posted
There's a lot changing, so I figured to type it up as a rumour control. Spoilerific nutshell:
-SG-1 is done at the end of its current, 10th season.
-At least one of the regular cast was signed to a two-year pay-or-play type contract.
-This is being exercised. As such, Colonel Samantha Carter will be joining the cast of Atlantis in season 4 for a bunch of episodes. Nothing is known of what sort of role she'll play or just how many episodes she'll be in. Odds are thugh that she'll be in a mostly supporting role, with a small character arc, for about half the episodes of the season.
-The lovable Scot, Dr. Carson Beckett, will be leaving the show at some point in the second half of the third season, before the finale. We don't know for sure if the good doctor will be killed off or simply moved; rumours of a scene involving a casket draped with a Scottish flag abound. Reports state emphatically that Carson will NOT be killed, but you never know...
-There has been no published reason as to why actor Paul McGillion is leaving. Some think it's his choice; others maintain that the writers don't know what to do with him character-wise and are just letting him go. This is not likely IMO, as he's one of the show's most popular characters!
-To replace Paul, the producers are bringing in Jewel Staite to play the replacement Doctor. Like Paul, Jewel is a Canadian citizen and used to live in the area, making her an easy hire. Her genre fame as Kaylee from Firefly certainly helps. Note that Jewel has already been on Atlantis, last year as the young Wraith Ellia in "Instinct".
-Jewel will play "Doctor Keller". Dunno if she'll get special billing like Paul did.
posted
Ooh, yay. I love Jewel Staite. Can't say I love Atlantis so much, but I've only seen season 1 so far(which I found a bit too DS9-like, only with crumby acting).
posted
Getting Staite is good, but not as a replacement for McGillion. Not just because I don't want to loose the Dr. Beckett character, but I don't think she's believable as a head doctor. She's only 24 - there's no way in hell that she would have enough knowledge and experience to support a high-risk assignment like Atlantis. Do they have a problem with bringing in an older actor? (I seem to remember SG-1's "200" poked fun at younger casts.) BSG certainly doesn't have a problem with a realistic age range for their cast.
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
Mmmm. Amanda Tapping. Glad she'll be sticking around the in the Stargate Universe a bit longer.
I've only seen season 1 of Atlantis since season 2 isn't out on DVD yet, but one wonders what the interaction will be with the SGC once SG-1 goes off the air. You'd think that most of the plot threads will be wrapped up for the series finale, so I'm wondering where that will leave the Atlantis Expedition and whether or not we'll ever see the SGC again.
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I'm sure the actors will be seen on occasion as necessary (expecially the Canadian ones), though it's doubtful we'd see SG-1 as a whole ever again. However, the main SGC set is too large and expensive to keep around for occasional use. My bet is that they'll keep the actual gate prop, but build a smaller, more functional set that will represent the SGC when they need it. For story purposes, the gate room would only be used for "Hi, welcome back to Earth" type scenes, which aren't altogether necessary. They may even try to go with a virtual gate room shot on green screen, which they've done some of already.
Mind you, anything like this would likely wait until season 5 of Atlantis, should that happen. The SGC sets will remain in place for the two SG-1 movies they'll be shooting next spring, and I'm sure they'll amortize the studio fees by using it in Atlantis with Carter's involvement and for whatever other reasons they'll need it for. Heck, they may even work the destruction of the "old" SGC into one of the movies, to pave the way for a smaller, easier-to-shoot set to represent Earth in the Atlantis series after they're done with it.
The current SGC set is notoriously difficult to shoot despite its size, and the way the smaller second floor is arranged has made shooting the ubiquitous briefing room scenes tedious and unimaginative, due to the lack of places you can put the cameras and lights. Recently, they sawed the huge table in half so they could pull it away in certain shots, to allow the camera greater range of movement. Luckily, you generally don't notice the seam. In any case, the producers will probably be glad to be rid of the old sets.
posted
ANOTHER refugee from a cancelled Sci-fi show on Stargate! (two if you count Carter) You just watch, they'll be getting in Dirk Benedict next.
As for the set, they only need to keep the brifing room and maybe a bit of corridor to pull off a visity to the SGC. Everything else can be done with stock footage and greenscreen.
posted
I would actually like the idea of the gate being moved to a different location in one of the movies or at the end of the series. Perhaps the Gate becomes public ala "2010".
posted
Antarctica is also a possibility. Perhaps a third series about Earth's colonization and diplomatic activities, instead of the military aspects.
-------------------- "This is why you people think I'm so unknowable. You don't listen!" - God, "God, the Devil and Bob"
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
The original idea of Atlantis was for THE WHOLE CITY to be in the Antarctic - it never went to Pegasus. The SG-1 theatrical movie would have been the end of the series, and Atlantis would have taken over the TV end of things with the new cast and further international adventures in the Milky Way, with the Replicators being the principal enemies.
Then, Skiffy decided to produce both shows simultaneously. The SG-1 movie became "The Lost City", and Atlantis became a simple outpost (with a Chair weapons platform). Atlantis got moved to a whole other Galaxy, and the Wraith were created to menace them. When the Wraith turned out to be somewhat less potent than expected, the Replicaor Asurans were brought back to resume the original plot ideas.
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The writers don't. The Wraith still have lot of potential to be explored, but they've barely done any of that this year, instead focusing on the Asurans.
My bet however is that at some point the two will combine somehow, the the the two enemies allying themselves or better still, one assimilating the other. THAT would create a cool villainous race!
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Maybe they humanised the Wraith too quickly... it seems to happen all the time with 'the big bads' in sci-fi shows - like B5 and Voyager - or they were just ruthless killing machines like the Replicator bugs.
DS9 was VERY successful - their 'big bads' - Cardassians, Vorta, Jem'Hadar and Founders were explored... really well - but their inate 'badness' was left intact!
-------------------- "Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica." - Jim Halpert. (The Office)
posted
That has an odddly sexual undertone to it, Andrew.
check your nookie/TV ratio- for safety's sake!
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
Isn't it in the Asurans' base code to destroy the Wraith? The Wraith have no interest in the Asurans because they can't feed on them... but they do pose a significant threat if they start attacking...
-------------------- I haul cardboard and cardboard accessories
Registered: Mar 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Chris: Isn't it in the Asurans' base code to destroy the Wraith? The Wraith have no interest in the Asurans because they can't feed on them... but they do pose a significant threat if they start attacking...
Quite. But don't expect the writers to leverage that screamingly obvious avenue of story arc. Very few writers seem to be acquainted with the concept of letting the logic of a story write itself. If done correctly, all the writer need do is provide characterisation! Of course, this approach requires a properly framed, well thought out frame of reference to be established, and most importantly adhered to!* Not something that successful, syndicated television sci-fi shows are famous for.
* Hmm... I must be an evil villains henchman. I just finished a sentence on a preposition.
Registered: Jul 2006
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![[Smile]](smile.gif)
In any case, the producers will probably be glad to be rid of the old sets.
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