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The Zocalo Today
Welcome! I am REALLY glad you dropped by. Take your shoes off, get comfortable and stay a while.
The Zocalo Today is an interactive newsletter. If you have suggestions, please
send them along. The Zocalo Today is as much YOUR newsletter as it is
mine! I'm just pulling together things for you! Join our weekly discussion
topic. It is just one way you can interact with other Z readers. Send along
letters, sightings of B5 cast and crew in other projects, convention
reports, photos, etc. Don't miss our back issues. There is a LOT of information
contained there and you'll not want to miss anything.
SPECIAL UNIT 2: Fans are gathering to write letters in support of Special
Unit 2. See details below.
SCIFI: The bulletin board has been REALLY busy over at SCIFI. I don't know if people were just looking
for new information or they were sending notes of support for "Legend of the Rangers", but it couldn't handle all the
traffic. That's a good sign. Be sure to drop over and place a note of your own on the bulletin board. Let SCIFI know
you would like to see "Legend of the Rangers" as a series. To go directly to the bulletin board, the
URL is http://www.scifi.com/bboard/browse.cgi/1/5/2414.
JMS has posted information on the ratings. See below.
LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN: It's time to do something Babylon 5 fans are VERY familiar
with -- write letters. Snail mail letters mean a great deal to networks -- and sponsors. It shows them that you have
taken the time not only to write, but spent money as well to send along your response. See
letter writing details below.
SYSTEM PROBLEMS: www.isnnews.net is still acting up. Bookmark the back-up site so we can keep in
touch with the latest information. The URL is http://sgbruckner.tripod.com.
CATCHING UP: Today is a day for catching up on things I've been letting hang. I've included all the
discussion topics forwarded -- including a number of reviews for the "Legend of the Ranger" movie. Those
can be found on the Discussion Page. I've also placed a request for
a Pen Pal on the Pen Pal Page. Be sure to drop over and check both
out.
DELICATE CREATURES: Well I got my copy last night, despite two letters from Amazon.com saying the book was not going to be
released! It's beautiful. Haven't read through it yet, but so far my only criticism is JMS' likeness on the inside cover. If someone were to use
that drawing to identify JMS, he's totally safe! He looks more like the fisherman in the Gorton fish commercials!
LEGEND OF THE RANGERS: Want to know more about the Liandra crew? Drop over to http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/317522p1.html and find
out what they like as far as music, movies, books, etc.
JMS AND RANGERS: There has been an exchange between JMS and a few folks at the B5 newsgroup. I've posted the exchange
on the Ranger page .
LEGEND OF THE RANGERS CREDITS: If you are like me, you die everytime the ending credits roll --
only because you can't read a thing. SCIFI has a remedy for that. Go over to
www.scifi.com/b5rangers and you will find ALL the credits listed. Thanks SCIFI.
NEW RANGER SECTION: While we've had a Ranger page for quite some time, we've now branched
ISN News off into a separate Ranger section -- just like the ones we have for B5 and Crusade. You
can use the link at the top of the page or go there directly using
http://b5rangers.isnnews.net/.
Over the next few weeks, we'll be filling in more material as it becomes available.
BLOOD DRIVES: If you are able, be sure to roll up your sleeves and give blood -- both now and in a
couple of weeks. The need for blood will be continual. Right now, the tremendous outpouring of volunteers
has filled quotas and storage space! FANTASTIC!!! But those supplies will be utilized and a new supply
will be needed soon. Check out donation drives near you. I'm signed up already.
The e-mail version of The Zocalo Today goes out on Saturdays. If you would like to be included on the mailing list,
just send a blank note to thezocalo-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. If that doesn't work for you, drop me a note at
sgbruckner@aol.com. I can add you manually. Our new back-up site is located at http://sgbruckner.tripod.com. If you can't get into www.isnnews.net, try this site for new information.
NEWS AROUND THE SCI-FI GENRE
February 2: RATINGS: Top 10 SF Network Shows: The X-Files 5.1; Futurama 4.5; Enterprise 2.5; Charmed 2.0; Special Unit 2 1.7;
Sabrina 1.7; Buffy 1.6; Roswell 1.6, and Mysterious Ways 0.7. Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report, 12/31/01 - 1/6/01.
FIRESTARTER: Stephen King's classic book "Firestarter" is being brought to the SCI FI Channel as a mini-series on March 10
and 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Firestarter: Rekindled stars Marguerite Moreau, Malcolm McDowell, Dennis Hopper and Danny Nucci, picks up
the story of Charlie McGee (Moreau) 10 years after the events in the book and the 1984 movie. Presented in widescreen format, this
script was written by Philip Eisner (Event Horizon), directed by Robert Iscove (She's All That), produced by Jeff Morton and executive
produced by Tom Thayer.
STAR WARS: Got some extra cash? Carrie Fisher is auctioning some of her souvenirs from Star Wars up for auction by Sothebys and Entertainment Rarities. Among the items for sale are a miniature snowspeeder prop used in The Empire Strikes Back, which is expected to
fetch between $25,000 and $50,000. Also on sale are numerous posters and photographs autographed by Fisher, co-star Mark Hamill and
others. Fisher's mother, Debbie Reynolds, is also auctioning memorabilia.
ABC PILOTS: ABC has been really hurting in the ratings game this year. They have ordered up several genre pilots, hoping that they
will make the cut for the 2002-'03 season. Variety reports that ABC hopes to turn these into long-term franchises. The new pilots are:
•Veritas, from Touchstone/Storyline Productions, an Indiana Jones-style two-hour backdoor pilot about a father-son team of archaeologists.
•Astronauts, from 20th Century TV/Industry, about astronauts looking to win a spot on a mission to Mars.
•Paranormal Girl, from Touchstone, about a teen-age girl who discovers she has weird powers and is recruited by the FBI to help solve crimes.
