Subject: Babylon 5 FAQ (A): Information about Babylon 5
Supersedes: <tv/babylon-5/faq_828199999@rtfm.mit.edu>
Date: 6 Apr 1996 18:26:03 GMT
Summary: This posting contains a list of Frequently Asked Questions (and their
         answers) about the television series, _Babylon 5_.  It should be read
         by anyone who wishes to post to the groups rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5,
         alt.tv.babylon-5, and other B5-related newsgroups regarding the show
         (with the exception of the UK group).  It is also made available to
         online services for distribution.
X-Last-Updated: 1996/03/30

Archive-name: tv/babylon-5/faq
Frequency: weekly
Last-modified: 29 March 1996

+-----------------------------------+
|  BABYLON 5 FAQ, part (A):         |
|  Information about Babylon 5      |
|  and answers to Frequently Asked  |
|  Questions.  Includes guidelines  |
|  for online discussion groups.    |
|                                   |
|  29 March 1996 Edition            |
+-----------------------------------+

This section of the FAQ list is updated every few weeks.  If the date above
old, you may wish to get a newer edition.

The latest version of this file can be retrieved via ftp:
ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/babylon-5-faq
or via e-mail: write mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu, with the message content of
"send usenet/news.answers/tv/babylon-5/faq".
GERMAN translation: <available soon>
GREEK  translation: <available soon>

WORLD WIDE WEB (WWW) users should see http://www.hyperion.com/lurk/lurker.html
for the much more detailed "Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5."

IMPORTANT:  DO NOT POST STORY IDEAS to the Babylon 5 groups where the
            show's creator/Executive Producer participates.  He would have
            to withdraw for legal reasons; we don't want that!

IMPORTANT:  IF YOU ARE POSTING SPOILERS on the newsgroups, please leave
            the subject spoiler free, indicate  "spoilers for <episode>,"
            and leave around 20 blank lines at the top.  Thanks!

ALSO:       BEFORE POSTING QUESTIONS to the public or JMS, check this FAQ
            or, better yet, read the WWW page for the episode in question.
            If you have a question for JMS, *please* post it to a public
            forum so all can benefit from his answer.

*   The Entire FAQ has been reorganized into several sections:
*
*   (A) Information about B5: General answers to Frequently Asked Questions
*   (B) News and Schedule: check for current information
*   (C) Setting for Season 1: Read this if you are currently watching season 1
*   (D) Setting for Season 2: Read this if you are currently watching season 2
*   (E) Setting for Season 3: Read this if you are currently watching season 3
*
*   These are the files "babylon-5-faq", "babylon-5-news-schedule",
*   "babylon-5-setting-s1", "babylon-5-setting-s2", "babylon-5-setting-s3"
*
*   Since this is all very new, there may be some dust to settle.  Comments
*   and fixes are ESPECIALLY appreciated from anybody who is willing to make
*   an effort to go through this with a fine (or rough) toothed comb.

    -------------------------
    Contents of this FAQ List
    -------------------------

This FAQ list is a "launching point" to the many questions and answers about
Babylon 5.  More detailed resources are available in the other parts of this
FAQ, on the WWW site, and in the print media.  See section 10 of this list or
follow the cross-references for more in-depth information.

    1.  What is Babylon 5?
    2.  Where can I see Babylon 5?
        (a) USA  (b) Canada  (c) Satellite  (d) Elsewhere  (e) Video
    3.  Who is behind Babylon 5? (i.e. Who the heck is JMS?)
    4.  What other SF projects has JMS been involved with?
    5.  What kind of Special Effects does Babylon 5 have?
    6.  Babylon 5 Episodes and Stories
        (a) Television Episodes         (b) Novels      (c) Comics
    7.  How can I contact the folks behind Babylon 5?
    8.  One-Liner FAQs
    9.  Miscellaneous Info
        (a) Babylon 5 online  (b) Fans' influence (c) Awards
        (d) Babylon 5 References in other JMS works
        (e) Miscellaneous Production Info  (f) Production vs. Airing Order
        (g) Changes  (h) Fan Clubs
    10. Where to find online information
        (a) Internet  (b) GEnie  (c) America Online  (d) CompuServe  (e) Other
    11. Credits and Legalese

------------------------------

Subject: 1.  What is Babylon 5?

## Detailed backstory: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5log.txt
## More information: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5_jms_answers.txt

Babylon 5 is a science fiction television series, set in the mid 23rd Century,
which takes place on a five-mile-long space station, centrally located near
Earth and four other alien alliances.  The station was built as a kind of
United Nations, to help preserve peace in the galaxy;  Each of the alliances
has an official representative on the station.

Unlike most television series, an overall story arc has been planned for
Babylon 5 as if it were a miniseries or written novel.  Over the course of its
planned five-year run, events tell an overall story;  hints are dropped along
the way that foreshadow events to come.  However, each hour-long episode tells
an individual story and can be viewed alone.

The series in its third season in North America, and is airing the
first or second season in many other countries.  It is part of the Warner
Bros. Television Consortium, called the Prime Time Entertainment Network
(PTEN), syndicated to stations across the USA and internationally.

(For premise of the show and its characters, see part (C), (D), or (E) of this
FAQ.  Since the premise changes from season to season, it makes sense to avoid
reading too far ahead!)

------------------------------

Subject: 2.  Where can I see Babylon 5?

