It’s been a couple of years since we saw David Hewlett saving the day (and complaining along the way) as Dr. Rodney McKay on Stargate Atlantis. This week he’s back in the Stargate headlines, guest starring on last night’s new episode of Stargate Universe.
On the eve of the premiere of that episode, “Seizure,” Hewlett sat down with our friends at TV Squad to talk about SGU, the franchise as a whole, and what is currently keeping him busy.
Hewlett had nothing but praise for the show and its cast. In the wake of the series’ cancellation last December, though, he went on the record about why he thinks SGU didn’t make it past two seasons.
“I think the biggest detriment they had was that people came from watching Atlantis expecting more of the same from SGU, and it was a really different change of direction. And it’s beautifully done … I think the problem they came up against was that they had a very strong existing fan base for something that was, I think, lighter. [Atlantis was] the kind of science fiction that families sat down and watched together. We had kids and parents and grandparents and the neighbors come by all to watch our show. That’s an amazing thing in this day and age. But SGU is definitely an adult show for an adult audience, and it was a much darker show. So obviously the people who want to sit down wither their family, you know, they can’t do that with SGU.
“But that unto itself opens up a whole other audience. It’s just unfortunate that they hadn’t had a chance to really spread their wings and become their own show. But I think that’s the danger when you play with the tone of a franchise like this.”
“Was it a mistake or not? I don’t know, I don’t think so. They certainly did a great job with it. I mean, my God, the acting, the writing, the effects … it’s gorgeous. It’s an absolutely gorgeous show. But the problem, I think, is that it didn’t bring enough from the original ‘Stargate’ franchise. I think they were aiming for more of a Battlestar type audience, and Battlestar had the same issue, where it was a very, very highly acclaimed show … but it didn’t hit the numbers. I think when you go for dark and edgy you lose out what’s certainly not the sexiest demographic in the world for TV by network standards, but certainly a powerful one. The shows that allow for the communal activity of sitting down and watching television are incredibly powerful franchises, and that, to me, is what viewers got out of Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis.”
McKay returns in SGU's ''Seizure''
“We are in the process of trying to make it happen again,” he said of the series. “It’s been sitting there festering for a long time. Basically, it’s about time to get it happening, and thankfully Syfy are helping us as much as they possibly can. … What we’re working on right now is obviously making it financially viable for whoever wants to get involved [to produce it] and that may involve traditional television and it will certainly be involving a lot of Web stuff. Basically we’re just out there right now hustling for some money and some actual written commitments from people.”
Also look for Hewlett in theaters this summer. The Atlantis vet has a part in Rise of the Apes, a Planet of the Apes prequel starring James Franco and Andy Serkis. That hits screens on August 5.
As for Rodney, he has it relatively safe in the Milky Way and Pegasus Galaxies. “McKay wouldn’t survive in an SGU world, for the most part,” Hewlett laughed. “I mean, he’d be killed, basically! And I know Brad [Wright, executive producer] said he had a hard time trying to figure out how to bring McKay back, but I’m really glad he did. And it’s too bad that the show’s not going to continue.”
Head over to TV Squad for the full interview! David also talks about working with David Blue (“Eli Wallace”), reuniting with Robert Picardo (“Richard Woolsey”), and Stargate movie possibilities. Stargate Universe airs Mondays at 10/9c on Syfy Channel in the U.S., and Tuesdays at 10/9c on SPACE in Canada. New episodes return to Sky1 in the United Kingdom on April 11.
Follow David Hewlett: @DHewlett
I think it goes without saying at this point that “Seizure” was the best episode to date of SGU. I know it’s not what Syfy wants to hear but it’s a poignant point to relay that this morning’s torrent download of SGU was shared by more people than the show’s highest “Nielsen Rating’s” projected as being viewed by. The antiquated ritual of being at a certain place at a certain time to view one’s favorite program is over. As Dr. McKay put it, “technically speaking, as far as you’re concerned I’m from the future.”
Jfw64 – Doesn’t that make it true, then, that piracy killed the show? I wouldn’t necessarily have thought so, myself, but if what you say is true…
‘Seizure’ is no where near being the best episode of SGU, at all. It was ok, but coming from the previous episodes it was a step down in many many ways, the pacing and overall story involving Langara being the prime example, so much more they could have done and it was wasted. The stuff happening on the ship with rush and amanda was more exciting then the Langara side story.