FRANK MULLER - AUDIO ICON: Tonight, Stephen King, John Grisham, Pat Conroy and Peter Straub, all hugh literary icons in their own
right, are joining forces in New York City to help friend and audiobook icon Frank Muller. Muller’s is the voice you’ve heard while listening to
several of those author’s titles, including King’s GREEN MILE and Grisham’s THE TESTAMENT. Muller, who’s won numerous audio awards for his
work voicing the books of some of today’s biggest authors, was in a motorcycle crash in November which left him brain damaged and he is not
expected to ever work again. The event, hosted by King, will be at Town Hall in NY, at 123 West 43rd street. The authors are expected to speak
and sign copies of their novels to help raise funds for the Muller to cover his medical and living expenses. Tickets can be purchased at 212-307-4100, while donations and emails can be sent to mullerbenefit@aol.com.
LORD OF THE RINGS: The WB and Turner Broadcasting have DEEP pockets -- at least where "Lord of the Rings" is concerned. Variety
reports that the WB Network has agreed to pay New Line Cinema at least $75 million for ``Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' and its
two forthcoming sequels in a 10-year shared window with Turner Broadcasting's TBS and TNT. The total license fee for all three could end up at $160 million or more, depending on the box-office performance of the sequels; ``Fellowship of the Ring'' has already grossed $258 million domestically since its December release, and it's still tracking.
WITCHBLADE: Production has begun on season two episodes of this TNT series starring Yancy Butler. New episodes will be
shown in June.
January 31: LOST WORLD: This is one syndicated series that is currently filming season three and has a commitment for a fourth,
according to star Jennifer O'Dell. Fans can look forward to her parents returning for the final four episodes of this season. O'Dell
has no idea how they will arrive at the Lost World. Guess we'll just have to watch and find out.
DINOPIA: ABC has opened a new website for its upcoming miniseries Dinopia.
Based on James Gurney's best-selling children's books, the six-hour miniseries from Hallmark Entertainment will air starting May 12 at
7 p.m. ET/PT. Dinotopia tells the story of a wealthy American and his two teen-age sons who survive a plane crash and find themselves
castaway on a lost continent where humans and dinosaurs peacefully coexist.
SMALLVILLE: There has been talk about bringing other super heroes into the Smallville environment. Co-creator of Smallville,
Alfred Gough, talked to Wizard magazine about some of the possibilities. “Within the SUPERMAN universe we’re clear to use those characters,”
Gough said, “and DC’s been very supportive, but with other characters it’s a creative and business decision… BATMAN has a whole ‘nother
licensing thing and ownership even though it’s in the DC [Comics] world… I’d love to do a Batman episode. We’re lobbying for it right now.”
While Gough does not yet have script for Bateman's first appearance, he can see the story as a two-or-three-parter.
TIME TUNNEL: According to the Hollywood Reporter, Fox has been given the green light for "Time Tunnel." The network has
given a pilot order to the 20th Century Fox TV/Regency TV drama based on Irwin Allen's 1960s TV series of same name. The pilot was
written by Rand Ravich and will be directed by Emmy-Winner Todd Holland, both of whom will executive produce with Kevin Burns and
Jon Jashni. Irwin Allen's widow, Sheila, is listed as a producer on the project.
PATRICK STEWART: Over at SyFy Portal, you can read about why
Patrick Stewart did not appear at a recent convention in the Meadowlands.
Dr. JYKLE/MR. HYDE: Writer-director David Mamet has a new take on the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde tale. Right now, Jude Law
negotiating to star in Diary of a Young London Physician and Penélope Cruz in early talks to play the female lead.
FIREFLY: Over at Entertainment Weekly, Joss
Whedon about his new Fox series, ''Firefly'. "It's basically a science fiction western. The show takes place in the wake of a universal civil war in
which the government wanted to unite all of the planets into one federation. The government won, so the guys on our ship, who fought for
independence, are cruising the periphery of the universe where some of the planets still haven't been reached by the government. They aren't
heroes; they do a lot of salvage work and odd jobs, some of which aren't so legal. But it's not like most sci-fi shows where everything's in black
and white. The government isn't all bad, but they do some bad stuff. There's a cool ship and there's going to be nifty hardware, but the goal is to
make all the characters' emotional lives totally real. We're focusing on their struggles, not a guy with a gorgon on his templok or something.
SUPER BOWL: Sony will be filling a portion of the commercial breaks during the Super Bowl with movie trailers for upcoming features.
Here's a recent announcement: "On Superbowl Sunday, we'll give you a first look at the upcoming movie XXX, starring Vin Diesel. Look for the ad
featuring incredible action scenes from this spy thriller during the second quarter. And if you're watching the pre-game you'll get your first look at
Jennifer Lopez's new movie, Enough. Not only will you get to see clips from these great movies, you'll also get previews of our other upcoming
movies like Panic Room starring Jodie Foster, Adam Sandler in Mr. Deeds, Men in Black II, plus a never-before-seen clip from Spider-Man. So, move
the fridge into the living room, kick back, watch a little football, and get ready for a blockbuster slate of movies from Sony. And if you happen to miss
a preview, you'll have another chance during the hour-long Malcolm In The Middle that follows the game."
ROSWELL: While there has still been no official word on the fate of Roswell,
Crashdown.com, has retracted the statement made yesterday about the show's cancellation. May has be targeted as the date when
the series' fate will be made known.
January 30: RATINGS: Top 10 SF Syndicated Series: The X-Files 3.1; Andromeda 2.7; Stargate SG-1 2.7; Buffy 2.6; 3rd Rock 2.4;
Mutant X 2.3; John Edward 2.1; Earth: Final Conflict 2.0; Beastmaster 1.8, and The Lost World 1.7. Source: Nielsen Galaxy
Report, 12/31/01 - 1/6/01.
