Stargate Universe at the San Diego Comic Con

San Diego Comic ConSuper Hero Hype has published the schedule for the panels in this year’s San Diego Comic Con, being held July 22 through 25. Here’s the information about the Stargate Universe panel:

Friday, July 23

10:30-11:30 Stargate Universe— Follow your Destiny. Catch the Syfy Stargate Universe panel, featuring Robert Carlyle (Dr. Nicholas Rush), David Blue (Eli Wallace), Ming Na (Camile Wray), and Louis Ferreira (Colonel Everett Young), moderated by Robert Cooper (series co-creator). Ballroom 20

Stargate Planner: Week of June 14-20

You might be interested in these news tidbits and announcements that have been noted on this editor’s calendar and notebook for this week. If you’ve got more to add, please don’t hesitate to announce them in the comment section below. We’ll update this article if something comes to our attention during the week.

Calendar

Monday, June 14
Tuesday, June 15 Stargate Universe Season One Finale “Incursion Part 2” on the UK’s Sky One at 8:00 PM.

The second season of Amanda Tapping‘s Sanctuary comes out on DVD and Blu-ray today! The show’s official website indicates that this release is available for ordering in Region 1 (North America) and Region 4 (Australia) and will be available in Region 2 (UK) in October 2010. For more information on the release, visit TV Shows on DVD. Additionally, Tapping and show creator Damian Kindler were interviewed in Ottawa Citizen: Sci-fi show finds Sanctuary in Vancouver.

Wednesday, June 16
Thursday, June 17 Stargate Universe “Light” on New Zealand’s Prime TV at 8:30 PM.
Friday, June 18 Stargate Universe Season One Finale “Incursion Part 2” on Australia’s Sci Fi Channel at 8:30 PM.
Saturday, June 19
Sunday, June 20

News Notes

Stargate Universe press:

Last week, we posted a few background articles in our LJ Companion that you might be interested in. The articles listed in this section don’t have a companion piece in our News Blog here:

Reminders

For news as it happens, make sure to visit the Stargate Twitter Superfeed for tidbits directly from the Stargate stars and production crew. And don’t forget our new feature Beyond the Event Horizon, which consists of “home pages” with dynamic feeds from our LJ and Blog for the stars of SG-1 and Atlantis.

Our LJ Companion has news bites, polls, and glimpses into the lives of the actors that we don’t necessarily cover here in our more formal news blog. Make sure to visit the LJ’s feed on our front page or visit the site directly to see its mostly fun little tidbits.

For the latest in convention appearances, which are subject to change, make sure to visit Stargate Actor Appearances.

SGU This Week: Season Finale "Incursion Part 2" (Spoilers)

Stargate Universe Season One finale “Incursion Part 2”, written by Joseph Mallozzi (and Paul Mullie) and directed by Andy Mikita, premieres tonight (June 11) on Syfy at 9 PM ET and on Space at 10 PM ET.

The Story: Yes, It Ends On A Cliffhanger!

Chloe Armstrong and Eli Wallace in INCURSION Pt 2 (MGM)
Eli and Chloe are running out of air in INCURSION PART 2 (MGM)
Long-time fans know that most seasons of Stargate end on a cliffhanger, and Season One of the new saga Stargate Universe is no exception!

Tonight’s episode continues the story of the Lucian Alliance‘s attempt to gain control of Destiny after they successfully dialed the nine-chevron code. But Commander Kiva’s plans aren’t going very smoothly. Opposing her every move, Col. Everett Young must try to keep as many of his people alive as possible. Unfortunately, things have a way of getting worse before they get better.

While they play the negotiating game, the two sides must also contend with mysterious events happening aboard the ship. The Destiny hasn’t jumped back into FTL and various systems are operating haphazardly. Men are being reduced to ashes in a most horrific manner, and power outages come at the most inopportune times. On top of that, Chloe is bleeding out from a gunshot wound, and Eli is trying to get them both back to a place on the ship that has replenished air.

We’ll get some of our questions answered tonight, but then, more questions will pop up. They’ll have to remain unresolved until October 2010 when SGU returns for its second season with “Intervention”, directed by Andy Mikita and written by Paul Mullie, whose writing partner Joseph Mallozzi described the episode as “an explosive conclusion” and “chock full of great character moments.” If Season Two premieres on Tuesday, October 5, that means we’ll have close to four months’ worth of counting down to do before we get resolution!