Smart Man. I agree that the show is for adults i strated watching stargate when i was 6 and have grown up with the show and i feel the show has grown with me. its sad that this will be the first time since i was 6 that stargate wont be on. but life goes on and i will hope for atlantis movies or sg1 movies even sgu movie to finish the story that would be good. i have always thought people wont always be so angry about a show ending if the networks just let them finish the story.
I partly agree with David, he is making excelent point here. I think biggest mistake (or it was intendional?) was canceling SGA. SGA and SGU had to go in pair on Fridays – they would rock. Droping SGU one in the water was cruel and unfair. I know, I know…SGA was canceled cause of ratings. But still… Like rest of us I wish that situation would be different. I also agree that time that people watch shows primetime is gone. Problem is – expensive shows like SGU, SGA (or any other sci-fi show) can’t hold on numbers like this, because… Read more »
I think the reason the show did as poorly as it did was along the lines of what David was saying. As a Stargate fan, as repetitive as it may have been, I got used to them going through the gate at least once an episode. Going on a mission, saving someone, something and doing what we were all used to and liked. SGU went a total different direction but I think it was too much of a change for most fans. I still have and will watch every episode and do enjoy the show.
the reason is that SGU has no villain pure and simple. And Seizure was great but i felt SGC was playing a dangerous game with allies like the langurans, it was their planet, kinda horrifying how they were willing to risk someone’s planet without their approval. probably the worst thing SGC wouldve done imo. it wouldnt be a surprise for it to get big rating numbers or downloads, in fact the 2.5 has been getting lots of attention from torrent downloads, thats usually a good indicator for the popularity of a show.
Wouldn’t it be great if an actor someday had the you know what’s to tell the truth about what he or she thought and not sugar coat their opinions to not burn any bridges with a specific writer or producer… I absolutely love McKays character and he makes a lot of valid points but just has to be “diplomatic”. I guess I would have to do the same thing.
In stating it was the best of the series I may have been premature yes. I only lament the cancellation based on this tiresome ideology that it’s not SG1 or SGA. That in itself is the point of SGU. We all grew up on the amazing short stories that were SG1 and SGA and loved them dearly, or so we wouldn’t be discussing them to this day, as we are now. I only meant that it had everything a fan of the fanchise would want, and by that I mean a fan of all three series. The direction the show… Read more »
the problem is that there are so many different shows trying to compete for specific time slots and those all important ratings and sadly so many good shows over the years have been canceled and left unfinished because of this. i mean come on if you are going to tell a story you are obligated to finish it in my opinion. also people want to watch shows when they want to watch it and not have to be forced to choose what to watch that will please everyone in the family as im sure many of you know all to… Read more »
I also realize LOST wasn’t the first “serialized” series, only that it was the first one the general public got behind, and actually showed the potential of this format and it’s viability in television.
I agree with both what David said and what Pecisk said. At the same time, I think that the “SGU killed SGA crowd” puts SGA on too high of a pedestal. Was it a good, fun show? Yes, but it wasn’t God’s gift to sci-fi, the way they try to paint it. David’s right though in that SGU is aimed at a different audience and the problem is its the third series in a franchise that’s traditionally had a more family oriented focus. Nothing is wrong with a different focus but I think they went into it too hard and… Read more »
Way to go Browncoat1984, “Daddy just hit Mommy at the dinner table.” lol. You’re right, there’s no point in arguing or even debating it anymore. We are a dying race of people who’s time was cut short before we had a chance to see what we could become, and by that I mean Science Fiction fans. In the end just as the rest of the world swallows itself up with petty wars and poor decisions, man chooses to look inward towards it’s own destruction then to the stars for something better (cheesy I know, but true). SciFi > Syfy
David Hewlett is of course right in what he says. The old audience didn’t grow up as the writers expected, and so they could not follow SGU. I think the biggest mistake the producers made was to pitch SGU to SyFy, instead of the parent TV channel, NBC. I’m pretty sure that on a major network, and with the right ad campaign, SGU would have made it.
@ELQ – I 100% agree.
Seizure was an awesome episode filled with both great emotional moments and the return of McKay. SGU has really start to hit its stride in season 2, but alas it’s too little too late.
