Hey, look who’s here! It’s writer/director/executive producer/show creator/golfer/expert barbecuer Robert C. Cooper – and he’s got answers to all of your burning questions (provided, of course, you took the time to post said questions last week). Before handing things over to Rob, I’d like to dedicate today’s blog entry to birthday girl Rebecca T. who, I’m sure more than anything, wants to know what was up with those replicators. Rob…?
Archersangel writes: “1. how much of an effort was made to work in o’neill or hammond? or did you decide to save them for continuum?
Furthermore, I know fans don’t like to hear the business side of things but I would have liked to have RDA in Unending. Unfortunately, we were over budget as it was and when it comes down to it, what justifies the salary overage from a studio perspective is a potential ratings bump that might help get us picked-up. We were already canceled at that point.
2. was the story any different in the movie than it would’ve been for an 11th season?
3. regarding teal’c vs. tomin as to who did more to feel guilty about, i.e. who caused more pain, suffering and death, some say teal’c did worse things than tomin. what’s your opinion?
4. were the replicators always going to be included? if there would’ve been an 11th season, would they have made an appearance? in the same way?”
Michelle writes: “Do you see any danger in being producer, writer, and director on an episode or movie? That is, might there be a lack of checks and balances on your creative decisions? For example, did anyone try to tell you you were nuts for reintroducing old-fashioned Replicators in AoT, or did they just salute and press on? It must take a large pair of ‘em to do all 3 jobs with the future of the franchise hanging on your decisions. Thank heavens it turned out well and made someone a boatload of cash. ”
Sure there is danger in taking on all three roles. It’s a minefield where the mines are very close together. But there are also benefits. I can see the big picture as far as the production goes. I understand every facet of what is going on screen. For example, I can limit the budget by writing a scene in a set I know we already have thus saving the money for a big shot I have planned with a helicopter. Or I can tell the production designer to only build three walls of a new set instead of four because I already know how I’m going to shoot the scene. A director hopefully tries to achieve the vision of the writer with the time and money allotted. As producer, I can put money where I think the director really needs it. And on set, I know exactly what I mean as a writer but may not have conveyed properly on paper. It saves a lot of phone calls. I think the crew and cast will tell you its a lot more convenient having the writer/producer there to clear up any issues they might have with the director. Also, if the director gets behind, the writer might be able to cut some scenes by re-writing a few lines. Now, it’s always helpful to have more brains. I have benefited greatly over the years from creative collaboration with many people. That’s why I try to listen to my fellow writers/producer’s opinions and talk endlessly with other more experienced and talented directors. Yes, I suppose it does take guts to take on all three jobs. But let’s say I only wrote and produced AoT. Could a different director really have overcome the issues you have with the script? If it’s bad, I still bear a lot of the responsibility.
As far as the replicators, I do feel like I’ve answered this before but I’ll give it one last shot. Please understand, that I respect your opinion. But thankfully, opinions vary and your distaste for the replicators is not universal. I always kind of liked them myself. It’s funny to me that people complain because they don’t like the new SG-1, they want the old SG-1. Then others complain when old-fashioned elements come into play in new storylines. Fact is, you can’t please all of the people. I thought the re-introduction of the replicators was a natural evolution of the Asgard core being given to us in Unending. I felt this was a big event in the history of SG-1 and I wanted the Asgard knowledge to play into the movie in some way. One of the re-occurring themes in the series is the concept of humans using technology that is far beyond us. We get into trouble because we mess with things we don’t understand. The problem is, after a while you start to wonder, won’t those people just learn already? So, you try not to have your heroes making the same mistakes over and over. Still, I thought, if I was in a desperate battle and I thought I could control the replicators and use them as a weapon, I might give it a shot. Thus, the IOA plan was born and Mitchell gets to fight a repli-monster. I certainly remember being called crazy a lot over the years and thinking I had lost my mind even more. But not for bringing back the replicators. For example, there were those (I believe one J. Mallozzi) who at the script stage thought flipping over the crystal was too easy a solution to the problem but I wanted Mitchell’s fight to have been worth the beating he took. I also wanted the answer to be simple to communicate at that point in the movie. Maybe I was crazy.
Aurora Novarum writes: “1. One of the best things about this movie (and S10) was the development of Tomin’s character. Did you have this arc in mind from “Crusade” or was it something that developed over the course of figuring out the stories?
2. Are we to assume Adria & Morgan are in the same limbo as Oma & Anubis? Or was the battle a bit more favorable to Ganos this time around?
3. Was the Replicator storyline a Season 11 episode idea? It seemed…disconnected from the rest of the storyline of wrapping up the Ori/Ancient saga.
4. General question: What is your favorite story arc/secondary character/type of tale to write?”
Skye writes: “What did the Cast think of the Script when the first read it?”
Amac251 writes: “Regarding the scene where Mitchell fought to his “almost” death:
Was this scene purposely longer than a usual “whumping” scene in order to make the viewer cringe a lot? (If so, it worked with me!)
(2) Was the scene originally longer and edited down to what we saw?
(3) Has anyone else told you that halfway through that scene they yelled at their TV, “Make it stop! Make it stop!!” (I’m not saying *I* did! Or, at least there is no proof I did!)
Also, what was your favorite scene in the Ark of Truth?”
Ruffles writes: “In Ark of Truth, the priors are exposed to the truth and suddenly Morgan Le Fey is able to fight Adria. My assumption is Adria was weakened because of the priors’ exposure. My question is why? Just because the priors stopped worshiping, did the humans stop? What made that happen? I thought the Ori needed human worship for their power. If a pastor falls from his faith, that doesn’t stop the people in his congregation from believing. Why would it work in this instance?”
Trish writes: “OH!! My question to Robert Cooper: How are you so awesome?”
Shirt ‘n Tie writes: “In all the time of producing Stargate since 1997, what has been the single most defining change (technology wise) to affect the day to day production? I know in the commentary of AoT you mention about changing film type (with Peter Woeste)..is that it? or more green screen?”
Also, incredible increases in computer processor speed and lower costs have meant much better and higher volume of VFX per episode for the money. As you know, we now have our own in house department.
