Robert Carlyle on Stargate Universe, Take Two

[wraithfodder]

Hmm, yanked this off Mallozzi's blog tonight (12/15/2008) ... "As some of you may have heard, the wonderfully talented Robert Carlyle has signed on to join the crew of the Destiny in the upcoming Stargate: Universe series. The award-winning actor - Begbie from Trainspotting to some, Hamish Macbeth to others - will be playing the role of Dr. David Rush, the ship’s brilliant Machiavellian scientist. I see a lot of myself in Rush and, next to yours truly of course, I can’t imagine anyone better for the part. Contrary to initial reports, the Rush character is not the leader of the unplanned expedition. That honor falls to Colonel Everett Young. For now. But things could have a way of changing on board a ship manned by a disparate group with very different agendas…

hmm, hmmm, uh....

Somehow a character which is a lot of Joe Mallozzi DOES NOT inspire me to watch..

Comments

[flingslass.livejournal.com]

I have one word for JM. WANKER! (Sorry Wraithfodder for the slightly off word but I can't think of another to describe the man.) I've stopped reading his blog.

I'm off

[veronicasaether.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I don't understand why you people watch Stargate at all. It seems like all you ever do is complain. The plots aren't good enough, the writing isn't good enough, the character developments are terrible, and the creators are a disgrace. (I completely and utterly disagree, btw.) If the brilliant minds behind the series are so awful, and the show sucks so much, why are you watching? I just don't get it.

I used to love following this blog, to get the latest news on Stargate related stuff, but recently there's been nothing but unjust whining and complaining about practically everything. I've never seen so much negativity, and all these unfair accusations about Mallozzi's so-called "ego" just annoys me. Am I the only one to pick up on the humorous tone in his blog? The only one to not think he means everything literally? Not to mention how the "seeing a lot of oneself in a character" doesn't necessarily mean "think of oneself as a brilliant scientist" - just another example of how everything apparently must be translated into the worst possible meaning. (And I won't even get started on the Ronon/Jennifer/Rodney plot - which was awesome.)

I wish you all the best with your decision to turn everything into something bad. I shall be looking forward to giving SGU a chance, and then, if it actually does suck, come crawling back and admit you were all right. ;)

Peace!

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

True. THe writers who get paid the big bucks should at least attempt to put some reality into the relationships they write, or if nothing else, realize that high security installations don't have cheap wooden doors ;)

Re: I'm off

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

I'm going to take a look at SGU, but I don't have high expectations for it mostly because it's being done by the same people. Same writers, etc. They don't stray far from what they've already done, hence copying old scripts again and again.

My problem is that I watched Stargate SG-1 from the beginning, so know the plots they rewrite, and know that they have had better writers, and when you see professional TV critics complain about lazy writing on the show, you know it's not just a fan thing.

I do enjoy Stargate SG1 and SGA or else I wouldn't watch them. Sure, there are a handful of episodes of each that I rarely rewatch due to quality. I do think SGU will probably get off to a rip-roaring start, but then, like the stock market, take a dive. It's that way when a lot is put into the pilot (as in $$$) but not as much into the series.

As for Mallozzi, well, I've followed his blogs (yes, he's had several) over the years, and his humor is, at times, quite debatable ;) Bu the does excel at leading on the fans :)

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

He might be a name actor in some genres. He did "28 weeks later" (or was it days?) anyway, he was in that zombie horror flick. It does make you wonder about the 'name actor' because, well, most US fans will go 'who' but over in Europe, it might be a different thing altogether.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

If you can think of another word to replace that one...

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

I won't be following much in the way of spoilers on SGU - and if I do post spoilers, they'll be marked in the title so you can avoid.

[patk.livejournal.com]

My god! That would be *such* a novel concept!!!

Re: I'm off

[nialla]

People complain because they hate seeing something they enjoyed become something they don't enjoy anymore. This is doubly true if they didn't like the way SG-1 went out and feel like they're seeing it all over again.

If that doesn't apply to you, wonderful. If you like Mallozzi's blog where he's constantly trying to insult fans and pass it off as "humor" that's also wonderful. Some of his comments over the years have been amusing, but he's added too much "bite" to them in recent years for me to be comfortable reading them. He seems to enjoy baiting fans more than writing for the show. He certainly seems to spend more energy on baiting.

Everyone needs a place to vent. It often lets them voice their opinions in a place where they can see other POVs and maybe even change their mind or at least see the other side, even if they don't agree with it.

Nothing about SGU sounds at all interesting so far. I like the concept of Stargate travel, and that sounds very minimal to the plotline with the setting being a spaceship like so many other sci fi shows. If that's not the case and it's not all about the "hot young thangs" as the press has indicated and fandom word from those I trust is good, I can always catch up with it later. It's just not a show that I'm interested in watching live.

And BTW, I'm not watching. I did not like how SG-1 ended, and quit watching SGA around mid-season three because I could see signs of a similar path being taken. I do like keeping up with the basic concepts of episodes via fandom chatter, as some episodes often factor into fanfic. I've always had more fun with SGA fanfic than with the show itself.

There's always DVDs if I want to watch "The Good Parts Edition" later on, and it's perfectly fine with me if other fans consider completely different episodes part of that than I do. They have as much right to think and express that as I do to say differently.

Re: I'm off

[nialla]

I've always heard rumors that the reason Mallozzi's blog stopped at one point is there were complaints about how much baiting he was doing, but I don't know if there's any truth to that at all.

