Today, I shifted gears to focus on my super, secret project (Okay, yeah, it’s a short story), spending the greater part of the morning going over what I’ve already written, then most of the afternoon finishing up the hotel room scene. Call me crazy but, so far, I’m liking what I’ve got. Of course, it’s more than likely I AM crazy and the general opinion will range from Blergh! to WTF?!! Hmmm, now that I think about it, WTF?!! will probably be a fairly common reaction whether you enjoy the story or not. In my mind, I have four more scenes to write and I’m done. By the end of February, I hope to have a first draft that I’ll be able to write, rewrite, and re-rewrite for the entire month of March. And then – its fate will rest in the hands of my editor who will, hopefully, respond with a resoundingly positive WTF?!!
Last week, the actors were in gun school. This week, they’ll all be taking part in a relaxed rehearsal. Oh, and if you’re wondering, we’ve finished casting. Interesting news on the ladies coming your way next week – Chloe, Tamara, and Wray.
So I was on the Destiny set Thursday and had to walk up the spiral staircase in order to get some video and snaps of the rotating gate. Holy Crap! We weren’t even that high up and I was clutching the handrail, my knees turned to jelly. All I could think was “There’s no way I could ever compete in The Amazing Race.” Climb down the side of a building? Hell, why not just ask me to French kiss a komodo dragon?
Next to heights, do you know what creeps me out? Snakes. Especially snakes the size of school buses. Imagine coming across one of these suckers in your crawlspace: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D964UPJO0&show_article=1
You know what also creeps me out? That Wife Swap series. I can’t imagine what the hell would possess someone to want to take part in this show. At best, they look incompetent. At worst, well…: http://valleywag.gawker.com/5148821/wife-swap-star-apologizes-for-having-worst-husband-in-world
It’s the American Dream. Despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles others may throw in your path, if you’re determined enough, you can succeed. Don’t listen to those who say you’ll never finish high school. If you study and stick it out, you’ll get that high school diploma. Don’t listen to those who say you won’t get that promotion. Have confidence in yourself and your abilities and, some day, you’ll be running that division. Pay no heed to those who tell you there’s a cap on the amount of silicone you can put in your body. Go to Brazil for the operation and, one day, maybe you’ll hold a World Record of your own: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/04/worlds-biggest-breasts-sh_n_163992.html
I really should get around to cleaning out my garage more often. There’s no telling what you’ll come across: http://www.newsweek.com/id/183833
What’s sad is I know several adults whose brains stagnated at this stage: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16535-why-teenagers-cant-see-your-point-of-view.html
Mailbag:
Lcshepp writes: “Joe, has there been any word on the ratings for ‘Vegas’ and ‘EATG’?”
Answer: Early numbers had Vegas doing a 1.3, Enemy at the Gate a 1.54
Van fan writes: “1. you list American and other ethnic/nationalities of food. why no Canadian? is there such a thing as Canadian food, distinct from America and the UK and France?
2. what’s your take on White Spot?”
Answers: 1. I’d consider any of the restaurants in the Pacific Northwestern Cuisine section Canadian in that they use build their menu using fresh, seasonal, local ingredients.
2. For the first two years I was in Vancouver, I always assumed they were a dry cleaning chain. I really like their triple-o’, their chicken burgers and, surprisingly, consider think their veggie burger is pretty damn good too.
Georgia writes: “I have had an heart dropping, gut wrenching week and your daily blog, insight and humor has made me smile.”
Answer: I hope things pick up for you next week.
DasNdanger writes: “Are you familiar with Brian Michael Bendis’ comic Powers?? “
Answer: Very. Now wouldn’t this make a terrific pick for our very first Book of the Month Club Graphic Novel selection?
Shawna writes: “For example, if you’ve got a character who’s supposed to be 20-25, would you look at actors in their 30’s if they had other qualities you were looking for?”
Answer: Sure. Of course adjustments would need to be made.
Ponytail writes: “ Joe you anwered their questions twice. You don’t answer my questions at all. Whats with that?”
Answer: Depends on your question. If it’s already been answered in a previous mailbag, I’ll skip it. If it’s a question about the broadcast schedule, I defer to the network that actually makes those decisions.
Jim Stiles writes: “Do we have a schedule of directors for Season 1 of Universe yet?”
Answer: It’s coming together. Look for the return of a familiar face.
Thornyrose writes: “Any ideas on what to do with a dog that snores louder than I do?”
Answer: My advice to you is: get used to it.
Rose writes: “By the way, is there any good poutine to be had in Vancouver?”
Answer: Hmmm. Not sure.
Davidd writes: “I was just wondering if, as a writer of the show, are you allowed to browse forums, fanfic, etc?”
Answer: Sorry. We don’t read fanfic.
AMZ writes: “So, when a casting call is first put out what kind of things do you list? Does height, build, age, previous work come into it, or other things?”
