Text 17135, 150 rader
Skriven 2007-08-16 07:42:14 av more Crusade (3612.babylon5)
  Kommentar till text 17105 av rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated (3582.babylon5)
Ärende: Re: LONG LIVE BABYLON 5.
================================
On 16 Aug, 06:29, Duggy <Paul.Dug...@jcu.edu.au> wrote:
> On Aug 16, 1:08 am, "pagspayb...@googlemail.com"
>
> <pagspayb...@googlemail.com> wrote:
> > I do think that sci-fi benefits from 20+ episodes per season
>
> Why?
>
> Do you really feel that the padding and the filler episodes are
> worthwhile?
>
> Isn't twice the time to put into each episode going to create a better
> product?
>
> Isn't the forced 22 episodes the reason that there hasn't been much
> good SF since Babylon 5.
>

Why? Well firstly as I said having more episodes costs less per
episode meaning the money can be spread over the episodes accordingly.
If a handful of episodes come under budget you can them plough that
money into later episodes. Or you could re use the sets to better
effect to make things look bigger than they really are.

Secondly it gives the writers more time for character stories as well
as the much bigger more action-packed episodes. Thirdly a disadvantage
with smaller seasons is there's less time to perfect the show.
Particularly with a new show it takes time for the cast and crew to
find their feet. By the end of 13 episodes you haven't had an awful
lot of time to get to know and care about the characters. So if you
don't have a strong season many might not come back the following
year. With the extended 22 run you have longer to make that
connection

I don't see why the forced 22 episodes are the reason that there
hasn't been  been much good sci-fi since Babylon 5. The reason there
hasn't been much good sci-fi is because TV networks don't let the
better writers do their thing cancelling the quality shows and letting
the mediocre run and run and run .

Shows like Farscape, Space Above and Beyond & Firefly have all
delivered quality sci-fi because they knew how to tell a good story,
while also taking creative chances and pushing boundaries. Okay
Firefly never got to make 22 episodes but had the rest of the season
been picked up I'm sure they would have delivered another quality
eight episodes or so. And yes I know Space Above and Beyond was
running at same time as Babylon 5 but nevertheless it delivered a high
quality 22 episodes season. Just look at what JMS did writing season 3
& 4 all by himself demonstrating that it is more than possible to
create a superb 22 episode season.

another problem with sci-fi post Babylon 5 is the lack of a good story
plan. Most shows don't really know where they're going meandering
aimlessly. I think you can feel certain that if Crusade was brought
back as a 22 episode show JMS would have a plan and something for the
other writers to follow. Like B5 it would be greater than the sum of
its parts .

> > I do think regular drama perhaps benefits from 13 episode seasons like you
> > see on HBO.
>
> You mean regular shows like Rome & Deadwood?

I haven't seen Rome but I imagine it's quality. Yes I was thinking
along lines of Deadwood, Oz, The Wire, and Band of Brothers or 13
episodes seasons on other channels like The Shield, Sleeper Cell or
Daybreak.


>
> > But with sci-fi being so expensive (by comparison)
>
> Compare the cost of B5 to any major "regular" show and see how wrong
> you are.
>

if I'm wrong I stand corrected, however most sci-fi particularly space
set shows cost an awful lot more due to having to produce just about
everything for the production. From sets to wardrobe to props to alien
make-up to special effects and CGI. I'm sure there are shows that cost
a lot of money that aren't sci-fi but most, to the best of my
knowledge aren't so expensive. There are always exceptions .

> > I think it brings the costs down per episode by having a larger seasons,
>
> In some ways.  But it also increases the cost per season.
>

Of course it increases the cost per season but when you've only got to
justify the ratings per ep for a $2 million episode compared to a $3
million/$4 million episode the ratings don't have to be so
exceptional.

> > making it more affordable for TV networks. Nevertheless by doing 13
> > episodes it doesn't mean that you won't have dubious episodes.
>
> True.  You have 3 or 4 instead of 6 - 9.
>

Not necessarily. Again it all depends on quality of your writing
staff. Babylon 5 has proved you can have 22 episodes (or 44 episodes
over two seasons) with very few lesser episodes (far less than 6 per
22). Off the top of my head I can't think of any terrible episodes in
season 3 or 4.

> > Just
> > look at Dr Who they only have to write 13 episodes per year and they
> > still make a high percentage of stinkers and ordinary episodes.
>
> That's also because of the target audience.
>

I disagree. Sure Dr Who is aiming at a younger audience but you don't
have to write cr*p just because they are kids. The best eps are kid
friendly there's no reason why more can't be better

> > think it all depends on the quality of the writing staff. Obviously
> > with weaker writers more "fillers" happen.
>
> With more episodes the need for more staff writers, with more staff
> writers the more weak writers.
>
> And the good writers are more likely to burn out.
>
> > Sure it has the weaker Garibaldi
> > A plot but the Delenn, Marcus, Neroon sub-plot is simply superb... As
> > I'm sure a lot of you agree (at least I hope so).
>
> Yes.  The subplot is storng.  The main plot is very, very weak.  If
> only JMS had to write less episodes a season and have dropped that
> main plot and woven the subplot into a better one.
>
> ===
> = DUG.
> ===



Maybe but if you can hire three or four quality writers you can have a
strong season.  No matter how long the season is you're always going
to have some part of it you don't like and as long as the majority of
the season is of a high enough standard that's all that matters.
Personally I prefer longer excursions into a sci-fi universe and would
rather see 100+ episodes spread over five years than I would have
similar numbers spread over eight or nine years. I also think you're
far more likely to be able to hang on to any talented members of the
cast or crew over a shorter timespan before they move on to better
things.
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