story from it which is what JMS is doing. So 3 X 30 mins = 1 hour 30 mins ie the average length of a film. Seems OK to me, depends on the price.
Peter is the first major character to be signed followed by Sheridan and then Delenn (currently doinf some LOST episodes)
 
djclark said:
each episode is 30 mins. Which is the length of a B5 episode if you remove the B story from it which is what JMS is doing.
Oh dear. The A stories, in general, sucked. The big backstory was what made B5 good and different from any other sci-fi series.
 
A couple of weeks ago at a convention I asked Walter Koenig (Bester) about his involvement in the new stuff. He said that JMS was at his house (birthday party) the weekend before the Con and didn't bring it up. His birthday was after the news of the new DVD's. So I guess no Bester - (saving him up for the telepath war, I guess)
 
The A stories did tend towards a bit of melodrama or overblown action - IMO it was the character interaction of some of the more memorable personalities that made the show.

And kickass space battles (compared to DS9 at the time). I hope they up the bar with them in the lost tales...
 
Burger i think you misunderstand the A story is the main part of the episode whether it is a single story episode or an arc episode. The B story is either a comedy filler or a minor plot point (although these did sometimes give arc clues)
 
JayRaider said:
Its long past time when JMS should have passed the baton on, instead of stifling any further series and movies.

I have to admit that, judging from the commentaries, I think JMS may be a bit arrogant at times, but I don't think he's quite ready to hand B5 over to anyone else. It's his property, and he really doesn't want to see it mistreated.

The 20 minute thing is worrisome... Maybe if these are received well they can be 'mini pilots' for new longer efforts? For example, I've seen some scattered hints about what happens to Ivanova's Warlock and would love it if a 20 minute episode led to a new series.
 
Well even bad B5 (like season 5, the movies and crusade....) is still better than NO B5 in my oppinion :D

And $100? For the lot?!?! Thats a very good price :p You yanks dont know how good you have it, try paying uk prices for DVDs and Computer games etc then see how expensive $100 seems :p
 
Locutus9956 said:
And $100? For the lot?!?! Thats a very good price :p You yanks dont know how good you have it, try paying uk prices for DVDs and Computer games etc then see how expensive $100 seems :p

i paid around $80/season, I think...
 
yep thats more what Id expect (I paid around 30-40 pounds per season over here, but I thought the $100 box was refering to the universe box with all the series! (I think most people here would be VERY happy to pay $100 for that (if they didnt already own the dvds that is)
 
Locutus9956 said:
yep thats more what Id expect (I paid around 30-40 pounds per season over here, but I thought the $100 box was refering to the universe box with all the series! (I think most people here would be VERY happy to pay $100 for that (if they didnt already own the dvds that is)

No. $100 a season. My parents detest the internet and ordering from it and entertainment stores are ripping them off...

Only season 1 and the movies to go... and MAYbe Crusade... if I have the moola.
 
Hate to say it Abrax but if youre looking at paying that much for season 5 and crusade youre being hugely ripped off. Have you considered asking a friend with an internet connection to order them for you if your parents wont have it in the house? As Im sure youre painfully aware you can probably save youreselt around 40% of the price over high street store prices...
 
It depends on where you live...$100 AU is the going rate from most entertainment shops ($70 US) within driving distance of me; you can prolly pick them up for half that price via an online merchant (new). But that has its own drawbacks.

Season 5 and Crusade are easily worth $100 AU each to me, they have provided hours of entertainment that far outweighs the measly sum of $100 AU.
 
Dont missunderstand me, I LIKE both season 5 AND Crusade but in all honsety they are both FAR FAR worse then the rest of B5.

In fact Id rate them as:

Season 3 10/10
Season 4 9/10
Season 2 9/10
Season 1 8/10
Season 5 6/10
Crusade 4/10

On this sceal incidentally to give you an idea of how things rank up imo (I wont break em into seasons for these though) (B5 as a whole needless to say would get a 10 in my book ;)):

DS9: 9/10
SG-1: 8/10
TNG: 7/10
Star Trek (TOS): 7/10
SG Atlantis: 7/10
Enterprise: 6/10
Voyager: 3/10
Battlestar Galactica (the new ones): 7/10
Andromeda: -427643/10 (its only even a rational number because of Lexa Doig :twisted: )
Space Above and Beyond: 8/10

ps before anyone points out that Ive left out Farscape from the 'big cult sci fi shows' I've never seen more than bits and pieces and wasnt impressed with what I saw, though I'm told its one of those shows that like B5 you have to watch from the start (and admittedly I was less than Impressed with B5 when I first saw bits of it... oh how wrong I was....)
 
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