Answer: It really depends on the character we are casting. In the case of the Kiryk character (Tracker) for instance, we needed a young, rugged actor. An elderly woman, no matter how terrific an actress, just wouldn’t have cut it. As for agent recommendations – alas, I’m not the guy to ask. We deal with our casting director who, in turn, deals with the agents.
Suziesbluefeather writes: “Hey Joe I just finished looking at the VA Lottery page and it looks like I won $150. That’s almost a whole weeks worth of pay. If Fondy wants half though I can send it to her.”
Answer: No, she’d only blow it all on strawberry ice cream. Thanks for offering.
Kraut writes: “What, there is no decent German restaurant in Vancouver? “
Answer: Nope.
Sessy writes: “So is there any dining place in Vancouver you haven’t visited yet?”
Answer: Oh, yeah. Plenty. You’d be amazed the number of restaurants in the city, with more popping up every week.
Vvv0472 writes: “Do you watch, or have you watched The Flight of The Conchords?”
Answer: At present, Flight of the Conchords is my favorite show on HBO. For the past two days, I’ve had the song Hurt Feelings in my head. Some of my favorite lyrics: “I feel like a prize asshole. No one even mentions by casserole.” and “They were all lined up to watch that movie. Maid in Manhattan.”
Hi Joe,
We are still patiently waiting for an answer on the Vegas wraith nipple question….have you asked Mr.Cooper to confirm/deny it yet? He didn’t answer the question with a yes or a no 🙁
Please let us know when you can confirm that Christopher Heyerdahl will be playing Todd in the SGA movie!
A lot of people are losing sleep over it and would be VERY grateful if you could tell us about it as soon as it’s 100% confirmed 😀
Thanks heaps,
TW
Ooooh… You tease us so! You have pictures and video from the Destiny set, but can’t show us?
It would be sweet if we could have seen the actors’ initial reactions to the sets. From what Wil Wheaton said here, about 8 minutes in, about walking on the set of ST:TNG for the first time, it is quite the experience!
Hooray for finally having some women cast!
Just noticed today you have HP3 in your book list. PoA would make for a great BotM book if only to see if you can get JKR to do a guest blog for us!!! How awesome would that be?
@Thornyrose: Try to fall asleep before your dog does 😉
Joe…
I, too, am afraid of heights. Not sure which is worse – my fear of spiders, or my fear of heights. I have never been able to get higher than the third rung on a ladder, so I totally understand the whole jelly knees thing.
But, not sure if it is truly a fear of heights, or a fear of falling, or a combo of both. When I worked on the A. J. Meerwald – http://www.ajmeerwald.org/ – I had a terrible time getting from the dock to the deck if the gangplank wasn’t out…I’d get vertigo if I looked down to the water, and even if the gap wasn’t big enough for me to fall through, I still thought I could. Same thing happens to me with the gaps between the rocks on a jetty…lol…I’m such a wimp. 😛
But then I can go to the top of a lighthouse, and totally enjoy the view. Go figger. 🙄
But snakes? I love snakes – probably because my sister’s afeared of ’em somethin’ fierce, so I used to put snake skins in her car and stuff. 😈 I just think they feel really neat, and love the way they move. However, I’d steer clear of that ancient 40+ foot sucker…that’s just insane!
RE: Powers. Heh. Haven’t read it…yet. 😳 I was just talking about it today at my lcs (yay! My first big outing since getting sick), and almost picked up the first trade, but decided to wait. Maybe I should have grabbed it, eh? Of course, if you get Bendis here for a Q&A, I’ll probably have to change my username… 😛
das
Pssst, Joe…you forgot to mention Quantum Mechanix’s replica of the F-302 and that they plan to produce other replica ships from the Stargate franchise. Here’s the link to their replica F-302.
http://store.quantummechanix.com/Stargate-SG-1-F-302-Strategic-FighterInterceptor_p_3-48.html
Here’s a copy and paste of Andy’s email in regards to my question about the possibility of future replica ships for sale.
Yes, we are planning a full line of ship replicas from Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe, too. We plan to do different ships in different scales (like maybe a two-foot long Al’kesh that would go nicely with an 8-inch Death Gilder).
Of course, how quickly we do these will depend largely on how quick the F-302s sellout (so tell your friends! :-)) But we are committed to a long line of cool Stargate ships.
Thanks for your business!
– Andy
Of course, I’ve already pre-ordered my F-302. 🙂
An interesting and amusing selection of links. Thanks to Sci-Fi channel’s wonderful choice of Friday night programming, I actually watched some of the Wife Swap episode. All of about 3 minutes of it. The British “gentleman” was so appallingly offensive that I changed channels, lest I be tempted to consider criminal acts. As for the snoring, I’m learning to adapt. The dog’s other “emissions” will take more getting used to, or my adopting nose plugs for self preservation. So, when might we expect to see the publication of the super secret project? And spiral staircases? What sort of bribes would it take to get you to convince Mr. Wright and Mr. Cooper to permit the release of a few set photos? Thanks for some entertaining links, and good luck on completing the project to your own satisfaction.
