Science fiction and fantasy magazines are ramping up for the July 15 season premieres of
Stargate SG-1 and
Stargate Atlantis, with lots of brand new features on the long-running franchise. Here’s the run-down of what we have seen so far:
TV Zone kicks off the new season with yet another of its all-Stargate special issues! Special Issue #64 is available on July 7, and will include Season Nine / Season Two previews and interviews with Ben Browder, Joe Flanigan, Amanda Tapping, Chris Judge, Michael Shanks, Beau Bridges, Cliff Simon, Mitch Pileggi, Paul McGillion, and Jason Momoa … clocking in at an impressive 116 pages.
Cult Times Special Issue #34 chats with Paul McGillion (“Dr. Carson Beckett”) about becoming a regular in the second season of Stargate Atlantis.
Sci Fi magazine (August 2005) talks to Ben Browder and Claudia Black about their work on the new season of SG-1.
SFX #132 (June 2005) visits Vancouver to talk with the cast and crew of SG-1 about the new season.
Cult Times #118 (July 2005) features a cover story interview with Michael Shanks. The “Daniel Jackson” actor talks about the show’s new start (excerpt). The magazine also reports on Richard Dean Anderson’s departure from SG-1.
“Christopher [Judge] and I represent the most experienced in terms of working on the show but we’re certainly not working with any rookie actors,” Shanks said. “Our ‘new’ cast all have strong backgrounds. With Lou Gossett, Jr. (‘Gerak’) and Beau Bridges (‘General Hank Landry’) there, you certainly know you have your work cut out for you. And we have had a lot of wonderful guest stars so it’s been very exciting, and if anything our part at the early part of the show was just to open the door and make people feel comfortable and make sure everybody got as many chances as possible.”
Starlog talks in-depth with Rainbow Sun Francks (“Lt. Aiden Ford”) about science fiction and his work on Stargate Atlantis.
Dreamwatch #130 includes an interview with executive producer Robert C. Cooper, in which he talks about the big changes in store for both Stargate series this season.
Cooper also chats about the same subject with Cult Times #117 (June 2005).
TV Zone #190 puts Stargate Atlantis on the cover, and talks to director Martin Wood about the upcoming year of Atlantis (excerpt). “There are a number of different crises that happen in [‘The Siege, Part 3’],” Wood said. “The first one finds Major Sheppard in a puddle-jumper and headed straight for a Wraith mothership to blow it up, which means he’s committing suicide to try to save everyone. He’s doing the hero moment, but the major can’t die, so we have to get him home safely.
“Following that, we introduce our next generation in battle cruisers, the Daedelus, and its commander, Colonel Caldwell. Did I mention that Lt. Ford is missing? And, oh, by the way, our heroes have to get the Atlantis shield up, and there’s a time limit because they’re about to be killed by these Wraith darts that are descending on them. Then the very next thing that happens is the Wraith fleet arrives. It seems that the three ships in ‘Siege, Part 2’ were just a precursor. Apparently, there was an even bigger fleet on the way.”
(Thanks to Morjana, Sue, and Ron for contributing)