Alison wrote: <For the most part characters in fiction are a lot less complex than real characters. <snip> So, I often find ideas, milieux and plots more interesting than fictional characters, because I frequently think that fictional characters are simplistic, rigid, and implausible. They reflect the author's prejudices, and reinforce the readers'.>

Interesting, but I'd definitely say that the same is true of "ideas, milieux and plots" in a lot of fiction. The average difference between real people and homo fictus is probably no greater than the difference between real life messiness and unfinishedness, and the constraints of an acceptable fictional plot., even a brilliant one. And <g> how *can* you claim that the ideas and themes of a story would *not* reflect the author's prejudices? I would've said that was the *most* likely place his own mindset would imprint, even more so than the characters he invents to illustrate those ideas.

And Neil: <I think it was Steven Pacey, in some interview or other, who observed that ninety per cent of the lines for the regular cast could have been given to just about any of the characters.>

<gurgle> Well, this could have been due to the fact that a lot of *his* ('specially in 3rd season) could have been handed round like a cheese platter ... yes, Tarrant is a fairly straightforward and standardised hero, Dayna and Soolin are underwritten, Jenna is a fairly standard bar-room-hostess type (hard as nails, heart of tarnished gold), Gan is a even more fairly standard Nice Guy. A lot of their lines *could* be switched, maybe, though they'd still need a fair tweaking to make them sound right (if anyone can imagine Dayna doing Gan's moral protests in Shadow with a straight face, or Jenna coming out with Tarrant's mini-sermons on crewmanship, said one is doing better than I am IMO).

After all, see the number of complaints when Dayna - in Animals - *does* sound like she's been given Cally-lines. If they're interchangeable, how come we all notice the difference :-)?

And it gets worse with the more intensely individual characters. If you try handing Vila's lines to Tarrant or Dayna, or Her Supremeness's lines to Meegat, 'tis a whole new ball game (and would be a *completely* different show, possible rather a fun one) wouldn't it?

Of course, the same is true for real live people (everyone be honest, how much of what you've actually said so far today is *that* unique it couldn't have been duplicated by the person standing next to you on the street? Even setting aside the "Mornin'", "Coffee, anyone?" "Bloody awful weather, innit?" "Where in the world did I put the keys?", "Who the hell's got the ACME file now?" stuff.

<Actually, you can have fun with this - take a script and swap lines about. It works most of the time.>

Am trying to imagine 'Gambit' with Travis 1 ... no it *don't*, Neil :-)

<I suppose the character junkies' retort would be that although you keep the same words, they get delivered in a completely different way.>

No, the words have to be different, at least a bit. The more definite characters - Blake, Avon, Vila and Servalan - do IMO use the language in their own way. Try, for instance, any of Avon & Blake's sparring and switch them (that lovely opening scene in Redemption, for instance). Might work for you, but it doesn't for me. Avon is precisely perfect in his speech, Blake carelessly perfect. There is a difference.

Then compare it with Avon's part in his and Tarrant's bland little spat in Sarcophagus; the difference in how he talks *to the other individual characters* is there as well.

Also, as far as delivery goes, there's a significant difference between the way Avon talks in 2nd and 4th seasons - his voice is a lot more harsh and theatrical in the later episodes. But it still sounds like *Avon* (albeit an Avon after the rather heavy canonical dumping he received from Rumours to rescue).

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