From: v075q5fr@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Scott J Gorcey)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv,rec.arts.startrek.current,rec.arts.startrek.misc
Subject: "Concept Theft:" B5 v DS9 and Roddenberry (Re: BABYLON 5 vs ST:DSN)
Date: 17 Nov 92 04:54:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

From ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:

>1. BABYLON 5 is a humongous space station posed near a hyperspace "jump point"
>providing a shortcut to far-off worlds. ST:DSN is a humongous space station 
>poised near a "wormhole" providing a shortcut to far-off worlds.

     I didn't know this.  I thought B5 was just placed at the hub of
     five empires, one of which includes Earth...  But.

>2. B5 is a watering hole for assorted smugglers, thieves, hookers, and rogues,
>the set of which features a bar, a casino and a bazaar. ST:DSN is a watering
>hole for assorted smugglers, thieves, hookers, and rogues, the set of which 
>features a bar, a casino and a promenade.

     It's true that both J Michael Starynski - not "Joe" - and
     Michael Piller have used the "Casablanca" allusion to describe
     their respective shows...

>4. B5 is run by Commander Sinclair, who is haunted by his experiences in a
>recent war. ST:DSN is run by Commander Sisko, who is haunted by his experiences
>fighting the Borg.

     ...but this does not, I think, prove that DS9 was in any way
     a stolen concept.  The why is illustrated clearly in the above
     #4.  Whereas BABYLON 5 takes place in an entirely new millieu,
     DS9's various elements have been extant - some of them - for
     25 years.  

     Consider Sinclair v Sisko.  Sinclair was fighting in this war
     with these weird aliens... and he was about to crash into the
     alien motherlode when he blanked.  He woke up four days later,
     his ship light years away, with the war - which was about to
     be lost by the "Earth Empire" - settled victoriously... Why?
     We don't know.  This mystery will be rather central to the
     BABYLON 5 series, as Starynski has said repeatedly.
     Commander Sisko, on the other hand, lost his wife in the
     Battle of Wolf 359, and his life has gone into the toilet
     bowl because of it.
     All in all, I think comparing these two to prove culpability
     against Paramount in the creation of DS9 is ridiculous.

     Also consider: the Cardassians have been around for three years
     now.  Despite their seeming similarity to the main alien guys
     in BABYLON 5 (the one played by Andreas Katsulas), the Cardassians
     have been around _longer_.  The Bajorans grew out of the Kurd
     massacre, of course, and there is no B5 analog here.

     The concept of a stable wormhole was introduced seasons ago
     in TNG...  And the concept of short-cutting the speed of 
     light has been around as long as science fiction.  

     In other words, similarities don't prove fraud on anyone's
     part.  However, remaining neutral, I must admit, it doesn't
     prove NO fraud either.  (My personal belief is in the rule
     of "independant creation."  Neither stole from the other).

     Of course, the real interest in comparing DS9 and B5 is
     Starynski's pledge to bring HILL STREET/LA LAW style
     complexity of plotting and characters to televised
     science fiction at last...  we've heard similar promises,
     most notably from Glen A Larson, in the past... we'll see.

>(ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY - end of article )

>I wonder what Gene would have thought of all this.

     You've nailed one of my pet peeves here.  I'll tell you
     exactly what he would have thought of it, if the allegations
     of "concept theft" are true:  

        HE WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE CREDIT FOR HIMSELF AND SCREWED
        EVERYONE WHO STOOD IN HIS WAY.

     Just like he did with Dorothy Fontana and David Gerold in... oh...
     1987.

     -Scott Gorcey