Katie Menard writes: “I wanted to ask Mark Savela a question because I am a fan of Stargate’s visual effects and I am thinking of going into that area, so I thought he be a good person to ask. I want to know how he started out and what type of schooling did he need?”
Chevron 7 writes: “1. In Ark of Truth, when Teal’c went on his journey to Celestis, how did he know which direction to go? Did Morgan le Fay direct him?
2. Cam and Sam have always had a “sibling relationship” to me. Is this how you see them? Was the scene between them in the infirmary (AoT) supposed to be so flirty or was that a direction the actors took it?
3. Do you find it difficult to stop writing once you’re “in a zone”?”
DanielFanForever writes: “1. My favorite scene is the one in the cell between Morgan and Daniel. There was a long gap where Daniel wasn’t on screen leading up to that scene. I was curious if there was a deleted scene, or if you wrote it that way so that the scene would be even more powerful?
2. As a director, which scene did you find the most challenging to film and why?”
DanJack writes: In “Counterstrike” there is a line mentioning that Langara had fallen to the Ori, but Jonas is not mentioned by name. Was there a plan to have an episode in season 11 that would feature Jonas and a battle for Langara? If so, I think that would have been a sweet episode that could have united the whole team. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking on my part (a lot of us would love to see Jonas in a Stargate movie, series, or story again), but I was curious if that was the plan since Langara was mentioned by name.
If not, is there a chance that if enough fans beg, we could see Jonas make an appearence in a future SG project? I don’t know if you guys know, but Jonas had a huge fan following.”
Anne Teldy writes: “Did you have an idea where you wanted to take the series once the Ori were defeated? Was there to be one new main villain? If so, can you tell us about him/her/them or are you holding him/her/them in reserve for another movie?”
A loquita writes: “What was the reasoning behind the decision to promote Carter to a higher rank? And why does Mitchell get command of the ship even though he’s at a lower rank than Carter?”
When Teal’c is talking to Tomin in the Odyssey’s mess hall, Teal’c talks about not being able to forgive himself for the atrocities done in the name of Apophis, that Teal’c has to just try to do good for others. It’s a very dark take on his situation I hadn’t considered before seeing AoT. Was this concept always present in the writing of Teal’c during the series – that he carries a very, very heavy burden forever – or was it first really created/developed for AoT? It was a beyond brilliant scene by Chris and Tim.”
JoJoB writes: “This is a negative post so I understand if you skip it.
I was extremely disappointed in Ark of Truth, so much so that I felt like I wasted my money buying it (not a total waste, I put it in the unwanted DVD box at church to donate the next time they send videos to the troops in Iraq.)
Why were the characters we’ve known and loved for 10 years (Sam, Daniel, Teal’c) relegated to supporting characters in favor of the Cam Mitchell show? Guess it should not have been a surprise as most of seasons 9 and 10 were like this.
There were so many questions left unanswered and so many parts of the story that were rushed just so we could get back to Mitchell and his ridiculously long fight at the end. Even my mom, who loves Mitchell, was laughing at the fight sequences after a while. Would have been believable if it were Teal’c or Ronan fighting, totally over the top with Mitchell.
The greatness of SG-1 has always been its balance of characters. Even when RDA was in the show, the other characters got their time to shine. Since the introduction of Mitchell in season 9 it became clear that he was the focal point and the others were pushed to the side (even Vala who is a much better character). I hope the mistakes made in this movie are not repeated in any subsequent ones, but I’m not confident.
Oh, and I am not making the same mistake twice. Continuum is the number 1 selection on my Netflix Queue. We’ll decide whether to buy it after we’ve seen it.”
Bet you buy Continuum though.
Thanks to everyone who keeps watching.
That was by far the best show I have seen yet. Not only was I on the edge of my seat but my emotions were pulled from one extreme to the other. The humanization of the characters was wonderful. Woolsey stole the show.
Great job Joe and Thanks!
Sean
Funny, I thought RDA *had* a cameo in Continuum…
Hi Joe!
I meant to say, as someone who has been a long time SG1 fan, who didn’t think season 9 and 10, at times, were quite her cup of tea… well, I LOVED AOT. I really enjoyed it. For me, I sit down and watch what’s in front of me with an open mind. I watched AOT on Sky One and loved it. It was pure entertainment, and believe me, I wasn’t sure if I’d like it or not. I meant to comment before and say to RCC that this Stargate fan really enjoyed it. Sorry, RL got in the way and I was a bad fan and forgot to comment about it:oops:
But I really loved AOT and so did my family. So please pass on my belated congrats to RCC and all those involved!
PS I’m absolutely thrilled with Broken Ties – it was so good, and the final scenes still make me all teary – after 4 viewings! 😳
Ok, going now. 🙂
That was a fantastic Q and A. Thank you Mr. Cooper and Mr. Mallozzi. Who’s next?
I’m sorry to see so many negative questions for RCC! If he’s still reading, tell him that I, personally, really enjoyed Ark of Truth. I didn’t find Mitchell’s battle too long and I really liked the replicators. I thought their introduction totally made sense in the story and I didn’t see it as a distraction at all. I’m really glad we didn’t have a cast of thousands (like in The Quest) watching Daniel trying to solve the riddle of the Ark. I much prefer that Mitchell and Carter had their own storyline.
A lot of these opinions come down to personal preference, imo. If you like Mitchell, you’ll like his story, if you’re resentful because he joined the cast, it won’t matter what kind of story RCC writes for him. Nothing will quench that resentment.
Ark of Truth worked for me. And no, not everything does! But I enjoyed this movie.
“Adria and Morgan are in a similar but different limbo. But they do call a truce every now and then and get together for a game of Bridge.”
What are the chances of them taking human form and waking up naked in the Pegasus galaxy? 🙂
Thanks for another great Q&A.
I enjoyed Season 9 and 10. Like all change, it took a little bit to get used to, but once settled into the new groove it was great.
Continuum comes out while I’m away.
**cries into coffee**
This was great to read! 🙂
As a note to Mr Cooper (who I’m sure will be reading these comments) I absolutely LOVED AoT. (And I thought the replicators were a great idea) I had to watch it twice to follow everything, which is my favourite way to watch Stargate. 🙂
1)Do any of the team members display overly strong expressions of violence this year?
