Write or Wrong? Writing Stargate SG-1
"Stargate is a tough show to write for," continues Glassner. "One of the reasons for this is that we want to give something to all of our leads to do in every episode and occasionally that's a challenge if the plot centres on just one of them." -- Jonathan Glassner, Executive Producer, Stargate SG-1 Seasons One - Three.
"Maybe if you watched the episodes you didn't write, you'd know what was happening." -- Robert C. Cooper (Executive Producer and writer) to Joseph Mallozzi (Supervising Producer and writer) at Gatecon, Vancouver, September 2001.
"I think you can have that problem of writing a character into a corner, but at the same time you have the ability to bust him out of that corner. After all, with the character of Carter they managed to cross the 'mythical boundaries' with complete frivolity, saying 'We'll make her an astrophysicist, we'll make her a Captain and eventually a Major in the US air force. We'll make her a kick arse martial artist and an ace shot, and a field medic and an expert in technologies - not just knowing the basic principles of science, but understanding the technologies as well - and then she gets penetrated by a Goa'uld so now she has their inherited abilities! It's like 'Wow, she should have her own series!'"
"They seemed to do that pretty freely with that character, so I really didn't see how it would be too much of a stretch to find some justification for giving Daniel some added aspects. It would only be a matter of putting thought to idea and then pen to paper. But it just wasn't important enough to the writers. That wasn't for lack of me speaking out, saying 'Hey, I'm not doing nothing, I'm not active in this script.' Sometimes efforts were made, but more often than not they weren't and so after a while I knew that no matter how much jumping up and down I did it wasn't going to happen." -- Michael Shanks, 'America's Most Wanted' interview, Starburst #286, May 02.
"One of the many positive things that has been said about 'Stargate' is that it's based around the characters, all of whom are unique and constantly interact with one another." -- Richard Dean Anderson, 2001.
"The audience is so savvy -- especially in this genre. My contention has been that you can only fool people with smoke and mirrors for so long. Bottom line: If you're not telling good stories, people are going to tune out, and they'll see right through the sham. You have to have human beings driving the story lines -- interacting as human beings with human reactions to extraordinary situations in extraordinary circumstances. If the story is not there, it can't sustain itself. Gadgets or no gadgets, effects or no effects, that's all well and fine, but that's cosmetic as far as I'm concerned." -- Richard Dean Anderson 'The Hollywood Reporter' Sep. 4-10, 2001
"This was during a time during the show when we were trying to bump up the ratings and we were taking our cue from Seven of Nine, thinking that that might help the show. And, in fact, the show didn't need help. It was perfectly fine the way it was and we didn't need half-naked, really hot, skilled actresses walking around trying to keep our interest." -- Peter DeLuise, (Creative Consultant, writer, director) Audio commentary for "Crossroads"
Dr. Daniel Jackson: "You know, I would have asked him, but I was too busy being unconscious after he shot me with that zat you gave him."
DeLuis: Who wrote that line?
Mullie: I believe that was actually Michael Shanks.
DeLuis: 'Too busy being unconscious'? I thought you wrote that for him?!
-- Peter DeLuis, Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, Audio commentary for "The Fifth Man"
"....eventually Brad and Robert decided they really had to get the 'more than colleagues' relationship out of the way. Amanda and Rick wanted it stopped too, because they were tired of skirting round that arc. A lot of the fans weren't too happy either, so we decided to knock it on the head. Rick and Amanda really loved playing that scene with the force field....no human being, to my knowledge, has ever been forced to look at the person they love through a force field, knowing that one or both of them is facing imminent death....Anyway, we got the whole 'feelings' thing out of the way, and I think it was necessary and long overdue." -- Martin Wood, Stargate Companion, 2002.
"Sam and Jack were never meant to be together. Not just from a military point of view, but for all sorts of reasons. He would drive her crazy for starters! I love the way the writers brought the situation to the fore in D&C and had the courage to let them admit their love for each other, acknowledge that it was never to be and then let them get on with the rest of their lives" -- Amanda Tapping, Stargate Guide, 2002
DeLuis: It's one of our formula rules. The audience is not to know more than our heroes so they can be sympathetic to their viewpoint.
Mullie: What are some of the other rules?
DeLuis: Some of the rules we like to - er - Don't follow the guest stars around and give everybody something to do.
-- Peter DeLuis, Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie: Audio commentary for "The Fifth Man"
"The bottom line is there aren't any more original ideas in SF." -- Joseph Mallozzi or Paul Mullie. Cult Times #85 interview, October 2001. Interviewer Frank Garcia credits Mr. Mallozzi. Irate fans protested in print and on web. Mr. Mallozzi stated to fans that Frank Garcia incorrectly attributed this statement to him and in turn credits Mr. Mullie.
Sam I Am: Amanda Tapping's thoughts on the writing of Sam from the pilot to the end of Season Five
It's the writing, stupid! An editorial that cuts right to the heart of the matter
"On Mullie, Mallozzi, and Original Characters," by Katherine
PhoenixE: Demise of vision
Our grateful thanks to the Stargate SG-1 writers and directors
Times Past: an editorial article by John Binns, Cult Times #78, Feb 2002. Extracts posted with permission from Visimag.
Stargate's Galaxy: SG-1 writer/producer Joseph Mallozzi clues us in to future plot twists, the Jack/ Samantha romance, and his treatment for Pizza Man: 2110. September 26, 2000
M & M on Stargate SG-1 interviewed by Thomasina Gibson in Starlog #17 Sep 2001 (extracts posted with permission from Starlog and the author)
Writer and Supervising Producer Joseph Mallozzi's Q&A with H/C list members (12 Jan 02)
He Said She Said
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