28.Sep.07
SGA "Adrift": How Do You Rate It?
You’re invited to join our on-site forum and rate the premiere of Stargate Atlantis, “Adrift”, in our fan poll: “Adrift” Poll and Discussion Thread. Visit our other threads while you’re there, too. 
27.Sep.07
SGA S4 World Premiere September 28
Cast for Season Four of Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis has its world premiere of Season Four on the Sci Fi Channel on Friday, September 28, at 10pm Eastern!
No doubt, those who enjoy reading spoilers for the season premiere “Adrift” have already gotten a pretty good idea of what happens, not to mention the few who have seen the raw cut “leaked” onto the Internet, but for those who have remained spoiler-free, now’s the chance to see the episode in its final for-airing version.
Although the episode “Adrift” is the premiere, it was not the first episode filmed at Bridge Studios. That honor goes to Robert C. Cooper’s “Doppelganger”, which will air as the fourth episode. “Adrift” was written by Martin Gero and directed by Martin Wood. Andy Mikita also filled in with some of the directing while Wood was shooting scenes at a special location for Stargate: Continuum.
According to Alex Levine, script coordinator and the official SciFi.com blogger for Stargate, the episode will be a great introduction for Jewel Staite’s Dr. Jennifer Keller, the new chief of medicine on the Atlantis Base who briefly appeared in Season Three’s finale “First Strike”. He added, “I can say she is a truly talented actress and a great addition to the show.”
Levine also talked about the spectacular visual effects, stating that there were two VFX milestones in this one episode alone. “Firstly, there are no stock explosions; rather, all the explosions were rendered in 3D (often they are simply 2D and matted overtop). Also, there seems to be some agreement that a VFX shot in this episode is the producers’ all time favourite shot.”
Executive producer and co-showrunner Joseph Mallozzi said in his personal blog after seeing the final mix, “Simply put: Best Season Premiere Ever.” Levine went one step further and said that “this could be the most exciting episode of Stargate Atlantis ever.” See if you agree by tuning in to find out!
NOTE: If you miss the first airing, Sci Fi will be re-airing the episode a few hours later at midnight. Fans in Canada will see the premiere on October 1 (Movie Network and Movie Central), while fans in the UK will see it on October 9 on Sky One. (Our Season Four episode index has the details on international airings.)
25.Sep.07
Reminder for Sept. 25th: Shanks Visits Eureka
Here’s a reminder that Michael Shanks will be making his appearance in the Sci Fi Channel’s Eureka tonight at 9pm Eastern. The episode is “All That Glitters…” and involves some kind of bacteria that causes things in the town to transform into gold and disintegrate. Shanks will be playing Christopher Dactylos, the scientist-turned-artist who is the primary suspect in the case.
The Visit Eureka website has a complete spoiler summary, as well as various images taken from both the episode and behind the scenes.
“All That Glitters…” is the twelfth episode of a thirteen-episode season. It will be shown again at 12:30am (the early morning of the 26th) and next Tuesday, October 2, at 8pm, as part of an all-day marathon of the entirity of Season Two, which starts at 9am and ends with the season finale, “A Night at Global Dynamics”, at 9pm (visit Sci Fi’s Schedulebot for October 2). If you missed appearances by Stargate’s Colin Cunningham (episode 6: “Noche de Sueños”), Teryl Rothery (episode 10: “God Is in the Details”), and Lexa Doig (episode 11: “Maneater”), you can catch them in this October 2 marathon!
The Visit Eureka website also has the broadcast schedules for the UK, Canada, and Italy. The Official website at Sci Fi includes a preview clip of the upcoming episode, as well as other multi-media features. SCI FI WIRE has a brief feature on Shanks’s appearance and concludes with the possibility that Dactylos might get to appear again in the future since he remains alive at the end of the episode.
24.Sep.07
Sci Fi Wire: Shanks Talks Stargate Movies
SCI FI WIRE’s Ian Spelling talked with Michael Shanks about filming for the two upcoming direct-to-DVD movies, Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum, set to be released in 2008.
Most of the interview has to do with the filming of Stargate: Continuum, which has had a great deal of publicity concerning their Arctic filming location and the use of two of the Air Force’s F-15s.