LORD OF THE RINGS: The entire cast of Lord of the Rings has been nominated by SAG for awards. SAG made the announcement
yesterday. Rings was the only genre film to be singled out by SAG for its annual awards. Ian McKellen (Gandalf) was nominated for outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role. The entire cast of Rings was nominated for outstanding performance by the cast of a theatrical motion picture. The SAG awards will be broadcast on TNT on March 10.
MATT HELM: Variety reports that DreamWorks has optioned the movie rights to a series of 27 Matt Helm spy novels by Donald Hamilton. Australian director Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde) is attached to the project, but no further information is available.
JASON 10: Though the movie has been completed for over a year, it has been waiting for a release date. Now we have one! The next installment of the long-lost FRIDAY THE 13TH series will be released April 26. The film was directed by Jim Isaac under the producing wing
of original FRIDAY director Sean Cunningham. JASON 10 tells the story of the master murderer in the year 2455, when he’s awakened from a
deep sleep to murder once again.
STEPHEN KING: The latest Stephen King mini-series, Rose Red, brought home impressive numbers for ABC this week. Part one of
the three-part mystery series about a haunted house in Seattle was seen by 20 million people Sunday night, making it the top-rated television
movie of the season so far. Part two of the mini (18.7 million viewers, a 8.3 rating/19 share in adults 18-49) dominated the 9-11 p.m. time
period Monday and lifted ABC to a nightly win in viewers (16.6 million) and adults 18-49 (6.5/16).
January 29: INVISIBLE MAN: This SCIFI series comes to an end this Friday. There are a series of chats this week with the cast
members, so be sure to drop over to www.scifi.com/chat. Tonight chat with
Mike McCafferty, who plays Albert Eberts - The Official's (Eddie Jones) right-hand drudge at the beleaguered Agency. Tomorrow,
Shannon Kenny, who plays The Keeper, drops by. Chats begin at 9pm ET.
SHREK 2: Reuters reports that Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz have all agreed to return to voice characters
in Shrek 2. All reprise their characters in the original computer-animated movie. Myers will again voice the green ogre, Murphy will
play Donkey and Diaz will voice Princess Fiona. Shrek 2, slated for a 2004 release, is being co-written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio,
who wrote the original Shrek.
SPIDERMAN: A new animated TV series in the works for MTV. Comics writer Brian Michael Bendis told the Comics Continuum
Web site that he is developing the series for Sony and Marvel. "It's a very exciting project with some truly inspiring people involved in it."
Bendis indicated the series will air in the fall and that he has written the pilot episode and a few of the individual episodes.
ELEKTRA: After much speculation, Jennifer Garner has announced that she has won the role of Elektra in the upcoming
Daredevil movie. Competition was fierce for the role, including Penelope Cruz, Jolene Blalock, Rhona Mitra, Mia Maestro, Salma
Hayek, Natalie Portman, Lucy Liu, Jessica Alba, and Katie Holmes. Other casting is gradually coming to a close. Oscar-nominee
Michael Clarke Duncan will portray Manhattan crime boss Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. The Kingpin. Ben Affleck will portray the Daredevil
and Colin Farrell, master assassin Bullseye.
THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: FOX is adaptating Alan Moore's graphic novel series entitled "The League
of Extra Ordinary Gentlemen". The comic, about a group of literary super heroes assembled by Queen Victoria (including Allan Quartermain,
Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, The Invisible Man, and Dracula) to thwart an evil madman." As this porject finalizes, Don Murphy (From Hell)
will produce, with Stephen Norrington (Blade) directing and a script by James Robinson. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Sean
Connery is in talks to star in the movie -- perhaps as "great white hunter" Allan Quartermain.
ROSE RED: An a recent interview with the LA Times, Stephen King looked ahead to finishing a couple of projects and then
quitting. He has a book of short stories due in March; a novel, From a Buick Eight, in the fall; the last three novels in the Dark Tower
series, to be completed in the coming year; and a limited series about a haunted hospital for ABC. After that, King says, "Then that's it.
I'm done." With that many projects yet to finish, I guess we'll have to see if King does give up writing.
SHEENA: Another series has bit the dust for the coming year. Dark Horizons reports that Sony has apparently cancelled the series
due to low ratings and less than expected sales for Season 3.
NEIL GAIMAN: Neil Gaiman will be featured in Blue Line Pro’s SKETCH MAGAZINE #14. “Neil has worked on all kinds of projects.
He has done comics, novels, children’s books, short stories, TV programs and movies. You name it; he has done it and done it like no one
else. I’m awe-struck by the level of his creative imagination,” says Bob Hickey, SKETCH creative director. “His passion for storytelling
continues to surprise us all.” Gaiman wrote "Day of the Dead" for Babylon 5 and has a long list of novels, including "American Gods" and the
comic Sandman series.
FALL SCHEDULE: CBS is pulling together it's fall schedule already. They have renewed "JAG," "The Guardian", "Judging Amy", "CSI:
Crime Scene Investigation" and "The District." No real surprises here. All have solid ratings on their respective nights.
X-FILES: Burt Reynolds is set to star in an upcoming episode of "The X-Files." Burt will play a mysterious figure who has a strange
connection not only to the murder that Scully (Gillian Anderson), Doggett (Robert Patrick) and Reyes (Annabeth Gish) are investigating, but
to the agents themselves. "The X-Files" creator Chris Carter wrote the stand alone episode and will also direct it. The episode is set to air in
April.
OUT THERE: Sci Fi Channel has put "Dan Aykroyd's Out There" on hold. According to The Hollywood Reporter, SCIFI indicated that
the show needs some re-tooling before it will be put on the schedule. "It's not been canceled," a Sci Fi spokeswoman stressed. "They're talking
with Dan [Aykroyd] still hoping to work together to create something different and better. It may be repackaged or completely done over. There
just hasn't been a decision made yet."
