Two AOL Chats with Bruce & JMS

BB & JMS on AOL in 1995 (two different occasions)

ErinM: It's nice to have you with us tonight!

Jms at B5: Glad to be here.

BB at B5: It's great to be here.

Jms at B5: Glad to be anywhere. Just glad.

Question: For Bruce: With the legacy of "Star Trek," do you find that fans compare you to any of those characters?

BB at B5: I don't really think so.

Question: Will this years episodes resolve or will this be a carry over in to next year. they are progressing at an exciting level each week.

Question: Hey Bruce, great show, I was just wondering, is it hard for you to remember the script, because of all the alien names and technical jargon?

BB at B5: In the beginning it was a challenge... But, I'm much more: comfortable with the world of B5 now.

Question: Do you think our society, right now, either needs a place like B5 or has a place like B5?

Jms at B5: Newark?

BB at B5: I think it's man's destiny to leave the planet and... a station like B5 would be necessary to establish... our foothold in the: stars.

Jms at B5: We have to leave here; the planet will eventually fill up... or die when the sun dies, so we have to leave the cradle and go next: door.

Question: How has Bruce seen his character developing so far, and what is the prognosis?

BB at B5: I've gone from being a reactor to an inniator... And have started to experience a spirtaul awakening.

Question: will there be any love interests for sheridan??

Jms at B5: god i hope not.

BB at B5: Hopefully a nice labrador retreiver.

Jms at B5: JUST KIDDING

Jms at B5: So you dumped the german shepherd?

Question: Are you bringing back Chekov in the finale?

ErinM: Chekov = Walter Koenig

Jms at B5: we'll see...nothing's set. I know Bruce enjoyed working with Walter, yes, Bruce?

BB at B5: It's an honor to work with an icon of scifi tv.

Question: How did the departure of the previous commander alter your: intentions for the series?

BB at B5: Very funny we'll come down an unplug your computer.

Jms at B5: Not at all; with the original commander, we could do a, b and c; now we can do... a, b, c and D, and D is *very* cool; also: remember that his connection was mainly... to the Minbari; I needed someone with a connection to the shadows, and making... Sinclair that person would be too much to believe, with all the: rest.

Question: For Bruce, Do you have any desire to go up in the Space Shuttle or otherwise leave the Earth?

BB at B5: Definitely, whose got a ticket.

Jms at B5: I think there's a ga there. Hell, Erin, I get scared crossing the street.

Question: To BB...TRON was a technically innovative film for its time 15 years ago. How did you feel about doing that film?

BB at B5: Very excited. Though unsure of what the final film would look like... and very surprised that it's still popular today.

Question: Do the actors have much input to plot or dialog?

BB at B5: Not really. If there's a question about dialogue or character, Joe is always receptive.

Jms at B5: Good answer. You'll actually get paid this week.

Question: Bruce, congratulations on your marriage. I would like to know if you and Melissa are planning to make another movie together?

BB at B5: Yes. This summer we will be in a miniseries for NBC that will be shot in Europe.

Question: JMS: You have said that the characters reflect some aspects of your personality. Have you ever made a deal as bad as Londo's?

Jms at B5: Ask Bruce's agent. JUST KIDDING. My family history is notorious for bad deals. Me, I keep it in the mattress.

BB at B5: Just wait til next year, Joe. Motorhomes and hot and cold running blondes.

Jms at B5: Your point being...?

BB at B5: Deals, we're talking deals..not telepaths.

Jms at B5: (dial tone) Oh, hi, is Melissa there? Never mess with a writer in a written forum, actor-boy! DOES ANYONE HAVE A QUESTION TO SAVE US: FROM OURSELVES?

ErinM: We've got one right here:

Question: To Bruce: How would you compare working on B5 to scarecrow or Bring'em back alive?

Jms at B5: but for me to consider it now...delusions of adequacy.

Jms at B5: echo echo

BB at B5: Each series has its own unique distinctions... Babylon 5 is different experience, but it has some of the same... elements as the others, action, adventure, and intriquatly woven plots and depth of character.

Question: Bruce, did you train as an actor and if so, where?

BB at B5: At the Goodman Theatre in Chicago for three years... then with one of the top acting coaches here in Hollywood.

Question: you have both had experience with SF before... are you guys into SF outside of your work on B5, or is it just what you do best?

Jms at B5: Bruce, you're from Chicago, yes?

BB at B5: Yes, northwest of the city.