Aaaannnd…another post of mine went straight to the spam bin… 😛
das
Thankies for the resurrection, sir! (See…yer not as bad as people sa…nevermind. 😉 )
das
I would like to chime in about the replica F-302 from QMX. I purchased one of the 11 that they had brought to the Burbank convention in November and it is an extremely well done item. The detail is amazing and I would love it if they came out with a Daedalus ship(to scale with the F-302). I paid around $129 at the convention(with tax), which is a little pricy for some collectors. I got an email from them, since I am now on their mailing list, and they only produced 2,500 of them total.
Also, Joe, didn’t you say if we asked you that you would give us some of the colored page info on the proposed episode for the sixth season we are not getting(can’t remember the name) where our intrepid heroes use the time traveling jumper.
Hey Joe.
Not a big fan of Wife Swap either…..but Trading Spouces, that’s kinda funny!
Um, not sure if you’ve answered this already but where is the Destiny set located? (Stage 1, 2, etc.)
Thanks……and sure you don’t want anything from Florida?
I love White Spot.
My fave dish is their Legendary Burger, Yummy!!!
More casting news, SWEET can’t wait to hear!!!
This must have been a late posting. I checked at 2am and your blog was still the 6 Feb. Sad I know, me checking at 2am but it was almost 100 degrees yesterday (38C) and the night was not that much cooler. In fact, here I am at 7am next day typing this because it is still so freaking hot and sleep is difficult.
How the hell my friends in Ozzie Land handle 45 Degrees I never, ever wanna know! One thing we have in common though are the wildfires sweeping the surrounding area. According to the newspaper we had 90 fires in one day (on Friday). At least the sunsets are spectacular. 🙁
“Look for the return of a familiar face.”
Could it be… Peter DeLuise????
I happen to be quite fond of snakes myself. But just the small ones, and the ones that don’t bite
So will we get to see or read your short story sometime in the near future? Or is it something you can implement into an SGU eppisode?
Now wouldn’t this make a terrific pick for our very first Book of the Month Club Graphic Novel selection?
Naw, the original Wolverine Weapon X would be the best first pick!
@ Das and Joe: Don’t feel bad about the hieghts thing I’m Sociophobic. You should see me when I go to town. I only go about twice a month. Other than that it’s work and home.
ooh rotating gate as in the whole thing rotates like a big wheel of fortune and hope the glyph doesn’t land on bankrupt?
That 50 foot snake ain’t got nothing on J-Lo and Ice Cube.
The only good poutine in Vancouver is Harvies or A&W. But the best I ever had was in Pointe-Claire at Lafleurs.
I’ve been wondering if you have always had a longing to write a short story? How many words or pages does a short story usually run? What do you find more or less difficult in writing it as opposed to a script? Are you on a deadline? I’m excited about this because I’ll have time to read it. The books, not so much.
About snakes, they’re cool. I’ve had rattle, gopher and racer snakes slither across the road I lead my walk on. They’re usually out catching a snack or soaking up some rays, and it’s great when I can talk about the need for them in the environment. They are amazingly beautiful creatures.
Tomorrow, weather permitting, I’m off to see other amazing creatures… thar’ be whales , I hope, and dolphins. If I don’t sink the boat, do a Linda Blair like heave ho, or get jostled overboard by a pack of 5th graders, it should be fun!
And when it comes to the fulfilling a dream, not a bust size, a friend emailed me today that the movie she wrote and was trying to produce, and was told would never get made, is officially in the can. And she’s in her sixties! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1232201/
@AnneTeldy – Thinking about you, hope you’re ok. Let us know!
🙁 So Wray beat Riley in the naming game? I bet she fought dirty.
Cockroaches, Joe. That’s my fear. Cockroaches & drowning. They’re both odd fears, really. Cockroaches: I grew up in Brisbane, where cockroaches were plentiful, including the large, flying variety. Now I live in Melbourne, where they are not so abundant (I’ve seen two in my 18 months in this house) but the other day a big one snuck in – my heart was racing and my hands were shaking as I tried to catch it in a container to throw it outside. I mean, I never liked ’em when I was growing up, but I was never scared of ’em. And as for drowning … Joe, if you could see me, you’d laugh at my fear. I can float on my back, hands behind my head, legs crossed at the ankles. There’s no way I can sink – I have two inbuilt flotation devices growing out the front of my chest! However, apparently my dad drove us over a flooded bridge when I was three – the water came up to the windows. Ever since, I’ve been white-knuckle whenever we drive over bridges where the water is visible from the windows. I’m always convinced we’re going to drive off into the water and drown.
