THE ZOCALO TODAY – NOVEMBER 25, 2006

WHAT'S NEW

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving. Thought I would get you
all caught up with word coming out of Vancouver on the new Babylon 5
production – THE LOST TALES. Things seem to be going very well and I
hope JMS will continue to send along as they move from production
into post-production.

BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES - PRODUCTION UPDATES

November 22, 2006
Just a quick hello direct from the set of Babylon 5: The Lost Tales.
It's 4:51 p.m. and we just finished lunch (crew call at 10 a.m. lunch
at 4). Bruce Boxleitner just completed a series of shots in a
Starfury, his first time back in the saddle. We're ahead of schedule
and might actually wrap filming a day early. (It always goes faster
if you don't actually put film in the camera.) We've introduced a new
Centauri character -- Prince Regent Vintari, third from the throne --
a new ISN reporter played by Teryl Rothery, a priest played by Alan
Scarfe, and a character who may have come too close to certain dark
forces played by Bruce Ramsey. Part One of "Voices in the Dark"
wrapped on Friday, and we should have part two done tomorrow, after a
long sequence shooting in the hallway of a new Minbari Presidential
Cruiser built for the Interstellar Alliance.

November 16, 2006
This will be brief, because it's late and I have an early call
tomorrow -- a longer update will be coming soon via the B5scripts.com
mailing list and elsewhere soon -- but I just wanted to let folks
know that filming is going very well. We're three days in, and so far
we're ahead of schedule, usually about an hour or two. We actually
moved a couple of shots up from tomorrow's call sheet to today. It's
just going really well.

The B5 we see here is similar to but somewhat more sophisticated or
rethought in places. For instance, in B5 halls we used to have wooden
strips painted green or blue or red to signal various sectors. Here
we ran these really lovely light panels that can change colors and at
the same time add a light source and warm up the halls. We also went
back to the original B5 blueprints and found some elements that we
wanted to do in the show but couldn't, and we've incorporated them
into the new sets. We're also re-engineering the look of B5, the
starfuries, various alien ships and the like.

Tonight there was a dinner with Doug, me, Tracy and Bruce, with Peter
Woodward scheduled to fly in tomorrow so everybody's here for a
couple of pivotal scenes that will cross the two segments. (One
aside...Bruce was openly lamenting the small sub-section of British
fans -- most of whom we all agreed couldn't be niftier -- who are
determined to try and drive a wedge between him and me and the rest
of the crew. No sooner was his involvement announced than this
same "bunch of whackos" started the same rumors again, including the
one where he supposedly burned his crew jacket after the end of B5.
Determined to put that to rest, he pulled out all crew coats we made
up for him that were personalized by the wardrobe department and --
minus the one that was auctioned for charity at a well publicized
convention -- brought them ALL up here to dispel that myth once and
for all. So tomorrow we're going to get a picture of him and me, with
either all the coats, or at minimum the one the nutcases keep saying
he burned, just to put THAT baldfaced lie to bed. The photo will be
posted on the nets somewhere soon.)

Otherwise, all is good, and the scenes are cutting together well.
Three days down, seven to go.
jms

To read more about LOST TALES and the entire press release, go to
Lost Tales page at <a href=http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/lost-
tales.shtml>.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:
Do you like the new scheduling of shows – where reruns are cut down
and new shows are inserted? For example, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA,
PRISON BREAK, LOST – all are ending the first half of the current
season and will return in January. Is this a good thing or would you
prefer to watch the season all the way through and cope with re-runs?

Send your comments in to sgbruckner@... and I'll post them for
everyone to share.

BABYLON PODCASTS

Babylon Podcast #42
by Summer —
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
We have some special reports and updates for everyone this week!
First up, we have Stephen Furst, who's stopped by to promote his
latest directorial project, the new SciFi Channel original
movie, "Basilisk", starring Yancy Butler, Cleavant Derricks, Jeremy
London and Stephen himself. Tune in to SciFi Channel this Saturday,
November 25, at 9pm ET to catch this campy monster movie romp.
Next, Pat Tallman talks a little about her Be A Santa charity, a
holiday fundraiser supporting Penny Lane, a Southern California
charity providing services and support for children's social
services.

Pat helped them build a computer lab for the kids, but for the
holidays, she needs donations to purchase gifts for the children,
either of money or toys. FarPoint Media opens the donation doors with
$100… let's make a Babylon 5 push to help Pat provide gifts and
decorations for the kids this year.

Next, our studio audience is introduced, but they aren't unfamiliar
voices to FarPoint Media fans. Mike is still fascinated by the fact
that people want to come by to listen to this podcast (given the fact
that fans in Europe lose out on some sleep to catch our live feed, he
really shouldn't be surprised). Brian chimes in that he was more
familiar with JMS' comics work, Rising Stars and Midnight Nation as
examples, and Tim mentions his reading of JMS' Fantastic Four work.

