I love The Sopranos. It’s a show that not only offers valuable life lessons (ie. If your driver starts running AWAY from your car at breakneck speed, follow suit lest you catch a bullet in the eye), but wonderful insight into the Italian psyche (Blame it all on our mothers). Watching the show always gives me a hankering for pasta so, today, we hit one of Vancouver’s many primo Italian eateries: Don Francesco Ristorante. As usual, I had one of the city’s best pasta plates – the squash agnolotti in black truffle butter. For dinner, I went with the sea bass, which was good but a little too lemony, and turfed the veggies and rice in favor of some excellent penne carbonara. For dessert – are you kidding? – we came back home and had some leftover chocolate.
Zach Selwyn was on the lot today. For those of you not familiar with the larger-than-life host of G4’s Attack of the Show, he is the star of a SGA rap video that took youtube by storm. In fact, Zach rapped and danced his way into a guest-starring role as episode linchpin Scientist #2 in season four’s Tabula Rasa. His big scene is tomorrow, first up! I wished him luck and assured him that, as much as I would love to watch his early morning performance, I’m the victim of a rare medical condition that necessitates my sleeping in past 7:30 a.m. every morning. Despite the fact that he was celebrating his birthday, he did come in to interview cast members for his show and, God knows why, thought it might be a good idea to interview me as well (a decision, I’m certain, he now deeply regrets). Still, since we were shooting the interview on Stage 3, I did manage to snap some pics of the Daedalus. Check out the captain’s chair. I need one of those for my office.
Alas, the news on the ratings front was not good for last Friday‘s Line in the Sand and Echoes one-two punch. On the bright side, next week offers the hilarious return of fan favorite Lucius Lavin! And on the even brighter side, check out the arcade machine Martin Gero bought for the writer’s room. Now I not only get to listen to my fellow producers talk ad nauseum about their golf game (“I used a nine iron to chip out of the bunker flats.”), I’ll be able to watch them play the simulated game as well – or at least hear them play in the likely event I choose to turn my back to them.
Questions –
Karen writes: “Since you are an avid science fiction reader, have you read any of the ‘cyberpunk’ genre like Gibson or Stephenson?”
Answer: I haven’t read Gibson or Stephenson but the cyberpunk I have read hasn’t been my cup of tea.
Arctic Goddess writes: “Do you ever take in the adventures of Dog River? What is your opinion of Corner Gas?”
Answer: I don’t watch the show but have heard many, many good things about it.
Anonymous #1 writes: “1. Hypothetically, if Teal’c and Ronon were to fight one on one, on whom would you put your money on to win. 2. Will we get see McKay getting slapped or something of that nature by Carter in season 4. 3. By the end of season 4 will the asurans or wraith be dealt with.”
Answers: 1. Maybe we’ll get to find out. 2. No plans. 3. Hmmmmmmmm.
Farscapefan writes: “In one of her interviews, Claudia Black said that she wasn’t your first choice for Vala in “Prometheus Unbound” episode, but the actress you had in mind writing that episode, wasn’t available at that time, so you offered it to her. Do you remember who that actress was?”
Answer: That’s very strange because if I remember correctly she was our first choice.
Anonymous #2 writes: “You do realize that they complain about the show because they care about it, right?”
Answer: Most people who criticize the show do so because, at the end of the day when all is said and done, they do love it. However, people who complain constantly about every aspect, demonstrating a complete and utter disdain for the series, do so because they apparently have nothing better to do with their time.
Alyssa writes: “Torri, if you happen to read this, thank you for three wonderful years. You’ve helped to create a beautiful, realistic character with strenghts, weaknesses and something that so many of us can related to, despite some dubious writing at times.”
Answer: Holy crap, yes. Thank God for the actors and their ability to improvise their own dialogue and storylines. Why bother with writers at all?
Too bad about the ratings. I hope Atlantis’ pulls up enough to bring on season five.
On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest), how comfortable is the captain’s chair of the Daedalus? It doesn’t appear all that comfortable, but looks can be deceiving.
Well, I’ve succeeded in converting 3 more to Atlantis. My sister-in-law emailed to ask me to send them my Atlantis DVDs so they can get the background now that they’ve started watching the show on Friday nights. I’m not sure I’m ready to hand over Season 2 yet, though.
That’s cool that you gave the guy a part. You do know you all are like the coolest show producers/makers/what-have-you EVER, right?