The Story Behind the Scenes: About the Script

Destiny in INCURSION PART 2 (MGM/About.com)
Who will end up in control of Destiny in INCURSION PART 2? (MGM/About.com)
In our episode guide in the Stargate Wiki, we’ve gathered some quotes from writer Joseph Mallozzi and a few of the cast members who have expressed their reactions about the Season One finale. Here are a few highlights:

Joseph Mallozzi: “The second script is a robust 53 pages (52 full) and contains what is, without a doubt, the biggest HOLY #%&@! ending I have ever written. I mean, I knew what was going to happen but, as I was writing toward it and the different pieces of the story were falling into place, I decided to go with a little something different in the lead-up and…well…it’s quite the eyebrow-raiser. Actually, the double eyebrow-raiser. Hell, the truth is, you don’t have enough eyebrows to make it work. Trust me.” … “I wish I could watch the reaction of the cast as they read the scripts. NO ONE IS SAFE!”

Brian J. Smith: “Wow – the finale is – wow – jeeze – did what I think happen just happen? I mean – how could you . . . ? My head is SPINNING.” … “When I read it I got upset. There’s something that happens in that last episode that is so upsetting and so cruel and so wrong … just thinking about it, it gives me goosebumps.”

Alaina Huffman: “Reading the LAST script of the season WOZA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t believe it…”

Patrick Gilmore: “Just read #SGU’s season finale ‘Incursion.’ At one point I blurted out ‘Oh my god!’ They’ve done it. 20 solid ep’s. All Killer,no filler.”

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman: “Just finished reading the season finale!! Speechless!! Can’t wait for all the fans to see it!”

Lou Diamond Phillips: “All I can say is that Telford’s journey is so twisted and takes so many turns, it’s very, very interesting.” (From a new interview at Chicago Now.)

So, there you have it, a glimpse into what awaits you tonight! Get your eyebrows ready and prepare for one heck of a rollercoaster ride!

Watch and Rate

Once you’ve seen the episode, make sure to return to Solutions to vote in our front page poll and to read the chatter that’s sure to take place on our Stargate Twitter Superfeed.

ETA NOTE: “Connect” with Alaina Huffman and Jamil Walker Smith at Syfy.com during the airing of the finale at 9 PM ET.

NOTE: Space will be having a special live chat with Ming-Na during the finale’s airing at 10 PM ET, and after the finale at 11 PM ET David Blue will be taking part in the live discussion. Check InnerSPACE Live for more details.

NOTE: The UK’s Sky One viewers will see “Incursion Part 2″ on Tuesday, June 15, at 8:00 PM, and viewers in Australia will be getting it on the Sci Fi Channel on Friday, June 18, at 8:30 PM.

[spoiler intro=”TV Guide’s Episode Summary”]
Conclusion. A hostage crisis unfolds following an attempt by the Lucian Alliance to seize Destiny, which starts to have ship-wide power fluctuations and blackouts due to its proximity to a binary pulsar in the first-season finale.[/spoiler]

[spoiler intro=”Official Synopsis”]
A derailed attempt by the Lucian Alliance to seize control of Destiny culminates in hostages and casualties on both sides. With a tense stand off between Col. Young (LOUIS FERREIRA) and his brutal adversary, Commander Kiva (RHONA MITRA) the Destiny starts having ship wide power black outs. To make matters worse, Dr. Rush (ROBERT CARLYLE) concludes that these power fluctuations are being caused by deadly bursts of radiation from a binary pulsar that will in a short while cause the shields to fail and kill all aboard the ship.

While the standoff plays out, Eli (DAVID BLUE) helps an injured Chloe (ELYSE LEVESQUE) as they try to make their way back from a remote section of the ship.