Shanks wasn’t able to go to the Arctic because he was filming his three episodes of FOX’s hit show 24, but Dr. Daniel Jackson is still present in some of the Arctic scenes. They accomplished this by refrigerating a soundstage. Shanks said, “I was part of one long day where we were filming on a frozen set, and that was fantastic, because we had this big, refrigerated set and this ship they’d built. It was a recipe for pneumonia, going in and out of the Vancouver sunshine, which was really warm, and this refrigerated set, but it was a lot of fun, because we could take our time a little bit more than we’d been able to in the past. And the look of it as fantastic.” Fans can see a few pictures taken behind-the-scenes for that filming day where Tapping and Shanks sit outside the set to thaw out in the Vancouver sun by visiting Joseph Mallozzi’s blog entry for June 13.
The Air Force had a news report about the two F-15s that were brought up to Vancouver for two days of filming for the movie (see Solutions Blog article). The news feature mostly focused on the two Air Force officers being played by Amanda Tapping and Ben Browder and didn’t mention the presence of Beau Bridges and Michael Shanks in the filming of these crucial scenes. Sharp-eyed fans have carefully examined the footage of the broadcast and have determined that Daniel rides in the second seat of Mitchell’s F-15. Of that experience, Shanks said, “So we got to sit inside those for a couple of days and press some buttons and switches and learn the lingo they use and get pulled around a tarmac in these $30 million planes. It was one of those moments as an actor where you sit there and go, ‘I can’t believe I get paid for doing this.’”
To read the full interview, visit SCI FI WIRE: Shanks Talks Stargate Movies. More plot details and other production information for both movies are available from the Solutions Wiki: SG-1 Movies index.
19.Sep.07
Bridges Joined by Archer in TV Pilot
Beau Bridges (Gen. Hank Landry) has been joined by Anne Archer in the Sony Pictures TV cable pilot Family Practice for Lifetime. According to the IMDb, this will be the first time the two actors have worked on a project together, but some Stargate fans might be aware that both Bridges and Archer have Michael Shanks in common as an acting partner (just in case you’re playing “Degrees of Separation” for Stargate stars 
). Shanks starred with Archer in the recent Lifetime movie Judicial Indiscretion.
Here’s the report of Archer’s casting from The Hollywood Reporter:
“[Family] Practice” centers on a woman (Joey Honsa) from South Chicago who becomes entangled with members of the affluent Kinglare family at one of the city’s law firms.
Oscar-nominated Archer will play Helena Kinglare, who has built a formidable pro bono practice after spending much of her adult life raising her children and living in the shadow of her lawyer husband William Kinglare (Beau Bridges).
Archer recurs on two series, as Jennifer Love Hewitt’s mom on CBS’ drama “Ghost Whisperer” and as Danny DeVito’s ex-wife on FX’s comedy “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”
She is repped by APA and managed by Erik Kritzer at Kritzer/Levine/Wilkins Entertainment.
18.Sep.07
"A Dog's Breakfast" on DVD Today
David Hewlett’s long-anticipated independent movie, A Dog’s Breakfast was released on DVD for Region 1 (North America) today. It’s available at Amazon.com as well as Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, and other major retailers, for about $17 US. It’s also available for rent at Netflix. The film features David of course, Kate Hewlett, Paul McGillion, Rachel Luttrell, and Chris Judge, all of Stargate fame.
In addition to the very enjoyable film, a rather dark comedy that the whole family can watch, there are lots of extras on the DVD, which has great packaging and fun menus. The extras include:
- Audio Commentary by David Hewlett, Jane Loughman, John Lenic, Mars, and David’s Mother
- Cooking up “A Dog’s Breakfast” (how it came to be)
- The Cast
- The Shoot
- The Film and the Fans (a tribute to the fans who helped market the film)
- Deleted Scenes
Go buy the DVD, give it 5 stars at Netflix, etc! The actors who will get paid from the profits will thank you.
E-Bay Auctions "Continuum" Memorabilia for Charity
Stargate SG-1 fans might be interested in putting out their bids for two duffle bags being auctioned by the Cast and Crew of Stargate SG-1 at e-Bay to benefit “The Canadian Society for Mucopolysaccharide & Related Diseases Inc. in support of Trey Purcell, son of crew member, Ryan Purcell. Trey is a beautiful 3 year old boy who suffers from an illness called MPS II or Hunter’s Syndrome, a Lysosomal Storage Disease that inhibits the body’s ability to break down and recycle specific mucopolysaccharides. Trey’s dad, Ryan, works in the Camera Department as a Steadicam Operator, and is currently working on the television series, Stargate Atlantis.”