I sensed from your last comment a certain irritation with people not recognizing the contribution that writers have to a story, which is pretty dang significant. Which is odd, as when actors are asked what makes them want to do a project, the first thing they say is usually “the writing”…well, that or “the money”. As a writer myself (although a far less successful one…so far…one day, one day), I agree that it’s irritating. But isn’t it part of the job of actors to get the credit (at least, from the general public)? There’s good and bad to that. How many writers get stalked by the paparazzi?
I’m really dissappointed about the ratings. The last two episodes have been wonderful. My brothers are also fans and they loved it all. I wish Sci-fi hadn’t imposed that ridiculous hiatus.
I had a question, do the ratings folks take into account Tivo/DVR hits and DVD sales? I surely hope they do.
Thanks much,
Royal
My, my that dish looks lovely. So tell me how much leftover chocolate did you have?? Can I have some? hehe
Crap ratings, unfortunately not having SciFi channel I cannot contribute. I suppose they will be better next week.
Now does the Captain’s chair recline? Although the look of the chair is awesome I’m sure the bulk of it would take over the room and wouldn’t you have to paint it to match the decor? But, if it is indeed as comfortable as it looks it may just be worth it.
-JJ
Alyssa writes: “Torri, if you happen to read this, thank you for three wonderful years. You’ve helped to create a beautiful, realistic character with strenghts, weaknesses and something that so many of us can related to, despite some dubious writing at times.”
Answer: Holy crap, yes. Thank God for the actors and their ability to improvise their own dialogue and storylines. Why bother with writers at all?
*Chuckle* …
Ouch. You know, I don’t understand these ratings. I thought both Echoes and Line in the Sand were among the better episodes in the last two years. I just don’t see how we could go from season eight consistently coming in at or above 2.0s and the last two years basically free falling. I know there’s a bump with Richard Dean Anderson, but is he really THAT big of a draw?
I’m really worried about Atlantis’ future now. I don’t think things are great in the whole MGM/Sci-Fi relationship either. I hope Ark of Truth and Continuum sell well, because it looks like that’s going to be the only Stargate out there.
Will there be any Wow i didnt see this coming moment events? that make peoples jaws drop?
also will there be any moments from any of the main characters that people never saw coming too, like a big SHOCK moment like i dunno Sheppard going rogue one ep knocking say Ronon down only to find he gets nailed.?
Hi Joe:
Nudity! That will bring the ratings up. Especially if it’s Sheppard.
Is there any sort of pattern to episodes with good vs. bad ratings? maybe certain guest actors or more action? More character development? Or are average American viewers just missing something? I hate to think that sci-fi fans who watch Stargate and Atlantis are the only ones who truly understand the meaning of life; to watch great sci-fi.
Have a great day,
Patricia
Hi Joe,
The ratings are down 30%.Is it time to admit the Stargate francise has major problems and is in need of big changes? Thank You
I’m sorry to hear about the ratings. I also hope to see SGA make it to a season 5 and beyound.
One of thing ive noticed about the Scifi promos for each show is they make them look like B-flicks…do you think that contributes to the drop in ratings?
This is random, & I was wondering, since I started watching this series again, but have you heard of Ouran Koukou Host Club? It’s shojo, it’s, & I’ll be completely honest here, weird, but I love it. & I should really start watching Bleach, Naruto, & Naruto: Shippuden again.
What other lovely anime do you suggest I should watch as well?
Answer: Holy crap, yes. Thank God for the actors and their ability to improvise their own dialogue and storylines. Why bother with writers at all?
Okay, you’re my new favorite.
I’m a little curious if you know anything about the reasoning behind airing the back half of season three in Canada a full … what, three, four months before it airs in the U.S.? I understand that that’s mostly network-related stuff, but it’s something the fans puzzle over, since it’s hard to sit tight and not … aquire, shall we say, new episodes when they’re immediately available, instead of waiting months and months and avoiding spoilers and hanging on those cliffhangers and … you get the point.
So, any explanations?
Answer: Holy crap, yes. Thank God for the actors and their ability to improvise their own dialogue and storylines. Why bother with writers at all?
Heh.
Dear Alyssa,
…waaa.
