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When can we expect an answer?

S

StarStuff

Regular
It's been 2 weeks since the Ranger premiere. What is the likely scenario? Will Sci Fi have a press release - either way? Maybe it's good news that all parties are are quiet. Maybe they're negotiating. Hope, hope, hope.

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God be between you and harm in all the empty places you must walk.
 
Being that production on a possible Rangers series was supposed to go ahead either in Feb. or March I would imagine that we will get our answer soon enough.

This is why sending letters to SFC and the sponsors immediatly is important.

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The February/March date was a guesstimate/wishful thinking from sometime this summer when there was still hope that SFC might not wait for the ratings and greenlight the series based on the rough cut, or the completed pilot. There was no way a series would be in production in February if an approval was going to come after January 19th - even if the ratings had been huge and Sci-Fi made a deal for the show on the next available business day.

As things stand now it could be a month or more before we hear about a series being approved - if we ever do. If the series is not approved, there won't be any announcement. Networks don't usually send out press releases about shows they've decided not to produce. The only way we'd know for sure is if Sci-Fi announces its 2002 new series slate and Rangers isn't on it.

Presumably there is a date by which they have to decide if they want to meet a given airdate for the series. Presumably they also have limited time in which to exercise their option, after which Warner Bros. is free to try to sell the show elsewhere. But since we have no way of knowing when either of these deadlines falls, and no reason to expect that we'll ever hear about it if the answer is "no" (unless JMS posts a message to that effect), we have no way to even guess when the suspense will end.

Welcome to the wonderful world of B5 fandom, where the anxiety is never over.
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Regards,

Joe

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Joseph DeMartino
Sigh Corps
Pat Tallman Division
joseph-demartino@att.net
 
have you noticed that the jmsnews.com site hasn't posted any new messages from him since the 27th? if this continues, i'm liable to start suspecting that something positive for the b5 universe may be going on.

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It never ends; it only changes!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>if this continues, i'm liable to start suspecting that something positive for the b5 universe may be going on.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I wouldn't read anything positive or negative into this. JMS often goes days or weeks without posting to the moderated newsgroup, either because there aren't any questions that he wants to or can answer, or because his busy doing other things. Jeremiah is still shooting, as far as I know, and that is probably taking up much of his time.

Nothing at all may be going on with the B5 universe at the moment. Sci-Fi could still be crunching the numbers, looking at its other pilots and series options and playing games with possible schedules. Or they may have decided to pass on a Rangers series and they simply haven't told anybody. Or they could be hashing out financial terms with Warner Bros., but the talks haven't reached a point where JMS needs to be notified or even involved. (When Sci-Fi arranged to pick up the B5 reruns from TNT, JMS didn't find out until it was virtually a done deal. The talks had been going on for weeks without his knowledge.)

It is impossible to know what JMS's silence means (or doesn't mean) and pointless to speculate.

Regards,

Joe

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Joseph DeMartino
Sigh Corps
Pat Tallman Division
joseph-demartino@att.net
 
Yes, JMS is pretty busy these days, so he can't post all that much.

JoeDM, B5 has been a roller-coaster ride since I first got into it! I wish that things would go easy *for once*--it would be nice! But we always seem to be in the position of having to "save" the B5 universe.

Tammy

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Tirk: Citizen G'Kar, Captain Martell would like to speak to you.
G'Kar: Of course. Love to stay. Can't. Have to go. Kiss-kiss. Love-love. Bye.

Tammy's Station
http://community.webtv.net/gkarfan/TammysStation
 
I concur with Joseph.

If there is no series coming, you probably won't here an announcement from SciFi. Networks don't do press releases about the dozens of potential series they turn down every year.

I would expect that JMS would tell us the news.

If it does go to series, the network may not make an announcement for a while--until everythings signed.

The best thing to do is forget about it for a while.

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What are the odds that if Sci-Fi says no, that JMS and the gang go looking for other networks such as Fox?

