managerjosh

[Joseph Mallozzi 🏴‍☠️ @BaronDestructo]

Remembering Don S. Davis - Hammond of Texas

My earliest memory of Don S. Davis is of a charming, bigger-than-life individual who greeted me with a hardy handshake and a boisterous “Hellooo, Jooooe! Welcome to Stargate!” on one of my very first days on set. This was back in season four, sometime between our second script (Window of Opportunity) and our third (Point of No Return). In those early years, Paul and I spent most of our days in our respective offices, writing, spinning or, in one inspired afternoon, creating the lyrics to the Stargate SG-1 theme. We were busy and, most important of all, we wanted to look busy. The last thing we needed was to be seen hanging around set, gawking at the actors when there were scripts to be written, brilliant ideas to be spun. But several weeks in, it became apparent to me that sitting alone in my office (or, occasionally, Paul’s office for a little variety) would inevitably drive me nuts – and the loss of my sanity would no doubt be reflected in the quality of my work. So I decided to start taking little walks. Pitch document or outline in hand, I would pace – up and down the corridors, in and around the building, and through the empty sets.

Except for one afternoon when I inadvertently strolled onto an active set where they were setting up for the next shot. Realizing my error, I immediately turned on my heels, prepared to march right back out when Brad Wright spotted me and called me over. “Joe,”he said, “I’d like you to meet Don Davis. Don, Joe is one of our new writers.” Don, who’d been standing by, waiting for that next shot, threw me his trademark ear to ear grin, gave me a firm handshake and bellowed “Hellooo, Jooooe! Welcome to Stargate!”

“Hellooo, Jooooe!” It was a greeting I’d come to associate with the man, a good-natured, self-deprecating southern gent who always had a story to tell but, more than anything, always wanted to hear how YOU were doing. “Hellooo, Jooooe! How’s that script coming along?”. “Hellooo Jooooe! How was lunch?” “Hellooo, Jooooe! How was your weekend?” Meeting actors for the first time can be a little daunting, especially for a newbie writer on his first big show, but Don’s down-home warmth and cordiality put me instantly at ease. And it was no different when he met the fans. I’ve seen convention-goers approach him with trepidation, perhaps fearful of overstepping their bounds and imposing upon him. But Don was never the type to be stand-offish or put himself on display. When you met Don, you weren’t meeting a t.v. star – you were meeting a regular guy. A regular, modest, kind-hearted guy who genuinely cared for his fans and the people he worked with. And, inevitably, those convention-goers who had, moments before, cautiously approached the man they knew as General Hammond would, moments later, be sitting, chatting and laughing, in conversation with good old Don.

If there’s one thing I’ll always remember about the man, it was his willingness to put others before him. Back when Rick was reducing his workload to spend more time with his young daughter, and the writing department was scrambling to come up with in-story reasons for O’Neill’s off-world absences, Don came up to the offices and offered a solution. “Have Hammond step aside and let O’Neill be General,”he suggested. I was floored. Here was a guy, perfectly willing to walk away from a plum role as a regular on a hit series, just to (in his mind) make it easier on everyone else. Of course we thanked him for his kind offer, but we weren’t willing to let George Hammond go just yet.

Ultimately, the decision was made for us when health issues curtailed Don’s involvement in the show. But even so, he continued to maintain a presence in the Stargate universe, popping up in occasional episodes and then in his final appearance in Stargate: Continuum. And every time he was on set, he would always make it a point to drop by the office to say hello.

As the years wore on, I saw less and less of Don. Still, I’d run into him now and then and whenever I’d inquire about him, he was always upbeat. There was never a trace of bitterness or remorse that he was no longer a regular presence on the show. “I have no regrets,”he’d told me on more than one occasion. And, always: “I’m the luckiest man in the world.” It was a wild, fun-filled ride and, finally, it was time for the southern gent to settle back and enjoy his retirement.

The last time I spoke to Don was when he called me up out of the blue after being tipped off that I’d mentioned him in a blog entry. In answering a fan who wanted to know why I didn’t keep in touch with Richard Dean Anderson, I responded: “We don’t talk a lot for the simple reason that he no longer works on the show. I don’t really talk to Don Davis that much and I love the guy. It’s nothing personal.” Less than twenty-four hours later, I got the call. “Ah luuv yoou tooo,“came that familiar low, Southern drawl. He‘d been tipped off to what I’d written and wanted to touch base. “It’s always great hearing from my fellow gourmand,”I’d written. “Apparently, 2007 was a busy year for him (which is great to hear), and he’s now enjoying some much-needed downtime." I'd expressed the hope that we would soon be able to get together for another culinary excursion. Sadly, that day would never come.

In my many years at Stargate, I’ve worked with actors whose company I have greatly enjoyed, but only a few would I actually be bold enough to call my friends. And among those few was the magnanimous southern gent who used to greet me with that familiar “Hellooo, Joooe!”, the always affable Don S. Davis.

He is truly missed.

(One of my favorite pictures of Don I snapped of him, happily eating chocolate in my office.)

[managerjosh @managerjosh]

three years later, and I'm still listening to Picard Season 3 Soundtrack by @ComposerBarton and @freddiewiedmann. @TerryMatalas you hit Picard Season 3 not just out of the ballpark, but into a whole new galaxy.

[managerjosh @managerjosh]

Let us continue to save @martingero's Stargate series.

#savestargate

[Joseph Mallozzi 🏴‍☠️ @BaronDestructo]

In a word" "Wow."

Stargate fans continue to amaze.  It's been two weeks since the show's cancellation was announced and they’re still as energized and active as ever, lighting up social media with their love for the franchise.

And I keep being asked: Will it make a difference? My answer is "Yes" and "Don't know"...