Anyway, I just might be an idiot, but the pics of the ship up there… I notice that the gridded panel behind the captain’s chair faces forward and backward instead of facing the captain’s chair. Is this something new, or is this something that I’ve never noticed before and is just a detail of one ship as opposed to another?
I had a white chocolate Ferro Rocher (sp?) today from Borders bookstore and it was amazing.
Hi Joe,
The key to ratings is to get the Sam/Jack Ship resolved.You need to win back Sam/Jack Shippers.Also to help Atlantis cut down on McKay’s screen time.
Oh dear, I’m really sad to hear that the ratings didn’t fair so well! For what it’s worth, I loved Echoes but my little brother thought that there was too much talking. Instead he loved Irresistible so i’m hoping that the ratings do pick up.
Kudos to guys for getting Zach in – I haven’t heard of him till a number of people referred me to his funny you tube vid. Then I had to ask, so who’s this dude?
Your last sarcastic (if I’m reading it correctly) comment (or comment response #13) seemed to me almost harsh if it weren’t so true and in an odd way, comical. I say this because I have noticed at conventions and amongst fans often, queries to actors about directing dialogue and also queries about various lines they’d have specifically, questions like, “So why did you say that?” etc
And the actors would respond with, “It was written.”
One amusing example was in London, when an American lady asked David Hewlett about his medically incorrect lines in one of the Season 5 eps of Sg1 (I think that was the first McKay episode ever).
I thought it was amusing because I don’t think Mr Hewlett remembered his lines specifically from all those years ago and he did say that he took lines that were written for him and not something that he made up.
hello joe.
you told us that in the second part of season 4 we will see something that came from the legacy the asgard left behind.
that made me also wonder will the legacy of them all there knowleadge left to the humans be the new bases of human technological development.will we see the steps of the technology evolution in atlantis and/or the third series.
will the makers and writers of the stargate universe uphold that anything that can be used to be destroyed becouse in some crazy way it would make earth to powerfull becouse the wraith beat the ancients and fighting the asurans is like fighting the ancients but then smarter.
(this is in no way to make bad of the writers but just a question that bothers alot of people)
how many enemy’s will atlantis have.
you dont take ideas for story’s from fans what about concept art from fans that you can use.
the asgard gave everything to us for becoming the fifth race will we see earth uphold the promiss to the asgard.
do you read the forums on gateworld)
thanks for the possible answers.
and good luck with the show and great future stories.
Very strange that last Friday’s ratings for LITS dropped 30%. One could assume that since Michael Shanks was not in the episode that the drop was do to his fans not watching; and yet if that were the case, one would also have to assume that those same people chose not to watch Atlantis for the exact same reason — since it’s ratings dropped as well. However, Amazon’s Unbox is reporting that Atlantis is #21 and SG-1 #22 for downloads( #3 and #4 respectively for TV series). Unfortunately as of this post, I could not find LITS on I-Tunes, but I have to admit I’m one of those really bad people who could not wait six months to watch the remainder of the season and found other means to view it months ago. I may purchase the remaining episodes off Unbox, but I refuse to view them on Sci-Fi any longer. The network has already proven to me that they have very little regard for their viewers or Stargate SG-1. Hopefully the Atlantis fans will be willing to stick around for another year of bad programming decisions and pathetic advertising, because I certainly won’t. I’m just thankful that the SG-1 movies will be distributed straight to DVD so that I can avoid dealing with the Sci-Fi channel ever again.
BTW, kudos to the cast and crew for LITS. It was definitely worth paying to view it the second time around.
I see you’ve recovered from your sugar overdose lol. Thanks for the Daedalus pics 😀
If not for the writers putting the words in the characters’ mouth and the actors’ ability to interpret said words there would be no show, it’s team work at its best. thanks for letting us be a part of it.
wish I could help more with the ratings but I’m in the UK and the number of times I watch it after recording it doesn’t seem to count d’uh!
“Alas, the news on the ratings front was not good for last Friday‘s Line in the Sand and Echoes one-two punch”
This is strange because Echoes is really one of the fans favorite episode for season 3 !!
Bender from Futurama: “They’re doing the minor technical awards. I think they’re up to writing.”
Thought you would enjoy that little quote.
Thank you so much for all the chocolate food porn. Almost as good as the real thing!
*waves* The chocolate pics from yesterday look yummy. Yes, I’ll even eat the pictures of chocolate. Did you guys have tons of leftovers?