From Chicago Now.[/spoiler]

[spoiler intro=”Syfy’s Episode Preview Trailer”]

[/spoiler]

[spoiler intro=”Syfy’s Sneak Peek Video Clip”]

[/spoiler]

[spoiler intro=”Dr. Daniel Jackson’s Video on the Lucian Alliance”]

You can read more about the Lucian Alliance in our Stargate Wiki.[/spoiler]

Space Hosting Live Chats During SGU Finale June 11

SGUCanada’s Space channel will be hosting live discussions/chats with Stargate Universe stars Ming-Na and David Blue during the course of the finale’s evening on Friday, June 11, starting at 10 PM ET. Here are the details from their InnerSPACE Live page:

This is what Destiny intended from the moment she entered the star system. On Friday, June 11, starting 10ET the Season 1 finale for Stargate Universe airs on SPACE and we are sending out this season with style!

THE AFTERSHOW

Prepare for an off-world event, because InnerSPACE is hosting a live viewing for the finale at SPACE headquarters, followed with a LIVE 1-hour special hosted by Ajay Fry and Teddy Wilson. There will be celebrity panelists, including DAVID BLUE (Eli), a live web chat, and a lively roundup of the first season.

WEB CHAT

Starting at 10et and continuing for the duration of the live show, Natasha Eloi will be hosting a live web-chat with guest panelist MING NA at spacecast.com – so you can be part of the fun online.

And if you’re in or around the Toronto area, you could be part of our LIVE studio audience! To guarantee your spot in the audience call our InnerSPACE LIVE: SGU hotline at 416.384.LIVE – and follow the prompts! But hurry before spots run out!

Stargate Planner: Week of June 7-13

You might be interested in these news tidbits and announcements that have been noted on this editor’s calendar and notebook for this week. If you’ve got more to add, please don’t hesitate to announce them in the comment section below. We’ll update this article if something comes to our attention during the week.

Calendar

Monday, June 7 NBC’s Persons Unknown premieres at 10 PM ET. Current SGU writers/producers Remi Aubuchon and Linda McGibney contributed to the 13-episode show, and actor Robert Picardo is due to make an appearance in the show’s first season finale.

Robert Picardo is participating in the industry presentation of Rocket Boys in New York City at 2 PM and 7 PM.

Tuesday, June 8 Today is Lexa Doig‘s birthday! Follow her on Twitter.

Stargate Universe “Incursion Part 1” on the UK’s Sky One at 8:00 PM. Richard Dean Anderson and Amanda Tapping guest star!

Richard Dean Anderson can be seen as the ever resourceful Angus MacGyver in the release of a two-movie DVD in Region 1 today! MacGyver: The TV Movies comes with MacGyver: The Lost Treasure of Atlantis and MacGyver: Trail to Doomsday. More information about the release can be found at TV Shows on DVD.

Wednesday, June 9
Thursday,
June 10
Stargate Universe “Darkness” on New Zealand’s Prime TV at 8:30 PM.

Lou Diamond Phillips will be participating in the Osoyoos Wine Festival, which starts today and ends June 12. More details can be found at the Vancouver Sun.

Friday,
June 11
Stargate Universe “Incursion Part 1” on Australia’s Sci Fi Channel at 8:30 PM. Richard Dean Anderson and Amanda Tapping guest star!

Stargate Universe “Incursion Part 2” on Syfy at 9 PM ET and on Canada’s Space at 10 PM ET. This is the season finale!

  • In preparation for the big event, Syfy will be showing an SGU marathon starting at 8 AM ET! Check their schedule for details.
  • Space will have a live chat with David Blue following the episode’s airing at 11 PM during their InnerSPACE program.
Saturday, June 12 The Official Stargate Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, will begin today and end tomorrow, June 13. Guests include Joe Flanigan, David Hewlett, Brian J. Smith, Alaina Huffman, Dan Shea, and Gary Jones. Check the website for schedule details.

Torri Higginson can be seen tonight on Syfy in the movie Stonehenge Apocalypse at 9 PM ET! Peter Wingfield also stars, along with a whole host of other Stargate veterans (check out the movie’s IMDb profile for the cast list).

Sunday, June 13 Michael Shanks is wrapping principal photography in Winnipeg, Canada, for the movie Faces in the Crowd. Director/writer Julien Magnat has been posting production updates on his Twitter/Facebook, including a few behind-the-scenes photos (none include Shanks to-date, though). Shanks will begin filming his next movie project Red Riding Hood in Vancouver starting July 22.

