<SteveKrutzler> From Carole: Hi,
<SteveKrutzler> Is is at all possible that futuresport could become a weekly series?   that is of course the movie has a good response.
<rhwolfe> Yes.  It's possible.  If the numbers are high enough and ABC is willing, the producers are certainly game...
<rhwolfe> Dean certainly had fun working on the movie, but I don't know what his availability is.
<StevePerr> If that were to happen, would you be involved?  Would you want to be involved?
<rhwolfe> If you like it, tell ABC.  Who knows.
<rhwolfe> Next?
<SteveKrutzler> From Steve Perry: When you mention, "the second scene sucks" - what's up?  Who's to blame?
<rhwolfe> First question first.
<rhwolfe> If it happens, I'd certainly like to be involved, though I'm not contractually obligated.  Nor are ABC or the producers
<rhwolfe> obligated to hire me.  So we'll see.  They'd certainly have to tell me before I took another long term job.
<rhwolfe> I know Newstar would like me to be head writer if there's a series.
<rhwolfe> As to the second scene.  What can I say?  It sucks.  When I wrote it, it was just supposed to be
<rhwolfe> a quick 30 second scene to set up Tre's girlfriend, but the director stretched it
<rhwolfe> into three minutes, so it kinda drags.  Just trust me, things get better fast after the scene
<rhwolfe> in the hotel room.
<rhwolfe> Next?
<SteveKrutzler> From The_Tom: As the Breen man on DS9, how do you 
<SteveKrutzler> feel about the time-honored tradition 
<SteveKrutzler> of poking in a snippy line about the 
<SteveKrutzler> Breen into a couple of episodes per 
<SteveKrutzler> season left has kinda frozen up 
<SteveKrutzler> (if you'll excuse the pun)since you 
<SteveKrutzler> left the show, leaving our chilly 
<SteveKrutzler> buds with only one quip this year, an 
<SteveKrutzler> off-hand comment by Iggie Pop in "The 
<SteveKrutzler> Magnificent Ferengi"?  And had you 
<SteveKrutzler> stayed with DS9, might we have seen 
<SteveKrutzler> more of them?
<rhwolfe> Yep.  I love the Breen.  The Breen are cool.  In fact, they're downright
<rhwolfe> frigid.  For more on the Breen, see my book, LEGENDS OF THE FERENGI.
<StevePerr> I liked the Breen best in Return of the Jedi!
<rhwolfe> SLAP!
<SteveKrutzler> From Kevin K.: What would you suggest to an 
<SteveKrutzler> aspiring sci-fi writer do to if they 
<SteveKrutzler> are real serious about writing in 
<SteveKrutzler> that particular genre?  How did you 
<SteveKrutzler> get started in particular.
<rhwolfe> I'd suggest to any aspiring writer that the key to success is repetition.
<rhwolfe> Write a lot.  Write every day.
<rhwolfe> In particular, I'd suggest creating your own characters and situations.
<rhwolfe> Though it's a lot more work, it certainly will flex your writing muscles more than cranking out a ST or B5 story.
<rhwolfe> As to how I got started...
<rhwolfe> I went to UCLA and got a BA in film and a MFA in screenwriting.
<rhwolfe> Then I wrote a lot of scripts that didn't get produced.
<rhwolfe> One of them got me an agent however.
<rhwolfe> Though I wrote a variety of genres, the script that got me the most attention was SF.
<rhwolfe> So my agent sent me in to pitch to TNG.
<rhwolfe> I sold "Fistful of Datas," wrote the first draft and the rest is history.
<rhwolfe> More or less.
<SteveKrutzler> From Thunderlove: Mr. Wolfe, much has been made among fans about the "militaristic" themes of recent DS9 war arc. Did you see this type of long lasting arc, when you finished Call to Arms? Are you satisfied you helped lead something epic, or are there things that bug you about the current path?
<Arman> Hi Everyone! Sorry for being late.  You can also /msg your questions to me.
<rhwolfe> Hmmm.  I've always like DS9's ability to mix in a lot of different kinds of show.
<rhwolfe> Both military and civilian, comedy and drama.
<rhwolfe> I knew that Call to Arms was setting up the war arc, however, and I thought this was a good idea.
<rhwolfe> Frankly, I would've liked to see retaking the station take a little longer.
<SteveKrutzler> amen! tell that to studio types... ;-0
<SteveKrutzler> err, ;-)
<rhwolfe> Maybe until episode ten or so instead of six, but I thought there were some good stories told within the framework of the arc.
