By Maureen Ryan
Tribune staff reporter
Published July 8, 2005, 9:28 PM CDT
Looking for the "Stargate SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis" interviews? They're
here.
If you're a fan of "The Amazing Race," you're in luck. The cable network GSN
will begin broadcasting all eight seasons of the show, in order, on a nightly
basis starting at 8 p.m. Monday.
"There are tons of people who came to this show in later seasons, and they've
never seen these [early] episodes, because unlike dramas, reality shows don't
usually repeat and don't hit syndication as quickly," said Linda Holmes, an
attorney from Bloomington, Minn., who, under the moniker Miss Alli, has
recapped every season of "TAR" for the Web site TelevisionWithoutPity.com. "For
people who missed those seasons, it's like an entire new season of the show is
airing in the middle of the summer. It's a huge thing for fans of the show who
came in late."
More from my e-mail dialogue with Linda Holmes, Television Without Pity's
"Miss Alli":
Q. Do you think the first few seasons of "The Amazing Race" were different
from the most recent couple of seasons? If so, how so?
A. Yeah, I do. I think the show was more of a standout early on in the sense
that it really did cast relatively normal, functional people, and didn't fill
the cast with ugly arguing. Unfortunately, that has changed somewhat in later
seasons. Season 7 wasn't nearly as bad as Seasons 5 and 6 for ugliness, but
there's much more warmth, I think, in the first two or three seasons. The clues
have also gotten easier in later seasons, in that they don't have `clues'
these days as much as pieces of paper that say `Go here.'-"
Q. Do you like earlier seasons more than more recent seasons of "TAR"?
A. That's a tough one. I'm a huge fan of season 1, not a huge fan of 2, a
huge fan of 3 except for Flo, bored by 4, mostly happy with 5 with reservations,
kind of grossed out by 6, and kind of fascinated by 7. It's been up and down,
and I tend to like specific teams and episodes more than entire seasons.
Q. How do you think fans that began watching the show in its later seasons
might respond to the first couple of seasons?
A. "I actually have some friends who have done this very thing - picked up
old recorded episodes from `TAR 1' or `TAR 2' after jumping in at [Seasons] 5 or
6 when the show really hit. Mostly, they've totally loved the early seasons
I think if you like it now, you're going to like it then. It's not a show that
I think took very long to find its feet."
Q. What are your thoughts on the first couple seasons' casts, as opposed to
more recent casts? It seems to me there are more "model/actor" types in recent
seasons than in earlier ones, though I haven't seen the first two seasons so
maybe I'm wrong about that.
A. "There were always models, but I think it's true that there are more now,
and also that they tend to reference them as models more. I think Brandon and
Nicole in Season 5, for instance, were called `Dating Models' in lieu of being
called `Dating Christians,' quite frankly, which I think was their real
niche. Lots of people in the world have modeled. `Models' tends to mean they can't
think of anything else to say about you.
"But yeah, I think the first couple of seasons were a little bit less pretty
as far as casting, or at least the pretty people were broken up with more
normal people. Which isn't to say some of the gorgeous people aren't also
wonderful - the idea that better-looking people are inherently less interesting than
ugly people is one of my least favorite reality-show myths."
GATER ATTACK: Is Ben Browder happy on the set of "Stargate SG-1"? Well, the
"Farscape" star says everyone's treating him well, but he reports that there's
"an actor's nightmare" on the set.
"They have this [food] guy Jack. He's the pusher-man. He comes around and
you're thinking, `I better not eat this,' and he's standing there in front of you
with a tray of steaming cinnamon buns," Browder says with a laugh. "The
clothes are a little more forgiving [on "SG-1"], but still, it is a problem"
David Hewlett, who plays the snarky Dr. Rodney McKay on "Stargate Atlantis,"
has his own problems. "They're always happy to do something gross to McKay,
all of that uncomfortable, slimy stuff - you know I'm involved. They call it
writing, I call it torture," he said in a recent interview.
"At the beginning of the season, I was hanging upside down in this tree, I
thought, `This season is going to pan out really well.'"
"SG-1," "Atlantis" and "Battlestar Galactica" return to Sci Fi Friday. And
because I'm in my full-on Sci Friday frenzy, I've got the full interviews Ben
Browder, Claudia Black, David Hewlett and the cult legend Gary Jones (Gate Guy
to some, Chevron Guy in our house).
And just by the way, if you're a "Battlestar" fan too, my interview with
Jamie Bamber (Apollo) is here, and check back Friday for interviews with Katee
Sackhof, Mary McDonnell and Edward James Olmos. There's other "Battlestar'
goodness aplenty here and here.
If you're some kind of alien freak who does not appreciate these shows (and
if so, what exactly is your problem
, you can skip all the interviews and go
on the the next Watcher item by clicking here.
Ben Browder ("Cameron Mitchell"
My previous chat with Ben Browder (done just after he'd gotten the news that
he'd be joining the "Stargate SG-1" cast) is here. Take it away, Ben!
[Last time we talked, Browder said his biggest priority when he got to the
"Stargate SG-1" set was to figure out where the bathrooms are. He reports
success on that front] I know where the john is, yeah, I can navigate myself for the
most part without getting lost in the "Stargate" maze. I still have no idea
what goes on in the next stage [where "Stargate Atlantis"] films, they have an
alternate layout. They need to put some cheese at the end of that maze and
maybe I'll figure it out.
I don't have any bad stories to tell, it's kind of exciting to have a job,
and it's an exciting intellectual process to come on to a show that's going this
long and sort of find your way into the process. If nothing else, it's really
interesting. When you take a job with an existing cast, existing sets,
producers, writers, you don't really know what you're gonna get into.
You hear stories about different sets, but a lot of times you hear them after
you get there, what the problems are, and so-and-so hates so-and-so, this and
that. I just haven't really encountered that here. That's not to say we're
always a happy family - I'm waiting for someone to yell at me [laughs], and we
occasionally yelled on the set of "Farscape," but there was so much love and
affection there too.
[On learning the ropes on the "Stargate SG-1" set] There's a certain
advantage in having a person on the set who is in a perpetual state of ignorant bliss.
I'm not afraid to ask the question that's been asked 100 times before [by
others]. I'm a big believer in asking the stupid question, as long as you're
respectful of the process. "I know all of you guys know this, but why are we doing
this?" People look at you like you're crazy, but I think it's good when
you've been doing something for a long period of time to have a fresh set of eyes
and ears and a fresh voice come in and not try to change things but just try to
figure it out.