News Notes

Last week, we posted a few background articles in our LJ Companion that you might be interested in. These articles don’t have a companion piece in our News Blog here:

Reminders

For news as it happens, make sure to visit the Stargate Twitter Superfeed for tidbits directly from the Stargate stars and production crew. And don’t forget our new feature Beyond the Event Horizon, which consists of “home pages” with dynamic feeds from our LJ and Blog for the stars of SG-1 and Atlantis.

Our LJ Companion has news bites, polls, and glimpses into the lives of the actors that we don’t necessarily cover here in our more formal news blog. Make sure to visit the LJ’s feed on our front page or visit the site directly to see its mostly fun little tidbits.

For the latest in convention appearances, which are subject to change, make sure to visit Stargate Actor Appearances.

Stargate Planner: Week of May 17-23

You might be interested in these news tidbits and announcements that have been noted on this editor’s calendar and notebook for this week. If you’ve got more to add, please don’t hesitate to announce them in the comment section below. We’ll update this article if something comes to our attention during the week.

Calendar

Monday, May 17 Ming-Na returns to her role as Judge Linda Harris in the episode “Gumby with a Pokey” in Two and a Half Men on CBS at 9 PM ET.
Tuesday, May 18 Stargate Universe “Sabotage” on the UK’s Sky One at 8:00 PM.
Wednesday, May 19
Thursday,
May 20
Today, The CW is holding their Upfronts and they’ll announce whether or not Ben Browder will be appearing weekly as a regular cast member of Tom Welling’s Hellcats. The word is that this show is a strong contender. ETA: The CW did pick the series up, but Browder has decided not to appear in it. Instead, he will be pursuing some film projects that have become available to him.
Friday,
May 21
Stargate Universe “Pain” on Australia’s Sci Fi Channel at 8:30 PM.

Stargate Universe “Subversion” on Syfy at 9 PM ET (Canada’s Space has delayed it until May 28 at 10 PM ET). Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks guest star!

Torri Higginson‘s turn as Beatrice in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing ends tonight at A Noise Within theatre in Glendale, California.

Saturday, May 22
Sunday, May 23

News Notes

There have been several recent interviews with Alaina Huffman and David Blue that cover the end of Season One and into Season Two of Stargate Universe:

Last week, we posted a few background articles in our LJ Companion that you might be interested in. These articles don’t have a companion piece in our News Blog here:

Reminders

For news as it happens, make sure to visit the Stargate Twitter Superfeed for tidbits directly from the Stargate stars and production crew. And don’t forget our new feature Beyond the Event Horizon, which consists of “home pages” with dynamic feeds from our LJ and Blog for the stars of SG-1 and Atlantis.

Our LJ Companion has news bites, polls, and glimpses into the lives of the actors that we don’t necessarily cover here in our more formal news blog. Make sure to visit the LJ’s feed on our front page or visit the site directly to see its mostly fun little tidbits.

For the latest in convention appearances, which are subject to change, make sure to visit Stargate Actor Appearances.

Stargate Planner: Week of April 12-18

There are some news tidbits and announcements that have been noted on this editor’s calendar and notebook that maybe you’d be interested in for this week. If you’ve got more to add, please don’t hesitate to announce them in the comment section below.

Calendar

Monday, April 12
Tuesday, April 13 Stargate Universe returns to the UK’s Sky One at 8:00 PM with “Space”.
Wednesday, April 14 Today is Robert Carlyle‘s birthday!
Thursday, April 15 The Official Stargate Convention in Vancouver kicks off today and lasts until Sunday, April 18. Make sure to visit Creation Entertainment for the latest in the schedule, which includes appearances by Michael Shanks, Joe Flanigan, David Hewlett, Rachel Luttrell, Brian J. Smith, Elyse Levesque, David Blue, Mark Burgess, Peter Williams, N. John Smith, Cliff Simon, Colin Cunningham, Christopher Heyerdahl, Dan Payne, Dan Shea, James Bamford, and Andee Frizzell.
Friday, April 16 Stargate Universe “Divided” on Australia’s Sci Fi Channel at 8:30 PM.

Stargate Universe “Faith” on Syfy at 9 PM ET and on Space at 10 PM ET.

Lou Diamond Phillips will be attending the Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF) for the first screening of his movie Transparency at 10:30 PM.