CROSSING OVER: "Crossing Over" star John Edward is working with Studios USA to develop and star a primetime drama series targeted
for 2002. Edward will play a man who wrestles with the ramifications of his psychic gift, leaving a career in medicine to examine his spirituality and how it intersects with the law. Edward is the co-creator of the series, which is produced through his JECO Prods. company and Studios USA. Studios USA also produces Edward's show for cable's Sci Fi Channel, "Crossing Over," which premiered in syndication in August.
What I've learned over the years is that no matter what one does, there will be
a certain percentage who love it uncritically, an equal (but often much louder)
percentage who hate it uncritically, with the majority somewhere in the middle.
The thing you have to do is make sure the number stays more in the middle or
leaning toward liking something than not.
And adding it all up, it seems to have done the job. It's been overall far
more positive than negative. Criticism? Sure. That's what a pilot is *for*,
to find out what does and doesn't work. You try shit. You experiment. Some
will like it, some won't, which is all to the good.
The fulcrum on which all this now rests is the ratings, which have gotten kinda
weirdly skewed.
We heard what we initially thought were disappointing figures, that we'd done a
1.7 when SFC was hoping for a 2.6 or better. It kind of puzzled everybody
because the B5 audience is generally pretty reliable.
It became even *more* puzzling when the more detailed figures came in, showing
that by quarter-hours, the show *gained viewers* and did not lose them.
Meaning folks who came on the show by accident, stayed to watch. It should
have been much higher than it was.
Then the final market-by-marked figures came in from the studio, and we had our
mystery resolved.
The east coast ratings got hammered by the football game, which was the highest
rated such game in something like 5 years. The B5 male demos are pretty much
the same as for sports, and we lost heavily to football. So there we did not
do well.
By contrast, on the west coast, where the show aired *after* the game had
finished, we not only met but *exceeded* SFC's expectations, getting a 3.2 or
3.6 in many markets, which is actually pretty unheard of for a basic cable
network.
The problem is that the average, 1.7, is still what's used for advertising. So
we have to see if SFC will look past the show getting hammered by a big
football event on the East Coast to look at the West Coast figures and see that
there is, indeed, a market.
It's in the hands of the TV gods from this point on.
Now that we have heard from JMS on the ratings, we really need to get busy and write not only SCIFI but to the businesses
that sponsored the project. Their money went into this effort -- and they need to know that we are behind them all the way
should they decide to turn this into a series.
First, THANK YOU letters to SCIFI. Bonnie Hammer and the staff at SCIFI did a lot to promote the telemovie. We want to make
sure they know we not only appreciate what they have done -- but that we will watch the new series if it goes forward. Letters
can be sent to:
Bonnie Hammer
President, SciFi Network
1230 Avenue of the Americas
Floor 20
New York, NY 10020
SPONSOR LETTERS: Writing letters to sponsors is a great way to show appreciation for getting "Legend of the Rangers" on the air.
Check out the website at http://abyss.hubbe.net/b5/sponsor.html.
The page outlines the letter-writing campaign, gives do's and dont's for writing an effective letter and allows folks to *download*
the sponsor list data files (in Excel and delimited ASCII formats) to use for mail-merge letters. Thank you Ranger Joe and Ranger Monica
for all your work on this.
GROUP LETTERS: If you think a joint letter would be good for some of the larger sponsors, like
Daimler Chrysler, I would be more than happy to gather names and send along a letter with a listing
of readers who have signed electronically. Just send your name & address to sgbruckner@aol.com and
I'll get started on letters to the larger companies involved.
PASS THE INFORMATION ALONG: If you belong to other newsgroups or mailing lists, please forward
this information along so that as many people participate as possible. This needs to be done quickly
so that the impact can be felt NOW, while the decision is being made.
LEGEND OF THE RANGERS WEBSITE
SCIFI did a wonderful job of providing us with a great deal of information on the cast and crew for the "Legend of the Rangers" movie.
Be sure to check out www.scifi.com/b5rangers. You will find digital trading cards for David Martel, Sarah Cantrell, Citizen G'Kar, Malcolm Bridges, Na'feel, Tirk and Dulann. There are short videos and interviews. Don't miss
the feature about Mark Savela, visual-effects supervisor from GVFX and the interview with director Mike Vejar.
In the gallery, you'll find photos of the cast, some great behind-the-scenes pics and some desktop graphics you can use on your PC.
Chat transcripts for all cast members, Dylan Neal, Alex Zahara, Dean Marshall, Warren T. Takeuchi, Myriam Sirois and Enid-Raye Adams
are all available as well.
RANGER SIGHTINGS
Ranger John has filed the following sighting report:
John Fleck, who portrayed Del Varner in *The Gathering*, has played the
character Silik in the pilot and one other episode of *Enterprise*.
He also played the office manager, Louis Hines, in both seasons of *Murder
One*, which is currently being shown on A&E's daily lineup--7 AM and 1 PM
Central Time, so I assume that would be 8 AM and 2 PM Eastern.
JEREMIAH TO PREMIERE IN MARCH
More information and photos of JMS' upcoming "Jeremiah" series can be found at the ComicsContinuium site. The series is set to premiere
on March 3 at 8pmET on Showtime.
A new website has been opened for the upcoming series at www.jeremiah.tv Other material we've carried on Jeremiah has been moved to the Jeremiah Page.
Here is an excerpt from the latest MGM newsletter:
Jeremiah, the new series from acclaimed writer/creator J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5), will premiere in March of 2002 on Showtime. The series, which stars Luke Perry (Jeremiah), Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Kurdy) and Peter Stebbings (Markus Alexander), is currently in production in Vancouver, BC. Jeremiah is set in a future post-apocalyptic world where, almost a decade before, a deadly virus wiped out the world's adult population, sparing only those who hadn't reached puberty. Now in their 20s, the oldest survivors of the pandemic include Jeremiah (Perry) and his good-natured but cynical pal Kurdy (Warner). Jeremiah is on a personal quest to relocate a mysterious place called Valhalla, which his father claimed might hold some hope for the survivors.