And, I’m curious, are you Canucks fan?
Dear Joe,
We know that it’s the network’s (fault) decision, but there has to be some link between sci-fi canning sg-1, and then delaying the second half of sga, causing a drop in ratings (come on, it is the most substansial cause). What can we do to help you and the show out? What can international viewers do?
Torri a-t-elle signé pour un 5ème épisode de la saison 4 ?
I blame the ratings all on the inspidly stupid previews that SciFi puts together. There were several US Stargate fans asking if “Echoes” was any good because the promo looked stupid.
There must be some way to salvage the ratings! Argh!
Shame about the ratings Joe. If, and lets hope it doesn’t come to fruition, but if season 4 proves to be the last for Atlantis then have you guys entertained the possibility of a finale that ties up the Wraith/Asuran loose ends?
I hate shows that end an an unsatisfactory manner. I would hate my favourite show to become one of those. Although, hopefully there are many more years to come.
Une petite info sur les Wraiths dans la saison 4, pllleeeaaassseeee !!!
Couple comments on some comments:
First off, please be assured that we know the writing is important. But our love of the characters is as much to the actors who take what you write and fly with it. For example, McKay is one of my favorite characters in ANY fandom. But I doubt I’d like him as well if he were played by anyone but David Hewlett. So while you wrote Weir and gave her the dialog, Torri made her real to us. And the flip side of that is that even a good actor can’t make us love a poorly-written character.
Someone said something about Carter slapping McKay and that hits on my biggest fear regarding moving that character to Atlantis. I dread the thought of McKay spending his time panting after Carter, becoming some kind of creepy joke. While his admiration for her is legendary, making it the focal point of their working relationship would be painful to watch. And if he pursues a relationship with Katie, that fixation could be a problem. Maybe it’s time he grew up a little, on that score?
Oh… and all I have to do to get a walk-on part is write a song, perform it, make a video of it and make it a hit on youtube? *grin* Noooo problem! Seriously, it’s great that you did that. I’ll be looking for him.
Joe
I so agree with you about your last comment. Really where do people misplace their brains? Without the writers creativity to come up with the wonderful stories and the character development we would only have background and mute people. You guys make the characters come alive and you have been doing such excellent work for such a long time. My my people blow me away.. Re the ratings in my opinion Sci-Fi will be around for a long time.. Right now there is nothing that can touch the stargate franchise.. so I certainly hope that the powers to be know that.. One question re books. I note in one of your shows Mitchell makes reference to the Da Vinci Code. Have you read it? They are also doing a movie on DAn Browns Second novel “Angels and Demons” which was actually better than the first one.
Keep up the good work
Take Care
Dori
Alyssa writes: “Torri, if you happen to read this, thank you for three wonderful years. You’ve helped to create a beautiful, realistic character with strenghts, weaknesses and something that so many of us can related to, despite some dubious writing at times.”
Answer: Holy crap, yes. Thank God for the actors and their ability to improvise their own dialogue and storylines. Why bother with writers at all?
Snicker, snicker…
I’m really disappointed with the ratings.It’s not fair! Echoes and Line In The Sand were excellent episodes. I pray the ratings surge upwards soon. I want Atlantis season 5 so much. I only wish I was in the US, had a Nielsen box and could contribute to the ratings.
Anyway, on to things to cheer me up!
I asked a while back how the shooting of Travelers went. I was wondering if there’s any news on that front? Were you pleased with the dailies, etc??
Thanks!!
The ratings news isn’t good, but maybe if SciFi actually promoted the show. What promotion they have done is fraught with spelling errors (!). It would be nice if they did some press outside the SciFi channel, maybe something in magazines/newspapers, and perhaps not reuse last year’s photos 😉
Meanwhile, we fans have known about Zach’s video for a while 🙂 but it’s neat that he got a role on the show. Now he has to write a sequel song.
I’m sorry to hear about the ratings. It’s not looking good for season 5 is it?
I’m dieing to see season 3. Season 2 has only just started airing here in Oz, even though the dvd box sets were out months ago.
The ratings issue has to do with SciFi dragging out that horrendous hiatus and then showing SG1 and SGA everywhere BUT the U.S., when it is the U.S. numbers that count.
