Conflicts of Interest

 Posted on 5/6/1997 by J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com> to CIS


{original post unavailable}

Re: Lise...well, everybody can't be a fighter; we've had guys
and the occasional female character who isn't used to being shot at. I
daresay I'm not terribly used to being shot at, and someone who's
mainly a civilian would probably react about that same way. It's just
a matter of showing that diversity realistically rather than saying,
"Okay, let's have a helpless female now." Having every female (or
male) hard-nosed and laughing off PPG bursts is as unrealistic as its
opposite.

jms



Conflicts of Interest

 Posted on 5/7/1997 by J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com> to CIS


Roseann M. Caputo <103510.1542@compuserve.com> asks:
> Do any of these guys have offices in D.C.?
> PS: Did you see the "Ellen episode?"

That's exactly what happens. Happened to Peter David on Space
Cases; the nitwits at Nickelodeon came in and made a great number of
stupid changes, which only hurt the show...the ratings went down
because of those changes, and this led them to conclude the show just
didn't work (rather than admit the changes were stupid) and thus
canceled the show.

Same thing happened on The Real Ghostbusters; we had the #1
rated animated show on the air at the time. Then the Experts and the
Consultants came in to fix it. Massive and stupid changes. I could
either swallow them, or leave. I left. And the show went down the
toilet. After that, they kinda came around and said that maybe the
changes were, sorta, kinda, wrong, see...and would I do a few more
freelance the way it was supposed to be and put it back? There at
least they were sufficiently mensches to do the right thing, and be
open about it. I have a great deal of respect for them as a result.

jms



Conflicts of Interest

 Posted on 5/7/1997 by J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com> to CIS


Roseann M. Caputo <103510.1542@compuserve.com> asks:
> Wow, an exec admitted they were wrong?
> Was there some sort of comet or eclipse or something???
> End result, fans shaking their heads going, "Are you bloody
> nuts?" PS: Joe, you're one of the few who might actually have an
> interesting take on this, so here goes: If a person with multiple
> personalities threatens to kill himself, is this a hostage
> situation?

"It all makes me wonder if somedays you don't go running down the hall
screaming Ahhhhhh at the top of your lungs!"

Done that.

jms



Conflicts of Interest

 Posted on 5/12/1997 by J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com> to CIS


O. C. Alexander <72623.3472@compuserve.com> asks:
> Was it a conscious decision NOT to show Lise's husband when he
> contacted Garibaldi? Is it perhaps that in a century in which
> video communication is the rule, the outrageously rich and
> powerful deliberately choose not to show themselves to
> insignicant people when sending messages?

As we'll learn shortly, he doesn't want his face seen around.

But we'll see him soon enough.

(And the voice belongs to Efram Zimbalist Jr.)

jms



Conflicts of Interest

 Posted on 5/12/1997 by J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com> to CIS


{original post unavailable}

Funny thing...was returning from Marcon and on the plane was me,
Tracy Torme (Sliders) and Bryce Zabel (Dark Skies). I noted as we took
off that if the plane went down, the SFTV universe would be ceded to
Piller and Carter by default.

jms



Conflicts of Interest

 Posted on 5/13/1997 by J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com> to CIS


(blocked) asks:
> So did you compare notes with Torme and Zabel?

A little, yeah, and found that our experiences weren't that far
apart, particularly Bryce, who struck me as a very nice fellow indeed.

jms



Conflicts of Interest

 Posted on 5/13/1997 by J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com> to CIS


(blocked) asks:
> Always looking on the bright side aren't we Joe?

Whaddaya want from me, I'm Eastern European in ancestry, we're
born depressed.

jms



Conflicts of Interest

 Posted on 5/15/1997 by J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com> to CIS


Ray Pelzer <70475.1263@compuserve.com> asks:
> should we presume that there was something important in that
> message from Lise that Garibaldi deleted unread?

No, nothing you need worry about.

jms