JMS Moving to the UK

[LondosHair]

J. Michael Straczynski (@straczynski.bsky.social)

For followers of my work, I have some very exciting news, both personally and professionally. A new challenge. A new beginning. I'm going back up on the high wire, to see what happens next. Details below.

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Unsure how this bodes for any future B5 reboot, but personally, it doesn't give me good vibes for the future of B5. JMS is not 70 years old, and Warner Bros. is obviously based in the States. It seems the talks he was having with the new head honcho there have stalled, or are not the priority they once were. This makes me suspect that they want to float the idea to someone outside of Joe's control.

In any event, if living in the UK is his dream, then more power to him. I hope it is all he's dreamt it to be.

BTW - hi.

 

[Looney]

Unsure how this bodes for any future B5 reboot, but personally, it doesn't give me good vibes for the future of B5. JMS is not 70 years old, and Warner Bros. is obviously based in the States. It seems the talks he was having with the new head honcho there have stalled, or are not the priority they once were. This makes me suspect that they want to float the idea to someone outside of Joe's control.

In any event, if living in the UK is his dream, then more power to him. I hope it is all he's dreamt it to be.

BTW - hi.

Personally Looney takes it as good news for the future of B5. Babylon 5 has always had a firm U.K. base of fans. Him living there can only help that when he starts doing more appearances. Let's get him some quick success in the U.K. Entertainment Industry and maybe some eyebrows raise. I believe Warner Brothers still has a U.K. arm who might take notice and send a Memo.

Anyone more knowledgeable than I know why more from the Babylon 5 Universe could not be produced by Warner Brothers U.K.? Just curious. To my knowledge it should not be a problem under WB Corporate, but I don't know how it all works when it gets into International production.

And Hello Londo's Hair.

 

[Springer]

I don't think this has any bearing on the future of B5 – half of Hollywood's output is made in the UK these days anyway (case in point, the new Mission: Impossible, part of which was filmed not too far from where I live), at least until the Orange Man gets his way and clamps down on that kind of thing. By moving to London and getting his work visa, JMS could finally write for Dr Who. He could lead a Blake's 7 revival. He could write for the West End. Stuff he's always said he's wanted to do, but was barred from doing until now.

Plus I don't think that contractually WB can make B5 without him. I don't personally think the reboot is going to happen anyway, regardless of whether JMS is in LA or London (and I'd be delighted to be proven wrong).

I just hope he likes the weather over here. Hopefully he gets chance to get out and about and explore the country, there are much nicer locations than London!

And yes, I am hoping this means we see JMS at more UK-based conventions now.

@Looney: I think WB UK is just a distribution arm. They don't actually make anything to my knowledge.

 

[Ubik]

I don't really want a future for B5. Time to let it rest.

 

[AntonyF]

I don't really want a future for B5. Time to let it rest.

I really agree with this. Him redoing B5 really concerned me. And sadly nothing really has fired well for me in attempts to resurrect it.

George RR Martin has ruined his legacy by not finishing his books. George Lucas has got so much criticism for tampering with what he made, and most people think most of the current Disney output is bad.

JMS could learn about not ruining legacies.

Also on a personal level, he should take it easy and enjoy life. Not saying put himself out to pasture... but do interesting projects not get into the onslaught of weekly TV again for years.

 

[Looney]

@Looney: I think WB UK is just a distribution arm. They don't actually make anything to my knowledge.

It seems like they did at one point. I'm likely just misremembering.

Well I DO want more from the Babylon 5 Universe. I know many people are down on THE ROAD HOME and while it is not my favorite Babylon 5 story I still thought it was a worthy addition. It is a real shame it wasn't a big success. I think it is clear with JMS moving to the U.K. that it didn't provide the WB with the financial incentive to want to make more animated films. If there were more in the pipeline I don't think he would want to be as far away as he is going to be.

Also as Springer said, I REALLY would love to see him get his hands on a BLAKE'S 7 revival. . . or Doctor Who, but more so BLAKE'S 7. I've been thinking BLAKE'S 7 since he announced the migration.

(Watching Epiphanies right now. "The G'Kar / Garibaldi reunion is just a fantastic scene." he said as he watched it.)

 

[Springer]

I don't really want a future for B5. Time to let it rest.

See, I have a different perspective on this, which is that if we let it rest, it becomes forgotten about. Whatever you thought of The Road Home, its release and that of the Blu-ray boxset in 2023 both gave B5 a real shot in the arm. More people started discovering, or rediscovering, the show, and brought in new fans. Yes, the follow-ups and additions to the main five-year story have been of variable quality, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking JMS hasn't done anything of note since B5 and that any revival is bound to fail. The man can still write.

From a personal perspective I also collect memorabilia, nothing pricy, just trading cards, action figures, autographs, etc. Other shows from the 90s and earlier are still getting new memorabilia released, but B5 gets nothing. A new show, a revival, would increase the chances of new stuff getting made.

But most importantly, whatever the quality of a reboot, it would keep the memory of the original show alive.

Or we can let it rest, complain about any attempts to revive it, and its legacy fades away as it becomes nothing more than another forgotten show, which is the way it was headed prior to the remastering and the release of The Road Home. Given how important B5 has been in my life, I don't want to see that happen.

Also on a personal level, he should take it easy and enjoy life. Not saying put himself out to pasture... but do interesting projects not get into the onslaught of weekly TV again for years.

If the reboot did happen, it'd probably consist of seasons 6-8 episodes long, all written before shooting begins. That seems to be the way of modern TV now, JMS wouldn't have to complete the same kind of marathon that he did in the original run. It might make a reboot more manageable.

 

[Looney]

From a personal perspective I also collect memorabilia, nothing pricy, just trading cards,

SPRINGER! Why haven't you replied in the Trading Card thread? And stop outbidding me!!!!

I need people to talk to about the trading cards. I've talked a bit with Late Arrival, but I don't believe Late Arrival is going all in on them. I've been collecting them since the 90s, but this is an area of Fandom that I need someone to talk with because the release info is so ancient and has been hard for me to come by. I don't have the contextual archive on many of them, like info on the 23K Gold cards and the like. I know plenty, but I also don't have concrete evidence to support some of the things I know so it is a lot of hearsay. And personally I've struggled finding solid information on the internet.

And I don't know what trading cards you are buying, but they have cost me a fortune.

Back on topic, I agree that a reboot would definitely be limited. It is just a shame THE ROAD HOME wasn't a huge hit because theoretically that has always been the way to continue the existing Universe. It was a glorious opportunity that was unfortunately and obviously not universally loved by existing fans.

 

[Springer]

It is just a shame THE ROAD HOME wasn't a huge hit because theoretically that has always been the way to continue the existing Universe. It was a glorious opportunity that was unfortunately and obviously not universally loved by existing fans.

I don't think B5 has ever been a 'huge' hit. But Warners have done this before, stumping up money to do something a bit different – The Lost Tales – and saying it sold well but subsequently losing interest. But both The Lost Tales and The Road Home were 'straight to video', which these days is really going against the grain of how people supposedly consume media. Even if The Road Home has sold well, I suspect any more animated follow-ups would need a streaming home and perhaps that hasn't been forthcoming.

I've responded about the trading cards in the trading card thread