2)Will we see any disturbing apparitions or unexplained phenomena during the course of the season?
Hi, Joe.
Thank you, and RCC, for the AoT question and answers.
However (you know fandom) one answer has already stirred up more questions — regarding Carter’s and Mitchell’s ranks.
The way I’m reading the answer, is that Carter and Mitchell were the same rank at the time of AoT.
However, Carter was promoted to a full-bird Colonel at the beginning of SGA’s season four – AFTER AoT.
Which leaves the question — is that what RCC meant to type? Or did Mitchell get a promotion as well to a full-bird Colonel?
Thank you!
Morjana
Well, it’s my own fault a near perfect weekend was ruined by today’s blog. Namely, my own stupidity in forgetting to submit my questions for Mr. Cooper. Still, I found most of the questions offered, and their answers, very informative. In some cases thought-provoking. Overall I was very happy with Ark of Truth, and a copy of both it and Continuum will be door prizes and gifts for future parties I’m planning. I appreciate Mr. Cooper’s straightforward acknowledgement of criticisms sent his way, and respect his unapologetic stance. It IS impossible to make everyone happy all the time. Overall, I think that both the later seasons of SG1 and the movies(ok, so I haven’t seen Continuum yet, but I’m an optimist) have delivered a quality product to the fans. Many thanks for all your labors over the years, Mr. Cooper.
And Mr. Mallozzi, thanks for the photo explaining the fate of unwanted extras. My only question for the day revolves around that picture. Do you place marshmallows, bacon, burgers, or other food on the extras before the process? It would seem to me an efficient way to prepare lunches, especially when shooting on location. Thanks for bringing us such great guest bloggers, as well as photos, teasers, and updates on your latest culinary adventures.
I STILL need to buy this DVD. Then I shall read this orgy of an interview.
3 things
1. was curious about the stargate sg1 bag for sale on ebay and followed the link. i think they might want to change where they have listed it. its in the trading card section, and its the only thing there that isnt a trading card.
Collectibles * > Trading Cards * > Sci-Fi, Fantasy * > Stargate
2. the ending to :broken ties. wow. just wow. unexpected, beautiful, poignant (can i use that word?). its amazing how satisfying it was to see even just small glimpses of the stargate people ‘in real life’. and, oh yeah, unlike StarTrek, i guess there are bathrooms in scifi.
3. was it just me, or was sheppard not wearing dogtags, but some odd green necklace? i see it at least 2x. and when they are running out of the wraith lab, you can see it bouncing around. i guess there’s no rule about jewelry in the AF, just thought he’d also be wearing the tags.
Hey Joe,
I’d like to say that, at the first viewing, I didn’t like season 9 and 10 so much, but I guess it’s because it’s so religious, and creepy, because Origin was really something people believe in and are willing to fight for. After I got my S1-10 DVD pack, I rewatched practically every ep, and it felt much better already. And then I bought AoT, and man, it was great! I even had the music from the menu play continuously because it was so great! *g*
So brilliantly done, that Ark of Truth movie! Keep up that good work, Coop! (And the rest of the team!)
On Broken Ties: was it just me, or did Tyler have a bit of trouble pronouncing his words with those teeth? (Can’t blame him!) He looked great, though!
Spikey
centurywinter wrote:
That was a fantastic Q and A. Thank you Mr. Cooper and Mr. Mallozzi. Who’s next?
i agree.
i for one liked AoT. the replicators were a surprise, but i understand the “desperate times/desperate measures” thought. as well as the need for a B-story. i don’t think it was the “mitchell show” at all, in fact i think there was a good balance between the 2 stories.
thanks to mr. cooper for answering the questions & mr. mallozzi for providing the forum.
to Mr. Cooper, AoT was GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEAT!
Thank you Mr. Cooper … very interesting. I loved AoT, but then, I tend to love all things StarGate fairly unconditionally. Except the days I’d love to see Vala become replicator chow. hehehe.
A huge THANK YOU to Robert C. Cooper! Wonderfully informative and I loved the tongue in cheek answers as well. You guys take our crazy fan questions all in stride and that is a testament to your personal/professional greatness and humility! I for one LOVED AoT and anything Stargate related and I am grateful for all we get!
I can just see the YouTube video now, “tongue firmly in cheek” of Trish (a.k.a. Whoivan), David Hewlett and Robert C. Cooper all stating in various ways… how AWESOME each other are and why… let the mutual admiration society begin!!!
Thank you Joe for providing the forum for these exchanges!
Cheers,
Patricia Lee
Thanks to Rob Cooper for his insight into AoT. My husband and I recently rewatched SG-1 including Seasons 9 & 10 and AoT. I’ll have to admit that the Ori were not my favorite bad guys. No personality and extremely creepy. Introducing Tomin put a very human face on the Ori (at least their followers). I loved that character, and the scene in AoT with Tomin and Teal’c was very powerful.
I also liked the return of the replicators. I can imagine some idiot analyst in the IOA convincing TPTB that it would work. And the “repli-monster” was cool, especially in skeleton form.
I am sorry not to have asked any ?’s of Mr Cooper. like my husbands mothers last name was Cooper and I named my son Cooper, I know,,, not questions,,.
–I loved AOT and just got an email for amazon that Continuum is on its way.. whoopee!! Keep up the great work Mr C., I have not been disappointed in any of your work so far. You deserve that paycheck and more. 😉
Mr. Cooper,
Count me among those who really enjoyed season 9 &10, and AoT. I agree that the addition of Vala really brought new life to the Daniel character. The addition of Ben Browder was likewise great for the series. No, he wasn’t Jack. He was Cameron, and I came to like him just as much, though for different reasons.
I would have liked to see SG1 continue as a series (I miss my Friday night SG1 fix!). Still, I’m glad that the people behind the show didn’t give up, and went with the movie option. AoT has a home on my DVD shelf, and is frequently viewed by the family. We’re looking forward to Continuum, and future SG1 movies.
I absolutely loved Joel’s music in the chris’s journey down the mountain.
Loved AOT watched it may times over. I came into Stargate just this year for Atlantis and then diverted back to other Stargate episodes (Atlantis and SG-1). I loved season 9 and 10, I also love RDA and what he brought to the show. Everyone has something to offer, but I guess it is harder if you were a fan since the beginning. That said, if something ever happened to sheppard or McKay, I think I would die (not literally, but figuratively). So, I guess I understand where some of the people are coming from. Great job Mr. Cooper.