<SteveKrutzler> From Mary: What was it like working with Dean 
<SteveKrutzler> Cain :o)?!?!?
<rhwolfe> I didn't really work with Dean on a day to day basis.
<rhwolfe> The script was already set when Dean signed on.
<rhwolfe> However, I did hang out with him at the wrap party.
<rhwolfe> He's a very nice guy.  Pleasent and funny.
<StevePerr> Dean Cain = stud, Princeton grad, football player, everything I'm not...
<rhwolfe> I think he did a very good job on the show.
<rhwolfe> Although he did improvise one bad line of dialogue.  ;-)
<rhwolfe> (He also improvised lots of good ones, so I shouldn't complain.
<rhwolfe> Oops.  End )
<SteveKrutzler> From chrispat: Do you think Dean Cain has been overlooked as an actor? If so, why?
<rhwolfe> I don't know if Dean's been overlooked per se.  He has worked quite a bit since L&C went off the air.
<rhwolfe> I think it's just a matter of time before he has a new series, provided that's what he wants to do.
<SteveKrutzler> From rms: Obvious question: Why did you leave 
<SteveKrutzler> DS9?
<rhwolfe> Of course, I've heard (but not from Dean) that he'd like to transition into features.
<rhwolfe> If that's his plan, I suspect it may take him some time.
<rhwolfe> Sorry, I was rambling there.
<rhwolfe> As to why I left DS9...
<SteveKrutzler> (we like rambling :-)
<rhwolfe> I guess you'd have to say it was burnout.  I wrote or co-wrote something like thirty episodes during my five year tenure on DS9.  That, for me, was enough.  I had several other projects in the works and I felt like it was time to move on.
<SteveKrutzler> From CA Susan: In regards to Futuresport, have you 
<SteveKrutzler> seen the finished product?  Was it 
<SteveKrutzler> close to your vision?
<SteveKrutzler> (i belive you have said that you've seen it)
<SteveKrutzler> (believe)
<rhwolfe> Yes, Susan.  I have seen the finished version and it was pretty close to my vision.  There were a few exceptions as I was not a producer on the project so didn't have as much control as I did on DS9.  Hence the second scene.  Also, there was a lot of improvisation going on on  the set, way more than I was used to.  But on the whole, I enjoyed it.
<SteveKrutzler> From Mr. Obvious: Here is another obvious question: what's Futuresport about?  
<rhwolfe> Also, as a side note, Futuresport wasn't my original idea.  I was working from a story and concept created by other writers, so not everything in it is a reflection of my interests.
<rhwolfe> Umm, as to Mr. Obvious...
<StevePerr> Mr. Obvious, he's a pesky one
<rhwolfe> Futuresport is about an athlete who plays a futuristic sport (Dean Cain) who becomes embroiled in a high stakes game to determine THE FATE OF THE WORLD (tm)!!!!!
<rhwolfe> More or less.
<SteveKrutzler> From CA Susan: Did you feel Dean Cain was a good 
<SteveKrutzler> choice to portray Tre in 
<SteveKrutzler> Futuresport?  
<StevePerr> (We evidenty have a Dean Cain fan)
<rhwolfe> Yes.  Originally the role was written for Wesley Snipes, but time constraints kept Wesley from playing the role (it took five weeks and Mr S. was only available for one).  Dean was one of my first choices to take his place.
<rhwolfe> Wesley, by the by, plays a smaller role.  That of Obike Fixx, inventor of Futuresport.
<SteveKrutzler> From Data: Mark Alimo is an Emmy worthy actor, 
<SteveKrutzler> but the directions that he has been 
<SteveKrutzler> driven toward are bizzare, and 
<SteveKrutzler> unpredictable. Why did you choose to 
<SteveKrutzler> create such a complex non-regular as 
<SteveKrutzler> character? Also why not make him a 
<SteveKrutzler> regular? Jake wasn't even featured in 
<SteveKrutzler> many episodes, but he got the opening 
<SteveKrutzler> credit? 
<SteveKrutzler> [Alaimo]
<rhwolfe> About the only bummer is that Tre's nickname, "Pharoah" works a little better for WS, who's production company is called "Amon-Ra films"
<rhwolfe> On Dukat...
<rhwolfe> I didn't create the character, Michael Piller did.  I think it's great that DS9 had so many complex supporting characters.  I think it's one of the strengths of the show.
<rhwolfe> As to why he's not a regular...
<rhwolfe> I don't think we could've serviced Dukat in every single episode.  It would have felt forced.  Even Jake isn't technically a regular.  I think his contract calls for him to appear in 13 to 15 episodes a season.