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'I don't believe in the no-win scenario' - JTK
 
Very little. I think it's been said here before that shows rarely jump up the ladder from cable to broadcast.

To answer the first question, when can we expect an answer...when we get one.

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"Crying isn't gonna get your dog back. Unless your tears smell like dog food. So you can sit here eating can after can of dog food until your tears smell like dog food or you can go out there and find your dog."-Homer in The Canine Mutiny
 
Fox?

Take a look at the number of genre shows set in space or in the future that are currently on television. Now look at the number of them that are on major broadcast networks, rather than syndication or cable.
I count one, Enterprise and it airs on a network owned by the studio that produces it. (Not to mention that the Trek franchise has become a license to print money and that Voyager proved enough people will tune in to any Trek series, no matter how dreadful, to keep it afloat.)

Warner Bros. will probably try to sell Rangers elsewhere if Sci-Fi turns it down. There's no reason not to. They can always use another series on the air. But whoever took it would probably want the B5 and Crusade reruns to go with it, and if Sci-Fi plays hardball we have a repeat of the TNT situation - nobody can take the sequel because they can't afford the original. (I have no idea how much longer SFC's exclusive deals for B5 and Crusade, plus the movies, run, but it is likely to be a factor.)

The last time I can recall anybody besides UPN trying a space-based series on a broadcast network was Fox with Space: Good-bye and Good Luck, and I believe they took a bath on it. Hell, even LEXX (from what I see on the commercials) has moved back to a near-contemporary Earth, presumably to hold down production costs. Anything is possible in the wacky world of television, but the evidence of current shows isn't encouraging.

Regards,

Joe

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Joseph DeMartino
Sigh Corps
Pat Tallman Division
joseph-demartino@att.net
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by gkarfan:
I wish that things would go easy *for once*--it would be nice! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yeah, right!
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Like we'll ever have an easy go of it.
lol.gif


I have a better question:

Can we really "expect" an answer, at all?
The silence could continue, indefinitely.

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KoshN
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Vorlon Empire

http://www.scifi.com/b5rangers/
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR> The silence could continue, indefinitely.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
They wouldn't do that to us. Would they? I mean come on, sooner or later someone close to the big cheses will leak some thing right? I mean, we can't be left in the dark forever. Can we? Response?

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Sheridan:Are you sure we can't jump
Lennier:positive
Sheridan:Then we have a problem
Lennier:No $h!t Sherlock
Sheridan:RUN FOR IT!!!!
Downbelow Sound Archive
 
Well, I'm now checking JMSNews each time I go on line. He knows of this site and the support of his large fan base and he will surely give us a clue as soon as he can.

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God be between you and harm in all the empty places you must walk.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by StarStuff:

Well, I'm now checking JMSNews each time I go on line. He knows of this site and the support of his large fan base and he will surely give us a clue as soon as he can.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's assuming that they ever tell him (or Netter) something definite.

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KoshN
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Vorlon Empire

http://www.scifi.com/b5rangers/
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>That's assuming that they ever tell him (or Netter) something definite.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well, this is taking cynicism to the point of absurdity. Of course Sci-Fi has to give Netter and Straczynski (not to mention Warner Bros.) a definite answer. The two are developing Polaris for the network, and the studio has to be told when it is free to try to sell Rangers elsewhere. Not to mention that Sci-Fi's option to take the show is likely limited, so that if they haven't said "yes" by a given date, they've automatically said "no." The notion that the potential buyer either could or would conceal his decision from the seller is simply ludicrous, especially in a case where all concerned expect to have future business dealings.

So they'll be told, and at some point JMS will doubtless tell the fans. But he won't say anything until he knows for sure, which probably means not until Warner Bros. has exhausted every other possibility (if Sci-Fi turns them down.) He'd much rather post, "Sci-Fi turned us down, but we got picked up by F/X" than simply post, "Sci-Fi turned us down, there won't be a series."

An understandable preference.

Any way you slice it, I don't think we're going to hear anything very soon.

