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?

[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.

[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!

[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 :)

[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

[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 :)