Category: Atlantis

Mallozzi: SGA S4 Will End on a Cliffhanger

Season Four of Stargate Atlantis is still in production, with the crew currently filming the two-part episode “The Kindred” that will appear sometime in the back half of the season. Executive Producer and co-showrunner Joseph Mallozzi recently revealed in his personal blog that all 20 episodes have been slotted, but two currently have not been named (see the Season Four index in our Wiki for details on all 20 episodes). Concerning the finale, which is based off of co-showrunner Paul Mullie’s idea, Mallozzi said, “We are not thinking past season four which will end on a cliffhanger. We have a general idea of where we want this major arc to go and hopefully will have a chance to develop it with a fifth season pick-up.”

The finale has also been described by Mallozzi as “big – but very, very different,” with the emphasis on “BIG”.

The renewal notice from the Sci Fi Channel hasn’t come yet (Mallozzi said that it could be “anytime between now and this winter”), but it appears that the producers are positive that the show will return for a fifth season. Mallozzi stated in his personal blog, “I’m very hopeful given the episodes that kick off season four.” As to whether or not Sci Fi would even consider non-renewal, Mallozzi said, “The show’s producers and studio already know a fifth season would be a smart move for us. It’s the network that will need the convincing. But I have a feeling they already know. Seriously. What’s not to love?”

Both Mallozzi and Mullie have stated that renewal for Season Five would be based heavily off of the ratings for the last half of Season Three because of Sci Fi’s moving the Season Four premiere to September 28, rather than having the usual summer premiere. The positive to this move to a fall premiere was emphasized by Mallozzi, “From what I hear, there will NOT be a six-month mid-season break.” He balanced this out with, “As to whether the ratings for season four will impact a possible pick up – it’s hard to say. The premiere was pushed so far that it will be cutting it very close.” Indeed it is so close that they will be finishing their filming of Season Four right as the first episode “Adrift” will be premiering. Mallozzi concluded, “It’s out of my hands so I’m simply concentrating on producing the best show possible.”

In case they do get the Season Five pick-up, what can we expect for the characters? Mallozzi stated that he’d like to have new cast members Amanda Tapping and Jewel Staite return: “If and when we do get the pick up, given everything we’ve seen so far, we would very much like to have both of them back.” He has hinted that they might have Michael Shanks reprise his role as Dr. Daniel Jackson: “Alas, in response to many who have been asking, Daniel Jackson will not be making an appearance in season four […] But, if we get a fifth season pick-up, it’s definitely something we definitely aim to pursue.” Mallozzi did mention in one of his blog entries that casting and staffing for a possible next season could be affected by a late renewal notice: “Actor/writer/producer deals need to be picked up by a certain date as well. If they are not, then everyone becomes free to pursue other projects rather than sitting on their hands, waiting around for a possible pick-up.”

Even if the show doesn’t get a fifth season on television, the history of the franchise has it that the story could be told in direct-to-DVD movies much like what has happened for Stargate SG-1. When asked by a fan in his personal blog what would happen if there wasn’t a renewal for a fifth season, Mallozzi might have had this history in mind when he answered, “If worse comes to worse, I’m sure MGM will find a way to have the Atlantis team continue its adventures in one way or another.”

Keep up with the production of Season Four (and possibly Season Five) of Stargate Atlantis in Joseph Mallozzi’s personal blog (from which all of the above quotes were gleaned) and in Solutions’ Stargate Atlantis pages in the Stargate Wiki.

Season Four of Stargate Atlantis makes its world premiere on the Sci Fi Channel at 10pm Eastern (a new timeslot), on Friday, September 28, 2007.

McGillion: "It feels like coming home"

Actor Paul McGillion has returned to the sets of Stargate Atlantis to reprise his role as Dr. Carson Beckett in two episodes in the back half of Season Four, “The Kindred Part I” and “The Kindred Part II”. Executive producer and writer for Part I of the “return of THAT character” episode, Joseph Mallozzi, even posted pictures of McGillion on the set in his personal blog while the two episodes are currently being filmed.