I'm sort of familiar with the technical aspects of a sci fi show, how to do
all the green screen work and all that. The hardest thing is to learn
everyone's name, when they all know each other. It's getting into the rhythm and feel
of the show, the style, so that you can find your way in, so you can figure out
how they work as opposed to how you used to work. "Farscape" was constructive
chaos, but it was chaos we understood. They're much more efficient up here,
it's a matter of getting used to the pace and the feeling of the show. It's
getting to know people and learning to trust one another and getting a sense of
what someone else is going to do [in a scene].
I have to say, everyone has been very, very nice up here, the cast, Michael
Shanks, Chris Judge made my transition to the show very easy, Amanda Tapping
didn't come on 'til the sixth episode, but those guys made my transition easy.
Having Claud ["Farscape" co-star Claudia Black, who plays Vala in the first six
episodes of "SG-1's" new season] here made the transition as easy as it could
be. And the efficiency of the people around me kind of made it much easier to
figure out how to go about this.
[On his character, Air Force pilot Cameron Mitchell, who's put in charge of
the SG-1 team] Cameron Mitchell was a Western actor back in the day. He was on
TV for years, he was a very recognizable face. But really, I don't know how
Rob [Robert Cooper] got the name, I didn't ask. I think it's great.
From my standpoint, Mitchell's still a work in progress. Until I see the
final cut and stuff goes out to the audience, I don't want to be saying who this
guy is. Quite frankly, TV is a highly collaborative medium, and everyone -- the
viewers, the writers, the editors, the actors, the directors -- will have a
view of who the character is and what he is. I have an opinion too, but I don't
want to be judged as failing to achieve what I want to achieve, so I'll let
the audience make up their own minds.
[On his "Stargate SG-1" scenes with "Farscape" co-star Claudia Black] We
didn't have the kind of scenes we had on "Farscape," they're really two different
characters. There were none of those scenes of the two of us locked in a
closet [laughs].
Claud and I know each other pretty well, it's great having her around. In
front of the camera, she did such a great job of creating such a different
character that there's no way I could fall into any old habits. She did a fantastic
job of creating something very different [from her "Farscape" character]. So
it's easy to react differently.
[On the on-set "actor's nightmare" that haunts the "SG-1" set] Craft services
were not a problem on "Farscape." We had someone who came around with tea and
a couple of biccys [biscuits], or cookies. Here they have this guy, Jack.
He's the pusher-man. He comes around and you're thinking, "I better not eat
this," and he's standing there in front of you with a tray of steaming cinnamon
buns. Those are not on the approved list at the moment [laughs]. He also does
this really big tray of candy. It's like, "Jack, go away!" [laughs]. It's an
actor's nightmare. The clothes are a little more forgiving [on "SG-1"], but still,
it is a problem.
[On the cult surrounding the "Gate Guy"/"Chevron Guy," who's played by Gary
Jones] Chevron guy, there's a man with an intense following. He's been around
for eight years, I don't understand why they didn't just put him in charge of
SG-1. That was their first mistake.
Gary Jones ("Walter Harriman"
Speaking of Gate Guy, I got to fulfill a long-held wish by talking to Gary
Jones, who, for eight years (going on nine) has been the guy who calls out
"chevron one encoded, chevron two encoded" and so forth every time the Stargate
team goes through the gate. Jones is now a featured played in the long-running
show, and a hoot to talk to. Our scheduled 15-minute chat went well over an
hour, and this is the result.
[On how he got into acting] I had no drama training, I didn't go to drama
school. I was about 28, working in advertising as an art director in the Toronto
area. I was reading one of those night-school brochures, those Learning
Annex-type things, and they had a course in improve. I was like, "Oh, I have to take
that." I don't know why. I ended up learning about improve, ended up in the
Second City Toronto troupe for about two years. After that, I set up a troupe
in Vancouver for the Expo in 1986. I worked at the fair for about six months,
and stayed here working ever since, the next 20 years, nine of them on
"Stargate."
My agent called me, said, they're doing this TV series of the film, the part
of the gate tech might be recurring, they're thinking about that. So I go in,
the director is Mario Azzopardi, who I knew from "The Outer Limits" [which
also films in Canada]. He remembered me from the one episode I had done and he
liked me. So I thought, I'm so in [laughs]. I thought, "I really gotta do well
here, I could be on three times!" It's hilarious now, looking back.
Coming from Second City, so often when I go on auditions, unless they say
play it completely straight, I try to put some humor in it. So I go in and read,
all they do is have me read "Chevron One" to "Chevron seven locked" and I'm
like, I've got to do something with this, they're asking me to read a grocery
list! [laughs]
So Mario had said to me, the way they were going with this character was, you
know, this guy doesn't give a [crap] about the army, he's just a computer
genius. So I had a bit of fun with it, stopped just short of doing it as Jerry
Lewis. I look down the table and Mario's laughing really hard, so I think, Oh,
this is fantastic. This is in the bag. But as I leave, he's closing the door,
and he says, "That was good, but [don't play it] that big."
I was like, "Oh my god, I blew it." But I get the callback, and here's Mario,
this big gregarious guy, with the other [executive] producer, Jon Glassner,
he's just… you get nothing from him. He just looked at me. So there's this
weird vibe in the room. When you get a callback, you tend to do what you did
before, but I'm thinking, I better bring it way down. At one point, I'm doing the
chevrons, and at chevron four, I do a little sigh, and he's like, "Lose the
sigh." So I leave, and I'm thinking, "That went badly!"
For years, I sat in the chair, talking to the glass. It's like [butt] acting
[laughs]. But of course it's a dream gig. I just hunkered down and did the job
and lo and behold, fans [reacted]. When they first asked me to go to the
GateCon convention in Vancouver, I thought, well, no one is going to know who I
am. The camera's on me for two seconds. I show up, and next thing I know, I have
to get an escort to the bathroom. Fans are like, "Oh my God, it's Chevron
Guy" as I'm walking to the bathroom. I did not have a clue. I really thought if I
did not have my glasses on they would not recognize me.
In season four, they brought in other gate techs, but one of the directors
came up to me later and said, we thought we wanted to try that to see how it
was, but we all kept thinking, "That's Gary's chair!"