Can’t wait til Tuesday!
Question for Mark D. What was the most fulfilling scene in Broken Ties for you? What was the most difficult for you (physically and/or emotionally)?
Thanks very much for answering our qs, Mr Cooper, especialy the Adria/Morgan one. 😀
Joe, have you seen the “Cake Wrecks site? Someone linked to it over at Hewlett’s board, and I’ve been laughing myself silly over for the last ten minutes! XD
Yes, I’m procrastinating — back to work on the column I go ….
Joe, can you help us settle a debate? Real World was on the other day (and why the heck is CityTV’s HD not 16:9?!). We’re trying to figure out where it was shot, especially the scene at Weir’s place when Jack comes to visit and you can see the background. I say New West, my friend says False Creek. Which is it? Or somewhere else?
hi, joe,
you are invited to the annual s/j ‘ship day’ celebration that takes place at gateworld forum. ‘ship day’ is monday, july 28th. we hope you’ll come by for a visit.
sally =D
I loved Browder and Black in s-9&10. Their charecters were so different from (Farscape) yet they did have a connection . And loved AoT. Tim guinne is an amazing actor, wow he would be great as a regular in any new stargate show, as a new charecter or tomin. RC you have my stargate heart forever, just saw clip on comic-con 08 sga and YES i agree with GERO that you should bring more firefly cast to stargate world(nathan Fillion) Thanks JM for all the neat guests on the blog-2 days and counting -yea!!
Mr. Cooper,
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and processes for AoT.
Bought AoT when it was announced for future delivery and did the same for Continuum (which I also just got notice of being shipped).
This is the leap of faith that the production will be nothing less than fabulous; nothing less than our heroes, our teams, in action for our viewing pleasure.
In some respects, the last episode is the “last” one broadcast or screened; until another episode or movie becomes available. I know I am anxious for news of what is coming next to fill the void of that “last episode.” I guess, I just like all things “Stargate” and all things that prolong the Stargate franchise in my reality. And, when production is in hiatus, there are our treasured DVDs of seasons’ past.
Thank you for all that you do for the fandom!
We will keep watching; I know I will!
THANKS FOR THE Q&A!!!
Hey Joe. So I got home today from my trip to BC. I had a really fun time…especially meeting you in person!
Question: 1)Did you ask certain people to guest blog or did they volunteer?
2) Do you think a major celebrity will ever guest star on SGA (ie: Tom Cruise, Halle Berry…)?
Thanks Joe.
Hi Mr. Mallozzi,
As someone who prefered the earlier seasons of SG-1, I really appreciate Mr. Cooper being polite enough to answer that last question even though it was negative. I’ve enjoyed his work throughout the series (“Heroes, Part I” is one of my favorite episodes), and while the Ori storyline as a whole didn’t appeal to me as much, I certainly wouldn’t say it was the quality of storytelling that turned me off; “Flesh and Blood” was a very good episode. On an Atlantis note, I am also really looking forward to “Daedalus Variations”, which I understand he helped write.
Robert, Thanks for sharing your insights into the making of AoT. I am soooo ready for Continuum.
to maggiemayday:
good idea on how to do in vala. and here i was just going to toss her out an airlock, but your idea is much more original.
to Patricia Lee:
by “crazy fan questions” do you mean the questions are crazy or us fans are. if the former; i for one thought my questions were intelligent, but i’ve been wrong before. *shrugs*
if the latter; well, i’ll invoke the 5th amendment. 😉
I would have loved to have questions for Mr. Cooper, but my copies of AoT and Continuum have only just shipped today. Perhaps later? I’m looking forward to seeing them.
I want to thank Mr. Cooper for answering my question about performing all the jobs, which came across way more snotty than I meant it. I really enjoyed AoT, enjoyed the struggle aboard the ship very much, if not as much as the Ori aspect. I understand you had to have a meaningful role for Carter and Mitchell, and I loved the fight and how Mitchell would not give up. The replicators sort of took me backward in the sense of the mythic quest of the characters, because I didn’t really catch the connection to the Asgard core. I thought reversing the crystal was a great solution though. Heh.
Also thanks for explaining the benefits of having one person with the complete vision there on set, preventing needless work, etc. Sounds like the difference between co-located teams and outsourcing to India.
I’ve been a fan since episode 1 and always will be… Unless Jack and Sam get together. Just thought I’d throw that in. 🙂
ArchersAngel said…to Patricia Lee:
by “crazy fan questions” do you mean the questions are crazy or us fans are. if the former; i for one thought my questions were intelligent, but i’ve been wrong before. *shrugs*
if the latter; well, i’ll invoke the 5th amendment.
…of course I meant the latter… And of course I meant ‘crazy’ in a wonderful way!
***‘shrugs and giggles’ ***
Can I just ask you to pass onto Robert Cooper how amazing I think he is? He’s gotten so much flak for S9-10 and AoT that I don’t believe is deserved – and he (much like you) has had to face criticism from a swarm of tactless fans who appear to have no idea that anything exists outside of their own view of the world. He’s made mistakes the same as every other writer, but if nothing else he has made a lifelong fan out of me. I was hooked from the first episode of Season 10 I saw and it remains my favorite season of the series (and one of my favorites of ANY series).
I appreciate him taking time out of his day to answer questions from the fans – even from those who are intent on dismissing everything he does. I think both of you deserve credit for daring to take each show in new directions. While I may not always love SGA’s new path I do appreciate the efforts you’ve made in changing things up and addressing the fans’ complaints with the series. You may not always win their approval but you’ve gained my respect for handling their constant barrage of rants and bashings – both of you do.
Mr. M wrote:
First you didn’t invite me to the chocolate party. Then you didn’t post one of my comments. Now you dedicated the blog to Rebecca T. but skipped me even though it was my birthday too and I was sick! I knew it! You don’t love me any more!
To make it up to me, you could answer a question for me: How did the Wraith learn they could give back life? It’s so antithetical to the feeding process that it seems unlikely they accidentally discovered the ability.
