Forwarded Message:
Subj: Babylon Five: The Educational Program
Date: 97-10-13 22:10:52 EDT
From: Sbennie
To: S Perrin, scott.ruggels@3do.com
BABYLON FIVE has been postponed to an ungodly hour in the Los Angeles area, mainly due to a new UPN nature show. While I begrudge no one the opportunity to learn, there's no question in my mind that Babylon Five has the same potential educational value. All you'd need to do is to add that staple of 80s cartoon: the after episode educational lecture!
EXAMPLE:
Two human kids are Down Below on Babylon Five, fighting. A big kid
(ROSS) is badly beating up a small kid (BILLY). Suddenly Captain
SHERIDAN walks into the scene_
BILLY
Captain Sheridan! I need help! Ross is too
big for me!
SHERIDAN
You know Billy, when I was your age, there
was a bully, a guy named Clark, who used to
pick on me real bad. One time, I asked my
dad for help, and he said: "son, you just
get back up to your feet, spread your legs
a little so you don't look too wobbly, and
keep trying to put his lights out, and one
day you're going to do it."
BILLY
Did you do it?
SHERIDAN
Not yet, but I'm still trying.
SHERIDAN pats BILLY on the head, wipes away a trickle of blood from his mouth, and walks away. BILLY gets to his feet, tries to follow SHERIDAN's advice. He gets clobbered. DELENN walks in.
DELENN
Stop this! Stop this at once! Don't you
understand? You're too young to be
fighting! Childhood and innocence are
gifts, they are too precious to waste on
angry words and violence! In Valen's name,
find a peaceful solution to your problem!
The two boys unclench their fists, and are about to settle their differences, when a familiar figures comes up from behind DELENN.
NEROON
What puerile claptrap! I expect to hear
such simple-minded dogma from the religious
caste, always prepared to lead people down
the path of weakness, the path to their
ultimate destruction. Life is a hard thing,
a thing that must be continuously fought,
and when you give up the fight, you may as
well give up life itself! Fight on, and
learn that lesson!
The two kids resume their fight. NEROON walks away in triumph. DELENN walks away in despair. BILLY continues to take his lumps. LONDO walks by.
LONDO
(jovially)
What is this! Aren't you boys a little
young to be dueling! Stop this! You'll have
plenty of time to acquire and dispatch your
enemies when you get older!
BILLY
Ross likes Narns!
A pause. The smile disappears from LONDO's face. He draws a dagger and hands it to BILLY.
LONDO
Kill him...
LONDO walks away. BILLY grabs the dagger. ROSS wrenches it out of his hand and continues to beat on him. G'KAR walks by, observes the fight.
G'KAR
Very poor technique. A Narn of your age
would have killed both of you by now...
G'KAR walks away. KOSH walks by.
KOSH
The broken winged sparrow cannot leave the
nest.
The two kids stop their fighting and look at KOSH.
ROSS
What did you say?
KOSH
Yes.
KOSH walks away. BILLY tries to regain his footing. ROSS continues to beat on him. GARIBALDI walks in.
GARIBALDI
Hold it. Wait a minute, boys, what's going
on here.
ROSS
Uh... I was showing Billy how to defend
himself.
[Pause, Intimidating Tone]
Isn't that right?
GARIBALDI sizes up the two boys.
GARIBALDI
Let's see. You're about six inches taller,
and fifty pounds heavier than him. You
definitely could teach him a few things.
Things like this...
GARIBALDI punches ROSS in the solar plexus, doubling him up.
GARIBALDI
And this...
GARIBALDI slams the bully into a wall. ROSS slides down the wall, unconscious.
GARIBALDI
Class dismissed. Now kid, what were
you guys arguing about?
BILLY
I'm about to join the Psi-Corp!
GARIBALDI does a double take, punches BILLY and knocks him out.
GARIBALDI addresses the camera.
GARIBALDI
As you can see, these two kids are now
unconscious. Proof that, on Babylon Five,
fighting doesn't solve anything. Until
you're grown up.
FADE TO BLACK