B5's 'failings'

 Posted on 3/1/1996 by J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com> to CIS


John Hardin <74076.22@compuserve.com> asks:
> Hey, Joe, why can't *your* sci-fi show finagle a special tribute
> to itself on an awards show? Or arrange a sketch on late-night TV
> with Jay Leno on its set, being stupid with one of its
> characters? Or have two of its principles slum out of a camper in
> the boondocks, appear between sections of a movie (say, "The Four
> Seasons") on a Saturday afternoon and make insipid comments about
> the movie, and have pleas to watch B5 interspersed, disguised as
> network identification? And how come you can't manage to produce
> even a single B5 episode with a tidy, formula plot and a preachy,
> politically correct moral that's about as subtle as a freight
> train? Creative, well-thought storylines; thought-provoking
> exploration of important issues that resist the urge for easy
> answers; intense drama and intelligent comedy; insight into
> individuals and societies; dynamite special effects; complex,
> three-dimensional yet believable characters, excellently
> portrayed by top-notch actors: just how far do you think that
> *these* will take you?

I strongly suspect that one of us needs to lie down for a long,
long time....

jms