To a noticeable degree, they started giving me more to do in Season 6. There
was dialogue that was more reflective of a person than just a string of
information. They knew me on a personal level, and I would joke around, so they
started throwing in funny lines in my little scenes. It's not like I'm going to
make it about me. They started trusting me and I've just had tons of great
stuff. As much as it's my impulse to be funny, it's a sci-fi action-adventure show.
If the show is a comedy, things can get lost in the shuffle, but if it's
predominantly dramatic, the comic relief can stand out.
[When Richard Dean Anderson left] there was this kind of "What do we do now?"
[feeling], it got to this critical point, and then it was like, go big or go
home. Bringing in Beau [Bridges], Ben [Browder], Lou [Gossett Jr.]… But in the
end, it's about the relationships, and moving forward with that.
Now my character is a little like Radar O'Reilly [from "M*A*S*H"], he knows
how things run and he's handing [Beau Bridges' character] files before he needs
them and doing stuff for him before he knows he needs it done. They gave me a
promotion to Chief Master Sergeant, it's the highest rank I think you can be
without being an officer.
The rest of the "Stargate" crew -- everyone knows each other and it's just
fine-tuned now, this big machine just goes along. Everyone knows what everyone
else can do, it makes it easy for the leads to parachute in and accomplish
[what they need to do]. All respect is due to Lou and Beau and all that but it's
little bit like, "You're part of our show, we respect you, but we're going to
goof around, and please be part of that." They totally rise to that. I've got
no dirt about the set. I would actually say that when RDA left, [his character]
was so sarcastic, he'd throw off so many funny lines, now it's all spread
around a little more, so that's kind of cool.
They've given me more to do, this season I have this long walk-and-talk
[scene] with Beau, where I'm carrying a massive stack of files. The irony is, I
haven't been through the gate [his character has gone offworld, but not through
the stargate]. The very first time they put me offworld, I was at a computer
sitting in a chair. Even when I'm in a field on another planet, I still can't
walk around [laughs]. No, I'm sitting down.
[How we got on to this topic -- I really have no idea] ["Stargate" director]
Peter DeLuise will make me redo my lines as Shatner. He'll be like, "Now do it
as Brando! Now do it as Shatner!"
Jones added in a subsequent e-mail that he'll be appearing on "Stargate
Atlantis" this season, in an episode called "Critical Mass." No word yet on whether
he'll be in a chair the whole time.
David Hewlett ("Dr. Rodney McKay"
David Hewlett plays the "snarcastic" Dr. Rodney McKay on "Stargate Atlantis,"
and producers have found many new and interesting ways to torture the
super-smart doc this season, Hewlett reports.
There's lots of fun and games this season, there's a drugged out McKay….
They're always happy to do something gross to him, all of that uncomfortable,
slimy stuff - you know I'm involved. They call it writing, I call it torture. But
I say keep up the abuse… if they ever run out of ways to [torture McKay],
he'll just be silent, and he loves to hear himself talk.
At the beginning of the season, I was hanging upside down in this tree, I
thought, "This season is going to pan out really well."
[On McKay getting a lot of the tongue-twisting techno-dialogue] We had to do
a reshoot [of a technical scene] and I did not have a clue. I forgot all of
the lines. Learning it all over again, that isn't fair [laughs].
[On the reaction to his character] It's amazing, the fan mail. Not to sound
cheesy, but I try to answer every one and that's getting difficult to do. It's
funny, the mail I get, a lot of it says, "I know everyone hates you, I'm the
only person who likes [McKay]." There are a lot of people out there who think t
hey are alone in liking McKay [laughs].
In a way, he's fun to hate. He gets to say the lines that you think of [only
after a confrontation], when you think, "Oh, I should have said that,"
whatever the snappy, arrogant answer was. But he says it. He's always got a comeback.
Certainly that's what makes him such a fun character to play. He doesn't have
the social skills or always know what to say, but there's a certain charm in
that freedom.
[On the tensions of the Atlantis project in the second season] You've put
your finger on what concerns McKay. The neat thing this year is the dynamic
involvement of the military side of things.
Season 1 set up the characters and what they're supposed to do, like any good
first season. Where were going in Season 2 completely messes with that. Rain
[Rainbow Franck's character, Lt. Ford] drops off to the dark side and comes
back to make our lives miserable. All of the sudden all the trust and stuff
built between the characters is broken down. [Up until now] McKay could just be
the guy who babbles and solves the problem and then it's solved. What's great is
this year right near the beginning McKay hits a wall. All of a sudden he
doesn't have all the answers. His arrogance and self confidence paid off [until
now] but he hits a wall and screws up. [Various developments like that] bring
back the friction between all the characters.
Once a friend said a good man does the right thing without thinking. McKay
may know what the right thing is to do, but he's also very good at seeing the
worst side of things. It makes it that much harder to make the right decision.
Where fools rush in McKay fears to tread. That's overthinking things and it can
be paralyzing if you don't have blind faith that you'll all get through it.
Everyone else is rather optimistic, but he expects the worst.
[On the surprising secret of new castmate Mitch Pileggi, formerly of "The
X-Files"] He mentioned to me that he had been in People's list of the Sexiest
People one year, under the heading of "Surprisingly Sexy." [So now Hewlett's put
a sign to that effect on Pileggi's dressing-room door.]
Mitch has this great character, this guy with a quest for power who's been
overlooked for running Atlantis. He's constantly butting heads with Weir, she's
a diplomat and he'd rather just blow things up. He's constantly looking for
things that will be of use for his superiors, so every new weapon or alien being
or ancient discovery is of potential interest to him. McKay is aware of that.
He doesn't see himself as being slimy -- surprisingly slimy [laughs] -- but
he's willing to play off the military and Weir and Shepherd and everyone else,
because he thinks his ultimate goal is to make discoveries and prove himself
right. He's been an academic for so long, he's read all the reports, he feels
he can handle things better.
Rain [Rainbow Francks' character, Lt. Ford] is taking a turn for the worse
because of a Wraith enzyme. When they feed, they inject stuff that bolster's the
victim's immune system for a second, to keep you alive while they kill you to
get the most out of you. Inject that stuff and you end up with a euphoric
energy drink. It gives him a lot more physical strength, but it doesn't make you
terribly bright. What's interesting is that there's now this illicit substance
in the universe that, when people use it, they're given this Wraith super
strength.