View the exclusive new images from MGM Jeremiah site. Also, keep your eyes on the MGM Sci-Fi Newsletter for up-to-the-minute news and interviews from the set of this exciting new series…
THIS WEEK'S DISCUSSION TOPIC:
I'm running behind on getting this week's discussion topic responses posted -- but I think this is a special case where we can just
let this one run for another week. If you would like to send along a review or comment about "Legend of the Rangers", do so. Send
in your comments to TheZocalo@aol.com or B5web@aol.com. I'll post them on the Discussion Topic
page for everyone to share.
BABYLON 5 ON DVD
This report was sent in by Ranger Joe regarding additional Babylon 5 episodes on DVD:
According to "The Digital Bits"(www.thedigitalbits.com) , a site I know to be reliable, the first full-season boxed set is due this fall.
Now is the time for fans to write to Warner Home Video and let them know what kind of production, extras and packaging we will
and will not buy. Send letters to:
Mr. Douglas Wadleigh
VP for Marketing and Special Features
Warner Bros.
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91522
Babylon 5 -- "In the Beginning" and "The Gathering" are available on DVD. SCIFI has a review of at http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue243/screen.htm. At the bottom of the page
is a request for feedback. You may want to use this method to feed WB your desires for MORE B5 on DVD.
KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW
JOSH COXX: According to Electronic Media, Lifetime Television has ordered up a full third season for "Strong Medicine." The series,
produced by Columbia TriStar Domestic Television, stars Janine Turner ("Northern Exposure") and Rosa Blasi as two female doctors who run a
women's clinic. Other cast regulars include Jenifer Lewis ("The Temptations" ), Josh Coxx ("Babylon 5"), Philip Casnoff ("Oz"), Brennan Elliott and Chris Marquette ("Pasadena"). "Strong Medicine" airs Sundays at 8 p.m. Whoopi Goldberg, executive produces the series with Tammy Ader ("Party of Five").
DANIEL DAE KIM: You've seen him recently on Angel. Check out a recent interview with Daniel (Lt. Matheson on Crusade) at
www.bronzeshelter.com.
JEFFREY WILLERTH: Jeffrey (Kosh from B5) has just completed the two shows for Animal Planet.
The first show "Planet's Best Animal Commercials" aired on Jan. 8th but will re-air on Jan 30 or 31.
The second, Planet's Wildest Animal Commercials" is slated to premier on Feb 18. Check listings in
both cases; the network will air these over and over again.
MELISSA GILBERT: Zap2It.com reports that Ted Danson ("Becker") and Marisa Tomei are joining Screen Actors Guild
President Melissa Gilbert to announce the nominations for this year's SAG Awards on Tuesday, Jan. 29, at Los Angeles' Pacific
Design Center. The eighth annual SAG Awards will air on TNT Sunday, March 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Actors Mike Farrell, Paul Petersen, Lisa Lewis, Jane Beard and John J. Fleming asked the Department of Labor on
Monday to halt plans by the Screen Actors Guild to hold a second election next month. The actors maintained in their filing that a
union committee that recommended the new election was stacked with supporters of the losing candidate for union president, Valerie
Harper. They added that voting irregularities cited by the elections committee, such as allowing East Coast members an extra two days
to vote, have actually represented standard practices of the union for years. Melissa Gilbert won the election and remain President of
SAG until a re-run of the election takes place soon.
STEPHEN AUSTIN: Stephen has just shot a promo for NBC's FEAR FACTOR that they will start airing next week. It's a
special edition FEAR FACTOR that will be seen during halftime of the Super Bowl. In the promo, Stephen plays a Highland Warrior
(ala Braveheart). Stephen says "It was alot of fun to do." So keep an eye out for it.
JASON CARTER/RICHARD BIGGS: We know these two guys love working together. They got a chance to do so again in
a new film "Starship II: Rendezvous with Ramses". This is the sequel to the 1996 film Rock n Roll Starship. Starship II is a feature length sci-fi comedy being produced in the towns of Logansport and Lafayette, Indiana by MagicHouse Productions, Inc. and Digital Fury. Using the new wave of digital video cameras, computer-generated effects and the talents of a crew that can only be described as "eclectic", the goal of Starship II is to produce a story that is a leap above the low-budget norm. Rick Biggs plays Officer Franklin and Jason Carter plays Commander Deckins. The film also features John Astin as Professor Peabody. You can get more information at the film's website.JASON CARTER: Pre-production has begun on a new project for Jason, Demon Under Glass. Here's a description of the movie from
the Yahoo Groups announcement: The pursuit of a serial Killer leads to a deeper evil. When the government captures a vampire, Simon Molinar (Jason Carter) he is imprisoned in a VA hospital and subjected to brutal medical experiments to figure out what makes him tick. With the project's original MD dead at the creature's hands, a rookie from the clinic downstairs, Dr. Joe McKay(The Sentinel's Garett Maggart), is brought in as a last minute replacement. As the procedures become more gruesome, he is torn between sympathy for the patient's suffering and concern for the evil that threatens to consume everyone involved. Get more information at groups.yahoo.com/group/Demonunderglass/ and www.dugfanclub.com.
As you have read, the series has been cancelled. However, fans are organizing a letter-writing
campaign to let the Powers That Be know that there is support for the show! If you would like
to add your name to the petition, go to
http://www.petitiononline.com/su2/petition.html
A number of you have written to ask about having an index of the chronology published thusfar. Terry has given
permission for this so I'm working on it. You can now find the index to the timeline published thusfar at
B5 Chronology Index .
Terry Jones created a FANTASTIC Babylon 5/Crusade Chronology that was published in the Official Babylon 5 magazine.
He has not stopped with the end of the series though. He has included items from the latest novels as well as things
from the Crusade series. Here's a note from Terry to tell you all about it.