According to the website, these are authentic North Face Base Camp Duffle Bags used during the filming shoot in the Arctic for Brad Wright’s Stargate: Continuum and are signed by Richard Dean Anderson (Maj. Gen. Jack O’Neill), Ben Browder (Col. Cameron Mitchell), Amanda Tapping (Col. Samantha Carter), Christopher Judge (Teal’c), Michael Shanks (Dr. Daniel Jackson), Beau Bridges (Maj. Gen. Hank Landry), Martin Wood (Director), Brad Wright (Executive Producer, Robert Cooper (Executive Producer), N. John Smith (Executive Producer), and John G. Lenic (Producer).
The auction will expire on September 24 at 12:00:00 PDT. Additional descriptive information about the two bags is provided at the auction site, which also includes additional images of the bags and Trey.
The reason for the auction is stated by the Cast and Crew at the site, “There is no cure for MPS II. Stargate SG-1 wants to help find a cure and asks for your help in finding a cure. Go to www.treypurcell.com for more information on Trey and his family’s journey to finding a cure for MPS II.”
17.Sep.07
Monsters & Critics: SGA S4 Costume Design
April MacIntyre has posted a behind-the-scenes feature at the Monsters and Critics (M&C) website, providing fans a unique glimpse into the world of costume design for Stargate Atlantis’s Season Four with an interview with the show’s Costume Designer, Valerie Halverson.
The article first starts off with a background on the cast changes for the season, explaining about the loss of Dr. Carson Beckett (and the fan campaign Save Carson Beckett), the loss of Dr. Elizabeth Weir, and the addition of Amanda Tapping as Col. Samantha Carter. After laying out the casting scene, MacIntyre talks with Halverson about her creative process from script to shooting. Halverson said, “I tend to come in early, 5:30-6:00AM. My team starts at 7:00AM and that gives me some time to organize our day and work on sketches if needed. I am often still here at 7 or 8:00PM. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t love it.”
Halverson’s team consists of all types of talent, including Koreen Heaver, Assistant Designer; Charis Tillson, Breakdown Artist (who makes things look old and weathered); Leslie Cairns, Slavica Gravac, Sam McKinnon and Gloria Chan, Cutters (who take Halverson’s design sketches and “bring them to life”); Nora Batista, Sewer; Pat Richards, Leather Expert (makes leather gauntlets, breastplates and grieves); and Petra Bergholz, who co-ordinates design groupings (such as a bunch of cavemen).
Halverson talked about her new designs for each character for Season Four, except for maybe Lt. Col. John Sheppard, who “doesn’t require much from us as he is in military uniform most of the time.” There is a marked increase in leather for all of the characters, including Dr. Rodney McKay and Col. Samantha Carter, especially for their off-world missions.
To read the full, informative article, please visit Stargate: Atlantis Big Fall Return, Costume Designer Valerie Halverson Suits the Cast.
Season Four of Stargate Atlantis premieres worldwide on the Sci Fi Channel, Friday, September 28, at 10pm Eastern, with “Adrift”.
16.Sep.07
SG-1 Spoilers: Fighting in "The Ark of Truth"
TV Zone Special #77 celebrates Stargate SG-1’s ten-year history with interviews with actors, producers, and crew. One of the features is an interview with James Bamford, stunt coodinator for Stargate Atlantis and fight coordinator for Stargate SG-1. Bamford talked about one of the fights he choreographed for Robert C. Cooper’s Stargate: The Ark of Truth, the first of the two direct-to-DVD movies to be released in 2008.
Stargate: The Ark of Truth closes the Ori story arc that was started in Season Nine. Already described as being like a feature film in scope, the movie includes something for everyone as SG-1 goes directly to the Ori’s home galaxy to finish the war. The team appears to split for a time, as Michael Shanks said in Starlog #358 (see MSOL for quotes), “So one side of the story is Daniel and Vala looking for this ark, and the other deals with some enemies at home – people who appear to be helping us, but decide to do things their own way and cause lots of problems for Mitchell and Carter.”
