Claudia Christian is leaving Babylon 5 after the fourth series, and will be replaced by a talking horse. In the episode “Hell and High Horses” the horse [no thanks, we don’t use it - ED]Centaur (“Smelly” for short) will be played by a thoroughbred quarterhorse named Sir Fastbuck III.
“Bucky” has previously appeared on
Babylon 5 as the front half of Ambassador Kosh (although for
contractual reasons he couldn’t credited because he
wasn’t a member of Equine Equity.) Astonishingly enough, the
very well-endowed stallion will, this time around, be playing a
female. Well, fancy that!! A line of dialogue will be added to
“his” first story implying that he was the Emperor
Cartagia’s third wife, who takes a shine to Londo and then
follows him to Babylon 5.
Centaur’s residence on the station will be a paddock next to the Zen Garden, purpose built by Babylonian Productions at a cost of actually quite a bit. This would-be crippling financial outlay will be offset by the benefits accrued via the souvenir fertilizer merchandising concession.
Bruce Boxleitner was told of his new co-star at a Science Fiction Convention in Ft. Lauderdale Florida, in Wisconsin. After being coaxed out again from the ladies’ toilet, he had this to say: “What???” Boxleitner’s comments add further fuel to the rumours of unrest amongst the cast and seem to clarify the fact that maybe ‘jms’ was, to quote one prominent cast member, “...off his flaming throat.” jms was unavailable to answer his critics. A spokesman for him said that she didn’t know where the hell he was and hadn’t seen him since he made off with the staff tea money last Friday to “...put on a dead cert in the LA Derby.”
Top studio director, Emil Throckle, was introduced to Bucky shortly before the new episode went into production. His comment was, “Fuck me - a talking horse!”
Mr. Ed is forty-five.
from FanGrok Online Issue 29
STOP PRESS.....
Work on filming the latest season of Babylon 5 has been suspended for twenty four hours due to a burst horse.
from FanGrok Online Issue 30
FURTHER TO LAST ISSUE’S STOP PRESS
Cast and crew from the tv series Babylon 5 have this week been paying tribute to Bucky the Horse, who was to be replacing Claudia Christian in the latest series. His career on the show was cruelly cut short when he burst unexpectedly while filming his first episode. “He was a lovely animal,” said co-star Bruce Boxlietner. “I shall miss him deeply.” The Funeral was broadcast live across America, to scenes of mass grief and copycat burstings in several states. Rumours of an Elton John tribute single are at this time unsubstantiated.
from FanGrok Online Issue 31
LATEST STOP PRESS
Controversy is raging in the United States over the appointed replacement for burst star, Bucky The Horse, on the hit TV show Babylon 5. “This ‘Scoggins’ woman is clearly nothing like Bucky; ferrchrissakes, she’s not even a horse!”, screeched big angry fan Jason P. Messerschmitt IV. “I don’t know what everybody’s complaining about,” apologised producer Michael J. Straczinski last night, “She looks just like him!”