Dr. Carson BeckettSCI FI WIRE’s Cindy White had a phone conversation with McGillion while he’s in Vancouver and reported it in her article, McGillion Talks Atlantis Return. In the article, McGillion talks about his return to the set after nearly a year away, and said, “Honestly, it feels like coming home.”

The circumstances behind Carson’s return after his death in Season Three’s “Sunday” have not been revealed, but Mallozzi did promise the fans at the Save Carson Beckett Campaign website that “when he returns for the two-parter, it will be Carson Beckett in the flesh.” Mallozzi continued, “Late in season three, we discussed the manner in which the character had been written out and the possible ways in which he could be brought back. I threw out an idea that not only brought Carson back, but answered a very big question I had concerning a late-season arc. In order to lay the groundwork for his possible return, we threaded a subtle hint into one of the late season three episodes. So, if fans want to know how we plan on bringing the good doctor back from the dead, they should seek out the hidden clue when the back half of season three returns to SciFi […] Well, I don’t want to give too much away but I can say it won’t be an AU version of Carson – or a time-hopping Dr. Beckett either.”

Mallozzi has described Part I of “The Kindred” as “Fargo-esque” and has said of Part II, written by Alan McCullough, “There won’t be a dry eye in the house when this one airs.”

McGillion didn’t reveal any secrets about how Carson returns, but did say in the SCI FI WIRE interview, “They gave me a really great storyline. I think the fans will appreciate it. Beckett has a lot to do in the storyline that they’ve given the character. So I’m really happy with it. I think it’s a really great way to bring Beckett back. Without going into any details, because I really can’t, he’s heavily, heavily based in the episodes. They’ll see a lot of Beckett.”

McGillion gives much of the credit for his return to the fans who have organized the Save Carson Beckett Campaign. He said, “A lot of people have called him the heart of Atlantis. And I think the fans really stood behind that and rallied behind the character a lot. So I was flattered and obviously thrilled to come back.” Even after the campaign was started and received a lot of publicity, McGillion still admitted in the interview that he was surprised when he got the call to come back. But now that he’s back for these two episodes, McGillion says, “I don’t know what their plans are for the character or where I’m going to be, but it’s always a pleasure to come back and work on the show, that’s for sure. So I’m not ruling anything out.”

To read the full interview, visit SCI FI WIRE.

Mallozzi: No Daniel in Atlantis in SGA S4

Stargate Atlantis executive producer and co-showrunner Joseph Mallozzi has been asked in his personal blog several times whether or not Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) will visit Atlantis in Season Four.

Here’s his latest reply, posted August 8, 2007:

Alas, in response to many who have been asking, Daniel Jackson will not be making an appearance in season four (although Michael was on the lot today to do an interview for one of Ivon Bartok’s upcoming DVD Special Features). But, if we get a fifth season pick-up, it’s definitely something we definitely aim to pursue.

Ben Browder and Claudia Black are also not appearing in Season Four, but viewers can expect to see Amanda Tapping (as a new, regular cast member in 14 episodes) and Christopher Judge (guest starring in at least one episode: “Reunion”).

More Stargate News from Comic Con

Mary McNamara of Multichannel News has posted her article about the recent Comic Con International held in San Diego (July 26-29) at which Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate Atlantis were represented by panels that included actors, producers, writers, and directors.

Stargate SG-1 Movies

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios continues to invest heavily in the wholly owned Stargate franchise even though Stargate SG-1 was dumped by Sci Fi after a decade on cable. (Sister series Atlantis lives on.)

City buses plastered with Stargate images ran continuously in front of the convention center. At the Sci Fi/EW bash, MGM’s senior executive vice president of finance and corporate development Charlie Cohen said the studio decorated 10 buses and has already reserved the vehicles for next year.

MGM has two direct-to-DVD SG-1 movies in production — Continuum and Ark of Truth — that cost about $7 million each to make, and there are plans to crank out more, Cohen said.

Stargate Atlantis

The Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis panels were raucous, moderated by Gary Jones, a Toronto Second City improv vet who plays the beloved “GateGuy” (Chief Master Sgt. Walter Harriman) on SG-1.

