Lon3rumbl3r

Curious

[Joseph Mallozzi 🏴‍☠️ @BaronDestructo]

Stargate Trivia: Casting Stargate: Atlantis

While SG-1 was my first love (We were together for seven years!), my time on Atlantis proved equally memorable. The show was possessed of a similar tone in its mix of high adventure and humor, yet proved distinct in its exploration of Ancient mythology and an unfamiliar galaxy as seen through the eyes of a new set of heroes. Atlantis offered a sense of wonder and camaraderie born of isolation and constant danger.
Whereas team SG-1 could always go home at the conclusion of their adventures, the members of the Atlantis expedition (at least for those first few seasons) could only draw comfort from the city of Atlantis itself – and, of course, each other. It was unique and compelling yet, at the same time, comfortingly familiar.
Nowhere is this more evident than in its opening theme, composed by the late Joel Goldsmith, which is, at turns fresh, haunting, stirring and, throughout, discernibly Stargate.

Stargate: Atlantis wasn’t originally planned as a companion to Stargate: SG-1. It was intended to replace the long-running series. The only problem was, with eight seasons under its belt, SG-1 wasn’t quite done yet. And fans (and the network) weren’t done with it either. And so, instead of passing the torch and segueing to a new Stargate series, we ended up producing both. In retrospect, it was quite an achievement: 40 hours of television in a year! Today's productions can barely manage a quarter that output, but Stargates SG-1 and Atlantis delivered two fantastic 40 episode seasons before SG-1 took its final bow. It wasn’t easy, but it was certainly made easier by all of the enormously talented individuals who made it happen, from the office staff and crew to the cast and my fellow writer/producers.

Still, it was not without its challenges. Take casting, for instance. It may surprise you to know that, when it comes to producing a show, not everybody cares about costumes or set design or whether the script’s fifth act denouement is emotionally satisfying - but everybody, and I do mean EVERYBODY, has an opinion on casting. Studio and network execs, producers, hell, even your significant other peering over your shoulder as you screen the auditions on your laptop, will want to weigh in. Of course, the more voices in the mix the more likely there are to be disagreements. So it is with every production and Atlantis was no different. Various individuals envisioned these characters in various ways and, as a result, consensus was only achieved after many auditions, calls-backs, heated discussions, and not-so-gentle reminders that our start date was fast-approaching and we really needed someone to say the lines on camera.

The part of Carson Beckett was one of the first we cast. The other producers were in Rob’s office, screening the first batch of local auditions when Brad called me in and told me to check out the guy onscreen. I hadn’t imagined Beckett with a Scottish accent but, after watching Paul McGillion (@PaulyMcGillion) in the role, I couldn’t imagine him without one. He’d brought something unexpected to the part, something we all responded to.

Elizabeth Weir was not an easy character to pull off. She had to be smart, confident and strong yet needed to exude a certain warmth and empathy we were looking for in the civilian leader of the expedition. When it came time to (re)casting the role, several established names were considered (One had her own hit genre show back in the day while another went on to break out on a hit show soon after), but it was Torri Higginson (@torri_higginson) who managed to strike just the right balance and vault her name to the top of the list.

The role of Teyla Emmagan was a tough one to cast. Like Weir, she needed to be a strong, empathetic leader. But she also required something even more important – quite literally, an other-worldly quality that made her unique. Some equally talented actresses auditioned for the role but, as good as they were, they were never quite able to achieve that gravitas Rachel Luttrell (@rachel_luttrell) pulled off with such grace and seeming ease.

Former VJ Rainbow Sun Francks (@RainbowFrancks) won the role of Lieutenant Ford on the strength of a great audition, preceded by an equally great audition with a funny hat. I recall Brad Wright on the phone with our casting agent, advising him to ensure there would be no hat worn in the callback for fear the network would fixate on it. There wasn't, they didn't, and Rainbow delivered.

The role of John Sheppard was the second to last one cast. It came right down to the wire and there were several candidates in play. The character was originally conceived as a good ole southern boy, so it only made sense that Ben Browder’s name was bandied about early. However, he was too busy shooting Peacekeeper Wars to warrant consideration. A number of other actors were considered (one went on to play the lead in a hugely popular show the following year while another made his mark as a handsome heart throb on another hugely popular medical series) but it was Joe Flanigan (@JoeFlanigan) who won the part based on his ability to pull off the devil-may-care attitude Brad and Robert were looking for.

