It’s been just two weeks since Colonel Samantha Carter left Atlantis, but of course production is already well underway on actress Amanda Tapping’s next venture. Sanctuary is now filming in Vancouver, and will air 13 episodes this fall in the United States.

In a new interview with GateWorld’s sister site, SciFi Stream, Tapping talked about the new show and the tough decision to leave Stargate.

“It’s really hard to leave Stargate,” Tapping said. “It was a really, really difficult decision, in large part because of the fan base and because people have been so supportive. And so I felt like I was taking not only a leap away from my comfort zone and my home at the Bridge Studios, but a leap of faith with the fans that there might be people that may not want to join me on this journey. And that’s OK.”

Sanctuary will remain true to the 8-part Internet series fans watched in 2007, but has been retooled to have a brighter look. The new Sanctuary “really spins out the story a lot more,” she said. “It gives you a bit more of the history of the Sanctuary. It’s a bit more intriguing and less … we’re not telling you too much right away.

“But it’ll be brighter, and I think more accessible. Like I said before, the show is actually better for the changes we’ve made. It’s a little broader in scope and it’s a little more accessible to more audience members than it was before. It was very genre-specific and dark and edgy. It’s still going to be dark and edgy because we still like that feel, but it’s going to be a little broader.”

Tapping also said she wouldn’t mind seeing her Stargate co-stars visit the new show — in fact, Christopher Judge’s (“Teal’c”) name has already been brought up.

“We actually considered Chris for the pilot for this role of the vampire, vampire lawyer,” she said. “But it wasn’t a big enough part. We wanted to use him better. Chris would, by the virtue of his physicality and his incredible sense of humor, would make a really cool monster.”

Tapping hopes to return to Stargate Atlantis by the end of the current season, if her work schedule permits — perhaps for the season finale, which will be the one-hundredth episode of the spin-off series.

Visit SciFi Stream now to read the complete interview with Amanda! Sanctuary premieres October 3 with a special 2-hour event on SCI FI Channel.