========    a. USA

Babylon 5 airs on stations that are part of the Warner Bros. Prime Time
Entertainment Network (PTEN) consortium, generally made up of in- dependent
stations, in WEDNESDAY or THURSDAY nights in many areas.  (These stations also
air Kung Fu: The Legend Continues.)  Stations with other affiliations may
broadcast the show at other times. Check your local listings, get the document
referenced here, or call your local station.  (Puerto Rico: See section d.)

A schedule of current North American episodes is available in part (B) of
this FAQ.

## Station List: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5tvlist.txt
Please e-mail leew@indirect.com if you find out new scheduling information.
Please e-mail jacquem@netcom.com with information of your local station's
address, contact, and phone number.
WWW: http://www.uncg.edu/~whsudder/b5/advocacy/stations.html

TNT Cable network has bought rights to B5 for airing after series completion.

========    b. Canada

Same weekly schedule as USA, on Wednesday nights same as U.S., though it
varies by station.

========    c. Satellite (North America)

Babylon 5 is fed on satellite several days before airing dates on Galaxy 4
Channel 21.  Audio is 6.2 left, 6.8 right, 5.8 mono.  Sunday 0900-1000 ET;
Monday 1430-1530 ET; also Tuesday 1630-1730 ET on T1/19.  The Canadian
feed is on Friday, 0230-0330 ET, E2/16, Audio 5.76/5.94.
Promo feeds: Thursdays, 0645 and 1445 ET.

========    d. Elsewhere (current season number indicated when known)

The Lurker's Guide tends to keep a good schedule of episodes for each country,
as well as pointers to international web pages on Babylon 5.

Australia:   Network 7, Tuesdays at 11:00PM.  Melbourne included. (s#2)
*
Austria:     ORF1, Mon-Fri 15:40, repeated 10:45. (s#1)
Belgium:     VT4, Sundays at 18:10.  VT4 has stopped showing episodes. (s#1)
             Canal+ Belgium may begin showing B5.
Chile:       Megavision Ch. 9, Sundays (usually), appx. 4:30 PM (s#2)
Europe:      ASTRA Satellite (in German); See Germany (s#2)
France:      Canal Plus (See the lurker's guide for details) (s#2)
Germany      Pro7, Sundays at 6:00PM CET and Tuesdays 00:30 (s#2)
Greece:      STAR Channel, Sundays, 9:45 AM (s#2)
Hong Kong:   TVB Pearl, Friday mornings at approximately 12:30 (s#2)
Indonesia:   SCTV, Sundays at noon, often every two weeks (s#2)
Isreal:      Cable channel 3 Saturday Night/Sunday Morning at midnight (s#2)
& Jordan & Cyprus
Norway:      TV2 on Sundays at 16:20 (s#1)
Netherlands: RTL5, Saturdays at 19:10 (s#2)
New Zealand: TV2, Saturdays, 3 PM (s#2)
Puerto Rico  WLII channel 11 on Saturdays at 1:00PM (s#1)
Singapore:   TCS, Saturdays at approximately 1:30 AM (s#2)
S. America:  WBTV Thursdays at 20:00 CST and Sundays at 20:00 CST. (s#1)
Sweden:      Channel 5, Sundays at 9 AM.  On the Tele-X satellite. (s#2)
UK:          See the UK FAQ.  Season#3 begins airing in April.

========    e. Video

In Europe, Australia, and Japan, and Germany, the Babylon 5 pilot movie has
been released on home video (and on laserdisc in Japan, available as an import
in the USA).  A videotape of "A Voice in the Wilderness" is also available in
these countries.  Much of the first season is available on tape in the UK.
*
Some season 1 episodes are now available in Australia.

In the USA, videotapes of the series will hopefully be appearing soon, though
Warner Brothers seems to be hedging because they don't think there's a market
for the tapes/discs.  The fan club may be able to release videos themselves.

Write a POLITE letter supporting the release on video to:

    Mr. James Cardwell
    Executive Vice-President/General Manager
    Warner Bros. Home Video
    North American Division
    3903 W. Olive, Building 154, 3rd Floor
    Burbank, CA 91522.

------------------------------

Subject: 3.  Who is behind Babylon 5? (i.e. Who the heck is JMS?)

The show was created by J. Michael Straczynski (JMS), who is co-executive
producer on the show along with Doug Netter.  It has been in development since
1987, and in production since 1992.  Doug Netter is an equal partner in
Babylon 5, mainly handling the business side and leaves the creative work to
Straczynski.  Harlan Ellison is the Conceptual Consultant for the series;  he
has also written a "manifesto" for the show that explains to other writers how
to write science fiction for television and Babylon 5, in particular.  Well-
known science fiction writers, including David Gerrold, D.C. Fontana, and
Peter David are contributing scripts to the show, although JMS writes the bulk
of the scripts.  Christopher Franke, formerly of Tangerine Dream, does the
soundtrack.

------------------------------

Subject: 4.  What other SF projects has JMS been involved with?

## More Info: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/jms.credentials

JMS has been involved with genre television for many years, as story editor
and writer for the Twilight Zone TV series (syndicated version), Captain
Power, and the animated The Real Ghostbusters.  He has also written for Jake
and the Fatman and Murder, She Wrote.  JMS has also had many published short
stories, an anthology, and two fantasy/horror novels.  Until recently, he was
co-host of Hour 25, a Los Angeles area science fiction radio talk show.

