Robert Picardo and Joseph Mallozzi on season five of Stargate Atlantis
After a fairly brief hiatus (only 4 months) Stargate Atlantis returns to the SciFi channel with all new episodes starting on July 11th. Now entering its fifth season, the show is reaching a turning point thanks to a number of off-season cast changes. First and foremost in is the replacement of Amanda Tapping’s Colonel Samantha Carter as administrator of Atlantis with Robert Picardo’s Richard Woolsey. This is one year after Tapping replaced Tori Higginson on the show. It’s an interesting turn of events since Woolsey has not been the most popular of characters in the entire Stargate franchise. And, as the character has never been a people person, there is bound to be some conflict between members of the Atlantis team and himself.
In order to hash this all out, Picardo and Atlantis executive producer Joseph Mallozzi got together with the press to answer some questions about Woolsey and Atlantis, the shows 100th episode, and how Picardo looks in a jumpsuit.
***Slight Spoilers Below***
The outlook for season 5: Now that the Wraith are weakened, season five is looking at the bigger picture that is the Pegasus galaxy. According to Mallozzi, a couple of new races will be introduced. They will be taking power in a big way as they begin to form into a galaxy-wide version of the United Nations and take Atlantis to task for all the trouble that they have caused. Mallozzi hopes to build on the momentum that season four had with the events that will take place in season five.
Episode specifics: The season premiere, “Search and Rescue”, starts off where the season four finale left off. By the end of the episode Colonel Carter will be out and Richard Woolsey will be in. By the second episode Woolsey will learn that he can’t always use the rule book to solve issues. It is a very dramatic role for Woolsey, said Picardo. In the third episode, “Broken Ties”, Woolsey will learn a bit about the technology of Atlantis, which will lead to some unfortunate circumstances.
In addition to episodes focusing on Woolsey, Mallozzi said there will be a two-part, mid-season episode featuring Stargate SG-1 fan favorite Daniel Jackson in a team-up with Atlantis’ own Rodney McKay. Joseph says that fans of both series should enjoy this two-parter because it features two of the fastest talkers of the Stargate universe. Another episode, “Whispers”, will be a horror-based entry featuring Sheppard, Carson Beckett (who returns this season for several episodes) and an all-female expedition team. Mallozzi mentioned that this was the first horror-based show written for Atlantis.
Why an all-female team: Mallozzi wanted an all-female team added to the cast of Atlantis in order to balance out the cast after the loss of Amanda Tapping (Samantha Carter). That, and they wanted a new set of characters for fans to invest in.
Picardo on Woolsey: The producers (of Stargate) have a tradition of using actors from the other franchise that “should remain nameless” (Star Trek) as stunt casting. They normally last from one to four episodes. Picardo managed to outlast them all, and it has been fun working with both casts.
They have really built the character from an officious blamer to someone who is developing leadership skills. Picardo said that there is something inherently interesting in seeing how Woolsey, who has second-guessed other leaders decisions, is now in the main seat. There will even be an episode where the person who replaced Woolsey in the IOA will be evaluating his skills as a leader. Picardo is interested in seeing how die-hard fans accept the new leader, “who isn’t nearly as cute as the other two.”
Concerns about filling the leadership shoes of Colonel Carter: Of course he’s concerned about filling her shoes, both the actor and the character. Picardo said that it was very similar to his feelings when he was cast as The Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager. At that time he was concerned that fans were going to measure him against Brent Spiner’s character of Data. Luckily, he was defined as differently as he could be from Data. Although it’s daunting to replace such a popular character, Picardo’s hoping the audience will eventually accept the character. He’s also hoping to bring what Star Trek fans that haven’t watched Stargate yet to come over and sample the show because it’s a great time to come into the series since his character is starting out as the leader.
Bringing in new fans to the show: According to Mallozzi, it isn’t as hard to bring new fans into the Stargate universe as people may think. Despite its mythology, Stargate isn’t really a serial. There may be small connections to the past, but it’s not a show that you have to watch previous seasons to know what is going on.
Stargate versus Star Trek: According to Picardo, Star Trek does some things well, but it doesn’t have the successful formula that Stargate has. Stargate does action very well and also does humor well. Star Trek has to take itself very seriously, while Stargate has the ability let the audience in on the good humor that we know we’re going to save the world every week. It’s the combination of action and humor that makes Stargate so much fun.
Picardo’s initial feelings on Woolsey: Early on, Robert thought of Woolsey as a bit of a jerk. But, by his second appearance, even though he rubbed people the wrong way, at least he was driven by a personal passion that was quite positive and ethical in order to prevent a rouge element from obtaining the Stargate technology. He meant well, and in subsequent appearances the writers gave the character a weird charm that, Picardo hopes, will continue during season five.