It reminds me of when Dark Matter was cancelled back in 2017 and the fan backlash was so intense that Syfy reportedly called an emergency meeting to discuss damage control.  They considered making a public statement to quell the fan furor but, ultimately, elected to remain silent.  And, eventually, the storm subsided.  

Eventually.  

But this time…this feels different.  The Dark Matter fandom was small but organized and very angry.  The Stargate fandom, on the other hand, is remarkably large, incredibly well organized, and - if the last two weeks are any indication - possibly even angrier.

I'm on the outside on this so I can't tell you what The Powers That Be are thinking but based on pure conjecture...

Have they noticed the fan response? Oh, safe to assume they have definitely noticed.

Have they been surprised by the scale and ferocity of the fan response? I'm going to assume yes. The fan pushback has been worldwide and intense.

Are they thinking "If we could harness this type of fan engagement to help launch a new show, it would be a huge asset!"? Again, given the sustained enthusiasm and global reach - I'm sure it has crossed their minds.

Are they thinking "Fandom passion can be a double-edged sword. I wonder if there have been examples of other genre shows whose performances have suffered due to intense fan response?" This one's a little trickier. The data scrapers and algorithms monitor vocal/negative sentiment, but how much weight executive leadership places on analogous data is always up for debate.

But will it all make a difference in the end? So far, yes, it has already made a difference, for many of the reasons outlined above.

So will it make a difference for the future of Stargate? I honestly don't know. From a marketing standpoint, this is a public relations coup waiting to happen. Acknowledge that the fans made a difference - and recognize that the excitement they've shown over the past two weeks won't stop at a relaunch. It will carry every episode. They've proven this series is theirs, and they won't let it fail. They will be the core of the new Stargate, a core that will only grow as they introduce the series to friends, family, and complete strangers, just as they have always done.

But that's just me. In the end, I'm just the guy who helps create the world, the words, the characters on the page. I'm the one who helps bring them to life with an amazing cast and crew so that you can visit with them and make them a part of your lives. I'm not the guy making the decisions.

One thing seems certain: the execs have taken notice. Now we'll see what they do with that knowledge.

[Robert Patrick 🇺🇸 @robertpatrickT2]

🫵🏼 #SaveStargate
Your voice matters. This fandom is truly inspiring. The Tweet Storm 6/16 was really incredible.

https://t.co/5ZPXtDF4rx

[Rachel Luttrell @rachel_luttrell]

I don’t think this is a one day thing.

Seeing all of your photos, stories, memories and messages today has reminded me just how special this community is. Years later and the love for Stargate is still going strong.

Thank you for showing up and making your voices heard. It has been such a joy to celebrate with all of you and I have a feeling we’re just getting started. 💙

#SaveStargate

[Rachel Luttrell @rachel_luttrell]

The Pegasus Galaxy was a lot more fun with this guy around. 💙 @JoeFlanigan

#SaveStargate

[Michael Shanks @MichaelShanks]

“Dedicated Fanbase”

[Michael Shanks @MichaelShanks]

Found Family
#SaveStargate

[Rachel Luttrell @rachel_luttrell]

Years later and this fandom still shows up.

Loudly. Passionately. Together.

That’s the magic of Stargate. 💙

#SaveStargate
@dhewlett

[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?

[Robert Patrick 🇺🇸 @robertpatrickT2]

Stargate fans I see you!

Rachel @rachel_luttrell nothin’ but love my friend!

#SaveStargate

[Robert Patrick 🇺🇸 @robertpatrickT2]

YEAHHHHH!!!!

#SaveStargate

[Robert Patrick 🇺🇸 @robertpatrickT2]

Hello Stargate universe!
I truly enjoyed my time as part of the Stargate Atlantis family. “ Colonel Marshall Sumner”. Many of the cast are still in my life to this day. That’s rare. This community is rare. #SaveStargate
LFG!!!!!

[Christopher Judge @iamchrisjudge]

#SaveStargate Indeed! ❤️

[managerjosh @managerjosh]

.@martingero for showrunner of Stargate! #savestargate

[Joseph Mallozzi 🏴‍☠️ @BaronDestructo]

Tomorrow Stargate fans rally to #SaveStargate -

TWEET STORM starting at 10:30 am PT/1:30 pm ET
BANNER FLIGHT over Amazon HQ from 11:00 am PT to 1:00 pm PT (2:00 pm ET to 4:00 pm ET)

Details below!

[Robert Patrick 🇺🇸 @robertpatrickT2]

Hey Stargate fans! I will be taking part in the Tweet storm tomorrow (Tuesday 6/16) at 10:30am PT/ 1:30pm ET) #SaveStargate

I signed the petition! https://t.co/H0FLx4m9Nl

Thanks @rachel_luttrell for the shoutout and alert. I will be here for it! 👍🏼

[The Popcast Brothers @PopcastGuys]

ATTENTION STARGATE FANS!

The fandom is dialing in for two major #SaveStargate events Tuesday, June 16th 2026

🌎 10:30 AM PDT: Global Twitter Storm
Use #SaveStargate and help amplify the signal.

✈️ 11:00 AM PDT: Flyover Amazon MGM Studios
The Gate takes flight over Culver City.

Sign. Share. Post. RSVP.
No one gets left behind.

Petition:
https://t.co/27yERuFlyg

Save Stargate Site:
https://t.co/Mcg9nICelD

Live Mission Control:
https://t.co/FL0HCzWfxs

RSVP Flyover:
https://t.co/ndcpjNqSqn

Flyover GoFundMe:
https://t.co/SsUcLsTjfD

[managerjosh @managerjosh]

@AmazonMGMStudio Stargate Atlantis #savestargate

[Joseph Mallozzi 🏴‍☠️ @BaronDestructo]

#SaveStargate tweetstorm today!