BABYLON PODCAST #41
by Summer —
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Summer is in Austin TX this week, attending World Fantasy Convention,
hanging out with many of her favorite scifi and fantasy authors.
This means the boys are left to their own devices. Hoo-boy.

Tim, Jeffrey, and Michael talk some guy stuff in Babylon 5, which
pretty much covers motorized and mechanized toys, sexually suggestive
scenes, and the fifth season tendency to get Tracy Scoggins in her
underwear as often as possible.

Exactly how many cross-media promotions and mentions about Babylon 5
can Tim and Jeff reference? The Drew Carey Show, the Dilbert comics,
the list goes on, and they don't even scratch the surface (how did
they not recall the Buffy mentions?). Maybe we should make a list…
Many are the topics touched on by the guys tonight: plot required set
destruction and general breakage, SmartPop Books, the depth of B5
technical manuals and blueprints, the randomness of B5 airings the
first time around, and an amusing musical interlude.

Listener Feedback: Jarsto submits Babylon Podcast Haikus for our
entertainment; Jarsto comments on Londo's three wives and the
possibility that all together, they are the Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse; Iron Eagle has a serious request that we move ahead
faster with the episode discussions; Jarsto comments on Show #38, and
how the Narns sacrificed themselves to make sure G'Kar got to safety.

Go to http://www.babylonpodcast.com to listen to all of the previous
broadcasts or visit http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/podcasts.shtml for
the collection.

NEW COMICS COMING OUT

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #539
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, pencils and cover by Ron Garney.
"Back in Black," Part 1. Look what someone found in their closet!
Reeling in the aftermath of the Civil War that's wracked the Marvel
Universe, Peter Parker has got plenty of reasons to consider a change
of wardrobe. Black is his state of mind. But the worst is yet to come
for Spider-Man. Get on board here, True Believer, as we gear up for
an event that will forever change the life of your favorite web-
slinger. There IS no going back.
32 pages, $2.99.

BULLET POINTS #4
Written by J. Michael Strazynski, pencils and cover by Tommy Lee
Edwards.
The ripple effects continue through JMS and Tommy Lee Edwards'
alternate Marvel Universe. What strange twist will lead to the
creation of the Spider-Man, who will replace Steve Rogers as the new
Iron Man and what monumental presence threatens the very existence of
humanity?
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Feb. 7.

WHAT'S NEW IN THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION:
TOP SF&F NETWORK PROGRAMS
Lost 9.8
Heroes 8.8
Ghost Whisperer 7.1
Jericho 6.0
Smallville 3.0
Supernatural 2.0
Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report, 10/30/06 - 11/5/06.

BASILISK: THE SERPENT KING
Tonight, Yancy Butler, who starred in TNT's WITCHBLADE TV series,
returns to science-fiction television. Butler plays Hannah in
BASILISK: THE SERPENT KIND, a two-hour movie airing at 9 p.m. (ET) on
Sci Fi. Here's a descrption of the movie:
"When an ancient serpent statue discovered at an archaeological site
comes to life during an eclipse, it turns into the terrifying
mythical creature, the Basilisk. A lethal being that can turn its
victims to stone with its stare, the Basilisk rampages through the
city, leaving destruction in its wake. The only hope for survival
lies within a team of archaeologists, who race to track down an
elusive ancient scepter - the single object capable of destroying the
creature once and for all."
The film is directed by Stephen Furst (Vir) from BABYLON 5 and Animal
House fame. He talks about the film in this week's BabylonPodcast -
below.

STARGATE ATLANTIS
Although STARGATE SG-1 comes to an end with its 10th season, we may
not have seen the last of Colonel Samantha Carter. Amanda Tapping,
who plays Carter appears to be making the move over to "Stargate:
Atlantis" when the show picks up its fourth season next summer. "I am
contractually obligated to the franchise for a year," Tapping told
fans at a recent convention appearance in England. "They exercised
that option, which is fine." How many episodes Tapping will appear in
is still up in the air, and it's also not clear if she'll be
appearing in a recurring character capacity, or actually joining the
main cast. Both "Stargate SG-1" and "Stargate: Atlantis" are expected
to make a return to the SciFi Channel in March, with SG-1 completing
its 10th and final season while "Atlantis" will wrap up its third.

PRISON BREAK
"Prison Break" has its fall season finale next Monday (Nov. 27), but
the show's winter hiatus won't be a long one. FOX announced today
that "Prison Break" will only be away until Monday, Jan. 22, when the
second-year series returns with an hour-long clip show recapping the
events of the first 13 episodes. The winter's first new episode
of "Prison Break" will show the following Monday and the rest of the
season will run without repeats through to the finale. "Prison Break"
will settle back into its standard 8 p.m. ET time period the week
after the two-night, four-hour sixth season premiere of the network's
Emmy-winning "24". This marks a shorter-than-expected hiatus
for "Prison Break." Last season, "Prison Break" departed on Nov. 28
with a big cliffhanger that kept viewers on edge until a March 20
return.