Hey Joe, can we get a hint on any of the women cast members? Will any of them be familiar to someone like myself who watches almost every show on tv?
Hey Joe,
Thanks for posting your restaurant picks. I’ll be out of town for the next week, but I’ll let you know when I get the chance to check some of them out.
Heights aren’t that bad so long as you can see your house. I have a great fear of going and getting exploded. I’m still trepidous around the gas range.
Isn’t it funny how you think you have the perfect notepad for dialogue snippets and moment ideas, then you find one that’s even better? And nobody seems to care of my fortutious…fortune.
I guess the brain function article helps to explain why teenagers are so dirty and stinkin’. Although I think rebelling against authority is fine if it’s for a cause (sans had been done to death), they should focus heavy on teens’ inhumanity towards teens.
What creeps me out – the overwhelming need that far too many people have to get their “15 minutes” and/or 30-second sound-bites! Hence, the pollution of the airwaves with “?Reality?”; “?Entertainment?” [I really don’t find the 24/7 review of the lives of the Glitterazzi to be all that fascinating!]; *ANY* of the various “Idol” and “Survivor” melodramas; and of course the movies based on the *?real?* facts about the “Front-Page-Braintrust-of-the-Week”!
I’m almost convinced that it’s this type of mindset that has recently given us Ms. 14-Kids-Under-the-Age-of-8 Because-I-*Love*-Kids-Soooo-Much! You know, “some” people usually just keep that many cats… Or maybe, gerbils… [I’m rather fond of dustbunnies myself – low maintenance, quiet, have an R-Factor… It’s get chilly in my basement]
Definitely my nomination for the ??WTF?? Poster Child Contest. Or the next cover of PSYCHOLOGY TODAY!
…oh, wait… maybe not, as no “actual” WTFing was technically involved, just a questionable loan at her favorite IVF Sperm Bank branch…
Hmm… do you think she ever watched that Wraith queen cloning episode…?
Look on the bright side. If she’s ever in a plane that crashes into the river, the woman has her own floatation device. Other passengers could hang on to her and float to safety!
Hi Joe,
I am still amazed at how you manage to “BLOG” everyday! Sometimes I think there aren’t enough hours in the day!
I have been working my bum off! So I can afford some nice things! I’m also turning the big 4-0 this friday! Not doing anything special to mark the occassion just going to lunch with family & close friends! I am having a “Stargate” birthday cake though!
I cant wait to hear what your super secret project is!
Heights dont scare me neither do snakes. The one thing that does is spiders. The scare the crap out of me!
Glad things are going good for you with SGU!
Take care & happiness always!
Cathie
“Look for the return of a familiar face”
Please tell me it’s Peter DeLuise! Please!
Hi Joe,
best Choncords song ever (except for all the others):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtCKqZEv6FY
I have had the song and video (including backup dancers) stuck in my head for days.
Distracting, but I’m still not sick of it.
Congrats on the super secret short story progress.
Also, since there is another Rachel who posts here more often than me, I have added the 2
Hey Joe was just wondering. In the past you have shown pics of various Stargate related merchandise you get at the office such as tie in books, dvds, ect.
Will you be doing any review or even getting one of the F302 fighters that are coming out from Quantum Mechanix. I am guessing you guys had to have some input on them since it says it was made from the productions CGI files of an F-302.
http://store.quantummechanix.com/Stargate-SG-1-F-302-Strategic-FighterInterceptor_p_3-48.html
hey there Joe,
I’ve been watching the news to keep up with all the bushfire info. We have family down that way. An aunt and uncle live next to Marysville & Kinglake, they evacuated yesterday but things seem ok for them now, for the moment. Another aunt and uncle aren’t in as much danger but they can see the orange glow of Ferntree Gully. My bother is still trying to contact one of his friends from down Bendigo way.
How anybody could possibly go around lighting fires during the worst possible conditions is beyond me. Or be so thoughtless as to chuck cigarette butts out of car windows, i see this all the time.
To all blog readers from Victoria and New South Wales, i hope yourselves and your families are safe and well.
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/744864/worst-day-in-history-vic-fires-kill-14
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/slideshow_ajax.aspx?sectionid=9016§ionname=slideshowajax&subsectionid=150966&subsectionname=bigfires
Thanks for answering. It’s always interesting to learn more about the subtleties of casting.
That boob job story is just… just wow. I don’t even know. I can’t fathom how someone would want to walk around with two bowling balls attached to their chest.
Oh, are you serious about adding a Graphic Novel category to the BOTM club?! Please say you are, because I would really love the chance (ok, motivation) to finally look at more graphic novels.
And thanks, Joe, for answering my acting questions. I really appreciate having the opportunity to pick your brain about it.
Amz
coucou Joseph!
Vous allez bien? Snif hier au rugby la france c’est fait battre pas l’Irlande 22-30…aprés une bataille acharnée, mais c’était un beau match =)!