Jms at B5: I've always been an SF reader, plus horror, dark fantasy, you name: it; I think... it's vitally important, if you're going to do an SF: show, that you hire somebody who... KNOWS SF. This generally: isn't done. I grew up on Matheson, Bradbury, Ellison...: Lovecraft, Bloch, Clarke, Asimov, Serling...name it. I love it.

BB at B5: Yes. I'm reading the works of Arthur C. Clark right now.

Question: For Joe: I was in England in Feb, and noticed there were a number: of B5 conventions scheduled, as opposed to few here. Any comment on: B5's popularity there vs. here?

Jms at B5: I've found that B5 found an immediate home in the UK because some of what we're... doing here has already been done there, in such: continuing shows as THE PRISONER... and our approach is somewhat British in nature; I"m VERY pleased by the... reception the show has found over there. But what can one expect from a country... where they actually eat something called Bubble and Squeak?

Question: Bruce: Have you had many scenes in which you had to interact with CGI sets or characters, and if so, do you find it challenging?

BB at B5: Yes, yes, yes, yes.

Question: To Bruce... Would you if the show has the longevity as Star Trek mind the kind of fan attention and following such as Patrick Stewart

BB at B5: Not at all, it would be quite flattering.

Question: It was interesting that the Narn were cast this season as sympathetic characters, when in the previous season we were primed to prefer the Centauri. Who's idea was this? I like this plot arc: a lot.

Jms at B5: Divine revelation.... I was walking down the street and a bag person said, "Hey, change your characters.. all around." That was: always the intent when I created the show; come up with... what appears to be the standard SF line bad guy, good guy, ally...and then start.. moving the chairs around.

BB at B5: Nothing is what it seems on B5.

Jms at B5: Bruce: what do you like most/least about your role?

BB at B5: Most - my nifty uniform and starfury... Least, the food in the: Zocalo restaurants.

Jms at B5: And when did you first fall in love with my writing? never mind.

BB at B5: Before the wardrobe fitting....oh, great writer-boy.

Jms at B5: (Memo: tighter pants for captain.) Er...not really; nothing: firm (re: the story continuing)...one crisis at a time. (Was having too much fun and missed the question)

ErinM: Folks, it seems like Joe and Bruce are having way too much fun back: in the B5 offices... right now.

Jms at B5: (checking contract to see if the term writer-boy is present)

Question: Congratulations on yesterday's (today's) #1 rating. We fans are busting our tails trying to recruit new vewers. How does this feather affect the syndication advertising and visibility?

Jms at B5: Every little bit helps; and we're very pleased and gratified.

BB at B5: We need the support of all our viewers.

Question: For BB..You've done Sci-Fi before (Tron) and Westerns. Which is: more difficult and why? Or are they similar in some ways?

BB at B5: Very similar in that both deal with stories set on frontiers... it's hard to say what is more difficult. Each has its own distinctive challenges... whether it's mounting a horse and riding out of a scene... or flying a starfury and doing battle in space.

Jms at B5: And get that damned horse off stage A, by the way.

BB at B5: Ok, I'm bringing it in to your office.

Jms at B5: Who would notice one more horse's ass in my office?

Question: Bruce, does JMS share future plot developments with you, or do you just have to take each script as it comes, and try to build on your character episode by episode?

Jms at B5: (This I gotta hear.)

BB at B5: From time to time, during the season, we talk about where Sheridan is going as a character... on the day to day, week to week, I try not to think too far ahead... because in actuality I try to *be in the moment* with my performance.

Question: JMS-Welcome, I've heard that you previously wrote a novel unrelated to B5-fact or fiction? And if so where is it?

Jms at B5: I've written two published novels; OTHERSYDE and DEMON NIGHT, plus: an... anthology of short stories, TALES FROM THE NEW TWILIGHT ZONE, both now... out of print; I have my next novel planned, and will write it when B5 is done.

Question: Bruce, did you find it difficult coming in to an already established show?

BB at B5: Not really. I was received warmly and everyone is very professional and we got on with the work.

Question: What is the most challenging aspect of your role?

BB at B5: Maintaining the authority of command that is Sheridan's everyday experience. Also... drinking the morning coffee.

Jms at B5: (Also the hassle of translating the scripts from Urdu into English.)

BB at B5: You said it no me, Bwahana

Jms at B5: By the way, anyone looking on should see right off that we have a lot of... fun here at the show; it's a good, loose bunch... And I'm calling Bruce's agent tomorrow.