No such event would be complete without a fan protest. When an audience member asked the Stargate producers “what they have against doctors,” the 4,500-strong crowd roared and hundreds of little Scottish flags fluttered in the air.

Earlier, a fan named Michelle from San Francisco had distributed the keepsakes in support of returning Dr. Carson Beckett (Paul McGillion) to the Atlantis cast. The character, a Scot and a medical doctor, was killed off last season.

The producers tried to deflect the issue with humor. “It’s not doctors we have a problem with,” executive producer Robert Cooper quipped. “It’s Scottish people.” Atlantis showrunner Joe Mallozzi assured the crowd he loved Scottish people and instructed them to redirect their “hate e-mail to Rob Cooper. My inbox is full.”

Later, in the hallways, fans dressed in kilts played a dirge on bagpipes.

Stargate Universe

Cohen also indicated Stargate producers are incubating a third spin-off series, based on the “ninth chevron,” a symbol imbedded in the stargate. “It will take some Stargate group to an awesome, complex region of space that will allow for many great stories,” Cohen said.

Stories that MGM hopes will appeal to the fans — OK, geeks — like those that can be found at ComicCon.

To read the full article, visit Multichannel News: At Comic-Con, Geeks Wield Power.

[Thanks to jasonf for the tip.]

Sci Fi Wire: Atlantis Adds New Race

SCI FI WIRE has published yet another article coming out of the Sci Fi Channel-sponsored Digital Media Tour held in the Stargate Atlantis standing set at Bridge Studios in Vancouver on June 26. This time, we hear about the new race being introduced in Season Four, the Travelers (in the episode aptly entitled, “Travelers”).

Executive producer Joseph Mallozzi told SCI FI WIRE that the Pegasus Galaxy needed a technologically advanced race, since most of the human societies in the galaxy had been prevented from advancing too far by the constant cullings of the Wraith. This new race have managed to survive by living on a spaceship after the destruction of their homeworld. They visit other planets destroyed by the Wraith to salvage what they can, adding to their spaceship’s “rustic” appearance. Mallozzi said that the ship is “a lot more like the Nostromo [from the film Alien] than the Enterprise, with clean lines.”

Also adding to the Travelers’ appeal is their “hot leather”, according to actor David Hewlett (Dr. Rodney McKay), who was also at the press conference along with Rachel Luttrell (Teyla Emmagan) and executive producer Paul Mullie.

Mallozzi also said that the introduction of the Travelers was a move to keep Atlantis from continuing the use of alien races and villains from Stargate SG-1. He said, “In terms of the bigger story elements, like the Ori and the Goa’uld, I don’t think we want to go there. Just because Atlantis has fairly well established its own burgeoning mythology with the Wraith and the human-form replicators, I don’t think we want to go there right now.”

Season Four of Stargate Atlantis will make its world premiere on the Sci Fi Channel on Friday, September 28, 2007.

To read the entire article, visit SCI FI WIRE: Atlantis Adds New Race.

Sci Fi Wire: Producers: Give Atlantis A Chance

Stargate Atlantis co-showrunners and executive producers Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie addressed fan concerns about the changes in the show’s cast in Season Four, especially about the addition of Amanda Tapping (Col. Samantha Carter) and the demotion of Torri Higginson (Dr. Elizabeth Weir).

Both men wanted to reassure fans that the behind-the-scenes production crew were the same as that for Season Three. Mullie stated, “But it’s not like we’re [Mallozzi and Mullie as show runners] coming in from outside. We’ve been working on SG-1 since season four, and we’ve been working on Atlantis from the beginning. All of our directors and all the other writers are the same. It’s the same crew. It’s very much, I think, a continuation.”

Mallozzi, whose personal blog gets a lot of traffic from fans who are concerned with the changes, added, “I, more than anyone, am well aware of some of the negative fan reaction to the changes in the show. It’s something I’ve noticed in the past, where, for instance, spoilers will get out, and fans will always assume the worst. Now, I’m not saying that when it airs certain fans won’t be upset, but I think the great majority who have adopted sort of the doom-and-gloom, worst-case scenario will probably be pleasantly surprised by what they see. In fact, I’m very confident of that.”

