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'Stargate Atlantis' Season Five Premiere: A Summer Space Romp

Heading into its fifth season, launching July 11@10p., SCI FI Channel's Stargate Atlantis is enjoying something of a resurgence. The series concluded the previous year on a ratings upswing, and at some point during the upcoming season, the series will hit the landmark 100th episode.

The season five premiere, penned by executive producer Martin Gero, lets viewers bask in a happy place - at least for now. A little warmth? A happy resolution? What a unique concept. (Battlestar's Ron Moore: are you listening?)

Click here for more of the review

SCI FI Channel Summer '08 Line-Up: The Return of Fan Favorites

SCI FI Channel announced their summer line-up this morning.

Eureka and Stargate Atlantis will form the backbone of the network's summer evening scripted originals beginning July 29 and July 11, respectively.

Season three of Eureka, about a community of geniuses assembled by the government to conduct top-secret research, premieres Tuesday, July 29 @ 9p.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE!

SCI FI Announces Major Cast Changes for Stargate Atlantis Season 5

As Stargate Atlantis begins production on its fifth season later this month, SCI FI Channel just announced major cast changes.

Amanda Tapping leaves the show to star in her own production, the on-line series Sanctuary recently picked-up for broadcast by SCI FI.

SCI FI hints that big changes are ahead as season four (airing now, Friday's at 10p) unwinds. "Some cherished friends are lost, others are found," said the net in their press release this morning, "new alliances are forged while new races are introduced."

Jump here to read the full story.

Stargate Atlantis Season 4: Amanda Tapping in Command

Amanda Tapping, Stargate SG-1’s Colonel Samantha Carter, moves into position as commander of the Stargate Atlantis base this season. Tapping’s fans will tag along, hopefully, enriching SCI FI Channel's Atlantis with viewers from the now cancelled SG-1 who never quite transitioned to the sister series.

The fourth season of Atlantis premieres tonight on SCI FI at 10p E/9p C.

Last July, I caught up with Tapping at the SCI FI Channel Comic-Con bash. We stood near the crowded, rooftop bar of the Hotel Solamar and chatted about her new position on the cast of Atlantis and her on-line virtual experiment - a sci-fi drama called Sanctuary.

Long-time Stargate producer/director and Sanctuary co-creator Martin Wood was nearby, so he joined in the conversation for a minute or two.

CLICK HERE FOR THE INTERVIEW

Joe Mallozzi, Showrunner, on Stargate Atlantis Season Four

Stargate Atlantis season four launches tomorrow night at 10 (9/C) on SCI FI Channel. This year, Colonel Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) takes command of the base and Jewel Staite (Firefly, Serenity) dons scrubs as the new doctor. Behind the scenes, executive producers Joe Mallozzi and Paul Mullie take over the showrunning duties for the first time.

Last July, at Comic-Con, I sat down with Joe Mallozzi to discuss the new season and the trajectory of season four.

CLICK HERE FOR THE TRANSCRIPT of our chat.

Stargate Atlantis/Season 4: Focus on Character

With the flurry of broadcast net launches this week, and the cable summer season winding down, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that cable still has some aces up the sleeve.

Season two of Showtime’s Dexter and Brotherhood takes off next Sunday night. And season four of SCI FI Channel’s Stargate Atlantis, sister series to Stargate SG-1, premieres this Friday at 10p.

This week we turn our attention to Stargate Atlantis. Later in the week I’ll post full transcripts of interviews with showrunner Joe Mallozzi (duties he shares with long-time writing partner Paul Mullie) and Amanda Tapping, Stargate SG-1’s Colonel Samantha Carter, who moves into position on the Atlantis team for the first time.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REVIEW OF THE ATLANTIS SEASON FOUR PREMIERE ON MY MULTICHANNEL BLOG

SCI FI Makes It Official: Paul McGillion Returns to Stargate Atlantis

In a press release distributed this morning, SCI FI Channel made it official: Paul McGillion, the actor who captured fan hearts as the compassionate Scot on Stargate Atlantis, will reprise his role for a fourth season, two episode arc. McGillion's character, Dr. Carson Beckett, was abruptly offed in an explosion during a third season episode titled "Sunday."

The series’ fourth season launches Friday, September 28 at 10pm ET/PT.

This isn't the first tiime that Stargate producers have nixed a favorite doc., however. Fans are still stinging from the death of another well-liked Stargate physician, SG-1's Dr. Janet Frasier (Teryl Rothery). Beckett's demise touched off an on-going and well-organized protest headquartered at savecarsonbeckett.com

But this is Stargate and anything's possible.

Anyone with an Internet connection has known for months that McGillion was set to appear in at least two fourth season episodes. But fans want more. They've been lobbying SCI FI and the producers to have McGillion permanently reinstated for season five.

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY

Comic-Con Overview: Torchwood, Spike, MGM's Charlie Cohen, Stargate, More

Comic-Con overview written for this week's Multichannel book. Contains some information (Stargate in particular) not included in my blog.

CLICK HERE TO READ IT ON THE WEB

ComicCon: Stargate Panels

MGM and SCI FI Channel kicked off their ComicCon presentations this afternoon. MGM was promoting their straight to DVD Stargate SG-1 movie Continuum. SCI FI was there to support the SG-1 spin-off, Stargate Atlantis, soon to enter its fourth season on the network.

The back-to-back panels were held in one of the largest convention center rooms available - at least 5,000 seats. The hall was filled to capacity for Stargate SG-1 but there were a few empty seats in the back during the Atlantis panel (but not many).

[Sunday, July 29. Correction: I double-checked w/ the ComicCon folks today. The official capacity of Ballroom 20, where the Stargate panels were held, is 4,500.]

That said, ComicCon itself doesn't feel quite as manic as last year. Crowd control is better. I was told that a decision was made to sell fewer tickets, although this is unconfirmed. (ComicCon 2006 was chaotic.)

Some of this afternoon's Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis panels might have been rehearsed or even choreographed. (It's hard to say just how much.) But who fraking cares. Everyone had a rockin' good time anyway.

How can you not with Pied Pipers Chris Judge (Teal'C) and Gary Jones, SG-1's loveable, ever-present GateGuy, Walter Harriman.

UPDATE: my Multichannel blog is up and running again, so everything - the audio files etc. and the rest of this post - have been migrated. Click here to go directly to my Multichannel post about the Stargate panel. Apologies for the hassle. Technology is hell sometimes.

P.S. Comments are now closed here. But thanks for all the nice feedback. Much appreciated!