ErinM: Uh-oh. Back to the questions...

Question: Bruce: what has the most challenging episode been for you so far, and why?

Jms at B5: (Someone is singing outside my office. How weird.)

BB at B5: The episode we just finished filming today. It's called In the Shadow of Z'Ha'Dum and my character deals with some very...personal issues.

Question: What efforts have been made to design the alien languages and: symbols that we see every week?

Jms at B5: Y'know, John Copeland is lurking on BB's computer.......oh, John, you wanna do this?

John at B5: Weeellll, we invested quite a bit of effort during the making of the pilot at creating the alien... languages. We're still working on refining them from season to season. But they do make sense if... you know how to translate them.

Jms at B5: (BB=Bruce...so is a PPG a BB gun?)

ErinM: That was producer John Copeland.

BB at B5: Look out Joe he's coming down the hall.

Question: How did you come up with the configurations for the ships on B5,: especially for the race of the people who destroyed the Narn: Colony?

Jms at B5: Also Judge Crater speaking through John. Tha's a Ron Thornton deal; he designs our ships, and where he gets his ideas... only Ron and his therapist know for sure.

Question: Years ago, Battlestar Galatica had the most expensive budget on air: ($1 mil/episode)... How does yours compare for today? Are the: comp. anim. effects going down in cost, or up?

Jms at B5: Without giving out details, we do our show for about 1/2 the: DS9/Voyager budget.

ErinM: I'd like to thank Joe Straczynski and Bruce Boxleitner... for being OMNI Online's guests this evening!

Jms at B5: Glad we could be here.

BB at B5: Thanks very much. This was fun.

ErinM: I'd also like to thank our industrious usher, OMNI Muse...

###

B5 Online: Welcome Bruce and Joe

Jms at B5: It's Actor-Boy & Writer-Boy, the All Sidekick Revenge Squad!!

BB at B5: You've been eating too much chocolate again, Joe.

Jms at B5: WHAT? WHAT? HYPER? WHO?

Question: Is it a conspiracy or coincidence that most of the actors on B5 were in "Tron"?

Jms at B5: I certainly hope it's a conspiracy; will make coming to work more interesting.

BB at B5: There are only two of us, myself and Peter Jurasik

Jms at B5: And Peter's 6-foot rabbit friend Mr. Mord... er, Harvey.

Question: Is it true the idea for the Draasi conflict stemmed from a writer listening to two kids arguing for their favorite type of Hi-C?

Jms at B5: (I thought we didn't allow drinking during these conferences) No.

B5 Online: From MYSTRESS

Jms at B5: love the name

Question: Will we find out how Zathris got to the planet??

Jms at B5: Absolutely. Actually, he's been there the whole time. He leaves later, which is earlier for us, since we saw him before the after where he left. (suddenly seasick)

BB at B5: I tell you its the chocolate

B5 Online: From Kasper549 To Bruce:

Question: I have heard that the B5 story is already mapped out. How long will it take to run and is there any guarantee that the show will be on for as long as it takes?

BB at B5: First of all in television there are no guarantees... I think there's a very good chance that we'll be around for the end of this saga. How's that great maker?

Jms at B5: There are no guarantees this side of the grave. Except that I will continue to lose hair.

Question: Bruce, I have enjoyed all of your roles since How the West was Won. What was it like entering B5 in the middle so to speak?

BB at B5: Quite exciting, a bit daunting, and now I feel totally at home.

Jms at B5: Just that damned horse parked out back.

Question: Bruce, all the best to you and Melissa on the arrival of your new son. What's your favorite role you've ever played?

Jms at B5: Oops. sorry, Bruce, didn't see that was directed to you.

BB at B5: Thank you from both Melissa and I. My favorite role....Capt. John Sheridan of course.

Jms at B5: (Memo to self: pay Bruce this week. Good answer.)

Question: Bruce, how much do you find yourself getting into the story and wanting to know more of the arc? Jerry Doyle seemed to look at the show as more of a job when he was here. Are you getting addicted, or keeping your distance?

BB at B5: Completely addicted. I've now read the next three episodes beyond what we are shooting now and can't wait to read more. Write faster, Joe.

Jms at B5: dancing as fast as I can, Bruce

Question: What's the word on video releases in the US?

Jms at B5: WB doesn't seem to think anybody'd be interested in buying the show on tape, even though in the UK it's #6 on the sell-through charts (after Schindler's List), we're hoping the fans can...educate them.

