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| JMS
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Last Update on July 21 '99 |
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| Question to JMS:
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If memory serves, last Sunday was the end date on the actors' options
for Crusade. Has there been any official decision? Is another season
still possible? Is it desirable?
When I was talking to Harlan last weekend at ReaderCon, he
said to "Let it go." If that's the verdict, I'll do so. From
what he said, you've been a lot happier and more relaxed since
the shut-down. This is obviously a good thing.
Is there any balance possible that gives you a life, and us Crusade?
If not, stay back in the world. You'll do other interesting, wonderful
stuff, I know. I'd much rather look forward to that, than backward to
Crusade as "the show that ate jms."
On the other hand.... I'd really like to know, officially, from the
executive producer's mouse, one way or the other.
JMS' Reply:
"Have the actor's options expired? Yes. Does this close the
door? No, another channel could say yes even after #13, it would just
mean negotiating new contracts, which is quite do-able. If it happens
I can deal with it; if not, I have plenty of other options. I've never
been a one-trick pony."
jms
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| Question to JMS:
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"I think part of what I was trying to ask is, what do *you* want about
Crusade? Do you really want to continue it, or would you be just as
happy to move on? You've actually had several months in "moving on"
mode, it seems. I don't think I'm getting my questions out of
sequence. You've been answering "who are you?" in this forum since
before I joined. So I'll still ask, "what do you want?" In a very
limited context."
JMS' Reply:
You have to understand that the only thing I want, the only
thing I've *ever* wanted, is to tell good stories about interesting
characters. I'm fairly simple that way. I would love to continue
telling stores in the B5 universe...but then, I'd love to tell stories
in *other* universes. If one market stays open, I'll stay there...if
it closes, I move on. It's what I've always done.
Would I like to keep doing Crusade? Sure, but not under the
conditions that made these 13 eps so onerous. I have a real simple
philosophy: if it ain't fun, don't do it. Because this job is too hard
to do it if you're not enjoying the process.
It's all about story. Since Crusade stopped I've been offered
a couple of exec producer gigs on other shows, but passed
on them because they weren't really stories I either wanted
to do or that I felt I could do a good job with. One gig that
I *did* want I just missed out by an inch because at the last
moment some big names came into the scenario and they got
the gig (and they will probably do very well with it). Them's
the breaks. You wait for a show to come along you would like
to do, meanwhile you try to get your own show off the ground.
Which is where I am now. I'm in the final stages of negotiating
a deal for one series pilot (98% mainstream 2% speculative fiction)
that would be as innovative as what I did with B5...it's a story
nobody's ever done before, and it's been fast-tracked. I literally
thought it up two weeks ago, had one meeting about it with a major
entity (known to everyone), did a rough treatment, and 3 days later
they called to start negotiations on the deal. If that goes, I'll be
excited, because it's something utterly on the bleeding edge not just
storywise but in terms of production and EFX and it's on a huge scale.
In any event, as I said, in the end, it's simply about telling
stories, in conditions that allow me to do my best work. "The exercise
of vital powers along lines of excellence in a life affording them
scope," to quote the Greek definition of happiness.
jms
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