“Could you get a little closer together,”suggested the photographer. Paul and I, standing to either side of Rob, inched in tighter. “A little more.” Another half-step each and we were in “uncomfortably close“ territory, that personal space reserved for significant others and slow dance partners. “Perfect!” And, as he snapped away, the questions started to come, fast and furious: “What can you tell us about the movies?” “When will they be released?” “What was it like to shoot in the Arctic?” As Rob fielded the majority of the queries, Paul and I chimed in on occasion to compliment, clarify, and justify the long walk from our offices over to stage 3.
We were on the Daedalus bridge for the producer portion of the International Press Junket, just one of the many media events we would be participating in over the course of the lead up to our fourth season premiere. Alas, on this day, the press was more interested in getting the dish on the SG-1 movies. So much so that I allowed my mind to wander, allowing myself to be caught completely unprepared when an Atlantis-related question did eventually pop up. “Huh?” I’d been wholly focused on the nonsense scribble adorning the plexi-glass graph to my left (Argon. Helix. X2/3x. Bacon?). Fortunately, Paul was able to take up the slack (one of the many advantages of working with a writing partner) and offer up an informative response. As the subject shifted back to SG-1, I redirected my attention to the task at hand. Yup. Bacon it is.
To be honest, I prefer the more personal one on one interviews. Like the one’s I did this morning, the first with Ileane Rudolph for TV Guide, the second with Kathy Huddleston for Sci Fi Magazine. Since we the top of discussion would be season four, and since Paul didn’t trust himself not to reveal any massive spoilers over the course of the phone interviews, he deferred to my expertise (“You’re better at these anyway, buddy.”). And so, I spent a pleasant morning chatting with Ileane and Kathy about what we have in store for Stargate Atlantis’s GREATEST SEASON EVER!!! Well, I think so. Lots of revelations, big and small. Nice character moments. Surprising big picture developments. You can read the details when the interviews come out in July-ish.
One of the nice things about doing individual interviews rather than our usual partners-in-crime interviews is that there’s no mistaking who said what. I can’t count the number of times I’ve perused an article and discovered that one of my quotes has been attributed to Paul, or vice-versa. Like, for instance, our first year on the show when I was quoted as saying “There are no new ideas in scifi.” While I understand the general argument being made, they weren’t my words so I was not all that inclined to defend them when angry fans started berating me online. Hey, I do just fine tossing out my own controversial statements now and then. I don’t need to have someone else’s attributed to me as well.
Well, nothing terribly controversial in today’s interviews (although, sometimes, fans do interpret things differently), but there’s always next Tuesday when Paul, David, Amanda, Jewel, and I face down the combined forces of The Digital Press Tour.
Pics: And so the hunters become the hunted!
Mailbag –
Nikki writes: “Have you ever been to Ottawa?”
Answer: We stopped off in Ottawa on the way back from Summer camp one year. I think we ate at a pizza place called Fat Alberts, stepping over an enormous pool of vomit to get in the door. In retrospect, not a place I‘d go back to.
PG15 writes: “I don’t pretend to be an expert at what goes on behind the scenes at Bridge Studios, but if my numbers are right, you guys would only have 8 episodes left to film.”
Answer: Oooooh. We have an expert in the field. A mathematics wiz with oh so superior powers of addition and subtraction! For your information – oh. Yeah. 8 episodes left to film. What’d I say?
PG15 writes: “ Oh, and how is post-production going? I mean, since you guys are given more time to work on the episodes this year, does that mean that episodes like “Adrift” are pretty much completely done?”
Answer: Swimmingly. And – hell no! We just got the missing scenes shot the other week and the visual effects are far from complete. On the bright side, we almost have a finished episode in Doppelganger. Almost, but not quite.
Majorsal writes: “Joe, what are you ON tonight!?”
Answer: I’m full of chocolate!
Vikitty writes: “Where do you stay when you visit Hong Kong? And are you going back this December?”
Answer: On our first trip, we stayed at The Peninsula which was very nice. On our last trip, we stayed at the Shangri-la which was Amazing. Sadly, we won’t be getting back this year as Fondy is busy setting up her little dog spa and I’ll be doing…well, that remains to be seen.
Anonymous #1 writes: “Hey, was wondering when Season 4 promotional photos and videos will be available to the public?”
Answer: Don’t know.
Kayleigh writes: “Is there ever a time when you want to turn the table on the posters and ask them a question?”
Answer: Why do you ask?
Anonymous #2 writes: “My, my the list of groups who dislike Carter grows by the day doesn’t it?”
Answer: Yeah, there’s that possibility. But it’s more likely the same handful of people complaining twice as much.
Rebekah writes: “Sorry to say it, but Blake was a Romantic, not a Victorian.”
Answer: The “Victorian-era” reference refers to the works of the painter, not the poet.
Yasmin writes: “My husband and I are planning a trip to Vancouver for our 12 year anniversary. Can you recommend some places to eat/stay/sightsee?”
Answer: Check out Stanley Park for a stroll and go to Steveston for some fish ‘n chips. Food – Tojo’s for high-end sushi. Yuji’s for creative Japanese tapas. West for high end dining. Vij’s for creative Indian.
Michelle writes: “Michelle Gagné here. You may recall I was one of your straight-laced friends at Abbott.”
Answer: Hey, Michelle. Since I approve comments, feel free to send me your email in a message. I’ll make sure it doesn’t go public. Unless you want me to.
Anonymous #3 writes: “Why not making a co-leadership on Atlantis ?”
Answer: Co-leaderships are lame.
Andrew Timson writes: “When will directors be assigned? Were they assigned already?”
Answer: The directors schedule is one of the first thing set at the beginning of the year. The individual episodes are slotted long after.
Anonymous #4 writes: “It has recently come to my attention that “[Joe Flanigan] smells good if that’s anything. Like really good. Think of dancing in a meadow of flowers on a spring day”. Can you confirm this rumour one way or another?”
Answer: This is in fact true. The last time I danced with Joe in a meadow flowers on a spring day, he smelled divine. Sort of a cross between baby powder, almonds, and KFC.
Scarym writes: “We know that Rachel can sing, does anyone else from the cast have any singing talent?”
Answer: Hmmm. There was a DVD recording of one of David Hewlett’s karaoke parties floating around set sometime last year. Get a hold of it and you guys be the judges.
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