Question: Bruce, how does it feel to see the show after the post production work is done? None of the previous work I've seen you in has special effects. Does it change your performance, or can you "see" what's supposed to happen?

BB at B5: Each time it's a terrific surprise to see the finished show, it's hard to imagine so of Ron Thornton's creations when all you see on set is a big blue screen.

Jms at B5: Actually Bruce IS a special effect; in reality he's only 4'3" with one leg. Whose leg, we don't know

Question: Bruce,what is your favorite episode of b5 sofar

BB at B5: The Coming of Shadows and Shadow of Z'ha'dum are my favorites so far...and the ep you will see in two weeks, the finale to season two. WOW!!

Question: What is Sheridan's deepest thoughts concerning Ivanova?

Jms at B5: Nice shoes

BB at B5: She's probably his closest friend on B5....

Jms at B5: Good friend, confidante, fellow warrior, trusted ally. And nice shoes

BB at B5: And he wouldn't want to make her mad.

Jms at B5: great hair (of course I notice that)

Question: How do you keep such a large cast together when individual actors go episodes without a scene?

Jms at B5: Crazy glue and branding irons. Actually, it's very hard, because they're all very talented and you can't have every single actor in every single episode, so you alternate, and give more time to some in one script, then others in another script, and hope that in the final analysis, it all works out. Paying them would also help, but we're still working that out.

BB at B5: I'm bringing the horse into your office now.

Jms at B5: Fine, you clean the carpet this time.

Question: To JMS: Do you have any plans on publishing the Babylon 5 story as a novel following the run of the series? And if so, would it be written specifically to be a novel, or strictly as an adaptation of the serialized version?

Jms at B5: "Listen, Mohammed, baby, now that you've just moved this mountain, could you move the rest of that mountain range over there?" One crisis at a time...just getting through this show now takes all my effort, can't imagine past that now.

Question: BB, What episode was the funniest to act in, or which had the most practical jokes?

BB at B5: Crisis...you must be talking about the horse, right?

Jms at B5: OH! *That's* the horse...I thought that was Doug (my partner). That explains saddle.

BB at B5: Every episode with Ivanova and Sheridan in the Observation Dome, winds up being pretty funny to get through. We've had some great gags there. But there is humor almost every day we are shooting the series.

Jms at B5: cat-igniting tournaments on-set, always great fun

Question: JMS - If you had been there when Kosh was revealed, what would you have seen ?

Jms at B5: Michigan J. Frog

BB at B5: The same as Londo. yuk yuk.

Jms at B5: hey, actor-boy...c'mere...

Question: When Morden was caught by Sheridan and in a cell, it appeared the Morden was in a trance and he appeared to be trying to influence Sheridan to let them go....Was the sound Sheridan heard over the Monitors that of the Shadows influencing him?

Jms at B5: The sound was probably Bruce's agent paging him....

BB at B5: At least my agent still calls.

Jms at B5: Yeah, but he keeps forgetting your name.

Question: BB how do you like playing Capt. Sheridan?

BB at B5: I love it. I look forward to coming to work everyday, we have a great cast and crew and the stories in the scripts are exciting to bring to life.

Question: Hi Bruce....Did you find it easy or difficult to switch from doing Scarecro w and Mrs. King to B5

BB at B5: Scarecrow went off the air ten years ago. Therefore it was easy.

Question: What are you're hours like? How much sleep do you get?

BB at B5: Well with a new baby, much fewer. But work-wise, it's not bad, most days are around 12 hours.

Question: If B-5 continues to enjoy success, will you extend it beyond the 5-year plan?

Jms at B5: As noted above, there's a possibility of a side-story, but the B5 story itself ends in 5 years...my partner Doug wants to do a B5 movie, but then...

BB at B5: Kaboom

Jms at B5: Doug also wants to conquer Mars, so there you are. But this story has a definite beginning, middle and end, I can't walk away from that. C'Mon, someone must have one REALLY good question to end this with. (no pressure) (we're all watching) (this will be half your grade)

B5 Online: Thanks Bruce. Thanks Joe.

Jms at B5: Anytime...Writer-boy signing off

OnlineHost: Make your trip to this hot new space station and become a permanent member of the Babylon 5 Online family. Goodnight from Babylon 5!

B5 Online: We'll see you in the Eclipse Cafe!

B5 Online: Thanks for coming everyone!

BB at B5: Thanks it's been a real pleasure

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