Actor David Hewlett (Dr. Rodney McKay) was also present during the press conference. To him, the two shows were never meant to be separate entities, but share mythology. He said that the occasional cross-overs with SG-1 have “always worked well” for them in the past.

To read the full article, visit SCI FI WIRE: Producers: Give Atlantis A Chance.

SGA S4 Spoilers: Working Around Real Life

It hasn’t been a secret that Rachel Luttrell is expecting a baby. The pregnancy in and of itself didn’t hinder the production team of Stargate Atlantis in creating a story arc for Teyla Emmagan, but in order to accommodate the availablility of new cast member Amanda Tapping as she filmed the two direct-to-DVD movies, they had to film episodes out of order, and this meant doing various tricks of the trade to hide Luttrell’s growing “bump”.

“As far as I know,” commented Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, “there are three ways in which shows have dealt with pregnancies: 1) They’ve reduced the actress’s onscreen time drastically and ignored the fact by shooting around her, 2) They’ve written the actress out of the show entirely, 3) They’ve supported the actress by writing the pregnancy into the show.”

According to the lastest article at SCI FI WIRE, “Atlantis Makes Pregnancy Work,” the producers obviously didn’t go with Option 2 above. They did mix a bit of Option 1 and most definitely Option 3 in making Teyla’s Season Four character arc include a pregnancy.

Luttrell talked about Teyla’s development in a previous interview published by SCI FI WIRE, “Atlantis Embraces Luttrell’s Pregnancy,” in which she stated that Teyla “is going to be faced with taking care of someone who may be the last of her kind. There are so many interesting colors that are now coming out.” Teyla’s people, the Athosians, have apparently gone missing and Teyla is in search of them in the first half of the season.

Currently, the cast and crew are on a “shooting hiatus”, but upon their return to the studios on July 16, they’ll pick up filming with Teyla’s pregnancy obviously progressing. Executive producer Paul Mullie stated, “We’re at a point in the shooting of the fourth season where the show has caught up to her. The pregnancy is now on screen, and we don’t have to really worry about it that much. Now we just have to worry about how long she can keep working until she’s like, ‘My feet hurt too much. I’m out of here.'”

According to David Nykl, in his personal blog, the team will pick up with “Quarantine”, the thirteenth episode of the season. So, keep your eyes open as to the filming schedule from now on, as it could very well reflect the season’s correct airing order.

San Diego Comic Con to Feature Stargate Panels

On Friday, July 27, the Stargate franchise will be represented by two panels at the San Diego Comic Con. The convention kicks off with a Preview Night on Wednesday, July 25, and has full schedules slated for Thursday, July 26, through Sunday, July 29.

Stargate: The Ark of Truth

12:15-1:15 Stargate SG-1: The Movie—It’s been barely a month since television’s longest-running sci-fi series aired its final episode, yet the SG-1 team is already embarking on a perilous new mission—to recover the Ark of Truth with the hopes that the power locked inside the ancient artifact will loosen the grip of the Ori army on our galaxy. Never-before-seen footage from the new direct-to-video movie (from Fox Home Entertainment) will be followed by a Q&A session. Participants include SG-1 stars Ben Browder (as Cameron Mitchell), Amanda Tapping (as Samantha Carter), Michael Shanks (as Daniel Jackson), Christopher Judge (as Teal’c) and executive producer/director Robert Cooper.

Stargate Atlantis

1:15-2:15 Stargate Atlantis—The Stargate legacy continues to burn bright on SCI FI with the fourth original season of Atlantis. Amanda Tapping, one of the most beloved stars in the Stargate universe, travels to the Pegasus galaxy to join the Atlantis cast by reprising her role as television’s favorite astrophysicist, Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter. Taking the torch from SG-1 as television’s most thrilling adventure series, Atlantis promises to up the ante this season by introducing a powerful new race, welcoming new cast members, and mourning the loss of some beloved friends. On hand in addition to Tapping will be David Hewlett (Dr. Rodney McKay), Joe Mallozzi (executive producer/writer), Nora O’Brien (VP, original programming, SCI FI), Charlie Cohen (senior executive VP, MGM Studios), and Robert Cooper, executive producer/writer. Moderated by Gary Jones (Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman, Stargate SG-1).