[On the new character, Ronon] Ronon is … even just physically surprisingly,
no, not surprisingly, painfully sexy. Drop-dead gorgeous.
In a way, not to make him sound like an idiot [laughs] his character is the
opposite of McKay, he's just a man of action. He doesn't worry about
repercussions. He has no fear of anything, he's survived so much. It's just very funny
how the guy who disapproves of him can't help admiring him. It's like, how he
wishes he could twirl his gun [like Ronon], but McKay's the guy who can't even
pull his gun out of the holster.
[On McKay's frequent scene partner, Paul McGillion, who plays Dr. Carson
Beckett] We actually have a love scene coming up. You'd have to do some
factchecking, but it might be the first man on man kiss in sci fi. McKay ends up having
a person transfer into his body, a female, and she ends up witih a crush on
[Beckett]. Paul teased me mercilessly for weeks in advance of the shooting. On
that day, we went for rehearsal … it would be weird to kiss even the women on
the show, I know them all so well, and more importantly they all know me so
well [laughs]. So that's why it was important to do this well, in case I ever
want to go near them again. For rehearsal, [Hewlett did a real kiss, which
McGillion wasn't expecting]. Yeah, after that, he sent me flowers and chocolate
[laughs].
Claudia Black ("Vala Mal Doran"
On "Farscape," Claudia Black and Ben Browder played the hottest couple in
outer space, but these days, Black's devious new "Stargate SG-1" character, Vala,
has eyes only for Dr. Daniel Jackson, who's played by Michael Shanks. Black
dishes on Browder, Jackson, Shanks and "SG-1's" new bad guys below.
Vala is instrumental in kickstarting the story for the season. I was very
spoilt in that regard, it was wonderful to be in the eye of the storm as far as
the story was concerned and also to be given so much comedic work to do, it was
such a joy for me to do those scenes with Michael Shanks, who is a fantastic
comic sparring partner.
[Vala] turns up with a mission [for the Stargate SG-1 team], and [the show]
establishes a new set of bad guys. They're pretty evil. They seem quite benign
at first, at the beginning they're not taken very seriously, but throughout
these six episodes my character gets to know their capabilities. They've got
some amazing new cast members, Beau Bridges and Louis Gossett Jr. And obviously
I'm working with Ben in a different capacity, as different characters. [His
character] appreciates Vala from a safe distance, he's obviously a smart fellow.
Ben's come into a show that's very established, [whereas] we were part of the
creation of "Farscape." Rockne O'Bannon created the show and David Kemper and
his staff wrote it, but so much of how the show was shot and with whom and
why - so many questions posed on the show had to come from the team on the
floor, me, ben and everyone. I've been really lucky, this is an open-ended
opportunity for me. It's wonderful to come back and be sort of a flash in the pan -
Ben's character is a bit of a slow burn, as far as things for Ben to sink his
teeth into. For me it was non-stop. Ben loves to work and drive the story. I was
busy chewing the scenery.
It's very interesting the way that TV is, if you're not driving the story, if
it doesn't require you're presence, you can be on the sidelines a bit. I felt
guilty, they were giving me such fun stuff to play with. [I would have felt
guiltier] had I not been in that spot on "Farscape" at first. It was always
intended to be an ensemble show, but the heart of the show ended up being
Crichton and Aeryn. On "Farscape," each character got to explore his or her own
texture and history. So many shows produced now, the character stuff gets lost. To
get to play such a different character [on "Stargate"], with so much comedy,
and for the producers to trust me so much was great.
[On "Farscape" at first] Ben was the leading guy on the set, he had so much
juicy fun stuff to say, and we would wait around for something to be chucked
our way. As the show developed, of course we got our opportunities, but Aeryn
for the first seven episodes I was still finding my feet. Ben's going through a
similar experience, he's watching me and Michael carry the story.
There has to be some leeway for us as actors, we're the middlemen [between
writers and directors and audience] and we have to deliver the goods. That's why
"Stargate" was such a fortunate segue for me, [director] Andy Mikita and
Michael Shanks and I earned each other's trust immediately. I was saying to one of
the producers, "I'm like a cactus, I don't need much watcer, I can get
prickly, but under the right conditions I might bloom." That's a slightly cheesy
analogy, but I really do thrive when I get the slightest bit of support.
"Stargate" is such a positive set and there was support all around me. I had
[executive producer] Rob Cooper's trust, I'd kind of proven myself [on my prevous
appearance], they were pleased with what I did, so my road to being trusted was a
lot faster and smoother. [That trust] is vital for a performer, it can be a
circus performer [working] without a net. Other players are your lifeline. I
don't think you can really take risks or make risky choices without that trust and
support.
In [the miniseries "Farscape:] Peacekeeper Wars," we had spent so much time
in the trences for four seasons. Brian [Henson] had directed one episode in the
first season, he came back and he had missed out on the entire evolution of
what had happened on the floor. We had a whole method of working, and by then
it was so different from what we'd done at first. For the first two or three
weeks [of "Peacekeeper Wars"], we had to play that trust game all over again,
the clock had restarted from zero. Initially we couldn't operate at that same
speed, that same shorthand, we had become renegades because we had to get it
done.
Someone just asked me about chemistry, that chemistry is just "a lot of hard
work." I disagree. Chemistry is about likeminded people being enthusiastic and
responding to their craft and not taking themselves too seriously. In life,
unless you have the capability to step outside yourself and be able to laugh…
for me to have had that chemistry with Ben then have it again with Michael
[Shanks] and Andy [Mikita] and a whole bunch of people on the crew… . It's nine
years on for them and none of them are complaining.
The set is a tough environment and if they didn't like it, they wouldn't be
there. They're kind to one another, they're respectful. But they also
understand it's just a job, they have to go home to their families. It was wonderful to
hear one director say, "I'm nog going to do overtime tonight, it's bathtime
[for the children] and I don't want to miss it."
The window isn't closed on Vala. That's for sure. It really depends on if I'm
available, and they can get what they want [storywise]. It's a nice position
to be in, to be in love with a character you've played, who may live on again,
who you want to go back to. I'll leave you with the image of the australian
coat of arm, which has the kangaroo and emu on either side, two animals that
are incapable of walking backwards. I as an actor am incapable of going
backwards. It's been an interesting challenge first on "PK Wars" [to go back to
Aeryn], it's nice to know Vala could [come back as well.]