Woolsey’s relationships with the crew of the Atlantis: Picardo said the relationships between Woolsey and the rest of the crew is what will make it interesting for the viewers. When he arrives he is unintentionally cold to Teyla; yet, her character is the first to reach out and be kind to him, which disarms Woolsey a bit. He then makes a connection with Sheppard as Woolsey wonders if he is going to be right as Atlantis leader. There has not been a breakthrough moment with McKay, but there is an episode where Woolsey catches Dr. McKay’s attention with his actions.
A potential Screen Actors Guild strike: If a SAG strike occurs Mallozzi said it will definitely hurt the show since most of their players are members of the union. They are currently working on the back five episodes right now. There were no special considerations to film a bunch of episodes ahead of time. According to Mallozzi, with the tight filming schedule they had, they did the best they could getting 14 episodes in the can.
On Torri Higginson (Dr. Elizabeth Weir): It is highly unlikely that Tori Higginson will be back on the show, said Mallozzi. While Higginson was excited about coming back on the Replicator storyline she wanted some closure for the character while the producers did not. Ultimately, she passed on the script that the writers prepared. “She’s kind of move beyond this show and is looking elsewhere,” said Mallozzi.
Prospects for the show’s 100th episode: As much as the temptation is there to make the 100th episode of Atlantis as off the wall as the 200th episode of SG-1 was, it probably won’t happen. The episode is going to fall on the season finale and they want to take it more seriously…more on the lines of last season’s finale. Not so funny, but something that the fans will really enjoy. In addition, said Mallozzi, there are no plans to film an alternate ending just in case the series is canceled.
On the passing of Don S. Davis: “Don had a bigger heart and was even nicer than the role he played on SG-1″, said Mallozzi. When he came to Stargate during season four, Davis warmly welcomed Joe to the set. Mallozzi added that he is proud to call Davis a true friend. and he will be missed by fans and anyone who worked with him.
Finally…
How Picardo looks in the command uniform: Picardo said wearing the command uniform is a bit of a change for a character who has worn a business suit for the last 30 years. Saying that, he looks okay in the uniform. “It’s good to have a trim butt in science fiction.”
Tracy Morgan and Scott Hallock talk Scare Tactics
Tracy Morgan is a busy man. Along with his role on the NBC comedy 30 Rock, now entering its third season, Tracy is also taking on the reigns of host of the SciFi Channel program Scare Tactics, also in its third season. Premiering on July 9th, Scare Tactics is a hidden-camera, reality-comedy hybrid that allows friends and loved ones to set up unsuspecting victims into a series of horror hoaxes that are staged with movie-style special effects and makeup.
Earlier this week, Tracy, who is the third host of the program after Shannen Doherty and Stephen Baldwin hosted the first two seasons, joined Tactics’ Executive Producer Scott Hallock on a conference call to talk about this upcoming season.
How did Tracy get involved with the series?: Tracy has been a fan of Scare Tactics since the show began. He sites his favorite episode of the series as one involving a wood chipper because it was one of the most honest reactions someone would have to that particular horror. Tracy said that once the reveal was made to the victim it was like watching him breathe in a gulp of fresh air.
Tracy was excited when the producers of Scare Tactics asked him to host the show … it allowed him to do his own rendition of Rod Sterling. As host, Tracy gets to watch others be pranked rather than having others prank on him. And, because the victims don’t see the pranks coming it makes Tactics funny.
How did the show’s premise come about?: According to Scott Hallock, Scare Tactics came about while he was working on the NBC hidden-camera series Spy TV. The concept they came up with was similar to Spy, but infused with horror. As Hallock put it, he wanted to have a show that featured four mini-horror movie segments, complete with special effects and makeup.
Why mix horror and comedy?: Comedy and horror are really close, said Hallock, which made them a perfect match for the show. The program doesn’t go for the meanness factor when it comes to pranking the victims. When things are getting a bit too serious the reveal is made to lighten things up a bit.
How do they maximize safety on the show so no one really gets hurt?: “We take safety really seriously on our sets,” said Hallock. “When the bit is at its height is when we do the reveal.” The Tactics’ producer added that they sweep the area for anything that could be used as a weapon prior to the beginning of the prank. If it looks like the victim is ready to fight, then the reveal is made immediately.
Has anyone not signed the release form to air their segment?: It is very rare that someone decides not to sign the waiver, said Hallock. This season everyone signed the release notices. The only time that someone didn’t sign a release notice was when they were running for office and feared that airing their segment on the show would hurt his chances in the polls.