Tapping on SG-1 Movies, Atlantis, Sanctuary

The Scifi World has published a lengthy interview with Amanda Tapping wherein she discusses her role as Samantha Carter in the Stargate franchise and her role as Helen Magnus in Sanctuary (for which she is also an executive producer).

Stargate SG-1 Movies

Tapping talks a little bit about her experience filming in the Arctic for Continuum and how “much bigger” it felt filming the two movies. She also speaks about her hopes that there will be more movies, but nothing has been confirmed as of the time of the interview.

For those fans curious as to where the movies tie into the two Stargate timelines, Tapping said, “The producers have decided they are not concurrent timelines but definitely these two movies happen before Sam goes to Atlantis.”

[Atlantis executive producer Joseph Mallozzi stated in his June 14 blog entry that Carter “will be a Full Bird Colonel for both the movies and Atlantis’s fourth season.”]

Stargate Atlantis

The majority of the interview is taken up with Tapping discussing her move to Stargate Atlantis in its fourth season. She talks about how much out of her element Carter is as the new base commander. She explained, “She is out of her element, she is much more comfortable taking orders running her own lab, you know she is very comfortable out in the field as a soldier, so this is very different for her being behind a desk making decisions that effect thousands of people. You know having to be more of a diplomat in some ways and not have own lab so she can do experiments, which was sort of her happy place. When ever things got too stressful Sam would just go down to her lab and run experiments or try to write short essays on nuclear physics and things like that, so she does not have that time and she does not have that luxury. So I think it is a little bit more stressful for her because she is not in her element. But she’s finding her feet. It’s just like I said she feels like playing a very, very different character.”

Tapping also hints that the second half of the season will have more conflict between Carter and McKay than the first.

Sanctuary

Once Atlantis has completed filming Season Four, Tapping is hoping she will go immediately into filming ten additional hours of her new on-line series Sanctuary. These additional hours would translate into 40 new webisodes for the series that was created by Stargate production veteran Damian Kindler. Tapping hopes that more backstory will be revealed about Helen’s retention of her youth (she’s currently 157 years old), and how her daughter Ashley will turn out having had two “gifted” parents.

When asked if there were any other projects she’d like to participate in, Tapping replied, “Really, honestly, I just want to get Sanctuary up and going, that’s my main motivation right now.”

With working these projects, Tapping said, “It’s keeping me pretty busy, literally that’s kept me shooting for a year solid so, no. I don’t have anything else, right now I have two weeks off right now and I’m going to spend it with my family. It’s pretty much my only two weeks off this year.”

Visit The Scifi World for the complete interview.

Sci Fi Wire: Tapping Energizing Atlantis

SCI FI WIRE talked with Joseph Mallozzi and David Hewlett last week about the addition of Amanda Tapping to Stargate Atlantis in its fourth season following the cancellation of Stargate SG-1.

Mallozzi stated:

Just from a creative standpoint as well, it offers us sort of a wealth of opportunities. She’s so multifaceted. She’s got the science background, so she can take some of the heat off of McKay and his gobbledygook. She’s got the military background, so if she needs to head offworld, she can head offworld with the team. She’s also got the leadership background to basically settle in quite nicely as the new commander of the Atlantis expedition.

Mallozzi was also enthusiastic because Carter’s presence will permit more exploration in character relationships, and Hewlett commented on the new feel of the show, “McKay has such a great sort of repartee with the Tapping character. So, really, it has definitely changed the feel. … And [there’s] more tension as well, which is nice, too: just the interaction with the characters.”

To read the complete article, visit SCI FI WIRE: Tapping Energizing Atlantis