The Lost Tales

[McClance]

I don't think JMS would recast them.

[Skydiver]

which is fine with me, but it will leave a huge gap in any further efforts simply because they will be perpetually 'out of scene' so to speak.

so, if the goal of the lost tales is to fill in some of the gaps of that 20 years between the end of the series and the finale, some gaps will never be filled

[Gregorius]

I just hope they'll fill in the Telepath War and how the Earth was saved from the Drakh plague.

[maneth]

Indeed. Although as Franklin played a big part in the Drakh plague thing, it might not be easy.

[Skydiver]

right. If he truly plans to continue, he may have to recast

[Gregorius]

If he ever decides to recast those roles I hope the new actors will be at least given a chance by the fandom, especially since they're replacing two popular actors who gave great performances.

As for the Lost Tales Ep 1 itself, I forgot to post that last time, I think the effects were nice but the story was a bit below of what I'm used to when watching B5.

[Skydiver]

you know, with both of them 'beyond the rim' it would be easy to explain any recasting. They have a horrible accident but a kindly alien race 'saves' them but can only save their brain, not thier body. so it remade their bodies which are close, but not exactly the same

an easy way to explain a recasting

of course there is also the simple 'yeah, we're using different actors, but the characters are the same, get over it' angle where they are simply recast and no plot explanation is ever given

[maneth]

JMS has repeatedly said he won't recast Franklin and G'Kar, ever. He'd rather let the story go untold... Or tell it in a medium where it doesn't matter, comics or books.

[Missster.Freeman]

Personally, I just think that Richard Biggs and Andreas Katsulas are irreplaceable. It'd be hard for me to imagine anyone else taking their (especially AK's) place.

Saying that, G'Kar and Franklin could be recast with younger actors - if the story called for it. There could be a Lost Tale about the younger Franklin when he went hitchhiking on Starships and G'kar's episode could be about his life under the Centauri occupation.

I'd really love to see Garibaldi and Londo back for a Lost Tale. Either an episode each, or together in a single feature length episode. Hopefully, they would be the main characters in the next feature - if the Lost Tales were to continue.

[Gregorius]

While I can see why JMS wouldn't want to recast, I think that he just should recast the roles and do something as Sky suggested. There are too many and imporant events that have not yet been told while they should be told and shown on TV.

As for Londo and Garibaldi, now there are two characters I'd love to see together because they work so good together.

[maneth]

ok, someone please explain to me, what is it with the sock puppets?

Due to budgetary constraints they had very, very few extras on the station. I thought they could've done with cheaper effects and employed more extras with the money, what's the point of showing wide, big corridors - if they're empty? Somebody came up with the idea of doing away with the cast altogether and using sock puppets with voice actors instead. Supposedly cheaper. Still, some cast members thought it was a funny idea and ran away with it in the DVD extras.

[Night Marshal]

ok, someone please explain to me, what is it with the sock puppets?

To be totally honest I think JMS is going Crazy granted to have written as much of B5 as he did we all would be crazy too. If you want more than that I think its a joke about how little money he was given for this Lost Tale of which most was Eaten up by CGI. That and this was only his 3rd or 4th time directing (sleeping in Light, and two eps of Jeremiah, I think) I'm sure he said "with this little money let just do it with sock puppets and really being it in under budget!" But I don't know that.

JMS has also made comments in the past that he looks forward to the day when you don't need actors he was only half joking(Listen to the Audio commentary on Season 2 ender "The Fall of Night")

As for other last Tales JMS said this about a mouth ago

One side-effect of this...after the sales on B5:TLT came in, way
exceeding WB's projections, they initiated talks about what to do
next, including commissioning more DVDs. Looking at the calendar, I
suggested that they might want to hurry the bureaucratic process
because we were going to be in a strike situation soon, so if they
wanted to move, they'd better commission a script fast.

And they said in response, and I quote verbatim, "We don't want to be
pressured in the process because we know there's not going to be a
strike this year, we can handle the Guild."
Full Quote here
http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-17700


Its kinda sad to think that we could be getting more LTs now if WB has the for sight to take the writers strike more Seriously.

[Skydiver]

well that kind of arrogance on behalf of networks is precisely WHY there is a strike.

[Gregorius]

It's not only about the arrogance of the network, it's also about how the networks are cheating writers out of the money of royalties and profits.

The networks should keep this up, that way all the scripted shows will be gone and only reality shows will remain.

And then when the strike ends and people have finally had enough of those reality shows, good shows like B5 might get the attention and money they deserve.

[Night Marshal]

I personally worry that its going to be a while be for we get any other last tales. JMS has a lot of other projects going and when the strike ends they are all going to be eating up his time then again if he's happy just writing a script and handing it over to someone like Mike Vejar to direct then it might be ok but i don't expect anything for a while.