Anne Teldy
Probably too late… I only want to say that I love AoT 🙂 Perhaps the Repli-Terminator/Mitchell fight was indeed too long a little bit and I’d rather see more of Vala, Daniel, Tomin and Teal’c instead of this, but maybe next time… I really hope that the fourth movie will be again written by my abso-frellin-lutely favourite SG-1 writer – Mr Rob Cooper – and we’ll see continuation of the “mini-series” (the first five episodes of season 9) – the team of Vala, Daniel, Mitchell and Teal’c is simply the best.
@archersangel and maggiemayday: are we watching the same show? Vala is THE BEST thing that could happen to Stargate SG-1. Don’t like her? Don’t watch. Simple as that. But keep in mind that her supporters are in much bigger number than you can imagine… so beware.
Wow! I had quite the backlog to catch up on. What a wide array of guest bloggers! Thanks to you and them. Mark does an amazing job–I couldn’t ever imagine such a career. What fun and how challenging! And for John, I’d never really thought about cover art much other than whether it caught my eye and what I might want to change. His answers were very enlightening. And thanks to Rob for stopping by. I admit I thought the replicator thing was a bit overkill at first, but upon further viewings and with his explanation, I certainly feel it was something the IOA would dream up. After all, just look at Woolsey wanting to use Kalek. Makes sense to me. And I just loved the movie. I can’t imagine his own frustration with the reactions of some to the last 2 seasons of a show he enjoyed working on. I know as a fan, I’ve been frustrated with those who unequivocally hate the last two seasons–of Stargate and of The X-Files. Seems to be a theme if a main star leaves, or at least in sci-fi. I don’t see as many objecting to Clooney leaving ER. Anyway. So basically, a big THANK YOU to everyone over the past few days. As it is, the only thing I haven’t caught up on is your Broken Ties breakdown, which will come after I see the episode here, soon.
Hope you’re well!
I’ve been incredibly busy the last few days, but I finally managed to catch up. A few things:
1. Broken Ties was effing awesome. When I sat down and thought about it, it really struck me how in-depth these characters were explored thanks to your brilliant writing and their incredible acting. I don’t think I’ve gotten this much out of any other Atlantis episode. Talk about thought-provoking; I ended up doing a massive review/character analysis that I had to split into 2 parts:
Part 1
Part 2
2. I wrote those reviews before I read your episode breakdown and I was happy to know that I hit the right marks with regards to your and the actors’ intentions. Speaking of which, thank you so much for the breakdown! I love hearing stories of how writers come up with their ideas and how they craft their stories, especially if they had outside influences like with other writers and time constraints, in your case. I am disappointed that you didn’t include the “Helloooo…?” thing from Woolsey when he was stuck in the room, as I think it’d be hilarious. I’d have also loved to see McKay’s plan being elaborated upon, Mannix or Barnaby Jones references included. I’ve heard of them, but just the fact that McKay’s referencing a TV show to strengthen his plan is hilarious enough. I would’ve also liked to see Teyla talk about the Athosian culture, and the Wraith mentioning the Ancients. Just…god I wish you guys didn’t have to work with time constraints. It would open the door for so many things. Ah well. Episode was still great.
3. Thank you Rob Cooper for an enlightening and entertaining Q&A! I always wondered why RDA wasn’t in Unending and now I know. The barriers that stand in the way of a good story is beginning to irk me. Loved the thoughts on AoT as well. Oh, and I loved the replicators; always have, always will.
Shoot, I wish I had time to ask about “Vegas”.
Thank you Rob for coming to answer fans questions, I wish I was a more regular reader here so that I could have got one or two in myself! I have to say however that I’m so very, very sorry that so many of the questions put to you were so very negative, I hope you understand that it is a very specific section of the fandom that regularly gathers here and that many, many fans were absolutely over the moon about Ark of Truth and enjoyed every minute of it. And you probably noticed you gained yourself much ire with a particular subsection of fans for daring to allow Mitchell and Carter to have any kind of relationship whatsoever. 😉 Allowing Daniel to have actual screentime doesn’t endear you to them either…
Still, I’m sure the outstanding sales figures of the season 10 DVDs and Ark of Truth are a tangible reassurance that the later years of SG1 have many, many fans but please know that there are heck of a lot of fans out there for whom the appearance of the words “Robert C Cooper” on the screen as writer or director are a welcome sign that what follows is going to be a great piece of TV.
And I do believe we’re all wondering how Trish is so awesome. 😉
coucou Joseph^^! Sa va ??
yéééé!!! Super, trés intéressant ces questions! Martin est coool =)!
Encore une belle journée qui commence! Et une nouvelle semaine, avec notament une fête d’anniversiare en fait de semaine!! éhéhé !!
Alalala dire que la premiére fois que je suis venu sur ce blog j’avais 16 ans, maintenant j’en est bientot 18 ^^!! Sa passe vite!!
Questions:
1) Pourra t’on un jour poser des questions à Martin Gero sur ce blog?
2)Va t’il y avoir un bisou entre John et Teyla dans cette saison 5?
Voila! Merci Joseph! Bisou, jtadore♥
Please can you explain why we won’t be hearing about the Tria this season. Thanks.
Thanks Mr. RCC for this answers, they brought a little light to AoT.
🙂
mycha
Joe,
While writing, being executive producer ,running to sets taking pics, working on your blog how do you find time for you and the Mrs.? or to just lay back and chill?? I would think that at the end of the day you must be plumm beat. I
would like to know how you do it.
Hi Joe,
First thing Mr Cooper I really enjoyed Ark of Truth. I thought it was great! I also told Chris judge I enjoyed his performance when here was in Australia in April. I am a long time Stargate fan & will always be a fan! The best sci fi I have seen EVER! I only have to wait until aug 6th for my very own copy of Conitnuum! Yay! Coolness!
Joe, Who’s your favourite writer & who inspired you to become a writer yourself?
Take care & happiness always!