The direction that SyFy has grow as a network, the old SG-1 and/or SGA is a much better fit than SGU or even BSG.
Great to here from David and can not wait to see the ep when it makes it to UK screens, but the argument that SGU was too dark and not what Syfy wants might not hold water considering they are rolling out BSG Blood & Chrome this year… unless they are re-imagining the re-imagined BSG as a fun and happy place.
I would agree with what David Hewlett said about why SGU was cancelled. SGU was a essentially a complete opposite of SGA and SG1, which seemed to irk a good share of Stargate viewers. But its biggest obstacle was that the majority of season 1 was just Ok. Magnified by people pissed about the change from Stargate to SGU; the Ok programming was characterized as terrible and dropped by a lot of viewers. If season 1 had been made like season 2 the show probably would be going on to a 3rd season. Dark Scifi for whatever reason that is… Read more »
The episode was pretty good. Nice to see McKay back in action, even if it wasn’t that last minute save the day routine we’re used to seeing him in. Each episode of SGU we see brings us one step closer to the end of an era, TV with no StarGate.
“[Atlantis was] the kind of science fiction that families sat down and watched together.” You’re exactly right, David. Me and my whole family would make the time to come together every Friday night to watch. I’d even bake brownies or cake each time for the occasion, and we all had a great time. We barely made it through SGU’s first episode without changing the channel out of boredom, and the next Friday, no one showed up. Those halcyon days were over. At least I had a plate of brownies all to myself. “And I know Brad [Wright, executive producer] said… Read more »
>[“We barely made it through SGU’s first episode without changing the channel out of boredom]”
Especially the first episode of SGU is the best their did, the most balanced of all. It’s one of the best episodes shot for television ever.
This all just makes me miss Atlantis and McKay and the Team more. Would be nice if he were right and it does continue somehow, even in a combined movie.
@Pecisk – SGA wasn’t cancelled because of ratings. It was cancelled because Wright & Co. decided they didn’t want to do 2 shows at the same time again. And rather than let someone else take over SGA, which Wright was clearly tired of, he sunk it. Syfy wanted both SGA S6 and SGU S1 and Wright said they could only have one or the other. Since SGU was promised to be a big ratings grabber, they went with SGU. @Jfw64 – Digital distribution for television shows is not the way of now. And likely won’t be for some time to… Read more »
@mythos >”So what he said is more the opposite of what you said.” Not necessarily. You forget that the writers bet on the fact that they expected the previous SG-1/A viewers, usually either kids, or young parents, to grow up and watch an adult show. After 10+ years of the same kind of show, they expected their audience to follow them into more serious venues. But their old audience didn’t, and the non-SG audience thought that SGU was “yet another stargate”, so they wanted nothing to do with it, so they never even tried it. Maybe Hewlett didn’t spell it,… Read more »
I have great respect for Mr. Hewlett, but he’s wrong. SGU failed because it wasn’t a well-written series, and many of its concepts simply didn’t work. As such, it didn’t find a foothold with the audience. Pure and simple.
Hewlett brought up an interesting point about family viewing. It’s not something that I had considered before, but it makes complete sense. I grew up watching Stargate with my family, but no one else in my family really stuck around for SGU. Whether it was the tone or the characters (or the writing of those characters) I don’t know. But something was definitely lost between series.
out of david’s entire interview, the comment that grabbed me was his opinion on the prospects of the movies. while i’m an sg1 fan myself, i think making a combo movie, bringing together ALL three series, would make the most fans happy. i’d LOVE to see this combo movie!!
it disappoints me that gateworld didn’t make more of a deal of this comment in their snippets here, but that kind of makes me feel that they/darren & company don’t think it’s a real possibility…
@ELQ – But it’s not really an adult show. What makes you say that it is? Because they’ve had sex scenes? There are 12 year old’s having sex. You don’t have to be an adult for that. And let’s see…one of them found out they had a kid and then promptly went back to having what would have to be unprotected sex by now because they could not possibly have brought enough condoms with them to last that long. But they kind of gloss over that, don’t they..wouldn’t the more adult thing be to deal with that issue? Seriously, how… Read more »
I knew there was a reason why I like Mr Hewlett so much! :) Nothing but intelligence and class. It’s a really cool interview and I hope to read more interviews/news related to him in the future.