My teen son has two friends who were unaware the Gates had returned last Friday, but it turns out both had already downloaded the rest of the season when it aired in Canada. That’s two families who are gone until season 4. Not much in my neck of the woods, but expand that over the whole country. More people download than networks realize. Heck, my 60 year old boss Tivo’s EVERYTHING then catches up on his fav shows when he is bored on the weekends.
Just has the feel that Skiffy wants SGA to go, so they can give us more cheap crap like Painkiller Jane.
Blast. Dissapointing about the ratings. I hope it picks up, I enjoyed the back half of season 10 tremendously, and the 3rd season of Atlantis is solid. I think those Nielson people need to get off their feet and back on their bum’s and watch more Stargate.
Joe,
I’m pumped to hear that Zach will be in an episode. Thats great! Do you happen to watch AOTS?
Teal’c vs. Ronan? awesome. Lots of good knews this post. Thanks again for all the set pics.
Have a nice day,
Ben
Joe, concerning the Daedalus in the Tabula Rasa pics with Zach, why does it have the orange (Odyssey) screens and backrounds in it instead of the Green Daedalus ones.
Answer: Holy crap, yes. Thank God for the actors and their ability to improvise their own dialogue and storylines. Why bother with writers at all?
This is why I love your blog (along with the restaurant reviews, funny stories, pictures, & my personal favorite—the sarcastic magic 8 ball). 🙂 I’ve actually instituted my own version of the sarcastic magic 8 ball to answer some people; especially that ones respond to my emails with questions that need to be answered with “Thank you” thus indicating they didn’t even bother to read the email. (I think some of the complainers have the same mentality). I’ve started answering their questions with “Thank You” and it’s driving them as nuts as drives me and it’s slowly dawning on them why I’m doing that. One told me that I was being evil, my response was there’s a reason I’m using a Death Star as paperclip holder.
With the golf, you have my sympathy. I think I’d rather watch paint dry than watch or listen about golf!
Well, if you want to give the genre another try, I’d recommend Gibson’s ‘Burning Chrome’ and Stephenson’s ‘Snow Crash.’
Chocolate lefftovers? There are worse hardships.
Are there plans/hopes for Elizabeth to return to full-time status at a later date?
“Thank God for the actors and their ability to improvise their own dialogue and storylines. Why bother with writers at all?”
Hey-don’t get frustrated, I appreciate the writers! You guys did an awesome job with Elizabeth, I just hope you don’t write her out as I am really looking forward to seeing what else you have in store for her! And you do a great job on the other characters too! I wouldn’t watch the show if I didn’t think so!
The way ratings are done seems unfair. What if you record a show? Or what if you have a bunch of people gather in front of one television to watch their favorite show together? Doesn’t that skew the ratings a bit unfairly?
I need to write an ode to bluebells. Have any interesting ideas for something unusual I could compare them to?
Joe!
That’s so awesome y’all put Zach Selwyn in Atlantis! The Atlantis music video is great, I watch it all the time. Mad props.
There is something “off” about Scifi, no doubt about it.
But hey, we admirers of Stargate had a lot wonderful, innovative Scifi Channel programming while we held our breaths for the end of the mid-season break.
I’m already drafting my letter of appreciation.
EC
I’ve been meaning to ask: how are actors who play recurring roles contracted? I mean regular recurring roles, like Zelenka. Do they know how many episodes they’ll be in before filming begins for a season, and are they given dates up front, so they know when they are free to look for other roles? Or is some of that determined as the season goes on? I know it’s been mentioned that filming dates change sometimes, and I wondered how that affects people who aren’t regulars and how they are able to plan their other work.
Just had to add my two cents in….
Anonymous wrote…
(snip)….”don’t get frustrated, I appreciate the writers! You guys did an awesome job with Elizabeth, I just hope you don’t write her out as I am really looking forward to seeing what else you have in store for her!”….(snip)
I agree! Just wanted to let you (and the other readers of your blog) know about another enthusiastic Elizabeth supporter out there. I’m no expert in the sci-fi genre and the writing/directing/producing of it – I just know what I like as a viewer and fan of SGA. And that is, the interaction of all the characters, how their friendships develop, how they tackle the bad guys, how they do the best they can under the most unimaginable circumstances, etc. In my book, Elizabeth is a part of that team and can bring more to the table in the seasons to come if the writers, producers and directors choose to invest in her character. My vote – it’s a wise investment!
Darn, guess I got on that pesky soapbox again. I’ll step down now.
