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BABYLON 5 Tales goes Straight to DVD / Internet
29 Sep 2006 13:14:39 -0700
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videonovels...
Alison Hopkins...
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That is not exactly accurate, to say the least. It was ostensibly WB who
were negotiating the extensions, but the actors were most definitely strong
armed by both producers.
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bllbickel...
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Actually, refusing to sign a contract extension is neither quitting not
being fired. It's declining an offer of employment.
Alison Hopkins...
jonfrain...
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Please explain the let out clauses. I can't see how WB would allow
Bruce to film a movie and take time off during such an arc driven show.
Especially during Season 4. They must have to give a certain amount
of notice and get final approval from JMS that he won't need to film
those weeks.
Jon Frain
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jonfrain...
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The rumours regarding this situation were that she had made an
agreement to make a film. Filming of the movie would interfere with
the B5 shooting schedule. The company making the film required that if
she signed for season 5 of Babylon 5 that she needed to have it in
writing that she would not be obligated to film B5 during those weeks.
The rumour goes on to say that she was told that WB could pay her for
the whole season and verbally promise her that they would simply not
write her into the episodes she'd be unavailable for. The filming
Alison Hopkins...
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Wrong. They got less. They were told to accept less, and had no choice.
bllbickel...
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Sure they did.
Alison Hopkins...
Daniel Forrest...
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While technically correct, you are being disingenuous. They got less
because they would be getting residuals based on the basic cable formula
as opposed to the network formula, but those were the terms already
existing in their contracts. And they had to accept that as contracted,
or there would be no season 5.
I don't understand why you and Paul are grinding this particular axe. The
rest of the cast found those terms acceptable, Claudia didn't. Move on.
telenovels...
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Allison clearly hates JMS. She blames him, when the proper blame
belongs to the "most favored nation" clause which made it impossible
for WB to offer Claudia a pay raise.
Podkayne Fries...
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Troy, you think that anyone who doesn't worship JMS hates him. You
remind me a lot of the mindless freaks who worship Michael Jackson.
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Well, they could have chosen to be without any money at all. Hardly a
choice, is it.
bllbickel...
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I believe I included the clause, "AND for some reason could never find
work again."
I actually have a fairly good idea how much they're being paid:
obviously not enough to allow them to live the Life of Riley for the
next 60 years, but still more than 99% of all those working in the
field. But even if they were being offered far less, that doesn't make
it "unfair" or leaving them "without a choice". A contract offer is a
contract offer. As long as it's legal and there's no coercion involved
(and "sign this or you can't be on our tv show" is not coercion), you
can accept the offer or not accept the offer. This really isn't such a
difficult concept -- or at least I didn't think it was.
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Bill Bickel
http://www.crimepundit.com
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company balked at that. The alternative was to put into her contract
that she would not be filming those weeks, but her total pay would be
less as she would be pro-rated down to the number of episodes
contracted for. This was necessary in order to be fair to the other
actors that had already signed their contracts.
There is reason to believe that there is some truth to the rumour, but
that it isn't totally accurate. I don't remember reading any
interviews with Claudia that go into detail on exactly why she wouldn't
sign the new contract or why she felt she felt it was not beneficial to
her. It certainly sounds like she either felt she deserved more $$ or
was unhappy because she wasn't going to be paid for a full season, even
though she wasn't available to film the whole season. It's clear that
she was unhappy with how she was being underutilized in the show, which
I agree with. Combining the film offer with her being creatively
stifled probably had a large impact on her decision.
Jon Frain
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It can also be that the contract was unfair, of course.
bllbickel...
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An offer of employment is an offer of employment. If you like the terms
you agree, and if you don't like them you don't. Nobody's forcing you
one way or the other. I don't see how "unfair" can even apply.
Alison Hopkins...
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It can in UK and European employment law, but I suspect not in US law.
There have been a fair few cases around TUPE, for example, related to
contract extensions.
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Bill Bickel
http://www.crimepundit.com
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The popular futuristic "novel for TV" Babylon 5 is making a new season
of episodes. It will be called "Tales of Babylon 5" and feature random
short stories on the space station.
