










No official word on this year’s Comic Con line-up yet, but I hear that there will be both a Stargate: Continuum and Stargate: Atlantis panel. The former should include writer-executive producer Brad Wright, director Martin Wood, and Michael Shanks, Chris Judge, Amanda Tapping, Ben Browder and, if the rumors are true, one Richard Dean Anderson. The latter will be moderated by writer-executive producer Martin Gero and should include Jewel Staite, Bob Picardo, and, in all probability, Joe Flanigan. I, alas, will miss out on this year’s festivities and am, of course, bummed because it means I’ll have to come up with something else to blog about that weekend.
Hey, I headed over to Fuel the other night with Marty G. and his gal Stephanie. We were supposed to be a foursome but the guys were still working on the hardwood flooring and Fondy elected to stay home and watch. Her absence was felt by all - but we persevered and enjoyed yet another incredible meal: fresh prawn, an enormous lobe of foie gras served with sliced cherries and brioche, pasta 3-ways including a revelatory tagliatelle with minced house pork sausage, what in hindsight may well have been scrapple served atop a bed of peas and topped with a grilled scallop (try getting that in Pennsylvania), salmon, sablefish, and the piece de resistance: the stuffed pig’s head and spaetzle!
Hmmm. I knew this would happen. I was motoring along on my Remnants rewrite and then got detoured by Wednesday’s quadruple episode screening. Nothing ruins the rhythm of a rewrite like a day off not writing. Hopefully I’ll be able to recapture the magic this weekend as I want to get this script out to the network before the end of next week. I have a couple of books to get around to (Almost finished Ursula K. LeGuin’s Lathe of Heaven. A great book and a quick read. Highly recommended!), and an opportunity has presented itself that I would be foolish to pass up. More on this in the weeks to come. Hopefully.
Well, still no new phone as I’ve been too busy to shop around. I’ve been making due with my old Motorola that, while not quite serviceable is, I suppose, one step better than two tin cans connected by a piece of string. The phone rings and I can see the caller’s number, but I am unable to hear them if I answer. I am, strangely enough, able to hear them if I call however. So all I have to do if anyone calls is get the number, hang up on them, press re-dial, and voila! I’m in business! Still, at the end of the day, I like the convenience of being able to answer my phone.
Today’s pics: Dinner at Fuel - Stephanie, Marty G., me, and my invisible date.
Mailbag:
Portland writes: “Do you watch your show with everyone else on fridays at 10pm?”
Answer: Nope. Unfortunately, we don’t get SciFi here in Canada.
Warmbeachbrat writes: “Will Dr. Lee be appearing in season 5?”
Answer: He will be putting in an appearance.
Warmbeachbrat writes: “I see you’re reading Orphans of Chaos (as am I)–how are you liking it?”
Answer: Well, I was reading it and was enjoying it but, alas, I only have the online version and I much prefer to have a real book in my hands. I’ve set Orphans of Chaos aside for now but have ordered up a copy. Once it arrives, I’ll resume reading.
Sue writes: “What kinda prepping will go on during hiatus for “prodigal” and when do you start filming the eps?”
Answer: Prodigal has already been prepped. However, our costume and construction departments will be working a week or two during the hiatus to make sure the episode is ready to shoot when we return in mid-July.
1norriski writes: “In Shepard’s video he makes a statement about not knowing if Col Sumner (I know I’m spelling that wrong, sorry) even has a family, then states some of us don’t. At that time in the series I took that statement to imply that Shepard’s character did not have any living family back on earth…”
Answer: Another interpretation could be that, figuratively speaking, he had not family back on Earth because of the fallout he had with his father.
Muddypiddypop writes: “When a script goes t the netwok, is it completed or still a work in progress?”
Answer: It is still very much a work in progress.
ZeroPointBatteries writes: “In rising, the water is being held back by a thin shield against the buildings which seems to have various seperate sections preventing a total failure at one instant, however in First Strike when the city is once again submerged we see the “normal” or “main” shield holding back the water which allows Weir to walk out onto the balcony without a problem.”
Answer: I’ve always operated under the assumption that Atlantis could do both: initiate the shield so that it covers the whole of the city (in a bubble) or, if necessary, adjust the shield to cover only sections of the city as either a bubble or skintight shield.
The Teslan writes: “How are pugs as far as shedding?”
Answer: Fawn pugs shed quite a bit in the Spring.
David writes: “Hey Joe, I’m gonna be in Vancouver around July 25/26 (I think those are the days), any chance you’d say hello if I were to be standing outside the Bridge Studios gates?”
Answer: Hey, David. Would love to come out and say hi but we’ll be off the Thursday and Friday of that week for Comic Con.
Snake writes: “So your shooting schedule does not necessarily coinside with the episodes in numeric order? Aproximately what is the time frame from completed script to shooting and from completed shooting to air date?”
Answer: The shooting order and the air date order don’t always line up as actor availability or production concerns (“When the hell is that set going to be ready?!”) may necessitate our rearranging the production schedule. As for the time frame - about five months from first day of principal photography to when you see it on SciFi.