Today’s question – what is the hardest type of scene for you to write for SGA? And, why is it the hardest?
Cheers!
SMB_BOOKS
In general with TV shows, there seems to be this trend in thinking that you need to shake up the cast if the show runs for any substantial amount of time so the audience doesn’t get bored. I don’t understand this at all. With every show I have ever loved I always wanted the cast to stay exactly the same, and when it changed my favorite episodes were always the originals. Am I just one of the few who think this way? Or is this a misconception on my part that that is the trend at all? I just don’t understand, it’s not just your show, it’s every show I’ve ever watched and possibly every book series I have read as well. The trend seems to be change but my tendency is to want the same people, just new stories.
*waves*
Hiya Joe
I’m feeling particularly squeeish today and even more cheekier than I normally am. So, while i’m in this frame of mind, could you possibly tell the whumping crew and lil ol’ me if it will be Our Shep that get’s the [strike]crap kicked out of him [/strike] sorry, whumped, or will it be Evil Shep? As it’s driving the whumpers into a bit of a tizzy.
Thanking you so very kindly Mr M you’re a very wise and kind man. :o)
Oh and while i’m here, about that episode you’re writing with hot sweaty and semi-nekkid Shep… is it nearly finished? ;o)
*sends hugs*
Just because I love random news and thought and aspiring super-villain would appreciate it.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,268102,00.html
I know that the chances of seeing Daniel/Michael Shanks in season 4 of Atlantis are pretty slim but I guess that I am still hopeful. I would love to see Daniel interact with the Atlantis team and see how Sam is getting along. You could always put Daniel and Mckay together. They both talk really fast so it wouldn’t take up much screen time. Could you at least give it some more thought Joe.
Sorry I don’t have any chocolate to send you, however, I do have a partially smoked cigar that belonged to George Burns. Will that do?
Hey Joe,
Pass my congrats on the CSA to Brad next time you see him. He deserves it.
Nigel, RAF
Answer: Holy crap, yes. Thank God for the actors and their ability to improvise their own dialogue and storylines. Why bother with writers at all?
Chuckles..
Hi Joe, love your blog, it has become a daily necessity and I truly appreciate all the insightful tit bits you give about the making of Atlantis as well as your humorous take on food, pugs and life in general.
In relation to your answer, have you read, “Which lie did I tell?” by William Goldman? It’s a fantastically funny biographical account on writing, actors and filmmaking and has a whole chapter dedicated to The princess bride. It’s a great book and if you haven’t read it yet I’d recommend it, it will make you feel much better about the scriptwriters curse.
ses110 said…
The key to ratings is to get the Sam/Jack Ship resolved.You need to win back Sam/Jack Shippers.Also to help Atlantis cut down on McKay’s screen time.
I fail to see the Sam/Jack ship relevance to Atlantis. I always considered myself a Sam/Jack shipper when I watched SG-1, but that show is gone. You have to accept that and move on.
And the last thing we need is less McKay. He’s the most original character I’ve seen on any show in years. I cannot honestly name any other character in any show as ascerbic yet lovable as him other than House, possibly. He’s not so easy to like, let alone love – and McKay came first. I did think of Dr Cox on Scrubs but he’s not insecure, he’s just mean for the sake of it because he thinks it’s funny and that’s not the same thing.
That last comment seemed a little, ungenerous. Yes the show would be nowhere without the writers, but – and it’s a big but – viewers come to identify and care about the characters, and that usually means the actors who play them as well. And without meaning to sound waspish; good acting can at least limit the damage of bad writing (a certain pair of episodes about that fan favourite of yours spring to mind).
I think the original post was a little silly, no very silly, for putting that message on your site, but as someone who usually finds you amusing (even when I’m disagreeing with every word you write!) I was a little disappointed by your rather ungracious response to Alyssa? (not sure if that’s her name).
I am sorry to hear about the bad ratings. “Line in the Sand” is one of my favorite episodes, and Echoes was really interesting, I am so disappointed there’s such a drop. I hope it’s better this week.
Thank you again for the pretty pictures!