[Source = http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-tribtv,0,3694270.
htmlstory#stargate]
Tribune staff reporter
Published July 8, 2005, 9:28 PM CDT
Looking for the "Stargate SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis" interviews? They're
here.
If you're a fan of "The Amazing Race," you're in luck. The cable network GSN
will begin broadcasting all eight seasons of the show, in order, on a nightly
basis starting at 8 p.m. Monday.
"There are tons of people who came to this show in later seasons, and they've
never seen these [early] episodes, because unlike dramas, reality shows don't
usually repeat and don't hit syndication as quickly," said Linda Holmes, an
attorney from Bloomington, Minn., who, under the moniker Miss Alli, has
recapped every season of "TAR" for the Web site TelevisionWithoutPity.com. "For
people who missed those seasons, it's like an entire new season of the show is
airing in the middle of the summer. It's a huge thing for fans of the show who
came in late."
More from my e-mail dialogue with Linda Holmes, Television Without Pity's
"Miss Alli":
Q. Do you think the first few seasons of "The Amazing Race" were different
from the most recent couple of seasons? If so, how so?
A. Yeah, I do. I think the show was more of a standout early on in the sense
that it really did cast relatively normal, functional people, and didn't fill
the cast with ugly arguing. Unfortunately, that has changed somewhat in later
seasons. Season 7 wasn't nearly as bad as Seasons 5 and 6 for ugliness, but
there's much more warmth, I think, in the first two or three seasons. The clues
have also gotten easier in later seasons, in that they don't have `clues'
these days as much as pieces of paper that say `Go here.'-"
Q. Do you like earlier seasons more than more recent seasons of "TAR"?
A. That's a tough one. I'm a huge fan of season 1, not a huge fan of 2, a
huge fan of 3 except for Flo, bored by 4, mostly happy with 5 with reservations,
kind of grossed out by 6, and kind of fascinated by 7. It's been up and down,
and I tend to like specific teams and episodes more than entire seasons.
Q. How do you think fans that began watching the show in its later seasons
might respond to the first couple of seasons?
A. "I actually have some friends who have done this very thing - picked up
old recorded episodes from `TAR 1' or `TAR 2' after jumping in at [Seasons] 5 or
6 when the show really hit. Mostly, they've totally loved the early seasons
I think if you like it now, you're going to like it then. It's not a show that
I think took very long to find its feet."
Q. What are your thoughts on the first couple seasons' casts, as opposed to
more recent casts? It seems to me there are more "model/actor" types in recent
seasons than in earlier ones, though I haven't seen the first two seasons so
maybe I'm wrong about that.
A. "There were always models, but I think it's true that there are more now,
and also that they tend to reference them as models more. I think Brandon and
Nicole in Season 5, for instance, were called `Dating Models' in lieu of being
called `Dating Christians,' quite frankly, which I think was their real
niche. Lots of people in the world have modeled. `Models' tends to mean they can't
think of anything else to say about you.
"But yeah, I think the first couple of seasons were a little bit less pretty
as far as casting, or at least the pretty people were broken up with more
normal people. Which isn't to say some of the gorgeous people aren't also
wonderful - the idea that better-looking people are inherently less interesting than
ugly people is one of my least favorite reality-show myths."
GATER ATTACK: Is Ben Browder happy on the set of "Stargate SG-1"? Well, the
"Farscape" star says everyone's treating him well, but he reports that there's
"an actor's nightmare" on the set.
"They have this [food] guy Jack. He's the pusher-man. He comes around and
you're thinking, `I better not eat this,' and he's standing there in front of you
with a tray of steaming cinnamon buns," Browder says with a laugh. "The
clothes are a little more forgiving [on "SG-1"], but still, it is a problem"
David Hewlett, who plays the snarky Dr. Rodney McKay on "Stargate Atlantis,"
has his own problems. "They're always happy to do something gross to McKay,
all of that uncomfortable, slimy stuff - you know I'm involved. They call it
writing, I call it torture," he said in a recent interview.
"At the beginning of the season, I was hanging upside down in this tree, I
thought, `This season is going to pan out really well.'"
"SG-1," "Atlantis" and "Battlestar Galactica" return to Sci Fi Friday. And
because I'm in my full-on Sci Friday frenzy, I've got the full interviews Ben
Browder, Claudia Black, David Hewlett and the cult legend Gary Jones (Gate Guy
to some, Chevron Guy in our house).
And just by the way, if you're a "Battlestar" fan too, my interview with
Jamie Bamber (Apollo) is here, and check back Friday for interviews with Katee
Sackhof, Mary McDonnell and Edward James Olmos. There's other "Battlestar'
goodness aplenty here and here.
If you're some kind of alien freak who does not appreciate these shows (and
if so, what exactly is your problem
, you can skip all the interviews and go on the the next Watcher item by clicking here.
Ben Browder ("Cameron Mitchell"
My previous chat with Ben Browder (done just after he'd gotten the news that
he'd be joining the "Stargate SG-1" cast) is here. Take it away, Ben!
[Last time we talked, Browder said his biggest priority when he got to the
"Stargate SG-1" set was to figure out where the bathrooms are. He reports
success on that front] I know where the john is, yeah, I can navigate myself for the
most part without getting lost in the "Stargate" maze. I still have no idea
what goes on in the next stage [where "Stargate Atlantis"] films, they have an
alternate layout. They need to put some cheese at the end of that maze and
maybe I'll figure it out.
I don't have any bad stories to tell, it's kind of exciting to have a job,
and it's an exciting intellectual process to come on to a show that's going this
long and sort of find your way into the process. If nothing else, it's really
interesting. When you take a job with an existing cast, existing sets,
producers, writers, you don't really know what you're gonna get into.
You hear stories about different sets, but a lot of times you hear them after
you get there, what the problems are, and so-and-so hates so-and-so, this and
that. I just haven't really encountered that here. That's not to say we're
always a happy family - I'm waiting for someone to yell at me [laughs], and we
occasionally yelled on the set of "Farscape," but there was so much love and
affection there too.
[On learning the ropes on the "Stargate SG-1" set] There's a certain
advantage in having a person on the set who is in a perpetual state of ignorant bliss.
I'm not afraid to ask the question that's been asked 100 times before [by
others]. I'm a big believer in asking the stupid question, as long as you're
respectful of the process. "I know all of you guys know this, but why are we doing
this?" People look at you like you're crazy, but I think it's good when
you've been doing something for a long period of time to have a fresh set of eyes
and ears and a fresh voice come in and not try to change things but just try to
figure it out.