What makes a good victim: According to Hallock, a good victim is one who is expressive, who will react, get involved in the story and say what is on their mind. Also entertaining are those who take the leadership roles during these scary moments. As an example of a good victim, Hallock mentioned the victim from the this season’s premiere of Scare Tactics. “It was the greatest reaction I have ever seen,” said the show’s producer.
The crew for Scare Tactics: Hallock mentioned that Scare Tactics has one of the larger staffs for a reality-based program. More than 60 people. This doesn’t include the makeup and special effects personnel that are hired for many of the segments. The amount of people are integral in making Scare Tactics the big, cinematic show it is, said Hallock.
Have there been any complicated bits or bits that haven’t gotten on the air?: Hallock said the most complicated bit was the season three premiere “Satan’s Baby.” That’s because you needed the victim to believe that someone was giving birth to a 28-inch spawn of Satan. Hallock and his team have been very lucky that they have had little resistance to their ideas for the show. If anything, ideas have been pulled back if Hallock and his team didn’t think they would work out. Despite that luck, the show is still a bit of a hassle for the network’s legal department. Said Hallock, “The legal department…that’s another story. This is a very scary show for lawyers.”
Do family members ever contribute to prank ideas?: The writers will pass ideas to the family and friends to see if it will work for the victim. They will also take suggestions from friends and family as well. However, they won’t take an idea that will be harmful to the victim. In the example Hallock gave, if the victim is deathly afraid of spiders, they will not put him or her in a room full of them.
Last but not least…
What should Tracy’s prank be if he was a victim on Scare Tactics: The IRS coming to his house to collect taxes.
Children of Men: The series
Since it looks like Bionic Woman is not coming back to NBC, although nothing’s been confirmed, the executive producer is moving on. David Eick is writing a pilot based on the Alfonso Cuarón film Children of Men for SciFi.
The film, brilliantly directed by the Mexican filmmaker, was a grim tale about the future — England in 2027 — where women have become completely infertile and the human race faces a major crises with less than a century to survive.
At the SciFi Channel’s upfront, Eick said the proposed TV series would veer closer to the source material, P.D. James’ novel. “It’s really taking root more in the origins of the novels in that it will focus on the cultural movement in which young people become the society’s utter focus.”
Eick’s version of Children of Men will also not star Clive Owen, Julianne Moore nor Michael Caine, who were all in the 2006 feature film. The TV Children of Men is going to question how society defines responsibility, freedom and a sense of values when it doesn’t necessarily believe humans will survive as a species. “It’s not really a war show like the movie was. It’s more an exploration of that issue.”
Eick is also preparing Caprica, a prequel to Battlestar Galactica for SciFi.
Carter out, Woolsey in for fifth season of Stargate Atlantis
For those of you who were gnashing their teeth over Samantha Carter’s (lack of) administrative abilities on this season’s Stargate Atlantis you can relax your jaws. Well, only for a moment, because you may not like who will be replacing her in the show’s fifth season.
According to a press statement released today by MGM and the SciFi Channel, the newest administrator of Atlantis will be: I.O.A representative Richard Woolsey, played by science fiction veteran Robert Picardo. Ah, I see you’re gnashing your teeth again. No surprise there, since the members of the Atlantis team aren’t too fond of him, either. In fact, the SciFi release mentions that Colonel Sheppard and his team must adjust to Woolsey’s leadership style. Look for some friction between the two sides as the season progresses.
The promotion of Woolsey to regular cast member status is just one of the many cast changes taking place during the fifth season of Atlantis. Current administrator Samantha Carter, played by Amanda Tapping, will be stepping down as a regular cast member (if she could be called that this season) but will still guest star in several episodes, including the season premiere. Her former SG1 teammate, Daniel Jackson, will also be showing up on Atlantis for an unspecified number of episodes.
Dr. Carson Beckett, who was killed off in the third season to the disappointment of many fans, will be appearing in five episodes. How he returns to life will be covered in the upcoming two-part episode “The Kindred” (and this was reported back in August, so it really isn’t a spoiler). Meanwhile, Beckett’s replacement, Dr. Jennifer Keller (Jewel Staite) looks to be promoted from a recurring to a regular character.
My opinions on this: I think making Woolsey the administrator of Atlantis is a good move to shake the series up a bit. Shep and the rest of the team have had pretty decent relations with the past administrators and we could use some conflict, as long as it isn’t too heavy-handed. I also think moving Dr. Keller up to a regular is a good choice as she has shown some considerable growth in character since being introduced. Plus, if will give the Keller-Ronon romance a chance to bud (if it actually comes to fruition).