Il y’a une cuisine allemande ? humm je ne connais pas alors. J’aurai dit la Choucroute, mais je pense que c”est plutot Alsacien….Rohh VIVE LA CHOUCROUTE Miame!
Moué, c’est bizzard mais moi j’aime pas trop les french kiss lol…mrd en plus avec un dragon de comodo O_O vous imaginer un peut..c’est un coup à s’étrangler avec sa langue
Merci pour ces questions/ réponses.
Gros bisou, je vous adore!
Joe,
I dont know if anyone has asked but have you watched Sanctuary??? whats your take on the show? if asked would you write for the show?
Hey Joe
I’m not that new to your blog anymore, (i’ve been reading for a few months) but I’ve never commented before so, ‘Hello!’
You can count me in with those who are taking part in the BotM. I’m reading ‘the Book of Joby’ right now and I’m looking forward to reading what Mike Ferrari has to say about it.
a side note: the snake is my favourite reptile. They make good pets too, in my opinion. Of course, I guess it depends on what you look for in a pet.
Hello Joe!
1. Will you film fourth SG-1 and second Atlantis movie in 2010 for releasin them in 2011? Or will you wait the income datas from the second wave of DVD films?
2. How many new races will appear in the first season of SG:U? Do the writers or the effect team find out how they will look like?
3. How many named character does the Universe have? Did you plan every minor crew member on Destiny for the first season or will there be changes? Do the actors know their character will be killed off later?
4. Will season 1 have other cross-over next to Air? Can we expect Atlantis or SG-1 characters in the second half?
Thanks for the answers.
Platschu
Alas, school has kept me off of the computer for the most part of the past few days, but I’ve kept up with this blog!
I guess my biggest fear at the moment is vomiting. It’s strange, I suppose. Obviously no ones LIKES it, but I’ve said more than once out loud that I’d rather die than vomit. This is bad for someone with a stomach problem AND a dizziness problem. Very bad.
Actually, I’d say at this point I’m a general germaphobe. I just get so very nervous when there’s even a tiny bit of chance that I might feel badly (physically) in the near future; and, of course, I always think of the worst-case scenerio when I feel a little discomfort anywhere.
Stomach not feeling well? Must be Hepatitus B. This one came from elementary school where some dude did a presentation on the disease, and the one thing that stuck in my mind was that you basically vomit after every meal for 2 months straight. My personal hell.
I don’t much like anything sharp either. They always make me feel so fragile and easy-to-perforate and bleed.
As for heights, I’m not a fan. I can generally accept heights, as long as I have a railing of some sort. Still, there are times when the fear takes over. Me and my family went to Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park in 2007, which was basically perched on the edge of one of those granite monoliths, 3000 feet above the valley floor. This was my view, and this was me being nervous. Note the lack of a smile and the strangle hold I have on the railings. My legs got pretty jellied that day. And then last year, we went to Yellowstone and I was faced with the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, which is yet another big drop, into the Yellowstone River. Jelly legs abound.
Anyways, my guess for the familiar director: Peter DeLuise. Hooray! I knew he couldn’t stay away for long! 😀
Ohhhhh… It is Martin Wood or Pete Deluise? Please say it is one of them or both… I miss their humorous descriptions on the DVD commentaries. They are two if my favorite directors.
Do tell… who is returning as a director on SGU?
I have to say I go with what Ganymede said, people are far too quick to want their 15 minutes without thinking of the consequences to themselves or their families (Jade Goody from UKs BB is just one glaring example)Although I would probably watch a program entitled Celebrity:- The Aftermath just to see how it all implodes. I’m more than happy with my obscurity thank you very much
Great links BTW Joe, I just burned the dinner I was so engrossed!
I don’t like writing short stories, but they make great reads when written properly. I like writing long stories, but the fact that I’ve never finished one defies me. I’ve only ever finished writing short stories. Maybe I should just stick to them… but then, how short is a short story?
I don’t like heights. Yet I like to challenge myself with heights to see how I’ll handle them. I hope to get over being afraid of heights one day, you see, I sleep on the top bunk of a bunk bed that is almost 2m off the ground.
Question for Joe: I saw ‘the Eyre Affair’ by Jasper Fforde in Baron Destructo’s book montage. I still haven’t met a single other live person that is not one of my siblings that has read it… so seeing it on your list, I’m curious. What did you think of the book?
I read the second book of the series first, got confused, read the first book, went ‘oh’ and was satisfied up to ‘something rotten’… haven’t been able to find a single one of the series since. wonder why. He’s got an interesting style, does Jasper Fforde.
Hi, Joe.
You as one of the SG writers must have some insight what the next SG-1 movie is going to be about, right?
Could you tell us will we some familiar faces from the past – old friends, foes, etc? Will we find out why Jack didn’t retire for Sam in the end of S8?