To look at the timeline in a different way, I have been working with Terry Jones on personal chronologies for the
Babylon 5 universe. At The Galactic Gateway you will fine Parts 1-4
of the chronology for John Sheridan along with Part 1 for KOSH. Others will follow. I hope you will visit GG and give
the chronologies a look.
Rittenhouse Archives and www.scifihobby.com are pleased to announce the
addition of 6 trading cards based on the all-new "Babylon 5: Legend of the
Rangers" TV movie to the upcoming "The Complete Babylon 5" trading card
series. The 6 cards will feature images and characters from the TV movie and
will be used as box toppers (1 per box) in the all-new card series due out in
March.
"The Complete Babylon 5" features complete synopses of all the episodes in
the show's 5-year run, and includes nearly 1,000 never-before-published
photos. Many of these photos will depict some of the show's most dynamic CGI
space images. The trading card series will also feature 2 autograph cards
and 1 costume card in every box. Autographs include Michael O'Hare (Jeffrey
Sinclair), Andrea Thompson (Talia Winters) and a double signed card of Bruce
Boxleitner (John Sheridan) and Melissa Gilbert (Anna Sheridan). Boxleitner
and Gilbert are married in real life (and in the show). Costume cards
include materials worn by Boxleitner, Jerry Doyle (Garibaldi), Peter Jurasik
(Londo Mollari), Andreas Kastulas (G'Kar), Rick Biggs (Dr. Franklin) and
Claudia Christian (Susan Ivanova).
More details are available at www.scifihobby.com.
SCI FI PUBLICATIONS
Cinefantastique #34: Though the cast of Voyager adorns the cover, "Legend of the Rangers" captures several pages in this issue. Frank Garcia
talks to the cast about joining the Babylon 5 universe and Alex Zahara tells us what it was like becoming Dulann. Also in the issue are articles
on William Shatner, Eugene Roddenberry (Gene's son), and SCIFI's new EXPOSURE.
Starburst #282: This month's issue offers quite a bit of variety. The Time Machine will be released in March and you can read about those responsible for the latest version of this HGWells classic. Also in this issue, Robert Patrick & Annabeth Gish talk about this season of the X-Files; Brent Stait discusses his departure from Andromeda and we hear more from Sir Ian McKellan, Liv Tyler and Peter Jackson on the Lord of the Rings.
Expose #64: Mutant X's Lauren Lee Smith graces this month's issue. She portrays Emma, an empath on the new series. She and Forbes March (Jesse) talk about the rigors of making this series. Also included in this issue: Danny Strong on Buffy; Renee Palmer on Earth: Final Conflict; Patrick Warburton on The Tick and JC Mackenzie on Dark Angel.
TV Zone #147: Chris Carter talks changes on and off the set of X-Files minus Mulder. Dominic Keating (Malcolm Reed in the new
Enterprise series), talks about the challenges of a new Star Trek series. John Shea was a villain in "Lois and Clark". He's now fighting
a noble cause in Mutant X. Also in this issue, TZ looks at Xena: Warrior Princess and Roswell.
Cult Times #76: Scott Bakula takes center stage this month as Enterprise premieres in the UK this month. Also included in this
issue are articles on Amy Acker, Angel's latest cast addition, a look at upcoming Buffy episodes and Dark Angel.
Good news. SciFi magazine is back! The latest issue is out now. G'Kar is on the cover and articles provide more information about
the Liandra crew. Also in the magazine will be information about Steven Spielberg's "Taken".
COMIC BOOKS
AMAZING SPIDERMAN: Issue #37 of Amazing Spiderman is now out on stands. There is a review of the issue
over at www.cinescape.com.
SCI-FI SCHEDULE
BABYLON 5's Schedule: Airing at 5pm ET
January 31 The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari
February 1 The Paragon of Animals
February 4 A View from the Gallery
February 5 Learning Curve
February 6 Strange Relations
February 7 Secrets of the Soul
February 11 In the Kingdom of the Blind
February 12 A Tragedy of Telepaths
February 13 Phoenix Rising
February 14 Day of the Dead
BABYLON 5/CRUSADE PHOTOSHOP NEW PHOTOS
You do NOT have to pay the prices asked for over at e-bay! Here are photos of B5 and Crusade cast members at
fantastic prices. Check out Photo Shop. Ordering is easy -- and you can't
beat the prices! Just let me know which photos you want and I'll check to make sure they are still in stock.
NEW BABYLON 5 TOONS
John Cook has a new cartoon contest going. Try your hand at a punch line.
READER DIRECTORY
Sometimes you just can't find the e-mail address for someone you know you have -- it's someone who responded
to a discussion topic or you met in one of the chat rooms. You'd like to send a personal note, but .... No
address!!!!
We've started a White Pages of Zocalo Readers! It's a handy way of keeping track of people -- and putting together
a birthday/greeting card list as well. If you would like to be part of the listing, just send me your name,
state, e-mail address and (if you'd like to have it listed) birthday (without year) to sgbruckner@aol.com.
Check out the Directory of Readers.
Name: Arwen Rosenbaum
State: New York
E-mail: arwen@panix.com
Birthday: Jan. 1
Name: Michael Rosenthal
Birthday: January 12
BABYLON 5 REFERENCE PAGES
The Official Babylon 5 Magazine is indexed here as well. With the closure of the magazine in May, you'll want
to see which magazines you have -- and which ones you will want to collect. The index may help you make a decision
on which ones to choose. The Fan Club has many of the issues at thestation.com ,
making it very easy to complete your collection.
Universe Today -- the Babylon 5 Fan Club quarterly can also be found here. The index gives you a
rundown of what articles were presented, what interviews published.
If you have magazines that have featured Babylon 5 or Crusade that are not listed, send along their issue
number and a note to indicate what the article was about. It would be nice to have a fairly comprehensive
listing of Babylon 5 publications here.