Cathie
Hi Joe,
great Q&A session with Rob Cooper. Any chance to get Martin Gero here anythime soon for a Q&A about his “Young People F*cking”? It would be really nice…
I love science fiction – although I have not started reading Joe’s book club suggestions yet – especially sci-fi tv and movies. I am also a realist about life. A tv show get made and gets a wonderful actor – RDA – to join the cast. This actor probably draws enough viewers just by star power and then by the portrayal of his character to get the show launched. But RDA is not Jack O’Neill. His decision to leave to be with his daughter is a personal one. The producers at Stargate had to replace him and I think Ben Browder was a fabulous choice. He brought the same lighthearted hero qualities to the show but imbued them with his our southern charm. Like Jonas Quinn – another forced reality of the producers – who brought the social awareness and academic quality of Daniel.
Every show struggles with casting, budget and fan derision. But in the end it is a production with business realities and I applaud the executive producers for producing a show concept that is still on the air after 12 years and is still a great ride.
It’s so long ago that I saw AoT that I actually forgot the replicators were in it! Thank you, Joe, for the dedication though. Obviously made my hint big enough =D
Great Q&A as well. I managed to time my birth well for this moment X] Holding on those extra ten days paid off for this coincidence.
“First you didn’t invite me to the chocolate party. Then you didn’t post one of my comments. Now you dedicated the blog to Rebecca T. but skipped me even though it was my birthday too and I was sick! I knew it! You don’t love me any more!”
Ouch. Joe; repent, repent!
Happy Birthday for yesterday anneteldy and I hope you’re feeling better.
Rob:
Thank you so much for answering my questions. I really enjoyed “AOT”, and hope that you will be involved in more SG1 movies. I’ve enjoyed all of your episodes from “TOT” in season 1 thru the very last episode “Unending”, and I LOVED the “Shroud”. I’m a big fan of character moments (which IMO you are great at) – shippy, friendshippy or the bantering like you already mentioned…..LOVE IT!!! *ahem* well except the ‘cookie and a kiss’ scene in “AOT”, but I already knew that wasn’t really your fault. *g*
(((HUGS))) for taking the time to answer everyone’s questions. Very much appreciated. Thank you too, Joe, for letting Rob stop by.
dff
Hey, many thanks Rob , Mark and John for answering everyone’s questions, in particular Rob/Mark answering mine. You spent so much time on these posts and it was appreciated. Thanks also to Joe for seeking out these wonderful guest bloggers.
Congrats to Narelle on the BOTM win – cool!
So I’m on a roll with the questions I’ll try another one……..Joe, are we going to see the snake-like creature on the mainland in Season 5?
Cheers, Chev
FarscapeFan … you misunderstand. Claudia Black is so awesome that she infuses Vala with a sense of life and reality that I thoroughly enjoy. I just happen to be seriously irritated by her. I don’t think for a moment Vala shouldn’t be a part of SG-1. I love to hate her. The character is well acted, well written and overall so well portrayed that I just want to kick Vala’s butt for badgering Daniel. Gets the right reaction, yes?
Don’t tell me not to watch, pumpkin. I can make that decision for myself *** cough BSG cough***. Say howdy if you’re going to Burbank in November, I’ll be one of the Furlows.
A fantastic Q&A by Robert Cooper. Thank you!!! I’m patiently waiting to buy Continuum tomorrow!
Broken Ties wasn’t my favorite episdoe, but I certainly liked how it highlighted certain aspects of Woolsey! After the episode ended, I decided that I like Woolsey. I was just wondering last week if Woolsey had a family, and now we know.
I loved all that Teyla-Woolsey scenes. Great way to make the Woolsey character grow.
To Mr Cooper,
many thanks for your vsit for sharing your thoughts and processes for AoT. We loved SG1 and love Atlantis. We will buy Continuum tomorrow and sure we will enjoy it because in perspective you, Mr Malozzi, Brad and all the team are doing a good job to entertain us.
I know that sometimes writers or producers create caracters having in mind one or an other actor to play the role. My wish is that you and Brad have Claudia Black in mind for one of the main character in Stargate Universe.
Hi Joe!
Thanks to Rob for answering our questions. 🙂 Looking forward to tomorrow for Continuum!!
WooHoo! *happy dance*
eddy
Hey Joe,
Do you have any final numbers for Search and Rescue? I understand the Live+7 should be out this week
Best,
Squall78
Loving Season 5! Great job on “Broken Ties”, Joe. I thought Jason did a wonderful job. I softened to Woosley more in this episode. (Lots of tension in The Seed.) Loved the conference room doors closing on him. I like to think that maybe Atlantis herself was sending him a message. And really enjoyed his reaction to being handed Teyla’s baby. I am definitely a fan of the Ronon-Sheppard friendship and was happy to see a moment or two in there for them. The wraith was fantasitc! He looked really evil in most of his scenes…lighting helps, no doubt. But the way he would hold his mouth slightly open…it was really creepy. (Reminded me a little of something out of The Exorcist.) Too bad he had to be killed off so soon. I’m looking forward to more fun in the weeks to come.
I just saw on the Comic Con Stargate Atlantis video, at SciFi.com, that astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson will be making an appearance on a future episode of SG:A. Yay! My family loves him, and we watch his new PBS show, Nova scienceNow, each week. Plus, we love seeing him on The Colbert Report (5 time Guest!!).
Regarding season five, thanks for having so many women in the background shots, be them scientists or in the military.
We still have to keep “captions on” to understand Jason Momoa’s utterances. We had never been unable to ever understand the SciFi promo SG:A’s season five, with Ronon’s “You kill me or blah blah blah.” It was “…set me free! Sheppard!” Thank you, captions. We love Momoa; we just want to be able to understand him. His voice has gotten so growly.
Woolsley being unable to open the conference room doors sent my 14 year old sliding to the floor in laughter.
Thanks for all the guest blogging over the past few weeks. Although I haven’t submitted any questions, I have really enjoyed reading the questions and the answers.
Since Rob didn’t answered, could you do it Joe? A couple of days ago you said you PTB don’t agree that Sam and Jack are together. After Coop’s infatuation with Sam/Cam I take it he’s one of TPTB that don’t think Sam/Jack are/should be together?
Hey – what shall I say? I’m German. 😀 But I love the way he talks. It fits and it needs no change – although I too have problems to understand everythig he says. But that’s what transcripts are for. 😀
To Anne Teldy and Rebecca T. The heck with invites to Mr. M.’s Chocalate Party! We can throw a bash of our own! By sheer quantitty of numbers we might be able to reproduce some of the quality of products he enjoyed. I’ll throw in for a case of chocolate wine. I’m also still looking around the state for a decent homemade brand of chocolates to compete with the heavy hitters. So, who’s up to providing a venue?