Though Babylon 5 is his main activity right now, JMS has also been working on
some other projects, such as a feature film adaptation of the Grimjack books
by John Ostrander and a pilot for an as-yet-unnannounced contemporary SF
series that JMS has created and written, executive produced by JMS and Doug
Netter.  (He will not be involved in the day-to-day operations of these
projects as he is with Babylon 5.)

------------------------------

Subject: 5.  What kind of Special Effects does Babylon 5 have?

## More Info: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5_jms_answers.txt
## or read articles listed in ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5.media

All special effects for Babylon 5 are computer generated imagery (CGI).
Foundation Imaging, headed by Ron Thornton, is utilizing Lightwave 3D and
specialized software to design and render the visual effects.  (Lightwave is
now running on PCs;  Amigas were used originally.)  Space scenes are clearer
and more realistic than Model shots.  Some interior shots such as docking bays
are "virtual sets" combining live action with computer imagery.  Macintoshes
and PCs are used occasionally for 2-D effects and painting packages.

------------------------------

Subject: 6.  Babylon 5 Episodes and Stories

## FULL Schedule and
   episode synopses:    ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5episodes
## Past episodes:       ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/Guide/

========    a. Television Episodes

This list includes only _upcoming_ rerun schedules.  A more frequently
updated list of North American episodes appears in part (B) of this FAQ.
A brief reference to episode premises can be found in parts (C), (D), or
(E) of this FAQ.

PILOT MOVIE (year 2257)

 00. 02-22-93      The Gathering    Writer: JMS  Director: RC

SEASON ONE (2258)        (Season title: "Signs and Portents")

 #   Week of  No.  Title                     Writer  Director
 ------------------------------------------------------------
 01. 01-26-94 103  Midnight on the Firing Line  JMS  RC
 02. 02-02-94 102  Soul Hunter                  JMS  JJ
 03. 02-09-94 104  Born to the Purple           LD   BSG
 04. 02-16-94 101  Infection                    JMS  RC
 05. 02-23-94 108  The Parliament of Dreams     JMS  JJ
 06. 03-02-94 110  Mind War                     JMS  BSG
 07. 03-09-94 107  The War Prayer               DCF  RC
 08. 03-16-94 106  And the Sky Full of Stars    JMS  JG
 09. 04-20-94 113  Deathwalker                  LD   BSG
 10. 04-27-94 105  Believers                    DG   RC
 11. 05-04-94 111  Survivors                    MSZ  JJ
 12. 05-11-94 114  By Any Means Necessary       KD   JJ
 13. 05-18-94 116  Signs and Portents           JMS  JG
 14. 05-25-94 119  TKO                          LD   JF
 15. 07-06-94 109  Grail                        CM   RC
 16. 07-13-94 122  Eyes                         LD   JJ
 17. 07-20-94 115  Legacies                     DCF  BSG
 18. 07-27-94 120  A Voice in the Wilderness I  JMS  JG
 19. 08-03-94 121  A Voice in the Wilderness II JMS  JG
 20. 08-10-94 118  Babylon Squared              JMS  JJ
 21. 08-17-94 117  The Quality of Mercy         JMS  LSF
 22. 10-26-94 112  Chrysalis                    JMS  JG

SEASON TWO (2259)     (Season title: "The Coming of Shadows")

 #   Week of  No.  Title                     Writer  Director
 ------------------------------------------------------------
 23. 11-02-94 201  Points of Departure          JMS  JG
 24. 11-09-94 202  Revelations                  JMS  JJ
 25. 11-16-94 203  The Geometry of Shadows      JMS  MV
 26. 11-23-94 204  A Distant Star               DCF  JJ
 27. 11-30-94 205  The Long Dark                SF   MD
 28. 12-07-94 206  Spider in the Web            LD   KC
 29. 12-14-94 208  Soul Mates                   PAD  JF
 30. 01-25-95 207  A Race Through Dark Places   JMS  JJ
 31. 02-01-95 209  The Coming of Shadows        JMS  JG
 32. 02-08-95 210  Gropos                       LD   JJ
 33. 02-15-95 211  All Alone in the Night       JMS  MD
 34. 02-22-95 212  Acts of Sacrifice            JMS  JJ
 35. 02-29-95 213  Hunter, Prey                 JMS  MB
 36. 04-26-95 215  There All The Honor Lies     PAD  MV
 37. 05-03-95 214  And Now For a Word           JMS  MD
 38. 05-10-95 217  In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum    JMS  DE
 39. 05-17-95 216  Knives                       LD   SP
 40. 05-24-95 218  Confessions and Lamentations JMS  KC
 41. 10-11-95 220  Divided Loyalties            JMS  JT
 42. 10-18-95 219  The Long, Twilight Struggle  JMS  JF
 43. 10-25-95 221  Comes the Inquisitor         JMS  MV
 44. 11-01-95 222  The Fall of Night            JMS  JG

SEASON THREE (2260)      (Season title: "Point of No Return")

 #   Week of  No.  Title                     Writer  Director
 ------------------------------------------------------------
 45. 11-06-95 301  Matters of Honor             JMS  KC
 46. 11-13-95 302  Convictions                  JMS  MV
 47. 11-20-95 303  A Day in the Strife          JMS  DE
 48. 11-27-95 305  Passing Through Gethsemane   JMS  AN
 49. 01-29-96 304  Voices of Authority          JMS  MB
 50. 02-05-96 306  Dust to Dust                 JMS  DE
 51. 02-12-96 307  Exogenesis                   JMS  KC
 52. 02-19-96 308  Messages from Earth          JMS  MV
 53. 02-26-96 309  Point of No Return           JMS  JJ