I have added a listing of all the Babylon 5 novels and now the B5 comic books to the reference page. If there
are other items that you feel should be included, let me know.
MAILING LISTS
NW-B5
NW-B5 is a mailing list devoted to bringing critical information to the Vancouver Island, Lower Mainland, and
Northern Washington areas. More specifically, anyone north of Seattle. B5 is broadcast on SPACE:TIS in Canada,
and Sci-Fi channel in the US. By subscribing to nw-b5, you'll be able to know info bringing you up to date on the
current scheduling and events happening in the community related to B5. You'll also be subscribed to the list
itself, which means that you'll receive email when there is a scheduling change or critical information needs to
go out to you (for example, if we need to start another mailing campaign).
For further information, see http://www.nw-b5.com
John Francis
Webmaster, Listowner, and Co-Moderator
mailto:nw-b5@iname.com
Reports of "The Gathering" are beginning to turn up on the list. John posted a mini-report, with photos,
over at http://www.geocities.com/jnf.geo/nw-b5/gathered.htm#0501.
You may want to check it out. It was a terrific event in which JMS showed clips from the new "Legend of
the Rangers".
BABYLON 5 DISCUSSION LIST
The Babylon 5 discussion mailing list is for any and all discussions and/or news pertaining to or related
to Babylon 5 and/or Crusade. The list has been in existence for the past three years now, and has recently
moved. The new location is http://lists.apparition.org/cgi-bin/lyris.pl,
and you can subscribe by sending a blank e-mail message to join-babylon_5-l@lists.apparition.org.
THE GALACTIC GATEWAY
Here's a unique site for you! Jeffrey Willerth, Patricia Tallman, Mira Furlan, Claudia Christian, Robin Atkin
Downes, Rick Biggs, Jerry Doyle, Bruce Boxleitner, Melissa Gilbert, Peter Jurasik, Bill Mumy and Carrie Dobro are under it's
umbrella. Actors from other shows have joined the Gateway. Ted Raimi and Robert Trebor from Xena and Hercules
are now at GG. To subscribe to a mailing list for GG, send a blank note to thegalacticgateway-subscribe@egroups.com.
GATEWAY CHATTERS
There is never enough time to keep in touch with friends! To help out, a mailing list has been started for chatters
over at the Galactic Gateway. If you are interested in joining, send a blank note to gateway-chatter-subscribe@egroups.com.
GATEWAY TRADER
Are you looking for a particular Babylon 5 collectible? Do you have some items you'd like to trade? Then this is the
list for you. To join, send a blank note to gateway-trader-subscribe@egroups.com.
CALLING ALL ARTISTS
The Art Gallery at The Zocalo Today is open. There
are SO MANY talented people in our Babylon 5 community. We have enjoyed works by Todd Brugman and Tye Bourdony
on our toons page, but there are a host of others who enjoy drawing, painting, sketching their favorite characters.
Here are a few works that have been received. I have some others that will be added soon.
If you would like to share your work with us at The Zocalo Today, please send along a digital photo of your
work and I'll begin putting the gallery together. If you do not have your work in digital format, drop me
a note and we'll see what we can work out.
CALLING ALL CLUBS
OTTAWA: Ranger Dave is trying to start up a B5 group in Toronto. He has asked me to post this information to see who is in the area
and interested in getting together:
I live in the area of Toronto, Ontario and am starting up a sci fi/fantasy club/group and am looking for members. I am hoping
any members who join will be more than just Trek & B5 fans. Our meetings will be at least once a month in the area of
downtown Toronto on Sunday afternnons. The next meeting is scheduled for Sunday Nov. 18th at 1:45pm. If your interested,
need more info and or have any questions please feel free to e-mail me at akalel@hotmail.com.
SYDNEY: Amanda, a member of the club 'Friends of Science Fiction' in Sydney, Australia, dropped a note to say that they will
host an event with Marjean Holden on September 9. More information can be found on the convention
calendar. If you are in beautiful Sydney, you may want to check out the Club. It meets at: Lidcombe Catholic Club;
John St; Lidcombe. If you have questions, drop Amanda a note at Amanda_Beachcroft@msn.com.au.
There are a number of fabulous Babylon 5/Crusade Clubs around the world. I'd like to begin listing them here
on The Zocalo Today. Eric dropped me a note the other day providing information about a Club in France. I know
there are other clubs in Brazil, Germany, Russia -- and who knows how many here in the US. Let's get a
listing together. Perhaps we can share resources, even get together as we travel around. Drop the information
about your Club to me at sgbruckner@aol.com or bruckner@isnnews.net. That information will be added to the
new B5 Fan Club Listing.
BABYLON 5 FAN CLUB
Netter Digital filed for bankruptcy in July of 2000 and all their worldly posessions were auctioned off on December 7.
Thestation.comEmporium has been closed.
BABYLON 5 NEWSLETTERS
If you have a newsletter you'd like to have listed at The Zocalo Today, send the information along. It
will be posted on the B5 Fan Club/Newsletter page.
Ranger Shane in North Carolina sent in the following note about their "Jumpgate" newsletter.
Hey Sandy! Just wanted to give you an update on the NC B5 group's
newsletter, Jumpgate. There's now a dedicated EMail address for
submissions - jumpgatemag@bellsouth.net - and any submissions,
solicited or un-, can be sent to this address. Also, issues are available for
free download at the URL at the bottom of this message.
Jumpgate - The Newsletter of the North Carolina Babylon 5 Fan Club
Shane Killian, Editor
HELP WANTED
A new HELP WANTED section has been added to the Z. If you need
help finding a comic book, getting a special item, etc. here's the place to post a note. Just send
whatever help you need to thezocalo@aol.com.
