The Vancouver Sci Fi Digital Press tour took us to the Stargate, the infamous ring of intergalactic travel as we got to meet the cast and writers for the show.
The second stop for us following "Eureka" was at the Bridge Studios, and the massive sets of Stargate: Atlantis.
After we toured the sets, we had the chance to sit down with David Hewlett (Dr. Rodney McKay), Rachel Luttrell (Teyla Emmagan), and Executive Producers, writers and showrunners Joe Mallozzi and Paul Mullie.
Dr. Rodney McKay (David Hewlett) and Lt. Col. Jon Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) have a scripted and natural chemistry that makes the show a no miss for most sci fi fans.
The dismissal of Weir (Torri Higginson) and replacement with SG-1's Amanda Tapping as the new alpha female has been a contentious point that the cast artfully sidestepped. Mullie plead the fifth, and Mallozzi assured the audience that the new season has rich new characters and interesting surprises ahead. Hmm.
Mallozzi assured us that the fourth season will knock us out after the third season cliffhanger which left the Atlantis adrift and near floundering in space.
Season Four of Stargate: Atlantis is ramping up the drama by introducing a powerful new advanced race, welcoming new cast members and trying not to get bogged down by irate fans who want their old cast members back.
Newest cast member Amanda Tapping, is traversing the Pegasus galaxy to join the Atlantis crew as Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter.
Her resume from SG-1 will come in handy on Atlantis. Tapping is slated to appear in 14 of the season’s 20 episodes.
Also cast member Jewel Staite (Firefly, Serenity) will appear in eight episodes as Dr. Keller, a physician who joins the Atlantis expedition.
Mallozzi loves to chat with fans, and is an avid blogger himself: “I always say watch and see, I know it’s easier said than done and I know that I, more than anyone, am well aware of some of the negative fan reaction to the changes in the show...”
In his blog post from the day of the tour, Mallozzi expressed a sense of gratitude that David Hewlett's wandering dog Mars, a lumbering tri-colored rottie blend rescue wasn't going for his crotch on-camera.
Paul Mullie, not so much a talker, and loathes the Internets: “I, of course, am oblivious.”
Go and listen to all the sci fi dirt: click-HERE
(two-part video clip)
Your Talkback on this Story