Question for eveyone out there – including Joe if he chooses to respond:
if the ratings were still in the 2.2 – 2.4 range like they were for season 8 (32 short episodes ago BTW) would the ratings sytem still be unfair, wrong, inaccurate, yada, yada? Seems that when the ratings were up it was all the rage to shout the “great” and fabulous ratings numbers from the rooftops of Bridge and elsewhere – what happened, besides that fact that the ratings tanked, to change your minds that the ratings system is not fair and not an accurate portrayal? There are a lot of companies that pay a lot of $$ for ad time based on those very numbers so if they are so darn inaccurate and unreliable why on earth would any company spend a dime based on them?
Jodi
Hi Joe,
I hope you’re not going to listen to the lunatics believing that “restoring” Carter/O’Neill ship will be the remedy for the falling ratings… SciFi is losing viewers for EVERYTHING they’re airing now, so such theories that “winning back” certain part of the audience is even possible, is total bullshit IMO. Casual viewers are watching what is recommended for them, last Friday it was SGA episode, which in fact earned slightly higher ratings for the first airing than SG-1. Let’s see if the ratings improve when Daniel will be back…
Joe, Are we likely to see any new types earth warships in season 4 since earth has gotten access to all of the asgard’s technology?
Hey joe, if the ratings are so bad with Sci-Fi, ask MGM to consider signing a contract with a European channel. I’m sure any one of them would back the Stargate franchise for more seasons…just a thought.
Anywho are we going to learn the wraiths weakness in season 4?, or would i be right in thinking we already know?
Thanks for putting up with the bombardment of fan questions and rants lol. Have a nice day.
Answer: Holy crap, yes. Thank God for the actors and their ability to improvise their own dialogue and storylines. Why bother with writers at all?
ROTF Joe….I love your humor. Sometimes I feel bad when people hijack your (cough) personal (cough) blog, but you always hijack it back in perfect form.
I had vision of the Behind the Scenes extra w/Gero from the SGA S1 boxset…guess some people thought that was how it went.
I found another reason why I’ll like Sam Carter coming to Atlantis… no Michael Shanks fans!!! Someone pointed out the forum Our Stargate. I went there. Unbadfandombelievable.
Someone beat me to it… but worth repeating.
Regarding your last comment: I agree writers are incredibly important — I won’t watch a badly written show.
But I’ve seen really bad actors screw up really good writing (poor writers!).
Hey Joe,
You’re my kinda man! First the chocolate party…..next an ice cream party!
Got any leftovers from the chocolate party? If so, feel free to send some my way.
I’m trying to do my part to win some new fans for the shows. I recently visited home and had a copy of one of the Stargate magazines with me, and one of my sisters-in-law was immediately smitten with Joe Flanigan! She wanted to know ALL about the show. Today my sister-in-law; tomorrow the world!
Take care!
Obviously a certain anonymous poster doesn’t seem to realize that Daniel/Michael Shanks is very popular on Gateworld. As a fan of Michael and Amanda I find it insulting to group all fans together. Believe it or not Daniel and Sam are popular on LOTS of boards and both have ALOT of great fans and both have a FEW fans that are trouble makers. Sorry for the rant Joe but this is the third or forth time that this person has done this on your blog(and yes I’m sure it’s the same person) and as a fan of both Sam and Daniel from Gateworld I’ve had enough.
hi, joe,
do you think there’s a chance of the scifi channel changing their minds and airing atlantis earlier than the fall? i know you made a cryptic message about this… but it if gets too cryptic, i stop trying to decipher it. :p
i can’t wait to see amanda/sam on atlantis! 🙂
oh, will amanda be in the cast photos? if so, do you know when they’ll be out/done?
sally 😀
As a fan of both shows, I’m concerned about the ratings…especially since you told us that renewal for the 5th season will be dependent at least in part (if not the whole) on the second half of season 3’s ratings.
In your opinion, do you think that SciFi will want to get to 100 episodes or am I kidding myself believing that they’d feel that way? Does that appeal to them at all?
Are there other factors that could contribute favorably to SciFi renewing to a 5th season besides the ratings for the back half of 3, such as the changes being implemented or the fact that SciFi’s ratings are kind of down across the board or maybe another reason I don’t know of yet?
Thank you…
Mary Beth 🙂
Stargate SG-1 explored the origins and exploitations of lots of different mythologies on Earth to great success, are there any plans for Atlantis to explore and of the origins of Earth folklore? Perhaps stories that the Ancients might have brought back to Earth with them from the Pegasus galaxy?
dear joe,
Anonymous #1 writes: “1. Hypothetically, if Teal’c and Ronon were to fight one on one, on whom would you put your money on to win. 2. Will we get see McKay getting slapped or something of that nature by Carter in season 4. 3. By the end of season 4 will the asurans or wraith be dealt with.”