<StevePerr> (Note to people having connection problems - try greennet.ma.us.webchat.org as the server)
<SteveKrutzler> From thunderlove: Presented Berman/Behr decided to get a DS9 film rolling, and they invited you to help write...would you accept? What kind of possibilities would you look forward in such a project?
<rhwolfe> If Ira and Rick invited me to participate on a DS9 feature, I would certainly jump at the chance.  I'd love to co-write a feature with Ira since we always had so much fun working together.
<rhwolfe> As to what kind of story we'd tell...
<rhwolfe> I haven't really thought about it, to be honest.  I'm sure we could come up with something.  My instincts would be to tell a kick-ass stand alone adventure that would make everyone who'd missed DS9 sit up and take notice.  Make them say, hey, what've I been missing.  Better check out those reruns.
<SteveKrutzler> From Goose: After writing a TV movie, do you have a favorite format? TV episode?  TV movie?  Motion pictures?
<rhwolfe> I think my favorite format, for shear writing pleasure, is feature films.  You have by far the most freedom (at least in the first draft) and the biggest canvas.  But in TV, the writer has a lot more control and things get made much faster and on a much more regular basis, so it certainly has its attractions.  Frankly, I enjoy working on all three types of projects.
<SteveKrutzler> From myself: what did you think of season 6 overall?
<rhwolfe> To be honest, I missed several of the major episodes.  Of the ones I saw, I really enjoyed "Rocks and Shoals" and "Far Beyond the Stars."  I thought "One Little Ship" was a gas, too.  Unfortunately, I can't really venture an opinion on the whole season, especially since I missed the finale (I was on vacation).
<SteveKrutzler> Gotta ask... how about that "Sacrifice" battle? :-)
<StevePerr> The finale was a gas, too.  An inert gas, blech
<rhwolfe> Hmmm.  There was some nice stuff in Sacrifice, as well as some stuff I would've done differently.  Still, I probably would've made my own mistakes.
<SteveKrutzler> From Lew Wallace: Do you think DS9 is too arc-based for its own good, since that can't bring aboard new fans midstream?
<rhwolfe> I think that's sometimes a problem.  But DS9's always had trouble attracting viewers, partially, I think, because it's so different from the traditional Star Trek shows.  I always favored mixing up the arc shows with stand-alones, personally.  I think that's Ira's philosophy too.
<SteveKrutzler> From Jeff Sutter: How is Micheal Piller's direction and 
<SteveKrutzler> vision of DS9 in seasons one in two 
<SteveKrutzler> different from yours and the rest of 
<SteveKrutzler> the staff that took over in season 3?
<rhwolfe> Michael's vison was pretty much the same as ours.  We cleared everything we did with him and he liked and approved pretty much everything, as far as I can remember.  The only difference is that Michael originally wanted to do an A.B.C. story structure, as in Man Alone, but he's the one who decided to move away from that.
<SteveKrutzler> From karim: mr wolfe i would like to ask you how the death of dax, a character you helped develop ,was handled.
<SteveKrutzler> [the death of Dax, in the finale, which you didn't see, but are probably aware of]
<rhwolfe> [blush] I still haven't seen that episode.  I was sad that they had to off Jadzia, although I understand there reasons.  I understand her death was played as a bit of a meaningless tragedy.  If that's so, my instincts probably would've tended more towards the defiant blaze of glory (c.f. Eddington), but it's hard to comment on something I haven't seen.
<SteveKrutzler> From Jake: One area that we have not really seen 
<SteveKrutzler> on DS9 is the engineering section, 
<SteveKrutzler> containing the fusion reactors. Were 
<SteveKrutzler> there any plans to feature this area 
<SteveKrutzler> in an episode and do you think we 
<SteveKrutzler> might get to see it before the series 
<SteveKrutzler> ends ???
<rhwolfe> We were supposed to feature this part of the station in Civil Defense, but frankly, it would've busted the budget.  You're talking about building a huge new set, something which isn't always possible, especially for a single episode.  Not to mention that we were running out of room on Stage 17.
<SteveKrutzler> From ScoobyDooLoveMachine: Since you're gone from the show, you can talk.  How much of what you can do was limited by suits who said, "No.  This episode needs more boobs."?
<rhwolfe> Hardly at all.  Although Paramount occassionally had notes about the overall thrust of the series, they usually had very few complaints on the individual episodes.  And "add more tits" was one thing that they never asked us to do.
<SteveKrutzler> From Sergei: What's your favorite episode, written by you or otherwise?