Or just give us something more general. Like we knew The Ark of Truth was about finishing the Ori storyline and Continuum a time-travel story. Please.
The fans are dying to know.
Devastating day for us aussies. There’s been terrible bushfires with dozens of lives and over 700 homes lost already. It was all so sudden.
i will never understand people’s fascination with such disgusting creatures such as snakes. i cant even look at one.
and about that dream thing, i think one must know when to let go of it or else he would live his whole life in despair. maybe if someone knows their limits he can just focus on that, if that makes any sense.
as for SGU, im worried to be honest seems way too risky, even good shows nowadays get canceled pretty quickly so what are the chances that SGU will be a hit? so lets list what SGU has going for it:
1. its stargate hopefuly not in name only (YAY!)
2. it got robert carlyle (WOW!)
3. it got the same writers that made SG-1 and atlantis (BOOOO!!! just kidding )
4. john scalzi is creative consultant (good but this is still stargate)
5. its the only space sci fi show out there, so no competition ($$$?)
6. attract mainstream audience (the same people that watch Wife Swap)
7. theme inspired by LOST and style inspired by BSG (could be a good thing)
and the downsides:
1. its not an action-adventure, not about exploration (so much for being in space)
2. introspective story/character-driven (what would Jesus do?)
3. no humor (a Gould and a Wraith walk into a bar…)
4. nihilistic (who turned the lights out?)
5. premieres in the fall (too much competition)
6. no main enemy
7. might lose original stargate fans. (comes with the territory)
8. abandons previous mythology (Seinfeld would say “thats a shame”)
9. high expectations from sci fi channel (atlantis’s ratings aint gonna cut it)
10. people still synonymous the name stargate with action-adventure family show.
11. theme inspired by LOST and style inspired by BSG (how about something inspired by SG-1 and Atlantis)
— as you can see i worry alot especially since stargate was the only thing i watched on TV. but i have faith in you guys.
Ahh you’re not missing much without the German food really. I mean 9 out of 10 German restaurants just serve you giant schnitzels with huge potato fries and different kinds of sauces and vegetables, calling that different dishes. Schwarzwalder torte is good though.
The heights thing, so is skydiving out of the picture? Let us know when u are done with your writing, looking forward to reading. — I went kayaking yesterday,(FL) saw oh so many manatees,! it was wonderful and our temps which have been in the 20’s at night a few times warmed up to make it a great trip. I know spring will be here soon. I do agree with you on the snakes, the garden variety are ok though, I leave them alone and they do their job, keeping the bad snakes away, or so it seems to work. There is NOT so much quality entertainment on tv anymore, and not sure it is getting any better,(until SGU is on,,lol!) I think my question in the last mailbag fell in the spam crack, I just asked what was different about Japanese mayo from another mayo? thanks 😀
I don’t do “reality” shows. Or infomercials. I get all I need to know from SciFi & TCM.
But, snakes are cool. Just not big ones.
Would a good German restaurant do well in Vancouver?
Joe, I didn’t want to jinx any of the female actors that I believe would be great picks for SGU, based on what we’ve learned about the show in general, so I’ve held back on any suggestions on who to look at for parts. Now that your people have made their choices I’ll go ahead and tell you who I thought should be a part of team… You probably didn’t cast her, so my question is a bit preemptive, but still…
Jolene Blalock
Why? Well, she did a good job on the ‘better than the critics thought’ Star Trek Enterprise, and she was always a delight in SG1 as Ishta. Jolene took her role in Enterprise very seriously, and had tremendous respect for the show and her character’s development, so I believe she would have made a great choice and shown great loyalty to SGU.
Was she considered? Did she audition? If she never even entered the thoughts of any of the powers that be at SGU, what about right now? Do you think she would have made a good choice?
Joe, I have to agree with the bloggers here, you always make me smile. You are too funny. Thank you.
At the MGM SGA website, http://stargate.mgm.com/ there was a link to download the SGA’s theme song ringtone and McKayisms for a small fee of 2.99, which I am willing to pay.
I was just wondering… has anyone done this? Am I going to get incessant texts or phone calls from wherever I am downloading? Is my account going to be compromised? That’s always a possibility with the securest of sites …( I’m guessing if I have to pay, it’s pretty legit….but these days… I just never know.Those free ringtones from questionable sites scare me.).
And it’s asking for a country code. What the heck is the country code for USA??? Any feedback, I would appreciate.
Thanks, Y’all.
Hi Joe
Loved the list of resturants in Vancover, Have you ever been in the windy city Chicago, there are a few good ones here. Maybe i will put together a list for you in case you visit.
Perhaps Mr Carlyle can give you some tips on the Haggis.
1.Is the shooting schedule as long as Stargate Atlantis ?