Jewel Staite will be appearing at the Anaheim Comic Con, which starts today and ends on April 18. Several actors who appeared in supporting roles will also be in attendance.

Saturday, April 17 Today is Alaina Huffman‘s birthday!
Sunday, April 18 Today is David Hewlett‘s birthday!

News Notes

Unfortunately, Corin Nemec‘s web series Star-ving did not win the Audience Choice Award for which it had been nominated in the Second Annual Streamy Awards. The award went to Agents of Cracked. You can see a list of all of the nominees and winners at Mashable.com.

Stargate SG-1 character-focused comic books are being developed by Dynamite. Stargate: Vala Mal Doran is written by Brandon Jerwa and involves Vala in an “Ocean’s Eleven” type heist. It’s supposed to be released in May. Stargate: Daniel Jackson, written by Doug Murray, focuses on Jackson’s “voice of reason” and intellect while going on a classic SG-1 adventure.

On our Twitter, we provided a link to Chicago Tribune‘s Maureen Ryan’s review of the Supernatural episode in which Michael Shanks briefly appeared. Do you agree with those among Ryan’s readers that his role was way too small (although he did warn us that it would be so)?

Reminders

For news as it happens, make sure to visit the Stargate Twitter Superfeed for tidbits directly from the Stargate stars and production crew. And don’t forget our new feature Beyond the Event Horizon, which consists of “home pages” with dynamic feeds from our LJ and Blog for the stars of SG-1 and Atlantis.

Our LJ Companion has news bites, polls, and glimpses into the lives of the actors that we don’t necessarily cover here in our more formal news blog. Make sure to visit the LJ’s feed on our front page or visit the site directly to see its mostly fun little tidbits.

For the latest in convention appearances, which are subject to change, make sure to visit Stargate Actor Appearances.

13-4-13: Stargate Universe 1.0, Feature Wrap-Up

SGU Season One Cast

It’s hard to believe, but that time has arrived! We’ve reached the final installment of our Thirteen Weeks for Thirteen Years (13-4-13) series. You know what that means? That means that new episodes of Stargate Universe resume next week on Friday, April 2, at 9 PM ET/PT on Syfy! Canadians watching Space will also see it on April 2 at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT. Australians getting Sci Fi will see it April 9, and UKers getting Sky One, April 13! (For more information on these schedules, visit the Stargate Universe main page in our Stargate Wiki.)

In the meantime, let’s look back at the beginning of the third series in the Stargate franchise. Premise-wise, Stargate Universe had been in the making for several years, first as a stand-alone Stargate movie, then as a series. Brad Wright told The Official Magazine, “The germ of Stargate Universe began as a movie by Robert Cooper [series co-creator/executive producer], as do many of our ideas. We always come up with a movie, pitch it to MGM, and they say, ‘Terrific, let’s make it a TV show.’ When we were spinning the film idea, we knew deep down that Universe was really a series because it had so much scope.

“Oddly enough we pitched Universe a couple of years before we actually thought we were going to end up doing it. We went to the Syfy Channel with the idea and it appeared to be really well-received, but then a very long time went by without us hearing anything more. At one point we thought, ‘Oh, well, it looks like it’s not going to happen,’ and then we received the series order. It came as a little bit of a surprise. Honestly, I expected Atlantis to go another year, and then we’d either have another year before Universe started up, or we would just wind up doing a couple more direct-to-DVD Stargate movies. Now, however, we’re doing Universe, which, believe me, is great.”

Getting down to the driving force behind the change in Stargate‘s proven 15-season signature of maintaining a sense of humor while not taking themselves too seriously, co-creator Robert C. Cooper explained to the Canadian Screenwriter Magazine, “What I really wanted to do was to shake up the approach to the show. I wanted us to move stylistically in a very different direction. We had made a plot-driven, action adventure show previously. The characters were fun and interesting, and one of the key reasons people liked the shows was because of the characters, but when people tuned in they knew what to expect: the crew would get into some trouble, go through the gate, have an adventure and then come home after saving the world. I don’t mean it in a derogatory sense, but it was a comic-book adventure, with larger-than-life bad guys, all about bad vs. good—very broad, primary colours. I felt like we had done as much of that as we could possibly do.