However, unlike the previous show, which was sold to local tv stations
between 1993-98 (syndicated), this new series will be sold
*direct-to-dvd* and *direct-to-internet*
As far as I know, it's the first time a tv show has ever skipped
traditional tv channels, and used new technologies like DVD and
Internet to reach the audience. Assuming this experiment works, it may
give hope to Stargate SG1 fans that they will see a new season 11
direct-to-dvd or internet.
Dan Dassow...
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now appearing on NBC on Saturday morning, has been distributed direct
to video since 1993. "The Gospel Bill Show" and "Bill Gunter, US
series was also distributed direct to video in the early 1990s.
Dan Dassow
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Captain Infinity...
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"This isn't some deep space franchise, this station is *about*
something!" -- Ivanova
Paul Harper...
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Boy did she ever get *that* wrong!
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**
Captain Infinity
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dachapp...
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It's not a new season of Babylon 5. And it is called "Bablon 5: The
Lost Tales." Think of it as a series of books of short stories about
the characters from the novel "Babylon 5."
That's what it is. Not a new season.
Also Warner Bros. are looking to broadcast them on television.
Hope this helps you.
Dave
Anthony Cerrato...
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I'm a little confused--am I right in assuming these are
tales with new/other people/aliens, with none of the
original cast? IOW, we just get the sets etc of Bab 5? I
think that might just remind me it's gone, and just make me
sad... ...tonyC
John W. Kennedy...
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No, they will use members of the original cast. Indeed, just which
stories will be told will depend on what actors are available.
Alison Hopkins...
bllbickel...
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Please explain how a contract offer can be inherently "unfair."
Seriously, I'm curious how the description can apply.
John W. Kennedy...
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It makes theoretical sense if "unfair" be read as layman's talk for
legal "unconscionable". But to suggest that CC's offer (with a "most
favored nation clause" at that) was unconscionable, when everyone in the
cast but Jerry Doyle had a much more impressive c.v. than she, borders
on outright absurdity.
The /best/ that could be hoped is that CC is the sort of woman who goes
all Blanche DuBois whenever technicalities come up (I know some highly
intelligent women who are like that, some of them actresses) and she
really didn't see that she was asking for the impossible. (To remind
everyone, she demanded guaranteed episodes off in writing, which would
have automatically translated to the same number of guaranteed episodes
off in writing for all the other actors in the cast.)
John W. Kennedy...
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Because it's a standard clause in leading actors' contracts (not just in
Hollywood -- stage companies do it, too), known as the
most-favored-nation clause. Whatever one actor gets, every other actor
with a most-favored-nation clause gets, too.
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bllbickel...
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Sorry, no, I'm not finding this easy at all. I can understand how an
offer might be considered unacceptable by one of the parties. Somebody
can offer me $20 to clean out a septic tank. I get to say "no." Unless
somebody's holding a gun to my head to make me do it anyway, or you're
living in a company town in the late nineteenth century, I fail to see
how "unfair" applies.
So please explain.
Bill Bickel
http://www.crimepundit.com
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Bill Bickel
http://www.crimepundit.com
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And willing. Which is a whole other ballgame.
jonfrain...
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Mrs. Harper, which actors would be unwilling to film the Lost Tales
exactly? What info do you have that suggests any of the following
jonfrain...
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She burnt her bridge as well as lied to try to get fans on her side.
I'd love to see her return, but I don't hold it against Joe for not
wanting her back.
Alison Hopkins...
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She didn't lie. I was there.
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would not participate?
Bruce Boxleitner
Mira Furlan
Peter Jurassik
Bill Mumy
Jason Carter
Alison Hopkins...
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Probably rather more than you do.
jonfrain...
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I rather doubt it, especially since you don't have what it takes to
back up any of your statements.
Alison Hopkins...
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And how would you know that, pray? Have you run close on fifty or more
conventions, where all of the above were guests at one time or another? Were
you at the dinners I enjoyed with these people, or at some of their houses?
Was at least one of them at your Silver Wedding party?
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