2. Was the choice of Mr Carlyle because of the fantastic in the UK .
thanks
Hey,
Firstly, thank you for your information over the years, and all the great episodes of Stargate Atlantis you’ve written! I’m a first time commenter, but long time reader 🙂
Just wondering- you’ve listed some favourite SG-1 episodes recently, but what are your favourite SGA episodes? Either all time favourites, or favourites that you’ve written.
Secondly, did Teyla leave Torren with Kan’aan in Pegasus? Or are they with her in the city on Earth? (at the end of Enemy at the Gate).
Finally: if you could pick one ‘best line’ (or short exchange) from SGA over the years… What would it be?
Thanks! 🙂
Hey Joe,
That is so funny, I’ve had that song in my head for the past week. Who is your favorite character in The Flight of the Choncords? Great show!
If you like that false beliefs study you’ll probably like this:
http://watch.ctv.ca/news/w-five/w-five-presents-the-musical-brain/#clip135228
I’m majoring in psychology at McGill and the show is about one of my professors (Dr. Levitin) who scaned Stings brain and found some very interesting results pertaining to music…enjoy.
-Van
So is the super secret project the Atlantis movie?
Joe:
Did you get the lavender? If not, I’ll chase after Canada Post and give them a hard time.
Patricia (AG)
Hay Joe
I have to agree with you on the wife swap thing but I watch it to feel good that we are not as mad as they are.
I would love to do the amazing race but it not open to people outside the US and Canada booo.
Snakes thank god St Patrick got rid of them for us over here whitch was a good thing.
Is your secret project stargate related ?
Will you be posting any photos of the SGU gate soon ?
I’v a bet on for the design haha, I recon it’ll be like the sga gate .
So that’s why you rejected Meryl Streep! I knew there was a reason.
Btw, why don’t you answer all our questions? 😉
I just noticed (both on here and on Goodreads) that you’re reading Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler. I just finished Fledgling by her and it was great except for the fact that the ending felt a little rushed. I still have told people in the last few weeks that if they like vampires mixed with a little sci fi and a murder mystery it’s a great story. I love her style of writing. It only took about 50 pages to get into. Have you read anything else by her or is this the first? I’ve been thinking about getting more books by her.
Will Destiny have foreign characters? Bródy could be Hungarian, because it is a famous family name here. 🙂
@ Lisa S. – I would love the graphic novel selection to be Weapon X by Barry Windsor-Smith! First, I have it, and second, I’ve read it. 😀 Half the battle won, eh?
@ suziesbluefeather – I have social anxiety, ever since I was a kid. Up to the age of about 18-19, I rarely talked, and hid behind my hair. Then, overnight, I did a total about face…now when I’m out around people, I start talking and I can’t shut up. 😛 I am more comfortable around strangers than around friends, so I like to do a lot of things by myself – shopping, eating, etc. – and I’ll just chit chat with whoever I come across. Meet a lot of cool people that way…and a few weirdos.
@ Narelle – Give us a shout, and let us know you’re okay! (That goes for anyone else that may be affected.)
@ Sessy – BEST German food is rouladen – hands down. Love that stuff…mmmmmm!
@ pg15 – Ugh – I hate puking, too. Last time was back in 2002, from a migraine. I also hate getting sick, and so you can imagine how this bout of pneumonia has affected me. Today was a bad day – just feel kinda weak – and yet I cleaned the entire house and disinfected everything I could think of…which will probably give me a relapse. lol. But I hate germs – human germs – like snotty, pukey, poopy stuff. I’m not a compulsive hand-washer, or anything, but I take as many precautions against getting sick as possible…only, they don’t always work. Obviously. 😛
And that picture is BEAUTIFUL! See, I can stand there and not freak out as long as there is a railing or barrier of some sort. It’s when there is nothing between me and the drop that I lose it… 😛 And you don’t look nervous at all…well, except for the locked elbow and white knuckles… 😉
das
Karen the country code for the USA is 001.
Figures, you lot like being #1 🙂
The Stargate ringtone? Nah, I would never hear it. Mine is the Cantina song from Star Wars episode IV.
Neko
Give me snakes, heights, bugs, spiders, but fire… that scares the crap out of me. Water, I can try to swim, but fire, all you can do is run.
We stood on the back of our decking all Saturday, watching the smoke come over, decided as long we got out with the dogs we’d be happy.
The winds brought down trees and branches which provided great kindling.
The signs were there a few months ago this was coming.
So many have died. Yesterday was spent waiting. As a new text message came in each time you’d wonder what the news would be. We are one of the few that only received messages like “We got out. Everything is gone. But we got out”. Others we know still haven’t heard anything.
Yesterday, the town seemed stunned, bruised and broken. The people were walking around in a daze and everyone was moving at a much slower pace. Our suburb should have gone up, but it didn’t. Thanks Universe.
Nature threw all it had at us; 48 Celsius (118F), scorching Northerly winds, lightning strikes, but to the person/s that lit some of those fires intentionally, there is no punishment the law can hand down that will be fitting.
