Stargate Atlantis: More on Amanda Tapping departing the series

[wraithfodder]

GW has an interview up with Tapping, and part 2 went up today, and this is the bit on her leaving the show (below the cut for size and such)

http://www.gateworld.net/news/2008/02/more_from_tapping_on_iatlantisi_.shtml

excerpt:

Amanda Tapping: ... I just want to address this right off: It was a very difficult decision, not to say that I walked away from
Atlantis, because I haven't. I still want to be very much a part in as much as I can, but still be a part of the show.

They offered me a very nice contract with the caveat being that I had to make them my first priority, and I totally understood why in terms of timing and scheduling. But I couldn't do it because I knew there was a good possibility that Sanctuary would get worldwide television broadcast.

Had I said Yes to what the folks at Atlantis wanted I would've essentially shut down Stage 3 Media and Sanctuary. So as much as we tried to make it work, and Joe Mallozzi and I were on the phone a lot trying to work things out, we just decided at the end of the day that the timing just was not going to happen. He was very cool. They were wonderful.

REST AT LINK ABOVE

So, this was defnitely a decision she made, unlike the decisions made for Paul McGilion and Torri Higginson. It's a darned shame they 'replicated' Weir (at least it seems that way) as it would be cool to get Weir back after all she'd gone through. Although there are a lot of fans who dislike that Carter will be off SGA as a regular, this, honestly, is very good news for Tapping. She's evolving her career and not relying on SG1 to be her bread and butter. Especially becuase she's a woman, over 40, and that's a damned tough market. Producers want pretty 20-30ish women - I mean, look at all the women who guest star opposite Sheppard - all younger. Of course in the Pegasus Galaxy you can weakly argue the Wraith like their food aged, but, well, *cough*. Anyway, if Amanda succeeds in producing Sanctuary, she can move onto producing other shows. It puts her behind the camera, but it guarantees her a career that most likely will dissovle into playing someone's mom as she gets older.

 

Comments

[mantriddrone.livejournal.com]

sorry to nitpick but is weir defiantly a replicator? did i miss the scene where they confirm that. i know she's part replicator caus of the nanites but a whole replicator?

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure what she is, but I"m pretty positive she's not 100% Grade A human. I'm thinking she's a human form, er, test tube grown(?) human with added nanites for healing purposes. Only way to find out is to shoot her, I suppose. If this Weir bleeds, definitely human with enhancements. If she turns silver and fixes up, oh oh...

[mantriddrone.livejournal.com]

hehe

[sgafan33.livejournal.com]

I don't think you're nitpicking. We don't know what happened to the Duplicate!Team, although it seems likely they were killed (and I say "killed" because they were biologically based). We only have Duplicate!Elizabeth's knowledge of what happened to Nanite!Elizabeth. While I don't think Duplicate!Elizabeth was lying, it doesn't mean that she knew the truth. And who did we see at the end of "Be All My Sins Remember'd"? If Nanite!Elizabeth is really dead, was that a true Replicator!Elizabeth? While a replicator can be anyone (thanks to McKay's fiddling with their base code), is it just easier to assume the shape of the person whose memories you hold? Or did Nanite!Elizabeth manage to hold onto her personality and somehow escape?

Stay tuned for Season 5!

[anjak-j.livejournal.com]

I think this decision is a wise one. I think after 10 years of SG-1 and a year of SGA, it will be good for Amanda to branch out and do something else as a priority, and something that gives her other career options.

Her having the commitment of the SG-1 films this year has made her absent from SGA a lot, despite being the leader. And the hole there has been painfully obvious - as good as the episodes have been.

I can't wait to see what they come up with for S5, but I am starting to grow a little concerned about the constant cast changes.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Yup, changing cast like changing shoes isn't good.

[nightspring.livejournal.com]

Which is why I was always puzzled by the choice of Tapping to replace Higginson. Anyone could tell Tapping was more than ready to grow away from the Stargate franchise, it was just a matter of time. But otoh, among the other established characters in the Stargate universe, who could believably take over Weir's position? I'd say Caldwell, Woolsey and Daniel. If none of the actors who play these characters were available / willing to commit to a full-time role, then maybe Carter really was the only feasible choice left? And now the situation has changed with one of these actors?