Ascended Tauri writes: “1. How many times do you (typically) view an episode before it airs?
2. With you on hiatus now, how often does Fondy have off from her work?
3. Will the infamous blue jello be making a triumphant comeback in Season 5?
4. Will the Rodneyana Valosa (dare I hope so) be making an even greater triumphant comeback in Season 5?”
Answer: 1. If you include dailies as one long screening, then I’d say about six times. 2. I may be on holiday, but Fondy is still at work. 3. We’re still in negotiations with blue jello’s agent. Stay tuned. 4. We’ve sent a script out to the Rodneyana Valosa. It has promised to get back to us.
Sector24 writes: “When you look back, is there some storyline and path you wish you wouldn’t have taken?”
Answer: Not really. Some episodes didn’t work as well as others and, sure, there were certain scenes or casting decisions I’d love a second crack at but, at the end of the day, the show did go 10 seasons.
Eugene from Aus writes: “I’ll probably borrow some Harlan Ellison, Arthur C. Clarke
and Isaac Asimov books soon, any suggestions(titles and perhaps other authors)?
Any plans to come down to Australia anytime soon?(or for the first time, a search of the blog seemed fruitless)
Did you know there’s a place in Australia called Richmond?
Have you tried any Australian food recently/are there any Australian style restaurants in your vicinity in Canada?”
Answers: I just recommended John Varley’s The Opiuchi Hotline to Brad.
No plans to visit Australia anytime soon but we will be visiting Shanghai and I hear there’s an excellent Aussie restaurant near our hotel.
O6untouchable writes: “1) In your mind, who takes over from Colonel Chekov after the Korolev is destroyed?
2) Now more countries are part of the Atlantis program, does the IOA consist of any representatives other than America, Russia, China, France and Britain? Are there any plans for us to encounter those other nation people?
3) We’ve spotted a few members of the Atlantis’ Security detail who are members of other militaries - a German in Rising, a South African who cropped up a few times in Season 1, etc. However, we haven’t really seen any foreign military characters developed, given lines, or a name for that matter. Are there any plans to throw that sort of thing in, or are you trying to avoid repeating the “Russian team” stuff from SG-1?”
Answers: 1) In my mind - no idea. 2) IOA is made up of the various countries participating in the Atlantis expedition, but their council is made up of the big 7. 3) Eventually, it would be nice to expand our character base to include a variety of nationalities.
Shirt ‘n Tie writes: “How go the thoughts/ideas for Episode 100?”
Answer: Very well. We were in the office today spinning.
Terry writes: “Your stash of books seems to have many ‘classics’ in it. Are these books that you’ve actually read before or are these the ones you feel you should read but just have never had the chance?”
Answer: Some I read ages ago, others I have yet to read.
Terry also writes: “Did you ever read James Tiptree Jr. (aka Alice Sheldon)?”
Answer: Yep. Read Ten Thousand Light Years from Home a couple of weeks ago.
Cathy writes: “will Amanda Tapping be able to be in any episodes in the last part of season 5? If so, how many? If you cannot answer this yet, would you be able to in the near future?”
Answer: Again, it’s all dependent on Amanda’s availability. And we won’t know about that for at least another month.
DasNDanger writes: “ 1. In your mind, do you think Todd ‘tastes’ Sheppard (in his memory) every time they meet? Not suggesting anything perverted here, but more like how we might remember the taste of a yummy meal every time we are reminded of it.
2. This one is REALLY bugging me - when Todd returned to the hive in BAMSR, did he get a chance to feed? I’m thinking his quick change of subject when Sheppard asked if there was anything else that happened while they were unconscious means that yes, he did (I’m also thinking this is why they were stunned, so that he was free to feed without their interference). It would make sense, since he was returning with the humans and had no guarantee that they wouldn’t lock him up and starve him again, but I could be waaaay off.”
Answers: 1) I’m sure Todd has happy memories of the meal they shared. 2) I’m not quite sure what you’re referring to? Are you asking whether Todd fed on our team while they were unconscious? If so, then the answer is no.
Mahoney writes: “More Daniel in season 6 would be great; but, would he get to interact with folks other than just Rodney if that happened? Hopefully maybe?”
Answer: Ideally, yes.
Arctic Goddess writes: “So, to continue this interesting discussion, have you ever eaten bugs as part of a meal?”
Answer: Not intentionally.
Disgruntled writes: “You people will never learn, will you?”
Answer: Nay. Teach us Oh Enlightened One! We are but mere empty vessels waiting to be filled from thine decanter of truthfulness and know-it-allness!
Laura writes: “I have just been told that the 1ep has been leaked on to the net if this is true does TPTB know how it happened ?”
Answer: Hundreds of copies of the premiere were sent out to various media outlets for review so I’m not surprised.
Pandora writes: “Anything to say on the subject? Comments? Rants or raves?”
Answer: It’s tough to keep a lid on things when you’re sending out so many copies for review. The best we can do is keep an eye on the sites and, at the very least, take comfort in the fact that it wasn’t an unfinished episode with temp VFX.