     03-04-96 222R The Fall of Night            JMS  JG
     03-11-96 215R There All The Honor Lies     PAD  MV
     03-18-96 214R And Now For a Word           JMS  MD
     03-25-96 217R In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum    JMS  DE

 54. 04-01-96 310  Severed Dreams               JMS  DE
 55. 04-08-96 311  Ceremonies of Light and Dark JMS  JF
 56. 04-15-96 313  Sic Transit Vir              JMS  JT
 57. 04-22-96 312  A Late Delivery from Avalon  JMS  MV
 58. 04-29-96 314  Ship of Tears                JMS  MV
 59. 05-06-96 315  Interludes and Examinations  JMS  JT
 60. 05-13-96 316  War Without End, Part I      JMS  MV
 61. 05-20-96 317  War Without End, Part II     JMS  MV

 62. July?    318  Walkabout                    JMS  KC
 63. July?    319  Grey 17 is Missing           JMS  JF
 64. October? 320  And the Rock Cried Out,      JMS  DE
                   No Hiding Place
 65. October? 321  Shadow Dancing               JMS  KF
 66. October? 322  <title classified>           JMS  AN

WRITERS:    PAD = Peter A. David; LD = Larry DiTillio; KD = Kathyrn Drennan;
            DCF = D.C. Fontana; SF = Scott Frost; DG = David Gerrold; CM =
            Christy Marx; JMS = J. Michael Straczynski; MSZ = Marc Scott
            Zicree.

DIRECTORS:  MB = Menachem Binetski; RC = Richard Compton; KC = Kevin Cremins;
            MD = Mario DiLeo; DE = David Eagle; JF = John Flinn; KF = Kim
            Friedman; LSF = Lorraine Senna Ferrara; JG = Janet Greek; BSG =
            Bruce Seth Green; JJ = Jim Johnston; AN = Adam Nimoy; SP = Stephen
            Posey; JT = Jesus Trevino; MV = Mike Vejar.

========    b. Novels

Date   Title                     Author           ISBN (US)     ISBN (UK)
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 02/95 Voices                    John Vornholt    0-440-22057-2 0-7522-0644-3
 04/95 Accusations               Lois Tilton      0-440-22058-0 0-7522-0649-4
 09/95 Blood Oath                John Vornholt    0-440-22059-9
 02/96 Clark's Law               Jim Mortimore    0-440-22229-X
 03/96 The Touch of Your Shadow, Neil Barrett Jr. 0-440-22230-3
        The Whisper of Your Name

After the first three, Dell signed on to do five more B5 novels.

========    c. Comics

 Month Issue    Title               Writers/Artists
 --------------------------------------------------------
 01/95  1   In Darkness Find Me     JMS/Netzer/Leigh
 02/95  2   Treason                 Mark Moretti/Netzer/Leigh
 03/95  3   In Harm's Way           Moretti/Garzon
 04/95  4   The Price of Peace      Moretti/Netzer/Leigh

Shadows Past and Present
 05/95  5   With Friends Like These Tim DeHass/John Ridgway
 06/95  6   Against the Odds        ""
 07/95  7   Survival the Hard Way   ""
 08/95  8   Silent Enemies          ""

Laser-Mirror-Starweb
 09/95  9   Duet for Human and Narn in C Sharp  David Gerrold
 10/95  10  Coda for Human and Narn in B Flat   ""

 11/95  11  The Psi Corps and You               DeHass/Ridgway

The comic has stopped its monthly format as of issue 11, though the comic
will continue irregularly.  Though DC is no longer accepting subscriptions,
there are to be 13 more issues (one source said there were to be 23 more) that
can be purchased individually.

JMS is writing a four-story arc featuring a character that is introduced
in the third season; Peter David and Bill Mumy will be starting an arc.
Possible upcoming writers include John Ostrander and Neil Gaiman.

------------------------------

Subject: 7.  How can I contact the folks behind Babylon 5?

PTEN is a consortium of stations where each station has a say in what gets
produced.  JMS has requested that if you would like to write in support of the
show and to encourage renewal, write your LOCAL STATION.  (WRITE a letter;
calls to the stations are not logged, and won't do much good.)

## Station addresses: ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/b5tvaddresses.txt
## (please check your local station and make sure it's listed there)

For Warner Bros., please write to either or both of these:

Dick Robertson                      Robert Daly, Chairman
President                           Warner Brothers, Inc.
Domestic Television Distribution    4000 Warner Boulevard
Warner Bros. Television             Burbank, CA  91522
Triangle Bldg, 4th floor
4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91522

To write to encourage Warner Brothers to actually *promote* the show,
you can write to Dick Robertson (above) and/or to:

Ms. Barbara Brogliatti
Senior Vice President
World Wide Television Publicity
4000 Warner Blvd.
Bldg. 137, Room #105
Burbank, CA 91522

You can write to the show's creator, as well as the cast and crew, at the
following address.  DO NOT SEND SCRIPTS OR STORY IDEAS.  Babylon 5 is NOT
accepting outside stories or story ideas.