I really wish they'd get some fresh blood into the writer's room. I know using the same people is probably a mix of money saving (they already know the job so they don't have to get up to speed) and job protectionism. But as you say, they're copying old scripts again and again. They're burned out, and I don't think a new setting will help all that much.

They were recycling SG-1 plots into SGA pretty quickly, when moving to Pegasus was supposed to make things all fresh and new because they were cut off from the familiar. So we've had some Goa'uld, Replicators, Asgard and so on that have been done before. Often many times before.

The more I hear about the new show, the more it feels like they're trying to mimic nuBSG (which I don't watch), what with it being mostly ship-based with lots of personal conflicts from within. Younger cast with a few adults in charge. Perhaps that's at least partly an edict from Sci Fi, since BSG is going off the air.

Re: I'm off

[veronicasaether.livejournal.com]

Alright, I got bored with the Replicators again, I'll give you that one. ;)

Re: I'm off

[nialla]

I got bored with the replicators before they were done using them on SG-1. Then retconning in a new backstory in SGA to move their origins back to the Ancients was really pushing it.

Having them show up yet again in Ark of Truth, apparently just to have Mitchell fight RepliTerminator, was the last straw.

[tavabean.livejournal.com]

I get the feeling that, rather than it being too expensive to produce SGA and SGU, it was too expensive to produce SGU in the manner in which Wright and Cooper planned, and have to worry about funding Atlantis at the same time. I would just bet, that if you factor in Carlyle's salary, in addition to the other actors salaries, new sets and CGI, it will be more expensive than a 6th season of Atlantis.
They just didn't want Atlantis anymore and it was kicked to the curb. Saying the SGA actor's salaries were the cause is obviously a misstatement.

[ladyniko.livejournal.com]

As it is w/ a lot of us when it comes to anything that pompous bastard Joe Mallozzi puts forth these days. :-p

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

That's scary, cuz I was thinking about that earlier today. I would hazard a guess that Carlyle would cost as much if not more than Flanigan... of course, the rest of the cast on SGU may work for peanuts (or Loonies) ;) while David Hewlett was probably worth a pretty penny. I do think that $$$ definitely came into the whole mess. I think fans would have accepted the cancellation a LOT better had Skiffy, etc. not been there less than 24 hours crowing about the marvelous new SGU show that we're all going to enjoy so much. Sigh.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Honestly, there is probably a formula they use at Bridge Studios in which they say 'we have xxx characters, who must fall into these four categories, because that is what the viewing audience wants." Time will tell if it will work.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

While I liked the actor, I did not care for Baltar at all (that is, in the half dozen epsiodes I may have watched).

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

the original PR was "mostly young and desperate explorers" so I guess this character falls into the not young category. It's possible that this character was created after months of fans grumbling "Stargate: 90210" ;)

Re: I'm off

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

The replicators should *never* have been allowed on SGA. The producers spun us stuff about 'great new villains' (the wraith) and then they drag out the old chestnut, the replicators. Yeah, I was going *again?* when I saw that on AOT as well. These guys (the writers) get pai a nice chunk of change to come up with new ideas, so well, let's have some NEW stuff.

Re: I'm off

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

It's not uncommon to see people stop watching the show but stay with the fandom for the creative aspect (aka fanfic). Most people I know who criticize the show do so because they see flaws in the writing (big blunders), etc. Sure, some fans will spend the next decade nagging about Sam and Jack (which I don't think will ever happen). And some people just live to complain as well ;)

But at least on LJ, we're free to say what we want. One GW forum has a new policy of deleting negative posts (and it's up to the mods to determine what they think is negative). NOt very conducive to conversation :(

eh uh?

[klatubarada.livejournal.com]

WOW.
I .Am.STUNNED.
Robert Carlyle!?

He is well known here in the Uk and excepting the bond movie he did (which everyone in it was bleugh)he really is an excellent actor.

The other kids/actors :D will seriously have to 'raise their game' one hundredth fold just to be able to share the screen with him -and maybe that's a good thing...

*hopes furiously with fingers and toes crossed*

[klatubarada.livejournal.com]

oh no i just thought ...
'the ship’s brilliant Machiavellian scientist'

its Dr Smith from Lost in space isnt it ?

*cries softly*

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Well, he was in the beginning, then he turned into *cringe*...

Re: I'm off

[nialla]

A friend and I watched AOT together, and we went into full-on "WTF?" mode when the Replicators were dragged into the plot.

They weren't needed, and I'd have rather have devoted more time to the real plot and the characters themselves instead of Ways to Blow Sh*t Up #6,439.

Re: I'm off

[nialla]

In most past fandoms, most people complained for a while, then drifted away to something else, so this is rather unusual for me. I'm also usually mono or bi-fannish, and I'm an utter fandom whore at the moment, so... *g*

I think maybe in this case it's because right from the start I had more fun in SGA fandom than actually watching the show. And not just because the fic included slash either.

Other fans saw what I felt the show wasn't following up on -- exploring the city, being completely cut off from earth and how that would affect the expedition, the ethics of things they've done in Pegasus -- and wrote the fic dealing with those issues.

The writers would maybe bring them up, but either abandoned them in favor of very important task of blowing stuff up, or just wrapped it up with a clumsy blow because they didn't know how to go in-depth.

In our own LJs, we can say what we want and ignore anything we want. I think it's because it's more like being in someone else's house and trying to be polite.

In most forums, it's often like everyone's trying to outdo each other in the Rudeness Anonymous category and while I respect mods for the thankless job they have (I've been one, I know), sometimes it's like the inmates are in charge of the asylum.