STAR TREK NEW VOYAGES
Ranger Mark reports that STAR TREK NEW VOYAGES is releasing "To Serve
All My Days" featuring Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov and written by
D.C. Fontana today 11/23/06. This is a fan based production but is
very well done. Here is the Web Site
http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/1024/ and you should be able to
click the download page when it is available. There is also a nice
mention on Walter WebSite: http://www.walterkoenigsite.com/index.html
about this episode. Thanks Mark for sending along the information.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA MOVING TO SUNDAY
SCI FI Channel has announced that BATTLESTAR GALACTICA will move to a
new timeslot starting Jan. 21, 2007: Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT,
following the premiere of the new original series THE DRESDEN FILES
at 9 p.m. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA has been airing episodes of its
current third season on Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The current season
picks up the story of the ragtag fleet of human survivors as they
flee the Cylon menace. Executive-produced by Ronald D. Moore and
David Eick, the series stars Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell,
Jamie Bamber, Katee Sackhoff, James Callis, Tricia Helfer and Grace
Park.

HEROES
The latest TV Guide reports that STAR TREK veteran George Takei has
been cast as the father of the Trek-obsessed Hiro in NBC's
HEROES. "It was one of those lightning-bolt ideas," series creator
Tim Kring told TV Guide. Takei, who played Mr. Sulu in the original
Trek TV show and subsequent films, will play dad to the breakout time-
bending character played by Masi Oka. "This is absolutely brilliant!"
Oka told the magazine. "I just hope I get to say, 'Dad! Sulu is my
hero, not you!'" The Nov. 27 issue of TV Guide will have details of
Takei's appearance. HEROES airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

THE IMMORTAL NICHOLAS FLAMEL
Variety reports that New Line Cinema has made a deal for Michael
Scott's fantasy series THE IMMORTAL NICHOLAS FLAMEL, which Mark
Burnett will produce. The series is being eyed as a six-picture
franchise. Burnett, the producer of reality shows Survivor and The
Apprentice, used his own money to land the book series rights in an
auction held in the early fall. The studio and Burnett will set a
writer to adapt The Alchemyst, the first title in the series, which
will be published by Random House Children's Books next May. In the
book, two teenage twins find themselves on the adventure of a
lifetime when legendary alchemist Nicholas Flamel loses a book
holding secrets that could spell the doom of humanity if it falls
into the wrong hands.

GET SMART
Variety writes that Warner Brothers is close to setting Anne Hathaway
to star alongside Steve Carell in a film version of the classic TV
spy sitcom GET SMART. Mel Brooks and Buck Henry created the 1960s TV
series, about a bumbling spy. Peter Segal is directing. Shooting will
begin in March. Village Roadshow is co-financing. Hathaway, who last
starred in the summer sleeper The Devil Wears Prada and Brokeback
Mountain, will play the role originated on the small screen by
Barbara Feldon. Carell will play the Smart role originated by Don
Adams. GET SMART is produced by Mad Chance's Andrew Lazar and Mosaic
Media Group's Charles Roven and Alex Gartner. Tom Astle and Matt
Ember (Failure to Launch) wrote the most recent draft of the script.

CONVENTION CALENDAR
November 24-26, 2006
Starbase Indy
Thanksgiving Weekend
City: Indianapolis, IN
Guests: Christopher Judge, Katee Sackhoff, Denise Crosby, Manny Coto,
Alexis Cruz, Gary Jones, Gary Graham, and many more guests.
For more information, go to http://www.starbaseindy.com/main.php

November 25-26, 2006
Mid-Ohio Con
City: Columbus, Ohio
B5 Guest: Mira Furlan
For more information, go to their website at http://www.midohiocon.com

December 2-3, 2006
Pittsburgh Toy, Comic and Childhood Collectibles
City: Monroeville, PA
Guests: Verne Troyer ("Mini-Me"), Dirk Benedict ("Starbuck" -
original Battlestar Galactica)
For more information, go to http://www.pittsburghtoyshow.com/.

That's about it for now. Be sure to drop over to the website to keep
up on the latest news coming from Vancouver about production of
BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES. If you haven't discovered them already,
visit www.youtube.com and search for Babylon 5 videos created by
fans. There are a LOT of videos there and some are quite good.

Take care.
Have a great weekend.
Sandy

Sandra Bruckner
Editor/Publisher
ISN News: The Zocalo Today
http://www.isnnews.net