J. Michael Straczynski          (or whoever)
C/O BABYLON 5                   <---- VERY IMPORTANT !!!!
14431 Ventura Blvd, suite 260
Sherman Oaks, CA  91423

JMS has requested that private e-mail to him be sent only regarding private
matters, and only then to his GEnie address.  If you have questions, check
the guide pages and archives first, and post your question and comments in
a public forum so all can benefit from his response.

Want to see B5 episodes released on video?  Me too.  Warner Brothers could use
some encouragement, though.  Please send a _POLITE_ letter to: Mr. James
Cardwell, Executive Vice-President/General Manager, Warner Bros. Home Video,
North American Division, 3903 W. Olive, Bldg 154, 3rd Floor, Burbank, CA
91522.

------------------------------

Subject: 8.  One-Liner FAQs

Following are some of the questions asked a lot by newcomers to Babylon 5 and
brief answers to those questions.

Misc:

Q: Are the B5 novels and comics part of the official B5 canon?
A: Yes, JMS attempts to make sure the other stories tie into the big story.

Q: How come [insert name] is in the opening credits but not in the show?
A: Characters contracted for 7 or more episodes are in the opening credits.

Q: Which came first, Deep Space 9 or Babylon 5?
A: B5 was pitched to Paramount in 1989, two years before DS9 was created.

Q: Why are they using paper in the 23rd century?
A: Paper is convenient.  It's actually a recyclable, synthetic material.

Q: Why was Sinclair, only a Commander, given the job of running the station?
A: The Minbari rejected all choices, down the line, until it reached Sinclair.

Q: What does the "Third Age" of mankind mean?  What are the 1st and 2nd?
A: Joe ain't telling.  To reveal the 1st and 2nd would give away the 3rd.

Q: What has happened with Harlan Ellison's scripts?
A: They've been delayed due to poor health and earthquake injuries.

Q: How is the "sound in space" issue dealt with?
A: Existence of sound in space is debatable; you can think of it as music.

Q: Will the pilot air again?
A: It is expected to eventually, though JMS doesn't know when.

Q: Will we ever see a "producer's cut" of the pilot, with the deleted footage?
A: No, since that footage only existed in the digital rough cut.

Q: Why is the C&C (Command and Control) Dome sometimes empty?
A: It goes on "standby" every 36-48 hours for maintenance, backups, etc.

Q: Is the "Be seeing you" salute a reference to "The Prisoner"?
A: Yes, most definitely.  It first appeard in season 1's "Mind War."

Q: Why don't we usually see stars revolving outside C&C?
A: CGI is too costly; They're still working on a reasonable solution.

Aliens:

Q: What's with the Centauri Hair?
A: Hair is a measure of status: more elaborate = higher status. Women go bald.

Q: What is that thing on Minbari heads?
A: It's a bone; it grows with age and differs for individuals, sex, and caste.

Q: Is Bill Mumy (Lennier) the same guy from _Lost In Space_?
A: Yes.  Only much older.

Q: How did the war between Earth and the Minbari start?
A: A misunderstanding on first contact.

Q: What is known about Vorlons?
A: Very little. Reclusive, and may be hiding something under those suits.

Q: Why are we always seeing aliens speaking English to each other?
A: As in WWII movies, we assume they are speaking in their native tongue.

Technology:

Q: How do jump gates work?
A: Ships enter one and exit another. Large ships can make their own points.

Q: What's the size and capacity of the station?
A: 5 miles long, holding as many as 250,000 beings (many in transit).

Q: How do PPGs (Phased Plasma Guns) work?
A: A super-heated burst of plasma, burning through the air.

Q: How does communication with Earth work?
A: Tachyons, giving instantaneous communications; problematic in jump gates.

Q: Where in the galaxy is the station?
A: Approximately 25 light years from earth, at the star Epsilon Eridani.

Q: How does C&C have gravity?
A: They are about 1/3 out from the center, so they do have light gravity.

Q: Who does the voice for the main B5 computer?
A: Haley McLane, Script Supervisor on the B5 production staff.

------------------------------

Subject: 9.  Miscellaneous Info

========    a. Babylon 5 online

Because JMS has been on GEnie talking about Babylon 5 since late 1991, GEnie
is a choice place to be for a Babylon 5 fan.  On the GEnie Science Fiction
RoundTable, there are two Babylon 5 categories where JMS talks with the fans
about the show, both production and story info.

Other Babylonians can be found online as well -- John Vulich and Mojo have
been spotted on Usenet; Mira Furlan lurks on GEnie; many writers such as David
Gerrold, Peter David, John Vornholt, and Christy Marx are on GEnie or CI$.
*
JMS is very active on the Usenet (since July 1993), although he stopped
participating when the flamebait quotient became intolerable.  He will rejoin
the Usenet fold with the creation of the moderated newsgroup.

JMS is also active on BIX, on CompuServe, and several other systems. (He also
"lurks" on a few systems to get a sense of how Babylon 5 discussions go
without his presence known.)

What JMS gets out of his participation online, is, as he puts it, a "sense of
the room."  Being a writer means coming up with questions to strengthen
characters and the world of the story, but nobody could ever come up with
every conceivable question. The nets are helpful because, as JMS puts it, "on
the nets, you get questions you never *dreamed* of."

One topic of discussion that arises frequently is the request that no story
ideas be suggested in the online forums.  This request is in place because if
somebody suggests a story, and it happens to be one that JMS is working on
already, that JMS is potentially open to lawsuits if the poster were to
suspect that her story idea were stolen.  For instance, JMS had to scrap a
story he was working on because somebody asked 'What if Joe wrote a story in
which a "memory-challenged" person DISCOVERED records of who he or she was?'
(This story was resurrected in the third season due to some difficult legal
finageling....)