Answers: 1. Maybe we’ll get to find out. 2. No plans. 3. Hmmmmmmmm.
So your little pinky tells you wraith or asurans……..
thanks sir,
your montreal fan
Joe,
How is filming for Reunion going? Is that what’s filming this week? Which episode is next?
Anonymous asked: “Question for eveyone out there – including Joe if he chooses to respond:
if the ratings were still in the 2.2 – 2.4 range like they were for season 8 (32 short episodes ago BTW) would the ratings sytem still be unfair, wrong, inaccurate, yada, yada? Seems that when the ratings were up it was all the rage to shout the “great” and fabulous ratings numbers from the rooftops of Bridge and elsewhere – what happened, besides that fact that the ratings tanked, to change your minds that the ratings system is not fair and not an accurate portrayal?”
The flaw in this argument is time. Doesn’t matter what the ratings were eighteen to twenty months ago when comparing them to the present.
There are emerging trends in viewer habits the current metrics do not address. Ratings do not reflect the fact that technology has advanced beyond the box. You’re going to see that change eventually.
Also, when market share shrinks, it’s common and even appropriate to look at why.
If I were marketing widgets, and my sales performance was measured by product demand in *one* place, I’d fire the executive who withheld my widgets from that critical market, then low-balled on advertising (after an extended absence), and finally called my widgets *weedgets* in its meager campaign by mistake.
At the very least, I’d know what to change pronto to improve market share.
I’d know this before the big board meeting and without hiring an astrophysicist.
Present ratings are an acurate portrayal of something, all right. However, we might disagree on what they are portraying.
Mr. Mallozzi,
I am not a foodie, but I saw this article about our own, dear FDA.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/24/chocolate_terror/
Have you heard of this travesty yet ?
I thought you might like to know.
I have a random question pertaining to the Prometheus: I read somewhere (I don’t remember where) that the name for the ship was influenced by Ayn Rand’s book Anthem, and was wondering if that were true or what was the idea behind it.
Thanks!
I am a bit puzzled by your response to Alyssa’s heartfelt tribute to Torri’s acting. Are you saying that, for example, David Hewlett has nothing to do with how Rodney McKay is portrayed? Is every nuance totally written for him? Because, I have always thought that actors took the dialogue,etc and interpreted how they would portray the character. Is that not correct?
Question 1: Why was Torri given the choice to become reccuring or leave and Paul was not?
Question 2: Can you give us SGA fans your assurance that neither Carson nor Elizabeth will appear in more than their scheduled four episodes? I know that I- along with other SGA fans are worried that two more of our beloved characters will be completly shuffled off the show never to be heard from again.
Question 3: On that note- is Elizabeth going to die in ‘This Mortal Coil’ or is she going to live to be available to be in more episodes later down the road?
Other than that- I’m sorry to hear about the ratings, I truly am- and I’m excited to know that the Atlantis Rapper guy is going to be in an episode and finally I hope season 4 filming is going well because I can’t wait to see our dear Carson and Lizzie back….
I have a vilian name for you.
You should call yourself The Smiling Assassin. I’m sure Paul and Torri would find that amusing…
Friday night’s episodes are not yet available for download from iTunes. Who is responsible for this? MGM or SciFi? I want names and phone numbers. They are so incredibly in trouble.
Additionally, will the DVDs ever be released in HD DVD format?
This is for Scott:
#1…I said you were adorable, not cute.
#2…I’m beginning to think you’re a smart cookie because of where you shop.
#3…#2 still doesn’t make you cute
#4…I don’t have a #4.
Hi Joe,
I hope you and Fondy have recovered from chocolate overload. I noticed wine glasses in several guests hands. Which vinyards were represented at your party?
I saw Zach’s video on You-Tube. It was excellent, indeed. It’s really neat to have him on the show for it, too.
Questions:
Any chances of seeing more photos of Amanda’s Cheshire Cat smile?
When are you going to write McKay’s transformation into Anubis? 😉
Lughtigern@clueserver.org
Hi Joe,
Est ce que c’est vrai que Teyla sera enceinte? De Sheppard où de Ronon?