@ipfnd
geez. Is it really so hard to believe that the guy simply enjoys SGU? Do you really have to look for some hidden agenda? As far as I’m concerned Mr Hewlett’s honesty is a nice change and proof of his excellent taste in tv. Also, fortunately he’s not the only SG actor openly praising the show. :)
@mythos
“>But it’s not really an adult show. What makes you say that it is?”
SGU is way more adult than SG1/A. It’s explained in the comments above, and even in the interview itself. It’s by far the most realistic of the three series, and it tries to be a bit deeper. As for condoms, well, there are other ways to avoid pregnancy. Not as fool-proof, but there are.
@ELQ – It’s not in the comments above. I’ve asked in several threads before and no one has ever come up with an actual answer. it’s always something lke “SGU is way more adult than SG1/A.” But that’s not an answer, that’s just you saying it. And I don’t see much realism in the show. I see plenty of bleakness, little realism. If there really were a stargate and there really was an Icarus planet, we wouldn’t have some drunk who’s being drummed out for having an affair with a subordinate leading the team. We also wouldn’t have had a… Read more »
>So where is the realism?
In the kind of episodes that the show started: lack of air, food, water, power. In the kind of relations among people who were not military, and so not trained for this. In the kind of science, that took Rush MONTHS to crack the master password of Destiny, or gain access to other systems — something that SG-1/A would have done in the last 10 minutes by McKay or Carter doing something impossible scientifically. That’s the kind of realism I’m after, and that’s what I got. I’m happy for how the show got structured.
Great interview. The last episode was very good, but not quite how I expected it to be. I thought Jonas Quinn would have made a appearance in the episode, his opinon in the matter to help save Destiny could have helped the situation a bit. One thing I didn’t like to much though was the drama in the last scene, can’t believe Eli would just run away like a little girl. However like I said it was a great episode and I hope they can still have a way to continue the show. But, in the interview David made it… Read more »
I’m sorry, but SGU is not a show I would like my kids watch. Everyone felt comfortable and at ease watching SG-1 and SGA on no ‘Adultp situations occured. Case in point, using the stones to sleep with your wife in another man’s body….not children, even 12 years old appropriate. I tried to watch it, and it was not my cup of tea. No common enemy, and I wanted to shot them all in the head, and shove their bodies into space. The only character that tweeked my interest was Rush, but not enough to give it an hour of… Read more »
As for realiam, neither show was more realistic than the other for their situations are very differnet from one another.
If I want realizm, well there is real life, news, CNN, etc for that. I need storylines that entertain me, characters that pull me in.
But that is just me….my thoughts on how I feel and it hsd nothing to do with BW pulling the plug on SGA….it was the fact they failed in giving ‘me’ something I wanted to continue to watch.
@majorsal: Not at all. The trick with doing a write-up based on someone else’s interview is not to use up all the best material and render the original superfluous (especially when, in this case, the original was written by a friend of mine).
The combo movie idea is something that has been bandied about in a number of quarters, and not something that I think David has an inside track on just yet.
@Darren: thanks for the explanation. i’ll still hope it’s a possibility. in fact, amanda tapping’s got a new french interview and she makes the same comment/idea, on doing a combo movie. :p
Well Claudia Black and Michael Shanks have new SG1 novels coming out soon. As stated on ClaudiaBlackOnline (The third series of Stargate audios are moving from the ‘narrated’ style of the first two series to full cast dramas.) Now that sounds like something good. http://bit.ly/gcqDj6
Heh, people can argue about this forever. Some apparently think it was very realistic, some of us find if very unrealistic. Perhaps its the latter group who suspect Hewlett being overly enthusiastic.
Why? Because that’s what all 99.9% of actors do, those who don’t are rarely hired again – unless they are already huuuge prove megastars.