Often there are suggestions that the poster could include with their ideas a
"disclaimer" or a "release."  This has been debated over and over again, but
the issue boils down to the problem that no matter what, the B5 production
would be exposed to lawsuits, which, even if frivolous and unwinnable, would
shut down production of the show while in litigation.  Television producers in
general must go to great lengths to keep themselves protected, so JMS's
presence online hangs in a delicate balance.  If you do wish to suggest story
ideas, you can use the creative mailing list described in section 13a.

Online lore:  On usenet, a running joke is the Sinclair's "duck."  This
reference came about because of rude postings about male and female anatomy,
which became censored to words "T*TS" and "D*CK," which became "tots" and
"duck." There are also running gags about Zima and baseball bats.  Don't ask.
There's of course the <*> symbol that shows up in many fans' signatures since
the first season; it appears to represent a jumpgate, but its origin is lost
in obscurity.

========    b. Fans' influence on the show

The location of Babylon 5 is at Grid Epsilon 470,18,22 which corresponds to
the original location of the Babylon 5 topic on GEnie (Page 470, CAT 18, Topic
22).  The first mention of a planet's coordinates in "Mind War" were Grid
Epsilon 471,18,25 which corresponds to a topic in the Babylon 5 Category on
GEnie.

Partially due to fan response from those who saw the pilot movie or clips,
some things in the pilot movie were changed before broadcast.  The voice of
Delenn is Mira Furlan's voice without any processing and Delenn is female to
begin with.  Original plans were to electronically process her voice and have
Delenn change sex during the series. Some additional voice-over was done by
Patricia Tallman to clarify one scene in the show with Kosh in the Medlab.

The branding of a Minbari in "The War Prayer" that had similarities to a DS9
episode was kept after feedback from fans about it.  It had been considered
removing the branding scene and electronically wiping the brand from the rest
of the episode.

When names submitted for a mega corporation and a mineral were rejected for
legal reasons, JMS went to the GEnie B5 Category and asked for suggestions.
The resulting names used are Quantium-40 for the mineral and Universal
Terraform for the company.  Q-40 is mentioned in both "The Parliament of
Dreams" and "Mind War" and Universal Terraform in "Mind War". The waiter
mentioned in "Parliament" is named for David Strauss, who submitted Q-40.

The denizens of "Downbelow" are called "lurkers," a term for those on the
newsgroups who read messages but never post.

Based on interest in the legal aspects of the Psi Corps, he indicates how
some of this works in "The Quality of Mercy."

An EA ship in "A Voice in the Wilderness" is named "Hyperion" in
acknowledgment of the Babylon 5 ftp site at ftp.hyperion.com.

The lightbulb joke in "Convictions" is an homage to the net presence of
B5 and the various jokes that people post.

========    c. Awards

Sept, 1993  - Emmy Award for Special Visual Effects for the Pilot movie
March,1994  - Space Frontier Foundation award for "Best Vision of the Future"
Sept, 1994  - Emmy award winner for makeup in "The Parliament of Dreams"
?           - Cult TV Award for best new series, UK
?           - Jewish Televimage Award
July, 1995  - Emmy nominations: Cinematography, Hairstyling, Makeup

========    d. Babylon 5 References in other JMS works

In the Captain Power episode "Final Stand," Tank mentions that he's from the
Babylon 5 Genetic Engineering Colony.

In the JMS Novel "Othersyde," Babylon 5 is mentioned as one of the characters'
favorite TV series.

In the Captain Power Episode "A Summoning of Thunder Part 2", when Hawk
activates the first power suit, Mentor says "And So It Begins".  This has
been confirmed by JMS as a "Koshism" he threw in.

========    e. Miscellaneous Production Info

Babylon 5 is being filmed in the 16:9 aspect ratio, trimming it for broadcast.
Plans are for the episodes to later be available in widescreen on laserdisc
and when HDTV happens.  The opening titles are in letterbox format.

Audio is being done in full Surround Sound.  Larry DiTillio wrote
background dialogue (known as "walla").

Alien makeup and such for the series is being done by Optic Nerve Studios
(Everett Burrell and John Vulich) which is a change from the pilot.

The early episodes had some video and audio degradation due to the manner in
which commercials, closed captioning and such were being added using analog
transfers and used tape.  Some was corrected by the broadcast of "The War
Prayer" with more improvements in time.

Three "errors" have been broadcast and then later fixed.  The original version
of "Mind War" had a CGI error (you could see a bright star through a ship in
the first scene) that was corrected for later broadcasts.  The original North
America satellite feed of "Chrysalis" was incorrectly assembled; some markets
broadcast this version.  An incorrect historical reference to Jack the Ripper
from "Comes the Inquisitor" was replaced.

========    f. Production Order vs. Airing Order

The production of episodes started far enough in advance that the airing order
of the episodes could be arranged as the producers and network decided,
allowing for additional post-production time and cost reduction. Most of the
first half or so of the second season is being produced in the same order as
airing.

========    g. Changes

----> Between pilot and first season:

Due to reworking and recasting after the pilot, Lt. Cmdr. Laurel Takashima,
Dr. Benjamin Kyle, and telepath Lyta Alexander were replaced.  Kyle and
Alexander were sent back to Earth under "mysterious circumstances"; Takashima
is on a classified mission, and may return someday.  Much of the character
stories and back-histories were transferred to their replacements.

