We released our official writer's drafts of episodes 1 and 2 today. Paul and I co-wrote #1 (the pilot), but I did the solo honours on #2. After some discussion, we've decided to start writing separately. In truth, we've been writing separately for years now, but this is the first time we won't be sharing…
August 6, 2014: Closing in on that first draft! Beware food! Eat cardboard and live longer! (Wait. Now there’s a new study that says cardboard is bad for you too?)
Well, I'm exhausted. Although I only wrote seven pages today, I also ended up rewriting another twenty. By the time the dust settled on my laptop this evening, I'd hit the 50 page mark. All I have to do now is finish off this conversation, completing Act V, then write the tag which will include…
July 30, 2014: Fade in…humor!
It NEVER gets any easier. Inevitably, the jubilation of convening with your fellow writers and hashing out a terrific story is extinguished by the prospect of having to actually write the damn script. You sit down, type FADE IN and then...What? Oh, you know what the scene is going to be (You just broke it the other…
July 29, 2014: Done and done!
12 stories broken in 17 days. I suspect we could have made even better time and done it in 14 days had one of our writers ("the mediator") not been away that one week. Still, a mighty impressive feat. Now, all that remains to be done is to write the scripts, build the sets, cast…
July 28, 2014: 12 down! 1 to go!
Another day, another story. This episode, like episodes #7, 9, 10, and 11, was envisioned as a tough one that would take a couple of days to break. But, like episodes #7, 9, 10, and 11, we ended up breaking it over the course of a single day. And that leaves us with one final…
July 24, 2014: 10 down! 3 to go!
Today, we finished breaking episode #10 of my new SF series. It's a little rougher than the preceding stories with a few TBD's, but it's great fun and ends with a jaw-dropping sequence that will no doubt have this blog buzzing when it eventually airs. Can't wait until next year? Want a hint as to…
July 23, 2014: My favorite spaceships!
While we're on the subject... SUPER DIMENSIONAL FORCE MACROSS ANDROMEDA ASCENDANT STARBUG SERENITY THE BATTLESTAR GALACTICA SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO VORLON CRUISER MOYA STAR DESTROYER ASGARD SHIPS THE BEBOP ANCIENT AURORA CLASS BATTLESHIP THE ARCADIA THE USS SULACO THE MILLENNIUM FALCON THE DESTINY USS ENTERPRISE NCC-1701 THE NOSTROMO KLINGON BIRD OF PREY ROMULAN WARBIRD
July 22, 2014: On ships and such!
Another day down, another story done. That makes 8 out of our 13 first season episodes broken in less than three weeks. I feared today's episode would prove tricky, but I got in early this morning and hashed out a rough outline. My writing partner, Paul (aka Captain Logic) had surprisingly few problems in the…
July 18, 2014: The Highs and Lows of the Writers’ Room!
The thing I miss most about my days on Stargate is the writers' room: the camaraderie, the laughs, the heated discussions and, every so often, the occasional creative accomplishments. Don't get me wrong. It was hard, sometimes frustrating work but, when all was said and done, they were productive sessions that generated some great television.…
July 17, 2014: Top 10 Surprising Things I’ve Never Seen or Watched!
I say "surprising" because, whenever I mention I haven't seen or watched one of the following, I am always met with equal parts distress, dismay, and disbelief: 10. E.T. 9. FRIENDS 8. STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION 7. THE GOONIES 6. THE BIG BANG THEORY 5. AVATAR 4. THE WEST WING 3. STAR TREK (reboot) 2. STAR WARS EPISODE 1: THE PHANTOM MENAE 1. FERRIS…
July 16, 2014: My Top 10 Stargate Atlantis Memories!
Stargate: Atlantis premiered ten years ago today. I'm celebrating with a look back at my Top 10 favorite SGA memories. In no particular order... #10. RODNEY MAKES THE CUT. BUT JUST BARELY! Production on the new Stargate spinoff was fast-approaching, but we were scrambling to cast one crucial role: the part of the intrepid, dedicated…
July 11, 2014: 4 down! 8 to go!
Our writers' room wrapped up its first week by knocking completing its fourth story in as many days: tease, five acts, and, because you demanded it (and, frankly, I recall how much you wanted them back in the Atlantis days), a tag. I'm very happy with the first five episodes. As one nameless writer (let's…
July 9, 2014: 2 down! 10 to go!
Whew! Despite the pessimism of one nameless writer, we managed to finish breaking our second story in as many days, setting a torrid pace that should see us hit the mid-season(ish) mark by week's end. Could we actually have all 13 of our stories by end of next week?! Not a chance. That opening three-parter…
July 8, 2014: And so it begins! Pitching, spinning, breaking, and snacking on familiar ground!
Well, this takes me back. On Monday, we kicked off the writers' room for my new scifi series. Even though the show will be produced in Toronto, most (if not all) of the pitching, spinning, breaking, outlining, writing, and rewriting will be done here in Vancouver. And I couldn't think of a better place for…
July 4, 2014: Our Star Trek: TOS continues with…Mudd’s Women!
Continuing our Star Trek TOS rewatch! Come on, who's watching along with me and Cookie Monster? Me: Hunh. I remember this being a seminal episode back when I was a kid but, unlike, say, The Enemy Within, it fared much, much worse on rewatch. Silliness aside, I wasn't at all sure what the hell was…