BABYLON 5/CRUSADE CONVENTIONS
CONVENTION CALENDAR
J.R.'s Comedy Club
February 2, 2002
Valencia, California
Stephen Austin will be appearing at the Club
Boskone 39
February 15-17, 2002, Boston, MA
Place: Sheraton Framingham Hotel
Framingham, MA (508) 879-7200
Guest: Neil Gaiman
Gallifrey One
February 15-18, 2002, Los Angeles, CA
Place: Airtel Plaza Hotel
Van Nuys, CA (818) 997-7676 or toll free at 1-(800) 2-AIRTEL
Guests: Judson Scott, Mira Furlan, Beata Pozniak, Marjorie Monaghan, Julie Caitlin Brown,
Carrie Dobro, Mojo, Stephen Austin, Bill Blair
Be sure to check the entire convention calendar for dates of events around
the country. If you know of a convention that will host B5 personalities, drop me a line so that I can include the event
on our calendar.
ZOCALO TRADING POST
Do you have extra copies of B5, Amazing Spiderman, Midnight Nation or Rising Stars comics you'd like to trade? How about those
extra trading cards or B5 magazines? There are a lot of fans looking for these items -- and the Trading Post can help you buy or
sell them. To see what's available, just use this link to the Trading Post.
To have items included in The Trading Post, send a note to The Zocalo. Please put Trading Post
in the subject line.
Pen Pals
If you are looking for someone to talk about Babylon 5 and Crusade with, the Pen Pal section is for you!
Check it out! Drop a note to someone who is feeling B5 withdrawal -- BIG TIME!
People thought a Pen Pal page was a good idea. If you would like to meet people who you could chat with or share your
opinions of the show with, send along your e-mail or snail-mail address The Zocalo.
It will be incorporated on the new Pen Page Page.
BABYLON 5 BIRTHDAYS
January 24 - Peter Woodward
January 27 - Julie Caitlin Brown
January 27 - Tamilyn Tomita
Have I missed anyone? If you know the birthday of someone connected with Babylon 5,
pass the information along. We want to include everyone in our Happy Birthday Wishes.
MAIL FOR CAST AND CREW
Here's a recent note from JMS on the subject:
Just an FYI to those who've been using the Ventura Blvd. mail drop for fan mail
to actors....
As mentioned before, we're phasing out the forwarding of fan mail because we a)
don't have the resources, complicated by b) the actors have scattered to the
four winds, and it makes it very difficult to get everything to everybody in a
timely fashion.
So, having provided prior notice...fan mail to actors coming to the Ventura
Blvd. mail drop will be sent back. Mail to actors should be sent via their
official fan clubs. I will still be taking mail there, since it's my mailbox,
but that's it.
Just so's y'all know and save a few bucks on postage and returns.
JMS' mail can be sent to:
14431 Ventura Boulevard, PMB 260
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
WARNER BROS:
Warner Bros. Address:
Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91522
Warner Home Video:
Mr. Douglas Wadleigh
VP for Marketing and Special Features
Warner Bros.
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91522
BACK ISSUES OF THE ZOCALO TODAY
The front page of the The Zocalo Today changes daily, so be sure to check the
back issues to make sure that you haven't missed anything IMPORTANT! I don't want the front page getting too
long so I shift information periodically into the archives. So if you aren't a regular visitor to The Zocalo Today, be sure
to check out the back issues. Just use the button above!
Take care and I look forward to hearing from you. Sandra Bruckner (sgbruckner@aol.com)
Editor/Publisher
The Zocalo Today
http://www.isnnews.net
Copyright - SBruckner, 2002
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BLOOD DRIVES: If you are able, be sure to roll up your sleeves and give blood -- both now and in a
couple of weeks. The need for blood will be continual. Right now, the tremendous outpouring of volunteers
has filled quotas and storage space! FANTASTIC!!! But those supplies will be utilized and a new supply
will be needed soon. Check out donation drives near you. I'm signed up already.
Cinefantastique #34: Though the cast of Voyager adorns the cover, "Legend of the Rangers" captures several pages in this issue. Frank Garcia
talks to the cast about joining the Babylon 5 universe and Alex Zahara tells us what it was like becoming Dulann. Also in the issue are articles
on William Shatner, Eugene Roddenberry (Gene's son), and SCIFI's new EXPOSURE.
Starburst #282: This month's issue offers quite a bit of variety. The Time Machine will be released in March and you can read about those responsible for the latest version of this HGWells classic. Also in this issue, Robert Patrick & Annabeth Gish talk about this season of the X-Files; Brent Stait discusses his departure from Andromeda and we hear more from Sir Ian McKellan, Liv Tyler and Peter Jackson on the Lord of the Rings. 
Expose #64: Mutant X's Lauren Lee Smith graces this month's issue. She portrays Emma, an empath on the new series. She and Forbes March (Jesse) talk about the rigors of making this series. Also included in this issue: Danny Strong on Buffy; Renee Palmer on Earth: Final Conflict; Patrick Warburton on The Tick and JC Mackenzie on Dark Angel.
TV Zone #147: Chris Carter talks changes on and off the set of X-Files minus Mulder. Dominic Keating (Malcolm Reed in the new
Enterprise series), talks about the challenges of a new Star Trek series. John Shea was a villain in "Lois and Clark". He's now fighting
a noble cause in Mutant X. Also in this issue, TZ looks at Xena: Warrior Princess and Roswell.
Cult Times #76: Scott Bakula takes center stage this month as Enterprise premieres in the UK this month. Also included in this
issue are articles on Amy Acker, Angel's latest cast addition, a look at upcoming Buffy episodes and Dark Angel. 
Good news. SciFi magazine is back! The latest issue is out now. G'Kar is on the cover and articles provide more information about
the Liandra crew. Also in the magazine will be information about Steven Spielberg's "Taken".
AMAZING SPIDERMAN: Issue #37 of Amazing Spiderman is now out on stands. There is a review of the issue
over at 
January 24 - Peter Woodward