We come to the final role cast, a character who, in many ways, embodied everything Atlantis was about: exploration, discovery, fun, humor, and seat-of-your-pants-Holy-Sh&%-how-the-hell-am-I-going-to-get-out-of-this-adventure. And he almost didn’t make the trip to Pegasus. Originally, the casting call went out for a completely different character, an earnest young doctor who would lend the team much-needed medical support on their off-world ventures. Unfortunately, no one could agree on an actor to fill that role.

If the casting of Sheppard went down to the wire, then the casting of this final part went a step past it. Finally, days away from production, Robert Cooper had an idea: Forget the doctor character. Why not use an established character from SG-1? How about Rodney McKay played by David Hewlett (@dhewlett)? The writers were on board, but some executives weren't weren’t sold on the idea. They found him annoying! I mean, hell yeah, but he’d be sooo much fun to write for! Rob got on the phone and went to bat for Rodney, pointing out that the character had come a long way since first being introduced way back in SG-1’s 48 Hours. He’d evolved, going from annoying jerk to endearingly irritating. To this day, I’m convinced that they weren’t totally convinced but, with production poised to commence, they relented, I suppose figuring they could just replace the character somewhere down the line. No one, even those who loved the idea of having the endearingly irritating Rodney McKay on board could have predicted how hugely popular the character would become.

How do you think we did?

[Joseph Mallozzi 🏴‍☠️ @BaronDestructo]

In some parallel universe, we produced a sixth season of Stargate: Atlantis. And these were the episodes that aired... "#SaveStargate

[Jilted Valkyrie @JiltedValkyrie]

Hi @AmazonMGMStudio,

Many of us now work in filmmaking because of shows like Stargate SG-1.

It inspired us with its rich lore, believable character interactions, human drama, and its grounded military science fiction setting.

It showed the progress of humanity from its first baby steps through an unknown portal into a space-faring species.

The show was hopeful, human, and naturally diverse.

It showed the world and mankind coming together despite our differences to create something better.

Indeed, that is what the core of Stargate is and always has been.

We are from around the world.

We are men, women, fathers, mothers, grandparents, grandchilren, and proud of the values Stargate has always stood for. It's rare for a franchise that appeals to people across a political divide, but Stargate always has. It has always stood for the message that we are stronger together. These are the fans.

Martin Gero, Joe Mallozzi, Brad Wright, and everyone else involved have had decades to understand this. There is no better team to trust than the ones who've been there with us the longest. It's a symbiotic relationship.

I, and every Stargate fan, urge you to reconsider during this Window of Opportunity. The writing team was in the middle of their backswing during the cancellation announcement. At least let them finish a season.

We are worth taking a chance on!

I'm Emerald May, and I work in visual effects in Atlanta and I'm proud of shows like Stargate SG-1, Atlantis, and Universe that helped steer my career into a place where we make worlds come true.

Thank you.

[IGN @IGN]

Stargate SG-1 actor Michael Shanks is rallying fans to protest Amazon's shock cancellation of its previously-announced franchise revival. https://t.co/KccbeYMV7i

[Jen Blood @JBLOODonly1]

The new #Stargate series was designed to welcome new viewers, respect canon, and satisfy longtime fans.

As others (including @BaronDestructo) have pointed out, many of the reasons being floated for its cancellation simply don't hold up.

Save it... or release it.
#SaveStargate

[Michael Shanks @MichaelShanks]

I’m gonna simply say this: if you are at all interested in a Stargate show with ANY of the original creators/performers involved, now is the time to say something. Otherwise it really will be the end of that chapter forever. Let them know you are THERE

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[Weird Science @weird_sci]

SCIENCE FACT or SCIENCE FICTION?

Tell me if this statement is a fact or something I made up and I’ll tell you the correct answer later.

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The apple, pear, and peach are all directly descended from the banana, and merely different breeds of it.

[Weird Science @weird_sci]

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I’ll make a statement and you tell me if it’s a real fact or something I made up. I’ll tell you the correct answer later today.

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Male ants might have wings but they don’t have a father.