Joe! Flight of the Conchords is coming to Nashville!
Why am I using exclamations points at the end of all my sentences?!
Because my roommate and I are going to the concert! How exciting is that?! Very! Thank you for asking!
Check!!!
hmm, take two!
Rose writes: “By the way, is there any good poutine to be had in Vancouver?”
Answer: Hmmm. Not sure.
i’m surprised you haven’t been to fritz’s fries on davie at granville street. they have the best poutine i’ve ever eaten, my arteries sealed over in joy, in addition to a marvelous selection of dips for your regular fries. fresh n’ tasty, mmm mmm mmm!
@ Karen The country code for the USA is 1. I don’t know what the international dialing access code is from wherever you’re calling from though, so you might want to check out Country Calling Codes.com to see what you’d need to dial.
@ DeeinSouthAfrica *goes into best McKay explaining to someone mode* Actually, the country code 1 is used for any country within the North American Numbering Plan Area, which includes Canada and a good number of Caribbean nations. It isn’t just ‘us lot’.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Australia and especially to all of our Australian friends on this blog as they deal with devastating wildfires. I pray for your protection and an end to this horrible situation. Stay safe and get out of harms way quickly if necessary.
@ Narelle – {{{hugs}}} Damn…That’s too close! This is just tragic – so many lives lost! 🙁 I agree…fires are scary as hell. My sister faced something similar last year in Florida – fires all around, but fortunately they were spared. Still, it was nothing compared to what you are facing in Australia right now…it’s just overwhelming to see the news, and see how much has been destroyed. My thoughts and prayers are with you…please, take care.
Deirdre
Joe, I’m right there with you in regards to Wife Swap. Some people will do anything to get on TV, but Bill Gates’ fortune would not be enough to entice me onto that series!
Eeeep! Okay, I generally like snakes and think they’re kinda cool, but that Titanoboa is another matter entirely. Criminetly, that thing would be scarier than a Great White shark (which, next to hypodermic needles, is my big fear)!
Thank you Sulien, LOL – I can hear the “McKay” in your text, and DeeinSouthAfrica for the info. I may just purchase more than one ringtone. Right now my phone plays BSG (classic) theme song. Scares me every time. I’m not so worried about the 2.99 as I am about what I get along with it. It may be more than I bargain for.
Hi Joe
Can you please make a dedication to the 108+ dead in the Victorian (Australia) Bushfires this last past weekend. They are calling it the worse natural disaster in our country’s history. Devastating to watch the news reports coming out of the area. There is not much I can do to assist, but every thought helps.
Hey Joe
Stupid question but is it still ok to send stuff to Bridge Studios? James Bamford used me in a stunt demo at a con recently (Pegasus 4 in London) and I just wanted to send him somethin to say thanks!!
Hows the weather up (or over) there???
We (Ireland and Uk) are having so much ‘fun’ in the snow!
Tina
Ooooh! “Finished casting the women”? I MUST KNOW! 😛 Heeheehee.
-David
Narelle from Aus
I hope you and your family are still safe. My thoughts are with you.
If only we could get some rain! I mean we have flooding at one end and a massive heat wave at the other 0.o WTF!?
Me again !
Meant to say…The Super Secret Project….You’ve finished the brow beating hotel room scene..that’s great! This short story wouldn’t be in preparation for FF3, edited by our good friend Lou Anders?? Just a guess!
Also, any news/thoughts/notes from Mr Scalzi re: SGU? ..again just curious!
And finally, with the dismantling of the gateroom / SGC, will any of that stuff find its way to Stargate Legacy Auction or will it be held til the next SG1 movie is over?
Oh,oh….just one more thing (as Columbo might say)… was having a Sheppard / musical taste talk on Saturday night.. a fellow SGA fan wondered whether Shep was also an Elvis fan? Given that he is a Man in Black fan, I’d say yes! Said fan also nominated a song for the upcoming SGA movie (obviously without script in hand!) it’s “Guitar Man” by Elvis. Strikes me as a Shep song!
Best to all
Shirt’n’Tie
Given that I have every episode of every television program of every country in my head (oh if I could only get that 70’s drama about the airline flight attendants out of my mind), it occurred to me that the premise of SG:Universe is somewhat similar to Space:1999.
So to what degree has Space:1999 influenced SG:U? Might there be a subtle reference or two to Space:1999 as in-jokes.
Based on comments about SG:U, it sounds as if the characters won’t be doing planetary exploration as the run the risk of Destiny being out of range if something goes south on the planet – quite similar to inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha checking out planets as possible homes and evacuating the Moon prior to it leaving which ever system its in.
John Koenig: We’ve had a lot of success so far. We know what dangers to expect out there from black suns, neutron storms, radiation and the like, but if we think we know everything that goes on out there, we’re making a terrible mistake! A giant leap for mankind. It’s beginning to look like a stumble in the dark.