Of course, they could have chosen to develop a new character for the Atlantis commander role, but it sounds like they were reluctant to go that route.

[ladyniko.livejournal.com]

It was because at the end of SG1, she still had a year on her contract, so they wanted to keep her for the year.

And, JM is being a flat out ass about Weir. He says the role of Weir was *never* to be as involved as it was, that she was to be more like a General Hammond and always stay on Atlantis.

Okay, fine, but that doesn't mean you have to kill her! Torri finally spoke her mind on the subject - she was hurt, but we all know that JM and PM will never, ever admit to being wrong in killing Wier and Carson off.

[nightspring.livejournal.com]

she still had a year on her contract, so they wanted to keep her for the year.

That's kind of what I was trying to say --- that of all the actors whose characters could believably take over Weir's position, Tapping was the only one that had a contract that obligated her to give them another year, if they wanted to use her. She was the actor/character they could secure with the minimum hassle.

[nightspring.livejournal.com]

*oops, hit post before I was done!*

But because they chose to go the route of least resistance for S4, they are being forced to pick and write in another new expedition leader for S5.

[aelfgyfu_mead]

I'm very glad for Amanda Tapping. I like Sam, and I really liked her more than I expected on SGA (I was concerned about how they'd write her), but I don't think she ever became as central as the continuing cast, so I hope her departure won't be too disruptive.

I never did watch Sanctuary online; my attention span for viewing at the computer is generally the length of a music video! I always meant to watch, but the couple of times I've watched episodes online (we missed an episode of Raines somehow and had to watch it online), things go wrong: the sound ends up out of whack with the video, there are weird pauses and jerks (and I don't mean Rodney McKay sorts of jerks!), and sometimes it just grinds to a halt.

I will definitely tune in for the premiere of Sanctuary on Sci Fi!

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Gotta admit even knowing David Hewlett did a SAnctuary couldn't drag me to the downloading off a website thing; I much prefer to watch my entertainment on TV, where I can lie on the couch, like a potato ;)

[nightspring.livejournal.com]

Heh. Totally off topic, but that's exactly why I've been drooling over the MacBook Air. Sounds like the perfect laptop to take to bed with you! Um, no, I didn't mean that the way it sounds! ;)

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, saw the stuff on that, but it's pretty pricey, isn't it?

[nightspring.livejournal.com]

Yup, that's the only reason I haven't run out and bought one already, LOL. But it needs to be priced at about half what it is to justify getting one just to read and watch p0rn in bed. ;D

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Ha!

[flingslass.livejournal.com]

Woolsey would be interesting or he could be a total burst but please not Ellis. I'm starting to bite my nails a little but I'll hold off worrying until we know what's going to happen. Besides which I'm still packing house so don't I have other things to worry about :)

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Wooley would get 'em all blown up ;) and Ellis would blow everythign up ;) But, just gonna wait and see, probably like 12 hours left till they load the info.

[flingslass.livejournal.com]

Can't wait, oh purveyor of All Stargate news ;)

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Those roles are limited, and mostly to film. If you watch television, it's skinny young things, and actresses are obsessed with Botox. Torri doesn't strike as the kind to do that, thank god!

[emerald01.livejournal.com]

I'm just really excited that Sanctuary is going to be on the Sci Fi Channel! Hooray for Amanda Tapping doing things on her own!

I'm all for Caldwell being in command of Atlantis. :D

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

I will watch Sanctuary if it hits TV; don't know if it's my cup of tea, but I'll give it a try.

[emerald01.livejournal.com]

I wasn't sure what i'd think of Sanctuary, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's a bit weird with Tapping as a brunette and doing a British accent, but it's overall rather enjoyable. I just wish the segments were longer. Therefore, I'm totally psyched to see there's an order for 13 full eps. David Hewlett is magnificent in the first episode. Small role, but he is SO good.

Cheers!
Em

[(Anonymous)]

I just read on a Star Trek forum that Robert Picardo (Woolsey) is going to be the Atlantis commander at least for the first part of the season. No further details on it as far as I could see, but there you have it :)