I want to chime in here to say that I loved Seasons 9-10 and AoT. In fact, I bought S10 and AoT on DVD. Can’t wait for Amazon to send me my copy of SG: Continuum!
One thing I will miss from SG1 are the episodes set outside the SGC. I love those locations shots.
Great interview with RCC! Thanks so much!
Shout out to Martin Gero from a fellow Ottawa native!! 🙂
I was just up in Vancouver on a weekend getaway (went to see the fireworks- and wander around in a touristy fashion). We stayed across the street at the Accent Inn (so if you saw a geeky girl peering through the chain-link fence that was me- thanks for not calling security).
I had a question about the Skytrain, which we rode several times to and from downtown. Since it passes right next to the studio and sounds alternately like a spaceship landing and a cheese grater on a chalkboard, I was wondering if the sound interrupts shooting, or causes you to do more ADR? Are the studios sound-proofed enough to keep the sound from getting in, or perhaps the assorted explosions and gunfire drown out the noise?
I just want to thank Robert Cooper for coming on to answer questions. I really expected my comments to be ignored since I was (and still am) so negative about the 9th and 10th seasons of SG-1 and AOT. His response to me was very honest and I appreciate that.
I own seasons 1-8 of SG-1 and 1-4 of Atlantis DVD’s. I don’t buy what I don’t like. I hope Mr. Cooper is right and that I will rush right out and buy Continuum as soon as I see it. Stargate is my 2nd favorite Sci-Fi series of all time (Babylon 5 still ranks number 1), and I hope to see it go on for many years to come.
JoJo
I just wanted to clarify something, I should have done this before. I’m sure I’m perceived as one of the fans who stopped liking the show because RDA left, that’s not accurate. My husband is one of the those people (don’t tell him I said that)
My dislike of seasons 9 & 10 was not because RDA left (season 8 was a bit weak even with him.) Jack, Sam and Daniel have all shared my “favorite character” spot almost from the beginning. My dislike had nothing to do with Ben Browder. I had never seen him in anything before SG-1, he was just a new actor. My dislike isn’t even a dislike of the character of Mitchell, he had good points and bad points.
My dislike of those seasons and AOT revolved around what I felt was a shift from a team show to a show that revolved around one character (Mitchell) with everyone else as supporting roles.
It’s kind of ironic since I love Atlantis which many fans complain in a two person show with supporting characters.
JoJo
Aw, I really hope one of these days you guys change your mind and find a way to work Jonas in. Especially after the whole Ori storyline, it really seems like his fate is up in the air. We know his planet was visited by Priors, but what happened? Did he survive? I certainly hope so. I’d love to see him again. I’d especially love to see some kind of interaction between him and Vala, being that they’re both aliens who joined SG-1 (and not like Teal’c, who was there from the beginning). Plus, I think it would just be funny to see those two interact.
@ Thornyrose The venue would have to be somewhere central to all of us… so how about a cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic? I bet they have function rooms on board which we can hire out. It’d be great!
Thornyrose said:
If invited I’m more than ha-happy to provide a v-venue. I need to s-sort some m-maintenance issues out first.
I d-don’t know if Venus is rising into C-Capricorn on a new moon or s-something, but so f-far in tw-twelve hours my c-c-computer has had a system f-failure (got that w-working again), our c-c-central heating went on the f-fritz, our split s-system has f-frozen and now n-not working and my Bl-Blackberry is pl-playing up.
And it just ha-happens to be mi-minus 2 d-degrees here this mor-morning.
So f-f cold.
Joe, Is the episode your shooting now a Shep gets into trouble and the team gets him out. It seems the team doesn’t often get him out of trouble. He got himself out of travelers and common ground. It seems he is risking himself more this season and “nobody gets left behind” is strong. Don’t take it as a criticism the season is great. I’m liking what you doing with Woolsey he is great, and it nice to see the Teyla/Kaanan relationship and that he is supportive of her and the team. Thanks for your time.
I’ve never had any problem understanding Ronon…
I just got done watching Broken Ties downloaded from Amazon on my new laptop computer.
What an incredible difference that makes in seeing and understanding what is going on!
You must have very high-end video and audio equipment to use when putting together the show, so it probably looks incredible. When it comes to my house, live on SciFi, the quality of the broadcast on my TV set is most likely a million steps down on the scale from what you have been seeing.
And the commercial breaks do no favors in my ability to enjoy. For some reason they were incredibly annoying during Broken Ties.
Watching it just now was a revelation – I could see all the action in the fight scenes, and a myriad of tiny details about the sets and the actor’s expressions.
So BRAVO and I think I will download all the eps and watch them before making any judgements or comments.
Thanks so much RCC & Mr M for giving a great Q&A!
RCC: For me, the last chapter was Moebius. It was a new story after that.
Exactly, me too, so that’s how I treated SG-1 s9 & 10 and I was happy to get a wrap up of that storyline with AoT. I bought all of it on DVD because I felt the Stargate story was incomplete without it and, after all, I continued to watch Stargate because of Daniel, Sam & Teal’c.
Btw, I can’t think of the last time in my house a character was more hated than Vala. But we liked Jonas- and Mitchell? meh.
I was cool to AoT but Continuum is the movie I wanted!!!!! I AM SOOO EXCITED Haven’t peeked, we are waiting for tomorrow nite to see it on 60 glorious inches in HD BluRay!!!!!!!
DD
“Hey, we thought we ended SG-1 several times. For me, the last chapter was Moebius. It was a new story after that. The show just happened to have the same name and some of the same great characters…”
That’s always how I’ve seen S9 & 10, and I think they make a lot more sense that way. They often seemed to me as much a spin off as Atlantis, and I really enjoyed them a lot more for it.
Great Q&A, thanks Rob!!
Rober Cooper just asked me how am I so awesome???!! 😆
*falls on floor in puddle of happiness*
Maybe I am so awesome because I am a Stargate fan. Let’s face it, we are ALL awesome!!!! 😀
Joe is AWESOME because his blog is AWESOME!