I'm sort of familiar with the technical aspects of a sci fi show, how to do
all the green screen work and all that. The hardest thing is to learn
everyone's name, when they all know each other. It's getting into the rhythm and feel
of the show, the style, so that you can find your way in, so you can figure out
how they work as opposed to how you used to work. "Farscape" was constructive
chaos, but it was chaos we understood. They're much more efficient up here,
it's a matter of getting used to the pace and the feeling of the show. It's
getting to know people and learning to trust one another and getting a sense of
what someone else is going to do [in a scene].
I have to say, everyone has been very, very nice up here, the cast, Michael
Shanks, Chris Judge made my transition to the show very easy, Amanda Tapping
didn't come on 'til the sixth episode, but those guys made my transition easy.
Having Claud ["Farscape" co-star Claudia Black, who plays Vala in the first six
episodes of "SG-1's" new season] here made the transition as easy as it could
be. And the efficiency of the people around me kind of made it much easier to
figure out how to go about this.
[On his character, Air Force pilot Cameron Mitchell, who's put in charge of
the SG-1 team] Cameron Mitchell was a Western actor back in the day. He was on
TV for years, he was a very recognizable face. But really, I don't know how
Rob [Robert Cooper] got the name, I didn't ask. I think it's great.
From my standpoint, Mitchell's still a work in progress. Until I see the
final cut and stuff goes out to the audience, I don't want to be saying who this
guy is. Quite frankly, TV is a highly collaborative medium, and everyone -- the
viewers, the writers, the editors, the actors, the directors -- will have a
view of who the character is and what he is. I have an opinion too, but I don't
want to be judged as failing to achieve what I want to achieve, so I'll let
the audience make up their own minds.
[On his "Stargate SG-1" scenes with "Farscape" co-star Claudia Black] We
didn't have the kind of scenes we had on "Farscape," they're really two different
characters. There were none of those scenes of the two of us locked in a
closet [laughs].
Claud and I know each other pretty well, it's great having her around. In
front of the camera, she did such a great job of creating such a different
character that there's no way I could fall into any old habits. She did a fantastic
job of creating something very different [from her "Farscape" character]. So
it's easy to react differently.
[On the on-set "actor's nightmare" that haunts the "SG-1" set] Craft services
were not a problem on "Farscape." We had someone who came around with tea and
a couple of biccys [biscuits], or cookies. Here they have this guy, Jack.
He's the pusher-man. He comes around and you're thinking, "I better not eat
this," and he's standing there in front of you with a tray of steaming cinnamon
buns. Those are not on the approved list at the moment [laughs]. He also does
this really big tray of candy. It's like, "Jack, go away!" [laughs]. It's an
actor's nightmare. The clothes are a little more forgiving [on "SG-1"], but still,
it is a problem.
[On the cult surrounding the "Gate Guy"/"Chevron Guy," who's played by Gary
Jones] Chevron guy, there's a man with an intense following. He's been around
for eight years, I don't understand why they didn't just put him in charge of
SG-1. That was their first mistake.
Gary Jones ("Walter Harriman"
Speaking of Gate Guy, I got to fulfill a long-held wish by talking to Gary
Jones, who, for eight years (going on nine) has been the guy who calls out
"chevron one encoded, chevron two encoded" and so forth every time the Stargate
team goes through the gate. Jones is now a featured played in the long-running
show, and a hoot to talk to. Our scheduled 15-minute chat went well over an
hour, and this is the result.
[On how he got into acting] I had no drama training, I didn't go to drama
school. I was about 28, working in advertising as an art director in the Toronto
area. I was reading one of those night-school brochures, those Learning
Annex-type things, and they had a course in improve. I was like, "Oh, I have to take
that." I don't know why. I ended up learning about improve, ended up in the
Second City Toronto troupe for about two years. After that, I set up a troupe
in Vancouver for the Expo in 1986. I worked at the fair for about six months,
and stayed here working ever since, the next 20 years, nine of them on
"Stargate."
My agent called me, said, they're doing this TV series of the film, the part
of the gate tech might be recurring, they're thinking about that. So I go in,
the director is Mario Azzopardi, who I knew from "The Outer Limits" [which
also films in Canada]. He remembered me from the one episode I had done and he
liked me. So I thought, I'm so in [laughs]. I thought, "I really gotta do well
here, I could be on three times!" It's hilarious now, looking back.
Coming from Second City, so often when I go on auditions, unless they say
play it completely straight, I try to put some humor in it. So I go in and read,
all they do is have me read "Chevron One" to "Chevron seven locked" and I'm
like, I've got to do something with this, they're asking me to read a grocery
list! [laughs]
So Mario had said to me, the way they were going with this character was, you
know, this guy doesn't give a [crap] about the army, he's just a computer
genius. So I had a bit of fun with it, stopped just short of doing it as Jerry
Lewis. I look down the table and Mario's laughing really hard, so I think, Oh,
this is fantastic. This is in the bag. But as I leave, he's closing the door,
and he says, "That was good, but [don't play it] that big."
I was like, "Oh my god, I blew it." But I get the callback, and here's Mario,
this big gregarious guy, with the other [executive] producer, Jon Glassner,
he's just… you get nothing from him. He just looked at me. So there's this
weird vibe in the room. When you get a callback, you tend to do what you did
before, but I'm thinking, I better bring it way down. At one point, I'm doing the
chevrons, and at chevron four, I do a little sigh, and he's like, "Lose the
sigh." So I leave, and I'm thinking, "That went badly!"
For years, I sat in the chair, talking to the glass. It's like [butt] acting
[laughs]. But of course it's a dream gig. I just hunkered down and did the job
and lo and behold, fans [reacted]. When they first asked me to go to the
GateCon convention in Vancouver, I thought, well, no one is going to know who I
am. The camera's on me for two seconds. I show up, and next thing I know, I have
to get an escort to the bathroom. Fans are like, "Oh my God, it's Chevron
Guy" as I'm walking to the bathroom. I did not have a clue. I really thought if I
did not have my glasses on they would not recognize me.
In season four, they brought in other gate techs, but one of the directors
came up to me later and said, we thought we wanted to try that to see how it
was, but we all kept thinking, "That's Gary's chair!"