@ELQ Hey, myself, I’m not one who really cares for TOO much “realism” in a sci-fi universe like our beloved “Stargate”… but, for your sake, let me take a look at few o’ your examples: “In the kind of episodes that the show started: lack of air, food, water, power.” Three words why these important scenarios can sometimes fail in a show like SGU: Writing, writing, and writing. Writing about the *need* for those things is a lot different than writing about those same characters going about *getting* those things. If the writers already have made it difficult to believe… Read more »
For financial issues they should do more product placement. Think of all those fancy computers they’re always using. Slap a big dell logo on all of them and give some of the more high tech features of a certain model or monitor a 0.5s screen shot and that would equal the money earned from a full 30s commercial. This could be replicated with cars or trucks as well. Maybe even medical equipment, ration packs, maybe even the military would be paying for sponsorship of some nice gun or gear suit. This doesn’t solve the stations issue of less viewers. But… Read more »
Wow, he hit the nail on the head here –> “So obviously the people who want to sit down with their family, you know, they can’t do that with SGU.” <—This is exactly why I didn't watch it. ~(-: We have 3 generations in my house that LOVE and watch Stargate together as a family. We went to go see all the Star Wars movies as a family. Went to see the new Harry Potter as a family. Sci Fi fantasy + dark and edgy is a poor formula if you want a successful franchise. If you look at most… Read more »
Ok, I got about halfway through the comments when it started: “SGA was that and this””SGU is this and that”.
CAN’T YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP AND REFINE YOUR ARGUMENTS FOR A CHANGE!
Reading these comments is more repetetive and redundant that SG-1 or SGA ever was and I’ve seen better rhetorics in SGU. O can’t take this anymore. No more comment reading for me. Even youtube comments aren’t as repetetive.
Never seen a single episode of either SG1 or Atlantis. I agree with Hewlett, “it’s (SGU) a gorgeous show.”
@ELQ – Umm…didn’t the ship basically just take them to the places that had what they needed? I’m not sure that really qualifies as them dealing with it. And the ship recharged itself. They didn’t really do much for that. So, not really seeing the realism here. As for cracking the ‘code’, 1) The ship’s computer gave Rush the key to cracking ‘the code’. And 2) It took help from the rebuilt-alien-chloe. And once the right type of person knows the key that a ‘code’ is based on, it’s not really all that hard to crack by today’s standards. People… Read more »
>But seeming more realistic isn’t really the same as being more realistic. It’s realistic ENOUGH. It’s different than the vanilla tv shows out there that are _laughable_ when comparing the same issues at hand and how these are portrayed. You claim that I didn’t explain why SGU feels more realistic, but I did. I even gave an example with McKay/Carter creating something scientifically impossible (e.g. by combining incompatible technologies), in the last 10 minutes of an episode, and they save the day. On SGU this is way more rare, and way more realistically done. The very fact that it took… Read more »
Basically, what I’m saying is, if that was SG-1/A, Carter/McKay would have a solution within about 10 to 12 minutes of an episode. This is just laughable.
Add to all the rest of the amazing first 6 episodes, about food, water, power, caffeine withdrawal etc. SG-1/A would never hit on such issues. They would just use the stargate to go “find aliens that look like humans, and amazingly, speak English”. Laughable, really.
SGU failing had nothing to do with SGA, or the fact that it was different to the previous shows. SGU failed because it just didn’t appeal enough to ANY audience. I wouldn’t have continued watching SGU even if SGA had continued to air – the reason is I didn’t like anything about SGU. I didn’t mind that it was different to the other shows, all I expected was it to be entertaining and interesting and it was neither for me. I find it laughable that some accuse viewers of not being adult enough to understand SGU. If SGU was so… Read more »
blackhawlk said: “I find it laughable that some accuse viewers of not being adult enough to understand SGU. If SGU was so gripping and adult why didn’t it appeal to a wider audience then, there is a huge audience out there who love dark and gripping.” 100% in agreement here. AMC’s “The Walking Dead” is about as dark and gripping as anything on TV today… and yet, the show is immensely entertaining, due to its well-written characters and the scenarios which envelop them along the way. In the same vein (for me, anyway), ABC’s “No Ordinary Family” is filled with… Read more »
Embarrassing as it is to admit, before watching SGU the only Stargate I’d seen was the 1994 movie. I was asked to review the first season of SGU as an outsider; someone who wouldn’t be influenced by a love of the previous series. In the end, the only nice thing I had to say about SGU was that it got me watching SG-1 and SGA because there had to be a reason that the franchise lasted so long and I wasn’t seeing it in SGU. SGU doesn’t have a single character that I like, no one to connect with on… Read more »