<rhwolfe> Favorite written by me "The Wire" and "Hard Time."  Favorite written by someone else...
<rhwolfe> "The Visitor,"  "Duet,"  "Improbably Cause/The Die is Cast"
<rhwolfe> "Rocks and Shoals" was good too.
<SteveKrutzler> Catch "In the Pale Moonlight?"
<StevePerr> "Pale
<StevePerr> " is a good one, too
<rhwolfe> Favorite written by me with Ira,  "Little Green Men"  and the "Purgatory/Inferno" two parter.  Missed "In the Pale Moonlight"
<Arman> oooh "Pale" was a good one, written by Peter Allan Fields
<rhwolfe> Missed "Waltz" too.
<rhwolfe> Which I've heard was good.
<SteveKrutzler> re: "Pale" : make a point of seeing it :-) 
<SteveKrutzler> From thunderlove: Speaking of boobs, do you catch Voyager? I gotta be honest...not a lot of well-done character development...your thoughts, if any?
<StevePerr> "Speaking of boobs"... LOL
<rhwolfe> To be honest, I haven't seen that many Voyagers.  Maybe a dozen, total.  Some I've liked, some I haven't.  Generally, I preferred our characters and our stories.  But I'm very prejudiced.  There was a bit of a sibling rivalry between the two shows, especially since they stole our thunder when we were supposed to be the only Trek on the air (lasted all of 12 episodes, and those while Generations was in theatres).
<SteveKrutzler> amen!
<SteveKrutzler> From Arman:  As a producer who once worked for DS9, do you have any idea as to why Paramount's publicity for DS9 has always been low?  Aren't they concerned about the decline in ratings (now in low 4's and mid 3 nielsens)?  Not even the previews for upcoming episodes seem to have enough glamour.
<rhwolfe> Cause Paramount publicity sucks.  There.  I've said it.  I don't think they ever did DS9 justice.  Actually, they don't suck entirely.  They just sucked when it came to us.  I think they never really gave the show their undivided attention after season one.  During season two they were too busy promoting the end of TNG.  Season three they only had eyes for Generations.  And after that it's all been Voyager (with a break for First Contact).  DS9's been 
<SteveKrutzler> completely ignored? 
<rhwolfe> Now, ask me how I think Pocket Books did promoting Legends of the Ferengi.  ;-)
<SteveKrutzler> speaking of promotion...
<SteveKrutzler> any thoughts about your pal Brannon o'er at Voyager? now firmly in the Captain's chair.
<rhwolfe> Hey, I have to promote LEGENDS.  No one else did.
<rhwolfe> As far as Brannon...
<SteveKrutzler> Wrong: Ira promotes it endlessly whenever he has a chat :-)
<rhwolfe> I think he's a very talented writer, although we have very different sensibilities.  Brannon likes the X-Files type shocking scene/stunning image.  I like cool, competent characters (both good guys and bad guys) doing cool, competent things and firing off one-liners.  Like in a Howard Hawkes movie.
<Arman> I'm still waiting for the sequel to Legends of the Ferengi! It was a great book.
<rhwolfe> As for Ira promoting LEGENDS... Go, Ira, go!  Buy our book.  Buy our book!
<rhwolfe> Thank you Arman.  A man of taste and wisdom.
<SteveKrutzler> I wouldn't go that far.
<SteveKrutzler> Well folks... that just about wraps it up...
<Arman> Your just jealous, Steve :-)
<SteveKrutzler> you caught me, Arman.
<rhwolfe> Shameless plugs continued.  Watch FUTURESPORT!  Buy LEGENDS OF THE FERENGI!
<SteveKrutzler> We'd like to thanks Mr. Robert Hewitt Wolfe for taking the time out of his evening schedule to talk with the fans!
<SteveKrutzler> thanks = I have a plural fixation ;-)
<rhwolfe> Demand new episodes of THE TICK!
<rhwolfe> Oh, sorry, still plugging.
<StevePerr> The Tick's great, too
<Arman> My brother watches it, and he's the coolest guy in school! (plugging more :-))
<SteveKrutzler> Thanks again, Robert. Hope you can join us again sometime!
<StevePerr> FUTURESPORT airs October 1st (I think.)  Watch it, then go to rec.arts.sf.tv and talk amongst yourselves
<rhwolfe> No problem.  I'll hang for a few more minutes if anyone else has anything to ask.
<SteveKrutzler> Everyone, stay tuned for Rene Echevarria coming late next month to talk about DS9's new and final season!
<rhwolfe> Give Rene a big hug for me.