Stargate Atlantis: Tapping to timeshare between SGA and Sanctuary

[wraithfodder]

So, it looks like Carter will only be in 'several' episodes of Stargate Atlantis in season 5. Read the article below. No spoilers.

Web series "Sanctuary" gets slot on Sci Fi schedule

http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSN3145792620080131?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=10004&sp=true

LOS ANGELES/LAS VEGAS (Hollywood Reporter) - Sci Fi Channel has green-lighted "Sanctuary," the first television series to use live-action actors against virtual sets in the style of the features "300" and "Sin City."

Sci Fi has ordered a full 13-episode season of the new scripted drama series, which originated online as the first high-definition sci-fi Web series.

"Sanctuary" hails from the "Stargate SG-1" trio of star Amanda Tapping, writer-producer Damian Kindler and producer-director Martin Wood, who are executive producing the series with Sam Egan.

Tapping stars as the enigmatic Dr. Helen Magnus, who is on a quest with her young protege, Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne), to track down, aid and protect strange creatures that walk the earth.

.....

Because of Sci Fi's ties with Tapping, Kindler and Wood through the "Stargate" franchise, the network's brass had discussed "Sanctuary" with them even before it launched as a Web series. Talks shifted into high gear when the trio came back with a DVD containing two one-hour blocks of webisodes.

.............

ABC's efforts with "Dinotopia." But "this is the first time the technology is mature enough and inexpensive enough to do it," Stern said.

"Sanctuary," which features 90 percent CGI sets, will be retooled for its transition to television, including the creation of a new two-hour premiere episode. Still, a lot of the footage from the Web series will be used, with some enhancement of the visual effects and the CGI background to play better on the TV screen.

The cast from the Web series will remain intact.

The series is slated to begin production in March. By most estimates, the writers' strike will be over by then, but that is not a factor for the show, whose production is strike-proof because it's based in Canada. Sci Fi's "Stargate Atlantis" is in a similar position and will begin filming its fifth season in a couple of weeks. Tapping, who co-starred on that series last season, will return for several episodes.

Comments

[nightspring.livejournal.com]

I agree that this is fabulous for Tapping. However, I've been frustrated by the lack of command presence in Atlantis S4. Like in Travelars, Sheppard is missing and it looks like Lorne and McKay are running around looking for him on their own. One short scene of them reporting to Carter would have helped tighten the episode, IMO. While the commander isn't a role that needs to be on screen constantly, he/she does need to appear at critical points, or the expedition looks like a chicken running around without a head.

In addition, part of the reasoning behind bringing Carter over to Atlantis seemed to have been that it was hoped she would attract SG-1 fans who hadn't been watching Atlantis. She's been on screen for such a limited time that I don't see how she could be having that much effect on ratings.

Maybe it's hard to find a good actor, but if Tapping is going to have such limited time for Atlantis, I'd really rather have another actor play the role of commander of Atlantis.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Yup, I vote for Mitch Pileggi as Caldwell.

[nightspring.livejournal.com]

Or even Ellis! Might be fun to watch him bicker with McKay. *g*

(sorry, I responded to the other post before I saw your note!)

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

No problem :)

[volaremn.livejournal.com]

The problem with having Carter present for one short scene in an episode is that it counts as one full ep off her overall total and I can understand why TPTB would just say "You know what, that's not worth a full episode fee; the fans may not like it but they're just going to have accept that some things are going happen off camera." It didn't make Weir a more interesting character to have her in so many episodes where her participation amounted only to uneventful check-ins (which Higginson found boring, if I remember some interviews correctly), and the fewer static conference room scenes, the better. It's just logical to assume that if the team goes through the gate, then they have Carter's permission, so I've been fine with how they've elided those scenes this season. However, if Tapping can only appear in much lower episode total next season, it will be awkward for Carter to remain expedition leader.

[nightspring.livejournal.com]

Since they knew ahead of time of Tapping's limited availabilty, how difficult would it have been to negotiate, say, two five minute appearances in separate episodes count as one full episode for calculating paymment? Are there union rules against that kind of arrangement?

I hadn't heard before about Higginson finding "check-in" scenes boring. Unfortunately, if true, that may have contributed to the decision to reduce her role. How many times have supporting characters, like Zelenka, Lorne, or even the "cheveron guy" in SG-1, delighted fans with a single word, a single look, in an episode? I think an expedition leader during a check-in scene should also contribute that kind of intensity to the show, and that the producers should cast the role accordingly. It is unfortunate that they have failed to do so twice now.

[volaremn.livejournal.com]

That's not how a contract works. If an actor is contracted for a specific number of episodes, appearing in even one scene, regardless of length, would count as an episode off their commitment. No actor's salary gets calculated per minute. Using Joe Flanigan's salary (revealed in the press concerning his lawsuit) as a reference point, that's over fifty thousand dollars for Carter to say "You have a go" or "How it's going, Colonel?" It's not logical to use finite resources this way.

[nightspring.livejournal.com]

No actor's salary gets calculated per minute.

Even a supporting character, like Lorne? I swear there was an episode somewhere where he was in one scene and spoke maybe one line. Did Kavan Smith get paid as much for that one scene as he did for something like Tabula Rasa, where he was in maybe a third of the scenes?

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

This is why it would make a lot more sense to just, not to be cruel or anything, but to ditch Carter entirely, or have her return as a special guest star and remove from the main regular cast, as it is cost-inefficient to have Carter doing basically nothing.

[nightspring.livejournal.com]

Also, nothing against Amanda personally, but it does feel a bit outrageous seeing her get second billing in the credits, seeing how little she is actually doing on the show.