Date: Thu, 06 Jun 2002 09:12:43 -0400
From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at mail.press.jhu.edu>
To: <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Mix and Match II
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

>>> lubell at cais.com 06/06/02 12:32AM >>>
Okay, I'm a month late on my email list postings.  I've been busy.

Keith asked
>	I asked (sarcastically) why Turner Broadcasting isn't broadcasting
>20 hours of high quality science fiction and fantasy each week.  Steve =
Smith
>said, "Or, for that matter, baseball games that don't involve the Atlanta
>Braves?"  Answer:  That comes under the heading of fantasy.
>
>	Discussion topic II:  WSFA is developing its own television =
network.
>Assume that we have an adequate budget and the necessary copyrights.  =
What
>programs should we produce?
>
>	Lee Strong answers:
>		Retief, Ambassador to the Stars:  A light hearted look at
>galactic diplomacy in the 27th Century starring Jamie Retief, Wilber =
Magnan,
>General Hish, and a vivid cast of human and nonhuman characters.  Any
>resembalance to actual US diplomacy in the 20th and 21st Century has been
>overcome by the statute of limitations.

I'd watch, but there's the same problem as with the stories, a little in
moderation is good but it might not work on a weekly basis and there's the
trouble with maintaining the level of the humor.

>		You Will Never Be The Same:  Cordwainer Smith's (no =
relation
>to Steve Smith) eerie yet beautiful vision of the next 14,000 years is
>brought to light with a cast of cats, true humans, underpeople, robots,
>aliens, intelligences, and ghosts.  Through provoking dramas explore the
>nature of life, death, and humanity.

The boob tube couldn't possibly do justice to the stories.  I'd rather =
they
didn't try.

>		Galactic Patrol:  Fast paced military action starting
>galactic lawbeings Kimball Kinnison, Clarissa MacDougal, Worsel, and
>Tegonesse battling the starkly inconceivable evil of Boskone (the
>conspiracy, not the convention).  Explore the galaxies, meet interesting
>people, and kill them with your ravening blasters!

This would work quite easily and would probably be a big hit.  Considering
the popularity of Star Wars its shocking that no one tried to raid its
source material.

On WSFA TV, I'd like to see:

Bujold's Barrayar.  Imperial auditor Miles Vorsakian solves mysteries,
defends the empire, and has outerspace adventures in his cover identity as
Admiral Naismith.  There's enough in what Bujold has already written to
keep them busy for several seasons.

De Lint's Newford Chronicles. (urban fantasy)  Follow the adventures of a
vagabond artist as she interacts with the mysterious magical side of the
city.  We'd tweak the stories somewhat and give her a disbelieving cop for
a friend (to provide some action).

Pratchett's Discworld.  This may have to be a series of adaptations of the
books as miniseries and I don't know how they'd manage with the humor but
just imagine.

MZB's Darkover.  The show's bible would have to adjust the timelines so
that Heir to Hauster was happening at the same time as Thendra House but =
it
should be workable.  The heart of Darkover is the clash between the
machine-centered Terran civilization and the semi-fedualistic people of
Darkover with their half-magic half-psi laran powers.