Cooper revealed in a Gateworld interview that someone fools around with the technology left behind by the Asgard (10.20 “Unending”) and it nearly means galactic disaster. Possibly, the IOA has something to do with this misuse of the technology, and Carter and Mitchell have to address the problem, along with the IOA’s representative, James Marrick (played by Currie Graham). Amanda Tapping recently revealed in Issue #18 of the Official Stargate SG-1/Atlantis Magazine that “Carter spends a lot of time on the Odyssey, fixing a major problem there because we’re dealing with Replicators and a whole myriad of other nasties.”
Whether or not Marrick himself is one of the nasties or is also fighting against them remains to be seen, but Bamford gave some interesting details in the TV Zone Special about the big fight he coordinated for the movie. “Finally, we brought Ben Browder and Currie Graham in to rehearse and they were just so gung-ho. When we were done rehearsing, I felt confident that they knew the fight, and if necessary we could fit in some extra rehearsal time.”
They were given three days to film the fight, which would have normally been given four hours during episodic television filming. The stunt involved coordinating with production designer James Robbins concerning the set, three wire gags, interactive lighting, visual effects, and blood. As a matter of fact, there was enough blood in this fight sequence for Bamford to comment, “It’s probably the bloodiest stunt we’ve ever done on Stargate.” Fans can get a glimpse of how bloody Mitchell gets by checking out the behind-the-scenes pictures Atlantis executive producer Joseph Mallozzi published in his May 9th entry in his personal blog.
In the end, they shot the whole fight in under two days, and Bamford concluded, “I attributed that to the preparedness of the actors, who did a lot of the work, the crew and all the departments involved.”
TV Zone Special #77 hit the stands on August 21 and may still be available. Or, you may order the magazine online from their website.
11.Sep.07
SGA S4 Spoilers: "Outcast"
Introduction
“Outcast” is currently scheduled to be the fourteenth episode to air in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis. The episode’s story is from a pitch made by Joe Flanigan and its screenplay is written by Alan McCullough.
Details
Summary: Sheppard returns to Earth for his father’s funeral and is enlisted by Ava Granger to track down a human form Replicator created in an Earth lab.
There was some strain between John Sheppard and his father, but during his father’s wake, John’s brother Graham tries to convince him that their father regretted what happened between the two of them all the way up to the end of his life.
Sheppard also meets up with Nancy, his ex-wife, who was admired by Sheppard’s father.
While Sheppard and Ronon wait for service at the open bar, Ava Granger approaches them about a secret project involving alien nanotechnology. Granger has worked for the past five years in a company called Stanton Research, a division of Devlin Medical Technologies. It was Devlin Medical Technologies’ Henry Wallace who kidnapped Rodney McKay and McKay’s sister Jeanie Miller to obtain their assistance in programming alien nanotechnology to cure his daughter of a fatal disease (”Miller’s Crossing”). Dr. Richard Poole recruited Granger for the project “Archetype” and after receiving a key piece of programming, they created a human form Replicator in their lab (theoretically, replication is not Archetype’s primary directive). After Wallace kidnapped the McKays, the IOA launched an investigation. Dr. Poole tried to destroy all of the evidence leading to Archetype’s creation, including Archetype himself, and in self-defense, Archetype threw Poole across the room. In his escape, he killed two security guards. This escape happened three weeks ago, and Granger has had no luck in tracking Archetype down.
Granger leads Sheppard, Ronon, and a security detail to Poole’s lab, where Poole is still working to find a way to track and recover Archetype. He expresses his dismay at Granger’s betrayal, but Sheppard insists that Archetype is dangerous and must be stopped. Poole protects Archetype’s actions, claiming that he only killed in self defense and would only do that again if threatened.
Sheppard, Ronon, Granger, and Poole are beamed to the Apollo from where Sheppard intends to track down Archetype, but Poole refuses to give the access code to the data files they recovered from his lab. Onboard the Apollo, Sheppard is reunited with Sgt. Bates, now honorably discharged from the Air Force after he was injured by a Wraith (”The Siege Part 1″). He is now working for the IOA in a new field division designed to deal specifically with operational threats to Earth. Together, they must find Archetype, a valuable and incredibly advanced piece of technology, before he harms others again.
Guest Characters
- Nancy (Sheppard’s ex-wife)
- Ava Granger
- Graham (John’s brother)
- Dr. Richard Poole
- Archetype (human form Replicator)
- Tactical Sergeant
- Bates [Dean Marshall]
Production
- Story by: Joe Flanigan
- Screenplay by: Alan McCullough
Spoilers are subject to change as this episode is in production.
