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Message

Subject: Re: What now - And What Went Wrong?
Date: 10 Apr 2002 22:20:21 GMT
From: jmsatb5@aol.com (Jms at B5)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated

>Hoping I'm not too far off base, JMS.

No, that's just about right.

The other thing that needs to be emphasized, in terms of fan letter campaigns,
is that the currency of the fan campaign is that it's been in large measure
devalued by over-use, at least in terms of how the studios see it (having been
told this straight up).  These days *any* show that is nominally SF or fantasy,
when its time ends, gets a writing camapign to get it back or keep it on the
air.  Good show, bad show, indifferent...the campaigns come regardless.  So it
doesn't really carry the same weight it did once.

And I think they've always been of limited impact anyway...it did have some
impact on S3 of the original Trek, and if a show is "on the bubble" as they
say, bordering between renewal and cancellation...but beyond that, it really
doesn't have an impact.

The first ST feature wasn't commissioned because of fan mail, it came because
Star Wars came out and did huge bucks and somebody in the Paramount brain trust
said, literally, "waitaminnit, don't WE have one of those?" and rushed ST
forward.

It's not passivity on my part as much as just trusting to the forces of
history.  Sooner or later, what goes around, comes around.  My job is to make
sure it's done right when it happens.  

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
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