Make-up for G'Kar was improved; Delenn's look was substantially modified once
it was established that the character would be female.

----> Between first and second season:

Director Richard Compton, a fixture on B5 at its inception, left the show
after "Grail."  The narration and main titles was changed to be shorter, and
to include new graphics introducing the characters.  Many improvements in
costumes, makeup, lighting, and FX were added for season 2. Several new sets
were added, including a bazaar and an officer's lounge called "Earhart's,"
after the famed aviator. In order to advance the story, the character of
Commander Sinclair was moved "off the chess board" at the start of season 2.
This was a mutual, amicable decision between producers and Michael O'Hare.
Sinclair is still an important part of the show and will return later.
(See ftp://ftp.hyperion.com/pub/Babylon-5/OHare.Leave)  Lt. Cmdr. Ivanova was
promoted to Commander; Delenn went through a physical change.  Na'Toth was
re-cast, and the character of Warren Keffer was added.

----> Between second and third season:

The narration changed once again.  Additional sets were brought on, including
a rather large one.  Keffer and Talia Winters, and Na'Toth are no longer on
the show; Zack Allan was made a regular character, and Marcus Cole was brought
in as a regular.

----> A list of episodes that have been mentioned online and later retitled.

  "Blood and Thunder"       -->  "Midnight on the Firing Line"
  "Amaranth"                -->  "Born to the Purple"
  "Carnival!"               -->  "The Parliament of Dreams"
  "A Knife in the Shadows"  -->  "Survivors"
  "Backlash"                -->  "By Any Means Necessary"
  "Raiding Party"           -->  "Signs and Portents"
  "The Resurrectionist"     -->  "The Quality of Mercy"
  "Chrysalis, Part II"      -->  "Points of Departure"
  "A Trick of the Mind"     -->  "A Spider in the Web"
  "Pestilence, Famine & Death">  "Soul Mates"

  Season 3 was initially called "I am Death, Destroyer of Worlds."

> Scripts not used in Season 1:

  "Target Unknown" and "Metaphors and Body Counts" (David Gerrold)

> Harlan Ellison stories mentioned but not written: "Midnight in the Sunken
  Cathedral" and "Demon on the Run"

> Season 2 story titles shelved:

  All Our Songs Forgotten, a.k.a. "Unnatural Selection" (D.C. Fontana),
  The Very Long Night of Susan Ivanova (JMS), "Expectations" (David Gerold)

========    h. Fan Clubs

An official USA B5 fan club has been announced, but is not yet ready.
The address of it will be:  The Official Babylon 5 Fan Club, P.O. Box 856,
North Hollywood, CA 91603.

There are some international fan clubs, as well as some fan clubs for
particular actors.

Friends of Michael O'Hare, P.O. Box 6541, Edgemere, MD  21219

Garibaldi & Company, 12865 NE 85th St., Suite 267, Kirkland, WA  98033
e-mail: Flashdanze@aol.com.  Also, there's the Jerry Doyle Media Group;
contact Linda K. Shapley <flashdanze@aol.com> for information.  And

Bruce Boxleitner Fan Club, 230 Denfield Dr., Alexandria, VA 22309

Richard Biggs Fan Club, c/o Shirley Didemoico, 1133 Uptegraf Street,
Pittsburgh, PA 15218

Bruce Boxleitner's Official Fan Club, P.O. Box 57593, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Bruce Boxleitner Fan Club, c/o Darla Vasilias, 230 Deerfield Dr. Alexandria,
VA 22309

The Mira Furlan Fan Club, PO Box 523093, Springfield, VA 22152-9998.  $10/year
($15 overseas)

Ed Wasser Fan Club: Bi-monthly electronic newsletter. Free to all. e-mail
subscribe@wasser.com to join.

Australia: There are TWO fan clubs, in competition. The information for both
is provided here.  The Babylon 5 Oz Fan Club, PO Box 161, Adamstown NSW 2289.
AUD$20/year, AUD$35/2 years.  (Sanctioned by Network 7.)  Contact Aaron
Brockbank <shadow@scorch.hna.com.au> for information.
WWW: http://www.bab5oz.hl.com.au/ .... Then, there's the Australian Babylon 5
Fan Club, PO Box 41, West Brunswick, Vic 3055. $10/ single, $12/family per
year; e-mail glen.tilley@secv.telememo.au for info.

Germany: Journey to Babylon.  Contact Katja Mallok, Heuduckstrasse 67, D-66117
Saarbruecken, GERMANY.  32 DM/year; more for foreign.  Include 2 international
reply coupons.

UK: See the UK Babylon 5 FAQ.