Regards,

Joe

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Joseph DeMartino
Sigh Corps
Pat Tallman Division
joseph-demartino@att.net
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Joseph DeMartino:
Fox?

Take a look at the number of genre shows set in space or in the future that are currently on television. Now look at the number of them that are on major broadcast networks, rather than syndication or cable.
I count one, Enterprise and it airs on a network owned by the studio that produces it. (Not to mention that the Trek franchise has become a license to print money and that Voyager proved enough people will tune in to any Trek series, no matter how dreadful, to keep it afloat.)

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

It also should be noted that Fox has already committed to doing a Joss Whedon space-based show for next Fall called 'Firefly'. I've also read that SciFi is very interesting in the "re-purposing" rights to that show. That would be a deal similar to what FX has for re-broadcasting episodes of '24'.

As Joseph said, it's rare enough that Fox would be interested in space-based SF. I would consider it unlikely for them to try two in one season.

A lot will also depend on the demographics B5LR did pull in. Many networks are consciously targeting 21 to 34 year olds. Fox considers that targets that demo. If B5LR didn't get decent numbers there, it may make it a harder sell.

Unfortunately, JMS hasn't told us what the age demographics of B5LR were. That severely limits a discussion on what networks might be interested in the show.

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Joseph DeMartino:
Well, this is taking cynicism to the point of absurdity. Of course Sci-Fi has to give Netter and Straczynski (not to mention Warner Bros.) a definite answer. The two are developing Polaris for the network, and the studio has to be told when it is free to try to sell Rangers elsewhere. Not to mention that Sci-Fi's option to take the show is likely limited, so that if they haven't said "yes" by a given date, they've automatically said "no." The notion that the potential buyer either could or would conceal his decision from the seller is simply ludicrous, especially in a case where all concerned expect to have future business dealings.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Conceal, no. Procrastinate, yes. However, if a time limit is written into their Option, then yes, it's entirely possible that they could get an answer by Sci-Fi just letting the time limit pass.

As far as my level of cynicism is concerned, well that's just where I am right now.


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KoshN
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Vorlon Empire

Crusade (reruns) starting 03/26/2002 at 1PM EST on the Sci-Fi Channel

http://www.scifi.com/b5rangers/
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>It's unlikely that JMS would be the one making the announcement.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

JMS will be the only one who makes an announcement if the answer is "no series" because, as noted several times above, networks and studios don't announce which series they aren't making.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>That is one of the "perks" the studios and networks reserve to themselves and they get Annoyed if someone "steals their thunder".<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You make this sound like some kind of ego thing, when it is really just business. If you sold a design for a new and improved widget to a widget maker they wouldn't want you to tell anybody about it for reasons ranging from the need to ramp up an advertising campaign to concern about competitors finding out before they are ready.

And then they'd make the announcement, in part, because they, not you, were paying to produce the widget, and they just might want to make a big splashy deal of it at a tradeshow or press conference. Surely this is better than having it posted to the alt.widgets newsgroup and being carried as a back-pages squib in Widget World magazine instead of as the cover story?

I'll never understand why people are so quick to ascribe motives (especially somehow sleazy ones) to actors in events they have no direct knowledge of.

In the case of B5 Warner Bros. was both the producing studio and part-owner of the "network" that B5 would air on. They tried to keep their network plans quiet until as late as possible and therefore didn't want premature leaks about anything connected with PTEN to hit the press.

Regards,

Joe

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Joseph DeMartino
Sigh Corps
Pat Tallman Division
joseph-demartino@att.net
 
I was just checking out the Sci Fi wire site over at SciFi.com, and they had the top ten shows for Sci Fi chanel from 1/7 through 1/13 up, but no mention of Rangers' rating. The highest rated thing there was "the Fifth Element", which got a 1.7. Why would they not post Rangers' ratings if they tied the highest show for the week and JMS has already given out the number?
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Never use the expression "I've got your six" to a Centauri, unless, of course, you mean it.
 
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