“I pitched the idea of doing something slightly more real as a character drama. It’s a sci-fi show: you’re still dealing with space ships. But I wanted the characters to feel real.”

Reaction to this change in format has been mixed, but ultimately, the first season of Stargate Universe has been deemed successful enough that a 20-episode second season was ordered (and is currently filming). Stargate Universe indeed is quite different in style, but still at the heart of it is the foundation laid in the previous twelve years’ worth of work done for both Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis.


Universe Season 1.0


If you haven’t had a chance to watch SGU 1.0, there’s going to be a marathon on Syfy to lead into the new episodes on Friday, April 2, starting at 11:00 AM ET!


The SGU Ensemble Cast


Cast interviews have been aplenty for the newest Stargate! Here at Solutions, we’ve reported on several, both here in the Solutions Blog and at our less-formal LJ Companion. Recently, we’ve added tags to both places that will lead you directly to the reports. We’ve also started actor and character biographies in the Stargate Wiki. Click on the following links to get you to your favorite’s entries (clicking on the image will get you to our Gallery’s larger version):

Robert Carlyle as Dr. Nicholas Rush

Robert Carlyle
(Dr. Nicholas Rush)
Louis Ferreira as Col. Everett Young

Louis Ferreira
(Col. Everett Young)
Brian J. Smith as Lt. Matthew Scott

Brian J. Smith
(Lt. Matthew Scott)
Elyse Levesque as Chloe Armstrong

Elyse Levesque
(Chloe Armstrong)
David Blue as Eli Wallace

David Blue
(Eli Wallace)
Alaina Huffman as Lt. Tamara Johansen

Alaina Huffman
(Lt. Tamara Johansen)
Jamil Walker Smith as MSgt. Ronald Greer

Jamil Walker Smith
(MSgt. Ronald Greer)
Ming-Na as Camile Wray

Ming-Na
(Camile Wray)
Lou Diamond Phillips as Col. David Telford

Lou Diamond Phillips
(Col. David Telford)

Solutions


Did you enjoy our journey through the years of Stargate in this Thirteen Weeks for Thirteen Years series? Would you like to see more series of this type in the future? If so, what would you like to see? Let us hear from you in the comment section below, or contact us through our e-mail address. Thanks. 🙂

io9: Ming-Na and David Blue on SGU's April Return

io9 caught up with Stargate Universe stars Ming-Na and David Blue at Syfy’s recent Upfronts in New York and got to talk a little about the second half of Season One that is coming to Syfy on April 2 (at 9 PM ET/PT). The two managed to avoid talking about specific plot points, but you should be aware that they do briefly touch on some of the things happening on Destiny. So, visit the article forewarned that there might be information therein that some would consider spoilers (even the title of the article might be spoilery to some).

The international return schedule of Stargate Universe is as follows – subject to change:

  • United States – Syfy – Friday, April 2, 9 PM ET/PT (their website)
  • Canada – SPACE – Friday, April 2, 10 PM ET/7 PM PT (their website)
  • Australia – Sci Fi – Friday, April 9, 8:30 PM (story; their website)
  • UK – Sky One – Tuesday, April 13, 8:00 PM (not yet confirmed; their website)

What's Playing: Interview with David Blue

David BlueThere’s a new interview posted at What’s Playing with Stargate Universe star David Blue. He talks about how he got the role of Eli Wallace and what it’s like to work with Robert Carlyle and Lou Diamond Phillips. They discuss the filming location in New Mexico for “Air Part 3” and where Blue would like to go if the Stargate were real.

Blue has in the past stated that he was a fan of Stargate before he got the role and that sometimes he was looked to by the “newbies” when it came time to discuss some of the franchise’s mythology. In the interview, when asked to choose between the TV shows’ or the original movie’s canon upon which to base a new big-screen movie, if it were to happen, Blue weighed, “That’s a tough one. It’d be difficult to create a new movie if you’re going to ignore the world that’s been fleshed out by Brad Wright, Robert Cooper, Carl Binder and gang. They’ve all done an amazing job adding to the mythology, it would almost be a disservice to pretend that never happened. However, Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich started the ball rolling. I’d be curious to read that script, for sure!”

Make sure to visit What’s Playing for the rest of the interview.

Stargate Universe returns to Syfy on Friday, April 2, at 9 PM ET with “Space”.