------------------------------

Subject: 10. Where to find online information

========    a. INTERNET

WORLD   "The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5" is by far the best source for
WIDE    B5 updates, information, analyses, images, and so on.
WEB     It's at WWW: http://www.hyperion.com/lurk/lurker.html
        The OFFICIAL B5 web site is less ambitious, but has a nice set of
        official graphics, movies, etc. at http://pathfinder.com/Babylon5
        "Agamemnon" sound site is http://rampages.onramp.net/~brummett/b5.htm
        An unofficial encyclopedia is http://web.uml.edu/Babylon-Enc/enc.html
        (Other B5 WWW sites are listed in the Lurker's guide.)
*
USENET  rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.info
        A low-volume, moderated list for announcements and information related
        to Babylon 5, as well as general compilations of JMS postings.
        A must for anybody who can get Usenet.  Created November 1995.
        This group is archived on the web: http://ivory.ora.com/rastbi/

        rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5
        This group was created in Mar 28 1994 and is the main unmoderated
        Babylon 5 discussion newsgroup.  JMS no longer participates here.

        rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
        The new moderated discussion group in which JMS now participates.
        Created March 1996.

        alt.tv.babylon-5
        The original Usenet B5 group, created Feb 18 1993, and still online

        uk.media.tv.sf.babylon5 and aus.sf.babylon5 are UK and Oz groups.

        rec.video.satellite, rec.arts.tv, and rec.arts.sf.tv may also contain
        Babylon 5 discussion and announcements.

FTP     ftp.hyperion.com (192.65.216.1) is the main site from which you
        can retrieve Babylon-5-related files via anonymous FTP.
        NORTH AMERICAN MIRROR: ftp.uml.edu
        AUSTRALIAN MIRROR: econ-www.newcastle.edu.au
        EUROPEAN MIRROR:  ftp.ctrl-c.liu.se
        B5 Sounds are at Agamemnon, ftp://archive.egr.msu.edu/pub/babylon5

REVIEW  The Babylon 5 Reviews Electronic Forum, moderated by Michael S.Shappe
LIST    and Shelley L. Stuart.  To subscribe, e-mail the automated list
        server, LISTSERV@cornell.edu. Put a single line into the BODY of the
        message, reading:
        SUBSCRIBE B5-REVIEW-L Firstname Lastname
        This is processed by machine, so do not include a signature.

STORY   An outlet for creative "fan fiction" has been set up as a mailing list
IDEAS   in order to keep JMS from being exposed to any story ideas.  There's
LIST    also a speculation mailing list.  E-mail majordomo@lists.best.com
        and enter one or both of these in the body:
        subscribe b5-creative
        subscribe b5-speculation

INTERNET A weekly chat in IRC space, on channel #babylon5, every Saturday at
RELAY   7 PM Eastern (23:00 GMT), discussing the latest B5 episode and so on.
CHAT    Info on IRC: ftp://ftp.sunet.se/pub/usenet/news.answers/irc-faq

MUD     There's a B5 MUD (info: rmeikle@cs.strath.ac.uk ) reachable by:
        telnet underworld.demon.co.uk 2010
        visit babylonfive

LOCAL   BOSTON viewers can discuss broadcast times, quirks, and news of local
AREA    broadcasts.  Send "subscribe boston-b5" (moderated) and/or
LISTS   "subscribe boston-b5-chat" (unmoderated) to majordomo@infersys.com.
        ALBERTA, Canada has one too: send "help" as the subject line to:
        babylon5-request@cyberdex.cuug.ab.ca
        ATLANTA viewers: send mail to majordomo@ulc199.residence.gatech.edu
        with "subscribe b5-atlanta" in the message body.

JMS     To get mailings of JMS's answers from Usenet (and their preceeding
RELAY   questions) as well as digest of CI$ JMS postings, send e-mail to
LIST    majordomo@majordomo.cs.columbia.edu containing "subscribe b5jms"

WARNER  A new mailing list from Warner Bros. for fans has been started; it is
BROS.   not known what the content will be.  Mail listserv@taz.warnerbros.com
LIST    with body text: subscribe babylon5 firstname lastname

OTHER   "The Zocalo" is a 2400+ member B5 e-mail club/newsletter via e-mail.
LISTS   Send your first name, where you found this info, your city, state,
        and country of residence to katana@indirect.com.
        WWW: http://www.pupzine.com/zocalo

========    b. GEnie

The two Babylon 5 topics are located at Page 471, Category 18 (general
series-related) and 19 (episode-specific).  Archives of past messages are
available in the GEnie SFRT files areas, along with graphics files and the
interactive demos are also available in the file area.

========    c. America Online (AOL)

AOL now features a Babylon 5 Section (Keyword: Babylon5). There are official
promotional images, movies, and sounds and an (uncredited!) adaptation of this
FAQ list. Interactive interviews with the cast and crew occur frequently.  JMS
now participates in the message areas.

========    d. CompuServe

JMS also frequents Compuserve, where there is an active Babylon 5 section
(moderated by Lee Whiteside) as well as libraries and weekly B5 conferences.

========    e. Other

JMS also frequents BIX, and lurks on other networks; there are active B5
sections on many other networks and BBSs around the world.  Babylon 5
graphic files, information files, and forwarded JMS postings are available
on many of these systems.  If you have a local BBS or network, feel free to
add some of the resources from the FTP site over to that system!

------------------------------

Subject: 11. Credits and Legalese

This text file may be distributed online, in complete or excerpted form, as
long as acknowledgement is made to the authors, and the URL of the current
version of this file is indicated. (see top of document.)

The Babylon 5 Frequently Asked Questions List part (A) is Copyright 1996 by
Dan Wood.  Acknowledgement is made to J. Michael Straczynski, previous FAQ
maintainer Lee Whiteside and to excerpted contributions from the Babylon 5
online libraries, especially The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5 and The Zocalo.

Currently maintained by Dan Wood (danwood@pobox.com)
Comments, suggestions, etc. are always appreciated.
*
If you wish to re-distribute this list to other systems, and would like to be
sent each update, please e-mail me.