And somewhere, David Hewlett’s head is exploding because he hates the word *awesome*.
To that I say: AWESOME!!! 👿
@thornyrose, Rebecca T, and Anne Teldy: I would love to be on a cruise with all you fantastic people! One thing I have learned: Sci-fi people are great. STARGATE people are the greatest of the great!
@narelle: Congrats on winning! I’m sooooo jealous! 😀
Seriously… Robert Cooper is really awesome!
Trish 🙂
Thank you, Mr. Cooper!
Now I wish I had asked some obscure Wraithy question…ya know, one of the ones Joe won’t answer. 😉
Nah, I wouldn’t have done that – I left this one to the AoT & SG1 fans, though I did watch AoT, and enjoyed it very much…even if I didn’t know who the hell anyone was. I liked that fella who got beaten up by the Repli-human..or whatever. Is that Mitchell? Yeah. I liked him. Ever consider slappin’ some green face paint on the guy, ploppin’ a cotton mop on his head and stickin’ ‘im SGA… ? 😉
das
Now that Mr Cooper has also answered with the usual “Sorry, no plans for Jonas in the near future” or something like that, I’m sure there was something to all those rumors a few years back that spoke to bad blood between him and the Stargate family. I admit, I’m more than a little disheartened by this, because I like him as an actor, Corin Nemec, and I loved his character on SG1.
Trust me, as an Italian-American, I understand how long a family dispute can last, but its been enough time Joe. There is a fan base for Jonas, and its about time your family, which includes Corin, put aside any remaining problems and embrace the fact that there are many, many fans that would really appreciate seeing Jonas again.
I hope you allow this comment in, and I would really hope you would address it. Especially as a showrunner of Atlantis and your surprise Cameo of Rainbow Sun Francks in the 2nd episode of the season, now that had me chocking on my popcorn! If you can make amends with Rainbow, you can with Corin as well.
Where are you in watching Doctor Who?
Have you watched any of season four? It’s been brilliant, especially “Midnight”, “Turn Left” and “Stolen Earth”. Wow! We can’t wait to watch the season finale this Friday, “Journey’s End.”
In the past, I have always preferred the scripts by Steven Moffat, but Russell T. Davies has written fabulous episodes to end his run as Executive Producer of Doctor Who. And, talk about a thrilling way to bring back past characters in the finale. Wow.
And, I love how the Donna Noble character went from being a whiney shrew to beloved in just one season. Catherine Tate is amazing.
Hey Joe.
My copy of Continuum came in today. I pre-ordered it a while back and wasn’t expecting it until tomorrow.
Anyway, the movie rocks! It’s like a whole new Stargate.
Great.
@maggiemayday: Burbank is not in my area, actually not even at my continent (waving from Europe), so no, not going there…
As for loving to hate Vala… don’t you think it’s high time to start at least liking her? BTW, I want to punch Daniel sometimes for being such a jerk towards her… 😉
<>
Yup. Many many sock puppets. Fits, because there were so many puppets on Farscape.
suse
Hey Cooper,
I was always a stargate fan since the movie came out and then the tv series. I heard about stargate universe..sweet. Movie continuum rocked like the others have done and I was happy to see Jack back even for a little part. Well, I was wondering, it read on an article that there was a look for fresh faces. How the heck can I sign up for this call for Stargate Universe? Again…I love Stargate.
Regarding Kaven Smith
The Stargate franchise blazes forward into new territory with Stargate Universe, a brand new television series from the creators of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. The SCI FI Channel announced today that it has picked up the new series for 2009.
Casting calls have gone out for the third series’ main characters, and today the short character break-downs arrived at GateWorld.
Colonel Everett Young
40’s handsome, capable, former SG team leader. Like the Jack O’Neill of ten years ago, but Young’s edges have tended to sharpen over time. He requested permission to serve the remainder of his commission on Earth upon marrying his wife, Hailey, two years ago, but for now he’s temporary commander of a secret off world base. The loss of two members of his team several years ago has taught him never to take anything for granted, and be prepared for anything. He stays on top of his team so they stay alive. STAR NAMES ONLY. SERIES REGULAR;
This should be Kaven Smith!! They can always promote Major Lorne to Colonel, he sure deserves it and change the name from Colonel Everett Young to Colonel Lorne.
What do you think?
Yes!!! YES!!! YES!!! I agree that Kaven Smith would be perfect for the part of Colonal Everett Young, just do what you did with Mckay in Atlantis and change the character name to reflect an established character.
Kaven would certainly bring over established fans of SG1 and Atlantis to Stagrgate Universe without a doubt.
So how about it????
We just love stargate here in the land down under (Australia) I reakon Stargate Universe would be just great.
As an established actor to play the maine role may I suggest either Scott Backular or Kaven Smith.
i really think that instead of colonal everett young being in universe they should change it to Major Lorne (Kavan Smith), He has been a reccuring character in SG1 and Atalntis and its about time he got the lead.
Robert, I don’t know if you read these posts but trying to reach you regarding an idea.
I would like to propose an idea that should be right up your alley. “Blade Runner – The Series”
I’ve developed the characters for the year 2044 and have Rachael doing the narration like Harrison Ford did in the original movie.
I need help and would appreciate a correspondence with you and/or Brad on how to proceed.
I’ve contacted the Sci-Fi channel via e-mail at feedback@scifichannel.com, but doubt they will reply. I thought of you when I saw that Atlantis was coming to an end. Sci-Fi needs a big shot in the arm for us viewers and fans.
I could use the exposure as well.
What say you?
Rob, I have written a script based on Stargate Atlantis and would like some help if possible.
I don’t know if you will even read this but if you do, then any help will be accepted.
Hi joe,
I have been watching stargate sg1 since I was 12 years old when it first came out. When I saw it was awesome. There is an ending for sg1. Now with atlantis I find it awesome as well. But with atlantis there is none. I wish there was one. I guess I am sounding like a odd ball. To conclude I was wondering why no real ending for atlantis? If you don’t want to answer about it no big deal. I am sorry to post it on your blog. But I have been curious about this for a long time. Thank you for your time.
Next year is stargate universe end of 3 year cryo sleep, time to bring it back!