To a noticeable degree, they started giving me more to do in Season 6. There
was dialogue that was more reflective of a person than just a string of
information. They knew me on a personal level, and I would joke around, so they
started throwing in funny lines in my little scenes. It's not like I'm going to
make it about me. They started trusting me and I've just had tons of great
stuff. As much as it's my impulse to be funny, it's a sci-fi action-adventure show.
If the show is a comedy, things can get lost in the shuffle, but if it's
predominantly dramatic, the comic relief can stand out.
[When Richard Dean Anderson left] there was this kind of "What do we do now?"
[feeling], it got to this critical point, and then it was like, go big or go
home. Bringing in Beau [Bridges], Ben [Browder], Lou [Gossett Jr.]… But in the
end, it's about the relationships, and moving forward with that.
Now my character is a little like Radar O'Reilly [from "M*A*S*H"], he knows
how things run and he's handing [Beau Bridges' character] files before he needs
them and doing stuff for him before he knows he needs it done. They gave me a
promotion to Chief Master Sergeant, it's the highest rank I think you can be
without being an officer.
The rest of the "Stargate" crew -- everyone knows each other and it's just
fine-tuned now, this big machine just goes along. Everyone knows what everyone
else can do, it makes it easy for the leads to parachute in and accomplish
[what they need to do]. All respect is due to Lou and Beau and all that but it's
little bit like, "You're part of our show, we respect you, but we're going to
goof around, and please be part of that." They totally rise to that. I've got
no dirt about the set. I would actually say that when RDA left, [his character]
was so sarcastic, he'd throw off so many funny lines, now it's all spread
around a little more, so that's kind of cool.
They've given me more to do, this season I have this long walk-and-talk
[scene] with Beau, where I'm carrying a massive stack of files. The irony is, I
haven't been through the gate [his character has gone offworld, but not through
the stargate]. The very first time they put me offworld, I was at a computer
sitting in a chair. Even when I'm in a field on another planet, I still can't
walk around [laughs]. No, I'm sitting down.
[How we got on to this topic -- I really have no idea] ["Stargate" director]
Peter DeLuise will make me redo my lines as Shatner. He'll be like, "Now do it
as Brando! Now do it as Shatner!"
Jones added in a subsequent e-mail that he'll be appearing on "Stargate
Atlantis" this season, in an episode called "Critical Mass." No word yet on whether
he'll be in a chair the whole time.
David Hewlett ("Dr. Rodney McKay"
David Hewlett plays the "snarcastic" Dr. Rodney McKay on "Stargate Atlantis,"
and producers have found many new and interesting ways to torture the
super-smart doc this season, Hewlett reports.
There's lots of fun and games this season, there's a drugged out McKay….
They're always happy to do something gross to him, all of that uncomfortable,
slimy stuff - you know I'm involved. They call it writing, I call it torture. But
I say keep up the abuse… if they ever run out of ways to [torture McKay],
he'll just be silent, and he loves to hear himself talk.
At the beginning of the season, I was hanging upside down in this tree, I
thought, "This season is going to pan out really well."
[On McKay getting a lot of the tongue-twisting techno-dialogue] We had to do
a reshoot [of a technical scene] and I did not have a clue. I forgot all of
the lines. Learning it all over again, that isn't fair [laughs].
[On the reaction to his character] It's amazing, the fan mail. Not to sound
cheesy, but I try to answer every one and that's getting difficult to do. It's
funny, the mail I get, a lot of it says, "I know everyone hates you, I'm the
only person who likes [McKay]." There are a lot of people out there who think t
hey are alone in liking McKay [laughs].
In a way, he's fun to hate. He gets to say the lines that you think of [only
after a confrontation], when you think, "Oh, I should have said that,"
whatever the snappy, arrogant answer was. But he says it. He's always got a comeback.
Certainly that's what makes him such a fun character to play. He doesn't have
the social skills or always know what to say, but there's a certain charm in
that freedom.
[On the tensions of the Atlantis project in the second season] You've put
your finger on what concerns McKay. The neat thing this year is the dynamic
involvement of the military side of things.
Season 1 set up the characters and what they're supposed to do, like any good
first season. Where were going in Season 2 completely messes with that. Rain
[Rainbow Franck's character, Lt. Ford] drops off to the dark side and comes
back to make our lives miserable. All of the sudden all the trust and stuff
built between the characters is broken down. [Up until now] McKay could just be
the guy who babbles and solves the problem and then it's solved. What's great is
this year right near the beginning McKay hits a wall. All of a sudden he
doesn't have all the answers. His arrogance and self confidence paid off [until
now] but he hits a wall and screws up. [Various developments like that] bring
back the friction between all the characters.
Once a friend said a good man does the right thing without thinking. McKay
may know what the right thing is to do, but he's also very good at seeing the
worst side of things. It makes it that much harder to make the right decision.
Where fools rush in McKay fears to tread. That's overthinking things and it can
be paralyzing if you don't have blind faith that you'll all get through it.
Everyone else is rather optimistic, but he expects the worst.
[On the surprising secret of new castmate Mitch Pileggi, formerly of "The
X-Files"] He mentioned to me that he had been in People's list of the Sexiest
People one year, under the heading of "Surprisingly Sexy." [So now Hewlett's put
a sign to that effect on Pileggi's dressing-room door.]
Mitch has this great character, this guy with a quest for power who's been
overlooked for running Atlantis. He's constantly butting heads with Weir, she's
a diplomat and he'd rather just blow things up. He's constantly looking for
things that will be of use for his superiors, so every new weapon or alien being
or ancient discovery is of potential interest to him. McKay is aware of that.
He doesn't see himself as being slimy -- surprisingly slimy [laughs] -- but
he's willing to play off the military and Weir and Shepherd and everyone else,
because he thinks his ultimate goal is to make discoveries and prove himself
right. He's been an academic for so long, he's read all the reports, he feels
he can handle things better.
Rain [Rainbow Francks' character, Lt. Ford] is taking a turn for the worse
because of a Wraith enzyme. When they feed, they inject stuff that bolster's the
victim's immune system for a second, to keep you alive while they kill you to
get the most out of you. Inject that stuff and you end up with a euphoric
energy drink. It gives him a lot more physical strength, but it doesn't make you
terribly bright. What's interesting is that there's now this illicit substance
in the universe that, when people use it, they're given this Wraith super
strength.
[On the new character, Ronon] Ronon is … even just physically surprisingly,
no, not surprisingly, painfully sexy. Drop-dead gorgeous.
In a way, not to make him sound like an idiot [laughs] his character is the
opposite of McKay, he's just a man of action. He doesn't worry about
repercussions. He has no fear of anything, he's survived so much. It's just very funny
how the guy who disapproves of him can't help admiring him. It's like, how he
wishes he could twirl his gun [like Ronon], but McKay's the guy who can't even
pull his gun out of the holster.
[On McKay's frequent scene partner, Paul McGillion, who plays Dr. Carson
Beckett] We actually have a love scene coming up. You'd have to do some
factchecking, but it might be the first man on man kiss in sci fi. McKay ends up having
a person transfer into his body, a female, and she ends up witih a crush on
[Beckett]. Paul teased me mercilessly for weeks in advance of the shooting. On
that day, we went for rehearsal … it would be weird to kiss even the women on
the show, I know them all so well, and more importantly they all know me so
well [laughs]. So that's why it was important to do this well, in case I ever
want to go near them again. For rehearsal, [Hewlett did a real kiss, which
McGillion wasn't expecting]. Yeah, after that, he sent me flowers and chocolate
[laughs].
Claudia Black ("Vala Mal Doran"
On "Farscape," Claudia Black and Ben Browder played the hottest couple in
outer space, but these days, Black's devious new "Stargate SG-1" character, Vala,
has eyes only for Dr. Daniel Jackson, who's played by Michael Shanks. Black
dishes on Browder, Jackson, Shanks and "SG-1's" new bad guys below.
Vala is instrumental in kickstarting the story for the season. I was very
spoilt in that regard, it was wonderful to be in the eye of the storm as far as
the story was concerned and also to be given so much comedic work to do, it was
such a joy for me to do those scenes with Michael Shanks, who is a fantastic
comic sparring partner.
[Vala] turns up with a mission [for the Stargate SG-1 team], and [the show]
establishes a new set of bad guys. They're pretty evil. They seem quite benign
at first, at the beginning they're not taken very seriously, but throughout
these six episodes my character gets to know their capabilities. They've got
some amazing new cast members, Beau Bridges and Louis Gossett Jr. And obviously
I'm working with Ben in a different capacity, as different characters. [His
character] appreciates Vala from a safe distance, he's obviously a smart fellow.
Ben's come into a show that's very established, [whereas] we were part of the
creation of "Farscape." Rockne O'Bannon created the show and David Kemper and
his staff wrote it, but so much of how the show was shot and with whom and
why - so many questions posed on the show had to come from the team on the
floor, me, ben and everyone. I've been really lucky, this is an open-ended
opportunity for me. It's wonderful to come back and be sort of a flash in the pan -
Ben's character is a bit of a slow burn, as far as things for Ben to sink his
teeth into. For me it was non-stop. Ben loves to work and drive the story. I was
busy chewing the scenery.
It's very interesting the way that TV is, if you're not driving the story, if
it doesn't require you're presence, you can be on the sidelines a bit. I felt
guilty, they were giving me such fun stuff to play with. [I would have felt
guiltier] had I not been in that spot on "Farscape" at first. It was always
intended to be an ensemble show, but the heart of the show ended up being
Crichton and Aeryn. On "Farscape," each character got to explore his or her own
texture and history. So many shows produced now, the character stuff gets lost. To
get to play such a different character [on "Stargate"], with so much comedy,
and for the producers to trust me so much was great.
[On "Farscape" at first] Ben was the leading guy on the set, he had so much
juicy fun stuff to say, and we would wait around for something to be chucked
our way. As the show developed, of course we got our opportunities, but Aeryn
for the first seven episodes I was still finding my feet. Ben's going through a
similar experience, he's watching me and Michael carry the story.
There has to be some leeway for us as actors, we're the middlemen [between
writers and directors and audience] and we have to deliver the goods. That's why
"Stargate" was such a fortunate segue for me, [director] Andy Mikita and
Michael Shanks and I earned each other's trust immediately. I was saying to one of
the producers, "I'm like a cactus, I don't need much watcer, I can get
prickly, but under the right conditions I might bloom." That's a slightly cheesy
analogy, but I really do thrive when I get the slightest bit of support.
"Stargate" is such a positive set and there was support all around me. I had
[executive producer] Rob Cooper's trust, I'd kind of proven myself [on my prevous
appearance], they were pleased with what I did, so my road to being trusted was a
lot faster and smoother. [That trust] is vital for a performer, it can be a
circus performer [working] without a net. Other players are your lifeline. I
don't think you can really take risks or make risky choices without that trust and
support.
In [the miniseries "Farscape:] Peacekeeper Wars," we had spent so much time
in the trences for four seasons. Brian [Henson] had directed one episode in the
first season, he came back and he had missed out on the entire evolution of
what had happened on the floor. We had a whole method of working, and by then
it was so different from what we'd done at first. For the first two or three
weeks [of "Peacekeeper Wars"], we had to play that trust game all over again,
the clock had restarted from zero. Initially we couldn't operate at that same
speed, that same shorthand, we had become renegades because we had to get it
done.
Someone just asked me about chemistry, that chemistry is just "a lot of hard
work." I disagree. Chemistry is about likeminded people being enthusiastic and
responding to their craft and not taking themselves too seriously. In life,
unless you have the capability to step outside yourself and be able to laugh…
for me to have had that chemistry with Ben then have it again with Michael
[Shanks] and Andy [Mikita] and a whole bunch of people on the crew… . It's nine
years on for them and none of them are complaining.
The set is a tough environment and if they didn't like it, they wouldn't be
there. They're kind to one another, they're respectful. But they also
understand it's just a job, they have to go home to their families. It was wonderful to
hear one director say, "I'm nog going to do overtime tonight, it's bathtime
[for the children] and I don't want to miss it."
The window isn't closed on Vala. That's for sure. It really depends on if I'm
available, and they can get what they want [storywise]. It's a nice position
to be in, to be in love with a character you've played, who may live on again,
who you want to go back to. I'll leave you with the image of the australian
coat of arm, which has the kangaroo and emu on either side, two animals that
are incapable of walking backwards. I as an actor am incapable of going
backwards. It's been an interesting challenge first on "PK Wars" [to go back to
Aeryn], it's nice to know Vala could [come back as well.]
[Source = http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-tribtv,0,3694270.
htmlstory#stargate]